07 Aug 2025 18:00:53
Was pretty confident about winning the league in June and come August I think we are a little short upfront. I mean salah is there but our new players have to hit the ground running.
Isak won't be first team ready by the time we get him as he would lack a full pre-season. He loves a injury so we will have to be careful throwing him in the thick of things and take time. So i think ekitike would be our striker in August with gackpo on left salah on right
Also what happens if ekitike hits the ground running and lights up the premier league and has 5 goals in August? Be difficult to drop him then? I just don't ekitike and isak will start together much.
I know isak is great but still think we can get better overall squad if we invest in more diverse forwards. Also i don't think isak is anywhere near 300k pw player which his camp is looking for.
07 Aug 2025 18:49:52
Isak played 34 PL games last season. I think Isak and Hugo can play LW. Still like to see us add Isak plus 1 especially if we lose Elliott.
07 Aug 2025 19:12:32
Where will gackpo play then? Szobo?
Ekitike can play LW but that is not his best position. Isak def won't play august he is nowhere near ready without a pre season.
While last season he player 34 games both seasons before that he missed 12 and 18 games which is a lot. He missed 9 games last season too. That does not look like he will hit the ground running.
Anyways that aside my major concern is he is nowhere near 300k a week which his camp are pushing for.
07 Aug 2025 19:48:41
Isak missed 6 games last season across 3 competitions.
The season before 23/ 24 he missed 8 games across 4 competitions through injury.
And 22/ 23 he missed 13 across 3 competitions through injury.
07 Aug 2025 20:37:45
JK23, those figures would be great, but Transfermarkt has some difference numbers - 9 games / 12 games / 18 games across the last 3 seasons.
I do hope that his injury record improves with us as Slot and his team seem better at minimising injuries based on his first season.
However, I can also see another attacker coming in too if Chiesa leaves - possibly Fofana given the recent deal with Lyon for Morton.
Akira, as to where people play, well a feature of the recruitment this year is bringing in players who can be flexible over their positions - allows for more cover from a smaller squad (which Slot seems to prefer) and a pathway for academy prospects to get some minutes.
Ekitike can play across the front line, as can Wirtz. Salah is a RW but Frimpong provides cover, as does Szobo.
Isak is a CF, and is covered by Gakpo and Ekitike and Wirtz.
Gakpo will probably start as our LW, but has Ekitike and Rio for company, as well as Wirtz if needed and/ or Kerkez with Robbo behind him.
Szobo will probably start as an 8, which could be revelation for him. But he can also cover RB.
Jones can provide options across most of the midfield places, as well as RB.
We have 3 LBs.
We have 4 GKs.
The only exposure I can see is at CB. Although we have Gravy and Endo able to play there, neither are ideal. Stephenson passed his preseason audition, but is a step down right now. I can see Guehi coming in and the YLFP or another young CB.
And I read the £300k a week was to stay at Newcastle. Gut feel? He'll be on around £250k-£280k with us, which I think he is worth as the best CF in the league.
07 Aug 2025 20:54:48
We are a top club with many games in a season, certainly more than enough to go around.
07 Aug 2025 21:18:45
Akira, you sound like you are trying to convince yourself (and us) that signing Isak was always a bad idea, just in preparation for the unfortunate event that he doesn’t sign!
If he does sign, then Slot will figure out how to make it work.
If he doesn’t sign, then I think they will have a plan to make work.
07 Aug 2025 21:46:17
Zed the other games he didn’t play in mate as they were league cup / fa cup games etc.
Like saying salah missed 5 games last season when not being selected against lower league caraboa cup teams and Plymouth in the FA Cup.
I might be wrong mate but I went through each Newcastle game and that's the number they had done for him being injured.
I didn't include the internationals because who cares about them.
Seems the money men at Liverpool aren’t overly concerned with his injuries mate.
07 Aug 2025 21:59:15
LFC also have a key advantage here in Ruben Peeters who will work with Isak on his physio.
07 Aug 2025 22:06:28
Zed I’ve had a little look mate and I’m pretty sure transfer market counts internationals.
08 Aug 2025 03:17:10
I counted it for myself and I got 5, 8, and 13 for the past three seasons. So it's much closer to JK23's numbers. I don't think his injury record is too bad, especially for the past two seasons. I'd imagine Gakpo and Diaz to miss similar number of games last season too. Although, it should be mentioned that Newcastle had him on a more specialised regime to manage his injuries so if he does come to us, hopefully we can manage it in a similar way as well.