The Skipper

In none of those pictures can you say the goals were all solely Luiz's fault. This is my qualm with people criticising Luiz. Every goal we concede is his fault though right...

This has been posted twice in the thread already mate...

He doesn't even have coaching badges.

He doesn't even have coaching badges.

The "mistakes" will significantly reduce this season over time, he's just going through a rough patch like any other player does.

Defenders do not reach their prime till later in their career. I believe we still haven't seen Luiz at his best yet.

Problem with Sturridge is that since he gets so few minutes, he's over eager to impress - and that's why sometimes he'll take the wrong option and shoot.

On a serious note though, Lewandowski has a long long way to go before he's considered world's best.

2 extra strikers, okay I can see the logic behind that especially if Torres leaves and Lukaku goes out on Liam again which I think is very likely, but Cavani AND Falcao? Come on...

His performances with Liverpool suggests something rather contrary.

Why are you comparing Sturridge to one of the best strikers in the world though? Like some of us here view him as part of that elite group when we obviously don't? Which goes back to the original predicate - it's a figment in your imagination of how you think everyone seems to overrate Sturridge - no one here's claiming he's as good as Falcao or anything - people just want to see someone with decent potential given a fair chance and that does not equate to him bring overrated. Sure we can go out and buy a world class striker but how in God's name does that affect Sturridge who isn't even the supposed number one striker? You should be comparing Falcao with someone who's meant to be his calibre. It's like saying Real Madrid shouldn't have cared about Callejon because they've got Benzema and Higuain there already but they still found a space for him in the squad where he was given quite a few minutes last season. That's all people are asking for with Sturridge - he's deserved more than what he's had at this club with the performances he's displayed. Going to Bolton then being top scorer there and then coming back to CFC and scoring more than Drogba and Torres combined in the league even though he wasn't even as favoured under RDM as he was with AVB? You can't really call him overrated because every time he's been given an extended run in any team he's been, he's performed. Why sell him when he can obviously develop into an excellent second choice striker even?

So? It's like saying Ronaldo dwarfs Hazard. Your point?

His strengths at Liverpool were his pace and acceleration, which he has lost.

Why are you comparing them in the first place?

I feel he might need to leave the club anyway to realise his full potential, so you might be right in that case. He'd be a star at Liverpool IMO.

How does that make him overrated though? Many here simply want to see Sturridge been given a chance over Torres because Sturridge is a good player - no one here is screaming that Sturridgr is world class. Personally I've rated Sturridge long enough to believe he'll do a better job than Fernando is currently doing. All I ask for is that he's given a run of let's say 5 games where he can prove himself. Not the 10 minutes at the end of each game he seems to be getting right now. I believe he's a natural finisher as well. He just needs to be played. Anyone who thinks his finishing is just average needs to 1. Watch his Bolton games. 2. Watch the first part of last season 3. Watch this: I reiterate, he just needs games.

How do people think we'll perform in the league under Rafa? Hmm.

I've been meaning to ask you - every post about Sturridge from you hints that you think he's overrated - can you please elaborate why you think so?

You lot are deluded if you even think in the slightest that we'll get all three in January, laughable.

For me it's Torres >>>>>>

You're expecting too much from an interim manager who will be here for 6 months.

It wasn't all Rafa. He took over a team that went to the CL final twice in a row - regardless, that was nearly 10 years ago. My main gripe with this appointment is that Rafa isn't even a top manager anymore. He's been on the decline since his last Liverpool days and managed to turn a treble winning Inter into a mediocre side, even though they had some top top players. What I don't like is how people are selectively bringing up his past and then try to filter out his bad moments (which have come more recently ironically) to justify his appointment's okay. It is not. Like I've said before, this sacking was more undeserved than Jose's sacking. I can see the likes of JT, Ash & Frank rebelling about this. Imagine if he brings back Malouda as well?! Dark, dark times ahead.

You might just be right.

It's an endless cycle. I can imagine a stupid scenario like us winning the PL under Benitez, him given another contract and then him getting sacked a few months afterwards if Pep was still available because of 4/5 bad results.

I don't see any other viable explanation to it. Why else hire Benitez till the end of the season? He won't achieve much here at all, he's been on the decline as a manager for a long time. He doesn't even like his team to play possession football.