I am not at all optimistic about next year under any scenario. I have assumed Trent was gone, but I think whether we sign Salah or not, we won’t see another season like this from him He might still contribute at a high level, but between missing matches for AFCON and a long recovery, best case is probably ~18 games at the start of next season where he is at this level. Our forwards seem to have regressed to the mean to some degree as we have moved deeper into the season, and I find it easier to explain our form since January than to understand exactly what was so right at the start of the season.
For me, the absolute key is van Dijk. If he sticks around, a progressive re-build of the defence is possible, the midfield is sound enough to require only incremental improvement, and the focus is on the attack. Take him out of the equation, and we are really working with one established defender in his prime. That isn’t ideal for developing a young talent like Bradley, and the decline of Robertson will be that much more evident.
If Slot can hang on to top 4 next year (essentially, have the season I expected for 24/25) I will be satisfied.
Questions so need to be asked of those who let us get to this position. Seeing the likes of Wijnaldum go for nothing at 30 is one thing, this is a homegrown player coming into his peak years who has been allowed to run his contract down. You can’t force him to sign a new deal but you can’t keep letting things get to this point with players.
Hope the lad gets a great send off at the end of the season and wish him all the best.
Play that out then…if getting to this point was unacceptable AND Trent didnt want to sign then that means forcing him out last summer. What if the move Trent was holding out for was not available because they weren’t at the table yet (as seems to be the case)? Do we then force him out to whomever wants him? What does that do the hard earned reputation of us being such a good club to play for? Do we not factor in the value of keeping him on this season to help manage what was an enormous transition with as little additional upheaval as possible?
I’d also like to point out the absurdity that people are willing to have us sign players to some rather expensive deals for the hope that we might get a transfer fee out of them and win something, while we are on course to actually win something while forgoing supposed transfer fees in the worst-case scenario.
If you think he’s getting shit from Liverpool fan base, wait until he plays out a season for Real Madrid that is at the level of his past two seasons… That’s a big “if”, though, I’m sure that Ancelotti (and maybe even his possible successor Alonso) will play to his strengths but there are a lot of Real Madrid players whose strengths (will) have to be catered to.
I think he’s a fantastic football player and one that I’m really happy to have seen him play for Liverpool but leaving on a free really leaves a bad taste, that’s about the only thing that bothers me about his departure at this point. Had this happened in 2022, I would have had to seek medical help, though.
He is? Based on what? The reality is a player with 3 months left on his contract and unwilling to pen a new deal is worthless to us.
A player is only really worth how much another club is prepared to pay for you, to my knowledge we’ve never received any offers in for him for the club to ponder over.
So if he doesn’t want to sign a new deal and there are no offers of such to consider…what 3rd option is there?
It isn’t really a reaction to this at all - I have assumed Trent was leaving for since last summer. I just don’t see this side’s performance level from August-November as being more indicative than the last three months. Our forwards need to be stronger than they are to sustain a title charge next year. I see this year as windfall.
That said, someone else is going to have to raise their level of play to take the title, so Slot may have a chance to build his team on the fly.