Liverpool FC Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours 2016, Mod Warning in OP, 10/7

J Mysterio

Games now against Roma and Barcelona are no joke. Wonder is Totti playing on for Roma? Also, Suarez first game againdt the pool

Two goals last night was good, though we could (probably should) have scored more.

Klopp mentioned that the Chelsea and Milan games were good prep for the season as they were both 'Italian teams' - we will have plenty of games in the league against teams parking the bus.

Happy anyway, I'm expecting levels like that of 13/14.

mosstin

I see the Guardian have begun their predictions for the upcoming season, placing Arsenal 5th - which is bizarre as I think they'll certainly be higher, especially if they recruit a decent centre forward.
But it left me wondering if they see us as Top 4 material under Klopp. At the moment, I don't. City, United and Chelsea look pretty good to take 3 of the top 4 spots - I think Conte will make Chelsea hard to beat and they'll sign a reliable striker.
I think we'll push for the Top 4 but just miss out. Spurs are further down the road than we are but they might see themselves squeezed out of the reckoning too.
In short, I think we'll be 6th.

gstack166

mosstin wrote: »

I see the Guardian have begun their predictions for the upcoming season, placing Arsenal 5th - which is bizarre as I think they'll certainly be higher, especially if they recruit a decent centre forward.
But it left me wondering if they see us as Top 4 material under Klopp. At the moment, I don't. City, United and Chelsea look pretty good to take 3 of the top 4 spots - I think Conte will make Chelsea hard to beat and they'll sign a reliable striker.
I think we'll push for the Top 4 but just miss out. Spurs are further down the road than we are but they might see themselves squeezed out of the reckoning too.
In short, I think we'll be 6th.

You wouldn't happen to have a link for this piece in the Guardian? Can't find it online. Thanks.

mosstin

gstack166 wrote: »

You wouldn't happen to have a link for this piece in the Guardian? Can't find it online. Thanks.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2016/aug/01/premier-league-2016-17-preview-arsenal

NukaCola

mosstin wrote: »

I see the Guardian have begun their predictions for the upcoming season, placing Arsenal 5th - which is bizarre as I think they'll certainly be higher

Guardian writers’ predicted position: 5th (NB: this is not necessarily David Hytner’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)

So, on average they came to a 5th place finish? Some would have picked lower than 5th and higher than 5th presumably.......Honestly, cant see them out side top 4 this year. Strange prediction.

Harry Palmr

So Wenger in crisis and not a ball kicked!

These predictions are great click-bait BTL arguments but with a month of the transfer window left, quite pointless
So the prediction for Watford should be more accurate than Arsenal.

corwill

NukaCola wrote: »

Strange prediction.

BullBlackNova

NukaCola wrote: »

Guardian writers’ predicted position: 5th (NB: this is not necessarily David Hytner’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)

So, on average they came to a 5th place finish? Some would have picked lower than 5th and higher than 5th presumably.......Honestly, cant see them out side top 4 this year. Strange prediction.

I'd be surprised if they didn't finish in the top 4 this season but the write-up given in that Guardian piece argues it pretty well.

Wenger has, through offers for Vardy and Lacazette, acknowledged that their striking options are not as good as they should be yet, as it stands, they go into the season with just Giroud up front. While he'll likely finish the season with 15+ goals, he will also probably stop scoring for a time too. Simply having an alternative would minimise the damage this would cause to the season as a whole and they currently don't have that.

Same with the CB options.

Chelsea, like ourselves, have no midweek distractions and a tactically astute manager and you'd fancy both United and City to target real improvements with their new managers/summer spend. I'd say those 3 are nailed on for the top 4.

That leaves just one slot between Arsenal, ourselves, Leicester, Spurs, etc - the margins will be slim and I can perfectly understand any of the 8 or so sides who want to be in the top 4 being written out of it in pre-season predictions.

As it stands, I think Leicester, Arsenal and Spurs have a lot of work to do to cope with the demands they'll face this season. I think we have enough players but I worry that we haven't improved on the areas we were weak in. I think United, City and Chelsea look strong and set to be even stronger.

If we don't hope for / expect Top4 this year when will we?

Klopp has has 30 ish PL games with LFC and brought us to a EL final with someone else's squad. He's come in had a good look and decided on what he needed in the summer transfer window.

Of Mane & Wijnaldum you'd hope at least one would hit the ground running, bag a good haul of goals, cement a starting place and improve us. Failing that both might/should contribute intermittently and find their feet as the season goes on, given the amount of AMs we have they won't stay in the firing line if they are not gelling.

Grujic, Can (continuing to improve) & Henderson (hopefully back to his best) with Matip as an option if required are decent CM options, certainly better than 14 or so other PL teams so we should hopefully not be yearning for the top class CM we didn't sign as the season progresses.

I'm not going to speak about the defence or attack too much as we've all been there done that but we aren't too badly covered. Mig is a worry but he's not bad to be fair while not being great either.

Given Utd, Chelsea & Man City all have new managers and Utd & Chelsea are coming off poor enough seasons by their own standards there's an element of pressure & expectation on them.

Anyway, you'd imagine 2017/2018 will be tougher for us than the coming season to get Top4 as 3 of the perennial Top4 clubs will quite likely have managers with a season and 3 transfer windows under their belts.

Perennial CL qualification is something we'll struggle mightily to achieve but this season, on paper does to me look like not a bad opportunity, admittedly challenging no doubt though. No EL short term is a good thing for us, less games bla bla bla

Riesen_Meal

http://www.90min.com/posts/3546772-liverpool-striker-mario-balotelli-pictured-smoking-while-on-holiday-in-italy?a_aid=35322

Apologies for the ****ty click bait link - seems Mario is back on the fags, I know the likes of Zidane and Maldini smoked through their career (and Jurgen who still does!) but but the former 2 were world class, unlike "our" Mario...

Kirby

He doesn't do enough running for it to effect his cardio anyway.

Agent Coulson

Ejaria injured now and will miss the rest of preseason.

Harry Palmr

No harm, don't want him overplaying Plus it means Brannagan can get a game if he went

BorneTobyWilde

Talk of a breakaway Champions League being hinted again. When one looks at Champions league you see a vast amount of tiny clubs in it, would make more sense for clubs like Liverpool to be in it year in year out. Liverpool draw huge tv audience and increases revenue, compared to these clubs that no one has ever heard of competing at a level that is beyond them.

BorneTobyWilde

If Dundalk can win the tie tomorrow they're into Champions League play-off, while club like Liverpool don't even get the chance to qualify.

Vex Willems

Those tiny clubs have every right to be there, Liverpool don't

Vex Willems

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

If Dundalk can win the tie tomorrow they're into Champions League play-off, while club like Liverpool don't even get the chance to qualify.

They do, and failed to do so

MD1990

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

Talk of a breakaway Champions League being hinted again. When one looks at Champions league you see a vast amount of tiny clubs in it, would make more sense for clubs like Liverpool to be in it year in year out. Liverpool draw huge tv audience and increases revenue, compared to these clubs that no one has ever heard of competing at a level that is beyond them.

Yeah lets forget about the smaller clubs as they don't have as many fans or revenue as the bigger clubs.:rolleyes:

NukaCola

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

If Dundalk can win the tie tomorrow they're into Champions League play-off, while club like Liverpool don't even get the chance to qualify.

So we should be in it every year without having to actually qualify?

You have to earn the right to play in it through the domestic league. There is 4 spots in England, if you cant get one of them you dont deserve a chance to qualify.

Damien360

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

Talk of a breakaway Champions League being hinted again. When one looks at Champions league you see a vast amount of tiny clubs in it, would make more sense for clubs like Liverpool to be in it year in year out. Liverpool draw huge tv audience and increases revenue, compared to these clubs that no one has ever heard of competing at a level that is beyond them.

Is this not the same as a players agent talking up a move to a major team to push for more money.

No team, including Liverpool have any right to believe themselves better than anyone else. The Champions league is much fairer (if a little to large in the way of number of teams) than its prequel the European Cup. Realistically, it should be just the top team only from each league to cut the fat.

BorneTobyWilde

MD1990 wrote: »

Yeah lets forget about the smaller clubs as they don't have as many fans or revenue as the bigger clubs.:rolleyes:

Europa is there. They should also have a 3 cup. You can progress into each by reaching final. No need for tiny clubs to be in Champions league

BorneTobyWilde

Damien360 wrote: »

Is this not the same as a players agent talking up a move to a major team to push for more money.

No team, including Liverpool have any right to believe themselves better than anyone else. The Champions league is much fairer (if a little to large in the way of number of teams) than its prequel the European Cup. Realistically, it should be just the top team only from each league to cut the fat.

But you end up with top teeam from a country no one has ever heard of playing Real Madrid, when they could have Liverpool playing them.

KaiserGunner

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

Europa is there. They should also have a 3 cup. You can progress into each by reaching final. No need for tiny clubs to be in Champions league

So what do you think the champions league should be then? The top 32 clubs in Europe based on prestige/commercial strength? The same teams every year regardless of how they perform in their own domestic league?

BorneTobyWilde

KaiserGunner wrote: »

So what do you think the champions league should be then? The top 32 clubs in Europe based on prestige/commercial strength? The same teams every year regardless of how they perform in their own domestic league?

That's what the break away talk is of. Top six from the top leagues.
You still have to make top six. Chelsea would have missed out...

Agent Coulson

Well it's been a long time since the Champions League has been only for the Champion winning team of each league.

The talk of a breakaway league for the biggest commercial has been around forever and a day.

It more than likely will happen someday but that day is still a while away yet.

BorneTobyWilde

15m to win Champions league. A cheap bench warmer is all you would get for that. The Champions league needs a reboot, more money in Premier League now.

8-10

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

That's what the break away talk is of. Top six from the top leagues.
You still have to make top six. Chelsea would have missed out...

As would Liverpool

And you'd still have teams with smaller revenues and tv audience playing in it. Celta Vigo, Southampton, Mainz, Sassuolo, Saint-Etienne all top 6 last season

There's no way Liverpool deserve to be in it year in year out. The fact that there's 4 spots open for English teams is more than enough.

Knex*

Draw me like one of your Brazilian girls

https://i.imgur.com/7A6D9zb.jpg

(Blatantly robbed from Reddit), and image to large to embed)

NukaCola

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

15m to win Champions league. A cheap bench warmer is all you would get for that. The Champions league needs a reboot, more money in Premier League now.

Thats one game though.

Breakdown of prize money below.

First Qualifying Round: €200,000
Second Qualifying Round: €300,000
Third Qualifying Round: €400,000
Play-offs Eliminated: €3,000,000
Play-offs Winners: €2,000,000
Base fee for group stage: €12,000,000
Group match victory: €1,500,000
Group match draw: €500,000
Round of 16: €5,500,000
Quarter-finals: €6,000,000
Semi-finals: €7,000,000
Losing finalist: €10,500,000
Winning the Final: €15,000,000

A large part of the distributed revenue from the UEFA Champions League is linked to the "market pool", the distribution of which is determined by the value of the television market in each country.

Juventus earned €89M for being ruuners up in 2014/15.

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Champions_League

MD1990

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

15m to win Champions league. A cheap bench warmer is all you would get for that. The Champions league needs a reboot, more money in Premier League now.

Its not all about the big clubs getting money. Dundalk & Cork progressing in Europe has helped them hugely finicially.

citytillidie

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

If Dundalk can win the tie tomorrow they're into Champions League play-off, while club like Liverpool don't even get the chance to qualify.

Both Liverpool and Dundalk had a chance to qualify. In fact Liverpool had a better chance to qualify considering they could have finished 1 to 4 and either get into the group,stage or play off round.

Where as Dundalk had to finish 1st and then have to play 2 rounds even to have the same starting position Liverpool would have had if they finished 4th

Guess you could have it set up like this old Playstation game
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Challenge

Agent Coulson

We are now being linked to De Sciglio who can play both LB & RB.


The major problem with him is he is Italian and as we all know Italian's and Liverpool don't mix.


But I wouldn't say no to an Italian defender even though I said we should never do business with Italian clubs again

tinpib

Any thoughts on tonight's game against Roma? Any team news?

Only 48 hours after the last one I imagine it could be a 'weaker' starting 11.

martyos121

Agent Coulson wrote: »

We are now being linked to De Sciglio who can play both LB & RB.


The major problem with him is he is Italian and as we all know Italian's and Liverpool don't mix.


But I wouldn't say no to an Italian defender even though I said we should never do business with Italian clubs again

I'd much rather Antonelli if we're taking a full back off Milan. Solid as you'll get he is, but at 29 he's probably too old for FSG to consider.

De Sciglio hasn't pushed on one bit in the last few years since he was one of the most highly rated teenage defenders in the world.

Charlie19

tinpib wrote: »

Any thoughts on tonight's game against Roma? Any team news?

Only 48 hours after the last one I imagine it could be a 'weaker' starting 11.

I'd imagine it will also be a stronger opposition. Looking through their squad and there is a lot more household names to that of Milan.

Harry Palmr

tinpib wrote: »

Any thoughts on tonight's game against Roma? Any team news?

Only 48 hours after the last one I imagine it could be a 'weaker' starting 11.

90min have got the following, dunno from where though, I also think Ings will start this game

5starpool

I'm certainly not saying we'll win anything here, but would anyone swap our manager for any other one in the world? I wouldn't right now, that's for sure. Who is the best in the world is very debatable and I'm not saying he's the best, but I'm saying he's the best for us.

Harry Palmr

I only want a manager who is interesting in buying big tents at enormous prices, has no interest in developing young talent and will leave in three seasons regardless.

martyos121

5starpool wrote: »

I'm certainly not saying we'll win anything here, but would anyone swap our manager for any other one in the world? I wouldn't right now, that's for sure. Who is the best in the world is very debatable and I'm not saying he's the best, but I'm saying he's the best for us.

Best modern manager is Simeone for me as much as I hate his tactics. Would never want to see a manager like that at our club though, no matter how good he is.

Klopp fits Liverpool like a glove though, there isn't one manager in the world better suited to the job IMO.

Agent Coulson

Nah never wanted him at all..but i'll put up with him i guess.

5starpool

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Nah never wanted him at all..but i'll put up with him i guess.

It's alright, Rodgers might come back someday, never lose hope.

Telegraph reckon Benteke will start as he hasn't played so far :eek:
Might watch this match.

mosstin

martyos121 wrote: »

Best modern manager is Simeone for me as much as I hate his tactics. Would never want to see a manager like that at our club though, no matter how good he is.

Klopp fits Liverpool like a glove though, there isn't one manager in the world better suited to the job IMO.

If Klopp were to leave at any stage, I'd happily have Simeone.

marno21

mosstin wrote: »

If Klopp were to leave at any stage, I'd happily have Simeone.

Agreed, it would be nice to see us expert defenders for once.

It'd be interesting to see, if Skrtel was at a club and Simeone took over, just how many minutes he would be there for before getting the road

martyos121

mosstin wrote: »

If Klopp were to leave at any stage, I'd happily have Simeone.

Don't get me wrong, I'd back him if he ever did join us like I would with any manager, but I'd always prefer a manager who priorities good football and stays true to the values of the club.

I probably went a bit overboard with my first reaction to that question tbh, a manger like Simeone will always win more trophies than a manger like Klopp in today's game and trophies are what we need.

I hope Klopp stays with us for a long, long time though and wouldn't trade him for anyone at the moment.

Agent Coulson

Milner starting at LB again.

https://twitter.com/LFC/status/760252394001301504

Can, Wijnaldum, Ojo, Mane, Firmino, Sturridge............. defo going to watch this now.......... aside from Ojo I reckon Klopp is hoping the other 5 will be featuring as more or less our best team midfield & forwards.

J Mysterio

Thats some line up. This is going to be another cracker!.... And at a decent time!

J Mysterio

Roma team

J Mysterio

J Mysterio wrote: »

Thats some line up. This is going to be another cracker!.... And at a decent time!

Am tempted to have a coffee, eyelids are getting heavy :pac: