12 Feb 2023 15:03:47
We've all been harping on about the need for midfielders, rightfully so.

I'd be amazed if this season hasn't opened klopps eyes to a few other players who have shown they no longer have the skills and/ or character to play a big part for this club going forward.

I expect midfield and defence to be strengthened with top quality in the next two windows.

1.) 12 Feb 2023
12 Feb 2023 15:24:01
Agreed.
The CB situation looks poor. We need young blood .
Perhaps Fab can be moved back there .

2.) 12 Feb 2023
12 Feb 2023 16:27:31
Regardless of ownership situation and where we finish at the end of the season, we need major surgery this summer. We are at least two windows behind in midfield/ CB positions. In addition to this, I can imagine Kelleher and Tsimikas wanting to move on for first team football. Therefore I could see us bringing in 6/ 7 players. Not something we have done since the Brendan days.

3.) 12 Feb 2023
12 Feb 2023 16:49:22
We won’t be bringing in 6 or 7 first team squad players.

4.) 12 Feb 2023
12 Feb 2023 16:50:01
With injured players returning ready to start the new season, I’d be happy with 3 top signings in the next window, couple of midfielders and a defender.

5.) 12 Feb 2023
12 Feb 2023 17:08:42
Don't know why we'd let Tsimikas go unless we get a replacement. I can see us selling a forward to help raise funds.

Outs for a fee: Phillips Gomez Matip Kelleher Forward poss mid (one of fab hendo thiago)

Outs on a free: Keita Milner Ox Bobby

Ins: 2 mids (3 if one sold) 2 CB (1 if Gomez stays) Forward (if one is sold)

3-4 incomings same owners 4-5 new owners. I can see us selling one of Jota or Salah. I think Salah stays fit for years and still plenty to offer. But if 60M or so can be raised it'll be tempting wout new owners or investment.

6.) 12 Feb 2023
12 Feb 2023 17:00:30
WDW - you may be right. But it would be another mistake. Let’s see what happens.

7.) 12 Feb 2023
12 Feb 2023 17:23:22
We need min 5/ 6 players years of lack of investment has well and truly haunted us this season!
It leads to players who are well off the boil still being started!

{Ed002's Note - There we’re funds available to buy a MF player and Klopp screwed up with Amrabat.}

8.) 12 Feb 2023
12 Feb 2023 17:53:26
Yes 02 I get that it’s why I’m saying lack of investment! Klopp nvr brought anyone in wasn’t the right player etc and I think it’s cost us pal!

{Ed002's Note - That is not lack of investment.}

9.) 12 Feb 2023
12 Feb 2023 18:20:17
Redflyer - it’s not a case of us letting him go. He may want to go for first team football. It’s not just about what the club wants remember.

10.) 12 Feb 2023
12 Feb 2023 18:26:03
You say that, but remember Wijnaldum? He spent his final months at Liverpool doing his absolute best to sabotage the team, put as little effort in on the pitch as he possibly could, and then made the final day of the season all about him when he had a tantrum about not being given a contract. The club presented him with a gift of some sort (can't remember what) and the players gave him a farewell. He was cursing the heavens, thinking that the fans knew his true value and that soon his scandalous treatment would be revealed (which amounted to the club not agreeing with his insane wage demands) . I think he even insulted our fanbase after he left but I can't remember exactly what he said, and then as we all know he had disastrous spells at PSG and Roma, proving to everyone that there was no value in keeping him with us.

Despite everything I just mentioned, after he left Klopp still insisted that he would have given him another contract, but was stopped by other figures at the club. A few months later, he demanded that Henderson be given a big new contract, despite him having two years left on his current deal. He also said that he 'couldn't imagine doing this without Milner', which again struck me as a worrying thing to say, as well as his claim that he'd never push anybody out of the club, that it was up to the players to decide whether they left or not. He spoke many times about players he loved but didn't play often, like Origi, who he held on to for far too long. He never trusted him fully on the pitch, but he had grown too attached to shift him on.

Our issues aren't a recent development, they're the result of Klopp's mentality and decisions over the past few years. It is his character, it is who he is. Wijnaldum was a total liability and he still refused to believe it, because he didn't have the balls to deliver home truths to a player who had delivered success in the past. He couldn't make the hard decisions then, and I'm not seeing any signs that he has learned his lesson since.

You'd think Klopp would be able to see the obvious, but history shows that he doesn't, and his current demeanour doesn't suggest that either. I'm still not seeing the reactions I'd like to see from a manager in his position. There seems to be a lot of denial and shrugging of shoulders.

11.) 12 Feb 2023
12 Feb 2023 18:36:26
I just hope Klopp can actually see the problem. After 2 failed windows, I’m not sure he even knows we need midfielders or defenders.

12.) 12 Feb 2023
12 Feb 2023 18:52:59
Everything depends on the investment. If we have the same ownership as now I can’t see how we can afford Bellingham and the additional players we need.

13.) 12 Feb 2023
12 Feb 2023 19:25:26
I don't think amrobat good enough on the limited bits I've seen of him.
Would rather play bajectic.

14.) 12 Feb 2023
12 Feb 2023 19:03:58
I’m really interested in what Ed002 says, we had the money but Klopp decided against buying - which I and many see as a mistake. Thanks for the info Ed002.

I think it’s time to freshen up the squad, reduce overall age and move on players not up to scratch. We have some great youth players to bring through and use as cover for some places.

I don’t think WDW isn’t far from what’s needed, but the only other area needing attention is coaching or coaching staff - our tactics have been shocking - maybe that’s Klopp, but I really don’t want him to go and we have seen the success he has brought, I hope we can get that back.

Welcome your valued thoughts as always all.

Thanks.

15.) 12 Feb 2023
12 Feb 2023 20:05:53
"Klopp can't see the obvious" - had to laugh at that one.

16.) 12 Feb 2023
12 Feb 2023 21:12:41
Klopps biggest strength is his biggest weakness - loyalty.

17.) 12 Feb 2023
12 Feb 2023 21:35:27
For what it’s worth - and let me be clear I’m not even a good amateur tactician, let alone qualified in any way - but it seems to me that the ‘spine’ of the team has disappeared and that our on-field leadership and ability to respond to problems during the course of games has gone with it.

I think we need three, possibly four, additions.

1. We need a replacement for VVD at his best. I’m not saying we get rid of him just that we want a younger version of him that exudes confidence and holds the back 4 together especially if / when we are put under pressure

2. We need a defensive CM - one who can win the ball and pass it to the playmaker (s) 8 or 9 times out of 10. We need someone who can break up / hold up opposition attacks and win the ball back and who protects the back 4. - a younger version of Fabs.

3. We need a replacement for Bobby - a footballing instinct / brain. Someone who can hold the ball, play a killer ball, play between the lines and 2ho acts as the first line of defence when we lose the ball by leading the press.

In effect we need a new spine although I understand that it more sensibly (and economically viable) to adopt a phase approach.

We also need ne or two leaders to emerge. Not necessarily ‘shake your fist, get stuck into them’ leaders (although that would be a nice to have) but one or two who can grab a game by the neck and change I to our advantage and take the team with them.

Anyway, just my thoughts.

18.) 12 Feb 2023
12 Feb 2023 21:50:18
Let’s see if Klopp screwed up or not this Summer before we get the knives out. Also did he really screw up with Amrabat? He had a good WC for sure but I certainly don’t think he is anything special. Sure if you want some player to maybe improve us this instant but long term? Not for me. I noticed no other team took the bait for him either when he was “going cheap”.

19.) 12 Feb 2023
12 Feb 2023 22:36:27
If there’s money there for transfers it makes you wonder why we need new investors.

20.) 12 Feb 2023
12 Feb 2023 23:50:45
WDW you have just described the problem within your solution.

Every single team in the top 5 leagues in Europe want exactly the players you’ve just described. The problem is there are only so many players that can guarantee you all of those traits.

What Klopp does (very well usually) is earmark the players that will get us where we need to be and then work on signing those players.

He doesn’t allow himself to be swayed because of current performances or results because he knows that in the long run these players will see us move in the right direction. It’s one of the traits that I most admire about Klopp, he is his own man and doesn’t cave in to the outside noise. This can come across as stubbornness but his track record tells you that it usually works.

The same fans crying out for signing a midfielder, any midfielder will be the same fans slagging them off on here after a couple of poor performances. It’s a huge positive for me that we have a manager that doesn’t listen to unqualified fans whose only jeopardy is not having bragging rights at work on a Monday morning.

We don’t have the money to to make too many expensive mistakes like City or Chelsea do. They can take a chance for £60m and if it doesn’t work just sign someone else for £60m, no big deal.

I am frustrated at the moment just like everyone else is but I’m totally calm because I know that Klopp will have a plan and if he follows it we will be back up there sooner rather than later.

21.) 13 Feb 2023
13 Feb 2023 00:10:26
Sort of agree @Beckers but most of the opposition are looking at spending as much money as they can. If you look at our spine, admittedly VVD was expensive, it came relatively cheap (Bobby and Fabs) and the leaders - again VVD aside were also cheap - Hendo, Millie, Robbo.

@JK23, there is a difference between investors in FSG and Liverpool FCs transfer funds. Obviously the two are related but FSG and Liverpool FC aren’t the same thing.

22.) 13 Feb 2023
13 Feb 2023 00:33:54
Exactly WDW that just shows you that Klopp has his targets (VVD) that he will spend big on, he also has his targets (Fabs) that don’t cost quite as much, he is also more than willing to coach the players he has into playing a system (Hendo, Bobby and Milly), he is also prepared to give youth a chance rather than making rash decisions and signing any old player to fill a gap. Some young players make it (Trent) but most don’t. If you just keep buying random players though instead of trying them out you will never know.
I agree with what you’ve said but my point is that those players are very hard to find and might even already be at the club. Even if you do find them they then have to be available for transfer and agree to join us above all of the other clubs in Europe that are also courting their services.
Patience is key. There just doesn’t seem to be a lot of that about these days though.

23.) 13 Feb 2023
13 Feb 2023 00:42:46
I’ll just add to that WDW I think it is easier to sign players that will improve you when you are finishing 4th to 8th every season like we were before Klopp arrived.
It’s much harder when you’ve been in 3 CL finals in 5 years and have been PL champions and runners up by 1 point twice with huge points hauls.
You want to maintain that level or improve it but to do so you are shopping in a different league than we were before. You are basically taking other teams best players off them and even if they are prepared to sell there will be a number of huge clubs to battle against.
They always say getting to the top is hard but staying there is even harder.

24.) 13 Feb 2023
13 Feb 2023 07:11:32
WDW I get that. When red bird invested in FSG it had no impact on the club as they were buying FSG shares.

But aren’t FSG now looking for investors into Liverpool football club and not FSG as a whole?

25.) 13 Feb 2023
13 Feb 2023 07:56:27
@JK23, I don’t think investors can invest in Liverpool FC per se. I think any investment is into FSG but that if FSG chose to sell the asset (Liverpool FC) then the new owners would be able to invest in the club directly unless my understanding is incorrect (which is highly likely) .

@Beckers good point about being easier to improve a squad if you are sitting in mid table, but the players brought in actually went on to wing the PL and CL. As I was saying in a different thread, the sum of the whole turned out to be (considerably) better than the sum of the parts.

26.) 13 Feb 2023
13 Feb 2023 09:37:21
3 Midfielders of quality and 1 CB will be enough but they need to be of quality.

27.) 13 Feb 2023
13 Feb 2023 11:34:48
Beckers Pecker, even though VVD was Klopp's target, Klopp and LFC had no choice but to spend up big on him after he illegally tapped up Southampton's player. Something that Klopp has done time and time again as Liverpool manager.

28.) 13 Feb 2023
13 Feb 2023 12:05:28
Jay Dub Red, stop trying to blame the club or owners implicitly by playing with words, as ED02 has just said. Klopp was given funds to get a midfielder regardless of who it was. If he sat on the money and panicked into getting Arthur Melo at the last minute then, how is that lack of investment? Please, enuff of this crap. Klopp screwed up, end of story and he even admitted it. Trying to blame someone else or something else by saying "lack of investment" is just porkies. He is to blame. Get over it.

29.) 13 Feb 2023
12 Feb 2023 17:45:16
Amrabat isn’t good enough, but given we what we have is take him.