Woeful passing. No energy. Couldn’t keep possession. Defensively shit.
Games like today make me miss Gini.
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We definitely do miss Gini defensively and in our ability to control games, particularly against the better teams. Stands out a mile this season. He would have been ideal today. We miss him less against the cannon fodder where we need to break teams down. Thiago was meant to be doing a lot of what Gini used to do plus a bit more creatively but we can’t get him on the pitch.
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I think it was less the defensive effort we missed of him today and more the control. Normally we’re so good at winning the second balls that there isnt a premium on individually retaining possession when under pressure. What you’ll often see instead is one of them just pop the ball out of the challenge into a small space expecting one of our other mids to pick it up. today we werent picking those up and needed someone who was just going to put his foot on the ball for a moment. Their second goal was a text book case of that. Each touch required someone else to jump out of position for challenge for the next pop up and it got too frantic and in the end they took advantage. That was a situation that Gini would have got his hands, and arse, around and defused.
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In the summer we need another grafter in midfield someone like Bissouma because it lacks energy now Thiago injury prone , Fabinho not mobile enough Henderson getting older and little rest.
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In physical contests Gini was even more useless than Salah! 
Actually I thought that was his best attribute. Strong bugger just had games where he didn’t seem to be involved but I bet the reality is that he was plugging holes all over the place.
That’s what we need, a hole plugger. Let’s get a cork.
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That’s not my recollection of him. I have memories of him shielding the ball while players bounced off him.
Salah is strong as an Ox as well.
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He was brilliant at holding up the ball, however he didn’t like tussling for the ball at all.
Talking about different things, as usual.
Looking at the next gen cohorts and realizing that Jones is no Foden…
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Think Elliott, Jones and Ox played some of their minutes in the Front3
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Hendo desperately needed this break
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Milner looks done for us after this season
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Thiago was such a expected disappointment in terms of his availability
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Gini was probably at 2500 minutes at this point last season
Don’t know this Fabio kid but read that he is more attacking minded.
Sure he will be a great signing. Him, Curtis and Harvey are kind of Coutinho, Lallana, Keita and Ox successors.
Hope the next midfield signing will be more kind of Gini/Milner successors. A workhorse and maybe it will be someone who is a bit taller like Hendo/Fab/Curtis.
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You do realise Elliot and Jones put up similar km per match as Gini, Milner, Hendo right?
When was that? Can you please show me a stat that compares Harveys and Curtis’ km per matches with Gini when he was with us?
If so, then I hope they can also do it in 50+ games a season.
Anyway - and I’m not blaming Harvey and Curtis because they don’t yet play that many games - our midfield has never looked less energetic under Klopp than this season. That’s because Gini left and Milner is starting very few games.
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I look at that city midfield, they have 1 player in there that’s supposed to be a defensive type player, sometime none, but in reality everyone of those midfielders press the opposition to get the ball back.
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What kind of central midfielder/midfielders do people think we need to bring in and how soon?
Or is there anyone who thinks we just need to extend the deals for Keita and Ox and keep it as it is?
I think Klopp looks for stability and so I think that’s what I would go for with as little changes as possible over as slow a period as possible.
Fabinho, Jones and Elliott are the ones for me with a long term future here. Henderson I think will still continue challenging for a starting role in all 3 CM positions but that challenge will get weaker and weaker with time till he’s essentially a player to throw in when the chips are down who’ll play with passion and not let you down to much, when available and providing he gets loads of rests. OK for the medium term though.
Thiago I think is just too good to lose straight away and think should be here for his 3rd year next season as a truly top quality, elite, CM when available. Just a huge bonus for periods of a season when he’s available. But I think he’ll likely move on after that, never thought he’d be one who had come to see out the end of his career here. By then Elliott and/or Jones should be elite though.
Morton I really like but not sure he’ll definitely kick on from here, has earned the chance to try though. At least for a while should be that emergency cover option in and around the squad till he’s either stepped up to a bigger role or another academy graduate needs, and has earned, that spot.
Keita and Ox have some great qualities but looking at our team I think one could move on this summer without us missing them, possibly both. I do see a need in the squad for a more naturally attacking midfielder which either could do but I’m not sure they’re available when needed and they’re quite expensive in terms of fee we could get and wages we are paying for a limited role. Also I think there’s a need in the team for a deeper, more defensive option which neither of them are, one or both departing could fund that.
Move 1; Summer 2022
Ox or Keita move on and a more defensive CM who can be a good on the ball DM (like Fabinho is) to come in as a strong squad option if not quite a “first name on the team sheet” kind of option. Cover/competition for Fabinho and a more defensive alternative to Thiago and Jones at LCM.
Move 2; Preferably Summer 2022 but possibly Winter or Summer 2023
The other one of Ox and Keita move on creating an opening for a more attacking 8/10 style player. Possible someone like Minamino or Carvalho (should he arrive) take this as their position, although maybe not their only position they get games in. It could be someone from the academy is ready for it like Balagazi, Clarke or Musialowski. If not maybe dip in the market but doubt we’ll need to.
Move 3; Summer 2023(?)
Thiago move on with some LFC medals, hopefully at least one of them a league one. Goes to Italy, France or the Netherlands to add another league title to his collection. With him moving on and Henderson getting older we go big on a top CM that Summer to cope with the departure of Thiago. Ideally a CM who can both be offensive and defensive to elite levels and perfect for that LCM role. Unless Jones and Elliott have really stepped up by then and we no longer need to add that star CM? In which case maybe a player more for cover unless an academy graduate has filled that role?
Ideal for me would be Camavinga for the first role but maybe someone less high profile like Boubacar Kamara on a free or a real under the radar purchase of Kouadio Kone at Monchengladbach or similar.
Second role I’d like to see Musialowski or Balagazi given at least 6 months to grow into it before going to the market.
Third role the dream would be Bellingham if he’s continued his development. But would love it if our academy graduates like Elliott and Jones are cementing themselves as world class starting options in a midfield that’s considered one of the best, maybe with other graduates like Balagazi seen as top class players giving decent cover. Might be too much to hope for though thar everything goes right.
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Start of next season
Henderson, Fabinho, Thiago, Keita, Jones, Elliott, Carvalho
and add a big, powerful, hard working, engine. Someone who is great at doing the easy things.
Start of the 23/24 season
Thiago out. Bellingham in. Dortmund won’t sell this year.
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Few thoughts:
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not sure what to make of Morton. Maybe loan him out next year in January.
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still think the club wants to extend Nabys contract
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have the feeling Ox will leave us in the summer. Especially with Carvalho coming in.
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Keita has to be fit and available for every game between now and end of season. If he picks up one of his “minor” injuries which keeps him out 3 to 4 weeks his time is up.
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Starting to think that in addition of Milner 2 more midfielders out of Ox, Keita and Thiago might want to leave in the summer.
Love Ox but I think his time here is up if Harvey and Curtis stay fit until the end of the season.
For me, ideally, Milner, Ox and Keita should be moving on this summer while we can get fees for Ox and Keita and before Milners legs go. That’s also massive money off the wage bill. Talking enough for a CM and Salahs extension.
All 3 are good players in the right circumstances and I think all are positive characters on and off the pitch. Just injuries are stopping Ox and Keita kicking on they’ll always be nearly players. Milner is simply age.
Realistically with Morton breaking through, Jones and Elliott starting to establish themselves and Fabinho, Thiago and Henderson we can literally let those 3 go and only need one or two (absolute maximum) coming in.
One thing we are missing is a real defensive option other than Fabinho. Morton is promising and Henderson is inconsistent but still a major player and both can play the 6 but Fabinho has more defensive solidity than either. A real good option at the base of midfield/number 6/DM who can play the ball well enough to play as an 8 in games we need the 8s to help the 6 a bit more.
Guys like Bissouma (if there weren’t worries), Ndidi, Gravenberch, Camavinga, Kamara or even Kone that young lad at Monchengladbach.
Good to have everyone back in midfield now, hopefully it stays that way for the rest of the season.
The likes of Thiago, Elliot and Keita aren’t really built for 90 minutes 3 times a week so I expect lots of rotation in the coming months. And nobody’s place should be safe, both Henderson and Fabinho were dropped for small periods or important games in our best two seasons in recent memory, as it should be.
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