Cynics will say he doesn’t play much to get injured, but his fitness remains the silver lining since his switch from Salzburg. 2000 odd mins in one and a half season is going to wreak his career.
I keep wondering, what went wrong???
To be honest, I don’t think he was simply good enough for our level. Slightly weak and small which started him on the wrong foot but don’t think he is good enough for us and never will be.
Did anything go wrong?
Perhaps the coaching team just decided he needed more game time in EPL than we could offer him so loaned him out, hopeing, He hasn’t been sold, yet, so all is still on.
And even if it doesn’t work out, he didn’t cost much, and will have gone up in value. He got a PL winners medal for his efforts.
I do believe we would have seen more of him had we not ended up in the midst of a pandemic after he arrived. I imagine trying to integrate into life in England when everything is locked down is not easy. And if you’re not comfortable at home you can’t do your best at work.
I expect him to be a Liverpool player for the pre-season.
At least Taki made more appearances than Ben Davies!
His main issue IMO is strength, he’s just too weak.
He has good technique, good composure in front of goal…but put him under any kind of physical pressure and he’ll lose the ball. That’s kind of a big deal in our side.
Half season loan to Bayern Munich to bulk him up? Coutinho looked much more built after his time there
@Flobs Right, here’s to hope that he will be playing for us this season.
@rupzzz I don’t judge our players by their economic value. I develop an emotional bond.
@ILLOK True. I mentioned his physical aspect when he was signed. Keita (I know, odd reference) isn’t that robust either but he doesn’t seem uncomfortable.
I was hoping that he will be available from the beginning of the training camp and Klopp and the coaching team will use those weeks to prepare him for the season. But it seems he will play in the Olympics and thus miss parts of the preseason preparations.
At this point, I have given up on him. He will probably be sold or at least sent out on loan.
Wimp!
If that’s the case he doesn’t suit our system unless he takes the Salah or Mané role where he could benefit from getting balls where he is in movement or can attack them (rather than ball to feet). Even then he’d have to dodge those fat lumps blocking his passage.
This one at least makes me feel we will actually recoup his cost.
Nah; just get him on this stuff:
Thankfully you’re not in charge then. Edwards and Klopp have ice in their veins when they need it.
What went wrong?
Sometimes the immediate jump from the Austrian league to the PL is simply too big.
It shouldn’t be shocking in some cases. It was low risk anyway, we’ll get our money back.
Why does it comes down to money and recouping the fees etc. Doesn’t it bother anyone when one of our lads don’t make it? Maybe I’m just a hopeless romantic, but the successes of Nat or Rhys are just as important as the failures of Keita etc.
Just as the joy of watching Salah is worth more than the fees we paid for him, no amount of resale money can sugar-coat disappointments regarding Minamino.
Of course we wish him all the best and especially when he’s a Liverpool player, but what can you do. It’s just football. Sometimes even when it looks like an almost perfect match on paper, it still doesn’t work out. It’s important, it’s how it is. Certain players have more value. Taki’s still not dead with us, we’ll have to see with which backup options other than our 4 forwards we go into next season. But so far, a few glimpses aside, a good pro and trying hard… this level seemed like a bit too much for him. Scored a nice goal or two for Saints, but couldn’t win/keep his starting place there either.
Because that’s just not how it works? If idealism was enough we’d be living in a People’s Democratic world.
I’d hope he finds somewhere good but transfers will always be a 50/50, you can never guarantee success.