13 Dec 2017 10:51:12
Hi Eds, I keep reading here and everywhere that we are interested in Lemar but is that interest as a replacement for Coutinho or Salah?
Thanks.

{Ed001's Note - Coutinho.}

1.) 13 Dec 2017
13 Dec 2017 12:17:14
Ed001. Do YOU think anything significant will happen in January rearding these 2 players or more likely in the Summer?

{Ed001's Note - I certainly don't expect anything to happen in Jan.}

2.) 13 Dec 2017
13 Dec 2017 13:57:55
Hi Ed001, by the summer it is very possible we will need 2 centre backs, a goalie and 2 additional midfielders. Not much would have to go wrong for us to have to change the entire starting midfield. We know one is coming but

Henderson foot issue
Can leaving
PC leaving
Gini terrible season
milner I would expect to leave
lallana not getting any younger and the way he plays injury prone.

So if we need 5 players by the start of next season don't you think someone is not doing there job properly if we can't even find one? I mean you have decent football knowledge, wouldn't you be dissappointed in yourself if you couldn't find a suitable centre back within one year. The scouts have been looking for over a year and it looks like they have come up with fresh air.

There is the whole world to choose from and it is not like it should be difficult to find better than we have at present. Matip can't defend, Lovren makes many bad decisions, Klavan is a championship player. One decent centre back can't be too much to ask for.

{Ed001's Note - agreed there is a very real problem with the scouting network or the oversight of it. There should have been more than one option found in the summer anyway.}

3.) 13 Dec 2017
13 Dec 2017 14:54:26
Good post mark. Hard to argue with that.

4.) 13 Dec 2017
13 Dec 2017 15:00:08
Agreed Ed001, the scouting network at our club is absolutely shocking since I can remember. Some of the signings we've made in the past 20 years are just criminal.
Who knows a little bit of diligence in our scouts over the years and we would have a couple of titles.

5.) 13 Dec 2017
13 Dec 2017 15:14:15
Mark - remember, Keita replaces Can and I expect (hope) that Milner would be replaced, he if's no longer with us, by Grujic in the midfield and rendered surplus to requirements by Robertson and Milner at FB. So that's two off the list already.

Then we have Gini, who isn't having the best season but isn't having the worst either and has had some good games. Definitely too early to be writing him off completely.

Finally Hendo - he's our captain right now and looks to be for the rest of the season. I doubt he's going anywhere fast and I can easily see him and Lallana working in tandem to provide energy to the midfield - Hendo when we need to harry their midfielders further back and Lallana when we have more opportunity to pressurize their defensive players.

Really that list you made suggests that we will be looking for perhaps one extra midfielder and one replacement for Coutinho, that's it.

6.) 13 Dec 2017
13 Dec 2017 16:12:27
Mark I think you’re being harsh on the midfield.

Next season, even with Can and Coutinho leaving we could line up with Hendo, Keita and Lallana starting and Gini and Ox as subs. We could also look to use Grujic and Woodburn more often.

I agree we need at least one more top player to come in to be competing, but that’s still a very credible starting lineup, even as is.

7.) 13 Dec 2017
13 Dec 2017 16:31:08
Grobs and Hjikle,
in Marks first line, he said that we need two centre backs, both of you seem to have missed that,
cast your mind back just as little, goals conceded, were did they stem from,
think Everton, Newcastle, and more, if we only replace our Keeper and both our centre backs Matip and Lovren,
then we will go a long way to being a real top four team, not just making it on the last game of the season .

8.) 13 Dec 2017
13 Dec 2017 17:41:55
May be its just me, but I would not want to buy a new goalkeeper. I am not a fan of Mignolet and would not want him to continue being the No.1 choice, however, I think Karius has shown glimpses of taking over the mantle and if given the option, I would move Karius to be the No.1 choice and Mignolet/ Ward, battle it out for the second choice keeper. The only keeper that I would personally hope Liverpool 'buys' right now is someone like De Gea or Neuer and both of those are not happening. Also, from what I have seen, Mignolet always does well when his position is put under pressure, thus may be having him as a second choice might bring out the best in him in those few games where he can prove himself. Ofcourse these comments are being made without taking into consideration if either of Mignolet or Ward would be happy being second choice.

9.) 13 Dec 2017
13 Dec 2017 17:47:18
I think writing is on the wall in regards Can and Coutinho, I’d love Lemar as replacement but he woudint come cheap and we certainly woudint be only interested side, however most important as all wise red fans know it’s just so clear we got to sort this defence out. It’s easy for us too all day we should get A and B but only scouting team and course great welcomed guidance Ed’s keep us informed but I just want defencive reinforcements Jan (if possible) / Summer and a new top goalkeeper if Wars isn’t given chance which looks be case for whatever reasons.

10.) 13 Dec 2017
13 Dec 2017 17:46:40
Yes Happy it was mainly about centre backs but the midfield with one or more injuries would be thread bare. We are supposed to be improving and the potential midfield mentioned above is at best a step sideways.

Hendo and Gini both are not getting any better and Lallana is getting injured for longer and longer periods.

Ed001 thanks for the reply. Someone or some people have had another 4 months to find a suitable centre back it looks like they have been looking in Scotland.

{Ed001's Note - does make you wonder what on earth is going on.}

11.) 13 Dec 2017
13 Dec 2017 22:14:49
Feel bad for Ward. Klopp should of let him go back to Huddersfield and get some premiership experience, giving the lad the very odd run out isn't doing him any favors.

12.) 14 Dec 2017
14 Dec 2017 00:11:39
We've signed some phenomenal players over the last 20 years, too many to mention.

The problem is we've never really signed great players for the postions we're weakest in. We seem to stockpile certain positions of strength and ignore our biggest problem. Can't just blame the scouts for that, manager has to carry the can too.

{Ed001's Note - unless the reason it is happening is the scouting team are not identifying players for the problem positions.}

13.) 15 Dec 2017
15 Dec 2017 17:16:05
We appear to have lost sight of a golden rule - that players that are bought for the senior squad should be better than the players they are replacing.

What we have been doing far to often for the last 2-3 decades is buying senior players who were dire at the time we bought them and remained so.

14.) 16 Dec 2017
16 Dec 2017 21:07:01
RL half agree, we have definitely bought players who were very average when signed. But the success was because anyone signed fitted the team, fitted the club and continued the level of performance. That stopped happening.