14 Apr 2021 09:55:23
This is the current situation I see at the club and would be interested in the Eds view on it, if I’m right or wrong.
We have a group of players at the club or on loan who seem to be no longer preferred options and deals/ decisions need to be made, these include, Origi, Shaq, Wilson, Grujic to name a few.
Our key players are aging and losing value due to that, a quick look at the squad shows at the start of the season in August we will have
Hendo 31, Salah 29, Mane 29, Bobby 30, VVD 30, Thiago 30, Matip 30, Milner 35. And that is the start of the season.
Luckily the AFCON did not occur this year during the season, as with our injuries quite frankly we would have been in a relegation battle now, but it will next season, and will take place from 9 January to 6 February 2022. They will probably depart before the start to join the teams for training. That means we will lose Matip, Keita, Salah and Mane for over a month potentially.
Add to this we seem to struggle with the home grown quota year after year. The stadium needs developing further and we have lost a fortune due to C.V..
For me we have to seriously look at a squad overhaul, the likes of Mane, Salah and Matip have to be looked at due to age, market value and AFCON participation. He has Jota, Minimino and Elliot (Ox can play wide) but does Klopp see them as replacements upfront?
Chelsea have rebuilt with youth, UTD have a lot of young lads and are building a younger side, City seem balanced and have the cash, we seem to have left ourselves eposed, mainly due to seling lots of young players (for various reasons) which helped fund the Prem winning side.
That’s how I see the current situation, like I said Im interested in the Eds view on it but that’s me taking off the red tinted glasses and trying to be honest and objective. I believe we need to sign a few younger quality players and preferably a few british.

{Ed002's Note - I think it is largely correct.}

1.) 14 Apr 2021
14 Apr 2021 10:20:36
We can't overhaul our team in one season we're not chelsea . slowly but surely players will be phase out by our board/ back room staff. Age has got nothing we are still a class team compare to when Klopp arrived. I don't see Real having any issues with their ageing team which I keep hearing are finished for last 5yrs. We've the best manager in footy today when it comes to building teams. We're in safest hands let's focus on Madrid today #YNWA.

2.) 14 Apr 2021
14 Apr 2021 10:50:04
I don’t think we need to worry too much about the age of our players in the immediate future, they are all largely in their primes and playing good football. We don’t need a huge rebuild, we just need to continually add/ replace players year on year, a little bit at a time. I think it’s very clear this year who needs to move on and who has earned their place.

We already have Jones, Elliott and possibly Minamino ready to step up, with Phillips potentially taking the place of Lovren if we keep him on. Jones has effectively already replaced Keita, who i imagine will leave in the summer. The same will probably be true of Elliott, who will slot in perfectly to take Shaqiri’s place. Konate is hopefully being signed to replace Matip, Bissouma hopefully to replace Wijnaldum. Then you’re looking at replacements for the front 3, which i imagine will consist of a centre forward and a left winger funded by Mane’s probable sale, dependent on whether they deem Minamino good enough. I have no idea what an Origi replacement looks like, maybe someone like Daka? If they don’t deem Minamimo good enough, i have a sneaky feeling we could try and prise Saka from Arsenal, maybe even try them for Martinelli or Balogun for the aforementioned striker slot.

I think the club are constantly thinking about these things, with many of the potential replacements already being at the club. It won’t be a mad summer, just hopefully one of a few quality additions that bring the average age profile down. They have my faith.

3.) 14 Apr 2021
14 Apr 2021 11:03:55
Think the squad needs a couple of changes in summer.
Out of the first team I’d let go of:
Matip
Gini
Keita
Shaq
Origi
Mane

I’d bring in:
Konate
Botman
Bissouma
Pulisic/ Barnes/ Grealish/ Raphina
Mallen/ Daka

5 players is quite a lot especially for Liverpool. If matip stayed then I’d only bring Konate in. I’d still be keen on bringing a CM in even if keita stayed. We still need a striker. So a minimum of Konate, Bissouma and Mallen/ Daka is needed imo.
If mane leaves (not sure if that's likely or whatever) then he’ll need replacing, pulisic would be the one I’d go for.

Add Harvey Elliott to our potential front 3 options next year:
Salah, firmino, Jota, Mallen/ Daka, Pulisic, Elliott. That’s some good options.

That being said about players coming in and out, I’d imagine much will depend on if we get champions league football.

4.) 14 Apr 2021
14 Apr 2021 12:00:25
For me I having posted earlier about the ages etc and rebuilding I would look at the following.
Declan Rice – Seems a very good player already, reads the game well and good on the ball, vocal and I can see him as a replacement for Hendo as Captain in the long run. Hendersons leadership in the middle has been greatly missed. Rice can play at the back as CB cover, it would also allow Fabinhio to move there alongside VVD which could be a great CB pairing, and save on the need to buy another CB. Also English.
Odergaard (Forgive spelling) - Looks a good player at Arsenal. We still struggle to break down teams who sit deep and he could help. With Grujic, Wilson, Shaq, woodburn Likely to be sold this should be a realistic purchase for us.
Adama Traore (RW) - We Know Klopp is a fan and there has been interest looking back trough replies on here. Alternative would be Rafina ( Sancho possibly, but very expensive) Would take Salahs place. Elliot Another year of developing I think.
Jack Grealish (LW) - His form, goals and assists over the last 2 years can not be overlooked, and English. Alternative would be Harvy Barnes. Would take Manes position. It is worth noting here that Jota plays this position also, but can play upfront instead of Bobby.
Haaland – If Jota plays out LW then not signing a LW would help facilitate this purchase, Ideally the purchase of a LW as well would allow for rotation and options upfront.

So there is an example of Lowering the Age and doing away with the AFCON issue and adding English players. Whilst those 5 players would be expensive, the departure of Grujic, Wilson, Shaq, Woodburn, Keita, Salah, Mane and possibly a few others would generate considerable funds Not as much as 16 months ago granted) . 4 of those have already played in the prem also.
Ed I appreciate this is Fantasy football and your not a fan of make believe but I thought my Original post a bit depressing lol.

{Ed001's Note - why would you want Fabinho to play at the back? Not only does he hate playing there, but he is not very good there. However he is probably the best in the world at the role sitting in front of the defence.}

5.) 14 Apr 2021
14 Apr 2021 13:09:08
Lot of young guys at the club also though. Kelleher, Trent, Gomez, Neco Williams, Jones and Jota all 24 or under with maybe the likes of Konate or Bissouma to come in aswell. There are also a group of very good kids like Elliott, Van den Berg, Gordon and Musialowski coming through from the reserves. I don't see the panic, Klopp will give youth their chance to fill out the squad over the next few years.

6.) 14 Apr 2021
14 Apr 2021 16:34:16
From the kids you mentioned Elliot is the standout and potentially for me has a future as a starter at the club. Musialowski and Gordon are highly thought of. Neco I don’t feel will make it and Van Den Berg will most likely carve out a career in a league that plays at a slower tempo, possibly Italy or Spain.

7.) 14 Apr 2021
14 Apr 2021 17:23:39
We have got to get Grealish without doubt. what he could bring to the team, goals assits and attacking play. Also the most fouled player in the league which means more free kicks for trent to launch into the box. Prob never happen.

{Ed077's Note - I would love Liverpool to sign Freakish just to see Ed001's head explode.

8.) 14 Apr 2021
14 Apr 2021 17:54:26
You can’t make any decisions on players from this season. It’s not a proper season so players who in normal circumstances feed off the crowd are not performing as well as they do normally.
Nobody said we needed a squad overhaul 4 months ago so what has changed? You need to appreciate just how different football is in an empty stadium compared to a full house. It’s a completely different game.
Let’s get back to some kind of normal, maybe add a CB and a midfielder in the summer and apart from that just replace anyone who leaves.
This team have been phenomenal for 3 years I refuse to believe they are washed up after 3 months of poor form when they’ve had numerous injuries and been playing in empty stadiums.

9.) 14 Apr 2021
14 Apr 2021 18:51:18
I don’t think it’s anywhere near as black and white as that Beckers Pecker. It isn’t a case of they all need to go or they all need another chance.

For me it’s very clear who needs to go and who doesn’t, simply from watching the games. Most of the players have, despite prolonged patches of poor or average form, shown the impetus to try and get us out of our slump.

On the other hand, a small minority of players have repeatedly shown that when the going gets tough, they don’t give a toss. Not pressing, not moving to receive the ball, not being able to stick the ball in from 6 yards. Some games it’s been like playing with 9 men. We all know who they are, we’ve seen it every time they’ve played this season. Some players have horrific injury records too, and cannot be trusted for those reasons.

The squad needs a refresh and some of the players have simply come to the end of their time here. We need a squad full of hungry players again, not a squad blighted by a few Big Time Charlie’s who don’t feel they have anything left to prove. It shouldn’t be hard to move them on, as they are very much a small minority, but they are there nonetheless. A lack of fans should not correlate with a lack of effort.

10.) 14 Apr 2021
14 Apr 2021 19:36:39
What hope have kids got of coming through at our club when a 19 and a just gone 20 year old are already written off despite one doing well on loan in the championship and the other having already clocked up a lot of decent games in 20 odd appearances?