KopTalk.com Forums Football Liverpool FC Forum Have we actually Improved the squad so far this summer?

http://www.insidefutbol.com/2013/08/01/l...s-summer/93809/

The only thing we have actually done this summer is reduce the wage bill and not spent a penny. Don't see any improvement to first team so far. High earners have been shipped out and replaced with players on lower wages with Skrtel to follow. Cant say I'm impressed or confident about the new season as things currently stand. I just hope something is done in next few weeks.

Have we actually Improved the squad so far this summer? YES

Yes, without a shadow of a doubt. YES! YES! YES!

Please explain to me how.
Carragher for Toure-Like for like
Reina for Mignolet-Like for like
Shelvey for Alberto-No one knows
Carroll for aspas-Half price replacement again no-one knows

All I see is cost cutting measures with no money spent and wage bill reduced.

With Suarez either suspended or gone the thought of having Borini near the first team sends a shiver down my spine

This.

Cost-cutting measures have no impact on the quality of the players. Only the money we spend on them.

Toure is potentially slightly better than Carragher, but can understand why a lot will say like for like. Toure, however, is much better suited to ball-playing sides, and 3 years younger in the legs...

Mignolet is in form. Reina was not. Mignolet has been in the top 5 keepers in the league for 2 years in a row, Reina would have been lucky to make it last season or this... Mignolet is a better younger fitter and more athletic keeper....

Shelvey failed to impress in his 20 or so appearances last season. Never really managed the step up quickly enough to challenge Henderson or Allen in the middle of the park. Alberto has been great recently for Barca and Sevilla B teams. No one knows, you're right, but no-one knows about Fernandinho in the PL, or Negredo, or Jovetic... Local experience is irrelevant. Like for like seems like an appropriate suggestion, Shelvey has more game-time, but Alberto is in the better form...

As for Carroll vs Aspas.... Please... One doesn't suit our style of play, and one of them is on the back of two terrific season. So what if he costs half of Carroll... How is that relevant to improving the squad?! It isn't at all.

That is three better players in my eyes, and one potentially better.... If you can't see the improvements then I'm not sure how tbh.


I think the first team has improved marginally, the second team more, but the squad depth is becoming much more pronounced. We haven't more players than last year, we're just trading for better players across the park. As I have said previously, I expect 3 signings to come in, up to 5 if other players leave... Then we'll see for sure how much we have improved as a team. Signs are promising to me.

I wish I shared your optimism. Don't see improvement. All I can see is mid table mediocrity with the current players.

I don't understand how anybody can say we have improved, we have remained the same at most.

Time will tell... In my opinion it's better to be optimistic than pessimistic. If things go well, an optimist starts happy and stays happy while a pessimist starts miserable and may become happy. If things go badly an optimist starts happy and may become miserable while a pessimist starts miserable and stays miserable. Either way the optimist is happier longer. meh

The point is nobody can claim that we've stepped backwards, stayed the same or improved because we simply don't know yet, the season hasn't even started.

Though as jj mentioned, we've replaced Shelvey who was playing poorly with Alberto who's coming in off the back of good form and Carroll who wasn't even contributing to LFC with Aspas who as jj says has just had two very good seasons back to back. On the face of it, I'd have to say that the squad has been strengthened but that's just on the face of things, only time will really tell.