26 Dec 2022 22:28:20
Ed's

Interested to hear your thoughts on what you think the clubs thinking is behind the Gakpo deal?

It's obvious the club need midfielders. so I wasn't expected a forward to sign

Thanks.

{Ed002's Note - It seems odd and it is unclear how he will fit in once Jota and Diaz are fit.}

1.) 26 Dec 2022
26 Dec 2022 22:48:48
I can see Jota or Firmino moving on in the summer.

{Ed002's Note - Or both.}

2.) 26 Dec 2022
26 Dec 2022 22:53:33
Maybe Jota is leaving? Seems really odd for real.

{Ed002's Note - I think Firmino will be one of the departures. Unclear how the others will be used.}

3.) 26 Dec 2022
26 Dec 2022 23:01:03
With this signing, its looking unlikely that Firmino will stay. Is there any teams that is interested in both Jota and Firmino ED2?

{Ed002's Note - I am not aware of any interest in Firmino but I do expect him to be available. Jota may replace Firmino.}

4.) 26 Dec 2022
26 Dec 2022 23:07:22
Maybe it’s linked to Bobby’s contract extension not happening?

5.) 26 Dec 2022
26 Dec 2022 23:17:08
Isn’t he a replacement for Ox? Hopefully Keira’s re-lace net comes next and as quick.

6.) 26 Dec 2022
26 Dec 2022 23:20:22
Wouldn't be at all surprised if it is both. Jota has been a good signing but he has picked up a lot of injuries in the two years he has been here. Reckon a decent team would go in for him too, although doubt we'll recoup much of the 45 million we spent on him.

Firmino, confirmation that he is gone.

Salah, Nunez, Diaz and Gakpo fighting for 4 spots seems like balanced and healthy competition. Must admit, little worried about Doak.? Would rather we not block his entry. However, noticeable that when Doak comes on it is always on the right. Diaz and Nunez, more often left. Gakpo, more so a left winger than striker.

So, Salah on the right, Nunez centre and Gakpo and Diaz fighting for the left. Plus, with our system our attackers have a lot more freedom to roam. Should be interesting. Be interesting to see if we go for a midfielder too. Or, save up for a big signing in the summer.

7.) 26 Dec 2022
26 Dec 2022 23:45:25
Should be interesting to see. I'm going to guess that Nunez/ Jota are slotted for the middle if Jota doesn't move on.

Diaz/ Gakpo on the left, Salah/ Doak on the right.

I assume this means Carvalho moves to midfield (seemed like he'd been playing as a winner, but I'm probably wrong about that) . I think Firmino is the odd man out when all are healthy.

If both Firmino and Jota move on, I think the Salah/ Nunez/ Diaz/ Gakpo/ Doak rotation could be a lot of fun. And now having Elliot/ Carvalho/ Bajcetic working into the midfield is interesting.

8.) 26 Dec 2022
26 Dec 2022 23:52:20
Looking forward to VVVV telling us he’d be a bad signing because his dog barks too much.

9.) 27 Dec 2022
26 Dec 2022 23:56:52
Can Gakpo play upfront? Maybe klopp sees him as the central figure with salah nunez or Diaz in the wide positions.

Nunez finishing isn't upto standard yet but he is a big threat on the left. Quick powerful and always a threat.

Nunez and Gakpo upfront in a 442 also gives our attack a different dimension. Time will tell, if we can get a quality midfielder in too then it’s a good window.

10.) 27 Dec 2022
27 Dec 2022 00:12:17
Thanks for your insight Ed. Very strange signing in my book.
Hope you had a good X-Mas and New Year. Same for all reading.

{Ed002's Note - Thanks.}

11.) 27 Dec 2022
27 Dec 2022 00:12:44
I hope we are still going to try to a sort midfield signing.

12.) 27 Dec 2022
27 Dec 2022 00:12:55
Think we have the five subs rule to consider. Klopp likes to have plenty of attacking options.

Maybe Bobby will leave in the summer but having 5 or 6 forwards is not so outrageous when you can change 5 in a game and when you want to challenge for EPL AND champions league.

Let’s see if a midfielder is to follow in the next few days.

13.) 27 Dec 2022
27 Dec 2022 00:45:48
£37m is not a lot of money nowadays so worth a punt - if it doesn't work out they will likely get their money back. If it does, then it will help move on another player on big wages not contributing as needed/ expected and free up funds for elsewhere.

14.) 27 Dec 2022
27 Dec 2022 01:13:22
I've seen Nunez coming in as an upgrade on Origi- a tall physical 9. Diaz is an almost like-for-like replacement of Mane- although a bit more inclined to want the ball to feet. and I guess Gakpo is an upgrade on Minamino? Both are right footed and comfortable on both wings, although better off the left. I mean for all we can criticize Minamino he provided good squad depth and kept us in all comps last year when salah and mane went to afcon.

At the moment jota, firmino and diaz are all injured and we have noone but ox and elliott to replace them. Ox can't be relied upon and elliott isn't suited to the position. This is when minamino would play and we'd be saying how he saved our neck.

I always considered jota as the utility forward but with him injured so often this doesn't make him suited to this role in the squad anymore. a side that wants to challenge for titles can't rely on quite so many injury-prone players. gakpo could be a sign that management want to clear out the dead wood.

if we sell/ let leave jota, firmino, ox, keita, jones, gomez, and matip in the next couple of transfer windows this will create a massive amount of space on the wage books and a little bit of cash to bring in a few higher quality less injury prone players that will complete the squad transition.

i'd be choosing bellingham in the henderson role, enzo for thiago and someone like caicedo for that wijnaldum kind of player. the squads been dying for a ball winner since he left. i think bajcetic could eventually replace fabinho but he's not ready to anchor yet. gvardiol is my left cb of choice and bella kotchap would be a steal if southampton go down this year. one can only dream.

15.) 27 Dec 2022
27 Dec 2022 01:34:12
I see this as a move to get our guy a window early. I have no idea obviously, but it feels a bit like Diaz last Jan.

16.) 27 Dec 2022
27 Dec 2022 02:15:07
@Paisley Park, as it’s not very much, can I borrow $37 m please.

Nice work by all of those tipping Gakpo as our first signing …….

17.) 27 Dec 2022
27 Dec 2022 02:52:14
I think we signed Gakpo because:

1)Diaz is Injured and expected to be back on 04/ 03/ 2023 and he won't be available on these matches:

-Premier League* Brentford 02/ 01/ 2023
-FA Cup third round* Wolves 07/ 01/ 2023
-Premier League* Brighton 14/ 01/ 2023
-Premier League* Chelsea 21/ 01/ 2023
-Premier League* Wolves 04/ 02/ 2023
-Premier League* Everton 13/ 02/ 2023
-Premier League* Newcastle 18/ 02/ 2023
-Champions League round of 16* Real Madrid 21/ 02/ 2023
-Premier League* Crystal Palace 25/ 02/ 2023
-Premier League* Manchester United 04/ 03/ 2023

2)Jota is Injured and expected to be back on 04/ 02/ 2023 and he won't be available on these matches:

-Premier League* Brentford Away 02/ 01/ 2023
-FA Cup third round* Wolves Home 07/ 01/ 2023
-Premier League* Brighton Away 14/ 01/ 2023
-Premier League* Chelsea Home 21/ 01/ 2023
-Premier League* Wolves Away 04/ 02/ 2023

3)Maybe Firmino is leaving on a free next season or now on the january transfer window.

4)He has the potencial to be a World Class player and had a low transfer value like Salah when he is was a AS Roma player.

5)VanDijk talked to Klopp about how great he is as a player and person.

18.) 27 Dec 2022
27 Dec 2022 03:40:37
VakPa - despite all those games missed, I don’t think we move to sign someone like Gakpo unless he is someone we want and we’re expecting to let someone walk in summer or sell someone. Doubt we make the move otherwise.

19.) 27 Dec 2022
27 Dec 2022 04:22:12
£37 million isn’t a lot of money? You read some rubbish on this site sometimes. For a Premier League club £37 million is still a decent sum of money and for 99% of football clubs in the world it’s an absolute fortune.

20.) 27 Dec 2022
27 Dec 2022 06:48:25
Can we be real now. £37m is cheap in todays market for a club at our level.

21.) 27 Dec 2022
27 Dec 2022 07:49:28
Andy Robinson was cheap - £37m isn’t cheap unless it’s someone else’s money you are talking about.

22.) 27 Dec 2022
27 Dec 2022 09:02:27
Remember the crying on here when we signed Robbo for £8m because he didn't cost £50m, come from Monaco and wasn't called Benjamin Mendy.

23.) 27 Dec 2022
27 Dec 2022 10:05:53
WDW - Robertson wasn’t cheap he was daylight robbery ??

And c’mon man let’s not play that game about whose money it is. We all get that. If we can step back into our world now, shall we list the reported fees for richarlison, Anthony, Coutinho, grealish, Sancho, our own Darwin. In relative terms it is Reportedly a cheap deal and funnily enough falls in line with our usual approach given how much we paid for Mane, Mo etc way back when.

24.) 27 Dec 2022
27 Dec 2022 10:18:14
Hopefully his cheapness means we have enough for Bellingham and in January.

{Ed025's Note - his cheapness will depend on the fee/agents fee and wages WM, but did you really need another left winger?, you have jota, diaz, the clown and now gapko,....bloody hell mate you have got more left wingers than the labour party.. :)

25.) 27 Dec 2022
27 Dec 2022 10:36:07
Obviously I was talking in relative terms re the transfer fee, £37m for a young international forward who has posted the numbers he has this season doesn't seem a gamble. Especially in a time when we are being linked with not one but two £100m+ midfielders.

{Ed025's Note - in the past i have been linked to carol kirkwood and beyonce PP, that never came to fruition either mate.. :)

26.) 27 Dec 2022
27 Dec 2022 10:37:16
Happy Xmas Ed025. Hope you and yours had a decent one. Agree it looks like overkill but Klopp likes a forward as we know and maybe he sees this guy as defending from the front as we miss Mane in that respect. Diaz is physically weak and easily pushed off the ball and Klopp doesn’t trust Carvalho over a full season yet. Ox, Firmino will probably be off and with Diaz and Jota injured it makes sense to me as long as we have lined up a midfielder or two.

{Ed025's Note - thats the $64,000 question WM, i had a good christmas mate and hope you and yours did too mate cheers..

27.) 27 Dec 2022
27 Dec 2022 13:14:09
He can play across the front 3 can't he? Did he not play on the right and as a 10 in the World Cup?

Think this transfer would indicate we'll not see much of Jota or Diaz this season with injuries. Would still love a cm but are they maybe going to wait til summer for that?

28.) 27 Dec 2022
27 Dec 2022 15:51:34
A couple quick thoughts on Gakpo.

I found it to be an odd add at first, but Gakpo plays a lot of midfield. Seems to be the attacking midfielder Klopp has been seeking while also bringing versatility to play his natural position of wing or even 9.

Firmino seems to be moving on for sure this summer.

With the perpetual expansion of the schedule along with the PL moving to 5 subs, the minutes will be there to keep guys happy. It seems appropriate to have 5 stellar attackers in the rotation (Salah, Nunez, Diaz, Jota, Gakpo) . I'm upset though if I'm Fabio Carvalho. I'm thinking I've played well when I've gotten minutes and you've blocked my developmental path as a footballer. Why did I ever sign with LFC? That could pose a problem as we continue to attempt to bolster the quality of our academy.