06 Sep 2019 23:48:45
Put "Peak" Suarez and "Peak" Torres into our current squad who is the front 3?


1.) 07 Sep 2019
07 Sep 2019 01:07:29
I don't think Torres gets a look in. Firmino vs Suarez is an interesting debate. At his peak Suarez was good at pressuring the defence, not as good as Firmino, but still one of the best in the world. Same goes for their link up play. Then you have to balance Suarez's superior finishing with his attitude.

Suarez at his peak was probably the better player (Though Firmino is only entering his peak years now) but for me it comes down to wether you think the front three would still function as well. I'm not sure it would personally and would probably still go for Firmino. Would have been fun to see though.


2.) 07 Sep 2019
07 Sep 2019 01:19:17
Peak Torres doesn’t really fit what Klopp would want us to play but peak Suarez for as much as I love Firmino would be an absolute animal with Mane and Salah either side of him.


3.) 07 Sep 2019
07 Sep 2019 05:44:47
Peak torres won't fit into klopps plans?
A certain Lewandowski and barrios did fit into klopps plans very well.
I think people forget how good torres was in his peak because it didn't last too long.


4.) 07 Sep 2019
07 Sep 2019 08:16:20
Torres would obviously be a useful player akrubbish, I think he just meant he wouldn't get into the first 11. Not while we play a 3 up top with two goal scoring wingers.


5.) 07 Sep 2019
07 Sep 2019 09:34:04
As much as I despise him, suarez, mane, salah.


6.) 07 Sep 2019
07 Sep 2019 10:05:24
Got to be Den. That 3 would get over 70 league goals. Suarez was awesome in that one season, unplayable. Firmino needs a 17/ 18 season then the 3 could well be changed.

{Ed001's Note - anyone that truly believes Suarez would improve that front 3, even at his peak, does not understand the game at all. He was more selfish than Salah was, he would not fit at all. His workrate was high, but he did not track back the way Bobby does. And he is a complete arse who would miss large chunks of the season suspended or injured. Not a chance it would make things better. The 3 as they are work together perfectly, any change would only lessen them. No matter how good the individual. We won the Champs League due to teamwork, not great individuals.}


7.) 07 Sep 2019
07 Sep 2019 10:09:46
Torres at his peak was almost universally accepted as the best striker in world football for a short time. He'd probably be better than any of our current front 3 even in Klopp's system. I can only put this down to short memories. He scared defenders who laid claim to being the best in Europe. Terry, Ferdinand, Vidic, Carvalho, Toure, Ramos, Pique, Puyol, Pepe etc. Absolutely nobody in Europe could live with him. I love our current team but a prime Torres was on par with the likes of Ronaldo, Messi, Rooney, Eto'o, Ibrahimovic, Henry and Drogba at that time.

Torres didn't just beat you. He destroyed you. He was quicker than you, stronger than you, better in the air than you, had better anticipation than you and if you back off him or showed him wide he'd still find a way to stick it in the far top corner with a half volley over his shoulder or a pile driver from 20 yards. I never saw Fowler play live but in my lifetime Torres is the best player we've had. He was the only one I felt i could legitimately say was the best in the world in his position and nobody really debated it.

{Ed001's Note - but he wouldn't fit in our system without completely changing it. Yes he was great, but he wasn't that great that you would give up the front 3 to replace it with him + 2 others.}


8.) 07 Sep 2019
07 Sep 2019 10:29:32
Last year the front 3 got 57 league goals. I would gladly swop Firmino of last season for the Suarez who had his great season. I though that was the question? You talk about Firmino's work rate which is unquestionable but last year he was trying trying but never quite got there to make the tackles. Where as this year he looks like he is 100% fit again. Also for Suarez who nearly won the league look at the players he was playing with, the defence was terrible.

I am 100% sure they would have scored 10 to 15 more goals. Its a bit of a loaded question, because if you take Firmino's best season then the answer could be different. There were zero threads last year about how good Firmino was. I actually think he was carrying an injury or something wasn't quite right for him last year. If Firmino plays well this season we win the league.

{Ed001's Note - so you think a fair comparison is to ask whether a peak Torres and Suarez would improve a current front 3 at their worst? This is another stupid pointless thread by people looking back with rose-tinted specs. Neither player suits a front 3 the way we play it. If you put either of those 2 in place of Firmino, then you have to reduce Salah and Mane's contributions, as they would not have any space to attack.}


9.) 07 Sep 2019
07 Sep 2019 10:31:24
I would swap him for Salah personally, Tris. He basically plays as a striker at times anyway.

{Ed001's Note - from the right? You know he played there while in Spain and couldn't play the role right?}


10.) 07 Sep 2019
07 Sep 2019 10:31:47
Ed, ignoring Firmino given that he is exceptionally difficult to compare anyone to, as individual players where would you put Salah and Mané in terms of the world’s best players?
I struggle to think of a better player anywhere than those two in their respective positions, frankly. Perhaps Hazard has more natural ability than Mané but there’s no way he’s as good an overall player, Mané is an absolute killer.

{Ed001's Note - Messi plays in a similar position to Salah. Other than that I can't really think of anyone who is individually better in those positions. I am sure there is because it is the team that makes them look quite so good. They are top class players but it is the way the team plays that makes them so great.}


11.) 07 Sep 2019
07 Sep 2019 10:44:22
No mate, I'd play the 4-4-2 where Klopp puts Salah and Bobby up top, Mane left and Ox right. Just drop Salah out and put Torres in. Torres was less selfish and had a better all round game in my opinion. I dread to think how many goals he'd get with Trent and Robbo pinging crosses in.

{Ed001's Note - when have we played that system? And Torres never had anyone up top with him to pass to, so how do you know he was less selfish?}


12.) 07 Sep 2019
07 Sep 2019 10:55:56
I tried to say it wasn't a fair question.

{Ed001's Note - I agree with you. It is just one of those things kids discuss playing FIFA or drunken blokes chat about in the pub because they have had a few. But they usually at least make it fair then and make it everyone at their peak who do you take!}


13.) 07 Sep 2019
07 Sep 2019 10:57:20
Played it about 5 or 6 times in Ox's first season mate. Both 7-0 wins we played that system.

I think Firmino is intelligent enough to link up with him similar to how Gerrard did. So Gerrard was the deeper of the 2 but still made runs beyond him. Torres more times than not, picked out those runs. His creative influence was under rated for me.

Just my opinion mate. I love our current team, but Torres was a phenom and maybe being my child hood hero earns him a slight bias!

{Ed001's Note - exactly my point, a long time ago and the whole set up has changed since. We are better now than we were then and no longer look to use it because we are better as we are. Torres was not as good as you remember. He was great but he was made to look better by the quality of the balls Alonso and Gerrard provided. He would still be great, don't get me wrong, but we are a better team now, despite no longer having anyone of the quality of Gerrard and Alonso in midfield. If you put Xabi in this team, I am sure our current front 3's goal tally would increase.}


14.) 07 Sep 2019
07 Sep 2019 11:39:20
That's a good point re Alonso he would certainly increase the supply. Would he suit the current sytle of play? Do you take Alonso or Fabs? Or would Alonso play instead of Hendo or Gini? I think it just shows how far we have come that it is even a question.

{Ed001's Note - Alonso is the best ever in that role, I love Fabs but he is not quite at Xabi's level. You know when he was at Madrid, they picked up something like twice as many points when he played as when he was missing.}


15.) 07 Sep 2019
07 Sep 2019 21:38:53
Ed001 how about Alonso and Fabinho in the same team? Fab could the Masch role because like you said Alonso is the best ever in that role. I just love Fabinho though and would bend over backwards to accommodate him in m any team.

{Ed001's Note - the pair of them have a beautiful range of passing and great reading of the game, I am sure they would be great as a pair.}


16.) 08 Sep 2019
08 Sep 2019 20:18:34
Torres would not make it in this team and the system we currently play. Torres had pace and played off the shoulder of the last defender and wanted to be on the end of things. Bobbie does not play that way and would not fit the system esp. since under Rafa, we played a more conservative and controlled system while Klopp is more open in his scheme.

As for Suarez, yes he was a workaholic off on the pitch BUT he mainly did that to benefit himself when he was with us. As Ed01 said, he was more selfish than Salah could dream of being and also, would NEVER do all the dirty work Bobbie does to allow Salah and Mane to flourish. It is not just who he is nor what he does.

As for Alonso and Fab, they would be great in a pair BUT Alonso was a brilliant footballer. you could actually argue that he was the most complete DM. He had EVERY pass in his locker. Rarely ever out of position. Could get forward and create, shoot and score. His footballing brain was second to none. Any player that has the chance to be coached by Alonso should grab that chance and choke it to death, IMO.


17.) 09 Sep 2019
09 Sep 2019 07:38:16
I think it's naive to say we would easily get 20 more goals etc or that Suarez or Torres would be an upgrade on firmino. Fact is that salah and mane would likely score less without firmino and Suarez and Torres would not be as glorious as we remember. The people who claim it would work are probably the same who thought England would get success from a 4 man midfield of Beckham lampard scholes and Gerrard.