One step forward, one step backwards.

[Halmeister]

I probably could've posted this elsewhere, but I didn't want it to be lost without promoting discussion.

It seems whenever we find ourselves with a star player they go on to end up wanting out. That's fair enough, given how mediocre we have been over the last decade or so. My issue here really is that we get so close, then the star player wants to leave before we can add the final pieces of the jigsaw.

There's already cause to be optimistic for next summer with the announcement of Keita - a midfielder we have been crying out for. But with the probability of Can and Coutinho leaving next summer, is Keita just there to replace one of them? Will him coming in and them going out just be more of the same - us keeping our heads above water as we wait for the final piece of the puzzle? Will he eventually want out by the time we get the top quality stars to play alongside him ensuring it's always one step forward, and one step back?

 

[doctor_mac]

It's all futile. We're trudging towards death. What's the point of a rose blooming if the flowers lose their petals and fall, corrupted, to the earth?

 

[Atlas]

Re coutinho it really depends on what the hierarchy have told him.
Many are suggesting he's possibly been told he can leave next summer, if so I'm sure he'd just crack on. There wouldn't be the whole family meetings and looking like they are at a funeral stuff.
He's been told to shut up and put up, rather than hey we'll let you go next year.
I'd really like us to sign up Can long term that really needs to happen asap.

On the wider point, id agree it does tend to happen to us too often, Torres out Suarez in was annoying cos them two together would have been unplayable

 

[Halmeister]

Yeah Suarez and Torres was what sprung to mind. We always seem to finally put together a squad almost capable of the title and we then end up having to dismantle it. I fear it's gonna happen again with Coutinho and Can getting off.

Are we destined to 'languish' in our current position, just within touching distance of really kicking on?

 

[beejay]

Not under Klopp. Back him and it won't matter if we lose a good player every now and then.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

 

[gene hughes]

I probably could've posted this elsewhere, but I didn't want it to be lost without promoting discussion.

It seems whenever we find ourselves with a star player they go on to end up wanting out. That's fair enough, given how mediocre we have been over the last decade or so. My issue here really is that we get so close, then the star player wants to leave before we can add the final pieces of the jigsaw.

There's already cause to be optimistic for next summer with the announcement of Keita - a midfielder we have been crying out for. But with the probability of Can and Coutinho leaving next summer, is Keita just there to replace one of them? Will him coming in and them going out just be more of the same - us keeping our heads above water as we wait for the final piece of the puzzle? Will he eventually want out by the time we get the top quality stars to play alongside him ensuring it's always one step forward, and one step back?

Sometimes you get lucky and it clicks. We a bit more luck we could have won the league in 2009 and 2014.

But yes. It does feel like that sometimes.

 

[jimmy]

Well, this vicious circle must be broken some time.
I guess we have to win the league or the CL, and then things will move smoothly forward.

 

[dantes]

It's all futile. We're trudging towards death. What's the point of a rose blooming if the flowers lose their petals and fall, corrupted, to the earth?

I do not expect you will ever write anything so beautiful again.

 

[doctor_mac]

I do not expect you will ever write anything so beautiful again.

I've got plenty more in the bag.

 

[Woland]

And a massive pair of pendulous testicles too. Like a blood orange and a grapefruit caught in a wind sock.

 

[Dirty Sanchez]

And a massive pair of pendulous testicles too. Like a blood orange and a grapefruit caught in a wind sock.

You really are completely broken aren't you.

 

[moron]

It always feels like this but in truth - it's not generally the case and never has been. In the past 27 or so years we probably really had missing player pieces for about maybe 4 or 5 seasons.

1) If we take the late 90's when we actually had a good squad it was never a lack of talent that caused us problems - it was a lack of discipline in the players and their general attitude. We had a good enough squad of players to handle Man United, but lacked strong management and the players were never focussed enough.

2) Under GH - we had strong management, and the playing pieces were put together in a matter of 2 seasons but sometimes you felt the manager did not play the pieces needed to make a difference - rather he would pick those he liked.

3) Rafa - again we had the players and we did challenge - but they could not win it could they ? - I really think the pressure got to them and they imploded at the final hurdle (along with the manager).

4) Rodgers - you cannot argue we did not have the players - we "slipped" up.

5) Klopp - last season - top all the way to Jan - injuries - lack of depth and players being made of fucking soft glass.

The question of building up a team and players leaving :-

a) Torres leaving ? - well he saw Macha/Alonso go and our ownership was chaotic - yes he would leave. Alonso you could say was forced out by Rafa and I distinctly remember people on here saying he is not consistent.

b) Sterling - probably did not rate Rodgers, and given the performance of the team after Suarez left you can understand.

The Coutinho situation is really surprising - he basically is being led IMO - look at the state of Barca, and even the comments by Neymar - someone is pulling his strings. It ain't a case of Brazilians always wanting to play for Real/Barca - not too long ago in living memory - it was the Italian teams. Remember the original Ronaldo - leaving for Inter Milan from Barca ? - it was the agent pulling the strings.

As for selling your best players - there was one team in Europe that did this every season after winning the title - Juventus under Lippi, they did it with regularity in the mid 90's to early 00's. Back then neither AC/Inter/Roma were shit - this goes to show having a balanced team can get you places with the right manager.

The key for any team is the manager - no one else matters in reality - yeah it helps having the right players - but just look at us ? - last season we were absolute possession masters of the ball - can you imagine that under Rafa ? - no fucking way, but he would give you a more solid defensive game. As for our missing puzzle being VVD - yeah we do need an organizer but if I was Klopp I would probably be thinking this:-

1) We can defend and win against the top teams
2) Towards end of last season we had a number of clean sheets, and just recently we prevented Arsenal to zero shots and kept a clean sheet ... against one of the most attacking teams in this league - WTF ? - don't tell me they cannot defend they can.

We need to stop looking at our defense with a fucking microscope for every slight chance that the opposition have against us. If we start conceding 2 goals per game AND keep winning with a one goal margin/drawing/losing then clearly we have issues.

so what gives ? - attitude and concentration of those we currently have in defense. The thing with Klopp that is different to any of the managers I have listed above is that he does not dictate to the players - the way he talks, you get the feeling the players themselves understand they need to improve in certain areas, he makes players better and gets the best out of them. That's why all these fuckers out there want to come to us and suck LFC's cock.