I agree if we look to add a forward this summer, it should be either a right wide attacker (in case we sell Shaqiri), or a proper striker (in case we sell Minamino). I cound that we will sell Origi no matter what happens. Jota and one of Shaqiri/whoever probably stays. I don’t see us buying two forwards. That situation with Salah and the rest will be review in 2022 because a lot of our players then will have a year left on their deals. We might answer some of those questions next summer. It would be good.
If we can add Haaland who has +20 goals in him and that means Salah will score 10 less I’m ok with that.
Saint-Maximin, Tielemans I’ve seen mentioned on here before.
Milinkovic-Savic but probably way too expensive.
I don’t expect Haaland if somene of the front 3 doesn’t leave.
That type of transfer probably happens more in 2022.
But we can find something, Jota (though I’m still not sure what’s his ceiling, I can’t guarantee after less than 20 games for us mainly as backup) was a nice example that there are solutions out there.
I think it’s becoming very clear that Firmino is an issue against teams who want to park themselves on the 18 yard line. He’s too easy to defend against and when he gets a chance he squanders it 90% of the time.
Somebody with decent hold up play, aerial prowess, movement. We don’t need the 9 dropping onto the half way line to pick the ball up.
Who that player is is tough to say. Haaland is the ideal shout. Kane, Calvert-Lewin, Jiminez or Bamford are the most notable ones in the PL, but obviously not them. Weghorst? Not the best option perhaps. Daka is banging them in again and looked really good in the pre-season friendly against us, he’s tall and very quick, and plays for our favourite side.
I don’t think that Saint-Maximin is the kind of player who would do what a manager like Klopp requires of him. Tielemans would be ideal but Leicester would ask twice the money they signed him for. Milinković-Savić is another player who is very talented but I don’t think he has the mentality to carry this team. He’s used to playing as an attacking midfielder, and while his technical and goalscoring abilities are great, I doubt he’d show the same level of commitment in pressing and overall defending.
I’ve only seen him in pre-season against us, I got the impression that he plays facing the goal, playing off the shoulder of the defenders. I’m kicking myself for believing that Origi would kick on (and that Matip would shake off his injury issues), that he’d become such a player, though. Haaland is a pipe dream under current circumstances, so I guess we’ll see another “project” replacing Origi.
Honestly, I wouldn’t mind that Balogun kid (having four established seniors and two talented, hungry youngsters for three positions seems like something Klopp would do). Application in games tends to go a long way, even if there is a distinct lack of experience, his playing style might be just what this side needs.
I’ve been on the Bissouma bandwagon for years so keep his name out your dirty mouths you’re not allowed to say he’s good. He’s all mine.
Defender:
Kabak, or if he doesn’t make the grade, one of the others we were linked with the past few days. Maybe Caleta Car, as his passing looks good.
Midfielder:
Renato Sanches. Burst through very young, lost his way, is definitely finding his way again, and now, a few years older, might well be poised to have a very good career.
Striker:
Mbappe is the dream.
Haaland would be ace if Mbappe not possible.
Mind you, there will be lots of competition, and my fear is Man City will be in for Haaland as they look to shape their team post Aguero.
I agree with the notion that one of the main front three needs to be moved on, as we manage refreshing the pack. It should be Bobby, since he is least useful against a low block team that crowds him out and gives him no space to work. But if someone like PSG came in for Mo at a high price, obviously that would have to be looked at.
The fucking state of some of the Comment and opinion. I was listening one of the podcasts earlier. It might have been the echo one, and they had a lad on arguing that while it was a good deal for Kabak, the club should have got him on loan in the summer.
I know they like to be polite and not disagree with each other, but would have been too much for one of the others to say ‘he wasn’t available on loan in the summer, you fucking whopper - they wanted €40m for him’.
Anyway, I think the summer is going to be characterised by inertia. There is the general lack of money knocking about. There is also the uncertainty of a market where nobody really knows what a footballer is worth, and no-body wants to get burned. Talk of raising money by selling off the non-contributing lads is a bit fanciful. I don’t think we’d get a bean for Matip, Shaqiri, Origi or Wilson. I think we’d struggle to pull in anything significant for Ox or Keita - it’s going to be the kind of cautious market where clubs are going to be looking for loans, especially where players have a chequered injury record like ours.
I think the next summer window is going to be super quiet aswell,i can see so many LFC fans going into meltdown.
We couldn’t spend that much and offload the so called deadwood last summer or during January,jump forward a financial season and losing even more money through lack of gate receipts,i can’t see where FSG are going to be able to find the types of money fans will expect them to pay to strengthen the team,especially without putting massive amounts of debt on the club.
If we bring in 2 senior 1st team players,a CB plus another position then i’d count us seriously lucky.
Posting for relevant discussion. A differing viewpoint of the Jan window from Maddock.
Was our summer transfer window different? We had to be very creative with the payment structure for the Thiago and Jota deals.
Our next summer will be the same or even worse because we owe clubs money for Jota, Thiago and I am expecting us to buy Kabak too.
Awoniyi and Elliott, if they can be drafted in, in attack
A midfielder
A CB, if Ozan don’t work out.
But first,
Lose all the extra fats.
I think most deals are structured anyway, that’s no invention of Edwards’ Liverpool for the world of football. As for Kabak, we’ll see. I think it was pretty telling that we categorically didn’t want the obligation to buy and were prepared to walk away from the deal if Schalke didn’t accept only the option to buy.
Now the two new CBs are here I’d like to see us start moving towards a more 442 diamond formation, I think it could help us out of this funk.
I think the 433 with the false 9 relies massively on Firmino and is also being set up by opposition to nullify it now too frequently. We can still use it sometimes and it’d only take a sub to switch from the diamond back to it anyway.
Obviously Alisson backed up by Kelleher in goal. In the summer I’d like to add an old grizzled 3rd choice veteran and let Adrian go.
CBs would be RCB Kabak, Fabinho, Phillips or Williams. LCB Fabinho, Davies, Williams or Henderson. In the summer Matip and Phillips move on even if we get practically nothing (doubt that with Edwards) and hopefully VvD and Gomez come back. We either make Kabak permanent or my choice would be Sven Botman.
FBs nothing wrong with Alexander-Arnold backed up by Williams with Robertson backed up by Tsimikas. Milner emergency cover on both sides. Need a more stable CB situation to rest the starters more to keep them fresh and get the back ups game time is all.
Deepest CM role in diamond we’d have Wijnaldum, Henderson and Thiago as options till the summer Fabinho from then and losing Wjinaldum.
2 CMs Henderson, Thiago, Milner, Ox, Keita, Jones, Wijnaldum all options here. Think we need to seriously consider the futures of Keita and Ox and let Grujic go. If enough depart we might need someone here, Camavinga would be the dream but don’t think that’s happening.
AM Jones, Shaqiri, Ox and Keita till the summer. Minamino may be back in the summer we will see. I’d maybe give Wilson a go as back up for this role depending on who out of Shaqiri, Ox, Minamino and Keita are still here, in my eyes all 4 of those could easily go and a good player come in to have Jones (who would also be used deeper) and Wilson as the new guys back up options.
Front 2 to show lots of movement and drifting wide and central. Salah and Mane as our obvious starters. Jota, Firmino and Origi in that order backing them up. Could argue that Firmino should play tip of the diamond but I’m seeing him dropping into that area more often and being less effective the more he does it. I’d actually seriously consider letting Origi and Firmino move on (whilst his stock is still high but he’s stopped being effective for us) and consider adding a straight up number 9 option (although a quick one who can be mobile) along with bringing Elliott back as cover.
So depending on who goes and stays I think it works out like;
Experienced 3rd choice keeper to upgrade Adrian.
CB either Kabak deal or Botman.
CM if Keita and Ox move on.
AM if Minamino and Shaqiri move on.
CF if Firmino moves on.
We won’t make mega money on sales but I still think a lot of players will move on and Edwards will get some surprisingly good prices here and there. There’s also only really one or two arguable starters coming in with that business and some cheap signings for depth and cover/tactical options.
I’m not seeing us spending like drunken sailors but I see some business being done. Think the squad needs and will be freshened up.
Can he play CB though
Don’t write messages whilst tired I guess. Fixed it but maybe that is the solution who knows?
Yeah, I never trusted auto correct either.
Awoniyi will be able to get work permit??
Probably not which is maybe a shame as he seems to be doing what many expected Brewster to do at Sheffield United. But probably still would be short of the quality we would need.