26 Mar 2021 21:41:29
This was going to be a longer post but I decided against it.

We have seen this season that we rely a lot on our full backs being at 100%, and do not have adequate replacements. Our full backs rely on a strong midfield to cover for them. This season unlike previous years we have played more offensive midfielders, usually out of necessity. To account for this, we have seen many games where one full back holds while the other one attacks. This maybe a short term fix, or if you consider the number of offensive midfielders we now have, indicates a system change.

Therefore my suggestion would be to consider using Gomez as the backup RB for Trent and the "missing" Ben Davies as the cover LB. Both are capable and have played those roles. I have always hated Gomez playing RB as he is not suited to play that role in our old system. But we need to have midfielders who join the attack and make late runs into the box, or even distraction runs in between the defence to help the forwards. Despite how good our 2 full backs are, they do have limitations in the advanced positions which they find themselves in. We have a few players who can play that role, but won't get a chance because they do not track back efficiently. We are left too vulnerable at the back, if the full backs are also attacking, so this maybe the only way it becomes viable.

I believe it would be a waste to have our current full backs playing deep, when they could be rested instead. This way we can have 6 CBs, and 2-3 full backs, and a system that can be tweaked to suit out players and the opposition we face. I believe Nat Phillips has earned a chance to be an option as a CB for another season at least. Kabak is decent, and has had a good start at an important time, but I don't think he is good enough to be a regular starter which is what we need. Caleta-Car looks impressive from the little I have seen of him, but it is important to address this position and solidify it this summer. I do not believe we will be able to sell Matip, him and Gomez are relatively injury prone, so 6 CBs is a must.

Finally I believe there is still another level this team can reach, and all it needs is a quality striker. Origi being our only recognised striker for many years is a worry, as its has always been a glaring issue papered over by the amazing achievements by Salah and Mane.

27 Mar 2021 06:43:11
Morning Reus, we are not yet sure if Davies is good enough. Who are the midfielders who are going to make late runs into the box? There are a lot of questions for this squad to answer. We need goals from midfield but we don’t have the players. Hopefully when Hendo is back to play with Fabs it will allow the front 4 to play together.

27 Mar 2021 07:17:25
Gomez I s terrible at right back! Great cb but he’s a mistake waiting to happen at rb.

27 Mar 2021 09:50:58
Gomez is no RB!
We need a good few players and a bit of freshness 3 years of the same players playing non stop has caught up with us! The other team squad players didn’t help always being injured!
Hopefully we can find the funds some where to bring in new faces and be rid of the passengers on big wages!

27 Mar 2021 10:04:43
I think we have lacked the capacity to get both full backs up the pitch because of a lack of a proper ‘6’ for most of the season. When Fabinho is in that position we have far more protection when we go forward. He has the capacity to drop in and create a three at the back if needed. Also the understanding of Henderson in midfield is huge. He recognises when to cover Trent and cut off passing lanes. Gini on form on the opposite side can offer this but to a lesser extent I would say. For me in the summer a centre half is a must, probably two given the injury record of the current centre backs. I would go for another no6 (bissouma ideal) to provide cover in there. He would be a starter with Fabinho but could serve as Fabinho replacement if injured. Allow Jones to take over ginis role. Another forward also. Any other signings would relate to replacing squad positions that may leave.

Cheers.

27 Mar 2021 11:31:36
OP, I am confused regarding Gomez and other parts of your post. You say you hate him playing RB which I agree with yet you say he should b the backup. Well isn’t that already the case to some extent esp if Neco and Milner cannot fill in at the last resort? Same with Davies. Tsimikas was brought in to play LB with Robbo. Now he has been injured and due to CV issues hence, has not been able to get going but why would Davies be a back up LB when we don’t even know if he is good enuff to play CB the way Klopp plays it?

Now regarding the midfield, you say we do not have midfielders who can score goals. Have you been watching us play all this time cos Hendo, Gini and Ox have shown they can get into advanced positions and score goals cos I saw them do it time and again at least before this season. Now they may not b doing that now for obv reasons but to say we do not have mids who can get into advanced areas and score goals us patently false.

As for our FB’s, you say they have limitations in advanced positions. Sorry, which FB’s are you talking about? Cos if it is Trent and Robbo then, I am lost for words. You do know that our FB pairing is one if the best in the world offensively, right? Trent is our KDB from RB. Do you know how good you have to b to get compared to him? As for tracking back, yes our fullbacks track back but as a safe blanket, Fab, Hendo and our CB’s (who can defend in wide areas) are there to cover for them. This is not rocket science. Sorry bro, you bring up some good points BUT some of your arguments are simply incoherent.

27 Mar 2021 11:38:40
I’m Pretty sure even in the games we lost on the bounce at home our fullbacks still put loads of crosses into the box. It’s just that the crosses were either not of a great quality, no one was on the end of it or it actually played into the hands of Burnley, Wba, Brighton etc who had around 6-8 players in the box winning easy headers against Mane and Salah.

27 Mar 2021 11:58:41
Oli agree with everything you said there except the part that our midfielders have proven time and time again they can get goals. Our midfielders are exceptional at what they do but scoring goals isn’t one of them. In the last few seasons our midfield have the following in the league

Henderson 8 goals in last 5 seasons
Ox 7 goals in last 4 seasons
Fab 3 premier league goals in his career
Kieta 4 premier league goals in his career
Wijnaldum 14 goals in last 5 seasons.
Milner 14 goals in last 5 seasons.

So they average less than 3 goals a season with some of them as low as 1.

27 Mar 2021 12:05:45
You have seen Hendo, Gini and Ox time and again get into the box and score goals? We must have been watching different players. At a guess they probably don’t have 50 goals between them in 500 plus games. You can’t rely on those 3 for assists or goals. Maybe OX pre injury but sorry not now.

27 Mar 2021 14:37:23
I don't think any of you got my point.

The issues is not with trent or robbos ability, its about being predictable, crossing from the same positions outside the box is not always going to work. Trent and robbo are both capable at beating a man, shooting and passing, but they are not wingers. Robertson had so many chances to shoot this season, in positions where a better suited player might have scored. Crossing from deep has worked great because of their individual qualities, but being closer/ inside the box would improve the quality of the cross.

We are most effective when they do not have to worry about what is behind them and crosses are driven in before the opposition defence can organise. If every game we rely on the same format, the opposition are already drilled to be prepared for it. A lot of our best chances this year, have come from passes in the midfield positions in behind the defence as they aren't prepared for it.

The issue is we can't expect to rely on the brilliance of Van Dijk and Gomez, having 2 pacy, strong and smart defenders won't always be an option. And having hard working midfielders like we have had for many years is also not sustainable imo. Players like naby keita, thiago, a cam like coutinho everyone seems to want will never be able to be as effective in a system which relies on midfielders to cover for fullbacks. We also can't always rely on Fabinho to mop up in front of the defence.

Yes we haven't seen anything of Davies, but from his role at his past club you can see there is a player there. Many cbs were eased in as a full back to get some experience, he isn't young but it might help him. And I am suggesting a role change which would be effectively playing as a back 3 when we have possession, so they would not be acting as a full back and joining the attack.

Ox, shaqiri, keita, Jones are all capable of playing those advanced midfield positions. And they would thrive in my opinion with less defensive duties. If we get a striker, I would add firmino as an option as an attacking mid, and it remains to be seen if that would suit Thiago.

Our system is perfect when our first choice team is available, and we can take nothing away from these players and what we have achieved. Our first team have players who perform consistently at such a high level, which allows our system to work. But we need to be more fluid to allow players to be rotated into the team without expecting them to perform roles not suited to them.

Maybe I'm wrong, who knows. Not like we have any say in how we play. But I chose to vent my internal discussion here. I trust in Kopp and we have so much to play for yet.

27 Mar 2021 16:36:20
JK23 and Mark, you are making a point I did not make. I said they have shown the ability to get forward and score goals and you stats bear that out (not that I needed it) . What I did not say was that they were prolific which of course, they are not for obv reasons. They are not fundamentally asked to do that, as we all know. Gini scores for fun for Holland. Ox even last season showed he can score goals. Hendo, the same esp when his role changed and moved to the 8 instead of the 6. That was my point cos the OP said or implied that they lack the ability to do so.

Of course, we do not rely on them to score goals even tho they can. If people are mad about that then they can refer their grievances to the man in charge cos it is his system.

OP I have never seen Davies play so I have no opinion of him, sorry. And Yes, our midd could thrive from less defensive responsibilities but again, the system is made where by when we lose the ball, the defensive press begins. You cannot hurt one side of the system just to see another side do what you want. Football doesn’t work that way.

Our team is the way it is. We need to be better at and have diff variations of doing what we are brilliant at in order to mitigate the things we are not strong at. This is the very essence of a footballing system.

27 Mar 2021 22:54:01
Rm and you wonder why no one engages with you.