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Farewell to Finnan!

Liverpool
by Leather_Face (U2495479) 01 September 2008
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As a Liverpool fan I would like to wish Steve Finnan the best of luck with his move to Espanyol. Finnan was a great player for Liverpool, not a world class player but a solid fullback who would give 100% whenever he put the red shirt on.

He has probably gone due to the Riera deal but one thing is for sure Espanyol have gained a great acquisition to their squad in Steve Finnan!

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posted Sep 2, 2008

Really disappointed to see Stevie leave. He is a solid, dependable and hard-working player, and given the chance he would have provided the width we're clearly lacking this season. I cannot believe why Rafa has brought in the (untested) likes of Degnen, Dossena and put them ahead of a model pro like Finnan who every time he has pulled on a red jersey did the business for us.

I'm loath to question Rafa's judgement - I think he is a special manager and we are after all unbeaten without playing at all well, against some tricky sides - but I think he is in the last chance saloon.

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posted Sep 2, 2008

Kal77uk:
Well what did you expect? Liverpool is now a team of foreigners. We are supposed to be a top four club, yet no LFC players are in the England squad. Just shows how much we are relying on Torres/SG.

=========================

Know your Liverpool history mate. We did the double in 86 with a side containing not a single England international (the great Steve McMahon was used sporadically from the subs bench).

Forget England, its not where your from its where you're at...Liverpool FC should be buying only the best (whether we are doing that is another point) so it doesn't matter whether the player is from Mars, as long as he is good enough to wear the red jersey.

If you wanna see England play week in week out go to Villa Park, certainly none of the other 'big 4' clubs.

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posted Sep 2, 2008

I'm gutted the steve was sold, Rafa never liked the lad, he tried to off load him
when he first took over but finnan played
his way in to the team and showed what a great
player he is, i've lost all my faith in Rafa,
how can he think that arbeloa is better then
him? Rafa hasn't a clue in the tranfer market.
finnan was solid, a great defender and was a great crosser of the ball when required. A
loyal servant to lfc and this is how he gets
repaid? offer him to aston villa without telling him? and then sell him off to spain
to bring in a player how couldn't even make it at man city? shame on you rafa.
All the best Steve, thanks for all the good time and best of luck with espanyol!!

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posted Sep 2, 2008

STEVEN FINNAN DEFINITION
ONE OF THE GREATEST DEFENDERS TO GRACE THE PREMIERSHIP
OBVIOUS RAFA
IS AN COMPLETE IDIOT TO LET HIM GO
WELL NOTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT IT NOW
GOOD LUCK STEVE

FROM 11 YEAR OLD
CALVIN

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posted Sep 2, 2008

"90% of the comments would suggest on this thread that benitez has made a mistake......and espanyol are the winners in this..............i agree 100%."

"Mark my words, although I hope Im wrong, we are going to regret this. Big Time. Rafa has straight up screwed up. Ive lost faith. Thats it, im out of the Rafalution. Over and done with it.

Good Luck Steve, WILL NEVER FORGET. Its amazing that you have the ambition to go abroad rather than play for a club thats gonna get relegated in England!"

My days, I cant believe it on here from the above but your words are marked like others. Relegation? I hope you weren't the so-called LFC fan on TalkSport today talking to Adrian Durham and Ian Wright about Liverpool being relegated if they dont maintain their Champions League status for the next three seasons!

Finnan was a good servant for us yet when he was bought from Fulham, few looked on his development as being probable to the level he achieved to. I can imagine several saying he is not Liverpool material. When you consider the likes of Ronaldo, Robinho due to come, Downing, Ashley Young, Joe Cole, Nani, who look to beat full backs with pace and cunning, we need a fit, young full back to thwart that. How long was Finnan going to maintain that at his age? Even Carragher is looking jaded.

Now practically any or every time Rafa makes a move it is criticised. We move on, unless the likes of smokingirish wish to continue moping about the place. So-called LFC fans already lambasting about Riera and Dossena, Degen, and none of them have done anything yet! Arbeloa is no Finnan, he is basic and we will need the likes of Dossena and Degen to come good, come better to replace Finnan and Riise.

Unknowns they may well be, but it can work. But if we continue with this baiting of Rafa the support they rely on from the stands will just erode away. Finnan can be replaced.

Someone said Finnan gave up his international career to further himself with Liverpool. That was one big crock of cow dung. Don Givens took over in Oct 2007 and Finnan was not content with his managerial skills, then decided to come back once Trappatoni was appointed.

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posted Sep 2, 2008

"Someone said Finnan gave up his international career to further himself with Liverpool. That was one big crock of cow dung. Don Givens took over in Oct 2007 and Finnan was not content with his managerial skills, then decided to come back once Trappatoni was appointed."

givens was a temporary appointment......the whole irish nation new it, he was in the job months...........get a grip on reality, trappatoni had an easy job convincing finnan to come back........benitez shuned him.

in one of his first press conferences, trappatoni explicitly stated he would try and get finnan and steven ireland back in the fold..........he did not state that he retired because givens got the job...........where u got that info il never know.

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posted Sep 2, 2008

Givens' temporary appointment shouldnt have deterred Finnan from remaining with the Ireland team. Leaving it to further his Liverpool career was rubbish. Would like someone to find me proof of that first.

Finnan said: "I've thoroughly enjoyed my time in the Republic team, with the World Cup in 2002 being the highlight of my international career.

"But I'll be 34 when the next tournament comes around so it's the right time for me to step down.

"There will be a new manager coming in soon who will have his own ideas for the future with younger players having the chance to stake their claim to be in his plans."

Age was the concept of his retirement. Certainly nothing to do with his furthering his career. Age was the factor on his sale out of the club, for a younger fresher right-back. Brown and Evra are 28 and 27 respectively (Neville will gradually faze out, just older than Finnan), Clichy and Sagna are 23 and 25 respectively, Boswinga and Ashley Cole are 26 and 27 respectively.

Dossena is days from 27 while Arbeloa is 25 and a Spain international. To think we were said to have been also chasing Boswinga as well as Chelsea and Man Utd. If we are to improve as a team Finnan unfortunately had to go for a new right-back.

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comment by 'Av It (U10690115)

posted Sep 3, 2008

Rafa has lost the plot this season, apart from Keane the other signings he's made are dodgy and not good enough for this club. I have a feeling he will leave at some point this season.

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posted Sep 6, 2008

oh dear

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posted Sep 16, 2008

To Kal77uk
"Well what did you expect? Liverpool is now a team of foreigners"

As far as I know, pal, Steve Finnan comes from Dublin, and in my book that makes him a foreigner. Wise up pal and do yourself a favour, Liverpool has always had "foreigners" ever since the Shankly days. Jaysus Wept you Empire nostalgics make me want to puke

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