Topic: Liverpool sign James Milner

[fewmin' bedwetter]

By having watched him play, a lot.

In terms of close control, short passing, intelligence as a central midfielder - that remains to be seen, I'll give you that - but he's a much better passer of the ball in tight spaces than any 'winger' or 'workhorse' wide player I've seen.

However, technically, Milner's a level above all of our players bar Phil. I can bet he'll be on set piece duty, and his deliveries will be more consistent than Stevie's were last season. He excels in creating chances from attacking positions. I understand we can't compete with the movement of the likes of Silva and Kun up front, but the fact remains he knows what pass to make in the final 3rd.

This isn't a workhorse signing to add grit to the squad. He's a first team signing who will be given the chance to make an impact worthy of his wages.

This is what I don't get. A lot of people have quoted his attacking ability, his assists stats and the like - and yet it appears we have signed him to play in central midfield, rather than where he has been playing for the last five years!

I would rather instead of James saying he's come here to get "game time" and because the manager had told him he would play centrally, if he had said he had come here to work hard to get his place in the team along with everybody else, and he was prepared to play wherever the manager wanted him to play.

But that's enough negativity from me - let's hope those who think he'll have a Gary Mac-type effect are right and we'll all be happy.

[Red Sea]

the number 7 shirt? Suarez, milner .... what the fuck is going on.

Oh well.

[Garlicbread]

The type of mentality and character you want out of a Liverpool player.

[Lone Star Red]

Just finally, do you have a message for the Liverpool fans reading this?
"Not really"



He clearly doesn't care and just moved for the money.   



 

Brilliant. Sick of the same questions and same answers over and over again from the official.

[Red Sea]

Just finally, do you have a message for the Liverpool fans reading this?
"Not really"



He clearly doesn't care and just moved for the money.   



 

to be honest, I prefer that, he clearly has little interest in the fans press stuff. He just wants to get paid and play. Much better than the sickly, fawning, deferential Joe Cole soundbite collection.

[Fitzy.]

Great signing in my opinion.

[Bruce88]

the number 7 shirt? Suarez, milner .... what the fuck is going on.

Oh well.

Indeed.

[thekitkatshuffler]

the number 7 shirt? Suarez, milner .... what the fuck is going on.

Oh well.

The number 11 shirt?  Assaidi, Firmino .... what the fuck is going on?

Oh well.

[OLDIE]

Just finally, do you have a message for the Liverpool fans reading this?
"Not really"



He clearly doesn't care and just moved for the money.   



 

So much so that he took a cut in his money to join us

[Red Sea]

The number 11 shirt?  Assaidi, Firmino .... what the fuck is going on?

Oh well.

2 fair players

We're talking about the number 7 shirt. Sacred and guarded with pride.

[Funky_Gibbons]

2 fair players

We're talking about the number 7 shirt. Sacred and guarded with pride.

I don't think Nigel Clough will mind.

[Red Sea]

I don't think Nigel Clough will mind.

He fucking should ol' Nige! 

[mercurial]

Milner and Henderson will start at midfield but after 10-15 games, I am not so sure. I will change if the key players we brought perform and realistically except  the proposed Benteke aside, all look to be proven at a high level.

For me Can/Lucas at the base of the mid to dictate the tempo. Ibe can play wide across the zones reasonably and excels in the final third, so does Ings. We have ings and origi who will push for places as well and keep up the pressure on the front line of Sturridge and Benteke???.  And the 2 brazilians have to play as well.

Formations can be a pleasure with a team like this. I think we will be in for surprises this year. Hendo may drop off I feel. In this team his role can become much larger once Milner is playing and also performing after the first 10 games.

It all starts for me in whether we choose Can/Lucas in the DLM position. If w have a DLM then we need runners. Given a chance, Lazar and Ibe can step up and push Hendo out. That may be a very possible scenario.

The exiciting this is that if we can play a high tempo game now and also control the ball transitions well, this may become as good as 13/14 season. We have a good team now. Maybe no superstars but a team waiting to become one it feels. We need to hold our nerves till we start November when results may start to be more consistent given our schedule this year.

[Packalacky]

So much so that he took a cut in his money to join us

From 165k to 150k a week. He's making a huge sacrifice 

I think he'll be really good for us to be honest.

[Andy]

Interesting article from The Guardian:

Will Liverpool restore James Milner to his swashbuckling, central best?

Lawrence Ostlere

During the 2009-10 season, Martin O’Neill unleashed James Milner in a central midfield role and he responded with his best club season to date. Brendan Rodgers may be tempted to offer him that freedom at Liverpool

As November 2009 drew to a close, Martin O’Neill took stock. Aston Villa’s season had started with four wins in their opening five, but the manager had just watched his side desperately cling on to a home draw against Tottenham, a fifth 1-1 scoreline in eight games. “I’m satisfied we didn’t get beaten,” he said afterwards, with added cheek puff.

Stewart Downing was finally fit. O’Neill had resisted the temptation to start his £10m summer signing against Spurs, but a midweek League Cup tie at Portsmouth offered a chance to try something different. He brought in Downing on the left of midfield, Ashley Young switched to the right, and James Milner made a rare start in the middle as the more defensive Nigel Reo-Coker dropped to the bench.

That night at Fratton Park, Villa became a different proposition. From the centre, Milner created one goal and hammered in the second before Young and Downing also scored in a 4-2 win.

The following weekend the same lineup thumped Hull City 3-0 (Milner with a brilliant lobbed goal and assist) and in the next three games the same XI beat Manchester United, Sunderland (another Milner goal and assist) and Stoke.

The trio bristled with pace and attacking intent behind Gabby Agbonlahor – all around 23, and English, with the 2010 World Cup around the corner. And in the middle of it all, Milner had been freed.

With Stiliyan Petrov sitting deep he could drift and charge forwards from midfield. This James Milner was a rambunctious, all-action central cog that never stopped turning, driving all the bits and pieces around him, reminiscent of an unpolished Steven Gerrard with an untucked shirt flapping behind him like a cape.

From then on Milner played in centre midfield in almost every match until the end of the season. Villa finished sixth in the Premier League, reached an FA Cup semi-final and the League Cup final – and Milner won the PFA Young Player of the Year award.

In the league, Milner had made the 12th most tackles of any player, scored the 10th most goals, had the seventh most touches of the ball and claimed the third most assists. Here was a player not quite top of the class in any subject, yet able to perform all duties with unwavering competence and occasional brilliance.

As Manuel Pellegrini put it to the Guardian in March: “Find me a more complete English player. There are players who’re better technically, yes. Quicker players, yes. Players who head better, yes. But show me one who does all the things Milner does well. There isn’t one.”

After the successful 2009-10 season came the World Cup in South Africa. Milner was in the squad but the England manager, Fabio Capello, ignored calls to use Milner in a midfield three that would have matched the formations in vogue (Spain, Holland, Germany). The Italian stuck with a cumbersome 4-4-2, which failed terribly.

Off the back of an outstanding season in the centre, Milner started three of four World Cup games out wide. That has pretty much been the tale of his career ever since.

Manchester City still spent £26m following the tournament to sign the midfielder. Five years on, Milner is 29 and it is hard to tell if he has progressed as a footballer through what were meant to be his prime years. He has worked hard for club and country and often performed well – the December 2013 Champions League win at Bayern Munich stands out – but usually as a sort of intermittent, new-age defensive winger, a long way from the regular freedom O’Neill once offered.

“Milner’s a phenomenon, a guy with big balls and a heart this big,” Pellegrini had explained, opening out his hands. “Intelligent, great mentality, one of those players that when you leave him out you’re left with this feeling of injustice; it hurts because he should always play, but sometimes you need a technical player with other characteristics.”

Would he have fared better staying at Villa, or moving to a different Champions League club? The fortunes of Downing, Young and Agbonlahor in the intervening years do not suggest an obvious path which Milner missed – he is, after all, a Premier League winner now – but his move to Liverpool this summer offers hope for the all-action player of 2010 to return to centre stage.

Given Pellegrini’s impassioned words, this is clearly a move driven not by City but by Milner’s desire for game-time. He has likely been assured of minutes on the pitch at Anfield, but his place within Brendan Rodgers’ tactical tinkering is not immediately obvious.

A plausible partnership is Milner and Jordan Henderson paired together in midfield. Both carry a similar range of traits, such as high energy, defensive commitment and goal threat that would offer Rodgers the tactical flexibility he enjoys. They could be the attacking elements in a three with Lucas Leiva, or the defensive base of a three with Philippe Coutinho; they could fit in the middle of a four-man midfield or to the sides of a diamond.

The risk for Milner is that his adaptability counts against him. The option is there, for example, for Rodgers to use him at full-back or wing-back as he did with Henderson and Raheem Sterling at times last season. More regularly, Milner may be used wide as he was for City and England, a position he fills with merit, but where his influence is understandably muted and lack of penetrative pace exposed. It is this handyman tag from which Milner must debrand himself if he is to return to cementing a regular place in the middle.

The transfer window could also dictate his role: Gerrard’s exit leaves a vacancy at the team’s hub but, come the end of the summer, a Sterling-shaped hole might require filling on the wing. Simon Curtis, a Manchester City supporter and writer, is not convinced Milner will command a regular spot in the centre. “Obviously he has now decided for once to put his own needs first: he wants to play more regularly and I believe he wants to play more centrally. Whether this will be possible at Anfield, I don’t know.”

How Liverpool utilise these qualities remains to be seen. There are plenty of stories of wasted talent in football, but the strange thing about Milner is that the answer was there, engraved on a PFA trophy after six months of award-winning displays at the heart of the team.

The journalists had noticed his transformation. O’Neill recognised it that night at Fratton Park. Five and a half years on, Milner must hope Rodgers sees it too.

[Coolie High]

The only reason Milner came here was to play more football than he was getting at City. He'll be a starter no doubt about it.

Something Like:


----------Firmino------------
-----Milner----Coutinho-----
-----------Lucas-------------

This would give us a good balance between attack and defence, with players that are comfortable on the ball and provide attacking threat and defensive solidness.

For me, the 2 Central positions should be taken in the following order:  Coutinho >  Milner  >  Can  >  Lallana  >  Allen  > Henderson.

Yes thats a good side, and offers a far better balance than trying to pigeon hole Milner and Henderson into one midfield.

[Coolie High]

I like Can, but there's no way Rodgers is starting Can over Milner or Handerson. He's bigged up Hendo as a possible captain, and Milner came here assuming (promised?) he was getting more playing time.

And hes apparently bigged up Can as Gerrards future replacement, no way is way to strong of a word, Can is the biggest talent out of the three of them and if he makes the type of progress that he has the ability to, i see him surpassing the both of them, maybe not even this season but in the near future.

[Djimi Smicer34]

Quality player who will be a quality signing.

He'll do the number seven shirt proud.

[Djimi Smicer34]

I like Can, but there's no way Rodgers is starting Can over Milner or Handerson. He's bigged up Hendo as a possible captain, and Milner came here assuming (promised?) he was getting more playing time.

Agreed.  I think Can and Allen will get plenty of minutes this season but Henderson and Milner will be first-choice.

[Smudgester]

From 165k to 150k a week. He's making a huge sacrifice 

I think he'll be really good for us to be honest.

I heard it was £165k down to less than £120k. That's a 25% cut.

Would you move jobs for a 25% pay cut?

[Packalacky]

I heard it was £165k down to less than £120k. That's a 25% cut.

Would you move jobs for a 25% pay cut?

Pretty much all sites are saying 150k a week, and Arsenal refused to match us at that price. So it's closer to a 9% pay cut. And no, I wouldn't move jobs for a 9% cut, but lets not kid ourselves into thinking he came here for the love of the club. He's a good player and we're paying him very handsomely to do a job for us.

[adamski29]

This is what I don't get. A lot of people have quoted his attacking ability, his assists stats and the like - and yet it appears we have signed him to play in central midfield, rather than where he has been playing for the last five years!

I would rather instead of James saying he's come here to get "game time" and because the manager had told him he would play centrally, if he had said he had come here to work hard to get his place in the team along with everybody else, and he was prepared to play wherever the manager wanted him to play.

But that's enough negativity from me - let's hope those who think he'll have a Gary Mac-type effect are right and we'll all be happy.

I agree with you. I get a slight sense if entitlement from Milner in his words and actions. He is a good player no more on less, I have my doubts about his ability to play midfield as well as he thinks he can. We will see. I hope he does well but I don't think he should have been promised a certain position in the team certainly.

[Henry Kissinger]

I agree with you. I get a slight sense if entitlement from Milner in his words and actions. He is a good player no more on less, I have my doubts about his ability to play midfield as well as he thinks he can. We will see. I hope he does well but I don't think he should have been promised a certain position in the team certainly.

I don't see it that way at all mate. In his interview he said this:

"The club doesn't need a lot of selling about what a great club it is, with all the history, the support and the squad they have.

"But speaking to the manager and what his plans were for me...

From that, I'd imagine Brendan saw how he wanted to use him and that's why he went out and signed him. I don't honestly think our manager would sign someone and let them dictate where they wanted to play.

[kkhaku]

Milner was brought in to play centrally, and probably not in overly defensive role. I'm sure it will change if he doesn't play well, but as it stands he has very little competition for a central position. The only other players who can perform a box to box role are Henderson and Can - and from what we've heard Can is set to play more of an anchor role perhaps competing with Lucas.

[Roger Federer]

Milner was brought in to play centrally, and probably not in overly defensive role. I'm sure it will change if he doesn't play well, but as it stands he has very little competition for a central position.

Even if we assume that Can wont play that role, it is possible that we'll move Coutinho deeper, as we did in 2013/14. I wouldn't say that Henderson and Coutinho is very little competion myself. Milner is good, but so are they. Can/Lucas plus two from them is a decent midfield, and personally I'd play Coutinho deep as often as possible. Especially if Firmino and our new striker adapts quickly, but Rodgers may obviously disagree with that.

[kkhaku]

Even if we assume that Can wont play that role, it is possible that we'll move Coutinho deeper, as we did in 2013/14. I wouldn't say that Henderson and Coutinho is very little competion myself. Milner is good, but so are they. Can/Lucas plus two from them is a decent midfield, and personally I'd play Coutinho deep as often as possible. Especially if Firmino and our new striker adapts quickly, but Rodgers may obviously disagree with that.

True, I didn't think of moving Coutinho deeper. I can't see it happening after the season he just had though, especially if our new striker isn't one that runs at defenders. Coutinho is a master at carrying the ball into the final 3rd, and unless Firmino et al can do a similar job of that I don't see Brendan moving Coutinho deeper.

[Coolie High]

True, I didn't think of moving Coutinho deeper. I can't see it happening after the season he just had though, especially if our new striker isn't one that runs at defenders. Coutinho is a master at carrying the ball into the final 3rd, and unless Firmino et al can do a similar job of that I don't see Brendan moving Coutinho deeper.

He can, as can Ibe also.

[Bobinhood]

See now, the fact that he effortlessly commands the Lean, hes neither overly forceful on the Brooding Presence nor showing giddy on the Cheerful Countenance, he just owns it, owns them both, just leans in there all totally square superfit and sets the standard right from the off.  Im taking that as a really good sign. 

and then he says "Im here to set the standard, and the standard is win everything." Im taking that as a good sign too.....

[kkhaku]

He can, as can Ibe also.

Ibe won't be doing that from a central position - Raheem and Firmino are the only ones in our current squad other than Coutinho who has shown they can do it consistently, albeit Firmino in another league.

[Coolie High]

Ibe won't be doing that from a central position - Raheem and Firmino are the only ones in our current squad other than Coutinho who has shown they can do it consistently, albeit Firmino in another league.

Why not?

[Mamadou]

he looks extramly happy

he's going to be our best signing this summer

[Semaphore]

Brilliant player. Brilliant attitude.
I remember that Rafa loved him and wanted to sign him a few times.
As a transfer, he's as close to a guaranteed success as you're likely to find.

[Bobinhood]

Well from the pictures he is clearly signing centrally but hes already being pushed out to the left quite a bit, although admittedly the 7 shirter does tuck back into middle somewhat, and hes at least spotted out on the rw in a similar role as well.

 

[kkhaku]

Why not?

Be realistic mate. Do you really see us pushing Ibe into a central attacking role when we've got Coutinho and Firmino here ... as well as Milner and perhaps Sterling? Its a long shot, and he hasn't really shown much of the vision Raheem showed before getting his chance there.

[elpistolero7]

The jawline to end all other jawlines.

[rickardinho1]

One of the few footballers who wouldn't look out of place in a rugby kit or ice-hockey gear. Beast. I remember seeing England play Brazil a few years ago and being incredibly surprised by how fucking massive this guy is, built like a house he is.

[Badabing!]

He is on £150k a week according to The Guardian.

[SP]

Milner is unlikely to be fazed by the pressure of wearing the number 7 shirt. By not being a Suarez replacement, he is spared that comparison. There is enough pressure on our attacking players without giving journalists a simple comparison piece to write.

[LFC UNTIL THE MANAGER IS NO LONGER DESERVING OF MY SYMPATHY]

This team would get cut to pieces. How you can think Henderson and Can are better options than Milner at this moment in time astounds me. We like to big up our own players but Milner comes in to our squad as our best midfield option. He will start most games this season barring injury.

I think Henderson is easily better than Milner personally.  He is better without the ball, where his pressing and energy is second to none.  Then in possession he has got more goals and assists than Milner, not just last season for the last few years.

I like Milner, but I'm not sure he gets in our best XI. 

I don't know about Can in that DM role, which is why last season I was saying we should try him, otherwise we'll go into the new season still having a question mark whether he can play that role.  Lucas might still be our best DM, but Can should be able top play that role, he has all the tools to do so.  The one question mark is does he have the discipline.

I really don't like the idea that Milner has been promised a central role.  He shouldn't have been promised anything, nor should any player.  I think it is crazy that he's on £150k a week as well.

[Djimi Smicer34]

I really don't like the idea that Milner has been promised a central role.  He shouldn't have been promised anything, nor should any player.  I think it is crazy that he's on £150k a week as well.

He's a player we really wanted to sign but had to compete with City and Arsenal to get; what else could we have done to give ourselves an edge over those clubs?

He'll have to play well to keep his spot but he had no reason to leave City unless another team were offering him the role and playing time that he wanted.