Happy with our options in midfield. We have enough bodies and enough quality.
All I hear is ‘Ginis minutes this and Ginis minutes that’ but Gini was easily our most critiziced player over the last few years (by fans) so it’s not unlikely that we will improve.
It’s also best for Curtis and Harvey’s development to not sign another midfielder - and isn’t it the best feeling in the world to see your youth players break through rather to sign players like Renato, Neuhaus, Bissouma, Bissouma…
We all have our views on this, but personally, I think we don’t have adequate cover for Fabinho. Neither Hendo nor Thiago can really do the pure DM thing in the way he does, and if he were to be out for an extended period we could struggle. The other midfielders we have, Ox, Naby, Curtis, maybe Elliott, can play a more attacking role, but, for me, Fab is unique in our squad.
Hendo was good in that holding role before Fab arrived.
Think the plan for this season is that Milner will be used in that position.
It isnt at all contradictory, but maybe Klopp is tired of the questions and in some cases accusations concerning not signing a midfielder.
Maybe he has it up to his eyes in naming the number of players we have available to play in midfield.
Maybe in a press conference surrounding our first match of the season he was bristling about the continued stupid questioning on the same issue.
Maybe he is as tired as many supporters are of the constant whining on social media about lack of signings and criticism of FSG.
Maybe he has what he wants, or near enough and the “real” fans comment was to differentiate from those who dont really trust the way the club is moving.
Anyone can use language awkwardly, maybe thats all it is.
Yep, but he’s one of the best in that position. So very difficult to find someone to do that role that good and also being versatile to play other positions. The best options are Hendo and Thiago, who otherwise are very good options for the remaining two spots.
Maybe Kloppo was referring to the plastic fans at Cheaty and Chelski… The real LFC fans was probably a back-handed compliment…
What was it he once said…
“Wherever we play in the world, our fans are always there before we arrive”
It was mentioned in an earlier post… Pearce is a knob who couldn’t word a question correctly to save his life!
But that’s the point, I don’t think Klopp is saying it is contradictory, we all know there are fans who only ever talk about transfers and the club buying players, and its sadly become the focus of many journalists too. The majority of our fan base I would argue are probably more measured or understanding in their expectations on transfers and realise what a big deal getting these players on new contracts is for the club.
Klopp is fine and the need for a midfielder is low at the moment. Goes through the list, we have plenty there, of all types. Elliot and Curtis will need minutes. Henderson and Fabinho won’t be needed in defence. Thiago is settled now. Keita has had a preseason. Ox looking sharp. Milner still around and when called on won’t let you down.
Midfield is fine for this season.
Now, another forward would be nice so there are five good options, but we need to shift one or two, as we all know.
I agree and think, if we were to bring in someone to midfield, it should be someone more defensive. A player who can play as the 6 (which in Klopps system is someone who also needs to play the ball not just win it like in many systems) as well as the more defensive 8 whose job is more about ball retention and recycling than playmaking or ball winning. My choice from day one has been Camavinga who I see having both the perfect blueprint in terms of abilities and the perfect age to come in as a developing, bit part, player good enough to not let us down now if called upon but able to develop into one of the best in the world in his position over the next few years as Henderson and Thiago get older and start to play less. However I really do only see a CM coming in if Keita or maybe Ox (think he affects the more advanced roles more but maybe if he left Keita could be pushed forward a bit) was to leave.
And I don’t think it’s appropriate or accurate (take your pick) to describe that division as “real” vs. (implicitly) “unreal”.
Nothing has to happen because of it, but I don’t think it reads particularly well.
Edit: To say it another way, I think Klopp can defend his principles whereby work on the training pitch is the preferred option without using that “real fans” type language.
We will need two new CBs until 2023 (Gini left + Milner, Thiago and Hendo aging / one of Ox or Keita also might leave next year).
Am seeing something special in Jude Bellingham and think he has some kind of affection for Liverpool (or at least he is a huge Gerrard fan). But I don’t think Dortmund will sell him next year.
So if our midfield in 12 months looks like the following:
Fabinho, Thiago, Henderson, Keita, Jones, Elliott + new signing
and Bellingham joins in 2023
Who would be that new midfielder in 2022?
Think probably someone with the hard work of Milner and Gini.
Ok
Whilst you earlier questioned my reading comprehension, you also recognise that your delivery of your thoughts wasn’t perfect.
Fair enough…
I misread/misinterpreted what you didn’t really convey.
For clarity…
My view
We dont really need a midfielder.
Real fans dont include lazy journalists who ask inane questions on a constant basis.
Ok, sounds good Trump. Never let it be said fascism is dead.
I’ll be sure to consult your book of what I’m allowed to think, or post, and I’ll also be sure to pin your personal list of a.) lazy reporters and b.) inane questions; so that I’m never in violation of differing thought.
Just because people don’t live in your echo chamber means their wrong.
UP THE REDS!! YNWA!!
Villa, Silva and Quaresma would be a successful window for me.
That wee prick Neto can come along as well.
Nah, I don’t think so.
Only in emergency, like in pre-season games when we just need a bit of experience there, missing all other holding options, or if something terrible happens. In that case, we might flip to more of a double pivot. I don’t like Millie too deep, either in a single or double pivot. In midfield, he’s best as a working #8.
True, Gini was Klopp’s 3rd choice holder behind Fabinho and Hendo. We’ll see who would takeover that role. Hopefully we won’t need it anyway.
I had something smart arsed written in response to @Neukölln but am deleting because I really cannot be bothered.
Using words like “Trump and Fascism” to try and score points really shouldn’t feature in this discusdion, so I am not continuing this.
Klopp is absolutely bang on. For decades we’ve struggled to keep our best players, Gerrard aside, and we even nearly lost him. Now there’s less need to keep buying 4-5 players every summer because we’re holding onto world class talent we already have and fans moan about not spending.
More than fair for him to push back on journalists on transfer questions, especially when a lot of them spend all summer spamming crappy rumours for clicks from fickle fans that care more about spending than performances.
What does he gain by answering a question like that with “yeah we need to sign x, y, z.” If he’s happy with the squad that’s what matters, not if the FSG out brigade or transfer fanatics are happy. The football starts today, he doesn’t want to be talking transfers so good on him for trying to shut that down.
Pearce had no right whatsoever to say… “the fans want”…
He is a squeaky voiced journalist that is crap at his job.!
But it does not mean that there is no need, and it doesn’t make anyone not a “real fan” if they think that our midfield options would ideally be supplemented with someone further along in their development than Harvey Elliott, especially considering that all of Fabinho, Henderson, Thiago, Keïta, and Oxlade-Chamberlain have a record of missing parts of the season. That’s even before we get to the question of how (and when) we intend to go about our long-term succession planning in midfield.
That specific phrase, “real fans”, was what prompted the discussion. Maybe it was a lost-in-translation kind of thing, but it does imo come off as a bit weird. I’m fine with all the rest of Klopp slapping down of Pearce’s question since he clearly expects a lot more from those fringe players this season (and early signs have been encouraging).
Have we done no business or have we bought one of the highest rated young centre backs in Europe to fill the biggest hole in the squad where we also have a history of injury issues.
Sure, another midfielder would be nice but we did buy Thiago last year whilst only moving on Lallana who wasn’t playing much anyway. I’d welcome an addition in that area for those very reasons you mention though. But Klopp knows the squad better than any of us. If he thinks Elliott and Jones are ready to step up so be it.
Or maybe it’s just a case of on the eve of our first game of the season he doesn’t want to talk about transfers. Quite clearly he doesn’t mean every fan that would like to see us do some more business isn’t a real fan. If you’ve taken offence at that then you’re either one of those that care more about transfers than the football or you’re looking to be offended.
The bloke probably just wants to get on preparing his team for today rather than answering the same questions yet again.