It’s funny how this has bubbled up this season since the initial conversations about people fancying him only on the downlow during that opener. But he really does give me Mane style cannot miss vibes. It’s a bit of an indictment of how the season has gone and how the summer spending has gone that there’d still be room for him, and if we did something as big as that in January there would still be big gaps elsewhere to still left to fill. But Im down.
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I hope we sign Guehi in January to improve the passing from the back. I’m onboard with Semenyo too, with the caveat that I don’t know how the heck Slot is going to fit all his attackers in. Mind you, Salah is getting closer to aging out, so Semenyo could be seen in that light, as well as an immediate boost with Salah off to AFCON.
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Remember when a bunch of you were saying you’d rather sign Sancho than Mbappe?
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I think Semenyo is fucking great, and I agree with the general Mane vibes some are saying.
But it makes me question what on earth was going on when they signed Wirtz, Ekitike and Isak in the summer.
For the players we have, I can’t look past a 442 diamond, but Slot has shown no desire to use it aside from an in game tactical switch on occasion.
Presumably that would be Isak/Ekitike in the 9, Wirtz in the middle of an attacking three, and two monster deeper midfielders behind?
I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest if we buy Semenyo, that puts to bed any talk of a diamond and commits us to a 433/4231, and that being the case we will say goodbye to Mac Allister. I don’t understand how a midfield three that has Wirtz in it, also includes Alexis. I know he is combative and gets stuck in, but he is small. Surely any midfield three that includes Wirtz need two big lads who can bring physicality?
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We’d be lucky if we got Fred Bloggs from the Conference League at the moment…
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And yet teams have bought players while being shit for years? Players don’t tend to go off periods of 10 games. Though fans seem to decide to sign players off 1-2
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Do people not think we would’ve tried that famous diamond by now, if that was our grand plan (and I don’t think it is)?
What would we be waiting for, after or during 8 defeats and 30 goals conceded in 19 games? To get Isak 100% fit, which who knows when that will be? Slot’s job could be on the line by the time that happens. Makes no sense.
And then be surprised at what, giving Gakpo (who Slot clearly views as a winger and nothing else, the attempt of converting him to a false #9 under Klopp wasn’t a successful one long term) a contract until the age of 31 and targeting a wide forward like Semenyo?
I’m 99% sure no diamond is in our plan.
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Clearly we’re waiting for Salah to depart. Our wingers may be the weakest part of the squad at the moment.
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We need Salah’s departure to start playing a diamond?
Or you meant in general, that you think we’ve decided to try and move Salah on as soon as possible in one of the next two windows?
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You might be right. 4231, Isak up top, Ekitike, Wirtz and Semenyo in the three behind. Then two athletic midfielders, prob Grav and Szobo, though Jones might feature, and if Macca does depart, maybe someone like Anderson or Wharton to be signed?
I’m on the same page though. The players we have signed makes me think a diamond is the way to go, but if we sign Semenyo maybe it will be a 4231 and Macca might make way for it, smashing player that he is?
There are some question marks that need answers.
Agreed, someone explain how to me how they would press in a 4 4 2 diamond?
A lot of Liverpool related stuff in the BBC Gossip, most of it garbage (who the fuck is Alan Nixon anyway?) but the Chiesa story is believable IMO.
And we seem to have found an entire orchard of money trees, not just one of them. 140 million?!!!
Liverpool are preparing a record £140m bid for 21-year-old Portugal and Paris St-Germain midfielder Joao Neves. ( Fichajes - in Spanish, external)
Liverpool have offered Ibrahima Konate a new contract but the 26-year-old France centre-back, whose current deal expires next summer, is yet to respond amid interest from Real Madrid. (Caught Offside), external
Dayot Upamecano, 27, is also out of contract at the end of the season, but Bayern Munich’s France defender, who is being monitored by Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Liverpool, has distanced himself from a potential big-money January move to Chelsea. (Metro), external
Italy international Federico Chiesa could explore a move away from Liverpool in January, with the Serie A quartet of Inter Milan, Napoli, AS Roma and AC Milan all keeping tabs on the 28-year-old winger. ( Fichajes - in Spanish, external)
Liverpool’s failure to sign Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi, 25, in the summer has left doubts in the England defender’s mind and he is now willing to wait until the end of the season to confirm his future. (Alan Nixon on Patreon)
I’m a very low level coach. Kids football. Played at a decent amateur level, but I definitely don’t have the professional chops, but as a fan, I will give an answer in good faith.
How will we press in a diamond?
To my mind, in the same way that any press should work. It needs co-ordination and buy in. And it needs reps until it becomes second nature. We are miles off that right now, with the changes we have made and the - thus far - inability to get some key players onto the pitch as much as will be needed.
Then with the actual press you need three people, maybe four, but the point being, one or two can be played around way too easily. But if it is 3-4 then it is a meaningful press.
Then at that point, it needs co-ordination. What is the specific trigger or situation when the press will be most effective? It needs to be drilled into them until it is second nature. Video, analysis of the game, work on it until they move in concert as a unit. This is a new team, especially up front, and it’s not there yet, and work is required.
Beyond the knowledge of what to do it will need buy-in. Whoever it is - Salah, Isak, Ekitike, Wirtz, Gakpo, whoever it is - they all need to do their utmost for the good of the team. No ego, no superstar, but all of them running, harrying, pressing according to instruction, and all of them leaving it all on the pitch for the good of the team, and the glory of Liverpool FC.
It needs time and reps, and right now it is not there and is a work in progress, but my sincere view is the press will work in any system, so long as the above prerequisites are met.
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Thank you for trying, yes I know it can be done.
My issue is we can’t currently do it with 3 forwards, although we press with 4, Szob normally the 4th.
Making it more complicated with a 4 4 2 diamond and minimal time between games is going to be difficult.
That’s why I don’t think it will work, also if Mo is part of the front 2 then the press will be a bigger issue than it is now.
I also can’t recollect a team playing a 4 4 2 being good at pressing, but could very well be wrong.
Apart from that I think we do have the players offensively for it.
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The bolded bit is absolutely key. Hate Pep Guardiola but that is his big strength, training in the details. It is not the only thing but it is a very importnat thing and the team really looks like it doesnt have this right now - the defending is more reminiscent of the ‘leave it to the boys’ style that I remember under Evans or, to a differerent degree, Rogers. The game has moved on since those days and unless we are continually working and honing the details we will be going backwards. Arne has to bear responsibility for this but I do wonder if the backroom changes in the summer have further fucked us?
For me the real thing there is Mo. He needs to be dropped. I’d be all for a four four two with Isak and Ekitike up top, Flo in behind and Szob, Grav, Dom (with Curtis and Mac rotating in) in midfield and width provided by FBs. Unfortunately this is somewhat stymied as it looks like we need to sign a RB as it looks like Frimpong and Bradley are too injury prone to be relied upon alone. Gomez may be able to fill in but I don’t think we want to rely on him to provide width and race up and down.
Perhaps this is Arne’s ‘excuse’ for not embracing the diamond midfield at this stage? If we persist with 4-3-3 I’d still like to see us bring more hustle up top in the form of Chiesa backed up by Rio. A front three of Ekitike, Isak and Chiesa with Gakpo and Rio on the bench is okay at this point and then we don’t need to race to sign a Salah replacement just yet.
We do however need a RB if Frimpong isn’t going to be able to play and definitely need another CB.
Frimpong hasn’t had issues previously fitness wise so hopefully this is a blip
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Sure but he hasn’t been facing the ‘physicality’ of the PL previously. The second injury in particular is a worry and his game may not be suited to the reliable physical presence we need at RB. For all his detractors, this is exactly what Kerkez provides on the left.
I don’t think you get 2 players just by splitting the first and last names of Dom Szob
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We all dream of a team of… Dom and Szobs
Yeah if Dom didn’t feel up to playing twice in some games I’d bring in Curtis.