04 May 2024 07:39:02
{Ed's Note - Seano_ has posted a new article entitled, What Liverpool FC Should Do

1.) 04 May 2024
04 May 2024 09:50:32
Good piece mate. I don’t agree on quite a few things but that’s to be expected when you are essentially writing 30 opinions in one go! Really well written and full of excellent points to back up your thought process. Overall you nailed it though as we are probably only 4 signings away.

I’d personally keep Kelleher. Allison’s fitness issues are too severe to risk selling him in my opinion. Ali is far too good to sell, but he’s becoming less reliable every year. Let Adrian go, 3rd choice can be a kid surely.

Tsimikas, Trent and Bradley I think you nailed it. Kostas’ time is up but Trent and Bradley are our future. Robbo I would keep though even if it is as back up. He is one of the few leaders we have. Beck, don’t know enough to have an opinion but others think he’d do well. With Trent also possibly going to be an option in midfield maybe we should look at a versatile player who can play both sides. Geertruida would be my pick. Trent and Bradley for the right, Robbo and Beck for the left with Geertruida signing to cover the whole back line.

CB we should move on Matip and Gomez in my opinion. Matip is out of contract anyway but Gomez just isn’t good enough at CB and I certainly don’t want him anywhere near an inverted full back role. Keep Quansah and Virgil absolutely. I’d like us to sign Pacho as we need to plan for life after Virgil now. Konate probably gets one more year under a new gaffer to prove his fitness. Van den Berg might be worth a look at if Konate isn’t at it from day 1 next season so I’d keep him onboard. Konate, VdB and Quansah for RCB, Virgil and Pacho for LCB.

Midfield I mostly agree. Move Szobo to a new role higher up the pitch. Keep Endo, Macca, Elliott and Bajcetic. Thiago is going. I disagree on Jones though. He is not much better than Keita with injuries and then not affecting games when he finally is fit, and he’s 24 next year. Gravenberch maybe we’ll see him thrive as Slot often plays with a no.10 which may suit him. It may also suit the returning Carvalho who I’d give a chance. I’d definitely go all in on Koopmeiners as I think he’s exactly what we lack in midfield. Sell Morton, keep Clark absolutely as he looks a gem, McConnell maybe needs a loan. Leaves us with 8 or 9 options still; Endo, Baj, Macca, Grav, Elliott, Clark, Carvalho, Koopmeiners and possibly Trent.

Attack i think Salah needs to move on now as we’d have to lose him on a free or risk a new contract and have him decline even further on a high salary. Jota I think has to stay if Salah goes as he’s a good finisher but this would be last chance saloon like with Konate. Nunez I want to stay as he still affects games and he may come into his own without Salah in the side, as we saw between January-March this season. Gakpo I agree, needs to show us more but he has it in the locker. Diaz i agree fully, keep if he wants to be here but if a big offer comes in and he pushes for it, then let him go. I hope we go big ourselves on Bowen. Gakpo and Diaz fight it out on the left, Nunez, Jota and Danns up top, Szoboszlai and Bowen for the right.


To Conclude I think we need to go big this summer and back Arne Slot, but with 4 top signings not 7 or 8 average ones. Quality over quantity. Getting Salah, Thiago and Matip off the wage bill is huge for FFP, and Gomez, Morton and Jones should fetch half decent fees thanks to the English tax. So not sure how realistic it is but I’d like to see the following.
Sell: Tsimikas, Matip, Gomez, Morton, Thiago, Jones, Salah
Sign: Geertruida, Pacho, Koopmeiners, Bowen.

2.) 04 May 2024
04 May 2024 10:22:04
@Seano_,

Do you have any preferences for ATT and CM/ CDM?

Cheers; interested to hear your thoughts!

3.) 04 May 2024
04 May 2024 10:32:41
MK Scouser, sorry Bowen is a no-no for me. Too old and is not someone the new manager can grow with like Klopp did growing with all our veteran players past and present wehn we signed them at age 24 to about 26. We can do a lot better and a lot younger than him, IMO. The other players, I have not seen them play so I can't comment.

4.) 04 May 2024
04 May 2024 11:16:22
Outs for me.
Salah if we get 80m plus
Tsimikas
Thiago
Matip

I'd hang tough on making any midfield changes. We made a lot of investment there last season and have a lot of talented young players. They definitely all done enough to get a second season so we can get a better look at the players we have. There's certainly enough talent there. If we buy another midfielder we are going to be very overstocked.

We need a defensive addition for sure. I Like the look of Hanko, Guertruida, Pacho

I d go Guertruida for his versatility. He has even played LB.
Perfect addition to add flexibility to the squad.

Chances are he is just an injury prone player but I'd like to see Jota under a different manager and see if he can ditch the injuries. Unlikely but I ll give it a year.

I hope we keep Diaz as he is such a hard worker.

Not ready to sell Nunez for a big loss either. Another who I would like to see under a new coach and system.

Gakpo likewise. Playing well lately and would like to see under the new coach.

Wouldn't just add a new striker either to block Danns development.

I'd add Bakayoko as Salah's replacement. Always a danger with the Dutch league but I think he has the quality to make it at a much higher level. Definitely quick enough and takes players on which I like in my wingers.

I'd keep Kelleher too if we could. Alisson gets injured. We need a good number 2.

For me, the summer is not the time for major surgery and I don't think the squad needs it either.

Allison, Kelleher

Robertson, Guertruida, Gomez, Van Dijk, Konate, Quansah, Bradley, Sepp Van der Berg

Endo, Mac Allaister, Szobozlai, Trent, Jones, Gravenberch, Elliott, Bajcetic

Gakpo, Diaz, Jota, Nunez, Bakayoko, Danns

Plenty of youth players emerging too to bolster this squad. Reminds me also to sell Carvalho too. He should make a good but of cash.

Then Id roll with that for a season. See what players step up and which players fail to deliver. Then next season, I'd make the bigger changes. If needed.

Personally I'd feel like this is the sensible approach rather than buying in 5 or 6 players when we don't even know how the players we have would play under the new coach. It's a talented bunch. Some could step up massively and others we think are great now could go backwards under Slot.

I think minimal changes now and decide next season after a season under Klopp.

I know the Salah sale is a massive change already but I think that's unavoidable if we get offered a huge sum. That's one I'd still make I think.

5.) 04 May 2024
04 May 2024 14:19:35
Honestly don’t see the hype with Koopmeiners, just a lumbering box to box midfielder, and we’ve been plenty of box to box players. What we absolutely lack is a top class defensive midfielder and we won’t win the top prizes until we go all out and get one, none of this business about “he’s versatile, he can play there” nonsense. Koopmeiners doesn’t play as a defensive midfielder for Atalanta, he plays as an attacking centre midfielder, we’re plenty who can do that but we’re very very thin on midfielders who can adequately protect our defence. How much difference did signing Fabinho make when we got him? We need a midfielder of that quality. As for salah’s replacement, we’re essentially losing 30 goals a season from the team in goals and assists. Bowen is too old, far too close to 30, plus he’s very settled in London. Sane is too old, has serious injury issues and a questionable attitude, Raphinha is too old and not very good, Kubo will be difficult as Madrid have a buyback which they’re rumoured to be interested in activating, Bakayoko is far too much of a risk as a Salah replacement, I’d prefer we looked at Kvaratskhelia or Rafa Leao as they’re both a good age and both performing to a similar level as Salah was when we signed him.
If we do the bare minimum in the summer then don’t expect to win the title as the current squad isn’t good enough to win the league this year and won’t be good enough next year.

6.) 04 May 2024
04 May 2024 15:11:21
@MK Scouser - very reasonable suggestions and you can actually pinpoint players we may want to move for so tons of detail and, though my thoughts differ, can’t say I strongly disagree with anything you’ve said either. Honestly I’ll just be happy if we make a few really top tier signings.

@KFCAJF - honestly I don’t watch enough football, or read or research enough, to know who would be a good signing so I can’t really offer names. I think on another post Nevada mentioned Kerkez, the Bournemouth left back, and he’s a player I have heard of (though don’t know if he’s any good), so maybe him? I think Isaak at Newcastle is a top, top player too, know it’s never happen but he’d be a great player in any team. Thought Tonali was going to be a world beater before he hit the bookies as well, maybe he still can be?

7.) 04 May 2024
04 May 2024 16:12:25
Sadly i'd sell Gomez if a decent bid of 30-40m was made and put it towards a top CB to pair with Virg. Is not good enough at CB, Klopp obviously agrees having him behind Quansah. We have Bradley/ Trent at RB and Robbo/ Beck (i'd also let Tsimi go) at LB. If we were bringing in Gertruida at a really good price with a year left on his contract i'd even consider selling Konate (super player but misses half the games) and bring two new CB's in. don't HAVE to be big money players, if Lloyd Kelly was brought in as cover for Virg on a free or the new coach rated Van der Berg for example i would necessarily be complaining. I just know you can't plan a season around Ibou and Gomez isn't good enough centrally as nice a guy as he is.

8.) 04 May 2024
04 May 2024 19:40:32
MK, with those sales, does that not affect the HG quota negatively?

9.) 04 May 2024
04 May 2024 21:22:18
Hi Oli. Who can we get who is a lot better than Bowen? Interested in your suggestions.

10.) 05 May 2024
05 May 2024 07:25:07
Stuie, I think Gomez and Jones going would be offset by Quansah and Elliott now counting as HG as they are/ turn 21 next season. And if we did get in one more English player such as Bowen then that’s a net +1.

Regards to Bowen lads, I really don’t think it’s wise to sell Salah who is one of the most prolific wide men in Prem history and replace him with a young player who isn’t anywhere near their prime years such as Bakayoko. We have enough young talented forwards like Koumas, Danns, Gordon, Musialowski, Doak etc. If we sell Salah it needs to be a proven goalscorer in the Premier League who comes in to replace him, in my opinion. Bowen is only 27 by the way and has just had the best season of his career, a feat he’s managed 3 years on the trot so he is improving and not showing any signs of being close to a physical decline. Milner signed at 28 and I’d argue he grew with Klopp and is possibly one of our best ever signings in the Prem era.

Victor, Koopmeiners might have developed into a box to box player but he played DM for Slot earlier in his career and even dropped in as a CB in a handful of games. Irrespective of that though, I still don’t know why you think we need a player who specialises as a DM when Endo is arguably the 2nd best in the Prem after Rodri. Are you swapping him for Casemiro, Caicedo, Jorginho/ Partey, Soucek/ Phillips, Kamara, Bissouma, Baleba, Paulinha etc? Throw in that Macca can cover there and Bajcetic and McConnell are both top young talents approaching the age they need to be playing football and I don’t see the need for a 5th option there. Not whilst our senior options for the high press roles are lacking. Thiago is going, Jones just hasn’t done enough for me and Szobo is clearly a winger out of position. Clark, Elliott and Gravenberch have shown enough as 19/ 20 year olds to suggest they can step up further next year but we need a guaranteed starter to join Endo and Macca in midfield. Why would you prioritise replacing one of the 2 senior midfielders (Endo and Macca) we have who has actually played well this season? Slot might agree with you so fair enough it is your opinion and you are well entitled to it, but I can’t get my head around needing a DM mate.