09 Jun 2024 07:14:26
Morning all.
Interesting times ahead for Liverpool supporters all next season to see what Arnie Slot is all about. There were glaring issues about our final performances season gone out notably slow build up play, possession domination even if it meant no end result and of course the dreaded inverted full back crap.
We undoubtedly have some fantastic players in our squad, it will be interesting to see how Slot's system works and if he can sort out our defensive issues. We basically are just too open at times and too easy to score against. We are especially prone to conceding a goal early in games way too often and then have to chase equalisers and then possibly wins.
For me personally, we need to sort out who plays along side VVD. Jarel for me has been excellent all season bar one or 2 blips. Konate is too much like Lovren, has to win every ball when he's fit and Joe was used everywhere. Didn't get much of a run at centre half. I think we need another world class centre back along side Virgil and the same can be said for the 6 position in midfield.
Don't get me wrong, Endo has been super once he got to grips with the speed and physicality of the Premier league it's just a pity we didn't get him about 5 years ago but we had Fabs then. Playing Mac in that position is a waste of his talent and weakens the team.
I'm going to be underfire on this, but Jones who I like is never going to be up to the task long term of playing to a high enough level in the centre. I know he's not a 6 but he's not a great 7 or 8 either a world class DM is needed badly imo and then I would be extremely happy with our lot.
Obviously if Salah goes then we need an adequate replacement, but for me a new LCB and DCM are a must if we want to sort out the issues we have had over the past 18 months. And of course our conversation rate from chances created to goals scored if we can get Nunez to start converting more.
Keep Jota and the rest of our front line fit, then we are once again in the mix. But as we all know there is a lot that needs to be sorted by Slot and his team and somewhat impossible shoes to fill. Roll on the new season, i can't wait to see how we will play and what our line up will be?
Best wishes for the new season fellow reds.
Regards Notsozippy
YNWA JFT97.
09 Jun 2024 07:36:33
Agree with pretty much everything you say there notsozippy. Definitely need to sign 2 'big' players both ability and personality wise at cb and defensive minded midfielder. After that it will be down to sales. i think if we sell 1 of our forwards we should go for Bryan Mbeumo of Brentford, ticks a lot of boxes for us.
I hope if we get a physical midfielder that Trent moves into midfield alongside him, I think nows the time for him to make the transition and play there, it could be the lift we need to try and move up in the table.
I also think we need to start moving on the repeatedly injury prone players over next few windows, some of them my fav players but they just miss too many games and have done for a few years now.
09 Jun 2024 14:00:36
I think we're all broadly on the same page in terms of the squad positions needed to be changed/ filled this summer.
No2, CB, LB, DM, RW. And possibly a LW is Diaz leaves.
The assumption there is that Kelleher and Tsimikas leave this summer.
I think Trent stays at RB, with his role simplified a bit. He should still invert, but only when asked to by the coach rather than picking and choosing what he does in the game.
Any left back coming in needs to a bit more press resistant than Robbo and able to invert/ tuck in. You can see why we're linked with the likes of Hincapie, Pacho, Inacio.
All noise suggests Salah will stay and so a younger prospect on the right side is most likely - might explain the Bakayoko and Minteh links.
Difficult to predict what will happen with Diaz. Barcelona are never flush so that is not a given. He will be due contracts talks if he is to stay. Whether he's ready to accept moving to the Saudi League at this stage of career is difficult to know. Would be even try to replace him if he left. Not sure. Gakpo has looked decent there. Not a fan of Jota or Diaz playing there although they can if asked. Summerville has been linked but difficult to say if that is what we would do. Szobo and Elliott are both adept in wide areas too.
Strengthening DM is vital, as it was last summer and the summer before. The market is not great but what use is all that data if you cannot unearth someone for that position. I commend Endo for his attitude and effort in the role but he just doesn't have the physical capacity or athleticism to play that role over a whole season. Young Bajcetic cannot be depended on at this stage. He needs more time to prove he's over his injuries. Links to Ederson and Varela make sense.
We need a steady partner for Virgil. It should be Ibou Konate but for some reason we can't get him fit and on form enough. Will that change? Either way, bringing in a young CB makes a lot of sense. My choices would have been either Yoro or Scalvini. Sadly Yoro looks to be off somewhere else and Scalvini has a terrible injury. I am not convinced by Pacho's aerial ability to play at CB in the Premier League. Perhaps the stats lie and he's got it in his locker.
Note this is Edwards' new machinery. Surprises are guaranteed.
10 Jun 2024 04:08:11
Stats don’t lie @FPF, they just mean what people want them to mean.
{Ed001's Note - that's not true, stats often lie. Most stats are subjective and as such are not true - XG comes to mind. Completely subjective and lacks any context.}