Wonderful player, but he’s is currently working his way back from a surgery on his torn hamstring. An injury of that sort that requires surgery is a really bad prognosis and the chances he delivers nothing at all of value for whomever signs him are not trivial.
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Based on Limie’s post, it’s a big swerve for Araujo for me.
I’d like to see us sign a defender in January though, it feels like we are a little bit vulnerable, and even if we end up with one too many in the short term, it shores it up for future changes.
How is Loic Bade doing?
Just throwing this out there for consideration…
We have reached the lofty heights this season with a squad of players that seem to gel… We are halfway home in the PL with a buffer, the equivalent of producing 3 poor results - in the next 19 games, while other teams win 3more than us…!
Now…
There is NO guarantee, NONE whatsoever, no matter who the new player might be… that if we bring anyone into the squad, this January… that they won’t disrupt the rhythm, or togetherness of the existing camaraderie the players have at the moment…
Personally, I think it is a gamble we should avoid, and lets hope AS works some magic with the tactics, deploying whom we have at hand…!
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It’s a really good argument, and there is always a value in stability.
However, if it’s the right person it can give the squad a boost. In 19/20, following a summer in which the club did nothing g but sign a couple of youth players. We annihilated the league, so it’s hard to argue that was the wrong strategy.
But the club did add Takumi Minamino as a squad player, and I’ve seen some reports that the squad was consulted on the signing at the time.
Players can get a boost from new energy added to the squad.
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You missed out; GK, RB, CB, CM, CM & LW
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You want two CBs?
GK OK.
I am starting to think we really should do something in defence this window. I had been thinking left back but the centre back position does have me worried.
I think there’s far too much uncertainty there both in the short term and the long term. Konate we know will pick up injuries and his contract is up in summer 2026. Van Dijk we know will play if fit but questions hang over his long term future. And I just don’t think Slot is willing to trust Quansah yet unless he has to play him. Gomez being injured doesn’t help matters here and now but clearly there was a willingness from both parties to go separate ways last summer.
I think if we really want to go for those top honours we should be doing all we can to bring in a top centre back option and if the one we want isn’t available now then at least one who is at that Gomez type level. Ideally left footed/sided but don’t let it stop you if they’re more of a righty.
A top option takes some of the pressure off the van Dijk situation, our over reliance on him and possibly someone to succeed him when the time comes. A more squad type option covers us if Joe wants to go in the summer. Either way, we can then loan Quansah next season if needs be to get him some more consistent game time at a decent level rather than sporadic cameos at the very top level.
But what we can’t be doing is having serious aspirations of winning big with Endo being someone we’re playing a centre back.
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In that order?
I think we’ll struggle to get someone at Joe’s level (I think he’s crazy underrated by fans).
But on whole I agree - we really should be getting in a centre back.
I don’t think that Slot trusts Quansah in the PL. Really the lad should have started against Utd rather than Konate (Ibou’s lack of fitness contributing massively to the result IMO) but obviously felt he couldn’t do that.
Quansah form and confidence has dipped since his purple patch last season (which came off a successful loan at Bristol). I’d look at a loan for him this Jan.
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Agreed. 21 is very young for a CB. He needs time to develop and make mistakes out of the spotlight
I wonder how much of that has to do with Konaté’s fitness being overestimated, and again the whole point about Arne simply misreading the game tactically.
I think these sort of things tend to be not particularly conclusive over the course of half a season.
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It won’t be easy but it should be the aspiration.
By Joe’s level I guess I mean someone established, playing regularly and to a good standard. We’ve had reasonable success in the past with buying international level players from less fancied leagues so I don’t think we always have to think they need to come from Spain, Germany, France, Portugal or the PL.
Thought it interesting how well Bournemouth have recruited in defence recently. Kerkez, Zabarnyi and Huijsen would all be great additions here and all arrived at Bournemouth under Hughes’ time there.
But certainly what I’m not thinking of is a Klavan type short term filler.
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Yes. I think the suggestion that Quansah isn’t trusted by Arne is a bit too strong, particularly as this week Quansah was also suffering with some bug.
I’m not so sure I would like to see him go out on loan, I think staying with the squad to continue developing would be preferable. He’s still a good young player, he will be a better player for going through these developmental challenges.
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Wasn’t Quansah ill for the Man Utd game. Thought Slot said after Spurs that he’d been feeling sick that week but they thought he was worth risking at Tottenham?
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Just looked it up, you’re right, he said that.
Oddly enough, Quansah was on the bench against United too anyway.
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Anyone seen more of Koulierakis? Must say he looked pretty good when Greece visited Wembley few months ago.
He had a couple of his issues first season, but he only missed about 4 games last season through injury. And the one he’s just come back from was a freak accident that really shouldn’t be bucketed in the sort that qualifies someone as injury prone. But even with the most rosy perspective on his availability there is still a good argument to look at the defense as there are question marks over every single member of the group, even if only contractual. I wonder if a Hincapie type who can play as a ball playing LB or CB would be back on the agenda to give us more options?
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Injury prone or not, Konate has still failed to get to feature more than he did, both in his Liverpool and his entire career. His average per season at Liverpool is around 30ish games per season. He wasn’t always first choice at Leipzig and Liverpool, but you’d like to see better availability from a physical CB in his most potent years, which is the majority of his Liverpool chapter so far.
Absolutely the right choice to agree a new contract with him, but there is definitely room to add more competition at CB as well. Next summer, it will be 4 years since we last signed a “proper” defender, Konate himself. So it’s time to inject more quality again, even regardless whether Trent stays or goes.
As for a player like Hincapie, a few years ago I think it would’ve made more sense (when we needed a backup/competition for Robbo and also someone who would feature when Virgil is not there, even if rarely). But now, it’s not only backup roles in question anymore, rather is it time for a new first choice LB. And Hincapie might not be the type Slot wants from his first LB option.
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There is worse though, Matip’s average games per season in was 25.1 across 8 years (20 in his last 5 years). Good and successful player for us (there was obviously rotation and different players starting at different times), but that is basically being out for half a season every season.
I feel like I’m missing something, he’s 25, having joined us when he was 22?