Not sure I agree beyond the two and the goalie.
You’ve got a fair few youngsters who evidently are ready such as Bobby Clark.
Churn for churn sakes will just disrupt.
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Might be a knee-jerk reaction but at I’ve felt like it for a while - since this will be the summer of major off-field change, perhaps we should be making major on-field changes as well. I’m not going to go into debates of whether we should sell certain squad players like Kelleher and Tsimikas (although I’d like us to keep the former) but I think that starting XI needs freshing up.
I’d definitely like the club to consider selling Salah and Diaz if huge offers come their way and use that money to rebuild our attack. To be honest, I’m so frustrated that at times I’d like them to consider selling Nunez as well but I think that age and overall qualities are on his side and that he can be moulded into some kind of forward, probably a good kind, even though a lethal goalscorer he ain’t and will never be. Salah’s age and Saudi interest make him a good asset to sell and reinvest, though, while Diaz is just unconvincing. We have plenty of runners but we’re short on true quality.
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Tsimikas is now a third choice full-back. It would be a role better filled from the Academy. If Kelleher leaves, we will almost certainly have a downgrade. If he wants to leave then I would allow him to as he needs to follow his own career - just negotiate a buy-back clause if needed.
Thiago and Matip will leave at the end of their contracts. I suspect that Adrián will be on his way but if Kelleher leaves that means we would need two first squad keepers (are any of the Academy up to scratch?)
A lot will depend on the new management team. It is possible that they have different tactics and would require, for example, more tall centre backs which may mean that some other areas are not as essential.
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Salah can go, at the price we are paying. he decline is accelerating and I don’t want him to overstay.
Diaz has been overplayed due to a lack of coverage on LW, but I love his effort and athleticism and would like to keep him.
Matip, Thiago, Adrian can leave. did Adrian play a game for us this year?
Gakpo I’m not sold on, sometimes he shows a bit of flash on the ball but usually to no outcome.
Nunez needs another year
Midfield we’re doing okay, but could really use some muscle in there. Endo is efficient but not imposing and doesn’t offer much moving the ball forward. need a replacement for next year, still rather see MacAllister in the #6 we seem to play better that way.
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I’m curious what we’ll do with the midfield, as there are a lot of technical bodies in there, but no real destroyers apart from Endo, who is a stopgap solution (although he’s performed admirably).
There’s one name in there who I think could leave as a surprise departure, but at the same time, it’s arguable we’d keep them all due to their ages and scope to improve.
MacAllister
Szoboszlai
Endo
Gravenberch
Elliott
Jones
I half wonder if Bajcetic will become that man for us?
Not quite a ‘destroyer’ but he reads the game so well and puts his foot in. He wins possession back and blocks off the passing lanes for the opposition attackers. I could easily see him becoming a mainstay for us in the deeper lying pivot in midfield.
It’s fair to say he has more to his game too, as he is good on the ball, so I expect him to pass it well.
He has had a hiatus in his career, as he has overcome injury while growing into his body and becoming a man. So long as that is behind him, and it’s nothing chronic, there’s no reason why he can’t go from strength to strength in a 6 role for the new manager.
As an emerging player he won’t suddenly be playing 90 mins week in week out, which is why I think there is a role for Endo, and the other midfielders to be flexible there too.
It may well be that Trent and Bajcetic become a double pivot and we won’t look back.
At that point I do agree that we might have too many other midfielders of a certain type, and they might not all be here for the long haul.
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That’s a good shout on Bajcetic.
I think Endo will be kept around next season, regardless of the number of midfielders. He’s an extra body, a top professional, experienced. but I do think we’re going to see more ruthlessness going forward.
I’m still hoping we can nab Ugarte off PSG (who seems to have fallen out of favour under Luis Enrique in second half of season after featuring heavily prior to Christmas). Someone who has the legs, the youth, and good experience. Also played under Amorim.
I’d forgotten about the possibility of Trent moving into midfield. That’d clog things up further, and necessitate a possible departure in midfield. It’s so hard to call at this stage, as we don’t know the new manager, or what system they’re going to use until the first few games of the new season.
I think any coach will make miminal or will want to make minimal changes.
Salah is probably the only one I can see going that is seen as top name.
Other than who we all believe are going due to injury and run down contracts,i think Salah and Gravenberch will probably be added to the departure list.
We should make some drastic changes as we need players out to bring fresh faces in.
Although we have been playing well this season as a whole, there are areas of the squad that are past their peak and will further decline.
Attack:
- we really need to add 2 reliable goal scorers so we also need 2 out
- If we get a big offer for Salah, he would be one… but to me, the other is Gakpo (Gakpo and/or Diaz)
- what worries me is that Elliott on the right isn’t a strong goalscorer yet either (this could develop but not yet)
- Unknown: Carvalho could be part of the solution
Midfield:
- with Bajcetic returning, I don’t see a need to sell or make wholesale changes
Defense / Goal:
- Tsimikas is in decline. We should sell and replace with a young fullback (I’m not sure whether there is anybody ready to step up from our youth). If not we need to buy.
- Rhys Williams / Philips / Adrian: if they still have anything on their contract, they should be sold
- Van Den Berg: part of the squad next year or sold… but we really need a strong CB addition next season in addition to him.
We have Jota and Gakpo who can play there, plus other options. Some of them had injuries at different times, but I can’t say we have a lack of options there. Diaz at times didn’t deserve to start and I think it would’ve helped him if he played less minutes.
It might be more accurate to say that what we’re getting from our first pick on the left isn’t as high as we were hoping. Centrally also, although Nunez showed certain improvements this season, but it’s still not enough overall.
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I’d give as many a chance under a new manager as we can but there are a few I’d accept a decent offer for if one turned up and allowed Edwards to get a couple new faces in so it’s not just a “Klopp” squad.
Kelleher and Tsimikas probably the most likely departures along with Matip and Thiago. Happy to take decent offers for both and wish them well finding more game time elsewhere.
A good offer for one of Diaz, Gakpo or Nunez I’d be open to. Then spend that money on someone more clinical or that can actually play off the right hand side and keep Carvalho as a depth option for that left side.
Can’t see any midfielders going unless we got a silly offer for Gravenberch perhaps. Did the big rebuild last summer and have Bajcetic coming back and some decent lads coming through.
Salah is the big one for me. Reckon Edwards would have moved him on last summer if he’d been here and those Saudi offers had any truth to them. I’m in no rush to shove him out the door but it is the last chance of getting a decent fee for him and I think we’re seeing his prowess on the downturn.
Feels like moving Salah on this summer would make sense financially and draw a big line under the Klopp era. A fresh start, a new person at the helm, a new face of the team on the pitch and some welcome funds to help reinvent the team in the new guys vision.
The situation with Salah, Virg and Trent all having contracts up next year’s reminds me of the Salah, Mane and Firmino situation. Re-sign one, sell one and let one go. Only this time Salah is the one we sell, Trent gets the new deal and Virg possibly walks on a bosman next summer.
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Kelleher
Sepp van den Berg
Nat Phillips
Rhys Williams
Calvin Ramsey
Fabio Carvalho
That’s close to £50m, right?
Not sure about SvdB or FC. There are arguments either way.
Aren’t Ramsay’s problems just fitness? Could be hard to sell in that case.
I heard SVDB has already asked to leave… need to watch this space concerning it though
I don’t especially wish to sell anyone - to my mind that sort of implies we have a rotter in the ranks, and I haven’t felt like that about Liverpool players since some wrong ‘uns back in the day, like Diouf or whatever.
There are obviously some that it would be good business to sell as it’s probably time for a move. It might be a young player who needs first team action and they aren’t going to see it at Liverpool. It might be someone who could attract a large transfer fee that we could reinvest. But I don’t especially wish to sell them, as such.
It’s probably semantics, but for me, the thread might be called, “Who do you think we will sell, summer 2024?” Then update the date for subsequent windows.
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Yes, it does open the door to some unnecessary sniping and criticism of players.
Maybe the sell and buy threads should be amalgamated as there’s usually quite a bit of overlap.