Liverpool FC Team Talk, Gossip, Rumours 2024/25

Fitz*

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118626816#Comment_118626816

Spurs have lost 3 in a row now. They need a win badly. That's the main source of hope for me. Maybe an unlikely one like a Wolves or West Ham, depending on how their seasons are going in a few months time.

It's not impossible. Unlikely, but not impossible.

~Rebel~

I see Villa is Man City's last game of the season - very nice little potential narrative there of Gerrard helping Liverpool win the league 😅

BorneTobyWilde

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118626869#Comment_118626869

Couthino too. 😮

ratracer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118626925#Comment_118626925

He may be forgiven yet!! 😂

Fitz*

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118626869#Comment_118626869

Zak Flaps

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118625849#Comment_118625849

Hendo at 31 - I'd like a new contract please

FSG - Of course, here you go

Salah at 29 - I'd like a new contract please

FSG - Mmmm, not sure....

If only it were that black and white. There's probably a £50m difference in the cost of the contracts.

Klopp thinks Mo's contract will get sorted. I wouldn't fret too much.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118627563#Comment_118627563

Big difference in the weekly wage though if reports are to be believed and Hendo’s is unlikely to have a significant affect on wage inflation.

Agent Coulson

Off to Asia for pre season.

https://twitter.com/JamesPearceLFC/status/1493135624261578752?s=20&t=zLiYfGNLyglwu4CRWv4xNA

Fitz*

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118627563#Comment_118627563

It wasn't as easy as that.

Liverpool were stalling on the new contract originally until somebody leaked the news to the press about Atletico Madrid's interest in Henderson along with the lack of contract talks. A public outcry ensued and then FSG gave into the pressure.

Talisman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118625947#Comment_118625947

Henderson sustained a back injury in the game against Cardiff, he didn't make the squad against Leicester and it was assumed he'd be okay for the game against Burnley. He didn't look comfortable and it was no surprise that his performance was off. There's an issue when players declare themselves fit to play because they don't want to let Klopp or the team down. Last season, Henderson carried an injury he sustained in October while training with England until he broke down in the game against Everton in late February.

This season he has been almost ever present in the midfield but we know he needs to be wrapped in cotton wool for periods of time. There wasn't a need to risk him in the game against Burnley when all of the other midfield players were available but knowing Henderson he wanted to play particularly because he missed the game which we lost last season.

jones

The problem with Henderson is as the poster above said he's no longer part of our strongest midfield (IMO of course) not to mention his form this season has not been good. I accept he's had injuries etc but Salah is a completely different story and is one of the first names on the team sheet. Did anyone actually believe Henderson was going to go to Atletico Madrid?

Basically i think this issue is the original front three are all turning 30 and should we offer big contracts to all three at this stage? IMO no. Salah should definitely get one and Mane possibly but i can see the logistical issue with all three.

yourdeadwright

i think people are once again under valuing how good Henderson is for us , himself, Fab & Thiago is our strongest midfield in big games against strong opposition

Wednesday will be interesting lots of choices for Jurgen & be interesting to see how he feels about inter, Do we go with the 3 i mention in midfield or can he play and OX or an Elliot ,

Also the front 3 finally we have competition , Who will he start Salah plus which 2 ?

rob316

Firmino been offered a new contract, wrong move IMO, his performance levels have fallen off a cliff the last 2 years. He was never blessed with pace but he's like a fella stuck in mud these days. I'd rather he sees out his contract.

If you have Diaz and probably Carvalho on the left, should we look at selling mane and use the funds to bring in another younger forward to compete with Jota and Salah? I'd rather keep Mane but its seems to me the club are looking ahead of him with the purchase of 2 left sided attackers, if you are to offer him a new contract he will want similar to Salah and that just won't happen. Getting 30/40m for him with his best behind him would be good business.

Francie Barrett

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118628411#Comment_118628411

Agree with this, by all means given Salah and Mane their contracts, but renewing Firmino makes no sense.

yourdeadwright

i agree Bobby has been very poor, but i reckon he is happy to stay and be back up which is great because it could be difficulty to find somone like him to be happy with that, ,

Now he is only 30 surely the management & athletic team could give the lad a program to help him get more pace & zip back in his game, He'd have to work hard on it not be available for a month or so but surely in the summer it could be done ,

He looks like a lad who needs time away from the first team to work really hard on his physically shape,

rob316

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118628622#Comment_118628622

Think your underestimating the amount of miles he's put up and level of pressing he has done for the team, he looks well past it to me. I mean look the club will look at it in terms of value, if hes happy not been a huge earner and not a starter its makes sense to keep him.

Mane will want a huge contract like Salah, thats why I don't see him staying.

This all depends on Salah though, if we can't agree a deal before the end of the season he is as good as gone the following summer.

yourdeadwright

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118628661#Comment_118628661

30 is very young for him to have such a fall from grace, i guess he's picking up injuries to recently which haven't helped ,

I think Mane is the one that will leave simply because how good Jota can be oof the left & how much Mane can still make us in a sale,

Its sad to see the old front 3 being broke up but that's football , its has to be done for the good of the clubs future

Riesen_Meal

Is it true Henderson's pass completion rate has been under 50% for the last 5 matches?

When Thiago came on it went up to 83% and Naby was up in the 80s also...

Firmino is a Barcelona signing if ever I saw one.

Fitz*

Thought that the narrative that Burnley creates a lot of chances yesterday is a bit off. MOTD2 pushed this idea again last night and went on again about the high line etc and how Liverpool can be caught out by it. And then proceeded to show a highlight reel of all these ',chances'. How Liverpool are living on the edge and can be exposed at any time, simply because they have a high line. Commentary during a live game will often allude to the same thing.

What they don't show is that many of those 'chances' were actually flagged offside, late. The offside trap working almost perfectly throughout the game.

https://twitter.com/Tactical_Times/status/1493167888815038467?t=Q29i5YO9YcZtA6Yn9pOoWQ&s=19

The high line is clearly implemented for a few reasons. We have an outstanding sweeper keeper who can read the game very well in Alisson. He's always alert to anybody breaking through. He is excellent 1v1 as the above clip shows and is able to force the attackers wide, narrowing their angle, or make a stop. But mainly because the players was to press higher up the pitch, squeezing the pitch smaller which helps quicker turnovers, counter pressing and retained possession resulting in more chances created. Of course, there will be examples were the attacker breaks through and can score but those examples are far fewer than the examples of the opposition being caught offside. Liverpool are playing a percentage game, to their advantage.

It's pretty clear that catching the opposition offside is an effective tactic that is being implemented, and nobody tries to do this more in the league than Liverpool.

noodler

I still think we could play a yard deeper at times and lose nothing but that's some barchart.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118629058#Comment_118629058

Great post.

facehugger99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118629058#Comment_118629058

Yeah, I was thinking much the same during the match yesterday. even some of the Burnley chances which weren't flagged for offside would have been ruled out in a VAR review.

It always amuses me that these commentators and pundits think they know better than a manager who's won the PL and CL in the last few years while playing some of the most breath-taking football I've seen.

The only part which makes me nervous is the Alisson sweeper-keeper role - personally I think his shot stopping and his ability to snuff out 1-on1's are what makes him ideal for this system - I always have to hide behind the sofa when I see him charging off his line.

Enzokk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118629058#Comment_118629058

Offside is the new zonal marking at corners. Remember how commentators and pundits used to mention it at every Liverpool corner when Benitez was here and how it is something that left us vulnerable. Remember how ex-player Joe used to say he would have loved to play against us at a corner as he would be moving towards the ball at corners compared to the defender defending his zone and standing still?

They always forgot to mention how we were either the 2nd best or 3rd best defense during that time. These days it is so easy to block a man marking defender at a corner, it is suicidal to try and use it (believe most teams would zonal mark and man mark some players if they feel the need). But pundits didn't understand it at the time to lashed out against it. Same with the high line, it is easy for them to see how it is a problem, without understanding why it is done and the impact it has. All they look at is how terrible it looks when a player runs through, but forget that in the past the play would have been stopped before the player even gets close to the ball.

Pundits do need something to talk about, and if they said nothing they would not get paid. So they go for the easy mark.

Talisman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118628923#Comment_118628923

Is it true Henderson's pass completion rate has been under 50% for the last 5 matches?

In a word : 'No' 😀

Having said that his numbers are down since November/December.

Arsenal (Nov 20th) was the last time his pass completion rate was above 90% in a game.

Leicester (Dec 28th) : 70.2%

Chelsea (Jan 2nd) : 68.8%

Brentford (Jan 16th) : 76.4%

Crystal Palace (Jan 23rd) : 76.7%

Burnley (Feb 13th) : 48.8%

Damien360

Pretty much every pundit on tv is from a different era of football. The game has honestly changed so much in the last 10 years. Lineaker/Shearer/Wright/Murphy/Jenas/Carragher/Neville etc. all talk about systems they had when they played. Old school stuff.

Ken Tucky

I tell ya, anyone who watched that game again on MOTD2 deserves a few beers to be bought for them. It was hard enough to watch the first time around.

mormank

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118629058#Comment_118629058

What that tells me is that even if Burnley had broken our offside trap we still dealt with all those chances, none of them were scored iirc. So on the rare occasion our offside trap does get beaten we still deal with it most of the time

Agent Coulson

Stuart Attwell is the referee for the League Cup Final.

Darren England is the VAR referee.

garra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118625158#Comment_118625158

Gray is out of touch but seems like an affable oul lad, Keyes is just a terrible person and I can't watch him without punching the couch. Both stealing a living. Would have to question the taste of Arab football fans when that's their premiere pundit pair. Or maybe the story checks out.

garra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118626347#Comment_118626347

You keep saying that but never address the reasons why he won't be starting

citytillidie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118631220#Comment_118631220

Darren England guy who thought it wasn't a foul on Salah yesterday in the VAR room

Cartman78

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118630379#Comment_118630379

The "highlights" were pretty lame....there was a serious jump cut in the middle of it...it showed the teams coming out for the 2nd half and the next action was in the 80th minute 😂

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118631785#Comment_118631785

Sounds about right, they could have just finished the highlights at half time.

.G.

Hendo really needs to leave International football behind him. Take a leaf from Milners book and retire early.

Most likely will after Qatar but he might not even get picked if his current form keeps up.

rob316

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118631449#Comment_118631449

They were on my stream a few weeks back it was when Rafa was sacked. The **** smugness of Keyes, hes a horrible man. Absolute dinosaurs the two of them.

BorneTobyWilde

BorneTobyWilde

Liverpool are red

Everton are blue

The points gap between them

Is now 32

yourdeadwright

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118631473#Comment_118631473

Klopp has said as much

garra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118633408#Comment_118633408

Yes Klopp has said that Kelliher will be starting the final, gave his reasons and will hardly change his mind. No point stressing about it.

BorneTobyWilde

Is Milner staying a good thing, or is it a case of him taking the place of the ''outstanding midfielder'' that we really should be signing in the summer.

.red.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118634713#Comment_118634713

Champions league final in St Petersbur in May, 5 mins to go and we're up by a goal. There's no midfielder(who isn't a starter) in the current squad better at coming off the bench and helping hold a lead.

If Milner is happy to be a limited squad player, realistically being involved in match day squads but maybe only starting 5/6 games and off the bench another 8/10 times a season. A midfielder capable of making up numbers on the training pitch and helping out the likes of Gordon or Norton then sign him up for another year. Pay him a really good appearance bonus and 25k a week.

Widdensushi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118634713#Comment_118634713

Is he staying though, klopp said there are talks, Milner for sure wants to play on, i wonder if the talks could be something along the lines sign and go on loan for a season to villa, Leeds etc and come back to a coaching role, in the academy or whatever, I don't see him regularly making the bench next year not a mind playing, his performance has just dropped.

yourdeadwright

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118635063#Comment_118635063

Yes but that's this season, Hopefully next season we have an better option ,Love Millie but time move so n ,

So which midfielder leaves now in the summer, Jones, OX , Naby ?

It's an area we certainly need to improve options in ,

Fitz*

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118635085#Comment_118635085

With all due respect, a loan at 36 is a waste of time.

Either keep him at the club mentoring the younger players and keeping the standards in training high, or don't keep him at all.

Fromvert

Milner has been in Liverpool for 7 years now so he's likely settled in the area. Does he want to go and move his family again (or worse, go alone) and slog it out with some midtable team for another year or two or does he want to be a cup and emergency player for Liverpool likely on lower money than he is now while training in the best facilities, with some the best players and coaches the world has that are trying to win every competition they're in. That seems like an easy decision to make in my opinion and he'll likely stay in the role he is now, 7th or 8th choice midfielder. So if the club are offering him a contract I'd say he's staying.

.red.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118635103#Comment_118635103

No reason he can't perform next season, just not 2 games in a week.

He's more than capable of playing against some of the dross in the EPL and also for the early rounds of the cups. He's as fit as ever but not as quick and his recovery time is increasing. No money can buy his experience tho and he's a valuable squad member, especially on the training pitch. That's if he's happy with an extremely bit part role at the club.

yourdeadwright

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118635617#Comment_118635617

You have to look at the bigger picture, Ox,Naby,Henderons, Fab,Thaigo are all better than him but all are injury prone, Then Milner can't play twice in a week due to his age,

I think the whole experience thing is over blown of course he has it but our squad is full of highly experienced players who have been there done that,

I think his on pitch ability could & should be replaced,

Had people moaning about Henderson getting a new deal when he has more than enough experience and is twice the player Milner currently is,

Sentiment is a strange thing,

Infoseeker1975

Perhaps look at it from Milner's perspective, he has mentioned he is trying to get the coaching badges at the moment, what better environment to be in than learning from Klopp whilst we still have him. Think it would only work on a massively reduced salary and a 1 year contract.