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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 22,926
Liverpool Legend
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Liverpool Legend
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 22,926 |
We all knew it was an issue especially in terms of our attacking players and probably to some extent defence as well if ever VVD and Robertson were unfit. We have been lucky that there were no major injuries to Mane, Salah and even Firmino in front and same with VVD and Robertson. I fully understand that we cannot have 2 top players for every position, however, looks like we needed at least a forward probably better than Minamino (or earlier for him to get ready in time, not sure). We have been lucky that City suffered from injuries and we won a number of games by not playing well. Looks to me that we'll need to get things together quickly to win at least the league and hopefully will improve the squad significantly next season. Don't think we'll have the same luck again
Last edited by EnergisedReds; 04/03/20 02:36 AM.
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Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 6,054
1st Team Squad
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1st Team Squad
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 6,054 |
I am as disappointed as anyone with our recent results and run of form (playing poorly against the likes of Chelsea, Watford, Norwich, West Ham, AM etc), but I think this could be a good wake up call for everyone concerned, not just the players.
We basically steam rolled the PL by New Year, rarely playing to our best, we got in a routine and our mentality carried us through and demoralised opponents before/during games. City have dropped allot of points, mainly due to a few key injuries to the likes of Laporte/Sane/De Bruyne etc, I think we played better last season in the PL, but finished runners up, whereas this year we are 22 points clear!!! that's mainly due to City's performances/injuries and noit having the same pressure as we had on us last season to keep pace with City.
We are now showing that we still have a drop off in quality in key areas of the squad, Origi is not the player to replace one of the front 3 long term, he's a decent impact player from the bench, but rarely plays a good 90 minutes. We have seen the impact of missing Hendo, which I think is the main reason for our recent loss of form, his leadership/drive/tempo is sorely missed, so we need a quality MF to come in to add cover. Keita should have been that player, but he cannot be relied upon with his injuries, I like his ability, but he needs to keep fit, hopefully a good pre-season will help him, I just do not know if he can keep fit with his style of play and the physicality of the PL.
Similar in Defence, Lovren is likely to leave in the summer, he showed at the weekend he is not good enough to be relied on, he takes games to get upto speed but rarely plays 5 games in a row as he is always injured, so I think he needs replacing. We need LB cover, Robertson has been playing with an injury for a while, we just do not have cover and our play is key to the Full Backs playing well and creating space/crosses, I think Williams looks good to cover TAA going forward.
The recent form has highlighted we still need to re-enforce the squad in the summer, we have had a great season and it is easy to overlook that being 22 points ahead and it feels like the season is petering out to a disappointing end compared to where we were 2 weeks ago, when we were still in 3 major competitions, now we are out the FA Cup and not looking good for the CL with our form being poor and we have a difficult opponent in AM to beat.
Klopp recently signed a new long term deal, so he must be happy with FSG and how things are going, so I can see he will be planning for the next team he will be building, replacing the front 3 etc, at least we have seen work still needs doing on the squad and the cracks cannot be papered over.
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Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 5,936
1st Team Squad
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1st Team Squad
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 5,936 |
It was a process of when Klopp came. We had a lot of mediocre players and old players on big salaries who hung around because they knew they would have to take a huge pay cut to leave the club. It was poor transfer business prior to Klopp and he is only just getting to the end of saying ta ta to those players. Lovren, Lallana and Clyne will be gone soon. We had the likes of Sturridge, Mignolet, Emre Can, Ings, Leiva, Benteke, Moreno, Allen, Skrtel, Markovic, Balotelli and the vast majority of kids who never made it: Solanke, Ibe, Wisdom, Alberto, Ilori, Ejaria, Yesil, Ojo, Stewart, Williams, Randall, Kent.
We had a lot of chaff and it takes time to get rid. Klopp has done a tremendous job from where we where. I trust he will make the squad stronger for next season because we will have space to accomodate much better players. If you also look at our younger players now, compared to under Rodgers there's a world of difference!
I only wish Klopp would commit to the next decade to us.
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Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 6,054
1st Team Squad
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1st Team Squad
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 6,054 |
It was a process of when Klopp came. We had a lot of mediocre players and old players on big salaries who hung around because they knew they would have to take a huge pay cut to leave the club. It was poor transfer business prior to Klopp and he is only just getting to the end of saying ta ta to those players. Lovren, Lallana and Clyne will be gone soon. We had the likes of Sturridge, Mignolet, Emre Can, Ings, Leiva, Benteke, Moreno, Allen, Skrtel, Markovic, Balotelli and the vast majority of kids who never made it: Solanke, Ibe, Wisdom, Alberto, Ilori, Ejaria, Yesil, Ojo, Stewart, Williams, Randall, Kent.
We had a lot of chaff and it takes time to get rid. Klopp has done a tremendous job from where we where. I trust he will make the squad stronger for next season because we will have space to accomodate much better players. If you also look at our younger players now, compared to under Rodgers there's a world of difference!
I only wish Klopp would commit to the next decade to us.
Yeah, another decade would be great !!!! I think the most you will get out of him is a 4-5 year commitment, like we just got, hopefully in 3 years he will sign up for another 4 or 5 years!!! I don't see many clubs he could goto and get the control he has at LFC, somewhere like RM or Barca are too political and want instant success by spending big and ditching players, Klopp is about building a team and developing players. The threat of him leaving I see is for the German National job, but I have never seen him talk about it, but I have seen his name linked to it in the press as a long term goal like Pep is linked to the Spanish national job, but Klopp is so intense on style of play and developing players, I don't know if he would suit having the players for 2 weeks every 3-4 months and then handing them back to their club managers to change what he just worked with them on?
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Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,387
Under 23 Player
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Under 23 Player
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,387 |
As my missus would say, it's not depth but it's the quality that counts.
There is no way this squad will be starting next season. Plenty going out (like last season) but I really can't see FSG replacing them with quality by shelling out for proven players ever again. If it's not the new 'Neymar led' price tags, the disaster called Ketia will make them think twice before spending big.
Ever since VVD and Alison, all we've bought have been the usual hopefuls at basement prices with a view to develop.
I'm prepared to be corrected but I believe the only half decent player we've bought since Alison has been Ox and as good as he can be, he's hardly world class.
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Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 5,936
1st Team Squad
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1st Team Squad
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 5,936 |
And I don't mind Klopp going for players he can develop. When you go out and drop near on 100m on a player it's immediately expected for them to hit the ground running. This is not normally the Klopp way with exceptions to the rule with VVD and Alisson. However they were always going to be a vast improvement on what we had at that time.
I expect us to be in for a couple of Norwich players at the end of the season in Cantwell and Buendía who look like players Klopp can improve and won't cost a fortune.
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Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,387
Under 23 Player
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Under 23 Player
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,387 |
And I don't mind Klopp going for players he can develop. When you go out and drop near on 100m on a player it's immediately expected for them to hit the ground running. This is not normally the Klopp way with exceptions to the rule with VVD and Alisson. However they were always going to be a vast improvement on what we had at that time.
I expect us to be in for a couple of Norwich players at the end of the season in Cantwell and Buendía who look like players Klopp can improve and won't cost a fortune.
Call me impatient but I do just like players that can hit the ground running. But if we're looking to develop, a player from another premiership side is defo the way to go.
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 22,926
Liverpool Legend
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Liverpool Legend
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 22,926 |
I am as disappointed as anyone with our recent results and run of form (playing poorly against the likes of Chelsea, Watford, Norwich, West Ham, AM etc), but I think this could be a good wake up call for everyone concerned, not just the players.
We basically steam rolled the PL by New Year, rarely playing to our best, we got in a routine and our mentality carried us through and demoralised opponents before/during games. City have dropped allot of points, mainly due to a few key injuries to the likes of Laporte/Sane/De Bruyne etc, I think we played better last season in the PL, but finished runners up, whereas this year we are 22 points clear!!! that's mainly due to City's performances/injuries and noit having the same pressure as we had on us last season to keep pace with City.
We are now showing that we still have a drop off in quality in key areas of the squad, Origi is not the player to replace one of the front 3 long term, he's a decent impact player from the bench, but rarely plays a good 90 minutes. We have seen the impact of missing Hendo, which I think is the main reason for our recent loss of form, his leadership/drive/tempo is sorely missed, so we need a quality MF to come in to add cover. Keita should have been that player, but he cannot be relied upon with his injuries, I like his ability, but he needs to keep fit, hopefully a good pre-season will help him, I just do not know if he can keep fit with his style of play and the physicality of the PL.
Similar in Defence, Lovren is likely to leave in the summer, he showed at the weekend he is not good enough to be relied on, he takes games to get upto speed but rarely plays 5 games in a row as he is always injured, so I think he needs replacing. We need LB cover, Robertson has been playing with an injury for a while, we just do not have cover and our play is key to the Full Backs playing well and creating space/crosses, I think Williams looks good to cover TAA going forward.
The recent form has highlighted we still need to re-enforce the squad in the summer, we have had a great season and it is easy to overlook that being 22 points ahead and it feels like the season is petering out to a disappointing end compared to where we were 2 weeks ago, when we were still in 3 major competitions, now we are out the FA Cup and not looking good for the CL with our form being poor and we have a difficult opponent in AM to beat.
Klopp recently signed a new long term deal, so he must be happy with FSG and how things are going, so I can see he will be planning for the next team he will be building, replacing the front 3 etc, at least we have seen work still needs doing on the squad and the cracks cannot be papered over.
Agree except the Hendi part, we have been huffing and puffing with Hendo playing, games we could have lost if we were not lucky.
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 22,926
Liverpool Legend
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Liverpool Legend
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 22,926 |
And I don't mind Klopp going for players he can develop. When you go out and drop near on 100m on a player it's immediately expected for them to hit the ground running. This is not normally the Klopp way with exceptions to the rule with VVD and Alisson. However they were always going to be a vast improvement on what we had at that time.
I expect us to be in for a couple of Norwich players at the end of the season in Cantwell and Buendía who look like players Klopp can improve and won't cost a fortune.
Call me impatient but I do just like players that can hit the ground running. But if we're looking to develop, a player from another premiership side is defo the way to go. It's so clear that we took a huge leap after breaking records buying Alisson and VVD, bargain buys can only get you to the line without crossing it, especially if it's not a one off.
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Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 6,054
1st Team Squad
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1st Team Squad
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 6,054 |
Agree except the Hendi part, we have been huffing and puffing with Hendo playing, games we could have lost if we were not lucky. I agree, we have been huffing and puffing in games with Hendo in the side, but he helped to get us over the line and win, like the extra 5%, but without him, we have missed that.
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