Liverpool FC Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours 2018

rob316

RoboKlopp wrote: »

Imo,the championship, which is a more competitive league is better for a young player to learn his trade. Bar european games, which are limited to mainly celtic.

Pressure in the championship for promotion is huge, tough on managers to be brave and play young players.

54and56

Lads,

You should see the state of Utd playing their last friendly Vs Bayern. I've access to MUTV and the family are watching some Midsomer Murder crap so stuck it on the laptop and I'm honestly neither biased or trolling but they are absolute rubbish without either shape or threat. I know Lukaku, Pogba and Matic aren't playing but it's impossible to see what their game plan is. They barely got out of their own half and were chasing shadows all game. Bayern were stroking it around at their leisure and scored the softest header from a corner you'll ever see.

Utd just parked the bus (in a pre season friendly!!) and Nauer didn't have a single save to make all game - unbelievable.

I know it's just pre season etc but by all accounts they've been pure $h1te in all their pre season matches and with their PL starting on Friday it's hard to see how they are suddenly going to switch it on and play to a game plan they haven't taken the wraps off in pre season.

I honestly think they could struggle for top 4 this year especially if they don't land a RW and/or RFB.

Can't wait for the season to start!!!

Potential Underachiever

The above post is so jinxy!

Nailed on Utd to beat Leicester and we lose to West Ham.

54and56

Potential Underachiever wrote: »

The above post is so jinxy!

Nailed on Utd to beat Leicester and we lose to West Ham.

C'mon, you can't believe in that hockus pockus :-)

I'll bet you a straight €20 (donation to Breast Cancer Ireland by the loser) that your prediction above doesn't come off. If it does I'll make the donation, if it doesn't you donate €20.

Deal?

Potential Underachiever

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

C'mon, you can't believe in that hockus pockus :-)

I'll bet you a straight €20 (donation to Breast Cancer Ireland by the loser) that your prediction above doesn't come off. If it does I'll make the donation, if it doesn't you donate €20.

Deal?

Nah you're ok! I'd rather put 20 on a Utd, West Ham double if I was gonna bet.


I don't believe in the jinx stuff either, I just don't take too much stock of pre season, Utd might look garbage but it's irrelevant until the season starts, IIRC we smashed up Barca last year and then looked very ropey against Watford when the season actually started, even Dom Solanke looked like a world beater last pre season, like I said just don't think it means too much.

Agent Coulson

I'll stand naked outside the GPO if......

As good as we've been pre season, if West Ham came and got a result I wouldn't be overly shocked. Hopefully not!

Pre season counts for **** all. Looks like we are fit and avoided injuries. That's the name of the game.

54and56

Potential Underachiever wrote: »

Nah you're ok! I'd rather put 20 on a Utd, West Ham double if I was gonna bet.


I don't believe in the jinx stuff either, I just don't take too much stock of pre season, Utd might look garbage but it's irrelevant until the season starts, IIRC we smashed up Barca last year and then looked very ropey against Watford when the season actually started, even Dom Solanke looked like a world beater last pre season, like I said just don't think it means too much.

OK, fair enough and BTW I agree to a point ref pre-season, the results don't mean a thing really and neither does what appears to be a great performance Vs a weakened team or one which is at a much earlier stage of pre-season but apart from pure fitness the 2nd most important objective of pre-season is to knit the squad into a coherent unit who understand and implement a style of play/tactics etc. It is after all preparation for the new season so it's when you practise what you want to execute from game one of the new season onwards.

You can tell a lot from pre-season in relation to how a team intends to play and how comfortable they are implementing the managers instructions.

Based on what I've seen I'd give us an 8 out of 10 in terms of their being a clear style of play which everyone understands and consistently executes.

Based on tonights match and extended highlights I watched from their US tour I'd give Utd a 4 out of ten. They just don't seem to have any particular style of play other than sit back and don't lose.

Could all go tits up at the weekend as you highlight, but I really doubt it. Liverpool would have to turn to $h1te and Utd would have to suddenly turn it on and perform way above anything they've shown in pre-season.

54and56

Potential Underachiever wrote: »

Nah you're ok! I'd rather put 20 on a Utd, West Ham double if I was gonna bet.


I don't believe in the jinx stuff either, I just don't take too much stock of pre season, Utd might look garbage but it's irrelevant until the season starts, IIRC we smashed up Barca last year and then looked very ropey against Watford when the season actually started, even Dom Solanke looked like a world beater last pre season, like I said just don't think it means too much.

Just sayin.........

Just for the discussion above, Leicester are missing all their best players, Vardy & Maguire & obviously Mahrez.

---

Excitement building now. Wish we were playing Saturday instead though. The wait will be a killer!

Gbear

I seem to remember obliterating a certain Jurgen Klopp's Dortmund team in 14/15 before we becamse a horror show.

I'm positive about this season because we've shown growth year on year in performances and in the quality of the squad.

I don't think we're at a stage yet where we're bulletproof title contenders, so I'm not expecting perfection that is needed to reach that level. Win, lose or draw next weekend, we'll be grand next season.

When everyones **** themselves into a frenzy over your attack, that's when teams want to shut you down even more. I think we're at the stage where we're dangerous but mostly teams just think we're bastards and we're not at the stage where teams are beating themselves before they step on the pitch when faced with the sheer hopelessness of having to deal with what we have.

Hopefully we can reach that this season, so we have a bit of room to coast in some games, that all top clubs need, that gives us plenty in the tank to turn the heat up when we really need to.

Harry Palmr

Gbear wrote: »

I seem to remember obliterating a certain Jurgen Klopp's Dortmund team in 14/15

Hey without that win we'd have a different manager!

SuperTortoise

Gbear wrote: »

I seem to remember obliterating a certain Jurgen Klopp's Dortmund team in 14/15 before we becamse a horror show.

I'm positive about this season because we've shown growth year on year in performances and in the quality of the squad.

I don't think we're at a stage yet where we're bulletproof title contenders, so I'm not expecting perfection that is needed to reach that level. Win, lose or draw next weekend, we'll be grand next season.

When everyones **** themselves into a frenzy over your attack, that's when teams want to shut you down even more. I think we're at the stage where we're dangerous but mostly teams just think we're bastards and we're not at the stage where teams are beating themselves before they step on the pitch when faced with the sheer hopelessness of having to deal with what we have.

Hopefully we can reach that this season, so we have a bit of room to coast in some games, that all top clubs need, that gives us plenty in the tank to turn the heat up when we really need to.

I think it's fair to say that most of our problems over the last season were caused by teams parking the bus against us and we'd struggle to get the first goal to open up the game, but we have added driving runs from midfield in Keita, and a coutinho like cleverness with Shaquiri(sp), it makes us a different prospect this year.

Gbear

SuperTortoise wrote: »

I think it's fair to say that most of our problems over the last season were caused by teams parking the bus against us and we'd struggle to get the first goal to open up the game, but we have added driving runs from midfield in Keita, and a coutinho like cleverness with Shaquiri(sp), it makes us a different prospect this year.

I'm still concerned about sheer volume of goals.

I'm warming to the idea that some mixture of better set pieces, Keita, a more aggressive Henderson, a few more goals off the bench, even if it's literally only Shaqiri, and Mane really maturing into a full season consistent goal getter, as well as maybe getting a ****ing pen ever, quietly upping our tally to nearer the 100 goal mark, which we'll need to be competetive.

And if Danny can have one last season where he's at it, he's a £100m player we found down the back of the couch.

Harry Palmr

Salah 25
Mane 15
Firmino 15
Shaqatak 10
Lallana/Milner/Gini - 10
Sturridge - 5
Henderson - 5 (working on the assumption he'll get a freer role for more games)
Keita 5
Back four 5
OG - 5
Alisson 1

101 goals.

We don't necessarily have to score a ton more goals.

Concede less (38 last season!), and turn more draws (12 last season) into wins.

54and56

RoboKlopp wrote: »

Just for the discussion above, Leicester are missing all their best players, Vardy & Maguire & obviously Mahrez.

I know and that's a big factor in their odds of 6/1 but Utd are missing Pogba, Lukaku and Matic which is the main spine of their team (excluding DDG) and Bailly got injured tonight so my (very amateur) view is the odds of an organised Leicester missing some key players beating a disorganised Man U missing some of their key players is better than 6/1 hence I took the bet. Not saying that's what's actually going to happen, I just think 6/1 doesn't reflect the actual probability of it happening.

I also think 1/5 on are terrible odds for Liverpool Vs a revitalised West Ham under Pelligrino. They are a new team so won't have gelled yet but Pelligrino is a quality manager and they've made some quality signings who will be mad keen to put down a marker.

SuperTortoise

Gbear wrote: »

I'm still concerned about sheer volume of goals.

I'm warming to the idea that some mixture of better set pieces, Keita, a more aggressive Henderson, a few more goals off the bench, even if it's literally only Shaqiri, and Mane really maturing into a full season consistent goal getter, as well as maybe getting a ****ing pen ever, quietly upping our tally to nearer the 100 goal mark, which we'll need to be competetive.

And if Danny can have one last season where he's at it, he's a £100m player we found down the back of the couch.

Generally speaking our midfield don't get enough goals, i think Keita will get double digits, but i don't expect Milner, Hendo or Fabinho to get near that Barring a ton of penalty's coming our way.


Mane looked razer sharp in pre-season, i think he will get a lot more goals this year.
I think the formation we played in the 2nd half against Napoli will be used more often this year, firstly as another option and secondly to give Bobby a rest, Shaquiri as the No.10 playing central with both Mane and Salah playing as number 9's.

Iused2likebusts

RoboKlopp wrote: »

We don't necessarily have to score a ton more goals.

Concede less (38 last season!), and turn more draws (12 last season) into wins.

Ye if you have a good keeper you will win a few more games 1 0 . Instead of 1 1draws. Hopefully Allison is that keeper. We will score enough goals. Teams parking the bus didn't really work last year against us. It was more of a problem the previous season.

Last season from our 1st 9 games we had:

3 wins
4 draws
2 losss

13/27 points Title challenge over by October. I know we weren't expecting one but still.

The season picked up after that tbf. Horrible start though.

Harry Palmr

I only throw this in as pure tease

Proposals from the Premier League may arrive this week, but in principle Barça are not going to value them. Only if they are too good to reject. [@gerardromero]

https://twitter.com/barcacentre/status/1026170247341064192

Gbear

RoboKlopp wrote: »

We don't necessarily have to score a ton more goals.

Concede less (38 last season!), and turn more draws (12 last season) into wins.

A large majority of points dropped, including those draws, were games in which we scored 1 goal or fewer. In 17 games where we dropped points, we scored 1 goal in 6 of them and 0 goals in 7 of them. That, to me, is an attacking problem first and foremost.

A third of the goals we conceded last season came in 4 games against City and Spurs. Our defence wasn't actually that bad, except glaringly on a few occasions.

We conceded 14, I think, in the 2nd half of the season, 8 of which were against Arsenal, Spurs and City. Maybe we really can reach the sort of sub 30 goal margin that City and Utd margin. Either way you cut it, we've 33 goals to make up on them in comparison to last season.

Maybe that'll take the form of winning a bunch of those 0-0s 1-0 instead, but a big guarantor for winning is taking the game out of reach of the opposition and crushing the windpipe when you've your foot on their throat.

I'm not sure that we're in particular danger of letting leads go, despite our reputation, but teams that bang 5 goals in every week don't have to worry about that problem.

We were really tight at the back in 15/16 and that was a huge part of being the top of the top 6 mini-league, so if we want to win the league, we probably can't be conceding 20 goals against the rest of the top 6, but other than that, I actually think our defence is grand.
We'll get pantsed every now and again, but I don't think it actually has that big an impact on our results anymore, outside of games against the top 6.

BorneTobyWilde

Who will Madrid sign is the thing? Someone is going, Kane, Salah, some club is going to have 200m dangled in front of them

BorneTobyWilde

https://www.donbalon.com/noticia/detalle/99305/florentino-perez-prepara-250-millones-volver-ilusionar-madridismo-fichaje-top

Harry Palmr

donbalon is the worst source for Spanish football. Not that there's anything in that article.

Turtyturd

Quadruple swoop for Keita, Fabinho, Shaqiri, and Alisson.

Gbear

Gbear wrote: »

A large majority of points dropped, including those draws, were games in which we scored 1 goal or fewer. In 17 games where we dropped points, we scored 1 goal in 6 of them and 0 goals in 7 of them. That, to me, is an attacking problem first and foremost.

A third of the goals we conceded last season came in 4 games against City and Spurs. Our defence wasn't actually that bad, except glaringly on a few occasions.

We conceded 14, I think, in the 2nd half of the season, 8 of which were against Arsenal, Spurs and City. Maybe we really can reach the sort of sub 30 goal margin that City and Utd margin. Either way you cut it, we've 33 goals to make up on them in comparison to last season.

Maybe that'll take the form of winning a bunch of those 0-0s 1-0 instead, but a big guarantor for winning is taking the game out of reach of the opposition and crushing the windpipe when you've your foot on their throat.

I'm not sure that we're in particular danger of letting leads go, despite our reputation, but teams that bang 5 goals in every week don't have to worry about that problem.

We were really tight at the back in 15/16 and that was a huge part of being the top of the top 6 mini-league, so if we want to win the league, we probably can't be conceding 20 goals against the rest of the top 6, but other than that, I actually think our defence is grand.
We'll get pantsed every now and again, but I don't think it actually has that big an impact on our results anymore, outside of games against the top 6.

Yeah, we were poor against the tp 6 overall last season. Need to improve a lot there this season.

TitianGerm

A super article here by Bascombe.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2018/08/05/people-expecting-liverpool-win-trophy-outside-club-fanbase/

This line stood out after all the ****e thrown at Klopp by rival fans.

"It appears rather than reinvest the £142m from that sale, Klopp should have asked Liverpool’s owners to donate it to charity - otherwise he is a hypocrite who buys a team rather than builds one"

Potential Underachiever

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

Just sayin.........

I'd love it, Kevin Keegan style if your bet was a winner.

54and56

Potential Underachiever wrote: »

I'd love it, Kevin Keegan style if your bet was a winner.

I'd cash it in for €21 :-(

Agent Coulson

French papers tonight saying Lyon still willing to sell Fekir.


They now seem desperate to get rid of him.

BorneTobyWilde

We've earned the right to spend, unlike others who just spent money to buy titles. Through our sales, our commercial deals, our Champions League run, our increased match day revenue , out tv deal ,we've earned the right to spend. City owners bank rolled City right from the off through shady deals to stay within the Financial Fair Play rules.

jayo26

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

We've earned the right to spend, unlike others who just spent money to buy titles. Through our sales, our commercial deals, our Champions League run, our increased match day revenue , out tv deal ,we've earned the right to spend. City owners bank rolled City right from the off through shady deals to stay within the Financial Fair Play rules.

I slag pool a lot mostly just for the mess but I've never had a problem with clubs Liverpool and arsenal and so on spending big money same as United it's the club's money they spending.

Do you think that with Liverpool it's now or never tho? Is it a case of spending big because of the recent player sales and what happens if it dont produce silverware this year so you think the club can afford to spend another near 200 million next summer if they dont sell someone massive?

If city win the league again this year i think it's going to be impossible for clubs to keep up not just Liverpool but United and others too they have all the money in the world to plough into the club.

Minderbinder

jayo26 wrote: »

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

We've earned the right to spend, unlike others who just spent money to buy titles. Through our sales, our commercial deals, our Champions League run, our increased match day revenue , out tv deal ,we've earned the right to spend. City owners bank rolled City right from the off through shady deals to stay within the Financial Fair Play rules.

I slag pool a lot mostly just for the mess but I've never had a problem with clubs Liverpool and arsenal and so on spending big money same as United it's the club's money they spending.

Do you think that with Liverpool it's now or never tho? Is it a case of spending big because of the recent player sales and what happens if it dont produce silverware this year so you think the club can afford to spend another near 200 million next summer if they dont sell someone massive?

If city win the league again this year i think it's going to be impossible for clubs to keep up not just Liverpool but United and others too they have all the money in the world to plough into the club.

Guardiola is probably the big difference though. Just wait for him to go and City will drop a level or two. He can’t stay in Manchester forever.

54and56

jayo26 wrote: »

Do you think that with Liverpool it's now or never tho? Is it a case of spending big because of the recent player sales and what happens if it dont produce silverware this year?

I think silverware this year is a realistic target but I don't think either the owners or fans feel it is a case of this year or bust. That sort of pressure can be counter productive.

Another good season with decent cup runs, going deep in the CL (quarter final) and a genuine challenge for the PL (2nd or 3rd) combined with the new players bedding in well would keep us moving forward but such an outcome would inevitably then put serious pressure on the 19/20 season as you can only keep going so long and keep a team and management team together for so long without achieving your goal which for is is the PL.

jayo26 wrote: »

Is it a case of spending big because of the recent player sales and what happens if it dont produce silverware this year so you think the club can afford to spend another near 200 million next summer if they dont sell someone massive?

No, I don't think so. I think Klopp notes had more or less the team he wants so regardless of how this year goes he won't be gutting the team or looking to bring in 4 or 5 players next year. IMO natural account of churn will occur over the next 2-3 years ie a couple of first 11 quality in and a couple out from the squad each year. Incremental tweaking where better players for upgradeable positions become available.

Minderbinder

Minderbinder wrote: »

Guardiola is probably the big difference though. Just wait for him to go and City will drop a level or two. He can’t stay in Manchester forever.

Pep has been a revelation for City. Clear style, everyone knows their job and they just blew the league away. Lost two games, (Liverpool & Utd). 4 draws and 32 wins. Ridiculous.

tinpib

jayo26 wrote: »

Do you think that with Liverpool it's now or never tho? Is it a case of spending big because of the recent player sales and what happens if it dont produce silverware this year so you think the club can afford to spend another near 200 million next summer if they dont sell someone massive?

No, it's not now or never.

It seems to me that Liverpool's owners know what they are doing and are running the club, which is a business correctly.

They have several sports teams in the US and we have barely John Henry at Anfield recently, which is a good thing. If you start seeing him a lot at Anfield then I would start worrying as that means he is over to sort out some probelms.

Everything they do is for the long term. They don't want success instantly and understand it doesn't come instantly. And they udnerstadn that if you want it instantly you can get into serious problems. As a recent example look at aston villa going all in on promotion last season and not getting it.

So long as they are making progress towards their goals and everything is going in the right direction then they are happy.

This has been shown in getting Klopp on a long term deal, building the new stand, and also not panic buying when the right player isn't available and making do with a weaker squad and first 11 in the short term, even though most fans were screaming for them to buy ANYONE last summer when the Virgil deal fell through.

They manage risk correctly and won't be going for broke. They WILL spend 200million next summer if it is deemed the right move on the field and financially. Though I don't see that happen.

BTW I know United fans scoff at net spend, but do you mean a net spend of 200mill or just spend 200 mill?

If Salah goes to Real Madrid for 200 mill then of course they are going to spend 200milly. If no one leaves will they spend 200 mill? That's a different question.

Agent Coulson

I see Souness is warning Klopp about phasing out solid players Henderson and Milner & Gini with Fabinho & Keita as neither have PL experience.

theoneeyedman

Agent Coulson wrote: »

I see Souness is warning Klopp about phasing out solid players Henderson and Milner & Gini with Fabinho & Keita as neither have PL experience.

Yea know something, Fvck Souness!

He's just using his name as a great former player to pull in a few quid by being controversial. With his record he should shut to Fvck up. He oversaw a period with Liverpool when we went from champions to also rans, and 'phased out solid players' for crappy ones from Rangers and places like that. Go back to selling stories to The Scum why don't ya....

GiftofGab

Agent Coulson wrote: »

I see Souness is warning Klopp about phasing out solid players Henderson and Milner & Gini with Fabinho & Keita as neither have PL experience.

Don't think he is phasing them out. Klopp is a big fan of Henderson. All will be rotated quite a bit.

Agent Coulson

Klopp is a big fan of Lallana too I think he should start him ahead of Mane or Salah every game when he is fit.

Knex*

Did Philips mean the 2nd touch? If he did it's actually outstanding :pac:

https://streamable.com/y166w

Agent Coulson

Knex. wrote: »

Did Philips mean the 2nd touch? If he did it's actually outstanding :pac:

https://streamable.com/y166w

I picture Phil Jones doing that with his face.

There'll be plenty of rotation. Tons of games to play.

Milner and Henderson looked past it start of last season and ended up being excellent 2nd half of season. Who knows what will happen.

I'd expect at least one of Milner or Henderson to start nearly every game if fit and on form. Klopp loves them.

Agent Coulson

There will be a lot of rotating in the middle of the pitch.

The back 5 will more than likely be the main 5 to start every game just like the front three.


Fabinho, Keita, Shaqiri, Gini, Milner, Henderson, Lallana will all have 30+ appearances each if they stay fit.


Ox will be missed.

Agent Coulson

Agent Coulson wrote: »

There will be a lot of rotating in the middle of the pitch.

The back 5 will more than likely be the main 5 to start every game just like the front three.


Fabinho, Keita, Gini, Milner, Henderson, Lallana will all have 30+ appearances each if they stay fit.

Definately.

Gutted for Ox

Potential Underachiever

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Klopp is a big fan of Lallana too I think he should start him ahead of Mane or Salah every game when he is fit.

Terrible idea.

dogbert27

Potential Underachiever wrote: »

Terrible idea.

You need a sarcasm detector. :pac:

doc_17

Are we still a tiny bit light in midfield? Keita, Henderson, Milner, Fabinho, Wynaldum amd Lalanna is what we have realistically. Lalanna can’t be relied on really to play 30 games given his injury record. Henderson has that ongoing ankle injury thing and we will get injuries and suspensions along the way. It may also take Fabinho some time to bed in.

MD1990

I don't think Fabinho will be a regular first 11 player in the first few months.

Klopp has mentioned he will need time & as he has found training very tough & needs time to fully understand our style of play.
The position he plays you need to be 100% sure on your positional sense , when to press etc.

Might be like Ox where we see the best of him later in the season.