02 Sep 2026 12:50:56
Ironically we need Macca to have a great season. He's probably our most creative midfielder with passes that break the lines when he's on it.
If we can get Macca playing a lot quicker and stop the play-acting when he loses the ball, he should be integral in us achieving something this season.
Gravs is a limited midfielder. Hopefully Andoni instructs him to sit and be a 6 again. Soboslis is a conundrum. I don't see him centrally. I'd push him to the right. Great crosser and great striker.
Hopefully they're all fit for an entire season. Deary me, why did we let Jones go to be left even shorter?
02 Sep 2026 13:30:23
Jones was causing issues by all accounts. Best to get him out the door.
Personally I think Grav is an excellent player when used correctly. He shouldn’t be on the edge of the opposition’s box, although I do think he’s been hampered by the lack of runs in behind in that regard.
He gets to the edge of the box and there's no pass on.
I’m looking forward to seeing how the midfield develops because they were excellent in the title winning season.
02 Sep 2026 13:47:23
Iraola did say the other day in his presser, he isn’t going to tell Grav not to run with the ball and where to be.
But in fairness he also said about 6 weeks ago about Elliot that he had impressed and he was even more eager to be a LFC player.
Iraola has his squad now and I’m excited to see how he coaches and develops the team.
02 Sep 2026 13:50:46
Grav has no game awareness and can't pass more than 5 yards. He's a big soft lad. I look forward to seeing Iraola change that. He has no choice but to.
02 Sep 2026 14:02:45
Rios, not sure either Grav or Szobo have any defensive or tactical awareness/nous as no. 8s. Hendo, Gini & Milner had that despite being able to attack in advanced areas.
They can be so careless at times with their passing and decision-making, and maybe those can be mitigated against via coaching, but they have to be more aware positional-wise and in their decision-making in advanced areas cos they lose the ball when you least expect it.
02 Sep 2026 15:11:55
I said this on another post, but I think Szobo should be our starting RB. I never thought after last season I'd be saying this but he loses the ball too much centrally and he can't beat his defender enough to play on the wing. He can be our TAA replacement; great early crosses but with defensive lapses. Only difference is he has a better engine.
02 Sep 2026 15:17:11
Oli, wasn’t Gini the one player fans used to moan about - but absence makes the heart grow fonder?
He wasn’t the most imaginative passer, but he was so useful on the left of midfield. He was great at keeping the ball when surrounded, and then spinning away with it to charge up the pitch.
Those are the same qualities Grav has, and possibly why Klopp played Grav on the left of midfield.
I reckon that’s Grav’s best position, with Mac sitting, and Szob rm - but that doesn’t work with Wirtz taking up the third midfield slot.
The problem is that Szob and Grav both work in a Klopp midfield trio, but neither has the passing repertoire to play in a double pivot behind Wirtz.
In some ways, Mac and Nyoni look like the best partnership in the pivot.
02 Sep 2026 16:02:11
I would have liked Manu Kone for 50-60 m Euro and offered Fede for free and has played with most of our French players. Overall better stats than Camara on fwd passes, fwd passes % key passes and carrying. Only slightly lower on poss won duels and prog passes (datamb). Would link up nicely when we finally get Olise. ?
02 Sep 2026 17:01:08
Ireola will never play him there, snugglepool. He’ll have seen the fans' reaction to when Arne played him there last week.