26 Jan 2019 16:54:05
I know the ed said we have 5 players who can change a game for us. I'm guessing that was Alisson, VVD and the front 3. For me It's 6. I think Fabinho is in that list too.

1.) 26 Jan 2019
26 Jan 2019 17:21:41
Game changing is too vague. Shaqiri or Sturridge can change a game and have done this season on more than one occasion.

I'd say we have 7 players who are in the top 5 in the world in their positions; Alisson, Virgil, Robbo, Fabinho, Mane, Firmino and Salah.

2.) 26 Jan 2019
26 Jan 2019 17:46:17
Mk interesting that mate. Are you thinking of them as midfielders and forwards or their designated position on the pitch. Ie is Fab a Cm or a Dm and Mane a forward or left winger etc. For me I don’t think Fab is there just yet for top 5 in the world, Mane is an interesting one as I’m a massive fan and for me Bobby misses out of top 5 strikers. He is absolutely essential to our system but don’t think he scores enough as a striker to suit other teams systems as a striker.

3.) 26 Jan 2019
26 Jan 2019 18:36:18
JK23, I'll elaborate briefly.

Fabinho is top 5 at RB or DM.

Mane is top 5 at LW or RW.

Salah is top 5 at ST or RW.

Virgil is top 5 at CB.

Robbo is top 5 at LB.

Alisson is top 5 at GK.

As for Firmino, there is quite simply nobody like him anywhere near his level. Fabinho called him a "9, a 10, and an 8" just this week. He's right too. Firmino plays all 3 roles simultaneously to a top class level. Who else does? Alli maybe potentially? Fekir pre-injury? Hamsik before his legs started to go? Messi if he could be bothered to track back? Firmino is the easiest pick for me because he is unique to world football and that makes him irreplaceable.

All subjective of course so it's only my opinion for all 7 players. But I'd love to hear a legitimate counter argument against any of those 7 that wasn't just a rival fan trying to get a bite. Our problem is with our squad depth. Our first XI is not far off being the best in Europe.

4.) 26 Jan 2019
26 Jan 2019 18:57:53
You forgot Suarez MK. He looked like he was playing 8,9,10 and 11 at times!
Shame he couldn’t keep his teeth to himself 🤦🏼‍♂️.

5.) 26 Jan 2019
26 Jan 2019 19:34:46
I wouldn't say Suarez does that anymore Bobby, but you are right. He used to. Nowadays he is more an out and out striker.

6.) 26 Jan 2019
26 Jan 2019 19:37:38
Yes, you are right MK. To be honest I can't remember the exact words the ed used, but for me Fabinho should be in the list when we talk about our best players, Robbo too.

7.) 26 Jan 2019
26 Jan 2019 19:44:38
Adam, when i read your post, i immediately thought "at least one of those can't be right", but when I thought about who would be higher in the list, you're right, i can't think of 5 better players in each of those positions. Robbo might be the weakest of the choices, but the lack of competent lb's probably gets him in.

8.) 26 Jan 2019
26 Jan 2019 19:46:49
MK really enjoyed that read. And you put forward a great argument. For information I am a massive fan of all the players below.

I’m not going to lie I’ve never actually seen Fab at Rb so I cannot comment on that. As a Dm he’s been great for us the last couple of months. There are not many great Dm out there so he might very well be in that top 5. For me if he continues his form he will not be far off the best one out there in Kante.

Mane I’m a massive fan of and on his day could easily be argued that he’s top 5. But that could be said about a lot of players in his position worldwide.

Firmino for me is world class and suited to our team. But would he do the same job and score the same goals at another club like City that Aguero does. Or Kane at Spurs, or Suarez / Messi at Barca, Lewandowski at Bayern, Ronaldo at Juve or Cavani at PSG.

The rest I agree with top 5 easily due to their quality and consistency.

9.) 26 Jan 2019
26 Jan 2019 20:03:28
Crazy isn't it Rugby Parker. I tried to think of 5 myself and I could barely get 2 in some of their cases.

With Salah all I had ahead of him was Messi.

With Mane I only had Hazard and Mbappe.

With Robertson I was deliberating Alex Sandro, Alaba and Marcelo. I couldn't order them though. They all leave gaps behind them at times but as you say the quality of left backs is low in world football.

With Fabinho all I had was Kimmich, Hysaj and Azpilicueta at RB, or Kante in DM.

With Virgil I had Varane level and nobody else near to either of them.

With Alisson I had De Gea and Oblak level, maybe marginally ahead.

And with Firmino I couldn't think of anyone close enough to him positionally to make a fair comparison.

JK23, I genuinely think all of those teams would sign Firmino in a heartbeat. Fabinho is a monster at right back. First choice there for Brazil.

10.) 26 Jan 2019
26 Jan 2019 20:06:27
MK sorry to disagree but sturridge is no game changer anymore, hide and seek champion maybe but game changer definitely not! I loved sturridge but after the game with wolves it just highlighted his lack of desire to play for us, wether it’s the style or he’s lost something I don’t know? But I honestly think for his sake he needs to move on and try and revive his career with someone else and I honestly hope he comes good somewhere else but I never want to see him play for us again because his last performance was pathetic. I’m not basing it on his last performance as most of his games of late have been the same, but the wolves game where he should of stood out and lead from the front but went hiding just showed he’s lost interest.

11.) 26 Jan 2019
26 Jan 2019 20:14:02
Pegleg that was my point mate, you're agreeing with me 😂 Game changer is too vague. Sturridge is not what I'd consider to be a top player. Not even close. But he came on against Chelsea earlier this season and smashed in a 25 yard screamer to change the game. So I disagree with using that phrase to categorise who our best players are.

12.) 26 Jan 2019
26 Jan 2019 21:19:38
Mk would you have Fab in ahead of Taa at Rb then? Just looking at our starting line up in our must not lose City game less than a month ago and Klopp chose not to play Fab at Rb or Dm. He’s also replaced Bobby with a RW at striker this season.

13.) 27 Jan 2019
26 Jan 2019 23:11:52
In the top 5 means World Class, obviously, MKS, so I think you are being a tad generous with Robertson and Fabinho, just yet. I think Mendy, Filipe Luis and Kurzawa will have a word to say before you place Robbo ahead of them. And I think the same about Ndidi, Fernandinho, Doucoure, Matic and Torreira having something to say if you place Fabinho just behind Kante (why are we even looking at him at RB if he hasn't played a single game for us over there, yet? ) .

Don't get me wrong. These two players are spectacular for us right now and I wouldn't change them for anyone else. I just think they are not so "head and shoulders above the rest" like our other 5 seem to be.

14.) 27 Jan 2019
27 Jan 2019 00:19:57
Yeah I love Klopp JK, but he bottled it by dropping Fabinho. He went back to the tried and tested, played it safe, and it backfired.

15.) 27 Jan 2019
27 Jan 2019 00:56:59
Interesting read that, agree with most of the comments, but got to big up my man Firminio, trying to argue he's the best in his position (role) is easy as nobody in world football does what he does he's a one off and as long as he's given freedom he'd improve any team anywhere.

16.) 27 Jan 2019
27 Jan 2019 00:58:17
Give Bobby the keys to the city . The bloke in unbelievable.

17.) 27 Jan 2019
27 Jan 2019 01:09:00
ArAy, I'll give you Felipe Luis as a reasonable suggestion. Kurzawa not a chance though; not yet. Mendy, I have always maintained is not as good as Robertson. I said it at the time when both signed for City/ Liverpool and I stand by it. He is anonymous defensively; bordering on incompetent actually.

Ndidi, Doucoure, Matic and Torreira are miles off Fabinho. Literally miles, and if they had anything to say about that they'd be on a wind up. Fernandinho is very good though and I would've included him if he wasn't lucky to escape two yellow cards most weeks. He's probably just top 5, but not as good as Fab for me.

I genuinely think people are just scared to admit we have some of the best players in the world because they're scared of disappointment. A team with only 5 world class players would not be pushing this City team like we are. Because Ederson, Laporte, Fernandinho, De Bruyne, Silva, Sterling, Sane and Aguero are all world class players.

18.) 27 Jan 2019
27 Jan 2019 03:40:20
Love the spirit here, but honestly think that’s a bunch of rose tinted glasses mate. To a Liverpool fan like you and I, absolutely these players are TOP draw and I wouldn’t replace any of them. But if you ask a neutral, very few will agree with your assessment across the board.

For example, people saying only Mbappe and Hazard are forgetting there exist players like Greizmann, potentially Dembele, Lozano, Sterling, Sane, Suarez, Alexis Sanchez, Perisic and many more.

19.) 27 Jan 2019
27 Jan 2019 08:12:33
Mk agree with what you say on the city selection and the midfield 3 Klopp picked was disappointing considering the run and form some of the others were in. That’s what I love about this site. Getting to read everyone’s opinions regardless of whether they are against mine and to be honest quite a few people have swayed some of my thinking.

20.) 27 Jan 2019
27 Jan 2019 08:56:08
MKS, it's all very subjective, as you well know, so you and I do see some things differently. I'm not afraid at all to say that we have an amazing squad right now. The table does not lie; we are not on top due to luck or the others under-performing. We thoroughly and completely deserve to be where we are.

Perhaps I am saying that "the system" we play with is the real champion or reason for our success? A combination of superior footballers playing in a well oiled system that utilizes their individual abilities and talents? Did we have 7 World class players last season? Or has "the system" (and adjusting or adapting it) pushed the team up to that much of a higher level?

Maybe I've watched way too much football over the years and have become a little too pragmatic than I would like to be. A team with 7 World class players that is yet to win any title yet? My preference is to whisper such words rather than go into the town square and beat the drum, about it. But you and I can go out into the town and raise hell about it once we win EPL and CL this season. 😉.

21.) 27 Jan 2019
27 Jan 2019 10:00:47
Last season I'd say we had 4 ArAy. Robbo was not at that level quite, and Fabinho and Alisson had yet to sign.

Klopping, of all those players you listed only Ousmane Dembele, Sanchez (and frankly, I'd say you are crazy if you'd swap either of them for Mane), Perisic and Sane play the same position as Mane. Sanchez has 4 goals in 12 months, and Dembele couldn't get a game 5 months ago. Sane is a fair shout though and I'd dare say most non-reds would put him ahead of Mane. I'd always pick Mane because I think his form is less patchy than the younger, inconsistent Sane. Mane also protects his full back far better. But that's a reasonable argument. Perisic is a really strange suggestion. You know he has 3 goals this season right? He's a good player but not even in the same debate as Mane, Sane, Hazard and Mbappe.

Sterling and Lozano are both mainly right wingers and only Sterling out of them is actually a better right winger than Mane. Lozano is living off the hype of one world cup goal. He's still not scoring as many goals in Holland as Jozy Altodore managed. Remember Assaidi?

Suarez is a striker. Unless you meant Dennis? In which case get help!

ArAy, I think you are not the only person against publically admitting our players are world class. These suggestions are getting desperate now 😂.

22.) 27 Jan 2019
27 Jan 2019 10:03:37
Oh Klopping, I missed Griezmann. He's a central striker too so if you want to argue he is better than Salah, go for it!

23.) 27 Jan 2019
27 Jan 2019 12:21:53
GK-Alisson/ Oblak/ DeGea/ Stegen/ Courtois
LB-Robertson/ Alaba/ A. Sandro/ J. Alba/ Marcelo
CB-VanDijk/ Varane/ Laporte/ Koulibaly/ Umtiti
DM-Fabinho/ Kante/ Busquets/ Fernandinho/ Casemiro
LW-Mane/ Hazard/ Neymar/ C. Ronaldo/ Sane
RW-Salah/ Messi/ Mbappe/ Sterling/ Bale
ST-Firmino/ Dybala/ Lewandowski/ Suarez/ Griezmann.