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Lanzini for Liverpool – the case AGAINST!

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Lanzini celebrates after scoring AGAINST Liverpool

Lanzini celebrates after scoring AGAINST Liverpool

There remain many sceptical Hammers fans who fear that Manu Lanzini is about to become Phillipe Coutinho’s replacement should the Reds play maker depart to Barcelona.

And let’s be clear that is a very big SHOULD indeed for he only signed a new five year deal at Anfield last year with Jurgen Klopp making him his most influential player.

Meanwhile, David Sullivan has told ClaretandHugh that Lanzini is simply not for sale and a top national journo friend I spoke with last night, who has been on Liverpool’s close season tour, explained all the information he had from Kop insiders was that it simply will not happen.

That was confirmed this morning when Barca launched a second 90 million euros bid and had it rejected out of hand with Liverpool making it clear the matter was now totally closed.

OK, I’ve been running this site long enough to know that won’t convince the most despondent and pessimistic Irons but hopefully this might.

Manu Lanzini is our top play maker but quite simply he is nowhere near ready to replace Coutinho at this stage of his career.

I understand that any player is improved by those around him but the idea that Manu can walk into the Liverpool team and make it tick to the Coutinho extent or close is an epic stretch.

Yes he has plenty of skill and sets up his share of assists but he doesn’t have the consistency level to become ‘Coutinho Mark 11’ at this stage of his career.

The idea that we are going to be faced with the dilemma of perhaps being faced with what some believe would become a Β£60m – Β£70m bid for him leaves me with my eyes wide open and legless to use the title of a favourite song of mine.

I understand the nerves among Irons when such stories start to circulate but I reckon it’s based Β on a love of one of our best players – that doesn’t mean he’s ready for the sort of level being discussed. In five words: It’s based on agents talking

If he is and Barca – as I expect – fail to get Coutinho then we should be expecting them to come for Manu!

Is that going to happen. Don’t think so do you?

COYI

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Hugh Southon is a lifelong Iron and the founding editor of ClaretandHugh. He is a national newspaper journalist of many years experience and was Bobby Moore's 'ghost' writer during the great man's lifetime. He describes ClaretandHugh as "the Hammers daily newspaper!"

Follow on Twitter @hughsouthon

0 comments

  • Lazurus. rises like a salmon says:

    You’ve had a labi sifri moment Basil πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚

  • πŸ™‚ Nice one Laz!

  • Lazurus. rises like a salmon says:

    πŸ˜‚

  • Radai Lama says:

    Its bullshyt.If Countinho leaves Liverpoo will want to replace him with a bigger name than Lanzini.We might all love him but signing him wont appease the Scousers if they sell Countinho.Imo they will go for a bigger name than Manu πŸ˜ƒ
    So yeah i agree Bas,though im not sure what Sybil Whetstones take is on it 😁

  • According to Nigel Kahn my name is now Basil and Sean is Manuel so just remember who we are! LOOOOOL Funny videos

  • Lazurus. rises like a salmon says:

    Sybil πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ‘…

  • Radai Lama says:

    Yeah the latest episode was the best yet i think.Really funny.Im not sure if it was Iain barking though or one of the rabid dogs he was kicking off his site πŸ˜‚

    • Lazurus. rises like a salmon says:

      Yes I heard that too very funnyπŸ˜‚
      Spell check please keV πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚

  • Lazurus. rises like a salmon says:

    According to the smelliest parish meeting chaired by Daphne it was unanimously voted Sybil whetstone πŸ˜‚ on account of you’re marriage to whtid πŸ˜‰
    But if we put it to the lads for a vote on C+H we will accept the out come by deed poll πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚
    What do you reckon lads 😈😈

    • Radai Lama says:

      Well you are Manuel for sure Loonie Laz.Everyone else can fight over who they are πŸ˜‚

      • Lazurus. rises like a salmon says:

        Sisi Mr. Lama i. a ave a new a contract at a sully a towers ,Β£15 a day , cos I a from, Bathelona. πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚
        It’s these new tablets rads and the missus πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚

  • aol says:

    West Ham to Liverpool isn’t such a massive step. But you’re right, this is press and possibly agent talk.

  • Bennie The Rake says:

    I mentioned yesterday i couldnt make head nor tail of the second one but episode three was superb.That was comedy gold i agree!

  • West Ham Fan No 32 says:

    I hope you are right Hugh, personally I think Lanzini is much more consistent than Coutinho I have no idea what Liverpool haven’t snatched their arm off for Β£90m but I bet they are searching the market for an affordable replacement or just waiting for Coutinho to hand in a transfer request so they can keep all the money.

  • Si says:

    Coutinho is a superb player hence Barcelonas desire to sign him.He knocks spots off of Lanzini if the claret and blue goggles get taken off.

    • West Ham Fan No 32 says:

      Cotinho is a very good player, I personally would take Lanzini over him all day long, call it claret and blue goggles if you like and you may be right but I watch players from all teams and appreciate in my own opinion their strengths and weaknesses, for me Coutinho drifts in and out of games, he and Lanzini also operate in a different way Coutinho plays a lot wider than Lanzini more in the style of Hazard, Lanzini has better awareness of what is happening around him so has more options always than a Coutinho or a Hazard who mostly need to make angles and use their pace to create or score, Lanzini can remain static, use his pace and dribbling or make slow careful movements to affect games, he is not solely reliant on pace or movement from himself or his team to affect a match. If there sphere of influence was on a pie chart Coutinho and Hazard would occupy maybe 150 degrees but Lanzini would be 360 degrees.

  • GW says:

    If Lanzini goes we’ve still got the English Iniesta and the poor man’s Zlatan to save us from the abyss πŸ˜†πŸ˜†πŸ˜†

    • Lazurus. rises like a salmon says:

      I don’t know about that GW , the lids have banned all souped up disabled scooters from the pitch πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚ they reckon they do to much damage to the pitch / that’s done us up like a kipper. πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚

      • GW says:

        Read a bit of transfer gossip that Ilford Walking Men’s F.C were interested in a move for Nobes but didn’t believe he could cope with the pace of the game πŸ˜†πŸ˜†πŸ˜†

  • TRB says:

    Lanzini ‘is not for sale’ ….Case closed by Sullivan. Not that it was ever wide open.

  • Max Willow says:

    I agree that Liverpool will simply not let their prize Coutinho go..
    Yes Lanzini, is very good, but can still improve..
    He’d better, since we have a kid called Domingos Quina who may be the best thing since kosher wursht!

  • schuauthing says:

    According to the Evening Standard Lanzini will be missing the first two games of the season…..

  • Michael Miller says:

    Get one thing straight, if a player want’s to go he will no matter what Contract is in place. Barcelona will obviously be very attractive to Coutinho, one of the top clubs in Europe and virtually unlimited money available – if Barcelona want him they’ll get him!

    The same applies to Lanzini only on a bit of a lesser scale, if Liverpool want him he’ll go – I personally have always thought him a bit lightweight but if the offer is right he’ll be gone!

    The merry-go-round could just be starting, West Ham would urgently need a playmaker and mkney should be available – who knows who they would go for, Sullivan and his cohorts take a very individual view on Transfer dealings!

Comments are closed.