Yes, because didn’t Klopp say before the season started that he would be using the expanded bench to give youngsters more experience?
In that case, the club will stay put and ride out whatever happens this season. We might end up with a trio of Bajcetic, Elliot and Carvalho securing fourth place! 
1 Like
This is all well and good but it highlights a number of things.
- We did want a midfielder this summer and obviously felt the squad could accommodate one.
- If we then also want Bellingham then that’s two midfielders we’re looking to recruit in a 12 month period.
- There’s a huge risk associated with putting all your eggs in one basket and then seeing the player go elsewhere.
- There is a need for alternatives when you shop at the very very top level because we’re now competing with Real, Barca, PSG, Bayern etc instead of smaller teams where our pull is much greater than theirs.
- With Ox and Milner likely done here next year, we’re in for wholesale changes next summer rather than phased changes.
- If Bellingham decides he’s going to City or Chelsea instead next summer, are we just not going to buy anyone then?
There are people here making up stuff that I simply haven’t said in order to rationalise their counter arguments.
There is a difference between buying a Klavan or Kabak who come to “do a job” but at no point am I saying that is what we need. There are more than Tchouameni and Bellingham out there who could massively improve that area of the team before we get to “could do a job” type players.
We don’t always have one single target and it’s a case of them or no one. Sure, that’s true of Virgil but he was happy to sit and wait for us too. Konate may be another one but if he’d gone elsewhere do people really think we’d have risked going into the season with three centre backs again? When we needed to replace Karius, was it Allison or no one? Was Tsimikas not bought only after Norwich rejected our bid for Max Aarons? Salah was an option, not the option.
We also don’t have nine centre mids on the books, we have 8 (Liverpool FC — Mens). Three of which are out of contract next summer too (with at least two almost certainly going) so lets hope that the one or two we want are available and don’t get a better offer if we’ve not got alternatives on some kind of list.
4 Likes
So if Naby, Ox and Jones had been fit, Badjetic would have still made the bench for “the experience”?
Fantasy stuff.
If that’s the progress of those 3 I think the club will find it an acceptable trade-off.
1 Like
Not aged 1 bit since I saw him last in a Liverpool shirt.
its not really though is it.
for example, how would you feel coming up against any premier league team with a midfield of Jones, Harvey and Fabio?
I’d be feeling vulnerable from a lack of a defensive midfielder in there, but otherwise fine…
2 Likes
really?
as in actually really?
even just take one out and add in fabinho or henderson…and youd still be comfortable? as in, we will still win this game comfortable?, not as in ‘i want to win an arguement on the internet’ comfortable.
personally id be a bit excited to see it, but i wouldnt be expecting three points.
The thing is, we’re not competing at the same level as we were 5 years ago. We are now one of the top 5 teams in Europe. That is due to Klopp’s genius and a lot of hard work by a lot of people, but it also means that we are up against the absolute cream of world football. We can’t afford to go into a long and gruelling season with a patched up, half fit midfield and that’s what it feels like at the moment.
Personally, if I believed that Naby could stay fit, I’d be a lot less worried, but really, who’s willing to bet the season on that?
5 Likes
Yes. I think Jones and Elliott are more than a good pairing against most teams in the league.
The success of our transfer operation leads fans to think that we can go out and buy players and it will just work. The club are victims of their own success in that way.
But what is never considered by fans is that the success of our transfers is equally a function of who we don’t buy as it is who we do.
We don’t settle for second best.
1 Like
Thiago: 2386 mins
Naby Keïta: 2086 mins
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain: 1526 mins
James Milner: 1371 mins
Virgil van Dijk: 4620 mins
Trent Alexander-Arnold: 4234 mins
Last season, four senior midfielders played nominal minutes. Being senior players, they are on significant wages too. If we want to add another quality midfielder we need space in the squad as well as in the wage bill. Another important thing is, that any new midfielder could have had fitness issues as well; case in point, Keïta, Thiago, and Oxlade.
We can think that the club can bear the added burden of new midfielder and we can think that the new player will remain fit (and in form) for the majority of the season. But that’s not true.
2 Likes
So you’re saying Tchouameni is the only central midfielder attainable this window that would be an improvement or offer us more than the current crop we have?
And if we put all our eggs in the Bellingham basket for next summer and we don’t succeed do we just extend Milner again for another season or hope Badejtic can step up?
The notion that it’s player x and player x only is a fallacy people are falling back on to justify not addressing a need.
Did we not go after a midfielder this summer thus proving we could bear that burden?
2 Likes
I was happy with our midfield options ahead of the season, but as soon as you lose Ox, then I would have brought a player in.
I’m not going to be pissed off with the club or owners if this doesn’t happen as I’m certain the decision to bring someone in or not lies with Klopp. If he wants someone, I don’t think FSG say no you’ll have to make do.
If all our midfielders are injured at the same time we could use Trent, Matip and Tsimikas there. 
1 Like
Has Thiago been our only central midfield signing of kind (attacking or defensive) in the last 5 years (After Naby & Fab came)?
& I don’t include teenagers in that.
Midfielders signed under Klopp
Grujic , Ox , Wijnaldum , Keita , Fabinho , Carvalho , Elliot , Thiago
There’s been money spent for midfielders , whether it’s correctly spent (ox) and whether the likes of Grujic have been correctly used…
That remains to be seen.
1 Like
Signing of Ox is a luxury signing which LFC shouldn’t have done in hindsight…
He’s obviously a great player and I am a huge fan of his. But his signing for that money on the last year of his contract will be termed as a failure.
So Thiago the only senior midfielder we’ve signed in the last 8-9 windows, that’s crazy to me.
We must genuinely think Hendo Milner Fab gonna go until they’re in the 70s…I think Milner is already in his 70s so 80s for him.