25 Jan 2021 20:38:26
Hi eds,
Just a bit of a rumour been doing the rounds and wanted to see if you can shed any light on it. Hearing dortmund will drop the price for sancho during the summer due to money issues. I keep hearing that utd are nailed on for him. Is there and would there be any interest from us. I doubt we got the money but kust wondering.

{Ed002's Note - Manchester United remain interested but he is being offered elsewhere, Liverpool have someone else in mind as a Salah replacement if that is what they want to do - else, perhaps Firmino goes and Salah moves to the centre and magically the club find the money - which is way more than the asking price of Dortmund. So interest perhaps, but the cost is huge and at least one of the front three would need to go.}

25 Jan 2021 21:04:37
Who do we have in mind.

{Ed002's Note - Traore - we have been through all of this.}

25 Jan 2021 21:14:24
I can personally see Sancho ending up at Chelsea. Ed2, I value your knowledge on all football matters. If Salah were to depart, who would be a sensible replacement in your opinion.

{Ed002's Note - They have been offered him but there is zero chance that they will pay the full price of the transaction.}

25 Jan 2021 21:59:22
Don’t see what the club sees in Traore! The boy can run but so could daly Thompson!
Massive swerve for me as for 50/ 60m get the boat!

25 Jan 2021 22:33:26
I trust Klopp and the scouting team but do they honestly feel Traore will give us the same goal return that Salah offers, or even half that. Just miffed that out of every player out there this is the one they are pushing.

26 Jan 2021 04:34:05
Have we not been looking at the likes of Moussa Diaby, Chukwueze, one of the young Real Madrid wide players etc? Why Traore? He is just another pace merchant.
And if Klopp is looking to change his tactics and formation starting next season, I would expect a proper CF and pacy wide player to be looked at.
There are no like for like replacements for our front 3 anywhere and if we intend to sell one of them and break up the trio permanently, the other two need to adapt accordingly and the replacement should be someone who is a slightly different mould of player.
Coz I really think we need to start freshening up not just the personnel but the tactics and approach as well. Man City have come back strongly this season with Pep shaking things up a bit. Maybe Klopp needs to do the same the coming summer.

{Ed001's Note - we have changed the tactics constantly since Klopp arrived. We play nothing like we did last season.}

26 Jan 2021 09:53:24
That is one of the greatest things about JK and his management team-the constant efforts to evolve our style of play.
My fears over Traore are around his footballing brain and end product. Can that be coached in every player? No, so ultimately it is a gamble.
I thought Sarr was one of the desired, cheaper replacements, or was he first choice ahead of Jota?

26 Jan 2021 11:07:30
Klopp constantly picks up rough diamonds and turns them into superstars, if he thinks he can turn Traore into a top player then go for it.
Klopp must see something that nobody else can though because I can only see an origi that’s been on the protein shakes.
But I’ve now learned to never question Klopps signings, I can only think of one signing I was completely comfortable with (Alisson), I’ve had slight doubts over pretty much everyone else, even the likes of VVD I was slightly nervous about and I’ve been proved wrong almost every time.

26 Jan 2021 11:18:09
Hi Ed001, if you don’t mind so much mate, could you bullet point the changes you see in terms of how we play and its progression? To my untrained eyes I can only see the counter attacking style of 17/ 18 and the development into our possession based game now.

{Ed001's Note - well this season we have had to adapt as we go, with the full-backs not playing so advanced and taking it more in turns to go than both going at once. The forwards are playing wider to make up for it, meaning that there are less bodies in the box, except when a midfielder gets in there. We are also having to push the centre-backs onto the centre forwards to challenge any aerial balls, as there is no front screen from the midfield. Then there is the press, which is much less used than before, probably to protest players from exhaustion.}

26 Jan 2021 11:44:07
Traore is a big swerve for me, his return for his build and pace is shocking, hope its a smoke screen for Podence.

26 Jan 2021 13:06:45
Cracking summary there ed001.

That’s what I have been trying to get across, the whole team is disrupted at the minute. Summed it up beautifully.

🤙.

{Ed001's Note - sometimes adaptation can help, like it has at City, but for us it has been a disaster because we don't have the right players available to make it work. All it has done is take away from our strength and intensify our weaknesses. If the front 3 were on fire, then it would work fine, but they have lost their way so it is a struggle at the moment.}

26 Jan 2021 17:47:28
But can JK do the old-Silk purse, pigs ear trick on AT?

26 Jan 2021 18:43:14
Dont we already have a replacement in the front 3 with Jota.
From what we have seen, he has done well. Liverpool can't really afford a £42mil squad our squad players.