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Has Suarez already been replaced?

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Squiggles

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I'm talking about the signings of Coutinho and Sturridge. Are they good enough to replace Luis Suarez in terms of goals, assists and all round general play?

In my mind we definitely don't need to blow all the £45M on one 'world-class' striker/replacement, because the ability of Sturridge and Coutinho is more than enough to compensate providing Coutinho is at No 10 and Sturridge a No 9, and Rodgers has proven, to an extent, that he can find quality players on a budget. There are doubts about Sturridge's fitness, as well as Borini's ability, but Aspas has made a reassuring start and I can see him producing a decent goal-return from numerous positions this season and providing sufficient competition to Sturridge.

If you're agreeing with me up until this point, where should the money be spent?

On the basis that we've got £45M from Luis and £20M left from our transfer budget, totalling £65M. Bear in mind we might not be left with a lot of time to invest this money to wholesale squad changes cannot be expected.

------------------Sturridge/Borini/Aspas------------------
--Ibe/Aspas--------Coutinho/Alberto-------Downing/Sterling---
--------------Lucas/Henderson/Allen/Gerrard--------------------
---Enrique------Skrtel/Toure/Wisdom/Agger----Johnson/Kelly
--------------------------------Mignolet------------------------------------

Time for a bit of wishful thinking: Lucas has looked decent in pre-season and showing encouraging signs that he's fully over his injury so I wouldn't invest in the CM area unless we were able to shift one of Henderson or Allen for decent money (which seems very unlikely) because otherwise we're too crowded in that department. More wishful thinking: Tactical tweaks and adjusting our team shape should help us iron out the defensive flaws from last season. We've had all summer to work on the shape, on when to go forward, when to press, when to return to position. I expect to see an improvement and rightly so. I also think Allen will step up and surprise people this year. He's already being written off and talked about as an average footballer, but he isn't, and I expect him to show it.

I agree with Rodgers in that the attacking areas, particularly the wider areas need strengthening. We need one player ideally capable of playing No 10, as well as the wider positions with experience and quality. Pace isn't a factor, we have Ibe and Sterling for that, but they'll need someone who is going to make the right decisions in tight areas, a strong shot, and capable of playing one-touch football to interchange effectively with Coutinho and Sturridge. I've no idea who this is, but I'd sanction £20M on him.

LB - Definite investment needed £6-8M. Enrique needs to be constantly challenged for a place. Any replacement should be very defensively minded, because then we would have the option of moving Enrique further up the pitch where he has shown he can be very effective.

Now I'm left with £38M. I'd blow it on a CB, a RW, and the best striker we could get for £15/16M.

In summary that's suggesting we need 5 signings in the space of three weeks, which I admit seems unrealistic, but that's what we need. Hopefully by the end of January 2014, all of this will be in place.

What would you do?
 
It's not what I'd do but what it seems is happening (and not much dissimilar to your squad) :

----------------------Sturridge/Borini/Aspas/Costa ------------------
--Ibe/Aspas---------Coutinho/Alberto-------Costa/Sterling---
----------------Lucas/Henderson/Allen/Gerrard--------------------
-Enrique/Cisshoko------Papa/Toure/Wisdom/Agger----Johnson/Kelly
--------------------------------Mignolet------------------------------------

That's 3 more in if they all happen and the rumours are all true. From the way Rodgers is talking there could be one more forward involved too. Even without Suarez it's one of the strongest squads we've had for a long long time. Imagine if he stays.
 
I'm not convinced on Sturridge's ability/attitude to lead the line of a side aspiring for top 4.
 
If we sell Suarez without bringing in another top class player, Coutinho and Sturridge will be the next to leave .
 
Borini is rather shit, and Sturridge is injury prone. Relying on Sturridge, Coutinho and Aspas isn't going to cut it.

If we can't replace Suarez in the next 2 weeks (which would be extremely difficult), I'd just rather keep him.

And that's not even going into the decidedly average CB-CB-DM triumvirate we have. To my mind, that's the core of a good side, and Agger-Toure-Lucas are nowhere near good enough for a top 4 side. It pains that we seem intent on doing nothing to change that either.
 
Even taking the most optimistic view of where our team is at, and assuming Coutinho will continue his run of good form, and that Sturridge will improve, the easy, short answer is no, of course not.

We may be feeling that he's a similar sort of cunt, but Suarez leaving this summer is absolutely nothing like Torres leaving. Suarez was at the very peak of his powers last season, and did so much for our team, and not just goal scoring. His movement was incredible, and he made so much space for other players, and was willing to work far more than most top top end forwards are. Sturridge can be an effective player, and if his finishing improves considerably, he can be very productive with good players behind him, but Suarez did both of those roles himself at times. Sturridge looked better because of Suarez, he will have to be sharper to get some of the same chances.

Suarez is one of those players who isn't necessarily directly replaceable, bar some masterstroke signing of someone who just explodes into brilliance once they are thrown into our team. Instead you are right, it makes sense to spread the wealth around. It looks like that's what the plan indeed is, as Frogfish lays out. The new striker we buy doesn't have to be Suarez good, but he has to be really solid, otherwise we'll struggle.

The problem is I don't see that team being a massive improvement on our current mediocrity in terms of the best 11. Our central midfield is still uninspiring, and our defense is questionable. It all would come down to whether players like Henderson and Allen find some real improvement in form (Henderson looked the more likely on the basis of the tail end of last season), and whether whoever we bring in at CB can settle quickly into a team that hasn't shown good defensive coaching in the least bit. On the plus side he may be able to make a defensive header, which is something that has eluded much of our back 4. The key is that it has more strength in depth than what we currently have, which should pay dividends over the course of the season, if Rodgers knows what he's doing.
 
Something BR said a while back and I would agree with is the need to have some 7/10 players in the squad. Obviously you need the top quality guys but to back them up, you need the steady-eddie types.

BR has said and shown, when possible, that We will play a midfield three with one holding (Lucas) and two further advanced (Gerrard, Allen, Hendo) for most of the games. I'd look to bring another DM that being the case. I'd go for Diame from West Ham. Won't cost the earth on fee or wages. He's powerful, athletic and I think just what our midfield has been missing, a bit of steel. £4/5mil would probably seal that deal.

If we were to have the type of cash the OP suggests then I'd go for a quality left back, a quality centre half and another striker/goal scorer. At this point of the post I am struggling to give names but surely there is another Kompany out there. Another A Cole playing at a small-ish European club who could be picked sub £10mil. City found Nastasic and he looks the business. Can't recall them paying over the odds for him and don't we know have two of City's scouts working for us??
 
Even taking the most optimistic view of where our team is at, and assuming Coutinho will continue his run of good form, and that Sturridge will improve, the easy, short answer is no, of course not.

We may be feeling that he's a similar sort of cunt, but Suarez leaving this summer is absolutely nothing like Torres leaving. Suarez was at the very peak of his powers last season, and did so much for our team, and not just goal scoring. His movement was incredible, and he made so much space for other players, and was willing to work far more than most top top end forwards are. Sturridge can be an effective player, and if his finishing improves considerably, he can be very productive with good players behind him, but Suarez did both of those roles himself at times. Sturridge looked better because of Suarez, he will have to be sharper to get some of the same chances.

Suarez is one of those players who isn't necessarily directly replaceable, bar some masterstroke signing of someone who just explodes into brilliance once they are thrown into our team. Instead you are right, it makes sense to spread the wealth around. It looks like that's what the plan indeed is, as Frogfish lays out. The new striker we buy doesn't have to be Suarez good, but he has to be really solid, otherwise we'll struggle.

The problem is I don't see that team being a massive improvement on our current mediocrity in terms of the best 11. Our central midfield is still uninspiring, and our defense is questionable. It all would come down to whether players like Henderson and Allen find some real improvement in form (Henderson looked the more likely on the basis of the tail end of last season), and whether whoever we bring in at CB can settle quickly into a team that hasn't shown good defensive coaching in the least bit. On the plus side he may be able to make a defensive header, which is something that has eluded much of our back 4. The key is that it has more strength in depth than what we currently have, which should pay dividends over the course of the season, if Rodgers knows what he's doing.
Certainly not in disagreement with most of that, Suarez is a wonderful footballer that will be dearly missed. On the pitch.

However I am going to stay slightly optimistic if we manage to replace him with a new AM and a new STRIKER/FORWARD as Squiggles mentioned, especially down to the fact that we as a team actually won more games without Suarez than draw or lost them last Season. 7 out of 12. That's statistics and can be used as one like of course, but still, I believe it at least shows we are not as headless without him as I myself would've feared at one point.
 
Yeah everything Fark said.

I'm still not ready to base all my hopes on two players that have only had a good 6 months. Lets see how they do this year and without Suarez.
 
I happen to think that, if we could sign him, Muriel would be an excellent replacement as a Suarez - type player.

Add Costa to Muriel and I'd wager we'd be stronger overall.
 
Have we ever been properly linked to him?

He seems to have emerged as a 6CM favourite based on a very tenuous link.
 
Eriksen and a striker (probably Coast) could conceivably be bought with the fee from Suarez, I think that added to what we already have would cover the creative/goal scoring deficit left by el rata
 
So Suarez gets sold, bring in a striker Costa/Benteke/Lukaku (take your pick), Eriksen and Pappa. Squad sorted. I'm not sold on either Henderson (despite improvement) or Allen at this point. We need someone who is all action and contributes in goals at the heart of our midfield.
 
I think statistics would show that we did ok without Suarez last season.

Binny!

I really don't like the idea of comparing a 4 game stretch without Suarez (against 2 teams that were in free-fall, one that was average at best and a draw against the one team that actually wanted to fight) to what we did with him. He's one of the best players in the world, and we're a better team with him.
 
So Suarez gets sold, bring in a striker Costa/Benteke/Lukaku (take your pick), Eriksen and Pappa. Squad sorted. I'm not sold on either Henderson (despite improvement) or Allen at this point. We need someone who is all action and contributes in goals at the heart of our midfield.
I would happily blow all the money we may get for Luis on Lukaku but not going to happen 🙁. If we sell him and bring Cissoko on loan, Costa and Eriksen then we will be in great shape in my opinion. Keep the rest of the money until Jan and see who we can get then.
 
I'm talking about the signings of Coutinho and Sturridge. Are they good enough to replace Luis Suarez in terms of goals, assists and all round general play?

In my mind we definitely don't need to blow all the £45M on one 'world-class' striker/replacement, because the ability of Sturridge and Coutinho is more than enough to compensate providing Coutinho is at No 10 and Sturridge a No 9, and Rodgers has proven, to an extent, that he can find quality players on a budget. There are doubts about Sturridge's fitness, as well as Borini's ability, but Aspas has made a reassuring start and I can see him producing a decent goal-return from numerous positions this season and providing sufficient competition to Sturridge.

If you're agreeing with me up until this point, where should the money be spent?

On the basis that we've got £45M from Luis and £20M left from our transfer budget, totalling £65M. Bear in mind we might not be left with a lot of time to invest this money to wholesale squad changes cannot be expected.

------------------Sturridge/Borini/Aspas------------------
--Ibe/Aspas--------Coutinho/Alberto-------Downing/Sterling---
--------------Lucas/Henderson/Allen/Gerrard--------------------
---Enrique------Skrtel/Toure/Wisdom/Agger----Johnson/Kelly
--------------------------------Mignolet------------------------------------

Time for a bit of wishful thinking: Lucas has looked decent in pre-season and showing encouraging signs that he's fully over his injury so I wouldn't invest in the CM area unless we were able to shift one of Henderson or Allen for decent money (which seems very unlikely) because otherwise we're too crowded in that department. More wishful thinking: Tactical tweaks and adjusting our team shape should help us iron out the defensive flaws from last season. We've had all summer to work on the shape, on when to go forward, when to press, when to return to position. I expect to see an improvement and rightly so. I also think Allen will step up and surprise people this year. He's already being written off and talked about as an average footballer, but he isn't, and I expect him to show it.

I agree with Rodgers in that the attacking areas, particularly the wider areas need strengthening. We need one player ideally capable of playing No 10, as well as the wider positions with experience and quality. Pace isn't a factor, we have Ibe and Sterling for that, but they'll need someone who is going to make the right decisions in tight areas, a strong shot, and capable of playing one-touch football to interchange effectively with Coutinho and Sturridge. I've no idea who this is, but I'd sanction £20M on him.

LB - Definite investment needed £6-8M. Enrique needs to be constantly challenged for a place. Any replacement should be very defensively minded, because then we would have the option of moving Enrique further up the pitch where he has shown he can be very effective.

Now I'm left with £38M. I'd blow it on a CB, a RW, and the best striker we could get for £15/16M.

In summary that's suggesting we need 5 signings in the space of three weeks, which I admit seems unrealistic, but that's what we need. Hopefully by the end of January 2014, all of this will be in place.

What would you do?

The most worring thing about that, is the mere fact that with all the new options we have up front, you still manage to have Downing's name there.
 
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