Topic: Salif Diao

[Chris_Romania]

So now our injury list extends to 8??? Think that's a world record.... what the fuck are our physios doing??

[smicer07]

The world class kids, that'll bump us up the league? Have you even ever been to a reserve game to see any of them in action?

[Jonathan Hall ☆☆☆☆☆☆]

Maybe then the kids will get a chance.

And maybe if they were good enough they already would have.

Some goods kids coming up, but none have set the footballing world alight apart from maybe Welsh.

[Rashid]

And maybe if they were good enough they already would have.

Some goods kids coming up, but none have set the footballing world alight apart from maybe Welsh.

I think Semmy has proved tha the kids are not as bad as first thought? It was only Diao's poor performances that got him in.

[Jonathan Hall ☆☆☆☆☆☆]

Shit i forgot about Semmy, and i was there on saturday.

But i don't think we have enough kids who are good enough, but maybe the league cup should be for that, if we were in it.

[Spartacus.]

I think Semmy has proved tha the kids are not as bad as first thought? It was only Diao's poor performances that got him in.

Semmy has proved nothing, a few decent games does not a great player make him, some people get carried away far to easy.

[Filler.]

bloody hell. Any more injuries and I might get a chance.

[Spartacus.]

bloody hell. Any more injuries and I might get a chance.

Bring ye boots on Saturday just in case 

[Filler.]

Bring ye boots on Saturday just in case 

will do. Just hope mumsy has changed my studs.

[filopastry]

Semmy has proved nothing, a few decent games does not a great player make him, some people get carried away far to easy.

My thoughts exactly after a pre-season friendly against Lazio Cheyrou was "the new zidane"

[MC-Red]

GH never plays him in his preferred position anyway.
Now that we have a RB backup it will be hard for him to get in
He wasn't going to be around anyway.


P.S.  He has rightly taken a lot of stick but just remember his mistakes were at RB and CB and he did show some nice touch when 2 of the 3 goals we scored with him on the pitch were on his crosses one a pretty nice first time effort. 

[Spartacus.]

That’s my point Phil, a few good games and he's some kinda star player, I for one am suspect on his defending but as I have seen very little of him I'm more a wait and see kind of person.

[MC-Red]

That’s my point Phil, a few good games and he's some kinda star player, I for one am suspect on his defending but as I have seen very little of him I'm more a wait and see kind of person.

It's a good point.  I myself am suprised how quickly people get excited and some now want him in mid field.
What he has proved is that just like Pongolle and Le Tallec he deserved to be a player to be groomed.  He could have given Finnan some relief early in the season when Finnan was playing a lot of minutes and the one international.  The consensus then was that there is no one to play RB as Carra was injured, but that was hardly the case.

Finnan is 27+ so he is nearing his peak and is not extraoridnary anyway so playing behind him and competing with him is perfect for Semmy IMHO.

[PaulMcC]

I'm never glad to hear a Liverpool player get injured but I'm glad Diao won't be available cos i don't think he's good enough to play for us.

[Pope Dave]

Semmy is fine, and has put in many good shows at the Deva, I think he will show more - I've not spent in my pants yet, mind. People are picking up on semmy's performances because there's been little else to pick out of the games he's been in. I'm glad to be able to take something positive from those games, and if a couple of surprising performances from a reservist is what it takes, then fine by me. Let's see some Foley-Sheriden. Hell, let's recall Gerd. Just for the change in furniture I'll be happy with giving the youngsters a try. The other options seem to be pretty exhausted.

[Jonathan Hall ☆☆☆☆☆☆]

Semmy is fine, and has put in many good shows at the Deva, I think he will show more - I've not spent in my pants yet, mind. People are picking up on semmy's performances because there's been little else to pick out of the games he's been in. I'm glad to be able to take something positive from those games, and if a couple of surprising performances from a reservist is what it takes, then fine by me. Let's see some Foley-Sheriden. Hell, let's recall Gerd. Just for the change in furniture I'll be happy with giving the youngsters a try. The other options seem to be pretty exhausted.

Not sure if we should throw too many in at once. Don't think we can recall mellor as he's on a seasons loan.

[Pope Dave]

Don't think we can recall mellor as he's on a seasons loan.

Well, bollocks. Gives the same feeling as being turned down for an overdraft a week before Chrimbo.

[Jonathan Hall ☆☆☆☆☆☆]

Assuming the same with Stephen Warnock?

[Andy]

Shit i forgot about Semmy, and i was there on saturday.

But i don't think we have enough kids who are good enough, but maybe the league cup should be for that, if we were in it.

i thought welsh was rated quite highly?? and he's a defensive midfielder/temp right back, like diao?

[Hugh]

This is a blow regardless of Diao's form this season.

[Jonathan Hall ☆☆☆☆☆☆]

i thought welsh was rated quite highly?? and he's a defensive midfielder/temp right back, like diao?

Thought he was more a central midfield playmaker type.

[MichaelA]

This is a blow regardless of Diao's form this season.

Huge blow.

We will have to engage the services of some kind of space heater for the bench at Molineux at the weekend.

[alan j]

I have to say I don't see why Diao should be ahead of Welsh any more. Welsh is a decent player who could become a useful squad member given a bit of first team experience. He may not be quite up to speed yet,but then Diao has been patchy at best in his time at the club.

The current situation isn't doing anyone any good. Send Diao and Cheyrou back to France and let them play every week in an environment where they'll be appreciated. Bring academy kids through if we need squad players in times of crisis. The ones we have coming through may not be world beaters but they can do a job if required. The sight of youngsters getting a chance will be encouraging to other kids at the academy. The wage bill will be lower as we won't have to pay Ģ15k a week for players to fill the subs bench.

I think it says a lot that Man U have a smaller squad than ours with a far greater proportion of home grown players and youngsters. Let's face it, they'll probably be playing more games than us this season. All these mediocre squad players are just clogging up our club. It's ironic but the current injury crisis has served to undermine the received wisdom that it's necessary to have 25+ senior pros on the books. There's no point in having a big and expensive squad if they can't do the job when required.

[MC-Red]

Thought he was more a central midfield playmaker type.

I'm pretty sure he is used as defensive midfielder with good distribution skills and described as such by the coaches.  Not necessarily his only role.

Regardless,  at the beginning of the season loose lipped GH said many times Welsh was part of his plans and once explicityly said he expected him to get some (he may even have said 10) starts.

Also, the M.O. of LFC with youth players is as follows:
1.  1-2 years in reserves currently Raven , Medjani
2.  Keep 2-4 at start of season who have some reserve experience for grooming and testing with the first team (this is about as many as the first team can handle)
3.  Loan or release the others out as this gives them more experience (Semmy to Hull etc.) or makes room for the next crop.
4.  Next season repeat process this way the pipeline of the academy is constantly being processed.  If we skip the process we get a log jam and this happened with Mellor and Partridge effectively ending up in limbo

This is a good process but we never seem to be consistent or put in any thought once the trials and travails of the season begin.

E.d
Welsh and Semmy this year
Pongolle got a chance as GH as been very sensitive to the gems (all the build up and massive attack on GH personally by U-21 coach might have something to do with this).
In fact, to justify Pongolle's inclusiion so soon after the criticism GH said it was the two goals he scored in reserves that showed him he was ready.

If that is the case why didn't Mellor get his chance last year we only had three strikers and he was scoring at will in reserves.  Surely, he deserved a few off the bench appearances in the second half of the season.  By squandering that opp. to play him we started this season with a log jam of strkers so off he went without the full "process" ever being used for him.

[Jonathan Hall ☆☆☆☆☆☆]

Not seen enough of him, as living away from home as such, i don't get to reserve matches, but i would like to see more of him, at least on the bench for starters.

[MC-Red]

Not seen enough of him, as living away from home as such, i don't get to reserve matches, but i would like to see more of him, at least on the bench for starters.

One best thing about the e season is you can get the reserve highlights which i love.
Also Liverweb gives a good summary of the home games so at least there is a way to keep tabs on some of the young lads.  With they would show the whole game as there are no rights issues here and whats the point about having the whole .tv set up if they can't do that.

[capt k]

got thisfrom Sky .....
 
DIAO EYEING LIVERPOOL EXIT
Monday 2nd February 2004

  Diao: Unhappy

Red Diao is a target, say PSG

By Patrick Haond
Senegal star Salif Diao admits he may contemplate leaving Liverpool in the summer if he cannot force his way back in to the first team.
Diao is currently on African Cup of Nations duty with Senegal but is frustrated at his lack of opportunities at Anfield.

The midfielder has made just seven appearances for The Reds this term and has also struggled with niggling injuries.

The Ģ5 million capture from Sedan in the summer of 2002 is becoming disenchanted at his failure to convince Gerard Houllier of his merits.

He concedes he would have sought a January exit if he was at full fitness but now will wait until the end of the season before making a decision on his future.

"I have often been injured," Diao told L'Equipe. "At your best, you are not sure of playing at Liverpool so, at 60 percent, you have no chance.

"I am living a very, very difficult situation. Moreover, I can't say anything.

"I can't complain. I just have to shut up and get cured. I can't ask for anything.

"This season, Gerard Houllier has changed his tactics to play only one defensive midfielder. It is true, it put me off a bit.

"If I was at my best, I could think about leaving but not now.

"I will try to be good at the African Cup of Nations before trying to get a place at Liverpool.

"If, before the end of the season, I see there is no chance, then we will think about something else."


imho it may not be a bad thig if salif was to move on..

howmany others are shit scared he wil get sent off with one too many missed timed/ shite tackles..

5million? far too much and releasing him would surely help the wage bill


 
 
 

[adamski]

Diao is another player who has yet to prove himself. Disappointed to hear him speak like this to the media but then it is Sky and I would like to see the full interview.

[Litherland_Leon]

 

[tommy-]

Has anyone watched him in the ACON? Hows he been?

[steer]

never understood why we bought him  considering me already had 7-8  midfielders who could play in the center....

to get a couple of mil would be a good deal and further reduce the wage bill..

[wellsie82]

think the main reason we got him was to stand in for gerrard when he was injured but thankfully he's not been out too much has he

he looks a liability and to be honest i dont feel confident whenever i see him on the bench.  ive not seen much of him to judge him properly though and the same can be said for welsh but from what ive heard and seen of welsh id put him ahead of salif in the pecking order

[AdamS]

  bye!

[Maz]

i'd be glad to see him go, imo he's never been liverpool material with his bad tackles and the fact that he spends most of the time he has on the pitch on his arse!

[Bossmann]

I thought he had some good attributes when he first arrived here, good attacking runs, powerful tackles (a bit ill-timed tho) and so on. What he seemed to lack IMo was passing ability, then a few months went by and he seemed to lose all the attributes that he was good at while still being a poor passer of the ball.
So I canīt honestly think he would be missed, especially since I belive that young Welsh should get a chance before Diao.

[capt k]

think the main reason we got him was to stand in for gerrard when he was injured but thankfully he's not been out too much has he

he looks a liability and to be honest i dont feel confident whenever i see him on the bench.  ive not seen much of him to judge him properly though and the same can be said for welsh but from what ive heard and seen of welsh id put him ahead of salif in the pecking order

i would have thought he was bought as a back up to didi more so than SG...
doesnt seem { from what ive seen } to have the range of passin as stevie but more like the 'steel" of didi, the holding midfielder role more than the creative role..

someone on here, dont know who questioned wether he was bought as a sweetner to get joofy:  may well have been coz apart from the arsenal game i havent been overly impressed wiht him, in fact as i noted earler have been worried that we wont finish a game he starts in with him on the pitch..

[tommy-]

especially since I belive that young Welsh should get a chance before Diao.

Agreed. He doesn't seem to have his heart into it either, when bruno was getting stick he said he wanted to stay and prove him self

[Stevo]

Decent enough squad player, but a red card waiting to happen. Won't get back what we paid for him though.

Wouldn't shed a tear if he moved on, probably be better for him as well as he is never going to get regular football here.

Let him move on, get a few quid for him and allow Welsh to step up.

[Life]

Bad buy - ta for the leeds goal, and tarra.

Never really understood why we bought him.  Am I the only one who thinks it could have been an extra incentive for Diouf to sign?

[Jamie_H]

I disagree Welsie,

I think he was bought as cover for Didi.  He played the holding role for Senegal in the WC and to me looked the better purchase of the two Senaglese we signed based on what I saw at the world cup.

But like a lot of players I can think of- McAteer, Smicer, Biscan and previously Cheyrou (until recently) unless you play them in the role they performed well in for a previous club (and surely the reason for the purchase was because of this?) then you will never get the best from them.

I feel sorry for Salif, I think he could have been a good cover for Hamman but sadly now not. Looks like cover for Hamman now is Gerrard moving back with Murphy getting the Gerrard role.