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We’ll find out in due course the movements of players. I hope Milner Stays. Him and Naby worked really well yesterday supporting the front 3 once they came on.
Some players are going to need investment in coaching, time and experience. Minamino improved and once his proactiveness and aggression shines, he can be a good player. He needs to trust in his ability.
Dejan Lovren looks like he’s leaving. Lallana is always on his way, Origi too (what a shame). The squad will be thinning with no new additions. The obvious concern is when there’s injuries and how this will impact us if we are to try and defend our Crown.
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If it’s the tackle that I am thinking of, it wasn’t questionable to me. Tackle from behind like that is bloody dangerous. Maybe getting a bit of the ball isn’t always important. I haven’t seen it again since but I wasn’t happy with that tackle at the time.
That’s not why I came here though. I see that we have sold Lovren, so there is definitely 1 player coming in soon, as you CAN NOT go into the season with the options we have left now, no way.
Someone was recently saying that Gomez might be getting replaced due to our interest in various quality CB’s and I guess it’s to replace Lovren. I mean, if we purchase players in this way, replacing a squad player with someone who can definitely compete for a place in the 1st team then brilliant. It will keep the quality of our side up where it has to be to defend the title. City, Chelsea, Utd will not sit around and wait for Minamino and Curtis Jones to come good, they’ll be after us with baying breath. So,I await what I hope is good news, at least when it comes to a CB arrival. Let’s get someone in who thinks he can displace Gomez, I wish him all the luck in the world. he’ll need it. If someone can do it then Liverpool have benefited, if not then we’ve got a damn fine player ready to jump in when someone gets injured.
You have to wonder how much lighter the wage bill is soon going to be. Lallana, Lovren, Shaqiri have all got to be on pretty high wages.
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Mav, made an intriguing point on the other Thread, and I’m wondering whether this is the direction Klopp is heading to invest more into our youth.
We can easily be blinded by needing to spend 60-80 million, but maybe we could look into the direction of players that are ‘Ready For The First Team’ but are happy on the terms of being squad players.
I would love to steal 2 or 3 players from Wolves. Maybe there are players in the Championship where we can develop them to become better.
I was critical of Williams yesterday – was not at the races and half-asleep. It makes you wonder how vital TAA is. We do need back ups all in all when it comes to key first team players being injured.
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Goodbye And Good Luck Dejan Lovren https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53556646
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Is it just me or is there a bit of sour grapes from Chelsea?
Lampard absolutely lost it there when we played them, going on about how we’ve only won 1 title. After the game he was saying we’ve to be careful about arrogance. Now on the Chelsea thread, one of their supporters is saying that we’re gone from humble to aggressive.
Read what was said and tell me what you think. I think we’ve got a bit of jealousy here. I tell you what, I’ve got absolutely no time for this kind of nonsense. Is it going to be like this from here on, where you can’t discuss what is admittedly a topic that has a lot of potential for developing animosity, without the “you’re not humble” card being waved?
Childish and unacceptable.
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Going Forward, I think just even playing a 90 Minutes is going to Entail trying to Deliver Your Best.
We’re Champions.
We’re now on a New Level.
That means, any Fixture we Play, Opposition Teams out there are going to want to Compete.
We’ve got to continue to Uphold What We Stand For. Rivals Are Rivals and They Are Not Going To Go Away.
The Question Is: What Are We Going To Do About It?
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Nil, I think one aspect that affected Liverpool more than most after the restart was the loss of the crowd.
Anfield has always been Liverpool’s 12th Man with a terrific atmosphere and if this continues as it looks like it might or at best seemingly with vastly reduced capacities that might be something Liverpool have to wrestle with next season as they try to defend their title. Cheers 9’s
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Just flagged up this premier league table (linked below) on another thread which covers the period from 20 Dec 19 to the end of the season, i.e. the second half of the season. Weβre still top, but City are just 4 points behind but with a game in hand. Just a bit of a warning there for us if ever we needed one…
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Mikus I don’t really see anything to be concerned about. Since we won the league the players have been in party mode so it’s expected that their relentless form that won the league would drop a bit. The Liverpool players now have a bit of a rest till the start of next season, something the City players won’t have (providing they get further in the CL), so I expect us to start next season at full throttle. The only concern I have is that we will lose the Anfield atmosphere for a number of months which would normally give us a huge advantage.
Seems to be a fair bit of gossip that we will bid for Lloyd Kelly from Bournemouth as a Lovren replacement. Makes a lot of sense to me, we were interested last year when he made the switch to Bournemouth from Bristol City. He is a tall 20 year centre back that can also play left back (so much needed cover for Robertson), and maybe we can get him without paying too much due to Bournemouth’s relegation.
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Interesting about Kelley threeps.
Didnβt realise he was only 20. Looked very nervous for Bournemouth in the last few weeks but Iβve no doubt klopp and his team would improve him
Can cover two positions so makes perfect sense me aul chim
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I think there is something to be concerned about. There are reasons why it’s so difficult to win back to back titles and the easing off because they are celebrating, is a break in momentum. Maybe the lads will flip it like a switch when they come back, I certainly hope they do… but do not EXPECT this.
Man City have been playing like they have a title to win already, for some time too. They have been here before, their manager has been here before. I get the feeling that they know too damn well what is going on here and that there is something there to exploit.
Kelley makes sense alright.
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Threeps, but our poor form doesnβt just start once weβd wrapped up the league. In February and March we lost 2 CL games, an FA Cup game and a league game heavily to Watford. And leading up to that Watford defeat in the league we only just narrowly beat Norwich & West Ham. Also when City wrapped up the league a few years ago with 5 games to spare, they kept playing and generally continued to blow sides away.
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What City did a few years ago is of no relevance. We all know Pep likes his team to go for it all the time, hence why you see his team thump teams 8-0 one week then lose the next. We rarely go full throttle all the time if we have the points sewn up, or maybe in this case the title.
In the CL we played very well and the main difference between the two teams were the keepers. Oblak had a great game in the return leg whilst Adrian decided to become a pub level keeper. Against Chelsea in the cup we went out to a good Chelsea performance, it happens, even the great Man City lost recently the Arsenal in the cup, and Southampton in the league. The only really bad performance was against Watford. That one I cannot explain but it does happen.
I really cannot see what all the worry is about. We just won the league at a canter. City, our main rivals, have a rebuilding job to do, we don’t. We are maybe lacking one or two players for depth, such as 4th choice CB, Robertson understudy and maybe someone up top (if Shaq and Origi go), but we don’t need to spend massive.
I know a few of you want a big signing or whatever, so tell me who it would be and whose place in the starting 11 would it take (just hoping it that question doesn’t start another damn Henderson debate!!). Please don’t use the “we can rotate” or “people will get injured or lose form so everyone gets a game” excuse I am fed up trying to explain why no team has that policy. For example, I want Mbappe, and I would happily see Salah sold to make room for him. I would never expect him to come and rotate with Salah or Mane, or either of the two current players happy to step down to the bench. I would even let Mane go but be less happy about it, or Firmino if Klopp had a different tactical approach. Alternatively but pretty much the same situation, Sancho for either Mane or Salah. If neither Mane or Salah leave, and to be honest I don’t think either will this year, then I would not expect a huge name coming in. Maybe just a player with potential to step in for the league cup or something. Perhaps just give Brewster the chance.
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Well Threeps, the worry is only that if you don’t continue to improve (or try), you can be caught really quickly. As for us wanting a big signing, well I don’t think it’ll happen, so it’s a moot point. For me, I want us to to make sure we have every position well covered. With Lovren leaving we definitely have to sign someone, unless there is some youngster that I’m unaware of who has been absolutely smashing it but for some reason not getting into the first team when we were playing some kids.
You went down the line of Werner/MBappe etc but it’s clear that we can’t afford a big signing, as for wanting someone signed for a place up top. Do you not think the drop in quality is too much, when going from our front 3 to the likes of Origi? Not just quality either but style. He doesn’t fit into the team most times he plays.
“For example, I want Mbappe, and I would happily see Salah sold to make room for him. I would never expect him to come and rotate with Salah or Mane”
I don’t think we could afford him but at it’s core, I agree with this. Selling players before their market value plummets, re-investing it in top quality players whoa re younger is for me the smart thing to do. If we don’t sell any of the 28 year olds then I have to wonder where our money will come from over the next 4-5 years. The value of our squad will be nose-diving, meaning that FSG will have to invest quite heavily to get it back to where it was and I don’t know if I see that happening.
Thoughts? Maybe I’m missing something there, I’d be happy to be corrected.
As for Mane, I would be happy to have the club absorb his value, if you know what I mean. We don’t have to recycle the asset value of everyone and there would be exceptions but I am not comfortable with us not selling any of them and re-investing as discussed.
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I used Mbappe as I think he is the only upgrade on Mane and Salah in world football. But obviously you have the level below, thinking Pulisic, Leon Bailey, etc. Players who I think will give a drop off in quality from our front three so won’t dislodge them but are too good or expensive to be a League cup player or bench warmer. This makes them almost unobtainable for us.
So this is where it gets tricky. Finding a player that both had a reduced quality drop from our front three and happy twiddling their thumbs until an opening happens.
I read a year or two ago about the Harry Kane issue at spurs, in that they really struggle to get a back up striker of sufficient quality as they know they will always play second fiddle to Kane. We have the same with our front 3.
I think we have one season left before our 3 value starts to decrease significantly. I cannot see us replacing any of them this year but next year possibly. I still think Salah will end up at Madrid.
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Agree with threeps, people were screaming for us to sign Pepe last season. He would t have played. Iβd like a good player who be happy to play a bit part and can play anywhere in the front 3 and who cost around 20m? I can think of absolutely no one who fits that criteria
Minamino needs much more time.problem is Iβm not sure what his best position is
I think our biggest Concern is no fans. I think it will really hamper us next season
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REPOST CAUSE IT HAS VANISHED FOR ME. APOLOGIES IF IT IS A DOUBLE POST.
All valid points but when you bring other factors into the equation, the results change quite drastically. Firstly, the age aspect and the underlying point that I am basing this from (asset value instead of pure quality within the team). That does open up some tricky counter-argument for yourself, I know but in 3 years, we won’t be able to afford to replace Salah, Mane and Firmino. right now, we could afford it (unless the virus has murdered the market so bad that clubs refuse to do business at all or the like).
Right now (pure hypothetical for perspective) we could sell Mane, Salah, Firmino and put a 80m (or coronavirus equivalent price) player in each position, without going to FSG for funds. In 3 years, we’ll have to get whatever money we need to do that or the likes, all or almost entirely from FSG and I can’t see that happening.
now flush that hypothetical away because no, I don’t want to sell all of them this window. I actually don’t WANT to sell any of them as they are all brilliant but looking at where we’re going to be in a few years, I don’t see how ,we can afford NOT to sell at least one of them this window.
Now to get to the next point. Yes, whoever we get in will initially be a drop in quality and may remain so but remember that Klopp gets the best out of players. He develops their talent and definitely has a part to play in the lads we have now being considered so highly as they are.
Now, there is something else I want to add here and that is that although I’ve talked about selling Salah, as my “choice”, I think he gets an awful time from some fans for missing chances and being selfish. They have a point but what makes Salah world class, is his ability to create big chances. he will create more opportunities than most top level players, by knowing where to be and of course being clever and agile on the ball. It was the first thing I noticed about him. He was always arriving into dangerous areas at the right time. So, I forgive him for missing more chances than people expect because what makes him brilliant is just a little different than your clinical types and he scores more goals than most of them, assists more than most of them too.
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Some good points made by all. And I’m very much aware that the likes of other top clubs like Chelsea have blown money on the likes of Torres, Schevchenko, & Morata, and interestingly, these players tended to be bought after previous success almost in a desperate attempt to stay at the top. All these players cost a fortune and flopped or weren’t value for money. I also think an increasing problem, as has been alluded to, is that any premier league club looking to buy on the continent, now has to pay a premium because the selling club can take advantage of the wealth of the PL, and this now even applies to young kids. So yes, it is difficult. But it’s a challenge top clubs have to deal with, and clubs always have to freshen up to keep others on their toes. I just see a very good first team but not enough outside of that to give Klopp flexibility. It’s vital we don’t fall into previous mistakes of letting big players go first, and then worrying about how to replace them at the 11th hour. However I will say that if Keita can maintain form next season, I’ll be less worried.
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True about keita Mikus but what do you think about my point regards the asset value and the perpetuation of that asset value?
I’m surprised that this isn’t more of a talking point lads. Like, I can be wrong about things for sure but I really don’t think I am here.
How do we replace that front 3, if we don;t sell them before their value drops?
dare I suggest that FSG don;t plan to be at the club as long as Klopp? I mean, it seems like flagrant disregard for asset value…. Unless of course they are willing to let these players run down their transfer value, in exchange for titles etc and then are ok to heavily invest? I mean, do you think that’s it?
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Depends if offers comes in for the players in question Mak. All our front 3 are now 28 years old. They are at their peak so if they do leave in a year or so, they ainβt really going to be a headline signing for someone. Also, as effective as they are, individually speaking I donβt think they carry the same wow factor as players like Suarez or Torres. FSG were just fortunate that Barca were desperate enough to put in an absurd offer for a then 25 year old Coutinho that no club could turn down and which was obviously re-invested well. But now weβre at the top, it would have been interesting to see what FSG were willing to spend but now weβve had the pandemic, they can somewhat hide behind that.
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