19 August 2003 : by Chris Bascombe, Liverpool Echo
Why Le Tallec will be our Ronaldo
In most cases, paying £12m for a teenager would be considered rank stupidity, over-indulgence or, at the very least, a gamble which even Chris Kirkland's dad would shy away from.
When Manchester United do it, it's a stroke of transfer genius.
According to everyone who they make listen, United have just signed the best teenager in the world. By God are we hearing about it.
I'm not doubting Ronaldo's abilities. Clearly he's a talented kid who may be on the threshold of greatness. It just strikes me as rather odd that no-one has given the same attention to Liverpool's equally stunning new teenage recruit.
It seems Gerard Houllier's mistake with Anthony Le Tallec was to buy him early rather than delay until everyone in Europe wanted him. Obviously, Liverpool should have waited until Le Tallec's value was £12m.
Soon enough, the rest of the nation will wake up to the fact Le Tallec and Ronaldo played in the same world youth championships not so long ago and it was the Liverpool new boy who was voted the best player.
No doubt both Gerard and Sir Alex watched those same youth championships in Malaysia a few years back and noticed the same players.
Indeed, Liverpool had already signed Le Tallec by then and were strongly linked with Ronaldo themselves, but can't afford to splash out like United.
Time will tell who's got the better deal, but for value for money I know who I'm backing. It's a bit like Houllier and Ferguson have both dined at the same top class restaurant and had their pick of the best main courses on the menu.
Houllier has managed to get his dish at a quarter of the cost Ferguson has paid, and yet it's his rival who is getting all the praise.
Indeed, I'm getting an eerie sense of deja vu when it comes to the man dubbed TLT who's about to explode onto the Premiership. I remember how slow our London based number one writers were to realise who Steven Gerrard was a few years back.
The Kop Magazine I once wrote even launched a campaign to get him in the England squad, so little attention was he receiving. Then, when the rest of the country noticed a year later, they decided to make him their own property.
It was a similar story with Wayne Rooney at Everton. A friend of mine who works on a national newspaper tried to get a feature on Rooney into his paper in the summer of 2002. They were having none of it. How times changed three months later when "Rooney Opens Crisp Packet" stories were making the front page.
Le Tallec won't get the same attention as Rooney, Gerrard or Michael Owen because he ain't English. But the few glimpses I've had of him remind me so much of the first time I saw Gerrard.
So young, yet so full of class. So clearly ready to play at the highest level and begin the learning curve which will take him to the top of the game.
One of the most encouraging, but sadly overlooked parts of Sunday was Le Tallec's being named a sub. Pity he didn't get on, although Houllier said he was prepared to play the youngster if the circumstances of the game had been different.
The career paths of Le Tallec and Ronaldo are sure to cross regularly over the next decade. Should the French gem prove himself the better player, you never know, maybe the manager who signed him will get a bit of credit.
How awful it was to watch on Sunday, don't you think?
A team flooding the midfield, sitting back, making no effort to take the game to their opponents but content to hit on the break.
I mean? One man up front against one your biggest rivals? What were they thinking? And how they paid a price for their caution when in the late stages their opponents scored a well deserved goal.
Liverpool? Try Chelsea.
Chelsea were impressive, but it seems Claudio Ranieri is allowed to use these counter-attacking tactics while Liverpool are not.
I dare not think of the reaction had Gerard Houllier taken a team to Stamford Bridge and played one striker. Even if his side won!
Last week, I wrote a column saying whatever happened this season, it would be progress to leave Anfield feeling suitably entertained. Well, I was. It was a fine match between two excellent sides and Liverpool contributed to it.
All that was wrong with the performance was the result. Entertaining,
losing football is still better than boring, losing football. The next
trick is to entertain and win, something I'm sure will happen if Liverpool play with the same commitment and attacking intent they showed on Sunday (and have Steven Gerrard in the side),
Of course, the TV and radio bandits had decided Bruno Cheyrou and Igor Biscan were going to be rubbish regardless of what happened. Cheyrou and Biscan had their best games for the club on Sunday. Whether that's still good enough is another matter, but they weren't Liverpool's worst players.
No, that honour went to those beyond criticism whose name is likely to be sung first and loudest.
Liverpool lost because they didn't defend properly when they were called upon. Something which cost them key points last year too but is conveniently overlooked by cowards who pick easy targets.
You may now start ripping it to shreds and arguing against common sense.
Why Le Tallec will be our Ronaldo
In most cases, paying £12m for a teenager would be considered rank stupidity, over-indulgence or, at the very least, a gamble which even Chris Kirkland's dad would shy away from.
When Manchester United do it, it's a stroke of transfer genius.
According to everyone who they make listen, United have just signed the best teenager in the world. By God are we hearing about it.
I'm not doubting Ronaldo's abilities. Clearly he's a talented kid who may be on the threshold of greatness. It just strikes me as rather odd that no-one has given the same attention to Liverpool's equally stunning new teenage recruit.
It seems Gerard Houllier's mistake with Anthony Le Tallec was to buy him early rather than delay until everyone in Europe wanted him. Obviously, Liverpool should have waited until Le Tallec's value was £12m.
Soon enough, the rest of the nation will wake up to the fact Le Tallec and Ronaldo played in the same world youth championships not so long ago and it was the Liverpool new boy who was voted the best player.
No doubt both Gerard and Sir Alex watched those same youth championships in Malaysia a few years back and noticed the same players.
Indeed, Liverpool had already signed Le Tallec by then and were strongly linked with Ronaldo themselves, but can't afford to splash out like United.
Time will tell who's got the better deal, but for value for money I know who I'm backing. It's a bit like Houllier and Ferguson have both dined at the same top class restaurant and had their pick of the best main courses on the menu.
Houllier has managed to get his dish at a quarter of the cost Ferguson has paid, and yet it's his rival who is getting all the praise.
Indeed, I'm getting an eerie sense of deja vu when it comes to the man dubbed TLT who's about to explode onto the Premiership. I remember how slow our London based number one writers were to realise who Steven Gerrard was a few years back.
The Kop Magazine I once wrote even launched a campaign to get him in the England squad, so little attention was he receiving. Then, when the rest of the country noticed a year later, they decided to make him their own property.
It was a similar story with Wayne Rooney at Everton. A friend of mine who works on a national newspaper tried to get a feature on Rooney into his paper in the summer of 2002. They were having none of it. How times changed three months later when "Rooney Opens Crisp Packet" stories were making the front page.
Le Tallec won't get the same attention as Rooney, Gerrard or Michael Owen because he ain't English. But the few glimpses I've had of him remind me so much of the first time I saw Gerrard.
So young, yet so full of class. So clearly ready to play at the highest level and begin the learning curve which will take him to the top of the game.
One of the most encouraging, but sadly overlooked parts of Sunday was Le Tallec's being named a sub. Pity he didn't get on, although Houllier said he was prepared to play the youngster if the circumstances of the game had been different.
The career paths of Le Tallec and Ronaldo are sure to cross regularly over the next decade. Should the French gem prove himself the better player, you never know, maybe the manager who signed him will get a bit of credit.
How awful it was to watch on Sunday, don't you think?
A team flooding the midfield, sitting back, making no effort to take the game to their opponents but content to hit on the break.
I mean? One man up front against one your biggest rivals? What were they thinking? And how they paid a price for their caution when in the late stages their opponents scored a well deserved goal.
Liverpool? Try Chelsea.
Chelsea were impressive, but it seems Claudio Ranieri is allowed to use these counter-attacking tactics while Liverpool are not.
I dare not think of the reaction had Gerard Houllier taken a team to Stamford Bridge and played one striker. Even if his side won!
Last week, I wrote a column saying whatever happened this season, it would be progress to leave Anfield feeling suitably entertained. Well, I was. It was a fine match between two excellent sides and Liverpool contributed to it.
All that was wrong with the performance was the result. Entertaining,
losing football is still better than boring, losing football. The next
trick is to entertain and win, something I'm sure will happen if Liverpool play with the same commitment and attacking intent they showed on Sunday (and have Steven Gerrard in the side),
Of course, the TV and radio bandits had decided Bruno Cheyrou and Igor Biscan were going to be rubbish regardless of what happened. Cheyrou and Biscan had their best games for the club on Sunday. Whether that's still good enough is another matter, but they weren't Liverpool's worst players.
No, that honour went to those beyond criticism whose name is likely to be sung first and loudest.
Liverpool lost because they didn't defend properly when they were called upon. Something which cost them key points last year too but is conveniently overlooked by cowards who pick easy targets.
You may now start ripping it to shreds and arguing against common sense.
) this season is doubtful. The team is too unsettled. Utd, however, offer perfect opportunities (like the Bolton game) to bed-in young players.