There’s options out there with Elvedi, Milenkovic, Todibo, Bastoni, Hancko, Schlotterbeck, Maguire
But I wonder if we’ll pull another Kabak type and look to see who we can get on loan for 6 months.
Sorry that last one.
I expect we were after one and have our options so I wouldn’t be surprised if we bought anyhow but especially now.
There is also a crossroads decision to be made. If there is a long term plan for TAA in midfield permanently then a RB might be sought now and move Gomez as backup for CB.
Until about a year ago, Konate was a beast of a CB. Physically dominant, people couldn’t beat him in the air, nor in the foot race, he was immense in one-on-ones and very good at carrying the ball. I don’t know what happened to him since, maybe the injuries have taken some self-confidence out of him.
There were times this season when he left himself in the no man’s land such amateurishly, you’d be forgiven for thinking he’s a youngster thrown in at the deep end. I still have faith in him becoming a good centre back but I wouldn’t bank on it because of his fitness record. He might actually be Matip’s replacement in the squad, meaning we need to find someone more reliable to partner Van Dijk in the meantime.
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I do think there’s not an immediate defensive rebuild needed. A change of tactics and positions might serve the purpose
Matip is our second best CB and there have been loads of games when he was the best Liverpool defender. But his stay at Liverpool looks likely to be done. We’ve got Quansah / Konate / Gomez there as well as VVD (naturally right footed rightbacks)
VVD - he’s slightly lost his speed , still the best defender in the league though. But we’ve been playing him on the LCB position whereas the trend nowadays is to have right footed players in RCB and left footed players in LCB.
Robbo - he is slowing down with age and is being used more as a hybrid of LB-LCB rather than as a WB. It might make sense to play him increasingly in the LCB position. This would free up VVD to play RCB position.
Konate - any player is allowed to have a off season. Give him time. He’s 24 years old and Virgil joined Liverpool at 26 years of age.
Gomez - backup jack of all trades basically. But he’s been solid as a backup RB this season but he isn’t good enough to be a starting CB for Liverpool , that time has gone. If he remains injury free , he’ll get to have plenty of minutes.
Quansah - Should get plenty of gametime.
Tsimikas - he’s been pretty good at LWB this season very capable Robbo backup. If Robbo is transitioned into a LCB (which has been done by many different players before and Robbo is a very good defender.) , Then we need a LB as a backup to Tsimikas if not an improvement.
See how Luke Chambers is progressing from his time on loan , if he ls upto the mark , bring him in to be a backup LB who can play LCB if needed too. Otherwise a Tsimikas backup would be fine.
a LB if Robbo is being transitioned to be LCB full time , Left footed CB if he isn’t. Chambers to be the deputy. We are looking light at RB because of injuries. It’s not a problem per se but if the decision is made to make Trent into an exclusive midfielder , we would need a starting RB there with Gomez as deputy.
Our defence is getting found out because Jones / Gravenberch do not inspire confidence in their defensive duties. I’d rather put my money on another midfielder who can both attack and defend well which potentially allows Mac to get forward with more regularity. Ideally a Thiago regen minus his injuries as we do not have too many playmakers (Trent aside).
So a LB / LCB , a CM and the obligatory big ticket Salah replacement… basically three outgoings and three incomings ( Matip / Thiago / Salah*)
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Robbo being a LCB in a back 4? Nah, I don’t think he could do it. Not in this team, at this level. Emergency, maybe. But something planned, regular, successful, no.
Robbo playing playing the LB/LCB isn’t because he’s slowing down, it’s because of Trent moving into CM and the LB shifts into a what is effectively a back three. Tsimikas has to do it too.
Don’t see van Dijk suddenly being moved to become a RCB after so many years playing in the left side. This season he is fully back to his best and I think if he stays injury free he could still be here for a long time.
I envision a CB coming in to make it van Dijk, Konate, Quansah, Matip and a new CB. Maybe the club also decides Matip isn’t getting a new deal (Klopp clearly wants to give him one but Klopp would also still have Fabinho, Firmino and Henderson here if he got his way).
Gomez I think should be a full time FB thesedays.
That would he plenty of depth at each position
CB: van Dijk, Konate, Matip, Quansah, New CB
RB: Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Bradley
LB: Robertson, Tsimikas, Gomez
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What was just about to reply with the same. Wild to say Konate can’t reach Matip levels. Arguably already has, this seasons slight regression notwithstanding.
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Champions League final springs to mind?
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I’d like a CB but I just don’t think we’ll get one. Can see Nat Phillips coming back from Celtic as our January cover.
Could also recall Sepp from his Mainz loan🤷♂️
Far more athletic than Nat. Phillips in a high line defense is the stuff of nightmares.
An elite defensive midfielder to push Macca to LCM position. Right now our LCM choices are weak as fuck for a title run.
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I don’t think we need a specialist DM, someone like Macsherano. Instead we need someone like Caicedo, who not only wins the ball but can also carry it forward.
MacAllister had about two touches of the ball in his 60 minutes at LCM against Sheffield United.
More pressing needs in central defence and emerging at LW for me.
We need a forward with a bit of explosiveness - Diaz hasn’t found his since the injury. Maybe it’ll return in time, but it’s not there right now. Darwin has it. The other 3 are relatively pedestrian, and our attack can often look too one paced. Diaz’s struggles remind me of Mane in 20/21 after contracting covid, he lost a step and it affected his game terribly.
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I think that centre back and defensive midfielder are the most pressing needs for this team at this moment. There’s a massive drop off in quality between the starters and alternatives at this moment, unfortunately.
I still hope that one of Diaz, Jota (provided he returns to full fitness soon) and Gakpo will make that LW position his own for the long term. Bloody hell, after not seeing a proper, top class winger at Liverpool for much more than a decade, Mane has really spoiled me, hasn’t he… Right now, for the short term at least, I’d settle for a functional winger who would help Nunez and Salah play their best game.
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I’ve noticed Klopp going to 3 CB at times. I’m wondering whether having this, with the possibility of at least one going further up field, would be his preferred option. In which case an additional CB is surely the priority.
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If we want another CB then there are rumours that Tosin Adarabioyo will be available - always felt he was a very underrated defender.
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