05 Jan 2017 17:41:33
Does anyone else think that improving our team is actually very difficult? Our options for the front three are Firmino, Coutinho, Mane, Sturridge and Origi - there aren't many people in football (including the likes of Brandt and Promes) who would improve them, they would just be some extra depth. In the middle we have the undroppable Lallana and Hendo, together with Wiji, Can, Stewart, Lucas and Grujic. That's a great mix of first team options, specialised talent and young players coming through - there are more players that would improve this selection of players but with such a well crafted balance, would better players make it a better team? I have my doubts and the longer they play together, the more doubts I will have over it.

The defense is the more suspect area but with young talent such as Juanma and Trent Alexander-Arnold coming through we really want to leave that avenue open - there are few top quality full backs available for any money in football at the moment and on balance it does seem that making our own would be a better use of our time than trying to poach others. So in reality, the only likely position where we could import talent that actually improves our first team is CB - Lovren is decent but in reality, Matip is the only top quality CB we have and a pacey partner with good positioning and a level head would definitely improve us.

Goalkeeper is another area but it depends whether you want to develop Ward/ Karius or just keep buying.


1.) 05 Jan 2017
05 Jan 2017 17:56:10
Depth is what we need atm due our brilliant record on injuries. We have a solid first team good enough to brag any PL team but when a couple gets injured we look externally average. Henderson and Coutinho for example. We are never the same without Matip as well.

The bench aren't as good as the first team which is what haunting Klopp the most but then you can't buy players are bench then either, Could you?

Who will believe this team has scored record number of goals without playing an out and out striker?

There are detain players without which the Car wouldn't function and we don't have the same quality in Back Up.

There are two ways to tackle this.

1. Bring the youth ( Just like Poch is doing atm ) as much as possible and inherit them to the first team system and tactics. ( Klopp doesn't play the youngsters when the team is already won )

2. But solid players who will challenge the first team which will improve the squad as a whole.

There are lot of players who could challenge our first teamers. For example Brandt would really push Coutinho or Lallana. Franck Kissie will push Henderson

It's up to the manager what he prefers.


2.) 05 Jan 2017
05 Jan 2017 18:01:34
I think klopp with drop coutinho into midfield next to lallana and buy another winger.


3.) 05 Jan 2017
05 Jan 2017 18:14:56
Hijkle, your post is well-thought out. you can always improve the team, no question. However, it is with whom that is my issue.

The system we play is not just high energy. it requires not just off the charts fitness level BUT most of all, it requires technical ability well above average, great on the ball, great positional awareness, vision and passing ability as well as offensive and defensive nous. But most importantly, the player needs to have a very high football IQ. There is a reason players like Benteke, Smith, Ibe, Allen and the lot are no longer here. They were lacking some of these things.

Hence, players that can improve us have to have all these qualities and you won`t get them in Jan, for sure. Regarding the defence, we only need a partner for Matip (Not VDV by the way) and it seems Juanma and TAA are being grommed for the FB positions, per Ed01.

Either way, I trust Klopp to do the right thing for the club regarding transfers cos afterall, he got us Matip and Mane, two players who have improved us immensely. As for Karius and Wiji, they should be given enough time to prove themselves.


4.) 05 Jan 2017
05 Jan 2017 19:17:00
I think we need more competition for places. Not depth, competition! Firmino has just 1 goal in his last 9 league games. Not good enough, but who do we have to put a rocket up his unmentionable?


5.) 05 Jan 2017
05 Jan 2017 19:38:54
MK Firmino's drought has largely coincided with Coutinho's injury and him being played wide as a consequence. He also misses those little passes in behind that Couts gives him as they have a great understanding. I am confident that Firmino will start banging them in as soon as Couts is back.


6.) 05 Jan 2017
05 Jan 2017 20:12:35
Jeese Harry, a bit rough on Wiji i think. I think he has been consistently good not excellent but good. He also allows the others to do the clever stuff while he, and similar to Hendo, does the graft work. He is always on offer when we have the ball and has given us great protection defensively on many occasions.


7.) 05 Jan 2017
05 Jan 2017 20:41:43
I appreciate that Pipscreamer, but every season since he has been here Coutinho has picked up an injury which has put him out for between 4-8 weeks. If Firmino cannot play without Coutinho then we need someone else on his wavelength or someone to take his place when he is struggling. In that same 9 game period Firmino also has 0 assists. So it isn't just the lack of Coutinho to find his runs, he is just off the pace. Unfortunately, without Couts he is our only creative forward. Mane, Sturridge and Origi all have pace and goals in them, but Coutinho and Firmino are the magicians. Without one another they struggle. I don't think we should replace Mane or buy a back up for him. We have plenty of pacey forwards in the academy; Ojo, Woodburn etc. Not to mention Ings. Either we give Wilson a chance (who is the true creative force in the U23's) or we need to find competition for Coutinho and Firmino externally. Jimenez would be ideal in my opinion but of course I would prefer it if Wilson could save us some cash. I would give him chances to stake a claim and look to a player such as Jiminez in the Summer if Wilson doesn't cut it. It is surely alarming to more than just me that Firmino is so heavily reliant on Coutinho for his form? 1 goal in 9 games for a striker is atrocious by anyone's standards. If his pressing wasn't so beneficial to the team he'd probably have been dropped already.


8.) 05 Jan 2017
05 Jan 2017 21:35:25
Andy

Oh c'mon Andy. Nothing against Wijnaldum. He is not so critical and we could cope without him but I don't think we will ever cope without Coutinho and Hendo, simply coz we don't have the similar type players available.

Hendo could play Wiji's role if you have someone to okay Henderson's role.


9.) 05 Jan 2017
05 Jan 2017 22:35:44
Personally, I don't think it's that Firmino can't play without Coutinho. I think Firmino isn't suited for the left wing. He does a job there, sure. But he isn't playing at his best. Origi might have scored 5 in a row (which is fantastic) and Sturridge is hopefully on his way to full recovery, but for me, I'll start Bobby in the middle ahead of them. That's where he's at his best.
I believe the team is good as it is. Just need a CB to partner Matip and Stewart to get more gametime (cos he's the most natural backup to Hendo) . I would give Karius time and seeing as I haven't seen Danny Ward, I can't comment on whether or not he can challenge Karius next season (I still expect Mignolet to leave)


10.) 06 Jan 2017
06 Jan 2017 06:31:04
I think we could improve the squad by having someone else like Hendo - allowing for rotation/ cover/ competition at base of midfield without losing any quality, and also offering the option to play Hendo (or the new player) to play slightly further forward if required to establish more control in midfield/ cover injuries to Llalana or Wijnaldum. Vidal would be my dream but maybe a Kongdogbia, Schneiderlin, Kante type player.

Unfortunately that would most likely mean the end of Can who is currently supposed to play that role but I think he has some way to go to playing the deep role and so an upgrade would be brutal but make almost sense in the overall team.

Only other position I would consider would be upgrading Klavan with a real challenger to Lovren (say a Jonathan Tah or Sule) .


11.) 06 Jan 2017
06 Jan 2017 06:51:10
Vidal is certainly not a holding player and more of the old Henderson. But I assume he has been playing there at a Bayern. ( Price is out of the reach and heard Conte is looking at him) .

Kondogbia is available for the right money.

Schniderlin - 2 years ago he was the best CM in the league. A playmaker who could defend. Disciplined CM and would be an excellent addition under Klopp.

Kante happens only once in a decade.

Brozovic - Good player who score goals from the midfield. Very much in the mold of Henderson.

Franck Kiessie - We should splash the cash imo. A defensive midfielder who has 5 goals and 6 assist in his name. He is a terrific player and very young. Better than Renato Sanchez.


12.) 06 Jan 2017
06 Jan 2017 07:13:31
"I don't think we will ever cope without Coutinho and Hendo, simply coz we don't have the similar type players available. "

I disagree with the above statement. Klopp is developing a team which does not rely on one or two individuals being fit/ available.
If our team can't cope (I disagree) then this is the area we can and must improve. It does not always require new faces to improve the team. Coaching, fitness, preparation are ways of improving the team, otherwise why have coaches?
I'm afraid it's the 'Football Manager' game mentality that permeates football these days. Make the current crop the best they can be, then look at new faces.


13.) 06 Jan 2017
06 Jan 2017 12:23:19
Harry is in many ways proving my points. 'Brandt would push Coutinho' - no he wouldnt. 'Kissie would push Hendo' - he stands very little chance of pushing our captain. Kissie has had half a season of actual regular football, of which the first 6 months has been good in a poor league. However he would stand almost no chance of replacing Hendo - he'd be replacing Grujic, Chirivella, Stewart etc in our squad. Not to mention we have no idea what he's like as a person - would he fit into our squad? Can he deal with the pressures of the PL? Will he be able to pick himself back up after an injury? Renato Sanchez has shown that he can deal with the pressure of a Euro's Final against the favourites and after losing their best player early, what has Kissie shown of himself to justify that price tag? Some extra goals in a worse league? Who knows, yet in your opinion from 6 months of stats and a highlight reel you rate him at 35m or so is ludicrious for a team with an actual budget and in my opinion, based solely on the fact that Chelsea are interested in him so in your opinion he must be amazing. I find it unlikely that you've actually watched much of Atlanta this year.

Equally Scheneiderlin at his best doesn't displace anyone in our midfield fully fit, and neither does Brozovic. They are just people that could sit on our bench, for huge amounts of money, and destroy any chance of young players progressing. Vidal and to a much lesser extent Kondogbia are the only players that could possibly get to the same level but between the marginal improvements that Kondogbia MIGHT bring, and Vidals rapidly advancing age, is it worth the massive outlay that would unsettle our midfield that have provided the basis for Liverpool being the highest scoring team in the league? I don't think so

{Ed025's Note - you make some very valid points hjikle but they are in the end opinions which is just the same as with harry, it does not make either of you right or wrong mate..just opinionated which makes for good discussion..


14.) 06 Jan 2017
06 Jan 2017 16:07:41
Spot on, Hijkle. Pulling non LFC players out of thin air to make a point or unfairly compare them to our own players, proves absolutely nothing and Hijkle just royally debunked that notion.