Will Suarez succeed at Barca?

Will Suarez succeed at Barca?
	Yes, he is a footballing genius.
	Yes, Messi and Neymar will play nice and share the ball.
	No, Messi and Neymar will play White Swan and Black Swan, there's no room for a third.
	No, the Liverpool curse will strike again.
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I don't know about 'succeed' in so much as he will progress as a footballer.  I think he'll do well, but I don't think he'll repeat last season, possibly ever again, unless he goes to MLS before he gets too old.  For Suarez to improve, I just think he needs to be the primary guy the ball goes through in the last third, unfortunately at Barca, that's not going to happen.  Buena Suerte to him otherwise, but I will never cheer for Barca unless they are playing United.

Would you take Fernando 'Judas' Torres back?

Would you take Torres back?
	Yes, but only on a free.
	Yes, but only on a free and he begs for forgiveness.
	Yes, but only on a free, he begs forgiveness, and he refunds all the Suarez shirts
	No, never, I hope he gets injured eating a hamburger and never plays again.
	No, he just isn't good enough.
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I'm actually on the fence about this one.  On the one hand, if he could somehow magically recapture his form that he had with us, yes, I would take him back in a heartbeat, but he would have to do a lot, and I mean a lot of PR work.  I'm talking handing out free ice creams at Ladies' matches, visiting every kids room in every hospital on Merseyside, and possibly freeing all of Africa of malaria.  He would practically have to walk on water to repair that bridge.

I honestly think he failed at Chelsea because they had no Gerrard.  Torres can create on his own, but not often and he gets by better with a little help from his friends.  He still has two years left on his contract, so I'm not sure if Chelsea is even considering a transfer, but like I said, only on a free and he can forget about making the same wages.  That's probably why Judas wants to stay there anyhow.

Salomon Kalou? No, just no.

Salomon Kalou is a conundrum.  Is he any good? Was he ever good?  When he transferred from Feyenoord to Chelsea in 2006, he was coming off two productive years where he scored 42 goals in 80 matches in all competitions.  Interestingly enough, his strike mate at the Eredivisie club was Dirk Kuyt, who scored 61 goals in 82 matches over that same span.

The first season for the 21-year-old Ivorian at Stamford Bridge was mildly successful as he bagged seven goals and assisted on five more in 1931 minutes played.  Though seemingly a 'transition' year, Kalou would fail to improve much on those numbers for his remaining stay with the Blues.  He would only manage 36 goals and 25 assists in 156 league appearances and was let go on a free to Lille.

Unfortunately, Ligue 1 hasn't treated him much better:

	npgp90	gcp90	ccp90	ap90	ccv
2013-14	0.32	0.64	1.57	0.17	11.1
2012-13	0.53	0.7	1.27	0.12	9.7
	pass%	bp%	sacc%	shot%	TTI90
2013-14	75.9	47.9	48.9	17	15.8
2012-13	75.6	45.7	46.5	19.7	17.9
	gap90	gsp90	gop90	tgop	gopd90
2013-14	0.7	1.28	0.58	0.53	0.05
2012-13	0.9	1.76	0.86	0.5	0.36

He has scored 30 goals in 66 matches, 6 of those were penalties though.  His passing is painfully average, he turns over the ball too frequently, and his chance created values are nothing to get excited about.  At 29, Kalou is the poster boy for 'unreached potential'.

The Liverpool is somehow linked to Kalou, but I don't think he's even worth the pitch time on a free.  I'd rather see Ibe get more playing time than waste it on a 29-year-old forward who couldn't prove his worth in six seasons at Chelsea.

Jay Rodriguez for £19m?! I must be taking crazy pills.

Jay Rodriguez isn't worth £1.9m, yet alone 19! That is absurd.  There just can't be any truth to Rodgers being interested in him.  If so, somebody needs to set his head right, because that's certifiable. Are these stats worthy of a £19m attacking midfielder/winger/forward?

Southampton 2013-14

npgp90	gcp90	ccp90	ap90	ccv
0.53	0.63	0.7	0.11	14.3
pass%	bp%	sacc%	shot%	TTI90
76.6	49	31.7	14.9	12.9
gap90	gsp90	gop90	tgop	gopd90
1.37	1.51	0.14	0.21	-0.07

Southampton 2012-13

npgp90	gcp90	ccp90	ap90	ccv
0.25	0.45	0.74	0.21	27.8
pass%	bp%	sacc%	shot%	TTI90
73.8	-	36	6.7	14.4
gap90	gsp90	gop90	tgop	gopd90
1.61	1.2	-0.41	-0.29	0.12

I'll save you the trouble and say 'Hell no!' Rodriguez is not good enough to wear the Liverpool shirt.  It's bad enough we grossly overpaid for his former teammate, but he shouldn't even be in the picture.  Whomever says we should buy him, should be committed, immediately.

Not a single stat above could be deemed 'outstanding'.  He does have great chances created value numbers, but that's mainly due to lack of created chances more than anything.  He had a total of 38 for the past two seasons combined.  For perspective, Glen Johnson had 74 over the same span.

Rodriguez is clearly poor on the ball.  His turnover rate and passing percentages are dismal.  He did see slight improvement from one season to the next, but he'll be 25 by the end of the month.  His performance curve can't go too much higher.

Seriously, Rodgers, Rodriguez? I'm hoping he was mis-heard and really said Ricardo Rodriguez.  If not, we need to find where the real Rodgers is being held and get rid of his reptilian humanoid doppelganger sent by Malcolm Glazer from his invisible spaceship.  This hyperreality is making me lose my mind.

There is only one reason Gerrard should ever play for England again

To knock Beckham off his perch and become the top capped outfield player in Three Lions history. That's it, two more matches and he should hang up those boots.  Gerrard is 34 and we need him to put his England days behind him and  focus on LFC.

After the World Cup embarassment, he should probably go ahead and retire, but with my disdain for 'pretty foot', I don't mind if he suits up a couple more matches.  I don't think it'll do England any good though, they've clearly got to give Barkley, Henderson, and Wilshere more playing time, if they want to improve.  They also need to get a better manager.

I've heard Gerrard called a failure on the International level and that's why he isn't 'world class'.  Rubbish, one man does not make a team, though there were times when Gerrard carried his country.  His statistical output for England has been impressive so far, especially when you consider he's played nearly every outfield position.

npgp90	gcp90	ccp90	ap90	ccv
0.22	0.46	1.97	0.24	12.3
pass%	bp%	sacc%	shot%	TTI90
80.2	25.9*	46.7	15.3	12.7
gap90	gsp90	gop90	tgop	gopd90
0.81	1.99	1.18	0.99	0.19
tp90	tack%	intp90	clrp90	bsp90
2.52	71.8	1.92	1.3	0.45

Those are solid numbers all around save his turnover rate.  His goals on pitch difference per 90 of 0.19 means he has been worth nearly an extra goal every five matches, +21.66 for his career.  Which isn't surprising when he was actually played a part in a quarter of his side's goals when he plays.

I don't really care if others don't think he's world class, but saying it is because he doesn't perform on the international stage is not valid.  In reality, he's played quite well and if it's because he's never won a Euro or a World Cup, I guess Messi, Ronaldo, Bale, Rooney, Robben, Van Persie, and anybody else who hasn't played for Germany, Spain, Italy, or Brazil in the past 12 years isn't 'world class' either.

Should Andre Wisdom be loaned to West Brom?

Andre Wisdom, like Suso, is a well-liked player that I think all Liverpool fans want to pan out, play the next 10 or so years in a LFC shirt, and retire a legend.  He's a beast and even though he may not have the best judgement behind the wheel, on the pitch he's already a coveted commodity.  His versatility, athletic ability, and skill make the sky the limit for the 21-year-old Leeds native. His loan to Derby last season did nothing but prove how promising a prospect he is, here are his stats from that time:

npgp90	gcp90	ccp90	ap90	ccv
0	0.09	0.64	0.09	14.3
pass%	bp%	sacc%	shot%	TTI90
82.9	36.5	23.1	0	10.4
gap90	gsp90	gop90	tgop	gopd
1.04	1.98	0.94	0.7	0.24
tp90	tack%	intp90	clrp90
1.56	54.5	0.73	3.35
dribpp90	bsp90	adwp90	adw%
0.34	0.52	1.04	60.7

The most impressive stat is in the 34 matches since he joined Derby, they garnered 73 points, and the 12 previous they only managed 12.  Without Wisdom, I highly doubt they would have even made the Championship playoff.

I honestly think we should keep Wisdom and make him the starter.  I understand Rodgers' thinking here, but I don't think hanging on to Johnson for another season when he still has sell value is a good plan.  Johnson will be 30 come August and I doubt he has but a few years left in competitive top flight football.  Wisdom and even Martin Kelly deserve their shot and bringing in another right back is just a waste of money.

Is Romelu Lukaku worth £26m?

Recent rumours have LFC linked to Chelsea striker, Romelu Lukaku.  The 21-year-old Belgian has spent the last two seasons out on loan, first at West Brom and last season at Everton. Let's look at his output from those campaigns:

Everton 2013-14

npgp90	gcp90	ccp90	ap90	ccv
0.53	0.74	1.13	0.21	18.8
pass%	bp%	sacc%	shot%	TTI90
66.5	53.3	45.9	15.3	11.1
gap90	gsp90	gop90	tgop	gopd90
1.06	1.9	0.84	0.58	0.26

West Brom 2012-13

npgp90	gcp90	ccp90	ap90	ccv
0.67	0.94	1.61	0.18	11.1
pass%	bp%	sacc%	shot%	TTI90
72.1	57.6	48.5	17.5	15
gap90	gsp90	gop90	tgop	gopd90
1.8	1.7	-0.1	-0.1	0

Everton finished 5th last season, while WBA ended up 8th in 2012-13, though the difference between 7th, where Liverpool placed that year, was 12 pts and a 32 goal difference, the second largest point gap next to 19th and 20th, and the largest goal difference by much distance.  Lukaku scored 32.1% of goals and was responsible for 39.6% of goals scored for West Brom, while he had part in 24.6% and 34.4% respectively for Everton last season.

The improvement in his chance created value and turnover rate are probably signs of both growth and being surrounded by more capable teammates, which, if he came to Liverpool, would be the case once again.  His passing rate is a bit worrisome though, but in the few matches he has played for Chelsea, his percentage was 81.2%, which is significantly better.  Why it decreased from WBA to Everton could also be due to the fact that he passed it backward less.

Is he worth £26m though? Well, given his age, physical capabilities, and skills, absolutely.  In fact, that could wind up being a bargain.  I don't think he'll ever be a world class talent, but I can see him scoring 20-25 goals for a lot of seasons to come.  If I were Mourinho, I'd send Torres packing and start playing Lukaku, but you never know with the 'Special One'.

Suso is admirable, but is he capable?

When Suso came into the first team in 2012, he impressed with his passing and his constant push to go forward with the ball.  He brought a sense of excitement and the feeling that something good was about to happen every time he touched the ball.  In reality though, very little of that 'vivacity' was productive.  In 14 appearances and 601 minutes, he failed to contribute either a goal or assist, and his minutes started to diminish.

Last summer he requested a loan, so he could garner more playing time and ended up at Almeria in La Liga. Here are his stats from that campaign:

npgp90	gcp90	ccp90	ap90	ccv	tccv
0.12	0.4	1.31	0.28	21.2	9.2
pass%	bp%	sacc%	shot%	TTI90	tTTI90
72.2	37.4	32.8	4.7	12.4	14.2
crp90	cr%	lbp90	lb%	tbp90	tb%
1.04	20.2	2.31	67.4	0.08	33.3
gap90	gsp90	gop90	tgop	gopd
1.83	1.2	-0.63	-0.74	0.09

His poor passing is very surprising and though he did play for a 17th place, near-relegated club, he was still below the team average of 73.6%.  In 2012-13, his passing success percentage for Liverpool in all campaigns was 84.9%, so I'm not sure what happened there.  Maybe his style of play just doesn't translate well in Spain or maybe he was trying to force play too much, his back pass percentage for LFC that season was 50.5%, significantly higher than his 37.4% in La Liga.  The other negative is his 12.4 TTI90, though it was better than his teammate average of 14.2.

There are positives though.  His chance created value of 21.2% is good in itself, but decidedly better than his club average of 9.2%.  The aforementioned back pass percentage, long balls per 90, long ball success percentage, and goals on pitch difference are all promising.  In fact, for such a poor side, it's good to see that he made some difference even if it's only +3.42 goals a season.

Suso is now back and wants to fight for a spot.  I'm all for it as long as he captures his passing form from the season before.  It would be great to have another option at attacking midfielder without having to spend any of that Suarez war chest. 

Arda Turan: I don't get it

There are reports that Liverpool are interested in 27-year-old Atletico Madrid winger, Arda Turan.  I'm not sure why, Turan is an average footballer at best who plays like a defensive midfielder on the wings and he's not even a good one at that.  Here are his stats from last season:

npg90	gcp90	ccp90	ap90	ccv
0.14	0.33	1.55	0.19	12.1
pass %	bp%	sacc%	shot%	TTI90
83	44.7	29.4	8.8	13.4
gap90	gsp90	gop90	tgop	gopd
0.8	1.88	1.08	1.34	-0.26

So he's a good passer, but not exceptional.  His 1.55 chances created per 90 and 12.1% chance created value aren't bad, but his own club averaged  1.01 ccp90 and 14.4% ccv.  A 13.4 TTI90 is far from impressive and when he was on the pitch his side averaged -0.26 goals per 90 minutes.

His defensive stats aren't very impressive either.  He averaged 2.49 tp90 at a 42.4% success rate, 1.4 intp90, 0.47 clrp90, and was dribbled past at least once a match.  Nothing to get excited about.

So what's the big deal about him? He's a good passer, that's it.  It's not like Atletico Madrid was so much better with him on the pitch.  In fact, the 30 matches he played, they accumulated 66 points, which is not bad, but the 8 matches he did not play, they won, earning all possible 24 points.

This is an easy one, Rodgers, just walk on...