20 Jan 2022 00:58:18
Ed0666

Had any thought about squad padders for next season, if you were in charge?

Cheers.

{Ed0666's Note - No mate I haven’t I’ve been so busy recently.. Its gonna be a tricky summer as we have a number of players who will clearly need to leave for our and their benefit. Obviously we need to replace them with quality and they also need to be inexpensive to fit into our spendthrift policy. Conversely will there be many takers who will pay good money for the likes of Keita, Ox, Origi, Bobby, Mane, Williams, et al. This is a seismic summer for Liverpool because if we don’t refresh in a major way than I think we lose ground to the others for sure and if we do refresh it’s needs to be nigh on perfect because we can’t literally can’t afford many mistakes on the transfer window. I’ve not seen much of Diaz but I like the look of him a lot but he didn’t impress at all against us but that doesent mean he’s no good. But then again Kessie did t impress against us. Im not advocating buying Kessie tho because im not sure he’d be a stand out in the prem. Anyway id go for Diaz because he looks direct, pacy, is second highest goal scorer in Portugal from the wing and obviously has a goal in him. For me Mane is on a downward trajectory and we need to bed in a successor which I hope isn’t Jota. I’ve gone on record many moons ago and endorsed the signing of Jonathon David I’m not saying he’s gonna be the next big thing but I think he’ll give us a new dimension again direct, pacy, plays through the middle and has played on the wing. I see that there’s some rumours we’ve been linked to Florian Wirtz who I really do believe could be the next big thing. Kai Havertz but better. A trio of Diaz, David & Salah would be quite interesting?
The midfield is anyones guess it really depends on who we can shift? If milly, Ox, Keita leave they’ll need replacing but I believe only Milly & Ox will leave I just don’t think someone will pay a good enough fee for keita and pay his wages. Who knows I could be wrong. I think we’ll bring in at least 3 players in the summer and maybe as many as 5. I look forward with intrigue to the summer transfer window.

1.) 20 Jan 2022
20 Jan 2022 03:43:16
Only wish most of the posters shares your sentiments Ed0666. The club needs major rebuild in the summer. Not just one or two, 4-5 new signings.

{Ed0666's Note - I think this is the first time we’ve agreed on something Harry. Should I be worried? I actually think you are right we need 4 or 5 players with as many if not more leaving. I know this may mess us up for a season but if the strategy is to compete in the future then sacrificing next season to do it is the only way then I’m all in. There’s too many players at the club that are not at the desired level for winning premierships and champions leagues anymore.

2.) 20 Jan 2022
20 Jan 2022 08:31:14
I said on here quite a while ago that this summer transfer window is probably one of the lost important in the clubs recent history. I really feel we have to get it spot on. One glimmer of hope, if Keita has a decent AFCON, we could potentially get a decent fee for him.

3.) 20 Jan 2022
20 Jan 2022 10:00:11
This is the way I see it.

Phillips, Origi, Ben Davies and Rhys Williams have no meaningful future role in the senior team and should be sold.

I'd personally like to keep Neco Williams and Gomez as squad players as I think they're good enough to be of use, but it's been suggested that Neco isn't happy with his role and I cannot imagine Gomez is happy playing about 4 times all season so far. He's also had injury problems. So they can both be sold. We will then need to buy a defender though, unless the club consider van den Berg good enough to step up.

We should sell Keita as imo he isn't good enough. We should also consider selling one out of Ox or Thiago as I don't trust either of their injury records. Add Milner leaving on a free and we need a first team midfielder.

I tried to put prices on those guys, but it's really guesswork. They could bring in £100m between them, or they could bring £60 - 70m. Maybe even less. And from that we have to buy a midfielder and a defender. Although the defender just needs to be squad player level. Doesn't need to be a £50m signing. We can save that for the midfielder.

Could have to make a decision on Kelleher. Any time he's played in the last 18 months he's looked like first team level and if he has any ambition he's surely going to have a discussion with the club about his future soon. idk, maybe he's happy enough, but if I was him watching Gavin Bazunu, who is not as good and younger than me, get established as #1 for Ireland because he's playing regularly when it should be me, I wouldn't be happy enough.

Onto the forwards, I'm in favour of keeping Salah. Even if he has been touted around Europe since we signed him and his rep. is a git, he's here, he does the job with no issues and we cannot replace him for the same as it will cost to keep him here longer. Mane and Bobby either need to be sold and replaced in the summer or offered new deals. In terms of quality I'd keep Mane. Downward trajectory or not, guys who bag 15-20 from the wing a season are not easy to find. But with my sensible hat on, I'd sell Mane first as I think he'll get us a greater fee than Bobby. We could sell and replace both, but then we'd need to buy two new first team forwards. And getting quality in that area of pitch is not cheap, it might be beyond us unless we did really well on the sales of Origi, Phillips, Williams etc.

I'd consider extending Bobby for a year, depending on how he plays between now and the end of the season. But he might want longer than a year and also he might want £350k a week or something if we've gone and doubled Salah's salary. In that case he would have to be sold and replaced. A lot will depend on what sort of fee we can get for both him and Mane.

Overall we're looking at changing 2-3 players in the first XI with maybe another squad player or two thrown in. It looks a bit more dramatic than it actually is cos it's potentially changing 2 of the established front 3. To me it's more of a case of trimming off players who don't have much of a role in the squad and reinvesting the money wisely rather than ripping the whole lot up and starting again.

4.) 20 Jan 2022
20 Jan 2022 10:07:07
Christ that was longer than I thought it was.

5.) 20 Jan 2022
20 Jan 2022 07:31:23
Ed0666 few questions for you mate.

Would you say its key we get a trophy or two this season (League Cup and CL would be quality) if we are going to go through a transition period from the summer. As teams don't genuinely win things during transition.

On a separate note do you think this will effect Salah signing? let's be honest he isn't getting any younger and he will want to be competing for trophies on all fronts rather than potentially going through a transition with a club.

And lastly do you think the uncertainty around Klopp could effect new signings or even Salah? let's be honest Klopp is a huge attraction for any player to either stay or join but if he's leaving in 2 years will that have an adverse effect.

{Ed0666's Note -

1) it’s always key to win a trophy mate and I think we’ll win the League Cup and go deep in the European cup.

2) I really don’t know what is gonna happen with Salah. Part of me thinks there is no way FSG will let Salah leave at any cost and then part of me the pragmatic and cynical part tho k this is FSG they are hard nosed businessmen and would welcome the money generated from the sale to refresh the squad with the ready made excuse that they couldn’t risk the business model and break the bank for any one player no matter how good.

3) I think this may be relative when Klopp is on the last year of his contract maybe?

6.) 20 Jan 2022
20 Jan 2022 10:20:03
Ed666.i think we need 3 players to be added for us to topple man city again and win league,2 x midfielders and a forward. Sell good few players if possible outside of our 1st 13/ 14. If we sell mane+firmino both would have to be replaced as well, your getting in2 signing 5 players. do u not think that to many to buy in 1 summer window? it will be revolution instead of evolution. Like we not a million miles away as we 2nd in league, quailfied easily out of champ league, semi final of league cup. granted when it comes to the very elite teams i think we will fall short hence need for 2/ 3 top quality players. Appreciate your time.

{Ed0666's Note - I hear ya mate and I know my views aren’t shared by many but wholesale changes are needed in my opinion. We are second in the league but how many points ahead are City? Maybe with different players we’d have won some of the games we drew and would be ahead in the table? I think mane & Bobby need replacing, Ox, Milly, and Thiago/Keita. That’s 5 at least. I’m not sure replacing Bobby will make that much difference ashehasjt played that much recently anyway it’s getting the replacement for Mane right that imperative as he does play regularly. The others Milly, Ox are bench players and let’s be honest haven’t set the world on fire so replacing them with players replicating what they do is t going to be difficult. Thiago I love but would take money for him as he's so injury prone and the same with Keita. So yes 5 at least if not more. (Origi comes to mind)

7.) 20 Jan 2022
20 Jan 2022 10:31:26
I think we’ll look to move on Ox, Keita, Phillips, Davies, possibly Mane and/ or Firmino, with Karius, Milner, Origi and possibly Adrian moving on too. I think if Traore doesn’t move this window we’ll probably make a move for him on a free transfer for squad depth as he’s nowhere near good enough to be a starter, I’d like to hope we’d avoid the walking disaster area that is Ousmane Dembele, we’re looking at Kessie and Sanches (hopefully the scouts will have come back and said “don’t bother), contrary to the fact they’re both not very good and in Sanches case injury prone as well.

Who else we go for is anymore guess, but I’d imagine we’re looking at Raphinha, Bowen, Sarr, any of whom would be very decent as Mane replacements,

{Ed0666's Note - Raphina, Bowen, Sarr all play in Salah’s position no? I’m not sure we buy any of those if Salah stays. I hope Kessie or Sanchez don’t come either. I wouldn’t mind Traore as an understudy to Salah if I’m being honest as I think klopp could improve him.

8.) 20 Jan 2022
20 Jan 2022 11:09:27
truly don't see the need for an overhaul in the summer. unless we are moving on Klopp a couple seasons early, then let's keep moudling the squad over the next couple summer windows.

9.) 20 Jan 2022
20 Jan 2022 11:23:54
I'd say with the players who are out of contract we could cover Salahs new contract, i'd like Kessie on a free to maybe let us use funds for say a Bellingham/ Phillips or Rice, a couple of the better U23's can cover for OX/ Millys release, there's some really good free transfers around if we play it right so could get a couple of shrew frees in and use the little money we get from the owners to make the quality signings that are much needed and if we'd of had already i imagine we would of been level if not in front of City, i also see KLopp signing a new deal and staying for more than another season or 2, he doesn't look ready to leave us.

{Ed0666's Note - Kessie would be far from free mate. He wants a bumper contract, coupled with the signing on fee will make it an expensive deal and also would he be worth the money?

10.) 20 Jan 2022
20 Jan 2022 11:43:08
Goalkeeper and defence sorted. A top central midfielder and an attacker will do.

11.) 20 Jan 2022
20 Jan 2022 12:37:43
Fulham’s Carvallho would be a good summer signing. I know we need players for the now but he looks a talent at a moderate fee.

12.) 20 Jan 2022
20 Jan 2022 13:27:19
Thanks for response ed666. Definitely agree with u as regards points difference between us and city, definite upgrade on quality needed to get better of them. on seperate issue do u see salah being moved more central? (if he stays) lot of forward players we have interest in play mostly from right. Maybe less slogging up and down line for him as he gets older, keep him closer to goal.

{Ed0666's Note - if he signs on the dotted line I think it’s folly to move him inside while he’s got his pace, drive and devil. He’s putting up ridiculous figures at the moment and even if they tail off in the next season or two they would still be incredible stats comparably to other attackers in the prem. I think it’s inevitable he’ll move into the centre when he’s 31-32 and with his nous, talent and savvy I wouldn’t be surprised if he was as successful from that position. What we have on our hands is a world class footballer in his prime, a world superstar and will go down in the annals of footballing history as a real legend. This reply has turned into a bit of a eulogy no? 😂

13.) 20 Jan 2022
20 Jan 2022 19:37:55
Hallelujah brother.