You’re forgetting the malaise did lift, albeit too late. I imagine the leadership played some part in that. Also let’s not forget what they achieved in the 5 years previous
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The leadership loss if the veteran midfielders depart is a good point. There will be a hole, but I think it will be filled.
We need to bear in mind that we already have other leaders at the club too, like VVD, Alisson, Robbo.
Then we have emerging leaders at the club, who are growing in seniority and will find their leadership voice e.g. Trent.
Finally, the players we have signed so far, Mac and Szobs, are also leaders.
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Looking at it this way , even an enforced loss of midfielders could prove to be a blessing in disguise. We do have enough talent to nail down the top3.
These are the midfielders right now (not including Trent)
Thiago , Mac , Szobs , Jones , Bajcetic , Elliot , Morton (I imagine Morton will be staying this season)
And assuming Lavia comes in as a DM , That makes quite a nice bunch.
That makes for a really young midfield core. While the inexperience of the midfield is an issue , that’s not necessarily a bad thing as Klopp gets them young enough to make them play the way he wants them to.
Another midfielder preferably in the 25-27 age bracket would be very useful now.
Gut feel says that we go with someone like Lavia and hopefully Barella - Depends if we get 70-80m for the likes of Henderson and Fabinho. We might have to overspend on those two , but this is an investment for a good period of time and Liverpool need to do it quickly and do it right.
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I’m not on with the leadership train tbh. We fucked up last season badly and it’s not like they righted the ship and steered us into the CL with it. If anything, all we heard were soundbite after soundbite only for the next game to be just as dire as the last.
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Especially if Thiago was to also go, it would be good to get someone like Kroos or similar in. Age wise I don’t really care but mid 20s means potentially 60-80M…
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I’m looking for experience even if Thiago stays considering how his body seems to prefer the physio’s bed rather than the football pitch.
The one I would let go is Fab, why, his legs went last season and being an older player thats what happens, it isn’t the fitness it is the sharpness that goes, look at Milly always the fittest but lost that yard of pace, the reaction time gone.
Why keep Thiago, he helps the Spanish speaking players settle in but offers vast experience that he can pass on to the younger players on the pitch (and the treatment table 
) he is also the one the young ones would listen to because he has the technique and skill, others can learn just by watching. With having younger players that are creative and have good engines will help decrease the amount that he has to cover on the pitch and hopefully pead to less injuries.
Hendo is our leader and changing to the 6 would help as there is less running, although like Fab, he would struggle there against a team that presses and would be an option against less progressive teams.
The difference between the two being Milner is 37 and Fabinho is only 29. He should still be able to run at 29!! He looked like he was running through treacle in most games last season and had the turning circle of the QE2. We can’t carry someone that slow again this season.
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Exactly that’s what my post was saying, Fab’s legs have gone, if he stays hopefully he proves me wrong
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! He looked like he was running through treacle in most games last season and had the turning circle of the QE2
Brilliant description, fair play
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Two things stuck out for me with Fabinho, one was when he came on and nearly got sent off and the other was when he basically ran up behind a player who had passed the ball literally ten seconds before he arrived.
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I’d be fine with Fabinho and Thiago leaving this summer ,potentially getting 50mp and taking 400k in wages off the bill.Use that to buy a younger DM,hopefully ready made to go into the starting 11.
Hendo to stay for his experience but also as out of those 3 he was the most reliable we had.Playing a little less this year will mean when he is involved we will see a rejuvenated midfielder with plenty left to offer when on the pitch.
If the two were to leave, this would be a far more challenging situation for LFC than peeps seem to understand or acknowledge.
First, its an inflated market for CMs atm.
Second, we would need to buy both for now and for the future, which could mean 1 or 2 players.
Don’t forget we have needs in defence.
If we sanction the departures, history would suggest that we already have a plan for what happens next.
My main fear though is that, history also suggests that Klopp would look to paper over some cracks by adjusting internally. Until an event outside his control reveals the cracks underneath, and we are back to deja vu allover again…
Is it? Or is it that the market where the unimaginative shop is inflated because it always is when the target customer is a sucker who doesnt know how to find a proper deal or has sufficient money that they just reflexively buy the most expensive product assuming its the best?
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Disagree.
Every time I see these arguments about losing the likes of Fabinho and Henderson, how dangerous it is, how big a risk, I think back to how they’ve been performing over the last 18 months or so.
The level isn’t good enough. The bigger risk is keeping them and hoping they’ll get better.
Being experienced isn’t a substitute for being good. The club needs better players.
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THIS!! Experience would be helpful at the business end of finals and run-ins for a title challenge. But if you’re not good (which they weren’t last season) then you won’t get anywhere near those matches.
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I think with the new players and a reduced workload, Fabinho and Henderson can be better than they were last year. However, they aren’t key players like Salah or Robertson and the gap they might leave can be bridged.
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Sure, but that’s an incredibly low bar to beat. You could pluck random players from mid table in the bundesliga or ligue 1 who would be better than them last year.
It wasn’t only last season either, they have been trending down before that.
If they played elsewhere, absolutely nobody here would want either player even on a free. It’s an obvious area we can improve the squad, and the arguments against replacing them are nothing more than being irrationally fearful of change IMO.
Look I’m just saying that we missed Henderson in the run in to the 2013-14 season. That was only 10 years ago and we really want to discuss being without him again!?
That’s why I said that if they leave it won’t be a gap that can’t be bridged.