24 May 2017 10:16:15
I’m interested in, for lack of a better word, the interest in Luan. There are a few reasons why he seems an unlikely target. Ed2’s told us about the problems with his ownership which would have to be sorted out before he joined us, that in itself isn’t the biggest deal but to go through all that trouble would suggest he’s very highly sought after. Looking at his history, however, he’s not the next big star to come off the Brazilian conveyor belt but a good talent waiting for a chance to show if he’s the real deal or not. Securing his signature seems like a lot of effort for what appears to be a speculative purchase.
The next thing is his position, I believe that Liverpool are short of a top class goal scorer (Studge could be it but who knows if he’ll ever be fully fit again) so I assumed that Luan was being looked at for that role but that’s not his natural position. I’ve read some of what Tim Vickery’s written about him and he’s variously described him as a false 9 or second striker (who can also play wide) . That puts him into Firmino territory which again raises questions, why bring in Luan when we already have Bobby? What would be his role? Perhaps he’s being considered as a straight back up to Firmino but again why would we go to so much trouble to bring in a backup?
Vickery does seem to rate Luan, in 2014 he praised his maturity, vision and natural ability and thinks it was his introduction in 2016 that made the 2016 Olympic Gold medal winners gel. Most recently he has talked about his clever movement and eye for a pass so if he comes there is every chance he will be a success but he doesn’t seem to meet any of the criteria we’re looking for as I understand it, left wing isn’t his best position and he’s not an out and out goal scorer.
There’s every chance that Klopp is a lot smarter than me and has identified a role that suits Luan down to the ground, after all Wiji has done well in a position we didn’t think he was suitable for last summer, but as a simple fan I’m not sure I get it. My guess is that he’s going to be a rotation forward adding depth to a front line containing Firmino, Origi, Studge, Mane, Ings, a new left winger and a couple of youth players. We do need more depth for next season but that seems quite excessive.
24 May 2017 11:40:24
Klopp is simply putting together a more complete 25 man squad, given that we're back in Europe and perhaps he's more ambitious this year with the two Cups. Unlike other teams in the top 6 this season, we had a big drop off in quality once we went past the starting 15-16 players, and used the bench. It's time we stopped shifting players around in case of injuries and absences and developed a bench with players who are closer to the quality of the starters they replace. Who is Coutinho's sub in case of injury? Mane's? Firmino's? (Origi is a completely different kind of player) . Luan is the ideal type of player who can slot in to any of the front 3 positions - and he'll be busy enough with Europe, the League and the two Cups. And what's wrong with using a rotation on a more regular basis? Players accept it everywhere. Another argument for more rotation is the fact that our players clock the highest average of miles run per game. Fresher legs mean fresher minds too when the season is in the closing stages (I clearly think our players looked somewhat tired at times during the last 10 games) . It's okay to look at and wait for talent to develop (Ojo, Woodburn, Wilson, Brandt - all under 21) but if you're ambitious for titles and silverware, you need the players who'll come and hit the ground running and make an impact like Wijnaldum (26) or, hopefully, Luan (24).
24 May 2017 12:50:51
I don't disagree, I'm just surprised we'd go for an expensive guy who's only ever played in South America rather than a safer option from the European leagues.
24 May 2017 13:22:05
Ra1969 - well thought out post as usual.
24 May 2017 13:54:47
Putney - I know we don't disagree. You were asking a question and I simply offered a possible answer. If we look at the benches of Chelsea, ManC, ManU, Spurs, you'll see plenty of players who are primarily benchwarmers who were bought for 30 or 40 Mil. So buying a 20 Mil player is hardly a stretch (for even the low table teams) nowadays. The fact that he has no European experience is probably why he is only valued at 20+ Mil. He'd cost far more if he had some experience, given that it's an EPL team showing interest. I read very often that we can't afford this player or that player. It just sounds like a bit of blablabla to me. If you aspire, and if you have ambition to compete with the big boys, you've got to act like a big boy yourself and at least have the same weapons they use. History, legacy, tactics and an ambitious manager will only take you so far. Thanks AndyM.
24 May 2017 14:03:11
I'm not too convinced about the Luan option even tho the Ed's have confirmed that we are interested. I have not seen him play so I can't make a tru assessment of his ability but then again, I had never seen Alex Texeira play yet Klopp wanted him badly in the 2016 January window. Only time will tell.