08 Apr 2017 23:54:18
Hi Ed02
I really respect your obvious knowledge of the game and I am thankful of your contribution to the site. I appreciate your views more because I know that you are unbiased in respect to Liverpool FC. I have heard with alarm but also consideration your opinion on Klopp. I would like constructive criticism on his strengths and weaknesses and what he can do to improve . Do you believe that he is flexible in adapting to changes or can be . Does he have competent support staff?
{Ed002's Note - My point is his lack of flexibility in being able to adapt to changing circumstances and his inability to have a team which has different options in how to play available to them. Many of his dealings in the transfer market have been questionable. Personally I think he needs some additional help – whether it be a professional Director of Football (rather than a performance analyst which is what Liverpool has now) or better coaching staff I don’t know. I have explained before in far more detail and perhaps you should check through the search engine.}
09 Apr 2017 09:05:54
I've often wondered if our defensive errors are down to the coaching staff. Because personally think we have good defender, at least better then our defence shows. We tend to defend well for most of the game but then just an daft individual errors gifts the other team a golden opportunity. Remember someone saying we don't actually allow a lot of chances for the other team just a lot are converted. which normally tends to be a stupid error leading to a near inmissable chance.
Transfer wise I think we've done ok, but could've done better. sorry if I misquote but if we get some of the targets linked with (say Brandt, Perreria, azmoun, and a gk) then personally would be made up.
09 Apr 2017 09:13:54
I respect you views Ed002.
I do not believe Klopp lacks flexibility to be honest. He has worked wonders with the squad which was left to him. Yes he has made some decisions which need to be questioned like bringing Mignolet back when he should have stuck with Karius.
You say that Klopp promised FSG that he could win the League with this squad. I mentioned the other day that up and until December last year Klopp set us up to challenge for the League title and got us playing football which made every single team shake in their boots. Obviously defensively we need to see Klopp improve. That is the only missing link now. The intention from Klopp was there to take the League and unfortunately football is an unpredictable sport. Key players were missing since the turn of the year. Sh*t happens.
Klopp has also made it clear on a few occasions that he is not going to just sign players for the sake of filling gaps in the squad otherwise we will end up in another situation where we pay ridiculous fees and wages for players who do not improve anything.
The other thing you may agree upon Ed002 is that Liverpool will be taking far fewer risks in the transfer market with CL football on offer (fingers crossed we qualify) as we will be able to compete better in the market with the other teams when fighting for players signatures.
This coming summer will be make or break for Klopp and strongly believe that he will get things right.
{Ed002's Note - He has not worked wonders with the squad that was left to him. He had the likes of Firmino, Coutinho, Lallana etc already waiting. Klopp promised the owners he sould win the league with the team inherited, not the team as it is now. He didn't. He din't even come close. Teams were not shakinging "in their boots". You are seeing stuff that simply isn't there. I have no idea what you mean "taking fewer risks" in the transfer market.}
09 Apr 2017 09:26:44
Much appreciated Ed , I support the guy and genuinely believe that he is going to be a success or maybe it's just blind hope . The English game is of such a high standard and so competitivethat any flaws that a manager may have is quickly exposed . It is good for the development of their management skills and I sincerely hope that he has the ability to adapt . I asked about his support staff because apparently his assistant is called the brain . Surely it must be obvious that smaller teams have worked out a method of playing against us .
{Ed002's Note - His assistant is not the "Brain" - it is "Brian".}
09 Apr 2017 09:37:36
Many players that we target in the summer will surely want to be playing in the CL? If we do not qualify for CL then we end up having to offer much more to compensate which leads to taking bigger risks.
Coutinho may still leave too but CL football could be the difference when it comes to his decision making. CL football will put us in a more level playing field with the other big teams when it comes to the transfer market?
For us to replace a player like Coutinho (if he decided to leave) without having CL football on offer is going to be a massive stumbling block. That is when big risks come into place.
That is just may view of course.
09 Apr 2017 10:39:18
Ah well Liverpool can't buy the league like some teams so all we can do is work with what we have. If that's Klopp and the current squad so be it.
09 Apr 2017 13:29:48
Fair enough he had the likes of Lallana and Firmino there but most people were of the opinion neither of them were good enough before Klopp arrived. i think he's done aswel as he could with the squad competing against some very good teams in this league. As far as transfers go i don't tink any of his signings so far have been failures and three of them have been starters wvery game when fit. for the money spent that's a very good ratio.
{Ed002's Note - You think that Klavan and Karius were good buys? The loan of Caulker sensible? The removal of Sakho a good idea?}
09 Apr 2017 13:51:31
Ed02, I disagree with a part of your comment. You say Lallana, Firmino and Couts were already here and waiting. That is true BUT they were dire under the prev. manager especially Firmino and Lallana who BR signed BUT had no idea what to do with him nor where to play them and that argument can be applied to Can as well. He has made these player much better and turned Mane into a true menace to all teams in the PL. He gets credit for that, IMO.
If he promised the owners to win the PL with the squad he had then he has made a serious blunder as we all know this squad is not good enough. Managers promise a lot of things when they come in just like Rafa and BR especially, did too so nothing new here and Regardless of that, he has my full backing as he has improved us immensely since he got here overall. Has he made mistakes? Yes. Does he need to adapt or get more assistance in areas? Prolly. we will see what happens in the summer esp. with CL footie on the cards, hopefully.
I know you don't think he is as good as many make him out to be and you make tangible arguments for your opinion BUT I simply disagree and d that's fair.
09 Apr 2017 14:04:24
Yes, Klavan is what he is. a £4m back up central defender who wouldn't have been expected to have played as many games this year. had some bad games but also put in some good performances. On Karius yes i do think he was a good signing, again he's young didn't cost the earth and has a lot of potential. I actually would have kept him in goal instead of bowing to the pressure and putting Migs back in. Can i ask do you think Karius was a bad signing? i ask because usually you would slag off supporters who make up there minds on players after a few appearances, especially thost as young as Karius.
{Ed002's Note - That is fine, so Liverpool players who are not good enough are fine if they were not too expensive. This is getting to be like a whole new world for me.}
09 Apr 2017 14:25:06
Find me a better central defender than Klavan for the money spent on him though.
{Ed002's Note - Balanta, Neustädter, Ivanovich, Alex, Kirchoff, Matip, Skrtel, Terry and no doubt others were out of contract. I am sure plenty of others were available for less than £5M.}
09 Apr 2017 14:29:19
Do you think Karius is a bad signing?
{Ed002's Note - I think that the club could have signed someone better or stuck with what they had with Mignolet and Ward until they could afford better.}
09 Apr 2017 14:47:58
I think signing one of the Bundesliga's top 2 or 3 keepers at 23 years of age for under £5m will prove to be a great signing for the club. I have full faith in Klopp in the market, NO manager is going to be 100% in the transfer market.
{Ed002's Note - Why do you keep mentioning the money - it is not relevant to how good he is. He is the number one for Klopp but not playing because of the fans.}
09 Apr 2017 14:58:45
Not going to win on this one ed2 has his opinion on Klopp. And won't budge on it. Klopp never inherited a squad as good as Jose, conte or pep and has got us on at least same level as utd and city this season. Also yes Klavan not best cbk in the world, and has made some mistakes but has done well in a lot of big games also. Look at mangala stones etc £82m worth of cbks who have made as much if not more mistakes than Klavan. He's a decent back up, whos probably played more than we wanted him to due to matip and lovren injuries. Every club make s poor buys Conte been brilliant and bought well but still bought a £32m striker whos sat on bench and a possibility to leave in the summer! Love this site and thank ed's for there work and knowledge.
{Ed002's Note - What has it got to do with Manchester City or Chelsea? This constant defection and unwillingness to accept Klopp is anything other than "world class" - he isn't.}
09 Apr 2017 14:54:03
Our defence needs work but we're scoring enough goals to compensate for that and it looks likely we'll make the top 4. Our performances against the better sides suggests we've got the quality to challenge for the league if we can only get a bit more consistency and I'm hoping we'll be another step closer next year.
Klopp may have made some bold claims that he hasn't backed up yet but it was always going to take a while to go from losing 6-1 to Stoke to challenging for the title. Ignore the inflated reputation and I'd say Klopp's had a positive impact.
09 Apr 2017 14:59:55
As a manger He is limited and even he knows it. He might / might not win the league. Much will depend on how many more players he buy in the summer. Liverpool have been trying to buy the league ever since FSG took over. The difference being they paid money on championship players wouldn't win a tea cup let alone a PL title. Not sure what are the wonders he has worked with the squad. Adding Mane is not a wonder imo.
09 Apr 2017 15:17:30
"Neustädter, Ivanovich, Alex, Kirchoff, Skrtel"
Really? I think this says it all. Klavan isn't great but bliney he's better than these guys! We'll leave it there I think. Let posters make their mind up on who'd they rather have. Not even bothering to get into the kind of wages players like Ivanovich and Alex would want.
{Ed002's Note - The Liverpool fans put him down as pond life (as they do with most of the rest of the players).}
09 Apr 2017 15:20:27
Was a reference to them as to show that every club/ managers get transfers wrong. And yes Klavan and karius maybe not the best we could have got, but as a team we can't throw £30m at nearly every signing then repeat if he fails. So yes Klopp is far from perfect and will get it wrong at times but I feel he has done well and has been brilliant for the club. As I said before I appreciate all the time and knowledge you guys put into site.
09 Apr 2017 16:29:31
maxlfc,
You state that Klopp should have stuck with Karius. Then you say that, up to December, Klopp had set us up to win the league, playing football that had teams shaking in their boots.
I'm afraid the 2 comments don't add up. Yes, we were in a position to go for the league up to December, but then he brought Karius in, who almost single-handedly in the space of 4 games, took us out of that position to challenge for the title.
Furthermore, had he kept Karius in, we wouldn't now be biting our nails every week with the scramble for 4th place, as we would be sitting comfortably in mid table.
09 Apr 2017 16:31:53
So Klopp has been a failure because he didn't win a title with the team he inherited as he supposedly promised? How is that a failure? If he did make that promise then he's only guilty of taking the piss.
09 Apr 2017 18:47:47
Kloppometer, We were never in the running for the PL especially with the holes in our team yet to be filled, our small squad blighted by injuries. Anyone with some form of realism could see that. You were duped into believing that by the media and the pundits (especially the LFC-related ones) due to our fast start to the season as Klopp NEVER said anything like that. That is your fault, not Klopp's.
09 Apr 2017 18:54:14
"He's a limited manager and he knows it". How do you know that? Did he tell you or do you have inside information. He's so limited that the "Super Unlimited Managers" can't beat him regardless of where we play them, right? "Mane is no wonder". Wow, you are really scraping the bottom f the barrell to slate Klopp for bringing in a player who is arguably our best signing in years based on his immediate impact.
By the way, did your god Rafa win the PL in the six years here? Did BR win the PL in his three years here? If the answer is No then why are you judging Klopp over not winning the PL in his first full season? Give it a rest, men. You may not like Klopp but you are embarrassing yourself with your incohesive comments always slamming him even when we win. Desperate much?
10 Apr 2017 10:21:24
I don't know much about the others, but Skrtel, Ivanovic and Alex are better than Klavan? If they are, by how much? 0.5%?