These reports of Raul Meireles on his way out of Liverpool have been flying about for a month and a half now.
Despite nothing being set in stone yet, it doesn’t surprise me one bit. Not because I don’t rate him – which I do, very highly and for that matter he surpasses Steven Gerrard in my estimation – but because at Liverpool, over the last few years we’ve not treated players with the respect they deserved by the right of their commitment and performances.
Xabi Alonso is the first in everyone’s minds on this topic but there are others like John Arne Riise, Craig Bellamy, Peter Crouch, etcetera, who have put in the performances but suddenly found themselves out of the door because someone supposedly better turned up for training at Melwood.
Following last season’s early debacle and subsequent recovery when Kenny Dalglish took charge, the one thing everyone seemed to be agreeing on, was how former boss Roy Hodgson had left one parting gift – Raul Meireles.
Those ready to challenge me on the earlier statement of rating him better than Stevie G, wind the clocks back before Meireles came to Anfield. The news of Steven Gerrard out injured was like a hammer to the head. It was rarely a compact performance without him in the side.
Now have a look at the performances of the side in the second half of last season. Captain Fantastic was out for the majority of it and yet, Liverpool put in some blinding performances, so much so, that many even forgot Gerrard was out injured, not playing.
That’s something even former Anfield hero and now World Cup winner Xabi Alonso couldn’t manage. He was possibly the best passer of the ball in the world and yet he lacked something which Meireles had in his repertoire to add to his fizzy one touch passing – speed.
This man is not only an expert at picking out his team mates from wherever he is, but he is also quick. He out runs opponents, and links fantastically well with the defence as well as the attack.
So now to be suddenly declared ‘surplus to requirements’ is, in my eyes, shameful. I’ve always wanted a Liverpool side with a core of British (possibly just English) players to make up a winning side as well. But that doesn’t mean you ill-treat one of your best players, who was voted player of the season last year by fans.
Player of the season if im not mistaken was lucas and not meireles.
on the other hand i must admit that you do have some valid points…that of giving his heart out when stevie was out injured
The guy barley effects a game if he is not scoring. Better than Gerrard!!! smells like a united fan to me
The fans voted this pal, last season he’s talking about ok? Try to keep up!
!”he surpasses Steven Gerrard in my estimation”, then I stoped reading.
I stopped reading when you said he surpassed Gerrard in your estimations. What kind of stupid statement is that.
Meireles did ok in his first season but he’s a bit of a luxury player that does well when your team is doing well but not really firing when the team does poorly. Sometimes I wasn’t really sure what he brought to the table…that said, he shouldn’t be sold.
We’d only waste the money on more average British players anyway.
Meireles is no where near Gerrard in terms of quality. Meireles can’t tackle for a start.
Do you even have any of the passing stats to back these claims up?
Meireles was not voted as the player of the season by the fans. It was Lucas.
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Who+was+voted+player+of+the+season+by+Liverpool+fans+2010-11
Poor article.
Have you any proof that he is being bundled out the door?? No, there has been no statement from the club or the manager and the player himself has said he is happy here. You are, as many do, read all the garbage from the “experts” in the papers and believe it. Leave it to the manager and staff who do know what is happening behind the scenes. “Adam and henderson are yet to prove themselves in a red shirt” the season doesn’t start for a fortnight for gods sake and if my memory serves my right, Raul was less than average before kenny took over!! The message it does send out if he is sold,is that kenny is the manager, and as such, is the only person who knows his future plans and direction the club is going in….
I was going to write a reply to this silly article but you just said it all for me. Thanks gaz.
“Better than Gerrard” Thats one of the dumbest things I have read all year.
Miereles is a good player with a good attitude. In most teams below the bottom 6 he would be an automatic starter. Given his age though and the number of midfielders we have (ie we don’t need a 10 million pound 28-29 year old squad player) I think we should sell him and strengthen in area where we do need to buy such as CB/LB/Striker. He is similar to Gerrard in the function he fulfills, but not as good. We will play Lucas as holding mid alongside another two- gerrard and adam. Aquilani is better back up for either than Merieles because he offers more creativity and skill. We also have Cole and Maxi and Shelvey who can play in that position. It may be harsh, but you have to do what is best for the club. I’m sure he will not have much trouble finding another team.
Regardless of what you say about him being better than Gerrard, i believe that your point about Alonso, Riise and Crouch are extremely valid points. They were all Players who respected the club greatly and were treated very badly, i hope that Raul has a great season and remains at the club.
I also agree with you sean. But then the writer added Craig Bellamy.????? Craig Bellamy?????
jesus!!
I almost forgot Henderson who is like for like (not as good at the moment, but still young enough to get there) and who can play on the right
You are an idiot…by the time Riise left us he was a shadow of his former self, he has admitted that he got complacent and wasn’t pushing himself hard enough after being at the club for so long he thought he was irreplaceable.
Bellamy was thrown out for attacking his team mates…how anyone can defend that is beyond me!
Crouch left because he wasn’t getting first team football, which is fair enough, but can anyone honestly say they would pick Crouch over Torres back when he was good? Rafa would have loved to keep Crouch, but he wanted first team football so we respected that and let him move on!
Your an idiot!!! Better than Gerrard, you really don’t understand football at all. Mereiles had a purple patch of 5 weeks when he was worth his place in the side, but aside from that he is an average player. The better performances toward the end of the season were down to Suarez not mereiles. With the strength we now have in midfield Mereiles is a squad player at best and so if we can get good money for him I’d sell. Then we might have some money to improve the defence, which requires a top class centreback and left back. If players can be rated out of 10, both Gerrard and Alonso are a 10. Mereiles on the other hand is a 6 or 7 at best.
What is it with these morons that want a “core of British”?? LMAO!! You lemmings need to face the fact that the Brits produce crap in the way of world class talent and just get over it! Even if we could put together the starting 11 from the England national team and buy them for 1m each.. I would NEVER want to see that lineup and we all know that they would end up mid-table! Give me a starting 11 of ALL foreigners over the Brit national womens team (lets face it.. they play like girls most of the time) anyday! Even as a Brit I think the Brits are crap… you nationalistic morons need to face the facts and move on… do you want to win.. or do you want a team of Brit crap.. you can’t have both
british crap?what are you smoking?yeah,kelly,carra,stevie,adam,downing…all crap.rooney?terry? cashley cole?back in your hole. and im not even british.idiot.
Greg, you are talking rubbish. Do you live near a nuclear power plant or something cos something has fried your brain for real. Would you really call steven gerrard, wayne rooney, john terry, paul scholes, jamie carragher, etc etc CRAP?????
Crap, I’m guessing, is what you are.
Go see a doctor.
Lol
Astonishing the level of stupidity on here. Mereiles was easily one of best performers last year. Lucas was our player of the year but mereiles was recognised as the pfa fans player of the year. Gerrard, whilst a better player, was s***e last season. Some of you have no clue. Good article overall. And yes, alonso alone is enough evidence that we often get it wrong when it comes to transfers.
meireles was unplayable in some of the games last season, chipping in with goals and assists and great team play and on the basis of last season YES meireles was better than gerrard, (waiting to be flamed!!) and even maxi was better than stevie, but i wouldnt say he is a better player not by a long way. as for someone saying aqua would be a better back up, wise up, agreed he has got talent but im pretty sure, but i hopoe im wrong that aqua will just never cut it in britain, italians never do!
Also, its not that england doesnt produce world class talent, england on paper have the 2nb best squad in the world after spain, their problem is the tossers cant play together
meireles is one of the best player in liverpool and that is obvious. he deserves his place here than anyone else but due to recent fall of performance of our captain i fink zats y he is comparing meireles with gerrard.. but gerrard cannot be compared with anyone when he is in his best form.
There’s a tremendous logic hole here boys, he meant last season not overall his whole career, Stevie has had an incredible career and if the fans thort Stevie was better last year they wud have chosen him last year ok!?
Great article!
I like the way people respond by calling him a moron but can’t even get their own facts straight. Meireles was voted PFA Fans Player of the year for the premiership. Lucas was voted Liverpool player of the year. Anyone who said they stopped reading when he said RM was better than SG, why are you commenting? If you bothered to read the article its very interesting. Some points i don’t agree on but the general point is right. Meireles is a class above anyone we’ve bought this summer so far. His point is HE filled Gerrards boots last season and did it very well, not an easy task. Selling him would be a huge mistake!
Some of you are so thick. When people say his Purple Patch they mean his goalscoring patch, it doesn’t mean he didnt play well apart from those six games!!! He was a force last season, ie. the west ham game where he didnt score but completely ran the show. Idiots, the lot of them.