01 Nov 2015 09:02:03
Over the course of the next 6 months, I really hope Liverpool will try and tie down new contracts for Lucas Leiva, Jordan Rossiter, Joao Carlos Texeira and Jon Flanagan.

I presume for Rossiter and Flano, it is a case of when they emerge from the sidelines and prove their fitness.

1.) 01 Nov 2015
01 Nov 2015 09:42:32
This may sound mean, but we have not seen anything from Tex or Rossiter to warrant long contracts being offered now. See how they get on this season, and decide in the summer. As for Flanagan, the club offered him support and gave him a 12 month extension when he was unfortunately injured, which was class from LFC. With him, we have to see how he gets on post his injury before deciding if he can get back to the level after his injury and then give him a new contract based on that. Lucas certainly deserves a new deal.

2.) 01 Nov 2015
01 Nov 2015 12:13:14
I have watched a lot of under 21/18 games over the last couple of years and believe me Tex and Rossiter are real talents, Rossiter especially has a future in the game, I think that even Robbie Fowler is on record as saying when he first saw him play that he had just seen the next Steven Gerrard.

3.) 01 Nov 2015
01 Nov 2015 13:29:01
Texeira and rossiter nothing to warrant contracts? How the hell do you come to that conclusion when Rodgers give neither games or a real chance? Klopp will give them games and see their actual talent.

4.) 01 Nov 2015
01 Nov 2015 14:05:03
Al, try read my whole post before commenting. I said we need to wait and see how they get on THIS SEASON before giving them ridiculous long contracts, which will be difficult to rescind in the future. Nabil El Zhar's name comes to mind; he was given a huge contract and picked up big wages from LFC while we struggled to offload him because he wouldn't take a pay cut and frankly he wasn't that good enough. He too, like Rossiter and Tex, looked great for the reserves.

I have seen plenty of U21 and U18 games over the past 5-6 years, and while Rossiter and Tex are very good young player, the step up from the reserves to the senior team is immense. Nemeth, Pacheco, El Zhar, Insua, Darby, Spearing all were hyped up to be the next big thing, and guess what happened to them?

What you say makes little financial sense, and it's this sort of nonsense that got LFC under big debts in the first place under Benitez. So, let us just wait the season, and see how they get one before giving them big contracts because not everyone coming from the academy turn out to be Gerrard or Sterling.

As for what Robbie Fowler said, he is wrong when he says Rossiter looks like Gerrard because he is nothing like Gerrard, and surely you must have noticed that if you have watched the youth teams regularly.

{Ed001's Note - El Zhar never looked good and he was bought on a large contract to start with, not got awarded a huge one later.}

5.) 01 Nov 2015
01 Nov 2015 14:22:37
Yes Ed001, but my point about El Zhar was about the potential pitfalls of offering long contracts to young players with the expectation that they will come good. He was also well thought of and a regular for the U21s/reserves.

With Tex, we see a transformation from those days under Rafa where long contracts and big money was used to lure talented young players into the club at reserves level. El Zhar was given a 5-year deal, and Tex was given a 3 and half year deal to bring them to the club.

Would you agree that we need wait, atleast this season before giving them longer contracts at LFC? I certainly think so, and we have seen the club moving towards being more prudent in these aspects.

{Ed001's Note - he was well thought of by one man, everyone else thought he was a mistake but he had the big contract so they had to try and get him playing well, hence why he was a regular.

I would prefer to see Teixeira given a contract extension now, just one year to give him the chance to prove himself this season. Should never let a player get less than 12 months on their contract without making a decision on them. Though we all know Rodgers wanted rid of Teixeira, hence why he was not given a contract.}

6.) 01 Nov 2015
01 Nov 2015 15:41:04
A one year contract I agree with, but not a long contract like suggested.