22 Jun 2024 09:00:33
Obviously no idea how true it is, but some reports flying about that after lengthy discussion about the plans for the team, Slot and Hughes have decided a CB is not a priority unless they can get a talent too good to turn down, such as Yoro. Allegedly, Slot is happy with the 4 we have. Those 4 being Virgil, Quansah, Konate and Gomez. I feel a bit nervous about the prospect of only having those 4 but I suppose that's pretty much all we had for 80% of last season after Matip broke down.
Again, no idea how true this is. I do genuinely believe a lot of our defensive issues were tactical though. Slot comes with a reputation for being a very good coach. Klopp by his own admission left a huge portion of the tactics and coaching to others (Buvac and Lijnders) . So whilst Slot may struggle to replace Jurgen's man management and motivational skills, I don't think it'll be as hard to improve on Lijnders tactical set up, which hasn't looked quite right for a while now. Not sure Lijnders is as bad as some made out, mind you. We still won trophies with his tactics and had a couple of title challenges. But if Slot is as good as they say, we'll hopefully see more structure to our defence which should leave the defenders less exposed. I'm certainly happy with Virgil and Quansah as the starting pair. Just not sure on Konate's fitness or Gomez as a CB. In Slot we trust though!
On a similar side note, I also hope to see better patterns of play to our offence. I personally feel as though we lost our attacking identity when Trent started inverting into midfield, especially when Gomez/ Tsimikas covered at LB and Nunez/ Gakpo came in up top. Our identity was always Trent and Robbo overlapping to create from wide areas and Bobby in the false 9 dragging defenders around to open up gaps. In the last 2 seasons I couldn't really put my finger on what we were trying to do and we didn't seem to be executing it correctly whatever it was. It was like a bit of a mash up of German heavy metal, English counter attack, Dutch total football and Spanish tiki taka. In some games it made us unpredictable and we'd run riot, but in others it made us look unsure and confused. What I really want from Slot is a clear style that the players buy in to. Of course, It doesn't have to be the same as it was (with wing backs and a false 9). I just want us to have that same level of identity where if you think of Liverpool everyone knows how they play because they have a clear identity.
22 Jun 2024 09:35:49
It’s not true for various reasons. Slot hasn’t had a chance to see anyone yet plus it’s a known secret that the club cannot rely on 4 injury prone players for an entire campaign.
22 Jun 2024 09:47:25
Would ideally like a left sided CB to learn from Virgil for the next year or 3.
22 Jun 2024 09:57:05
Are VVD and Quansah injury prone. VVD has had one serious injury in his time with us. That's all I remember. I can't remember Quansah being regularly unavailable.
Konate, maybe. 51 league games in three seasons is not great but is that because Matip and Quansah were often preferred to him.
Gomez, again I'm not sure he can be called injury prone. He's not a starting centre back or full back and that is why he hasn't played, for me.
I'd like another centre half because of Quansah's age and because I'm not convinced by Konate.
To say all four are injury prone is not right, imo.
22 Jun 2024 09:59:06
Out of the four that MK mentioned, the only one that is injury prone is Konate. The others were generally fit for the entirety of last season.
22 Jun 2024 11:15:35
MK Scouser, don't listen or read into such rumours or second to third hand stuff cos I don't. Watch what the club actually does. That is the only way you will know what is actually happening. That's what I do and I know you are just bringing this up for discussion purposes so I get it.
Remember when last summer when some rando journo on the X machine saying we had NO money for midfield transfers when the Szoloslai rumours where heating up? What happened the very next day? We triggered his release clause and BOOM, the deal was done, as reported from the reliable Paul Joyce. See what I mean? Peace, my guy.
22 Jun 2024 11:20:44
I think there is a perception of Gomez being injury prone as he’s had four very serious long term injuries in his career, but over the last three seasons he has been ok. The only question mark for me is on his defensive ability as he has a mistake in him and isn’t particularly great in the air. Konate is injury prone. That is pretty clear. Personally don’t see the point in pursuing Yoro, by all accounts he’s made it clear that he only wants Madrid and is happy to wait for that. Another Bellingham/ Tchoumeni only destined to end in him not joining us. We should look at a left sided defender like Inacio who is attainable and would allow us to rest Van Dijk as he’s not getting any younger.
22 Jun 2024 12:11:15
VV, fully agree with you. The whole injury prone tag is thrown about too loosely, IMO. Gomez is NOT injury prone judging by his injury record and like you said over the past 2/ 3 seasons he has been fully fit so ain't buying that.
The likes of Konate, Sturridge, Matip and Keita? Now those are/ were injury prone cos they had this uncanny habit of picking up knocks here and there hence, could not be relied upon to play say, 3 games a week consistently in one week.
22 Jun 2024 13:09:35
Konate missed 5 games this season in the PL due to injury and Gomez has missed 2 ?♂️.
22 Jun 2024 13:51:33
"Human being has a mistake in him - get rid".
22 Jun 2024 13:58:09
Don't listen to second or third hand stuff, listen to Oli. Oli listens to Paul Joyce.
I don't think Oli or Paul Joyce are Scousers though.
22 Jun 2024 16:01:00
@Flash, come on man, get with the plan, you have to be 10% better than absolute perfection before we even start to consider a player for a spot on the bench. Anything less and the player is just dross, to be honest.
22 Jun 2024 18:45:37
I find it interesting there are reports of private conversations when there is barely any club activity. Are Slot and Hughes slipping into the DMs of journos?
22 Jun 2024 20:34:01
Rigsby, Joyce is connected to the club hence, he hands out FIRST hand information. And you are right, I'm not a scouser nor am I English or even European to begin with.
22 Jun 2024 20:45:23
Oil, I’m not taking it as gospel mate. Just posting a rumour on a rumour site ?.
22 Jun 2024 21:14:57
Oli, Paul Joyce is a journalist.
And you giving us information from him renders it second hand, doesn't it?