1.) 13 Aug 2017
13 Aug 2017 11:07:07
I truly hope so, an outstanding player will fill couts boots from day one imo, plus can play afew positions all of high quality so allows us to stay fluid.

2.) 13 Aug 2017
13 Aug 2017 11:14:46
He won't sort out our defensive problems.

3.) 13 Aug 2017
13 Aug 2017 11:33:11
Of course he won't Ron, but we need to replace Coutinho don't we? Our midfield without one of Coutinho or Lallana looks pretty pedestrian to me. Lots of runners and energy but lacking in passing precision and creativity.

4.) 13 Aug 2017
13 Aug 2017 11:34:30
Yes but he would solve a 'no coutinho' problem.

5.) 13 Aug 2017
13 Aug 2017 11:50:43
He's a bit small to play in goal.

6.) 13 Aug 2017
13 Aug 2017 12:25:22
Good player, not sure he is 60m but I guess in this market with clubs knowing we have money to spend anyone is going to cost us a fortune. Max M also being touted as an option.

IMO we struggled more without Mane last season than we did without pip, we have plenty of players who can play the number 10 role and have creativity across the front 3 or 4 in abundance. The issue once again is the defense and the defensive midfield, playing teams who use long ball bypasses that entire unit and with the LB and RB playing so high they are constantly getting turned down the channels. It is in part personnel (Loveren, Moreno, Klavan, even Clyne are not good enough back there) but it is also the system we play. I would move to a back 3 (with VVD) and sacrifice one of hendo, ginny, can. Drop firm to the #10 slot and play solanke or Studge through the middle of Mane and Mo. This takes the pressure off the fullbacks and gives more spread at the back.

If we were to get a stronger DM or someone more adept at breaking up play then it seems to me a better way to spend the money on that and VVD than on a pip replacement.

7.) 13 Aug 2017
13 Aug 2017 13:02:10
Jock that whole post was a contradiction.

You say we are weak to the long ball, but want a defensive midfielder to break up the play? The problem is not teams playing through us. Hendo, Gini and Can are are good tacklers. The problem is they all lack flair so we end up going side to side looking for an opening until someone gives the ball away and we get stung on the break.

The main issue though is that teams find it very easy to get down the sides of us due to Klopps horrific tactic to send both wing backs forward at the same time, and all of our senior centre backs are useless at defending balls into the box from set pieces and open play.

A defensive midfielder wouldn't help. The long ball would go over their head, and they wouldn't help us with the side ways passing issue either.

8.) 13 Aug 2017
13 Aug 2017 13:47:07
Good post MK. IMO getting our defence back to basic simple defending would be a good start.

9.) 13 Aug 2017
13 Aug 2017 13:56:47
MK - if you follow the logic then I'm not quite sure how you see it as a contradiction.

The move to a back 3 would make the defensive unit far more mobile and able to cope with balls into the channel as well as the long balls coming over. Klopp wants us to win the ball higher up the park so Ginny, Can, and Hendo all sit far in advance of the defense and except for closing the gap to receive the ball when played through they are constantly being turned. I agree with the lack of creativity with those three but disagree they are "good tacklers" as they spend most of their time chasing players back towards our goal and making last ditch challenges. look at Can and Hendo and the fouls they give away majority of the time tackling from behind while chasing back.

A deep lying def mid with the back 3 means there is constant coverage for a more expansive forward thinking wing backs. It also frees the other three to get forward and be the "late arriving" midfielders. Look at the role Kante played last season, or Masch played for us with the more forward thinking players around them.

10.) 13 Aug 2017
13 Aug 2017 14:12:58
Non of this solves our ability to do very basic set piece defending though. Bobby and Ginny were terrible in their mistakes at the back and unless we change the way we defend or the aggression we show back there then we will always be susceptible.

11.) 13 Aug 2017
13 Aug 2017 14:24:56
Our biggest weakness right now is not a "no coutinho" problem, it's a defensive problem.

12.) 13 Aug 2017
13 Aug 2017 14:51:48
I actually would not play Ginny in an away game, goes missing, doesn't score, cannot be the first man at their corner, Firmino did the same thing last season, would not head the ball, and it ended up in our net . would you put Salah or Mane as first man at a corner, no you would not, Klopp and his so called coaching staff have a lot to answer to,
I do agree with the poster who is calling for a back three, but you would need a very good big centre half to hold that, VVD would be that man .
unfortunatly, he won't be coming to us, all the signs are there, what will happen is that we won't sign another centre half, and we ship more goals than last season .
we are not in a good situation right now, with Couts having his head turned, Lalana out yet again, Hendo nowhere near ready, Ginny is very limited, and Klopp not up for the task .

13.) 13 Aug 2017
13 Aug 2017 15:01:52
Indeed Ron, but that's because as of now the 'no Coutinho' problem doesn't exist. If Coutinho leaves, then it is a problem, hence why the club is so desperate to hang onto him.

14.) 13 Aug 2017
13 Aug 2017 16:27:35
when Couts does leave, and it could happen next week, as we would need to find a like for like player fast, problem solved, we have replaced lots of great players, and it will happen again,
now, the problem is that we will find it very difficult to win anything this season, we have too many average players and our treatment room is in need of an extension .

15.) 13 Aug 2017
13 Aug 2017 16:53:11
It doesn't help that we have big central midfielders that teams can easily get around.

Henderson with his sore foot, and the tank that is Can gives us limited mo ility which highlights every weakneas with the defence.

16.) 13 Aug 2017
13 Aug 2017 17:17:32
We scored 3 goals and created plenty more chances without Coutinho, so losing him is not an issue. Having Coutinho does not solve our defensive frailties.

17.) 13 Aug 2017
13 Aug 2017 17:20:39
I think people have got klopp tinted glasses on and fail to see that the system we play is so attcking and gung ho that we have massive space in front of 2 isolated centre halfs .

18.) 13 Aug 2017
13 Aug 2017 17:47:33
Not a bad idea jock. Not sure we have the personnel to play 3 at the back and as much as I love Danny sturridge, he is to injury prone to be relied on and dom solanke, although looking highly promising, is too inexperienced to be our main threat imo. I think we need 3 more players when Phil goes. We need a cb who understands zonal marking and can organise in set pieces. We need some added creative spark and basically more numbers there in mf and we need a striker who can be relied on to score if firminio drops back to number 10. Really wish we'd have gone for lacazette although we didn't know wed be losing pc. That is what has pissed me off with his tr, bad timing Phil. Not his fault I guess but Barcelona could've moved quicker. If he is iniesta replacement then neymar doesn't come into it except cash wise. I'm racking my brains for a striker who would improve us and be able/ willing to join?

19.) 13 Aug 2017
13 Aug 2017 17:53:42
redforever, I think you will find that Ginny plies her trade as a chaser for the Holyhead Harpies or as a correspondent for the Daily Prophet. Ron might be able to confirm.

20.) 13 Aug 2017
13 Aug 2017 18:03:07
I also agree with using 3 at the back. Problem being we would need 2 CBs because I just do not rate lovren at all.

And red forever - "we have replaced lots of great players, and it will happen again"

What? We have replaced great players with lots of mediocre crap for many many many years now.
We have never made a decent replacement ever!
The only decent "replacement" we ever made was Suarez for Torres. But he wasn’t supposed to be a replacement, he was supposed to be along side Torres to begin with so it wasn’t a panic buy like every other time we have sold a top player.

21.) 13 Aug 2017
13 Aug 2017 18:18:26
In my opinion guys.

The whole PC situation has put a cloud over the club but no one can judge PC over his time at the club and determination, looking at it from a different point of view, in any role we do in work, if you are offered a better job with more pay and a higher rank. You take that from a financial point of view and to improve and better yourself. Apply that to this situation and it's very similar. I have always rated PC and he is quality but we can carry on fine without him. The thing I feel is that firmino has played out of position for a long time and really wants that no 10 role. With PC going, he can be dropped back there with mane and slash either side. We can then actually use a striker which we brought in or the supply we have. Then have a combo of hendo/ Gini/ Can sitting in the middle. Thing with firmino is that he runs so much that he will help track back and help out is well. Plus our issue has always been at the back so really I feel the whole VVD is planned to sort the defence and the NK was to help cover them while being a machine. Really though as a team. We need to focus on the defence and structure which is what I think the club is trying to do. If we can learn to fix this. At least if we learn to defend, we will do so much better. It's been said on here for so long but our defence needs the work. If this can get worked with the internal team and training. If we can't break teams down, atleast don't concede and we will go much further. Old saying, you win from the back. If you can't score. Make sure you don't concede.

Just my thoughts. But we will be alright without PC, the boy has been good for us and as a player to have the chance to play for the best team in the world. That won't atleast twitch his thoughts. So don't blame the boy at all. Plus from yday. We saw what mfs can do and will do for us this season

Keep the heads up!

22.) 13 Aug 2017
13 Aug 2017 18:21:19
We replaced henchoz with agger. We replaced sterling with mane we replaced torres with suarez. Kenny was boss then and I understand why he bought in carol and suarez coz we sways had success in the past with big guy little guy. Liverpool are pretty good at finding talent, I dunno dhat is happening this year.

23.) 13 Aug 2017
13 Aug 2017 19:07:34
If coutinho does go we need to rebalanced the side with a top class striker in my opinion not a like for like.

I know he's only really had a good season and a half but I would spend the fortune to get Andrea belotti. Firmino replaces coutinho in am. He just looks top drawer everytime I see him play.

Insigne is a good player but very slight.

Along with belotti hopefully get van dijk and kieta in as well. We won't be such a bad side then and getting replacements of their class will limit the blow and tag of selling club.

Big three weeks ahead.

24.) 13 Aug 2017
13 Aug 2017 19:11:29
Superred, Agger came in 12 months after Henchoz left. Carra was his 'replacement' so to speak.
Mane, again, came in 12 months after Sterling left so he wasn’t a replacement either.
Suarez was also not Torres' replacement, he was brought in to form what could have been the best striker partnership in the world of football.
But Carroll WAS Torres' rushed last minute replacement 😔.