Liverpool FC Team Talk, Gossip, Rumours 2024/25

happyoutscan

So we may be facing him this weekend.

Fitz*

I wonder is this a game by Chelsea to force Brighton's hand, or a game by Southampton to force Liverpool's hand, or a genuine bid?

If it's the latter, it's some disgrace by the club. They've had 6 weeks, at least, to have this deal wrapped up and now this.

TitianGerm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120958507#Comment_120958507

It just looks like Chelsea are firing all over the place and trying to hit something. Bids for Cacideo, Adams and now Lavia all in a few days.

brevity

Circus

54and56

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120958495#Comment_120958495

So we get Caicedo instead at a knock down £65m as Brighton can no longer sell to moneybags Chelsea?

Classic double bluff, love it!!

giveitholly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120958081#Comment_120958081

Have you actually watched hendo's performances the past season? And some will say it's because he is burnt out,but why is he burnt out? Our injuries in midfield definitely didn't help but his refusal to retire from international duty is also a major contributing factor. He always put England first.

He got a big contract two years ago after angling that PSG were in for him. With two years left in that contract he decides to up sticks and saunter over to Saudi Arabia,or wherever he is gone to. And he wasn't pushed out the door either. He left on his own terms.

Fitz*

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120958515#Comment_120958515

And Liverpool end up with Tyler Adams (on the treatment table)......

LuckyLloyd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120958536#Comment_120958536

Are you asking why Henderson (or other senior players) might have been burnt out after playing every possible fixture of the 2021 / 2022 season?

What goes through (or fails to go through maybe) people’s heads?

theoneeyedman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120958536#Comment_120958536

Took the soup!

He's a big contributor to our lack of numbers in the middle too, walking out for a relative pittance halfway through his contract. The backroom team have reacted slowly and poorly to his move, but that's where a good part of the responsibility lies.

Utopia Parkway

We spent about 4 weeks raising our bid about 1 million at a time. Like you used to do on Championship Manager. Hardly surprising that we’ve let the door open for somebody else to get it done.

giveitholly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120958550#Comment_120958550

So you are telling me that henderson would regain his form of 3 seasons ago this season because he got a rest over the summer?

Widdensushi

A cunning plan.....

noodler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120958536#Comment_120958536

I don't understand the relevance of the second paragraph.

Bit on the first, newsflash, the entire team was poor last season bar Alison and maybe Salah.

This OTT denial that he would have any value to us because he had a poor season by his standards is grating.

Vicxas

If Chelsea get him I’ll just turn off this season. **** shitshow

LuckyLloyd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120958559#Comment_120958559

I’m not telling you anything about what would have happened this year. But I can tell you that they were burned out last year, and what caused it. It should have been fully expected.

giveitholly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120958616#Comment_120958616

Of course he would of had some value to us,but at the end of the day he was captain of this club and decided to leave on his own terms. Its now up to the club to try replace him,a position the club would not be in if Henderson hadn't agitated for a move

giveitholly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120958634#Comment_120958634

And if he had retired from international juty and put the club he was captain of his priority then he would of got a months rest mid-season to recharge his batteries

LuckyLloyd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120958648#Comment_120958648

It was entirely appropriate for a 32 year old coming off captaining one of the greatest English club seasons ever to represent his country at the World Cup.

This is mad stuff.

Accepting the Saudi offer is fully deserving of criticism. Playing in the World Cup is absolutely not.

noodler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120958643#Comment_120958643

That's not the argument though.

It's that there is a Henderson sized hole badly in need of filling. You and other seem to be suggesting he's no loss.

martyos121

I remember seeing a video recently (can’t for the life of me remember where and who was in it) about a fairly well known football manager saying that there was a tactic he’d use if there was a player he really wanted but the owner wasn’t meeting the asking price.

Essentially, he’d have a couple of friends in management or ownership positions and would ask someone to put a slightly higher bid in for the player to force his own club’s hand into ponying up.

It was probably a massive load of BS and I don’t believe for a second that Klopp has anyone at Chelsea willing to do that for him, but this craic with Lavia reminded me of it.

Actually if anyone has seen that or knows who said it, I’d love to know because I’m racking my brain trying to remember who it was. Probably Harry Redknapp, but can’t say for sure.😅

giveitholly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120958664#Comment_120958664

But that henderson sized hole is very small indeed,in fact we have already replaced him with Mac and Szobo. It's Fabs position that needs filling and is a lot more concern

Widdensushi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120958667#Comment_120958667

You have my head wrecked now,I saw/read it also.

Local_Chap

https://www.google.com/amp/s/talksport.com/video/football/eni-aluko-declan-rice-west-ham-manchester-city-arsenal/amp/

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120958667#Comment_120958667

This one potentially

martyos121

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120958677#Comment_120958677

Haha that’s it, thank you!

My mistake for thinking it was someone well known or well respected in the sport, no wonder I couldn’t remember who it was.😂

rudders

Don’t fear folks Jay Spearing is still on the books.

what’s the odds on a Lavia hat trick against us on Monday?

giveitholly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120958701#Comment_120958701

Extremely long because we play Chelsea on Sunday

rudders

😅😅

awec

Honestly this Lavia thing is a total shambles.

This club is IMO teetering on the edge of a slide back into the pre-Klopp Liverpool. We've no Champions League this season, a 2nd season without Champions League is IMO a disaster. Are we going back to a club whose ambition is top 4 again?

United, through all their seasons of shambles post-Ferguson, never went 2 seasons in a row without CL football. Arsenal did, and it took them about 5 years to get back. We all know how much of a mess the 2010s were for us. Once you slide back into that mire it is not easy to get out again.

Klopp is excellent but he's not a miracle worker. We've no DM and the midfield is still light on bodies. The worrying thing is we play 3 games before the window closes, 2 games that are likely to be tough, if we don't get off to a good start are we going to see another panic Arthur-esque signing?

There can be no excuses this year.

martyos121

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120958705#Comment_120958705

To be fair, the match could very well end on Monday with the new stoppage time rules.

Girly Gal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120958717#Comment_120958717

Another bad season like last season will probably mean the end of Klopp, then we're rightly up sh1ts creek without a paddle. It's vital we get back into the CL, the EL might be our best route to it, plus adding a trophy would be great.

BorneTobyWilde

Chelsea are weird, they're like a drunk guy hitting on every skirt in the club.

Widdensushi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120958802#Comment_120958802

You would imagine any one going with them would feel a bit dirty at this stage,if lavia says no it ain't happening,a bit spicy when their playing each other,a bit of mind games going on I reckon.

passatman86

Think i will stick to my prediction of finishing 7th in the league

Widdensushi

Better to make predictions when the window is closed, obviously it's very hit and miss anyway but with two good signings third/ fourth,as we are maybe sixth .

Enzokk

Chelsea going in for both Caiceido and Lavia, they have not learned anything have they? They just spent £600m last year and this is not stopping. They have been fined by UEFA for spending/accounting breaches under Abramovich and the Premier League is looking at them as well. Add in they do not have a shirt sponsor and their proposed sponsor is from a company that is not known and apparently has revenues of around $15m per year but they are going to shell out £50m a year to be shirt sponsors. Their big signing has just been injured as well, Nkunku.

I bet some fans would rather Boehly be in charge of Liverpool because he gets signings done...right?

dmigsy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120958980#Comment_120958980

Punishing overspending clubs with fines is the most pointless thing in the world. Point deductions and tournament exclusions are the only way to impact clubs with huge financial backing.

I think most posters have actually been fairly reasonable. Expecting the replacement of a starting midfielder before the beginning of the season is not a massive ask. Fabinho's departure took so long they should have signed someone before he eventually left. Absolute shambles.

McFly85

I don’t hold out much hope on Lavia now at all.

The club had weeks to do the deal, let Fabinho go pretty easily and seemingly banked on Southampton wanting to cash in more than keeping the player.

From the very start, we’ve had no leverage while acting like we hold all the cards. Now with this Chelsea bid we’ll have to go to 50 at least and will end up paying far more than we should.

I don’t mind if the club don’t value him that highly but if that was the case they should have walked away weeks ago.

Enzokk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120958997#Comment_120958997

I edited my post to point out the fine from UEFA was for accounting breaches and not spending. But the Premier League will look at them as well.

I understand people will feel frustrated, but Fabinho was not supposed to be moved on this year. Henderson was not as good for us as he was before and a year on I feel he would have been worse this year so I expect the club were, while not happy, content to let him go. On Fabinho our hope was going to be that he would find his form again. That is a big risk, what if he lost a bit more after 5 intense years with us. He played 219 matches in that time and last year was involved in 36 matches in the league.

There are legitimate concerns that a replacement for him has not joined yet, but fans losing their minds when we are most likely to get our target in, if a week later than some wanted, will not mean much in the big scheme. We have a very young midfield at the moment and that would have worried me 2 years ago. But seeing Real Madrid sign 20 year olds and those players performing in the Champions League makes me think its not a bad idea to go younger as footballers seem to mature earlier on the field these days. Our defense is the old guard, they will be the key to whether our season is a success or not. Not signing a 20 year old to fix our problems from last year.

Girly Gal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120959018#Comment_120959018

You're missing the point regarding Madrid, they are signing the absolute best young players in the world, plus have Modric and Kroos in midfield to guide them, we don't have any midfielder on Modric or Kroos level, plus defensively Madrid are much better. Also not having a DM in earlier in the season is going to make it much harder for whoever we eventually sign to settle in, would be handy if they had pre-season and the friendly matches to settle in at the club, get to know their teammates, know what's expected of them, etc., that can't be underestimated, would be even more important for a young inexperienced player like Lavia. DM is a pivotal role in our team, when Fabinho was playing at a high level, so were we, when his level dropped or he was missing our level dropped too, it's arguably the most important position in our team, yet with the season upon us we don't even have a recognised DM in the squad

mayordenis

My feeling is we'll see a Lavia deal in place in the next 24 hours, that's not to absolve the setup of blame, he should be in the squad now. That said he wouldn't be likely to start against Chelsea, I know there isn't much appetite for Jones at DM, but in possession he has the right qualities for our system, just that he's not a dominant in defensive duties.

If it's 3-box-3 at the weekend, we'll see the continued frailties at the back but our system in possession will be strong enough to overcome Chelsea.

Fitz*

I don't want to sound all super-Klopp fan here, but what if;

The plan all along with the 3-box-3 is to just outscore teams. He knows that we will concede goals by vacating lots of space, but is confident of scoring more by the sheer quality of the attackers on show, and by squeezing up higher on the opposition. Not quite his gegenpressing teams of 2016-2018, but similar results. We'll win 5-2 rather than 2-0. of course not every game will end up that way, but there is more lilelyhood that it will rather than just playing a broken 4-3-3 and mishmash of systems.

It was only really when Ali, VVD, Fabinho came in that the gegenpress switched to the controlling-space game where we sucked the life out of teams and then hit them with a 20 minute flurry of attacks with the vast number of clean sheet wins, or 3-1 wins etc.

noodler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120959018#Comment_120959018

Our midfield is Thiago when fit, Mac and Sobo. That's not even balanced.

Most agreed Eliott doesn't fit in a midfield 3. Most agreed Bajetic is just potential rather than a proper first team option and most agreed Jones wasn't good enough before a small purple patch from April onwards.

I could legitimately argue we have no adequate replacements for the main 3.

noodler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120959127#Comment_120959127

That would be a shame because the evolution actually won us trophies.

awec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120959018#Comment_120959018

we are most likely to get our target in, if a week later than some wanted, will not mean much in the big scheme. 

Dunno how you can say this when what we've learnt the past 4 or 5 years is that every single game is important. Losing to Chelsea or Bournemouth or Newcastle could literally be the difference between Champions League or no Champions League in 24/25.

The club have known that the midfield was a huge problem for nearly a year now! It's not like we woke up one morning and Fabinho had mysteriously vanished, the club knew the situation in the midfield, they agreed to let him go. The Fabinho move cannot be used as an excuse.

I'm sure I'm coming across as negative here but honestly, I fear this club is on its way back to being a club that finishes 4th/5th/6th in perpetuity.

Fitz*

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120959154#Comment_120959154

It did indeed, but perhaps this is another evolution?

City concede a good few goals under their 3-box-3 and so do Arsenal.

tinpib

I know that naturally the focus is on Liverpool here, but if you wanted to play any of the "big" teams away on the first weekend right now it's Chelsea.

It's like Love Island over there, you start to get to know the original bunch of contestants, and then there are constant surprise evictions and new people joining the villa. You miss a couple of nights and then tune in for the final few episodes and you realise you haven't got a clue who anyone is.

Then you notice that they have also replaced Laura Whitmore with Maya Jama and ya wonder what the hell has happened in such a short space of time.

It's chaos with them, even more so than with Liverpool.

amber69

If people think outscoring others will work they're wrong. It'll collapse when we meet the good teams, they'll keep clean sheets and we'll still ship goals.

jones

I dont know about Chelsea still being the sh*tshow they were last season and dont forget we still couldnt manage to beat them at all during this slide last season. Hasnt every game we played against them been a draw for the past 2 seasons or something?

I've a feeling Chelsea will relish playing us this weekend, they cannot be any worse than they were last season whereas we are paper thin for this sunday. One thing i'm guessing is there will be goals.

ps dont get me started on "Lavia-gate". It beggars belief we are this inept

Chelsea is the last team I wanted first as they have a new manager now, so they'll improve this season for sure.

I'd far rather play Utd away as they have a soft underbelly, and the way they play suits us.

facehugger99

We will beat Chelsea by a comfortable 2 goal margin. They are all over the shop.

Really looking forward to Sunday.

We're not going to challenge for the League but we will score bags of goals and it will be exciting - I think we'll make make a couple of more signing before the window closes and get top 4.