Let’s see.
Club might well want to keep hold of either Chiesa and Doak if good offers aren’t forthcoming.
If we value Doak at 30m , as has been reported.
Surely he’s good enough to get some minutes in the domestic cups.
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When we create two XI’s (not too important who’s exactly in which XI, but we need 22 players), with the players reported to come and go (Isak in, probably a CB in, but the likes of Nunez, Chiesa and possibly Elliott out, small question mark still over Harvey), we have some empty spaces. I’m alright if Ngumoha is our “6th forward” or “22nd player”. But I don’t want us to have more of these spaces where we have to seriously count on Ngumoha, someone like Nyoni, etc. As much as promising they are.
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Gk - Alisson Mamardashvili
RB Frimpong Bradley
LB Kerkez Robbo
CB Konate VVD Gomez Guehi*
CM Mac Grav Endo Jones
CAM Wirtz Soboszlai Elliot*
RW Salah Chiesa* Doak*
CF Ekitike Danns * Isak*
LW Gakpo Rio Chiesa*
This is the basic team squas as of now. The * indicates whether the players are yet to be confirmed on their future.
I just see Guehi to be confirmed (which does look likely to happen). And Isak ofcourse.
No other outgoings apart from Elliot/Chiesa/Doak. Maybe Elliot as one. One of Chiesa and Doak can go and we would still be fine.
Not including Bajcetic as we don’t know how he’s been seen internally.
If Nunez does stay , we can probably afford to send Danns on loan and use him but I do think there’s a move happening.
One CB and if we get a second one which will be gravy.
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It’s probably two academy guys in Rio and to a lesser extent Danns who will be likely to see minutes. That’s fine by me.
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And this is assuming we don’t see a basic shift in formation froma. 4-2-3-1 to a 4-2-2-2.
In which case , we probably would keep more midfielders(likely Elliot) and don’t necessarily need to have 6 forward players.
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Hope his decision making has improved. He goes pas players for fun in the first half (watched him a couple of matches on loan) but then doesn’t pick out a good enough pass, or tries to beat another player and gets doubled up, or takes a weak shot (either misdirected or lacking power or both).
I think there are some things that can be taught. Decision making etc etc. But you can’t teach physical attributes.
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I’m not counting on the likes of Bajcetic, Doak and Danns until we see them being used or they stay as part of the first team squad next season. In the first 22 players, I think we can have one “Ngumoha”, perhaps two max. Not more than that. We have to fight for the biggest prizes.
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Highlights the need for another forward perfectly.
Chiesa as your fifth choice option across two positions, one of which is Salah who’ll be missing for about 10 games at the busiest point if the season. And then the sixth option are a bunch of kids, two of whom had season ending injuries last year and haven’t travelled with the squad for pre-season and the other is a 16 year old, albeit a very exciting one.
For me it’s pretty simple. Isak and Ekitike replace Nunez and Jota. Diaz going means Chiesa is probably fifth choice at the moment and I’m pretty certain he’s on his way. You get one top draw replacement for Chiesa and Diaz and you can then probably live with Ngumoha and the likes Wirtz, Szobo, Frimpong as emergency options for your sixth.
What we absolutely cannot do is have four elite options and then the fifth be a lad whose fitness can’t be trusted and who it appears the manager doesn’t fancy. Worse still would be letting Diaz and Chiesa go and then hoping the likes of Ngumoha, Wirtz, Szobo can fill in, especially during AFCON.
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Liking because it’s something that can be debated on.
Can we source this please?
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I see there’s no mention of Gakpo in there. He always gets overlooked.
IMO Gakpo is Diaz’s replacement and maybe Rio could be Gakpo’s stand-in. Bringing in someone like Fonfana would only block Rio’s development.
I think Nunez and Chiesa are certs to leave and maybe their exits will lead to Elliot wanting to stay. Let him be the back-up on the right. And before anybody interjects, I know Harvey’s not a forward but he has the makings of one. Possibly.
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I do think Gakpo is the first choice and Diaz was the backup last season.
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I think there were several games when Díaz was on the left and Gakpo was on the bench.
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That points to a tactical shift. We want our wide forwards to be inside forwards and not wingers. Gakpo suits the system more.
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It is sourced in the screenshot. Gregg Evans is a Liverpool journo at the athletic.
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I’d say so. I have regarded Diaz as our best dribbler for a while, and he is certainly a handful, but I think Gakpo is the more creative player overall. If we are moving towards dedicated strikers then it’s that creativity that you want.
They are different types of players, but Cody probably offers more going forward.
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Last season, Diaz started ahead of Gakpo and showed he deserved to be. Mid-season, more or less, we found a new way with Diaz up top and Gakpo then hit really good form on the left. Gakpo had his first injury and I was interested to see how much does it take him to catch rhythm again, because he’s a big boy. His first games back weren’t great, but Gakpo overall made a step forward and I don’t think Slot will change his position anymore. He’s a LW, he can continue focusing on what he does best, to kick on further. He may not start every game, but he’s one of our better and proven forwards now. Shows it also at international level, he’s one of their key players and provides numbers on a consistent basis.
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By the end of the last season. Fitness permitting etc. Gakpo seems more in line with what we want our left sided forward to be rather than Diaz.
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