06 May 2015 12:38:09
I keep seeing posts about full backs lately and just wanted to start a little debate on the subject.
The club currently has 10 full backs all ready for senior football. Now you're probably wondering where the hell I've pulled 10 from!
Well first there are 2 pretty much certain to stay:
*Moreno - Will probably be our first choice left back next season.
*Flanagan - despite his recent injury set back, it's hard to see us giving up on him so soon and besides, who would buy him right now when he's out for 9 months?
Then we have 2 pretty much certain to leave:
*Johnson - far too high wages and not enough ability to justify them anymore.
*Enrique - arguably the worst defender at the club. Too many lapses in concentration and not enough intelligence on the ball either.
Next we have 2 players whose futures are completely up in the air:
*Wisdom - has had a good spell at West Brom but hasn't pulled up any trees either. At 21 years old surely it's too early to write him off? I think he's more than good enough for our squad.
*Manquillo - doesn't really strike me as any better than our own youth prospects so I'm not sure I'd want to take up the option to sign him permanently.
We also have 3 players who're coming up to an age where they need to be in and around senior football to improve:
*McLaughlin - has struggled with injury but it's getting ridiculous that this wonderfully talented wing back still hasn't had a single first team appearance. Looked very good in pre-season.
*Smith - got afforded one cameo last season out of position against Chelsea (great job Brendan) and then hasn't been seen since. Had his loan deal cut short due to a contract dispute. Once again Liverpool demonstrate why they are a terrible club for young players to develop into senior players.
*Stewart - signed last summer from Tottenham the 21 year old has had very succesful loan spells and good runs in the reserve team. Looks like he could be a very useful squad player already and certianly won't want another season of going back and forth between the reserves and league 1.
Lastly we have 1 exceptional talent in the U21's who will probably start knocking on the door next season:
*Connor Randall - impressed during pre-season, has also looked solid for the reserves this year and probably needs a well thought out career plan now to develop him into a senior player.
So there you have it. 10 full backs all ready for senior football in some capacity at varying levels of the game. So before we sign Trippier, Montoya or Byram the club really needs to get it's act together and sort out the 10 already at the club. Our management is absolutely attrocious sometimes as at least half of these players probably have no idea what the club has planned for them next week, let alone next season. Our management of young players, loans and transfers simply must improve.
Out of the 3 full backs we've been linked with Trippier is hands down my pick. Montoya hasn't been great recently hence why a club banned from transfers is still willing to sell him and Byram is just another young prospect and probably isn't even as good as those we already have at the club. Trippier on the other hand has played in every single one of Burnley's premier league games this season and stood out as one of their best players. He's even created a fair amount of goals despite being defensively solid. Only problem is he might prefer a rumoured move to Southampton based on our form this season. As i say though, we shouldn't even be considering him until we have cleared up the current mess!
Personally I would like to see Johnson and Enrique moved on, Manquillo sent back to spain, and McLaughlin and Smith should be found loan deals with clubs in strong leagues who verbally agree to give them significant game time.
I would go into next season with Moreno, Trippier, Wisdom and Stewart as our senior full backs with Flanagan to hopefully come back from injury after Christmas (although I'm worried it may be another full season out when physio and match fitness is considered) and Randall continuing to develop in the reserves for now making the odd cameo for the first team in cup games.
We cannot afford to keep messing these players around though with ill-planned spontaneous loan deals and constantly signing other clubs academy products to provide squad cover. Sign players to come straight into the first team and use our own graduates as back up.
I'm interested to know what other posters and even Eds think of this mess though, which 4 full backs they'd ideally go into next season with, and what you'd do with the others?
{Ed001's Note - to a point I agree with you, though I wouldn't sign Trippier, I would give McLaughlin the chance to make the position his own, with Wisdom as his cover in case of injury. After all, in an emergency, we have other youth prospects or even Can, Hendo, Sterling etc, so why bring one in? Sending McLaughlin out on loan seems counter productive to me. He needs to play now, with us.}
06 May 2015 12:56:22
Good shout Ed001. I have to admit though, since LFC tv decided to put profit first I haven't seen a lot of the U21's. Does McLaughlin look ready to be a first choice Premier League right back now? He certainly didn't look far off it back in pre-season but I think he missed a chunk of the season with injury. Thanks for the reply though mate.
{Ed001's Note - it is impossible to really tell until they get given a chance. Look at Flanno, he was a million miles away from being a Prem right back until desperation forced us to give him a chance. Harry Kane was woeful in loan spells and yet he has had a great season. The only real way to find out is to give them a run of games.}
06 May 2015 13:15:41
I would absolutely love to see Mclaughlin and Wisdom get a run of games at RB next season but everyone knows its not going to happen. We all have to accept that the club will sign a RB with Flanno injured and most of the players EMS listed above are highly unlikely to even get a look in. Stewart is another interesting case as is Smith who could be back up to Moreno but i just do not see the club showing enough faith in so many youngsters unless something drastically changes.
06 May 2015 13:23:31
I personally don't see the need for a right back but I'll want a left back especially if garbutts available on a free. I think fot the rb position a lot will depend on whether McLaughlin can seize his chance. Play him in preseason and a few league ganea see how he gets on wisdom will always be available and Emre can do a job there
{Ed001's Note - I would love us to add Garbutt it must be said.}
06 May 2015 13:34:19
I agree with you on all of the above except I don't think we need Trippier, I don't think he's good enough so I would rather we play what we have.
The likes of Bellerin for Arsenal would surely be the same as McLaughlin getting games for us the start of the season, or even Stewart. He's now ahead of Chambers (who may go CB alright and yes a better prospect).
I'd like us to play our own young fellas to find our own Bellerin. We have enough for RB and money should be focused elsewhere instead.
06 May 2015 13:59:07
Eds, What is the situation on Enrique? I know owners must want to move his wages, but is there interest from any club?
{Ed001's Note - I know of no interest in him at all. Maybe Thomas Cook could employ him as a hholiday rep?}
06 May 2015 14:20:22
Agree with everyone we really need to start giving these young lads a chance.
Look at sterling if we had bought konoplyanka the other January would sterling have gotten as much of a chance as he did.
Our youth ranks are full of brilliant prospects its about time we really see if they can make it.
06 May 2015 14:47:02
Brad Smith refused a contract extension sometime last year and has been frozen out I think. He will leave in the summer.
I think it is time to move on the likes of Stewart, Pelosi, Yesil, Lussey and Vigouroux, who are all at ages when you really need to start plying regular senior games, and they are not going to get it at LFC and plays in positions where we have more than enough players in the first team squad.
06 May 2015 15:05:04
I thought Enrique already had a new role at the club?
Isn't he Sterling's chief travel agent and fluffer?
06 May 2015 15:13:06
Again biased as I hoped we would have gotten Konoplyanka but think he would have improved our chances of securing the title. Not saying he would have clinched it for us but is a different player to sterling.
More of a wide player and a much better shot on him, but more importantly have to remember our options available at the time.
Ibe & sinclair was what 17? Ojo 16? We had no real attacking options on the bench besides Moses.
But agree about the FB thing we are fine in that position - striker and DM for me!
On a side not how good is Ward? Surely he can be an improvement on Jones?
06 May 2015 16:52:37
Ed001- on Trippier how come you wouldn't want him. On the few occasions I've seen Burnley he's looked good and I remember thinking the same about Clyne in the last and he's had a great season. I have however not watched him an awful lot. On McLaughlin I remember him making his debut under I think Rodgers in the first pre season and thinking he was going to be a good player, but he's never been given the chance
{Ed001's Note - I just don't see the need for Trippier, he is not good enough to make a real difference to our team, so why spend money on him? We would be better off putting the money towards a player that will.}
06 May 2015 18:29:14
If you could choose a right back who was attainable who would you go for? I would prefer us to go for somebody younger rather than say Alves or Adriano who's names I've seen mentioned.
06 May 2015 19:04:01
Trippier might b a good player BUT Burnley is NOT LFC and like his buddy Ings, are not what is needed. If we can`t buy a good RB then give the young boys a chance because at least, they know the expectations of playing for a big club because they grew up in that culture. Look at Flanno and Raheem when KK gave them their start. Flanno started in a big game vs City and the composure he showed was mind-blowing and so is Sterling who needs work BUT is a top talent. Same with Mcloghlin. i saw him play the first half in a freindly vs Roma in Boston in 2012 and I remember saying to myself that this kid will be special. How did we know they were good enuff if we did not play them? We need our youngsters playing now and the ONLY way we will know if they are good enuff is if we are commited to playing them like the saints play theirs. Unfortunately w/ BR in charge, that will NEVER happen hence if you wanna see these players, you know what needs to be done.
06 May 2015 18:54:54
I'd go for a new right back too.
I think Moreno lacks positional sense and would prefer us to upgrade on him too.
Maybe we'll go for Micah Richards (RB), Milner (Mid) and Ings (strk) as we have no money and they are all out of contract?
06 May 2015 20:58:39
Zeddicus, no that's Kirikou mate, he fluffs Sparky's tail as well.
06 May 2015 22:04:45
Ryan Mclaughlin is literally the worlds most injury prone player, this season he has played in 5 or 6 u-21 games and was taken off injured in 4 of them. Although he has potential and is excellent going forward i don't think he will ever make it, not only at Liverpool but anywhere, he is that injury prone! Manquillo will be recalled by Atletico Madrid, Flanno will miss probably most of next season, Johnson is going. Andre Wisdom is no RB he just isn't mobile or agile enough for a role like that and is best at CB. So we have Conor Randall and Andre Wisdom as cover. A quality RB is needed if Emre Can isn't going to play there next season. Kevin Stewart has been playing his best games out on loan and in the U-21 in a defensive midfield position and LB. So he could be good for cover as is Jordan Williams for DM & CB.
06 May 2015 23:09:57
Montoya? Can also play LB.
07 May 2015 04:03:31
Whatever happens I would simply be happy if the club stopped throwing money away in positions that do not justify the expenditure. If we have a lot of decent prospects then we should be giving them time to make an impact. I mean McLaughlin has been talked about as a youth prospect for years yet has never been given a chance, it's beggars belief. I think ed001 has hit on the important point though - no matter how ill prepared a player looks for the premier league you simply have no idea how well they will do until you thrust them into that sort of atmosphere. Sometimes they'll wither, sometimes they will absolutely shine - if we never give them a chance we'll never find out! I hope we start giving our youngsters more time to impress. At the moment it feels like a merry-go-round of loans with absolutely no chance of any youth player being given a decent shout.