Some details are different, but I’m not sure that the difference is that big. Rush went to Italy, the biggest league in Europe at that time, to the biggest, most capped club of the country. I see similarities there. The difference is the financial environment, and the fact that fans scrutinize everything from start to finish and take things very personally these days.
It didn’t work out for Rush in Italy as well as he’d have wished, he struggled to adapt to the new circumstances, so LFC took him back. The same could eventually happen with Trent. Not saying it will happen, but who knows…
Juventus took advantage of the European ban and bid for him, Liverpool felt the money offered was too good to turn down and used it to build the great side which included Barnes and Beardsley.
There is even a story Juve’s chairman or president tried to tap Rushie up in our own fucking dressing room after we played them in the Super Cup at their ground.
Tuchel has never fancied him as a FB often leaving him out even before this troubled season. He also has the experience of taking Trent to a tournament and not using him - after the midfield experiment ended after 2 games in the Euros Trent only saw the pitch again in one game as a last minute extra time sub to take a penalty. If you are going to bring someone who isnt at the forefront of your plans you are going to consider how they respond to not playing and with the some of the reports on how grumpy Trent was about it you have to wonder whether their experience 2 years ago shaped his decision here
Strongly disagree with this. I absolutely would want him to come free or cheaper than we sold him for but if he wanted to come back and the manager thought he’d fit, then absolutely welcome back Trent. However I certainly wouldn’t counternance Real profiting from the experience, so it inevitably would end up like Mickey Owen and he wouldn’t stick to his guns and end up going to another club. If he did come back to us he’d probably be a better player for the the chastening experience.
Trent is a unique player. He is talented enough that if you have him you find a way to make use of his outrageous talents and structure things to protect him where he needs help. I dont know that is a deal that is worth forcing onto yourself by going out and bringing him to the club. This may be a harsh evaluation, but I am not sure the 27 year old Real Madrid version of Trent is as willing to work hard on those limitations, helping to minimize the amount of accommodation that needs to be made to use him, as the 24 year old Trent was.
Would take him back in a heart beat. We’ve missed his passing so badly. For years he was our main outlet for starting attacks and putting opposition on the back foot
It wouldn’t work this season. We don’t play nearly as vertically any more nor do we have the players. Slot has us hanging back all the time and Trent would have nobody to hit with his passing and when he found them they’d just pass the ball back, thereby killing all attacking momentum.
We need to fix our identity and intensity malaise first.
Trents impact (or loss of) on our game has been downplayed on here. He is effectively the modern version of Pirlo and can drop a 60yd ball wherever he pleases. This will have accelerated the perceived decline in Salah.
Exactly. TAA used to find the transition/outlet to the attackers who were also the runners. VvD was the other one who could ping the diagonal ball to Salah (for some reason VvD did a lot less in last and this season). At this time, we do not have that and often got ourselves trapped at the back. The dilly dallying did not help neither.
Bradley had played about 50 gams in the previous 2 seasons. That is a really substantial sample of evidence on how this side is capable of playing without Trent’s passing, and of his essentiality to Mo’s performances. If if was an essential as is suggested we’d have seen evidence of it in those games and there wouldnt have been such a confidence in Conor being able to take over once he left.
Its 45 games, if you want to be technical, might as well do it throughout. And it’s over 3 season not 2. Other than that, once again, someone brings in a stat to defeat the obvious.
What are you talking about? Are we just in needless argument season? I said he had played ABOUT 50 games. Even if the actual answer is 45, clarifying that is utterly pointless. But if we’re interested in technical accuracy, it appears the answer is actually 52 according to Wiki and yes, over 2 seasons. Is this wrong and its actually 45? Who gives a shit. It doesnt change the point.
If my memory hasn’t failed me, Bradley as an outlet mostly because he runs well and does well with 1-2 with the support of his teammates in the midfield and with Salah. Our right side is a complete mess with his untimely injury.
To be honest, Limie, 24-year old Trent didn’t look like someone who was willing to work on his limitations (that was the time when his downturn in form started, at least in my opinion). I had been saying for a while that he was a world class footballer but not a world class fullback - imagine the vitriol he’d be getting if he had been the starter in the season Liverpool have just had…
That said, I’m really, really surprised that he hasn’t shown more at Real Madrid, at least until now. Yes, they’ve had two managers this season but I thought that the likes of Tchouameni, Camavinga and Valverde would help make up for his defensive shortcomings. I guess that they have more pressing needs and more important players to accommodate.
That old adage “the best ability is availability” really paints a bleak picture of Bradley’s prospects, and not just at Liverpool. He’s invaluable to his national team as well, so I think that will only exacerbate his injury issues. We’ve come from a right back that won’t defend to three that won’t stay fit (and two are not natural right backs anyway).
