Since Frimpong can cover for the right flank as well (and the team needs cover there), it makes a lot of sense to sign a right back considering Bradley’s susceptibility to injuries. As things stand, we don’t have a natural starting right back in the team - mostly because all have had their fair share of injuries but it’s also not the best role for either Gomez or Frimpong.
I dont know anything about him, but this seems like the right profile.
The best case scenario is Bradley gets fit and strong and owns the shirt well into the next decade. For that to happen we need a stop gap solution that is going to allow us to bide our time in getting him to that position physically. If you are going to do that you want someone who wont cost a ton so you dont lose much when in 12 months Bradley is finally ready to play every game. But you also need to account for that never happening, but you dont want to spend the money to cover that yet. You want to give it a year to assess how Bradley recovers and maybe if Frimpong can be a legit RB. This is a guy who can theoretically give us that time and then theoretically go back into the market for a longer term solution in summer 27 or 28 if needed.
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You know what concerns me the most about Bradley (and all of our other injury-prone youngsters)? That I genuinely can’t remember a talented young player who had so many injuries at such young age but who recovered properly and went on to have a good or great career.
Add to that the national football, him being probably the best Northern Irish player, and things get much more complicated for his fitness. I genuinely hope I’m wrong but all of it combined doesn’t look good for his future prospects.
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I’ve watched Ratiu a few times. Good athlete, but technically limited. I don’t think that he’s good enough for this level and I doubt that we are really interested.
Anyways, his surname is pronounced Ratsiu.
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Gerard? It wasnt as bad, certainly not now after this knee injury, but there was probably a 2 year span where there was serious concerns that his physical ailments would ruin him.
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How is he technically compared to Bradley and Frimpong? Similar-ish?
I thought his early injuries were attributed to a growth spurt? Still, he would be the only one that made it, which further reaffirms my worries… Then again, I always worry but I really, really want Liverpool kids to do well and have long and successful careers at Liverpool.
If we really are interested in Ratiu then I think I stumbled over one of our key metrics, almost accidently.
There isn’t good public information on pressing or pressing activity per player, so I chose “Accelerations” as the indicator instead as that says to mean changes of pace both in and out of possession.
Anyway, Munoz was 1st among all La Liga wingers for Accelerations.
Ratiu is 3rd among all La Liga full backs.
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What’s ’we want to be the team nobody wants to play against’ in basque?
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We certainly did seem to like pace and acceleration on the wings last season. And all impressions are that Iraola will ask a lot more running and pressing from the team. So prioritizing a metric like acceleration or number of sprints or top end speed makes a lot of logical sense.
Where does Dumfries rate?
inork aurka jokatu nahi ez duen taldea izan nahi dugu
No idea how you pronounce that. I think basque is most closely related to klingon.
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Worse than Bradley, a bit better than Frimpong. That’s last season Frimpong, who was middling in possession to say the least. I still can’t tell what his real level is; hopefully a lot higher than what he’s shown so far.
Ratiu is just a bang average player with the ball. He can cause issues to defences off the ball though with his runs and overlaps. He has an engine on him.
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And apparently he also recorded the highest top speed in La Liga last season. Ratiu, that is. Munoz 3rd. In itself I guess it’s not a super interesting stat, but maybe in context of accelerations..? Fast player who sprints a lot.
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One of the lowest in all of football… way to piss on my chips 
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Another new random name
Liverpool have sent scouts to watch Colorado Rapids defender Lucas Herrington, with Barcelona also reportedly interested in the Australian centre-back.
Herrington has emerged as one of the world’s most exciting young defenders after his rapid rise over the last couple of seasons.
The 18-year-old came through at Brisbane Roar before joining MLS side Colorado Rapids in January this year.
Since joining, Herrington has played every minute of every MLS game, with such form seeing him make his senior international debut in March.
Full story: Metro
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“Info passed on by my cousin who works for the club”
What a nice to to set your cousin up to be sacked 
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We might hear more tomorrow after the next barbecue…
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