Dalglish may be justified in clearing him out due to the arrival of Jordan Henderson and Charlie Adam, but fact remains that they haven’t proven themselves in a Liverpool shirt yet. It could all easily go awol with these players and then the managers, coaches and fans alike could be left scratching their heads over how these brilliant players look below average playing for Liverpool.
It’s happened before with Jermaine Pennant, Fernando Morientes, Paul Konchesky and Mark Gonzalez. So where’s the sense in kicking out the guy who held the midfield together for the entire second half of the season?
Above all tactical arguments, this doesn’t bode well for Liverpool Football Club as an establishment and a community. I’ve never seen a bunch of Chelsea or Man United supporters from different corners of the world, get on with the same ease as I’ve seen Liverpool supporters do. There’s a community feeling throughout the world among anyone who dares to call themselves a Red.
We look after our own, be it player, manager, or fan. If they put in the work, if they show the commitment and willingness. That’s what the club is all about which makes it so special above any other. If they display the love for the club and crest as Meireles has displayed. Then he’s appreciated. That’s all required of him, that’s all fans need. Voting him player of the season, shows he did everything expected of him.
What kind of message does it send out if the club spits out the same player, who was lavished with plaudits because of the heart and desire he showed in just one season? We might as well sell Dirk Kuyt next, who may as well have circled the world twice, the distances he’s covered on the pitch in five years.
This is exactly the same mistake made two years ago, touting Xabi Alonso for a player who may or may not end up coming to Anfield, let alone perform at the same level. There’s been an argument that Meireles is being sold because he’s apparently reaching the end of his career. He’s not even 30 yet and he’s younger than Steven Gerrard. Might as well show him the door then – by that argument.
There is no excuse for treating a player of Meireles’ calibre this way. Someone who’s shown terrific commitment and ability, which his replacements are yet to show while playing for Liverpool.
King Kenny might end up getting this one right after all. Liverpool may end up winning everything next season, or something like that, which would immediately attract comments like “See? Getting rid of Meireles was a good thing after all!”
It wouldn’t matter as much. Hand on heart, think everyone will agree here, that the guy has bags of ability, which he displays week in week out, and if Liverpool are to win anything, if played, Meireles would without a doubt have a lot to do with it.
Results and trophies and honours aside. There’s something called loyalty. Fans expect it from players and so do the clubs. That was the principal reason behind the furore when Fernando Torres left to join rivals Chelsea. It’s not a one way street. If clubs and managers demand it of players, they need to show it themselves as well.
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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.