Topic: Liverpool signed Kevin Linford Stewart. People have now noticed.

[SMASHerano]

I like him a lot. I think there's more to him than meets the eye, and wouldn't be surprised if he stepped up his performances soon.

Agree with this. Stewart has impressed me every time he's played.

[bird_lfc]

Would it fair to say he's playing a similiar role to Spearing before he left us?

I don't think he has the 'quality' to become a regular but for the amount of games he is playing right now he is good enough. I wouldn't be surprised to see a loan or transfer in the summer though

[OOS]

I like him a lot. I think there's more to him than meets the eye, and wouldn't be surprised if he stepped up his performances soon.

He's good to have around the squad at the moment. Can play in the cup games and make the bench when needed. Low wages and very little upfront cost.

[Doc Red]

I like him a lot. I think there's more to him than meets the eye, and wouldn't be surprised if he stepped up his performances soon.

Completely agree with you.
It's almost as if we can only support those in the starting eleven and castigate those that aren't.  We'll need a squad to pick up points on a consistent basis, and Stewart is a great option to have for our DM position  and he's only going to improve training under Klopp. Just because he hasn't shown signs of a young star doesn't mean he can't blosom into a quality midfielder that provides options off the bench and can hold his own whenever he starts. I actually believe he'll be an important player for us over the next few seasons providing the quality and options that the likes of Fletcher and Park offered for United during Fergie's reign

[newterp]

I think he's also being kept around for this year because it saved us from going out and spending - though that could be completely belied by the fact that we chased Dahoud and Zielinski - if either had come Stewart probably wouldn't get any games.

[number 168]

Completely agree with you.
It's almost as if we can only support those in the starting eleven and castigate those that aren't.  We'll need a squad to pick up points on a consistent basis, and Stewart is a great option to have for our DM position  and he's only going to improve training under Klopp. Just because he hasn't shown signs of a young star doesn't mean he can't blosom into a quality midfielder that provides options off the bench and can hold his own whenever he starts. I actually believe he'll be an important player for us over the next few seasons providing the quality and options that the likes of Fletcher and Park offered for United during Fergie's reign

I wish I could agree. I see him as limited player who comes in and does a decent job against weak opposition. If he was available who would take him, not a top 4 club?  If he has any ambition to play regular football then I think he will have to move on.

[capt k]

  If he has any ambition to play regular football then I think he will have to move on.

im lost at this ,he is a professional footballer, as in he makes his living by being part of a team/squad, if he makes more money by being stuck on the bench for us, than say getting 40 games a  season playing for Tranmere, why would he move?
Sure he is no world beater, but he does a decent  , if not spectacular,job.when called upon. and if the powers that be decide he warrants a contract extension then he must have something about him
,

[reddebs]

I guess it could be worse, we could have a player in the squad who can't come in and do a job when needed.  He does what's needed when called upon, he's a lifelong Red living his dream and if he gets a PL winners medal next May then he's done us and himself proud 

[edge]

Would it be fair to compare him to Lucas' early days here?

[leivapool]

Would it be fair to compare him to Lucas' early days here?

In the season Lucas turned 23 he played the following games for LFC:

5 x 90 mins in the Champions League -  ie. every minute of every game
6 x 90 mins + 1 x 120 mins in the Europa League - 7 x starting 11,  and 1 sub appearance
Started 32/38 Premier league games and was substituted in 3times - 35 league appearance
2 x complete FA Cup matches,  - 1 x 90 min,  1 x 120 min

In total Lucas played 50 times in the season he was 23,  and he wasn't 23 until the January. He also played for the Brazil national team, as he has at every level.

It would be fair to say that there is nothing similar between Lucas's game time when he was 23 and Kevin Stewart,  who has had 16 minutes of premier league game time this season,  has never played Europa league,  or Champions League,  and hasn't played for England at any level.

[FlashGordon]

In the season Lucas turned 23 he played the following games for LFC:

5 x 90 mins in the Champions League -  ie. every minute of every game
6 x 90 mins + 1 x 120 mins in the Europa League - 7 x starting 11,  and 1 sub appearance
Started 32/38 Premier league games and was substituted in 3times - 35 league appearance
2 x complete FA Cup matches,  - 1 x 90 min,  1 x 120 min

In total Lucas played 50 times in the season he was 23,  and he wasn't 23 until the January. He also played for the Brazil national team, as he has at every level.

It would be fair to say that there is nothing similar between Lucas's game time when he was 23 and Kevin Stewart,  who has had 16 minutes of premier league game time this season,  has never played Europa league,  or Champions League,  and hasn't played for England at any level.

Do you have some sort of alarm that goes off whenever Lucas' name is mentioned? 

[ryatnalkar]

It would be fair to say that there is nothing similar between Lucas's game time when he was 23 and Kevin Stewart,  who has had 16 minutes of premier league game time this season,  has never played Europa league,  or Champions League,  and hasn't played for England at any level.

I usually don't like posters who bang about one player too much. But this post is bang on.

[leivapool]

Do you have some sort of alarm that goes off whenever Lucas' name is mentioned? 

haha!!  I just checked in for the first time in a few days and saw the post

[AaronSingh25]

Don't think he is good enough to make it for us - but props to the lad for finally growing some balls and taking some risks. I've often criticized him for playing safe, not demanding the ball, the dreaded constant stream of sideways pass after sideway pass. Seemed far to afraid to make a mistake that he was just letting the game pass him by, rather than making him mark on it.

Today, albeit lower league opposition, he was demanding the ball, attempting to spray it around, getting stuck in - good to see an improvement.

[rawcusk8]

As a ball winning midfielder he was really good today but as a ball playing midfielder I think he misplaced more passes than he made, needs to definately improve in that sense. He does exactly what it says on the tin - a decent squad player.

[harryc]

I thought he was really poor, I know his passing his not what it should be but against a Div 2 team!

[El Lobo]

Don't think he is good enough to make it for us - but props to the lad for finally growing some balls and taking some risks. I've often criticized him for playing safe, not demanding the ball, the dreaded constant stream of sideways pass after sideway pass. Seemed far to afraid to make a mistake that he was just letting the game pass him by, rather than making him mark on it.

Today, albeit lower league opposition, he was demanding the ball, attempting to spray it around, getting stuck in - good to see an improvement.

It's probably your stinging criticism that spurred him on

[Souness1]

I actually think he's fairly tidy on the ball, looks really comfortable in possession but everything he does is just painfully slow. Not a poor player by any meas but there should be no future for him here.

[Sheer Magnetism]

I thought he was really poor, I know his passing his not what it should be but against a Div 2 team!

To be fair, playing against a team that was flooding their own half probably wasn't the best game to display his forward passing. Still think he can be an option in a tighter game where winning the ball in the centre is more important, but considering the limited chances he's had this year I won't be surprised if he's off in the summer.

[Dench57]

Jay Spearing 2.0

[newterp]

Jay Spearing 2.0

He's def as tall as 2 jay spearings

[Redcap]

To be fair, playing against a team that was flooding their own half probably wasn't the best game to display his forward passing. Still think he can be an option in a tighter game where winning the ball in the centre is more important, but considering the limited chances he's had this year I won't be surprised if he's off in the summer.

I disagree. Plymouth were not flooding their own half once we had scored, and yet, he was neither particularly dominant in defence, nor penetrating/effective in possession. I think he's basically the player critics of Henderson think Henderson is.

He's not terrible by any means, but I think we need a better player to be a backup for/compete with Henderson.

[Kovai Red]

It's probably your stinging criticism that spurred him on

He's def as tall as 2 jay spearings

Thats the only upgrade in this version

[Upinsmoke]

I think he's great at winning the ball back, has a real knack for that

What I would say is the position he plays he either needs to drive the team forward a bit like Henderson or have better playmaker skills like xabi, now that's no easy task but your playing for Liverpool here so standards have been set by current and former players in the modern era.

He's a really useful player though

[leivapool]

Why can't he pass forward accurately?  He doesn't seem to hit the ball properly,  it's weird,  someone with more expertise on how a foot should connect with the ball will know. 

Decent last night in winning the ball back,  terrible with what he did when he won it back,  passed back in a negative passive manner alot,  doesn't look forward enough,  passed to Plymouth lots and when he did try a long ball it just went in to touch. 

We need better.....

[Ciara (with a capital "C")]

It's just a shame that he is 23, as I think if he were a bit younger people may have been more inclined to give him more time but it feeli that he is at an age where you feel he needs to be better if he is going to have a future with us. I think he does some things well but as a rounded player, I don't think he offers enough. I don't think he's as good as Lucas when played in midfield. And he is someway behind Can, Wjinaldum and most certainly Henderson. Grujic has almost 3 years on him too. Early next season Stewart will be 24...

He should look at someone like Suso who didn't feature much but left at a good age where he could secure a good move and play regularly.

Hard to see how he develops if he is only going to come in for the odd Cup game.

[Chalky Boots]

I actually think he's fairly tidy on the ball, looks really comfortable in possession but everything he does is just painfully slow. Not a poor player by any meas but there should be no future for him here.

Totally agree with this. He is tidy, and is good in situations but when the thing your doing takes 5 seconds longer than the other guys who play your position you become a hindrance to any sort of attack.

[El Lobo]

Why can't he pass forward accurately?  He doesn't seem to hit the ball properly,  it's weird,  someone with more expertise on how a foot should connect with the ball will know. 

Decent last night in winning the ball back,  terrible with what he did when he won it back,  passed back in a negative passive manner alot,  doesn't look forward enough,  passed to Plymouth lots and when he did try a long ball it just went in to touch. 

We need better.....

 

Splendid.

[tubby]

Didn't have the best game last night but he's a squad player specifically coming in for matches like this.

[bird_lfc]

The cynical person inside of me thinks he'll never be more than a squad player

These games are good for both us , as we will fetch a decent fee, along with him as he'll attract some interest. I do think he's capable of being a starter at a 'lower' premier league team though

[Cpt_Reina]

If he's happy to play no more than cup games every few weeks then we should be more than happy enough to let him.

He'll never do anything more than that for us, never be good enough to be anything other than that player, but if nothing else he lets Henderson/Can/Whoever have a night off.

[Ciara (with a capital "C")]

But shouldn't squad players be older players, players with experience who have once played to a very high level but just can't do it consistently enough anymore?

How does Stewart ever improve if he only plays a handful of games for us per season.

I see players like Lucas and Klavan as 'squad players' of the future. I am not sure Stewart has ever been playing at a high enough level to be considered a squad player. Would people be happy to keep him around if he maintained his current level?

[jepovic]

How does Stewart ever improve if he only plays a handful of games for us per season.

This. Stewart needs to play much more, because you can't learn the DM role in training.

No drama. Very few talents ever get good enough to start for LFC.

[Cpt_Reina]

But shouldn't squad players be older players, players with experience who have once played to a very high level but just can't do it consistently enough anymore?

How does Stewart ever improve if he only plays a handful of games for us per season.

I see players like Lucas and Klavan as 'squad players' of the future. I am not sure Stewart has ever been playing at a high enough level to be considered a squad player. Would people be happy to keep him around if he maintained his current level?

I dont think we need to care about him improving really do we? If we're only using him irregularly in cup games vs pretty average opponents then he seems to be good enough to do that job anyway.

[CraigDS]

How does Stewart ever improve if he only plays a handful of games for us per season.

You'd hope the many hours of training he puts in each week with Klopp and co would improve him a lot more than 90 minutes on a weekend.

[El Lobo]

I dont think we need to care about him improving really do we? If we're only using him irregularly in cup games vs pretty average opponents then he seems to be good enough to do that job anyway.

Pretty much this.

Keep him playing 5/10 games a season until we get to a point where he wants to get more regular games, is quite content with a couple of PL medals and a CL win and some lower table club wants to give us a decent wedge for him in six years.

[Joff123]

Pretty much this.

Keep him playing 5/10 games a season until we get to a point where he wants to get more regular games, is quite content with a couple of PL medals and a CL win and some lower table club wants to give us a decent wedge for him in six years.

Next season Europe will provide game time for him and the cups and games at the weekend vs weaker opposition after a hard European match.

I have always enjoyed watching him. Does the simple stuff very well.

Needs a string of games, potentially a loan to a team like a play off championship team would do him the world of good. But I really want to keep him, cheap, hungry, doesn't want the spotlight on him at all and always does put a shift in.

[Roger Federer]

We should strenghten the midfield whether Stewart leaves or not. If he's happy to play as little as he does, and we don't feel we can use his wages and eventual transfer fee better, it's fine to keep him as back up, I guess. This season we need him in to give Can and Henderson a rest at times, next season I believe his importance will reduce further.

[Dim Glas]

Next season Europe will provide game time for him and the cups and games at the weekend vs weaker opposition after a hard European match.

I have always enjoyed watching him. Does the simple stuff very well.

Needs a string of games, potentially a loan to a team like a play off championship team would do him the world of good. But I really want to keep him, cheap, hungry, doesn't want the spotlight on him at all and always does put a shift in.

Not sure of a loan is of use, he's 23, not a young kid.  Makes no sense to have him contracted to Liverpool, but playing for another team at his age. 

I don't see problem with the situation if he's happy with it. He's a squad player, nothing more.

And when the time comes that he feels he needs more football, the fact he's on a longish contract, the club should be able to get a fee for him.

[Too early for flapjacks?]

I presume he's on a fairly modest wage (in footballing terms) and he's unlikely to get any starts in league games unless both Henderson and Can (and probably another midfielder who is bought in the summer) are out. Don't really see the issue with keeping him for nights like yesterday unless he wants out, and it appears he doesn't. If there is an outstanding DM academy prospect coming through I'm sure he'll start ahead of Stewart.