07 May 2019 10:47:57
Sorry, couldn't complete the post! (pressed send by mistake)

After what happened last year in the CL final, we sorted out the GK position. In the same match, after Salah was injured we looked flat. We bought Shaqiri (as Fekir couldn't work out) .
We are facing the same issue again. 2 out of our front 3 are injured and we are out of depth.
Is it just a bad luck or we should have sorted this out too? I know we can't spend money like Man City. But is it a reason enough when it could have helped us WIN a silverware?
I'm behind my team and want them to give Barcelona a scare!

Thanks.


1.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 11:02:53
Why do our players break down at the end of the season?

Who are you going to buy, better than Shaq, to sit unused on the bench for 35 games?
There’s your problem, it’s not money. Even city face this issue with Sane reportedly unhappy.

{Ed001's Note - every team has injuries Ron, it is just the way it is. Rotation can't stop it, just look at Man City who have lost De Bruyne to injury.}


2.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 11:08:06
Still the problem exists Ed.

You either buy someone of sufficient quality which means Mane, Salah and Bobby are going to have to accept regular rotation, or you buy someone like Shaq.
Fans want us to buy Werner and Brandt as backup. It’s not realistic is my point.

{Ed001's Note - how is it a problem? There are at least 3 specs, sometimes 4. You are only making a small amount of rotation and it will come down a lot of it to who is in form.}


3.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 11:14:04
I hardly think our players are breaking down. I actually think on the whole we've done fairly well with injuries this season.

When you consider Salah's is from a head injury, those things can happen and you can't really account for it until it does.

I am not too optimistic, but when compared to last season, having Origi and Shaq to come in is definitely a step up over Lallana and Solanke in those positions.

Let's not forget, Origi seems to have had a knack of popping up with important goals throughout his whole Liverpool career. Who's to say it won't happen again today!

C'MON YOU REDS!


4.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 11:16:51
TRK, one cannot always rewrite history and using hindsight to explain issues going on in real time. Going back to the whole Fekir issue or if squad depth should have been addressed this or that time, serve no purpose at the tail end of the season. That is just the reality. How could we have known Naby would get injured vs Barca? Had we converted our chances at Barca, are we still talking about squad depth? Didn't think so.

What I fail to understand is why people moan about squad depth when a couple of injuries happen in the same area of the pitch YET we see that our squad players have contibuted massively to our success so far. Excuse me, who scored the goals that won us the Newcastle game? What club has the most goals scored by squad players in the PL? Yeah, that's right, LFC and it's squad players. Sorry BUT both those statements cannot be correct at the same time.

It seems people just want to find something or someone to blame should we not win the PL or make the final of the CL whereas these things can happen and you cannot plan for everything. You can't just sign players "for depth" and then not play them. Players will become unhappy. Look at Sane, Mahrez and Jesus at City. Mahrez wants out and Sane doesn't want to play there anymore. IMO, we are where we are and what happened to Salah was an accident. If you can plan against that happening then pls, enlighten us cos Klopp I'm sure would love to know. It is what it is and this is where managers make their money. They find a way to get it done and we will see what happens tonight and on Sun. Cheers, man.


5.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 11:23:32
Normally I find myself agreeing with you Ron but not on this issue. Ed rightly says it wouldn't involve over rotation but would enable cover for injuries, loss of form and the 4 could play together in around half the games IMO. Especially if the player in question is Brandt he is a play maker and can slot in behind the front 3.

There were times last season where Mane lost form and this season both Salah and Firmino needed to be rotated. It is not healthy having 3 forward players who know they will never be rotated/ rested/ dropped.


6.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 11:49:12
There are essentially 3 places in our line up for forwards.
There are 38 league games, 6-13 champions league games. I won’t include the domestic cups because we usually don’t play first team players for those and consequently don’t last many games.

Minimum 44 games. Maximum 51 games.

Add in a 4th player, share the games equally, you end up with minimum 33 and max 38
Add in a 5th player - minimum 26 max 31.

Are Salah and Mane going to be happy with that?
I don’t know but you can see why it might be a problem.


7.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 11:59:27
You can hardly put salahs ‘injuries’ down to anything but accidents and collisions. He could be the fitest player ever, but concussion is concussion and he should not be playing tonight. Same with last year, it wasn’t like he pulled a muscle.

Also bear in mind Firmino has played every CL game under klopp and mane missed what like 2/ 3 weeks this season, same with salah? Hardly injury prone is it.


8.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 12:07:37
Ron you are not reading what we are saying. Of the 50 games the 4 can play together in half of those. So rotate the players for the other 25 games and if as this season a player like Firmino had spells of poor form he can rightly be dropped.

Brandt/ Fekier can do both rotate with the front 3 and all 4 play together.

Why do you not think that type of player is not needed? If we bought a cf or a winger you would have a point but no one is asking for that.

{Ed002's Note - Be much less of an issue if Salah left.}


9.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 12:29:05
Is that still in the possible bracket though Ed rather than probable?

{Ed002's Note - The only thing that has changed is that there have now been further discussions with Barcelona and his representative - perhaps panic is setting in with Real Madrid and Juventus (the other clubs he has spoken with) having other targets.}


10.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 12:31:23
We need better quality back up anyway, no good buying for the squad look to buy for the first team, we central mid creativity and wingers, Wilson should come back and get his chance, Fekir I hope happens and is needed, not point saying we will only buy if Salah or Mane would be leaving, football nowadays has big squads and we are just short.

{Ed002's Note - Nobody has said that Liverpool will only buy if Salah and Mane are leaving.}


11.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 12:47:48
I think what Ron is implying is, will Brandt/ Fekir come to LFC in the first place if the front three are all still at LFC. Was it not Brandt who wanted assurances over playing time previously? Put yourself in their shoes. Play every game at their clubs, move to a club and be the main man, or move to LFC knowing you'd be behind Mane, Salah and Firmino (and if we are all honest here, they will be behind them in the pecking order) . But, if like Ed002 says, Salah leaves, that's a different story.


12.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 12:58:02
No Stuie Brandt (type player) does Not play in the front 3. He is AM player that can if needed cover the front 3.

Brandt does not play up front for his club he is a playmaker. I repeat again all 4 can play together in a lot of games. Brandt didn't come 2 years ago due to issues regarding playing time but he is a better more mature player now. He would without a doubt be our most technically gifted player.


13.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 13:06:14
So does that mean if Salah leaves we would be looking at getting two players in? Or do we rely on Brewster and shaq to cover?

It's funny, I no longer get irked by players that the club have turned into super stars looking to leave as soon as they can. I look forward to seeing the rise of the next one the club creates. Brandt maybe? Although he seems intent on staying at Leverkusen for another year at least.


14.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 13:12:01
If that's the case Mark, that's my mistake. I thought he could also play on the LW and RW, similar to where Mane and Salah play? Also, if he has previously asked for assurance over playing time, him maturing won't change that, he will still want it and it is no good saying he will be our most gifted player and that is pure guesswork. No one will know how he will adapt to the League.


15.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 12:52:47
Ok Ed thank you for reply and update, I guess he really is pushing for a move anywhere by sounds of things via his agent. If he gets his move I hope we go for Insigne.

{Ed002's Note - Insigne is now available as they have found his replacement and the price has dropped considerably.}


16.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 13:24:11
I would guess if we had better quality from the bench then it would be easier to give Salah, Bobby etc and break during the season. For me it's not rocket science.


17.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 13:27:45
RedWolf, I am not not using hindsight to prove my point but rather making a case of learning from past experiences!

I guess you didn't read my earlier post (previous thread) .

"At the start of the season were you worried about the lack of QUALITY backup for our front 3?
I remember you saying (in April) that we have been lucky with injuries (esp. front 3) this season.
But now, our luck seems to have run out"

My concern is solely related to fornt 3. I did not mentioned midfield players or Keita for that matter. Imo, whether it's Shaqiri or Sturridge, both of them are 2-3 levels below our front 3. That's why they were looked down by Klopp so many times. It's like having no options!
As Ed001 mentioned, "we need a quality forward to cover all across the front line and hope that Brewster will grow into a strong option as a striker. "
Obviously, that means Sturridge and Shaq leaving.


18.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 13:59:46
Well at least Stuie gets it.

You have to sign these players from teams which they are excelling in. They’re not going to be happy being brought in when Salah needs a rest.
They aren’t as dumb as they make out. They look at our team and think “am I going to get a chance? ”.
Klopp has a well publicised history of falsely assuring players playing time.
Agents don’t forget those things.

This is real world, it’s not a football manager simulation game.


19.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 14:39:14
Ron I don’t think you can exclude Cup games as opportunities for rotation. You said yourself we play weaker teams in those ( because we don’t have the depth) 4/ 5 players rotating for 3 positions seems reasonable across 60 odd games assuming we play them in the cups ( and progress) Somewhere between 36-45 games per player assuming same game time. Hardly warming the bench is the bench is it, basically a game a week.


20.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 14:46:59
Well I’ll disagree with your assumption that we play weakened teams in the cups because we don’t have the strength in depth.
I think we play weakened teams in the cups because Klopp doesn’t want the fixture congestion.

But let’s assume you’re correct. Do you think Brandt is going to come to LFC to play primarily in the domestic cups?
Isn’t it the European championships next summer?


21.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 15:01:22
Thank you Ed, don’t mean to keep firing questions at you mate I no your busy but I didn’t realise Insigne was now available and that his price had dropped. Do you see him as a real possibility then and a possible replacement for Salah should he get his desired move?

{Ed002's Note - Klopp very much likes Insigne so if Salah or Mane were to leave then it would not be a surprise at all to see Liverpool look to him as a potential replacement.}


22.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 15:06:40
Your going round and round. It is very basic.

I will try to spell it out.

We play Huddesfield, Burnley etc at home and the front 3 all play. Along with Brandt and 2 others in midfield.

Man U away for example Brandt might get 30 mins from the bench. Or as what happened Firmino came off early so he is the replacement.

After Xmas we were having a bad spell Salah was on really poor form. Brandt can play lw or we change formation. Like wise Firmino had a very slow start to the season so in that case time could be given to Firmino to play his way back in.

In Barcelona he would of played, tonight as well. Also Brandt would probably not be fit or on top form all season either. I am sure Fekier/ Brandt would play 35+ games in their first season.

Did Coutinho not play with the front 3? He got plenty goals and assists so did the front 3.


23.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 15:15:27
35-45 games is hardly just cups. It’s basically a game a week. That’s without injuries or loss of form. And I do think a Brandt might settle for that if we wants to be competing to win major trophies. He’s pretty young and I don’t think Leverkusen are going to be competing for the CL or league title anytime soon. Obviously all players are different and want different things but it’s not beyond reason.


24.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 15:20:02
I think Klopp more or less plays the front 3 because there is not the quality on the bench. If he had Brandt, then for sure he would get plenty of game time. It's easier to rest a player or give them a break when you have a suitable replacement. For me that isn't Sturridge or Shaq. You only have to look at our midfielders to see how they get dropped, rested or whatever you want to call it because the replacement is equally as good. Fabinho, Keita, Gini, Hendo, Milner, 5 players into 3 places. I can't see how you think Brandt would not get game time in the same circumstances.


25.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 15:24:18
markp08 : if it’s so simple then I guess it’ll happen then. However, it’s strange how Pep has struggled to keep Sane happy if it really is that simple.

{Ed002's Note - Lack of game time is the reason Manchester City have the likes of Sane, Mahrez and Gabriel Jesus wanting to move on.}


26.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 15:32:23
Markp08, you can't 'spell it out' with pure hypothetical situations and assumptions based purely on your opinion.
If we use your method, Salah, Mane and Firmino have screamers and don't get injured for the season, thus Brandt/ Dybala/ Insigne is restricted to League and FA cup games. He then goes on a hunger strike for 4 weeks and forces a move away. I get what you're trying to say and it sounds nice, but the point myself and Ron are trying to get across is, we can't buy players of that calibre and pay obscene wages for them to look past being a rotation player, which is what they will be. It's not impossible it will happen, and it's great if it does as it strengthens the squad, but I think it will mean someone leaving.


27.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 16:02:41
I don't it comparable looking at City who have an abundance of quality players in every position. I don't Liverpool or Klopp are looking for something similar, or they would have the same issue and they certainly couldn't afford it but they could certainly add 2 quality players for sure and get plenty of game time. Making space in the squad of course.


28.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 16:44:18
Well Rover, my opinion is City are currently setting the benchmark for success. They were robbed against Spurs, otherwise they’d be on for the quadruple.

Still they are struggling to keep players happy when they do rotate their first team.

We don’t even know if Sturridge, Origi, Shaqiri are good enough, they never even get a run in the side.


29.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 16:57:37
You certainly are very knowledgeable Ed002. Are we any nearer to a Sharkopod please mate, or are we a while off yet? 🤔.

{Ed002's Note - At couple of weeks or so away at best.}


30.) 07 May 2019
07 May 2019 17:24:38
Ok Ed thank you very much for your input today and always.