I think Plan A was always to sign a CB as soon as the right one was available.
I think when the right one wasn’t available Plan B was to make do till next summer. With 3 top level senior CBs, a DM who plays at top level when played at CB, a smattering of talented young CBs with potential and a semi experienced young CB for emergencies that probably didn’t seem like much of a risk.
Plan C now needs to be to bring any Plan B summer business plans forward to January even if it means going a little over valuation. 2 of those 3 senior CBs are probably out for the season and the other we will be lucky if he’s available for 50% of our games this year. The young potential CBs still have potential but also appear to have serious flaws at least at this stage. The limited young emergency CB is needing to be used far more than was planned and it’s going to harm us eventually.
There is nothing wrong with changing plans to meet new situations as they arise. There can’t be as much faith in the kids like Rhys and Billy as there was. The 2 most reliable CBs for availability both getting season ending injuries and the other having even more availability issues than usual is something that has to change plans.
I don’t think Nat Phillips has a chance. He’s a limited old school defender and that isn’t us. Newcastle had a plan yesterday of working the passing lanes to encourage us to funnel him the ball yesterday, and he did not look comfortable.
If Rhys had a yard more pace, then I’d feel more relaxed. But he looks very suspect with a quick lad running behind him. That’s going to get ruthlessly exposed by the top sides.
I thought we’d have seen Koumetio by now. He seemed to be the one in pre-season and Klopp’s eyes always light up when he is discussed. But I don’t think he’s even made the bench yet. Maybe the feeling is that he’s still too young.
So I’m serious when I say that if we can’t bring in anyone, I’d play Hendo at CB. He’s done it before, and needs must. He would make us a lot more solid than any of the players above, and - this is a bigger thing than we generally assume - he replicates Van Dijk and Gomez ability to play from the back.
It also achieves a personal dream of fielding an 11 without a single one of these centre back pricks in it.
We have options in midfield, and when Jota is back there is the option of the 4231.
Alisson
Trent Fabinho Hendo Robbo
Gini Thiago Jones
Salah Firmino Mane
We still have Milner, Ox and Keita as options. Being able to field two of of our midfielders in defence and still have six good players for the three midfield positions is pretty incredible.
That is just crazy, what we need is Hendo playing box to box that’s what he does best. Restricting him to a CB role restricts us all over the pitch andI think it’s starting to tell with him being our DM option atm.
I think it is a little unfair for Rhys, he is still young and he has been playing well in general (certainly more good performances than bad ones), and his lack of pace was not really exposed until the WBA match. He can still improve, even in pace - as a fan of tennis, I am certain that there are loads of exercises out there to improve pace (and also, he must not bulk up).
Phillips, OTOH, is unlikely to advance further.
Both of them actually has stronger aerial capability than Fabinho - putting Rhys in Fabinho’s situation that led to WBA goal, Rhys might have actually prevailed over their player on the air and prevented the goal. Fabinho’s aerial capability is very limited, unlike his passing and ball control.
According to the Echo (repeating a rumour in the Express) we are targeting Sven Botman, and that Lille might be willing to let him go for less than £20 million.
Botman has a lot of people buzzing on the socials today with his Instagram story. I know people sometimes like to connect dots that aren’t there but it is a bit compelling. He’s hinting that there might be a done deal.
I’d be more interested if it was directly from the Echo tbh
