I think it’ll actually be beneficial to evolve the side too.
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Vlahovic looks a bit like Oz from American Pie too so would give me pleasant nostalgia feelings!
I don’t think we only need someone who plays back to goal, but them two are very different in nature.
I agree that we can play Klopp’s football on paper with a player different to Bobby.
I wasn’t talking about finding a Bobby clone because that is impossible and we don’t have to talk about this, but perhaps someone who share some of those qualities. Even that is rare, but possible to find.
I have no clue what we’ll do, these are key times in order to build a new side bit by bit. If we talk about extending the deal for Salah (and Mane?), then obviously that needs to be in the thinking as well.
Another false 9 or a true 9?
If it’s a true 9, what happens with Salah’s role? Do we have practically two strikers, can our team handle it or Salah’s role changes? Do you think it’s that easy just to change what a player does in Bobby’s role and keep Salah’s role the same one? Could he and would he want to go back a bit deeper in a more disciplined role to accomodate a new striker?
Put the general “we need to evolve” thing to side for a moment, and let’s talk more precise. What kind of striker do we want or need with the plan of having Salah here until his mid 30’s?
I’m personally not so sure about Salah willing to go back deeper and be part of a midfield block (pressing remains of course, not to confuse) when we’re without the ball. I think his role pretty much stays the same. For the team to function in a proper way in all phases of the game, that very much should influence our thinking who replaces Bobby.
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Maybe actually switching to 442 diamond with a goal scoring attacking mid like Szoboszlai, Goncalves, Hudson-Odoi or Nkunku at tip of the diamond? Jota, Salah and another similar forward if Mane has left competing for the two floating forwards up top?
They’re on the young side but I like the links to James McAtee and Fabio Carvalho.
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Add another young talent (but older than them I think) whose contract ends December 2022 Julian Alvarez.
It’s Vlahovic for me as well. Absolute powerhouse in the middle.
No player is ever going to be a 1:1 replacement for Bobby, he’s fairly unique in what he brings and what he gives.
All that said, how do we play when Bobby is injured or when he isn’t available? We don’t suddenly just stop trying or dramatically alter our approach. I don’t consider Jota a 1:1 replacement for Bobby, even remotely, yet he still plays in that role when Bobby isn’t available.
Nobody is talking about a 1/1 replacement for Bobby, but there are many different players, it’s certainly not black and white like either Bobby or someone like Vlahovic.
There are players who share some of the qualities Bobby has.
We need to think about how our attack works, if we are planning with Salah (and Mane?) for the next couple of years. That doesn’t mean just throwing anyone instead of Bobby.
It could mean someone similar with the roles of Salah/Mane remaining the same, it could mean someone different, but then those roles around might need to be altered.
If we know how our attack works, then we also probably know that there’s a high possibility it wouldn’t work with a different type of player in Bobby’s position. I’m not rejecting the possibility that it could work with a player who is more strikeresque than Bobby.
Important times ahead.
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I completely agree. I also believe we were beginning to see a new wrinkle added on the right side with Mo and Harvey until his injury.
And for as much as I personally like Vlahovic and would love to see him a Red, I don’t think he’s the type of player JK prefers, stylistically.
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Smith-Rowe. Gonna be a cracking player. Send them a ‘what are you smoking’ offer
I think if we were going to go with a “true 9”, we would already have done that with Origi. When we’ve played him as such, e.g. the Everton 5-2 game, he can be downright devastating.
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I’m thinking over next few windows a realistic set of business could be;
Hoping Salah extends his deal, would be best if at least one of Mane and Firmino extend by a couple of years too.
Winter window: Karius moved on for free or past 6 months of contract paid and terminated early. Sardar Azmoun brought in, shouldn’t cost much as will have 6 months left on his deal.
Summer 2022: Origi, Adrian and Milner out of contract. At least one of Keita and Ox sold, hopefully persuade both to accept moves. One of Mane or Firmino (assuming we can’t extend both deals) reluctantly let leave. Let Phillips and Minamino go. Bring in Ryan Gravenberch, last 12 months of his deal so should be a reasonable fee. Sign one of Dominik Szoboszlai or Pote Goncalves. Bring in a free/cheap GK to be third choice, possibly even homegrown to not waste the limited non homegrown slots. Not sure who but maybe Fraser Forster? Also free transfer for Fabio Carvalho wouldn’t be a bad idea for depth.
Summer 2023: If either of Keita or Ox are still here move on for free. Whether Mane or Firmino extended or not the one left would probably move on this year. I think Thiago could possibly move on that window too. Think Henderson will stay a little longer slowing down on game time Milner style. Matip may move on too but may stay one more year. Big incomings would be needed I think. One of Szoboszlai or Goncalves whichever didn’t come the year before. Jude Bellingham as the new Star CM. Possibly a CB depending on if Matip left or not. Possibly internal promotion of Koumetio, Quansah or Williams could happen (expect one of them to have replaced Phillips).
At the end we end up with something like (° for club developed *for homegrown):
GK: Alisson, Kelleher°, Forster*
2 CBs: VvD, Konate, Gomez°, Botman, Quansah°.
2 FBs: Alexander-Arnold°, Robertson, Tsimikas, Williams°.
2/3 CMs: Bellingham*, Fabinho, Gravenberch, Henderson*, Morton°.
1/2/3 AMs: Elliott°, Goncalves, Szoboszlai, Jones°, Carvalho*.
1/2/3 FWDs: Salah, Jota, Azmoun, Gordon°.
13 out of 17 possible none homegrown players, 4 that will count as association trained and take senior spots for UEFA rules and 7 club developed (although some will still not be seniors).
I think that’s challenging to complete but should be possible financially and maintains a top performing side that plays the right way. It will have evolved the team into a mostly young, developing side that would be fresh and ready for the new manager a year later, a good foundation ready.
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Loads of talk in the Dutch newspapers/football sides about we are buying Arnaut Danjuma from Villarreal this window.
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I think Fabrizio Romano mentioned it a few times as well. It would be a strange transfer regardless of his quality as Villareal have only just signed him and would probably demand double what he cost them. He couldn’t have progressed that much in, what, half a year?
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I’ve read his underlying stats at Bournmouth were top tier but clubs like us will have wanted to wait for him to prove it in a bigger league… Which he’s done and some so far this season.
A club like Villareal to double their money in 6months is good business, a club like ours have paid more be de-risked it etc.
If true of course!
Not sure how good Danjuma is and gonna be. He had a very good season in the Championship and was then sold for around 20mil to Villareal, where he seems to have a good start to his stint there. So even at double the price at 40m, that would be probably the kind of price point we like for a very good player who has very high upside in terms of performance and output. So if the club thinks Danjuma is the one, then I think even at double the price, it would not be a problem…but not sure whether Villareal needs to sell and especially they are not in a good place in the la liga positions…
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Weird link, but perhaps Villarreal are in some sort of trouble and/or maybe there’s an interesting clause. Who knows. Anyway, from what I know, Danjuma’s best role is that of Mane and Jota. So… I don’t trust it.
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You don’t think that would be a really dumb deal for us? Available in the summer for £20-25m, he goes to Spain for half a season and then we buy him for £40m?