Who would you buy? (Part 2)

[redfanman]

@GaryBarlow99

I hope everyone gets a clean slate but I dont want a repeat of Slot’s first summer because they want to give the new guy time to run the rule over the squad. We need signings.

There is no way they wont be making signings this summer.

[koptician]

@Sweeting

Might have to ban Macha at this rate.

And McDonalds!!

[Hephaestus]

Ideally, we finish our recruitment before the World Cup. I hope both Sweden and Germany go out early. We need a proper pre-season, especially to figure out how to utilize our two biggest stars.

[Nikola]

@rab

Even Chiesa we could see being a good squad option. And I’ve been about as dismissive of him as anyone but if Iraola can get a tune out of Ouattara, Kluivert, Semenyo and Tavenier you’d hope he’d get more from Chiesa than we’ve seen thus far.

You’re a much better person than I am because I don’t think there’s a coach in the world that could get a tune out of Chiesa in PL. He just doesn’t look suited to high intensity football, even less so after a year of “training” under Slot.

I hope the club retain the players who are already here minus Gomez, Mac Allister, Endo and Chiesa - because I don’t think these four can work with a coach who bases his whole approach on energy and fitness. Get a new ball-playing centre back with hopefully significant PL experience (Van Hecke?), a midfielder who can actually pass (Wharton?) and a right winger who can dribble, contribute in front of goal and press. If I could continue being picky, I’d love if Liverpool signed a right back like Kayode - with such four players, the first eleven should be set.

[Liverdinner]

What were those perceived limitations of Bajcetic passing the ball?

Haven´t heard that before. I think he passes the ball through the lines quite well.

[Thomas1195]

The problem with Bajcetic is that he is permanently injured. We cannot trust such a player.

[Limiescouse]

That he wasnt sophisticated enough at playing through the crowded areas of midfield that Slot was looking for in his 6. His first pre-season he played a surprisingly little amount and Slot had him out doing individual sessions working on how to receive the ball and give it and then we sent him out on loan concluding that he was unlikely to play much based on Slot’s view of him.

[Hephaestus]

@Nikola

Gomez, Mac Allister, Endo

I believe all of them could contribute significantly. Gomez is massively underrated by us.

[Liverdinner]

On the wider topic, I don´t rate Slot but I´m also a big believer in personal responsibility and player quality.

If Mac is in that pathetic state of fitness, he cannot just blame the training or whatever. He´s a highly paid professional and should be in shape. Can´t imagine somebody like Roy Keane being so out of shape for example.

I´d apply this logic to performances in general. Gakpo deciding to constantly just cut right and shoot into the defender, never getting past a defender or barely every passing to his full back, in my view, is on him. Unless Slot is demanding he do that and holding his family at gunpoint.

I think not having Salah, Ali, Van Dijk and Trent carry us anymore exposed quite a lot of them.

[Liverdinner]

Ah interesting thanks. I do remember him being very quickly discarded.

If anything I´d argue our midfield never does any of that he´s way better at progressive passing than they are.

[Sweeting]

@Limiescouse

That he wasnt sophisticated at playing through the crowded areas of midfield that Slot was looking for in his 6. His first pre-season he played a surprisingly little amount and Slot had him out doing individual sessions working on how to receive the ball and give it and then we sent him out on loan concluding that he was unlikely to play much based on Slot’s view of him.

Seemed to be a pattern to his treatment of young players. Use them as the example to senior players of things he won’t accept… before allowing senior players to do it all season without any repercussions.

[rab]

@Nikola

@rab

Even Chiesa we could see being a good squad option. And I’ve been about as dismissive of him as anyone but if Iraola can get a tune out of Ouattara, Kluivert, Semenyo and Tavenier you’d hope he’d get more from Chiesa than we’ve seen thus far.

You’re a much better person than I am because I don’t think there’s a coach in the world that could get a tune out of Chiesa in PL. He just doesn’t look suited to high intensity football, even less so after a year of “training” under Slot.

I hope the club retain the players who are already here minus Gomez, Mac Allister, Endo and Chiesa - because I don’t think these four can work with a coach who bases his whole approach on energy and fitness. Get a new ball-playing centre back with hopefully significant PL experience (Van Hecke?), a midfielder who can actually pass (Wharton?) and a right winger who can dribble, contribute in front of goal and press. If I could continue being picky, I’d love if Liverpool signed a right back like Kayode - with such four players, the first eleven should be set.

Pretty much fully agree with your thinking, maybe some different names but those are the areas I’d be looking at.

Only difference for me is I’d keep Gomez and I’d like another wide option who could possibly do bits up top just because I doubt we see Ekitike this side of Christmas, maybe even Easter.

[Mascot]

@Liverdinner

Haven´t heard that before. I think he passes the ball through the lines quite well.

That caught my eye too. I though Bajcetic was outstanding on the ball.

[jaffod]

@Sweeting

In what way is Ngumoha “not close to being ready”?

In that I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him get past his man and a high percentage of our moves break down when he loses the ball trying to do so.
Look, I’m not writing him off or anything but this football club isn’t where you learn your trade on the job. He’s not ready to be a regular starter and I’d prefer to see him loaned out if we can pick up someone more experienced at a decent price.

[koptician]

@Limiescouse

That he wasnt sophisticated enough at playing through the crowded areas of midfield that Slot was looking for in his 6. His first pre-season he played a surprisingly little amount and Slot had him out doing individual sessions working on how to receive the ball and give it and then we sent him out on loan concluding that he was unlikely to play much based on Slot’s view of him.

Who TF did Slot want?! Pirlo and Busquets rolled into one?!

[Liverdinner]

Yep for me he had, or hopefully still has, a really high level of ability and definitly should be good enough to play for us. Very good close control, passes through the lines well, calm under pressure, nice one touch passing play.

Obviously the question is if injuries have stopped that. Had high hopes for him

[Sweeting]

@jaffod

@Sweeting

In what way is Ngumoha “not close to being ready”?

In that I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him get past his man and a high percentage of our moves break down when he loses the ball trying to do so.
Look, I’m not writing him off or anything but this football club isn’t where you learn your trade on the job. He’s not ready to be a regular starter and I’d prefer to see him loaned out if we can pick up someone more experienced at a decent price.

He had the highest dribble success % of any player in the league.

Earlier this season he became the only player in the league to attempt 7 take-ons in one game and he was successful in all 7.

[jaffod]

Dribble success? 7 take on’s? What does that even mean? Is it similar to XG and other such nonsense ?Jamie Redknapp had pass-completion stats that suggested he was world class but he was fucking shite, an absolute crab.
I’ve watched every minute Rio has played at Anfield this season and if he’s been going past his man and creating chances as often as you’re suggesting then I must have been asleep most of the time.

[Sweeting]

Probably.

But to answer your question no it is not similar to xG. xG is a metric that measures the quality of chances created there is an element of subjectivity to it as there are a tonne of variables such as distance from goal, speed of the ball, reaction time etc that advanced models put into it which is why xG is regularly very different between different stats companies.

Take-ons and dribble success are much more objective and clear. You said he can’t beat his man. Statistically not only is he good at beating his man he is consistently the best at it and he does it more often than anyone else.

And no one is using pass success % to judge whether a player is world class. You might use progressive pass success as a better tool but no individual metric on passing can tell you the relative quality of a player since it is very team focused.

Dribbling is an individual skill, its probably one of the purest metrics to judge a winger with. Ngumoha is excellent at it.

[koptician]

I watched quite a bit of Ben Doak when he was at Middlesbrough and he looked better at that level than Rio does at the PL level. Ben’s problem was he would get into great positions without fail and take the wrong decision. And Riod doesnt even always do that. His off the ball movement can improve a lot!. He’ll get the odd goal but more often than not he will run into a cul-de-sac and not pass the ball out of there quickly enough or he will try to dribble through and just lose the ball. Or he’ll take a wild shot that wasn’t warranted.