Martin/Hobbs/Gilbert

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

why would we lose Fryatt? and Martin's loan expires at Christmas

If he keeps going on the way he is an offer might come in that is irrefusable.

[Jimmy]

so, he's hardly irreplaceable and if we go up he'd be at the same level as the other club

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

so, he's hardly irreplaceable and if we go up he'd be at the same level as the other club

I didn't say he was irreplacable. You asked why we'd lose him.

[Koke]

Liverpool fan here, I look on this forum on occasion to see how Hobbs and Martin are doing.

On your possibilities of getting Hobbs and Martin on a permanent basis, i'd say yous have a little to no chance of getting Hobbs and a decent chance of getting Martin.

I'm not sure why some of you lads don't think Hobbs is highly rated here as he is, next season he will almost certainly start the season as 4th choice centre back then it's up to him to progress from there. He played a few first team games last season against Chelsea and Reading, we lost both but it was more a case of Carragher trying to do everything and cover for Hobbs when he didn't need it than Hobbs actually playing poorly.

On Martin, I watched him alot in the reserves last season and although he is decent, we have younger and better Goalkeepers in the reserves now in Dean Bouzanis and Peter Gulacsi. I'm not sure yous want Martin though.

Having watched Jack Hobbs on a number of occasions this season, I can safely say that he won't make it at a club with ambitions of winning the Premiership and/or the Champions League.

He's only 19, and one day in the future he might become an established Premiership defender, depending on his progress. I understand you and the coaching staff at Liverpool have massive hopes for the lad, but I'm afraid he will not cut it as a Liverpool player.

As he is highly rated by your coaching staff, I doubt we can buy him, even if we are willing to break the bank for him, so I am clutching at straws here. But I do hope we can keep for another season on loan here when/if we get promoted back to the Championship.

As for Martin, he's not really that good and I'd be very surprised if we even tried to get him.

[Babel]

Do you think that there would be a chance of us securing Hobbs for another season long loan perhaps?

I'd think there would be more of a chance he will be with us next season, I thought the same about Paul Anderson aswell after his loan with Swansea.

We had a lack of right midfielders at the start of the season, still do, though Rafa would rather an 18/19 year old youngster go out on loan no matter how talented he is and if they progress as well as he'd like he'd blood them into the team at 21/22, he did this at Valencia.

Hobbs will be 21 next summer and has already had a little bit of experience in the championship with S****horpe, if you's get promoted this season maybe Rafa will feel a full season in the championship would see him progress a little more.

[Babylon]

why would we lose Fryatt? and Martin's loan expires at Christmas

Because he is also out of contract in the summer I believe.

[The Blur]

£10 million!!!!

And where is he now....?!

Sheffield Wednesday I think

I was wondering about Gilbert, he went on loan to Cardiff and Southend previously in championship yet he doesn't sign for them is it any condience? Perphaps both teams saw that he wasn't cut out for championship level?

[lcfcrinaldi]

not a chance

[Alexikokopops]

Sheffield Wednesday I think

I was wondering about Gilbert, he went on loan to Cardiff and Southend previously in championship yet he doesn't sign for them is it any condience? Perphaps both teams saw that he wasn't cut out for championship level?

Southend were previously in the Championship, but not last season when Gilbert was there and he was at Cardiff two season ago when he'd only played a handful of senior games. I think it's safe to say he's improved since then.

[dog_4]

i'd spend a 1m at most for gilbert and i think liverpool will ask for ridiculous money for Hobbs ie 3m. I'd rather save the money and have morrison,worley,kisnorbo and tunchev and spend the cash on a quality striker for fryatt ie Jermaine Beckford. i think him and fryatt would be quality together. fingers crossed leeds don't get promoted and then we'd have a chance. In theory we could end up not having mattock,gilbert and hobbs next year .

[Salieri]

i'd spend a 1m at most for gilbert and i think liverpool will ask for ridiculous money for Hobbs ie 3m. I'd rather save the money and have morrison,worley,kisnorbo and tunchev and spend the cash on a quality striker for fryatt ie Jermaine Beckford. i think him and fryatt would be quality together. fingers crossed leeds don't get promoted and then we'd have a chance. In theory we could end up not having mattock,gilbert and hobbs next year .

If we could sign Hobbs for £3 million we should snap their hands off imo.....

[dog_4]

no need, kisnorbo and tunchev together and spend the 3m on fulop. sell mattock and sign jermaine beckford. would be better off.

[The Blur]

no need, kisnorbo and tunchev together and spend the 3m on fulop. sell mattock and sign jermaine beckford. would be better off.

It is unlikely Leeds are willing to sell Beckford to us though

[Joe.]

I have confidence Hobbs will make it in the Premiership, somewhere, someday.

[Salieri]

I have confidence Hobbs will make it in the Premiership, somewhere, someday.

Agreed, and with the kind of money being bandied about these days, £3million would be a snip. As a long term investment, you couldnt go far wrong. Yes, as the poster above states, there may be other positions that need filling more urgently but i think if a player becomes available, who could turn out to be quality, then we'd be foolish to miss the boat. As he gets older and gains more experience its more than likely hs value will rise so get him while we can i reckon! (and yes, i know its still a longshot...)

[dog_4]

yeah spose we could make a profit on him, same with morrison really.

[Bert]

In his world interview Hobbs says "Hopefully move up the leagues"

When asked about his whereabouts at the end of the season, he looked a tad hesitant, but certainly didn't rule out a permanent move.

He said "I'll go back to Anfield as soon as the loan finishes, I'm not sure what's going to happen, but I'll have to speak to the boss up there and see what his plans are"

Then quickly moved on to say that the next game is the most important for him.

[Jimmy]

In his world interview Hobbs says "Hopefully move up the leagues"

When asked about his whereabouts at the end of the season, he looked a tad hesitant, but certainly didn't rule out a permanent move.

He said "I'll go back to Anfield as soon as the loan finishes, I'm not sure what's going to happen, but I'll have to speak to the boss up there and see what his plans are"

Then quickly moved on to say that the next game is the most important for him.

obviously trying to avoid burning any bridges in advance

[davieG]

Source

Should Leicester City finish the season as League One champions they could well owe a debt of gratitude to a Reds duo currently taking the division by storm.

Youngsters David Martin and Jack Hobbs swapped the swathe fields of Anfield Road for the lush lawns of Leicester back in August and both have been earning rave reviews as regulars in a Foxes side determined to bounce back to the Championship at the first attempt.

Nigel Pearson's men are currently level on points with S****horpe at the top of the standings and could move clear of The Irons if they win their game in hand.

It is a scenario the Reds pair would have more than settled for when they first heard of a potential loan switch to the East Midlands outfit and it was clear they are loving every minute of life at the Walkers Stadium when Liverpoolfc.tv caught up with them earlier in the week.

"It's going really well," says Hobbs, who has been a rock at the heart of a City defence that has kept five clean sheets in 10 matches.

"We have been playing well and won a lot of games. We are doing great and if we win our game in hand we will go top of the league. We've just got to keep it going."

It is sentiment echoed by Martin, who is just behind his good friend in the quest for the most shut-outs, with four from nine appearances.

"I've settled in really well," he says. "I was surprised at how welcome the lads and the fans were to us. They have welcomed us really well and we are enjoying it. You can't beat playing, and playing every week in front of a big crowd is just brilliant. Having that pressure on you raises your game and that's what you need.

"It took a little bit longer arranging the loan move for me. Jack went before me and I was two or three weeks behind him, so I texted him to let him know I was coming to Leicester too."

From the duo's laid back approach it is evident they have already settled into their new surroundings and they both concede that being there together has played a major part in that.

"It's ideal, isn't it?" says Hobbs turning towards Martin.

"Yes, it is," comes the reply. "I definitely feel a lot more comfortable having Jack here. When I'm playing behind him I know what Jack is going to do. I can read his game and hopefully he can read mine.

"Hopefully he can help me and I can help him every now and again.

"At Liverpool it's all about playing football on the floor which the manager preaches here at Leicester. It's similar to Liverpool in that way."

Martin's explanation is accompanied by several nods of the head from Hobbs, who adds: "Definitely. It helps having played alongside each other before for Liverpool."

With such a strong bond both on and off the field, it's probably safe to assume they are regular roommates when Leicester City take to the road...

"We do room together and get on alright so it's good," smiles Hobbs.

The centre-back looks towards his colleague who offers a mischievous grin in response to being quizzed about Hobbs' bad habits.

"Well, to be fair, in the room he's..."

The Reds stopper has little time to reveal all about Hobbs' horrors before the defender interjects with mock innocence.

"You are stitching me right up here!" he says, laughing.

"Actually, he's not that bad," continues Martin once the pair have stopped chuckling. "I've had worse room-mates and to be fair we get on pretty well."

"Yeah, David's a top guy," adds Hobbs.

For many players on the periphery at a Barclays Premier League club, the thought of dropping two divisions is rarely an appealing one.

Many wouldn't comprehend such a move but for this duo Leicester City ticked all the right boxes, from the manager right through to the club's staff and supporters.

"I think as long as you have got the right club and got the right gaffer, then it's an easy decision," says Hobbs as he surveys the impressive interior on show at the Walkers Stadium.

"This move is for my development and to play most weeks. Playing here in front of the amount of fans we get is like playing for a Championship side anyway. To me I wasn't that bothered as I just wanted to go and play regular football."

The view that a club the size of Leicester City conform to the cliche of 'sleeping giant' is one that Martin shares.

"I didn't actually realise until I got here how big Leicester actually is," he explains. "For me this move was about getting experience and playing games, especially for a goalkeeper. You need to play regular football."

While Martin is still to make his competitive debut for the Reds, Hobbs has had a brief taster of what it's like to play at Anfield in front of the greatest fans in the world - but how do Leicester's supporters compare?

"The fans are quality here," explains Hobbs. "At the away games they out-sing the home fans and it's a good club to play for. The atmosphere is always great."

It seems life couldn't be better for our loan rangers. In fact, Martin is enjoying the Leicester life so much that he would be more than happy to extend his six month deal.

"Obviously my deal's a little bit shorter than Jack's but we'll see what happens," he says, referring to Hobbs' season-long contract.

"When we get to the first week of December we'll see if Leicester want to extend it and if Liverpool want me to stay here on loan.

"It's great playing here and I'd love to stay until the end of the season and play regular games. Then at the end of the season we'll see what happens."

The recurring theme throughout our encounter with the pair revolves around the desire for regular football, although they are keen to talk-up their hopes of leaving City as League One title winners.

"Oh, it would be amazing to get promotion, wouldn't it, Dave?" says Hobbs.

"Yeah, it would be great to put on the CV and we both want winners medals," smiles Martin. "That would be great for our reputation."

If the number of press and media in attendance are anything to go by then the Reds youngsters haven't done themselves any harm.

While Hobbs and Martin revel in some friendly-natured banter with LFC TV commentator Steve Hunter, they are subjected to the kind of attention that conjures up images of the day the Colossus Ron Yeats signed for Liverpool.

The late, great Bill Shankly famously invited local 'hacks' to take a 'long' walk around the towering centre-back and, while this was not quite on the same scale, it provided a microcosm of what transpired on that summer's day back in 1961.

Indeed, the sight of a promising Reds duo in Leicester city colours is a big deal for the blue half of the East Midlands, but then the Foxes have a history of good relations with the Reds.

In the 1970s they were commonly known as Liverpool's bogey team, but they eventually got back on our good side, and they are responsible for giving us double winner Kevin MacDonald and former record signing Emile Heskey.

In fact, the Heskey transfer fee went a large way towards helping Leicester build the fantastic Walkers Stadium that both Hobbs and Martin are currently gracing.

The Reds starlets have developed a soft spot for City's new arena but admit that they still have long-term ambitions to make the grade at Anfield and neither are willing to give up on their Kop dream.

"To play at Anfield every week would be amazing," says Hobbs.

"My main focus at the moment is to try and do well here. I need to play as well as I can and as long as you do that you will get where you deserve to be.

"I played a few games for the first team last season which was great. I came on against Bolton and to play at Anfield in front of the Kop was something else.

"I can't explain how good the feeling was - just the best feeling ever. Once you get a taste of it you get that drive and motivation to try and get back there."

As far as Martin is concerned he has the unenviable task of trying to compete with Pepe Reina - who he freely admits is a hero of his.

"When people ask me about Pepe Reina he is THE goalkeeper in my eyes," states Martin without hesitation. "I rate Pepe as one of the best goalkeepers in the world. He has everything for me and I have learned so much from him.

"I signed a new contract in the summer which gives me security and a chance to show the staff at Liverpool what I can do," adds Martin.

"I want to put Liverpool in a position where they can look at me and see what I can do. Then they can decide whether to use me or send me out on loan again. It's up to Liverpool and up to me with how well I do.

"I'm lucky in a way because I speak quite regularly with Xavi Valero, the goalkeeping coach. I've been able to go up to Liverpool during the international breaks and train with him."

All talk of Liverpool FC suggests that Melwood is never too far from their thoughts.

A future plying their trade alongside the likes of Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher

may seem a world away at the moment, but for now they are fully-committed to the Leicester cause as they prepare for Saturday's top-of-the-table clash with Oldham Athletic.

"There is a lot of confidence about and there is a good team spirit and a good vibe, but the gaffer is always making sure we are focused on the next game," says Hobbs, with a focus that shows he is still a subscriber to the philosophy of Rafael Benitez and his coaching staff.

"It doesn't matter where we are in the table just as long as we get the three points. We are just doing the best we can and not getting carried away and thinking too much about other games.

"Our main focus is just the next game."