27 Jun 2017 08:40:51
Dear Ed002.

First time posting on this forum. Thank you for the good work. I wanted your opinion on our current squad. Do you think it was strong (good) enough to win the league?

{Ed002's Note - No it needs to be improved. Bad decisions were made over a number of key positions in recent windows.}

1.) 27 Jun 2017
27 Jun 2017 08:57:36
By recent windows. do you mean in Klopp's time too? Don't think Klopp's signings have been that bad. Agree about signings under Brendan Rodgers. Too many mediocre players signed under his watch.

{Ed002's Note - Caulker, Klaven, Karius, and what happened with Ward were hardly great choices in my eyes - but hey if you are happy.}

2.) 27 Jun 2017
27 Jun 2017 09:05:49
in my opinion we need 3-4 singnings (not saying we should go for them this summer) : decent LB, strong CB, another creative CAM (for the time Coutinho needs a break) and a solid GK.

The LB and CB Situation will be solved this summer, at least i hope so. The other CAM and GK aren't that important but i think would be helpfull with the GK more important imo. Mignolet and Karius are both solid but nothing compaired to lloris or Courtois.

We could also solve the CAM problem by buying a good Striker because Firmino played as a CAM for Hoffenheim and done a really good job there.

But those are just my thoughts with probally a lot of people disagreeing. :D.

3.) 27 Jun 2017
27 Jun 2017 09:11:10
Hi ed002 100% agree with that answer.

4.) 27 Jun 2017
27 Jun 2017 10:11:29
Rodgers did also bring in some of our best players. Both Rodgers and klopp and every other manager in the world buy players who succeed and some who fail.
Does everyone rate lloris? I'd say he is far from solid. Makes some right howlers coming out for balls he has no valance of getting. I'd put Mignolet on par if not ahead of him on Simons end of season form, and most of the season to be fair.

5.) 27 Jun 2017
27 Jun 2017 10:39:14
Yeah I totally agree Ed and Mark.

Matip, Widj, Mane, and that Salah no pedigree what so ever. What is he thinking.?

I mean Karius and Klavan should have hit the ground running really. Every player needs 2 games to settle before a constant barrage of abuse.

In fact if we don't win 10 nil in our opening fixture I think I am done with this good for nothing, lying, cheating, under performing, good for nothing club.

But don't worry I'll still sing you'll never walk alone before every game and some times at the end before I start moaning.

Peace Brothers ✌️.

6.) 27 Jun 2017
27 Jun 2017 10:59:12
lloris has a good back line in front of him that's the difference though.

7.) 27 Jun 2017
27 Jun 2017 12:50:09
Nice one, Alfie. I agree JTaylor that a good backline will always help any GK regardless of his talent or lack thereof. Karius and Migs never had that until recently and that is where improvement is needed as Karius is a very talented GK, no question and Migs has upped his game as well. The backline is where we need to improve first and foremost.

8.) 27 Jun 2017
27 Jun 2017 12:42:33
Alfie, Ed002 was referring to the reasons for transfers as well as the players.

Caulker - we did not need a CB, he was rarely if ever used as a CB and therefore was a waste of wages and/ or any bonus he got for joining on loan. The only saving grace is that he was a loan not a purchase so less of a waste of money than otherwise.

Karius - was bought to be No 1 and then dropped after a couple of poor performances which are only to be expected from a young player in a new league. With hindsight, it may have been better to keep Ward and give him a go in rotation with Migs, and therefore save the transfer fee. Karius may yet come good, but its looking increasingly like Ward OR Karius, not both. GK is one of the positions that you really don't need much competition for, as GKs tend to work better with confidence in them rather than constant chopping and changing. Of our 3 most successful GKs in recent history, their understudies a) got no more than a handful of games in their entire Liverpool careers and b) were not world class GKs themselves (thinking of Clemence era, Grobbelaar and Reina) .

Klavan, hasn't exactly inspired confidence, although been a solid 6/ 10 in most games. Has ended up being used more than I expected, so not as unnecessary a signing as first thought and one that, on balance, I would disagree with Ed002 and say he has been an OK piece of business. However, may be been better to use Ilori or Wisdom to finally decide on them rather than loaning them out.

As I said, of the 3 pieces of business mentioned by Ed002, I agree Caulker was a waste of money; Karius/ Ward could go either way as I still see Karius as a shrewd acquisition, but I see that it would have been better to either give Ward a run, commit to Migs or buy a proven No 1; Klavan in hindsight has been OK in my view as we've ended up needing that extra CB due to injuries, but we'll never know if Wisdom or Ilori could have been equally effective and saved the fee.

So, what Ed002 is saying is not "these players were rubbish so chastise Klopp" but "these players were not needed, so save the money to put towards the targets that were", for example coughing up the extra for Chilwell by saving on Klavan, or going back a bit further, pay the extra £500k for Ali.

Its got nothing to do with writing off a player before he has signed, or not supporting them on the pitch, its all about best utilising our valuable cash.

9.) 27 Jun 2017
27 Jun 2017 15:35:39
Zeddicus: i fully agree with you. Karius was also dropped because of all the media attention he got. Every week he got shat on in the media and if you have that presure on you, espacially if you came from a small club like Mainz to the PL. If he gets enough confidence he is a very solid keeper as he as proven to be in Mainz.

Klavan is a funny one. He never really struck me as a stong defender for Augsburg. To be honest the only times i noticed he were when he scored goals and i rarely miss a weekend of Bundesliga football. Also Klavan didn't believe that Liverpool was actually interested in him. Klopp had to sent him a picture/ facetime him that he believed it. He thought Klopp calling was a prank. :D

And to round it up i think Caulker was a solid striker.

10.) 27 Jun 2017
27 Jun 2017 09:50:27
Would last summer not be seen as a successful window? some smashing players brought in at decent prices. Also. if the club can bring in the players we seem to want, it'll be the best summer window i can remember at Liverpool.

{Ed002's Note - What did it bring in terms of success?}

11.) 27 Jun 2017
27 Jun 2017 11:52:31
Ed Caulker cost us nothing and at least Klopp learned not to listen to certain people. Klavan's not bad backup for a fiver and it's too early to judge Karius imo.

I think the fact that last summer 32 players were sold, released or loaned out must emphasize what a huge renovation job had to be done after the Blunderbuss Brodgers years.

{Ed002's Note - Caulker did not cost nothing. How many of the 32 players were first team players. Why is the club going nowhere after all of this money has been spent. Ah, transition.}