06 Apr 2023 10:52:17
Hi Ed's. This has probably been covered before but couldn't find anything on search. With TAA being so bad this season at RB do you think the age old discussion of him moving into midfield would work. Not saying it will happen as looking at previous seasons there is a good RB in him. My question is does he have the capabilities to work in the hendo role? We know he can pick a pass and create opportunities but does he have the work rate, stamina, metal ability to play that role? Hope everyone is having a good day.

{Ed001's Note - yes.}

1.) 06 Apr 2023
06 Apr 2023 11:42:13
In your opinion Would you like to see him played there or would you prefer him to remain at RB?

{Ed001's Note - stay at RB.}

2.) 06 Apr 2023
06 Apr 2023 11:50:04
Henderson doesn’t pick a pass nor create goal scoring opportunities! It’s the LCM who does that which should he Bellingham. TAA should simply play (whenever he plays) where he plays today and not e should sign a proper destroyer at RCM. That’s all you need.

3.) 06 Apr 2023
06 Apr 2023 12:35:12
Harry why are you making stuff up?
If anything our Left centre mid has always been the more stable and less adventurous one. Henderson and Elliott are Klopp's go to players in the right centre mid role and both of them are constantly making overlaps on the right wing or getting forward.

By contrast Thiago in the left centre mid role rarely ever ventures beyond the front 3. Bajcetic was playing there too for a while and not really bombing on.

4.) 06 Apr 2023
06 Apr 2023 12:41:35
That's the thing about Trent. He could become a competent to good midfielder but why do that when he's a freak (in a good way) of a right back. What he can create from there is unrivalled. It makes sense to keep him there and not overcomplicate his game by forcing him to tuck inside like the last 2 seasons.

One criticism on Trent's play is that whatever they have been doing over the last couple of season on the training pitch seems to be geared to increase these "percentage balls" he hits like a golfer, which are taking away his instincts to retain the ball to slow things down or to carry it some yards when more appropriate. They've clearly tried to develop the weapon further and hindered some of his other play.

Not every touch needs to be an assist.

5.) 06 Apr 2023
06 Apr 2023 13:03:38
Sorry but you are having a laugh @MK. We need a destroyer on the right so that our full back homes ag will. Anything else than we have the same issue.
Our LCM is the actual modifier who creates! Cal him a Thiago or whatever (Keita / Jones) the one who has robbo behind him and VVD by side which allows him to charge high up.

Elliot / Salah / TAA has been a massive flop and you know why! All three are offensive!

6.) 06 Apr 2023
06 Apr 2023 13:33:54
Harry you need to tell Klopp, not me. The simple fact is that Klopp likes Elliott or Henderson on the right overlapping Salah. Seemingly so Trent can drift into midfield.

7.) 06 Apr 2023
06 Apr 2023 13:40:05
Capital Income I don't think we had a 'destroyer' at right mid when we won the title.

8.) 06 Apr 2023
06 Apr 2023 13:43:27
I also don't know why you listed Jones and Keita. Jones has started a handful of games and admittedly is usually LCM. But most of Keita's games this season came in a short sustained run in the team playing on the RCM. With Thiago LCM and Bajcetic as the DM.

I know people have high hopes we'll ditch the possession based approach and sack Lijnders but i just can't see it. I think the management team are committed to this way of playing now and they'll instead focus on changing the personnel by signing players who do suit that kind of football. We do need a DOF who specialises in recruitment though and not just negotiation. Otherwise we'll sign the wrong players again.

9.) 06 Apr 2023
06 Apr 2023 13:51:46
Harry as MKS said, you are making stuff up again. At NO point did we play a "destroyer" in the right side of CM under Klopp. Also, you do know that a destroyer is another term for a Defensive Miedfielder or DM, right? What team plays a DM in the 8 role, anyway? Seriously, I want to know. This tells me you don't even watch LFC play BUT this, I already knew. Also, using fancy words like destroyer without knowing what they mean makes your argument even weaker esp. since we are talking about Trent and how good he could be in the 8 on the right of CM.

Most of our overloads and creativity come from the right side with Hendo/ Elliott, Trent and Salah playing in triangles and on the overlap or on the inside. That does not happen on the left as the creativity out there is done differently. For me, I prefer TAA stay at RB cos the damage he is able to do with his freakish passing range, is more effective from deep.

10.) 06 Apr 2023
06 Apr 2023 14:55:16
In the league Robbo is 2nd highest in assists, Tsimikas is 3rd and Nunez is 5th. Our bloody left hand side surely does lack major creativity ?.

11.) 06 Apr 2023
06 Apr 2023 15:04:16
@MK
We are not playing Ljinders way now. So let’s get that straight. Plus I agree Klopp or his hunchman is an idiot to play three offensive players on one side.
Let me make it absolutely clear, if you wish TAA to attach then he needs a destroyer on the right. It used be hendo until this season. This changed and TAA got exposed!
If you are thinking of playing Bellingham on the right with TAA and Salah by his side then he is doomed to FLOP! ???.

@Oli
What is Caicedo or a Kante in your world? I call them destroyers. You can call them whatever you wish but we need that kind of a midfielder on the right.

12.) 06 Apr 2023
06 Apr 2023 15:06:23
Oli

Our creativity on the right comes from TAA when he overlaps Salah and provide us with width. In this situation you need a destroyer behind him and not Elliot. This is the “Klopp’s way”. Or used to be his way.

13.) 06 Apr 2023
06 Apr 2023 15:11:31
@DirtyMid

No we don’t. We call him Jordan Henderson! He was the B2B and Destroyer. You can term it what you want. I want a robust non bully midfielder on the right. Whose job isn’t to dictate / receive a pass from center backs, but he has to absolutely cover TAA and help out our DM to win the second ball. (Caicedo / Thuram / Kone / The prime Kante ) . Henderson did this before. I call those as destroyer! ?.

14.) 06 Apr 2023
06 Apr 2023 15:23:16
I think maybe it's just language.

The effective right-sided 8 has been one that is full of running and has the physicality to lead the counterpress, carry the ball and track back to cover Trent when he chooses to maraud. That requires a lot of physicality - not necessarily a destroyer - but certainly an athlete.

The left-sided 8 under Klopp has tended to not have to make 50 yard sprints in either direction and often slots into a two alongside the 6. The profile of the player has usually been one that protects, passes and if they have the talent on the ball, playmake.

Given we're probably signing a new midfield in the summer, who knows what system we'll go for. So maybe this is all just moot!

15.) 06 Apr 2023
06 Apr 2023 15:29:25
I agree MK in regards to the way we are going to play. If that’s the case tho I can only see an extremely busy Summer in terms of transfers as I can’t see too many of our defenders or midfielders comfortable with this ‘ possession’ type football.

16.) 06 Apr 2023
06 Apr 2023 16:31:56
@MK

Keita played there but he was limited and instructed not to run and charge up. Thiago is wasted on the right and so is Bellingham! No wonder Wijnaldum scored more goals than Henderson coz he use for play on the left. Our left side is the most creative of all, our right side is all about TAA overlapping Salah! There is no other function on the right.

17.) 06 Apr 2023
06 Apr 2023 16:59:58
No, it's not language, it's the same old guy, making stuff up again to suit his agenda. "Henderson does not pick a pass or create goal scoring opportunities"; utter rubbish. Aside when he was slotted in the DM and CB positions during that one season, Henderson has always been one of the two mids slotting in passes up the field to either the right or the left (depending where he was playing) . And I guess it's been forgotten how often Henderson used to (and still does) cross in the ball from the right wing? Yes, there have been periods of time where he was correctly labelled "Mr. Pass-it sideways" but even that was below the midfield line or near it. Once past the half way line Hendo usually moves the ball forward. Now if you're expected to create goal scoring opportunities from behind the half way line then I would suggest you wake up because that era of "hoof-the-ball-up-the-field-for-everyone-to-chase" is long gone.

18.) 06 Apr 2023
06 Apr 2023 17:13:23
Harry, both players are NOT destroyers and, NOT DM's. They are no. 8's in CM who can go both w.

19.) 06 Apr 2023
06 Apr 2023 17:20:17
Sent too soon.

Harry, both players are NOT DM's nor are they destroyers so again, making stuff up and using fancy words you know nothing about means nothing. Both are CM's who can go both ways when in and out of possession and often flourish in a double pivot like Kante did with Matic at Chelsea or with Pogba with France. A destroyer is a DM who breaks up play, recovers the ball and allows his team to launch an attack. That's it.

As for your other point, you effectively made my point for me and repeated what I just said regarding our creativity on our right side. Also as I mentioned, There is creativity on the left side too with Robbo and Thiago, Diaz, Darwin or whoever else BUT it is NOT done the same way as that is not our "strong side" attacking-wise, to use and NFL analogy. Our strong side is the right side regarding our attack.

20.) 06 Apr 2023
06 Apr 2023 17:30:53
Wijnaldum didn't score much more than Henderson though. He had about 20 goals from about 220 appearances. I'm not buying it mate. Henderson has about 30 goals from around 450 appearances and he played several years as an actual DM.

21.) 06 Apr 2023
06 Apr 2023 17:39:34
I agree with Harry. If we are to get the best out of Trent and give him the freedom to do what he does best then we need that midfielder who will do they dirty work and cover the gaps that will obviously be left. Call it what you want, destroyer, No8, DM, doesn’t really matter. As long as he can do the job and get the Trent of old firing on all Cylinders again.

22.) 06 Apr 2023
06 Apr 2023 18:03:17
Ran the numbers for you Harry. The last time our left centre mid had more goal involvements than our right centre mid was the 16/ 17 season. Basically used the stats of the midfielders with the most appearances in each position that season.

16/ 17 (Gini, Hendo, Lallana)
Gini - 6 goals, 11 assists (17)
Lallana - 8 goals, 7 assists (15)

17/ 18 (Gini, Hendo, Milner)
Gini - 2 goals, 4 assists (6)
Milner - 1 goal, 11 assists (12)

18/ 19 (Gini, Fabinho, Hendo)
Gini - 5 goals, 1 assist (6)
Hendo - 1 goal, 5 assists (6)

19/ 20 (Gini, Fabinho, Hendo)
Gini - 6 goals, 0 assists (6)
Hendo - 4 goals, 5 assists (9)

20/ 21
(Couldn't do this season fairly as the midfield was all over the place with Fabinho and Henderson playing centre back)

21/ 22 (Thiago, Fabinho, Hendo)
Thiago - 2 goals, 5 assists (7)
Hendo - 3 goals, 7 assists (10)

22/ 23 (Thiago, Fabinho, Elliott)
Thiago - 0 goals, 1 assist (1)
Elliott - 5 goals, 1 assist (6)

So I'm sorry but even if you refuse to acknowledge what's clear to anybody who watches Liverpool play under Klopp, the stats on which side of the midfield is the most offensive don't back you up either.

I'm failing to see how Lallana, Milner, Henderson or Elliott are destroyers. They literally all started their careers as wingers. Henderson and Milner are better defensively than Elliott, but they're far from destroyers and have been two of our more creative players in recent years.

23.) 06 Apr 2023
06 Apr 2023 18:04:07
Martinelli of Arsenal like many this season has had TAA for toast. Gomez played so well versus Chelsea he deserves another chance this Sunday, perfect time to experiment with TAA in front of him on the Right side of Midfield.

Henderson might be good enough for England but not for LFC.

If Rumours are to be believed, the next manager of Real Madrid face each other Sunday at Anfield.

24.) 06 Apr 2023
06 Apr 2023 22:07:48
Just love it when a flashmob gets together ?. Now if only the music was better. ?.