25 Jul 2024 11:51:45
If we do not sign anyone this summer, despite being prepared to spend £110m on Caicedo last summer, and then taking into account any profit from last season, the anti-FSG crowd are going to go ballistic.
I hesitate to say rightly so but we do still need a CM of that type because Endo seems to be only able to play 60 minutes. Once he goes off, we lose our grip on the game.
I feel we also need a CB but understand that Slot may bring VdB back into the fold.
The big concern is up front. Everyone is profligate, apart from Jota. And while Jota is clinical in front of goal, he is often out injured for lengthy spells. I still cannot get over how sedentary he is domestically spending all hours playing FIFA.
Don't players learn from the tales of Jermaine Pennant and his bowls of sweets and crisps laid out around him while playing PS2 or James Beattie going in quests in World of Warcraft for 16 hours a day while "phoning in sick". - Sorry way off topic there!
Anyway, even without departures, I feel there is room for 3 players to improve the side. Without the smokescreen of "Slot needs to assess the returning players".
If there are significant departures, there absolutely cannot be panic buys on the scale of previous seasons.
Any incomings are not going to have any time to bed in, as the club depart for the US.
Fail to prepare, prepare to fail. Sadly, I feel that the club are hardly giving Slot the ideal start to his tenure. As if his job wasn't difficult enough!
25 Jul 2024 12:10:23
There’s no way we don’t strengthen Saint.
Squad wasn’t good enough last year to win the Europa with a better manager. How’s it expected to win the Champions League?
Because that’s what the aim should be right. Win everything. I’m Expecting 3/ 4 incomings and the same going out.
Regarding FSG, soon as Klopp announced his time was over the clock-watch started for the owners. Beginning of the end for FSG.
25 Jul 2024 12:59:15
My view is that I wouldn’t be surprised if we didn’t sign anyone. That said, our purported targets are not exactly inspiring (Raphinha, Kimmich, Rabiot, Koopmeiners et al), so even if one or two of those came in, they’re not going to be enough for us to perform any better than last season.
25 Jul 2024 13:02:02
Jota playing computer games is hardly a talking point every player in the squad probably does.
{Ed001's Note - not like him. He goes home and games all afternoon and evening.}
25 Jul 2024 14:00:45
Who's job is it to make sure we have the squad to compete, Hughes or slot? Is it up to slot to work with what he has or does he say to Hughes "I need a 6 etc" or do Hughes say "we think this area need strengthening, do you like this player etc"?
25 Jul 2024 15:42:59
Do you think it contributes to his injury record Ed001? Can't be good for him, as fit as modern footballers may be! I love Jota I hope he stays for a long time!
{Ed001's Note - of course it must do. You can't be so sedentary for long hours without it affecting suppleness.}
25 Jul 2024 16:06:53
The Liverpool director of football literally said July would be a quiet month yet people are getting stressed on July 25th when surprise surprise Liverpool haven't signed anyone.
25 Jul 2024 17:34:45
Mad isn't it, because obviously the club won't like him doing that but suppose he's free to do as he pleases within certain limits in his own time.
Seen some comparisons to God with Jota on here a while back and it made me chuckle the thought of it and the only sense I could make of that comparison is that maybe they're both going to be players that we look back on and think "what if? " without the injuries! Haha!
25 Jul 2024 18:35:36
Most players playing now will all have been born late 90s early 2000s. I reckon most of them spend their free time playing games watching movies/ tv or on social media. It’s probably not healthy all afternoon and evening as you say Ed but I think there’s worse hobbies to have.
{Ed001's Note - most of them will not just sit still playing mate. It is totally different. When watching TV you tend to shift about in your seat etc. When gaming you are engrossed completely and concentrating, so you tend to keep still for hours.}
25 Jul 2024 21:40:31
Not sure how training every day then chilling playing on the computer is worse or better than watching tv or reading and its much better than going on the lash or gambling. You move a lot more while gaming than watching tv or reading btw but because its seen as a past time for kids to the older generation its seen as worse or bad for you. I'm near 40 with 2 young kids so I don't get a chance to play games as I don't get any free time but I think that attitude towards gaming is pretty old fashioned.