“…and he’d rather go there…”
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Scott + Sangare for me becomes the dream tactical fit for Iraola-ball: Sangare destroys and recycles behind, Scott carries and disrupts ahead. Zero overlap, maximum intensity, and both are players built for a pressing system. But it’s no longer the budget option. Scott’s fee swallows what you saved by avoiding Wharton.
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No one takes a player, the player chooses where to go. If his choice isn’t Liverpool we have zero say in the matter.
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Gravenberch feels like he should be able to step into the Scott role your describing there.
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i think so too, to be fair…camara is the one who presents as having the most gravenberch flexibility to play the 6 and the 8 as he is not a specialist anywhere in the center (just like ryan), and then followed by sangara
Yeah. Scott is decent. Carries it well and works hard but he hasn´t got the passing game somebody like Wharton does.
Wharton is about as good as it gets in terms of getting the ball into your attacking players in good areas. Well, that we could sign.
Why would anyone not want that?
Yeah I think that would be a good balance.
The doubts (and I havent seen them play that much) are if they can sit there and read the game well. It´s okay being athletic. The other for me is that Sangare in particular seems to like to charge forward and therefore vacates that protective position. It might work if Wharton sits to cover though and could be useful.
He’s also a LOT more agile and mobile than Macca. Even when Macca was playing well
Uff not what we want then in my opinion.
I´m tired of us having generalists who can´t do a specific midfield role.
I remember when we got Fabinho and when he settled into that specialised DM role, it took us to another level.
Yeah he is. Mac was a clever player though. His passing wasnt so expansive but tidy. Maybe Sangare doesnt have thta but maybe he does
Hard to know what we will do, but having grown sick of teams waltzing right through us last season, I’m drawn towards signing Sangare. Mind you, I think the price will creep up as other Prem teams are interested. If MacAllister ends up leaving, I would go for Wharton.
I would be very happy with a midfield group like this:
Wirtz (I know he can play in forward positions but I’m listing him as a midfielder)
Szoboszlai
Gravenberch
Jones (I hope he stays)
Wharton
Sangare
Iraola can run the rule over one or two youngsters. I haven’t completely given up hope for Bajcetic, for example, though if he doesn’t get into the picture this season, he will need to go.
I’m also assuming Endo will depart this summer.
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I honestly really think we need to sign two midfielders.
I know people love Dom and Grav but I just think they´re not up to it if we want Wirtz in the 10.
If we want to move Wirtz out left then maybe they can work as a functional three but that leaves us lacking a bit of width and in my view our best talent a bit out of position..
I absolutely want a midfielder but I do think the ones we’ve got are being overlooked for how poor the team and the midfield set up was last season. Get a real DM (whoever fits Iraola’s profile) and keep the rest. I mean fuck it I’d even keep Endo with one year left on his contract. Maybe he’d get used next season.
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For me the issue if we sign a DM is that we have no good passers in midfield. It´s a midfield that only runs or would run.
It can get you so far, but I think it´s not the way to build unless your full backs are so creative and even then, it´s risky-
Rumour mill is in overdrive then…
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My problem with bringing back Quansah is that we bought two young tall CHs who went straight to the academy then we have Leoni and Jacket, add the young 6foot 6 Austrian international to join this summer, I haven’t even mentioned Nallo and Gomez Vandyke .
Sure, I’m not suggesting otherwise. But him signing a pre arranged deal seems to indicate all parties would like him back at some point.
I think the club has set this up so that he gets two years experience of playing at a good level and then comes back for £20m net at the point Van Dijk moves on.
It might be that the club have a look in 2027 and decide they can do better. Or the player decides he quite likes it Germany. But I’m certain that on some level there is more going on than a simple matter of Liverpool not rating him and deciding he can do one.
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We will need an Alex Scott kind of box-to-box runner in Iraola’s system. That could be Szobo.
OTOH, we are completely in short of someone who can make accurate long-ranged passes that can bypass the midfield since Trent left.
Wharton will solve that problem.
One problem is whether Gravenberch’s relatively low work rate will make him unsuitable to 1) playing with Wharton, and 2) playing under Iraola’s high intensity system.
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What happens when that specialist gets injured?
Also, we don’t want a specific DM that destroys we need someone that can control as well.
I do believe that Andoni can improve Wharton tactically to go with his other qualities, but the one issue I have with Wharton is injuries, he has had quite a few hamstring injuries and if he steps up to a more intensive style, like Andoni plays, how will that affect his past weaknesses injury wise.
In all this we don’t know how Andoni will use our current players, both Grav and Szob roles need to be tweaked, does Grav go back to what he did last season mainly being our most defensive midfielder where he excelled rather than the hybrid he has played this year and with Szob does he take up a more reserved position alongside Grav but a little more advanced.
For me I would go Camara & Wharton, but not averse to having Scott.
There are more questions than answers at the moment, because I feel we will see a resurgence in quite a few of our current players, who will be playing under a proper coach who will give them a structure to perform better in.
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