The modern-day Souness from all the red cards they would receive? Yeah.
I think we’ve always had players who can be cynical and go in hard, but their ability to do so has been limited by the refereeing. Milner was probably the best at dancing along the line, but even he had his limitations.
Olise has long since been rumoured to be Chelsea or United bound, wouldn’t mind either of them to be honest. Both far too good to not be playing for a team competing in Europe.
Olise could possibly be thought of as a replacement for Salah, if Mo decides to leave. Obviously the goals aren’t there, and we’d be looking to spread them around. I’m not sure about the injury record though, as he seems to miss a fair bit of football.
Other possibles, presumably around a similar price point, would be Nico Williams, Bakayoko, and maybe Kudus at West Ham.
All things considered with this little group at least, I think I’d prefer Kudus. But I don’t know enough to know how much of a difference there is between them.
I can’t comment on Jaroš, so the only player we disagree on is Gomez. This time last year, I called for his sale but he proved me wrong in almost the best way possible. I think he’s become an extremely useful player to have - provided he plays more like he played this season and not the one before (and that he remains fit, obviously). He’s no longer a CB for me, too, but he’s pretty good at covering fullback positions.
Where do you see Carvalho playing, by the way? Left wing, I presume? If that’s his best role, I feel that he won’t make it here as we already have established options there. Not that I’m over the moon with them but still…
I’m not sure we can complain about the way the last few weeks have panned out, and yet complain about having additional depth in areas. If we had Gakpo available last night things might have panned out a little differently.
Don’t get me wrong, if Carvalho was playing on the left, I’d feel a lot easier about his Liverpool prospects, even taking into account how his first year and a half of his Liverpool career had gone. On the left, we have Diaz, Gakpo, Jota and even Nunez played there, whereas we realistically only have Salah on the right (Elliott doesn’t really play well there, in all honesty).
Back to the CB topic…
I agree we need a new CB. If we say we need one, we probably don’t think just a squad player, but someone who can compete and possibly improve our XI immediately. We have enough of these defenders who are alright as squad players. Before going into each name who might stay and go (the only certainity is that Matip goes).
But if we’re going left sided and left footed, then Virgil switches sides to allow that player in or what?
I’m more of the opinion for a while now that Konate needs better competition (and actual replacement as he’s not fit enough) for his spot. But before it’s too late and we need two instead of one!
Last summer it was reported that we were indeed looking at a left sided defender, someone who could cover CB and LB. Since then, around autumn, Tsimikas signed a new contract.
Since then also, we got a pleasant surprise this season in Quansah. A different coach might look at things differently, but he also looked better at LCB than RCB.
I agree that it would be good to find a quality left footer who is flexible on the left side of defence. But that one might happen only post-Virgil. I say let’s fix where we need it first, get a player in that can go into direct competition with Konate and obviously also improve our options overall.
William Pacho from Frankfurt is who we’re being linked with now. Young, tall and left footed.
I see lots of people writing Baj into the DM position as a settled issue, but I would caution people to lower the expectations a bit. He did well when he came in last year, but it was a bit unexpected. There have been lots of young players who looked good on a struggling team when first getting opportunities but ultimately failed to establish themselves.
New left sided CB? My predictions are coming true already.
Don’t they always? After all, you are the guru of youth recruitment and development.
Virgil may only be here another season or 2. We need to find his predecessor. For me that is a left-footed, left-sided CB. Agree that it should be more than a squad-quality player as he will be replacing a stud eventually. If that player is available this summer I think you have to get him. If we have a selection headache until Virgil leaves, so be it. It will also give the player a good bed in period without immediate pressure. The odds aren’t good that we’ll get another Virgil quality player, but that is the goal obviously.
I’d prefer a successor rather than going back for Lovren lol
I won’t be surprised, if we do a left field signing here. Someone like " Dávid Hancko". Left sided centre back and guess what, he plays at Feyenoord.
Some heat map and stats in here :
https://twitter.com/Scout7Calcio/status/1727350642304315744
26 years old and still playing in the Netherlands raises massive flags though - but yes I’m in agreeance with you that we will likely look to bring in a left sided CB although Hancko in particular is probably in need of another stepping stone between Feyenoord and Liverpool which is unlikely given he turns 27 in December.
Also, the lad can’t win a header to save his life.
I won’t be surprised if Slot goes for him. These dutch managers tend to bring atleast one of their boys from their last team.
And,tbf, I am keeping my expectation level low, because it will be hard to attract top talent that Klopp could lure. I cannot see us getting players like Gonçalo Inácio or Bastoni from Inter.
Slot machine will have his own set of talents he feels we will be good with, and we will have to support him, even if they look mediocre at first glance.
I understand not inflating your expectations but the appeal of Liverpool wasn’t solely about Klopp. We’re still one of the biggest clubs in the world, with recent European success and a budget that individually dwarves most European leagues.
Don’t think we immediately need to drop our standards
Wow that was bad. Clearly that is what I meant.
I found it absolutely baffling when people were keen to sell Joe Gomez last year - he was still young, home grown and could play anywhere across the back line.
Now he’s coming off a better season in which he’s kept himself fit, played loads of football, and added DM to his repertoire, I find it even more baffling.
He’s also on the cusp of adding goalscoring to his repertoire. A nice thunder blooter to bring a huge smile to Anfield as the curtain closes on the season would be just the ticket.
But yes, completely agree. Joe Gomez is a valuable player for us, and his versatility, and quality, has helped us through many a sticky situation this season.
He’s played well, I think claiming he’s “added DM to his repertoire” to be something of an exaggeration. However, I think with him my concern is how he fits in. He’s been bad, very bad, at CB for a number of years. At RB and LB he’s played well but he’s playing well individually and not as part of a cohesive whole that helps the shape and style of the team, at least not as a starter.
He offers such little threat that his existence on the pitch really removes a massive attacking asset from the team. Trent and Bradley have clear weapons they can hurt the opposition with - he shouldn’t be starting at RB if those two are fit. At LB I think Tsimikas will leave because he’s too erratic and Robertson has those same attacking talents as the RBs - if anything the problem of Gomez’s offensive game is emphasized at LB where has to check back onto his right foot every single time.
So in my mind he features for us as a 3rd choice RB or a 2nd choice LB and in neither one of those positions can he maintain the same shape and system of the team. He’s an expensive commodity to have someone who can “see a game out” (how often do we even find ourselves in that position?) especially since Liverpool are at their best, and least vulnerable, when we have the ball in the opposition half.
So it’s not a judgement on Gomez’s season or form, but that I think a new manager will want to imprint their style on the team and I don’t see Gomez fitting in with it. His stock is high, there would be massive interest and potentially he could be replaced with a younger FB who can take over from Robertson in the next season or two.
When a player starts to just become a block on the development of others, which is how I see Gomez now, then I think we should move those lads on and let the ones with potential develop.