Looks like we want to raid Bournemouth this time for LB Milo Kerkez. Honestly, I’m in favor of it.
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No we’re not. We do however have a really large squad (and wage bill) that requires players to be sold/ moved on to make way for new players.
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I don’t really remember this place ever being flooded by PlayStation managers but we all expected the club to reshuffle the playing staff in the summer regardless of the outcome of PSG match.
I’m envious of PSG’s youthful exuberance but I’m even more jealous of Enrique basically turning their CL fortunes over three games or so and emerging as one of the favourites to win it.
There’s a reason why Slot was so cautious in the build-up to the match and that he openly tried to rally the supporters. He knows best where this side is lacking quality, so I expect him and Hughes to address it in the summer. I’m even more certain that we’ll see a greater turnover of players at Liverpool than we usually do.
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Some people having little meltdowns, apparently so spoiled that winning the Premier League and possibly the League Cup just isn’t enough. I was born in 1992, for my entire childhood and early adulthood Liverpool winning a Premier League title was a something of a pipedream. Now we are on course for our 2nd in 5 years and apparently that means we are so accustomed to it that failure to win the Champions League ASWELL means half the team has to leave!
What I do think is that the squad needs some rejuvenation, get a little younger and a big focus on power.
We’ve got a few players who don’t really contributenwhen it comes to the physical sode of the game. I think we need to be able to cover ground quickly, repeatedly, win duels consistently and be able to put ourselves on the frontfoot. You don’t need all your players to fit that type but I think we are slightly too lightweight.
By that metric I think Tsimikas (lightweight), Gomez (fragile) and Jota (lightweight and fragile) could be allowed to leave as well as Nunez for simply being too inconsistent.
To me Robertson is still a great player but I don’t think he should be the starting LB anymore. He’s 31 and slowing down so I think I could see him becoming more of a backup option and a training ground leader with a job of keeping standards high. As such Tsimikas is not needed as he isn’t good enough to hold down the job. That makes a new LB priority - Milos Kerkez fits every metric for me. He’s fast, strong, highly technical and he’s hard-working. Absolute priority player.
Then we need another long term option at CB even if van Dijk stays. He’s still a racehorse so that means we don’t need an immediate successor but someone needs to be there, ideally left footed, to gradually replace him.
Then we would need a new forward if, as in my scenario, Nunez and Jota leave. Again that needs to be someone with those physical traits I’ve been talking about.
Finally another midfielder is likely needed. The group we have right now just need one more so they aren’t quite as tired.
So I’m looking at Kerkez, a 21/22ish CB, a young depth forward and another athletic midfielder.
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I think we need new main forward.
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No you’re right, I lost my train of thought when summarizing! But yes we need a starting CF.
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While I dont disagree with this, we should be clear that this by itself is a big amount of business to do in a window for an already successful team. I think if this new forward is coming in as two leave then he would be a front line option. For a team that is already well stocked, 2 front line players, 1 expected to challenge the status quo and one for the future is a LOT of turn over and we should set our expectations accordingly.
Furthermore, if any of the 3 contract holdouts do end up leaving then an additional front line option will need to e found, more likely instead of one of your 4 rather than in addition to it.
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No we aren’t.
We are an earn to spend club, but we don’t have to sell players. You’re just being a drama queen.
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I also love having more muscle in midfield, but CF, LB, and CB are higher priorities and could cost around 150m- 200m . So, I have a low-key hope that Bajcetic could be the one to save us money.
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Kerkez
Huijsen
Cunha
Zaire-Emery
I’d be very happy with that.
It is, and I know the club has favoured consistency in the squad to good effect so it would require an acknowledgement from the data people that we need an injection of youth to the team.
Personally I think the time is right but I also think it depends on what happens with the contracts and what Slot is aiming to do.
A few years ago everyone was talking about Real Madrid’s squad being too old and slow then they won the Champions League three times in a row with a few minor additions - so its possible to keep on trucking.
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Speaking of which, I find it fascinating that he has dropped down the pecking order, even if not completely out of favour. When he emerged a couple of years ago he was promoted very heavily as the post-Mbappe future of the club, even before Mbappe even left. He was home grown and presented as the success of their push for homegrown talent (from the most competitive hotbed of talent in the world) that will allow them to move away from their superstar buying approach of the past and present a club more connected to the community. But now they have finally emerged from Mbappe’s shadow and are playing with the hunger and togetherness of an Enrique side, it’s with other players they brought in since he emerged. One of whom notably is really no older or more experienced than he is.
I wonder if that is signaling any potential for him to move on and start someone where else.
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Zaire-Emery also signed a new deal last year until 2029+1. I don’t think he’s going anywhere for now.
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I tend to think Zaire-Emery is not available, but I listed him because he is a back up at PSG. It might make him think of his career.
The pace, power, stamina, footballing skill etc is all there.
If not him, I wonder about Lamine Camara and how high he could go?
Up pops the idiot when we lose.
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If Liverpool’s least successful seasons consisted of winning PL (and maybe League Cup), I’d probably live at least a hundred years. Squad needs an injection of youth and quality to be successful in the long term, though, especially taking into account the dependence on consistent CL qualification that I hadn’t been aware of until @Arminius explained it to me.
That sums it up - it would be nice if some of the lads who are out on loan could step up but I think that we don’t have a starter-in-waiting there and that club will have to buy the starters for left back and centre forward positions. And, as things stand, for right back position as well…
My feeling remains the same, though - I wouldn’t be surprised if Diaz also joined the likes of Nunez, Kelleher, Tsimikas, maybe even Jota as well. And who knows if Slot thinks Elliott should stay or leave, or if Elliott himself concludes he needs regular playing time and decides to go.
Is Emery from Zaire better than the one from Spain?
I think Quansah proved last night that he belongs at this level. It would be wrong to move him, even on loan as there are enough games to play…
The question really is about Gomez and if we should keep him in addition to a new CB, which is badly needed.
We do not need too many changes, but watching those two Portuguese CMs tells me the need we identified last summer, re Zubimendi, still exists.
I’ve seen every Bajetic game since moving to Spain, which was a genius move BTW…Almost every element of his game pre injury is back. He can definitively play at the level of those two Portuguese, but we still need a top CM.
The Chiesa one is a toughie for me. I do wonder if a proper preseason can change things as it did with Grav…
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Gomez should be sold in the summer. Do a double swoop for Kerkez and Huijsen from Bournemouth.
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Two years ago, everyone was lauding the revamped forward line. Fast forward to now, and there are question marks about everyone not named Gapko: Salah’s age, Jota’s injuries, Nunez’s lack of production and consistency and Diaz’s mediocre performances with little to no end product.
We may have more weaknesses than we realised. Personally, irrespective of what happens with Salah,I’d be looking for replacements for both Nunez and Diaz.