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Two full teams.

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Oncy

Look up to the sky and there I be
Honorary Member
I think most managers would want two full teams of quality to start a new season. Especially when you are in Europe.

Whilst you could question the quality, are we not looking a bit light across the board? Maybe Full back the exception.

Mignolet
Milner
Matip
Lovren
Clyne

Henderson
Wijnaldum
Lallana

Coutinho
Sturridge
Mane

In my opinion thats about our best 11 (apologies Ryan, hopefully you see the point, not 'that should be our team every week' etc)

Karius
Robinson
Klavan
Gomez
AlexArnold

Can*
Grujic
........

Salah*
Origi
Firmino*

Once you get past that 'first 11' our squad is pretty thin and pretty shite. With only the three starred players likely to challenge into the first 11.

Whilst I dont disagree with the players we have sold, im a bit concerned that we are leaving the squad paper thin.

If we sign VVD and Keita for example our 2nd 11 becomes

Karius
Robinson
Lovren*
Klavan
AlexArnold

Can*
Grujic
Henderson*

Salah*
Origi
Firmino*

Still pretty shit
I know we arent city or united and cant have a world class back up in every position but I hope we see a few more Quality squad options come in.
I cant help feel that if we spend 150m on this pair we all know about we STILL need another CB, DM, AM and CF

Unless we have some shit hot youts I dont know about. And I admit I dont know.

The above squad is not a 2 game a week squad, and looks heavily reliant on Coutinho and Mane still to make us win games.
 
I think most managers would want two full teams of quality to start a new season. Especially when you are in Europe.

Whilst you could question the quality, are we not looking a bit light across the board? Maybe Full back the exception.

Mignolet
Milner
Matip
Lovren
Clyne

Henderson
Wijnaldum
Lallana

Coutinho
Sturridge
Mane

In my opinion thats about our best 11 (apologies Ryan, hopefully you see the point, not 'that should be our team every week' etc)

Karius
Robinson
Klavan
Gomez
AlexArnold

Can*
Grujic
........

Salah*
Origi
Firmino*

Once you get past that 'first 11' our squad is pretty thin and pretty shite. With only the three starred players likely to challenge into the first 11.

Whilst I dont disagree with the players we have sold, im a bit concerned that we are leaving the squad paper thin.

If we sign VVD and Keita for example our 2nd 11 becomes

Karius
Robinson
Lovren*
Klavan
AlexArnold

Can*
Grujic
Henderson*

Salah*
Origi
Firmino*

Still pretty shit
I know we arent city or united and cant have a world class back up in every position but I hope we see a few more Quality squad options come in.
I cant help feel that if we spend 150m on this pair we all know about we STILL need another CB, DM, AM and CF

Unless we have some shit hot youts I dont know about. And I admit I dont know.

The above squad is not a 2 game a week squad, and looks heavily reliant on Coutinho and Mane still to make us win games.

Good points all round.

Centre mid is definitely a worry, but I think we're going to play Coutinho or Lallana deeper as well, so it could be


Gini, hendo, Coutinho

Can, grujic, lallana

In the yoot, ejaria will get minutes and I think klopp likes chirivella, so there's some mild depth there.

So that's not too bad.

Solanke has said (and it's rare/risky for a player to admit this) he's comfortable anywhere across the front 3 or AM. Then there's Kent and Ojo who might get a look in if mane/salah get injured.

Centre back is also massive concern, even with VVD coming in, mainly because klavan. Joe gomez could still proves useful, however we desperately need at least 1 more centre back, even if it's a highly thought of yoot.

I think our team, personnel wise, isn't great, but it's about how they play together and how we work as a team. We're aiming to bring in players similar to others (keita like Henderson in the all action stakes, but better, and salah like mane, is pacey and African). Only van dijk is different to what we already have, in that he's actually good
 
With Keita and Van Dijk we'll have a balanced squad. Still a bit top heavy, still missing a DM but with enough options. The main question is quality. If we lose Coutinho, can we replace him?
Yes we have Lallana and Wijnaldum but are they as good? No.
We lose Mané can we replace him, yes. We now Salah. Etc etc. That's how I see it.
And my main issues are still LB, and AM.
 
If we lose Coutinho imo we are fucked.
Because in this market even if we get 100m for him we cant get a player as good as him.

In real terms if Morata is 70m and Keita is 70m then Coutinho is 200m because hes that much better than them.
 
The season went to rat shit last season because of a paper thin squad, we haven't added to it, and we're going into the CL too. Unless we are completely jammy bastards with injuries we can't win anything. It's a bit mad innit.
 
If Coutinho goes, hes impossible to replace because he does have that maverick unpredictability which can change games.

We'd have to change how we set up
 
The season went to rat shit last season because of a paper thin squad, we haven't added to it, and we're going into the CL too. Unless we are completely jammy bastards with injuries we can't win anything. It's a bit mad innit.
Thats the perfect abbreviation of my bullshit.

We dont need 2 GREAT players, we need 2 GREAT players and about 5 really good ones.

We were broken by February last year and we were already out of the cups.
Selling Lucas and Stewart you can justify if we bring in better.
But that still leaves the squad as thin.
We need better AND additional.

All that said, I really dont know a thing about the kids, so as Fabio says we may have a shit hot batch coming through this year.
 
Thats the perfect abbreviation of my bullshit.

We dont need 2 GREAT players, we need 2 GREAT players and about 5 really good ones.

We were broken by February last year and we were already out of the cups.
Selling Lucas and Stewart you can justify if we bring in better.
But that still leaves the squad as thin.
We need better AND additional.

All that said, I really dont know a thing about the kids, so as Fabio says we may have a shit hot batch coming through this year.
If we get keita I reckon we'll have 2 great players , and about 7 really good ones

Coutinho and mane are great

Firmino, Lallana, salah, keita, Sturridge, Henderson, can (when form hits) and gini are all very good

The worrying thing about that list there is they're all attackers.

5-4's all seasons then
 
Yeah, last few windows everyone was meant behind the whole getting rid of dead wood and lowering the wage bill. Why? I understand getting rid of shit players but we need numbers, and like you say, 2 great players won't cut it. We must be ten or twelve net lighter than pre Klopp, which in the context of a European free season last year didn't seem so bad, but it did bite us. Now it just seems stupid.
 
I know everyone moans about CB being most important. I personally don't think it's personnel that's the prob there. Not that they couldn't be improved upon but they're good players. They were better players before they got here and they've got worse, and this has happened to all our CBs for a few years, so it's gotta be the coaching.

CM though. Is there any of Henderson, Can or Wijnlandlummmddm would get in any of the sides that finished above us? That's a shocking midfield. It would make sense if we were lumping it up to a big fucker and bypassing them, but they're integral to everything, and they're shit.
 
Yeah, last few windows everyone was meant behind the whole getting rid of dead wood and lowering the wage bill. Why? I understand getting rid of shit players but we need numbers, and like you say, 2 great players won't cut it. We must be ten or twelve net lighter than pre Klopp, which in the context of a European free season last year didn't seem so bad, but it did bite us. Now it just seems stupid.
I still reckon youth is going to make up a lot of the slack in certain areas. In a summer where average as fuck players are going for 20m, I'd rather try some kids and see if they can do well, or make us a profit in the future

Like last time we were in the champions league, but lost Suarez. Rodgers bought 6/7 players who were all decent before they arrived. Ended up being a massive waste of money because they were all shit.

Whether it's a success or it fails we'll have to see, but I don't get buying for buyings sake, when we have supposedly been investing heavily in the academy
 
Yeah it would be ace if a few kids came through the academy. I'd love it to happen. But you can't will it and make it so... Or maybe you can.... Chaos Magick... everyone repeat after me... I believe the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way. Show them all the beauty they possess inside. Give them a sense of pride to make it easier. Let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be.
 
Yeah it would be ace if a few kids came through the academy. I'd love it to happen. But you can't will it and make it so... Or maybe you can.... Chaos Magick... everyone repeat after me... I believe the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way. Show them all the beauty they possess inside. Give them a sense of pride to make it easier. Let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be.
They can be a load of cunt in the academy, as long as they have a good game when it matters

Even Plessis was viera like against the arse
 
I know everyone moans about CB being most important. I personally don't think it's personnel that's the prob there. Not that they couldn't be improved upon but they're good players. They were better players before they got here and they've got worse, and this has happened to all our CBs for a few years, so it's gotta be the coaching.

CM though. Is there any of Henderson, Can or Wijnlandlummmddm would get in any of the sides that finished above us? That's a shocking midfield. It would make sense if we were lumping it up to a big fucker and bypassing them, but they're integral to everything, and they're shit.
They're not shit, they're in your 'very good' category, much as you hate Hendo.
The midfield will likely consist of Lallana and/or Coutinho any given day, plus what's looking a real possibility with Keita.
So at least two great players in midfield that actually would get into most teams.
Our forward line of Mane, Salah, Firmino will be great.
Our first team really was shit when Klopp came. I know we need numbers, but I think improving the starting members should take priority or we'll never win anything even when all players are fit.
This is exactly what Klopp's been doing.

My hope is that the youngsters, with an extra year's experience, can now really step up when called upon. It must be what Klopp is convinced with. Otherwise he would definitely have gone for the numbers.
 
I'd rather we do exactly as we're doing so far this window (but with more success, goes without saying before some smart-arse chimes in). A few very high quality players (Salah, VVD, Keita) and younger players who could become very very good (Robertson & Solanke). IF we get Keita and VVD then we are already much stronger than the excellent team we had last season, up until January. We're fucked if we don't get them and don't cover that possibility with successful bids for our 2nd choices.

For our '1st team' we are actually pretty well covered for occasional injuries/absentees bar CB.

The problem of course is that Chelsea and City now have ridiculously strong squads with half of their '2nd string' able to compete for slots in our '1st Team'. They are easily going to be able to cope with 4 competitions, we are going to struggle without doubt (though can surely compete with the other Top 6 teams in one off matches in the PL) and we'll be using kids and 3rd string for the FAC early rounds and LC again if we are to last the season (and with needing much better luck than last season, with injuries).
 
If we lose Coutinho imo we are fucked.
Because in this market even if we get 100m for him we cant get a player as good as him.

In real terms if Morata is 70m and Keita is 70m then Coutinho is 200m because hes that much better than them.
sorry I meant if Coutinho gets injured. Not if he's sold. I don't think we have another player like him in the squad. You know a creative mid.
 
They're not shit, they're in your 'very good' category, much as you hate Hendo.
The midfield will likely consist of Lallana and/or Coutinho any given day, plus what's looking a real possibility with Keita.
So at least two great players in midfield that actually would get into most teams.
Our forward line of Mane, Salah, Firmino will be great.
Our first team really was shit when Klopp came. I know we need numbers, but I think improving the starting members should take priority or we'll never win anything even when all players are fit.
This is exactly what Klopp's been doing.

My hope is that the youngsters, with an extra year's experience, can now really step up when called upon. It must be what Klopp is convinced with. Otherwise he would definitely have gone for the numbers.

Our midfield is very good is it? I didn't realise, soz. I thought it was the worst one we'd had for years.
 
I guess you have to trust that Klopp knows what the fuck hes doing.
Me im unsure. I think winning the league in Germany (where you only have to be the second best team) is so different from competing in a league with United, Chelsea, City and Arsenal not to mention Spurs and the work Everton have been doing. You need to be all but perfect, because every week 2 or 3 of them will win. In germany (and for that matter France, Portugal, Holland, Italy and Spain) you only have to keep being better than the rest and hope one team slips up.

We are going to have to go so hard every week in the league just to be top 4, that takes its toll.

If we put that second string out vs Southampton or Stoke or West Brom we will get our arses handed to us. In those leagues you really can rest a lot of players when needed and still have enough.

I dont think our league is the best, but fuck me its competetive. There are literally no easy weeks.
 
What I'm concerned about is if we don't get keita and VVD and klopp decides that they were the only two players he wanted and doesn't bring in back up choices. Then we are surely fucked as the squad isn't much better than last season.
I suppose he could swallow his pride and use Sakho but i don't think he will. You know the squad will only get thinner as well because 5 or 6 players will go out on loan before the transfer window closes.
 
Id be amazed if Sakho, Moreno and either Ings or Origi were here next season.
Likewise TAA, Kent, Wilson, Chiravella will all more than likely go on loan.

Thats up to 10 players gone from a squad that broke in half a season in one competition.

If IF we bring in Keita and VVD to add to Solanke and Salah and Robinson we are still pretty much as thin as last year, albeit with a stronger 1st 11.
We will need a run of luck like Chelsea had last year and Leicester the year before with injuries. And they dont play a tempo game like we do.

Last season
Sturridge, Lallana, Coutinho, Mane, Henderson, Matip and Lovren missed a fuckload of games and left us with Origi and Lucas and Stewart etc playing far more than we wanted.

You could argue that Salah will back up Mane. Who backs up the rest?
 
Some assumptions made.

Mignolet : Karius - Ward
Milner : Robertson* - Gomez* - Klavan
VVD* + Matip : Lovren - Gomez* - Klavan
Clyne : AA - Gomez*

Henderson+ Keita* + Coutinho : Can, Wijnaldum, Lallana, Firmino, Ejaria*, Grujic*

Salah* + Firmino + Mane : no real backups to Salah or Mane except by re-jigging the team.

Firmino : Sturridge, Ings*, Solanke*, Origi, Woodburn

*New or unavailable due to injury last season.

That's effectively already 9 changes to the available squad from last season. 3-4 additions to the starting team most weeks. We need to get the Keita and VVD deals done but otherwise we do have reasonable depth and cover. A couple more wouldn't go amiss though.
 
I think most managers would want two full teams of quality to start a new season. Especially when you are in Europe.

Whilst you could question the quality, are we not looking a bit light across the board? Maybe Full back the exception.

Mignolet
Milner
Matip
Lovren
Clyne

Henderson
Wijnaldum
Lallana

Coutinho
Sturridge
Mane

In my opinion thats about our best 11 (apologies Ryan, hopefully you see the point, not 'that should be our team every week' etc)

Karius
Robinson
Klavan
Gomez
AlexArnold

Can*
Grujic
........

Salah*
Origi
Firmino*

Once you get past that 'first 11' our squad is pretty thin and pretty shite. With only the three starred players likely to challenge into the first 11.

Whilst I dont disagree with the players we have sold, im a bit concerned that we are leaving the squad paper thin.

If we sign VVD and Keita for example our 2nd 11 becomes

Karius
Robinson
Lovren*
Klavan
AlexArnold

Can*
Grujic
Henderson*

Salah*
Origi
Firmino*

Still pretty shit
I know we arent city or united and cant have a world class back up in every position but I hope we see a few more Quality squad options come in.
I cant help feel that if we spend 150m on this pair we all know about we STILL need another CB, DM, AM and CF

Unless we have some shit hot youts I dont know about. And I admit I dont know.

The above squad is not a 2 game a week squad, and looks heavily reliant on Coutinho and Mane still to make us win games.

Salah isn't in your best 11? Just pack this in sir. Your talents lie elsewhere.
 
We barely have one good team. Defensively we are 3rd rate with klavan / Moreno still,on the books. Even matip looks clumsy
 
We barely have one good team. Defensively we are 3rd rate with klavan / Moreno still,on the books. Even matip looks clumsy

Can I point out that this is a stronger team than the team that did very well last season, was unbeaten against the top 6, and that topped the league before losing Coutinho to injury and Mane to AFCON.
 
Can I point out that this is a stronger team than the team that did very well last season, was unbeaten against the top 6, and that topped the league before losing Coutinho to injury and Mane to AFCON.

The squad was paper thin at times last season and with champions league football it will be even more strecthed. Our bench at times in second half of the season was desperate
 
Can we afford to rest Coutinho this season? Our game just collapses when he isn't on the pitch. I mean just look at the latest game he played.
Can't we sign some young up and coming creative midfielder?
 
I've been saying this all summer and get labeled a negative prick.

Our squad is rubbish in terms of what we need to compete on all fronts
 
I've been saying this all summer and get labeled a negative prick.

Our squad is rubbish in terms of what we need to compete on all fronts
If we signed Goretzka that wouldnt be an issue. But that money needs to be spent elsewhere.
We can sign someone like Ryan Gould. Just an option.
 
We will have to make compromises somewhere as we don't have the depth to compete on four fronts but so long as we prioritize the league in order to make top 4 again, I'm okay with not adding stopgap players for depth.

Unless we think FSG is going to splash hundreds of millions for multiple seasons in a row, I'd rather we get the players we really want and upgrade in steps. Compete hard in Europe and in the league. I'm tired of turning over half the squad just to get players that aren't any better than what we have. We have some decent youth, let's use them. But use them as pieces of the current team - not putting them all out there together along with Klavan and Moreno and saying that's their chance. Because we all know that's no chance at all.
 
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