Liverpool FC Team Talk, Gossip, Rumours 2024/25

The issues aren't difficult to diagnose.

We know Klopp's philosophy is taxing. We know one of his strengths is his loyalty, as it helps bring more out of players than most managers could. But it is also a weakness as he routinely shows faith for a little too long.

Sir Alex Ferguson used to always refresh his teams with one or 2 players in order to keep things fresh. We simply haven't done that in the engine room of the team. the midfield has been run into the ground, and the decision makers aren't helping them. the legs aren't there. we are simply being run through. we thought we could replace Gini with Thiago. i love Thiago, and he's tenacious, but he doesn't do what Gini does. he does things Gini couldn't dream of doing, but what Gini did, we've found out, is irreplaceable. he was insanely fit, he was never injured, he was incredibly disciplined positionally, and had an almost unique ability to rarely lose the ball under pressure. We gained elite passing ability and line breaking passing, but lost defensive solidity in transition. we lost the ability to suffocate.

Klopp and his team took a gamble that Thiago's unique qualities would break games that we struggled to break in search of these ungodly points totals. but we've lost too much structural stability. the use of Elliott in there is turning out to be folly. he just isn't that cog, and it's unfair to him. Jones could be that cog, but he's seemingly believed some of his own hype, can't get fit, and is now another guy. Milner is done at this level, other than being a backup RB.

fix the legs in the engine room, and you solve an awful lot. you won't have runners freely running at our defence. you won't have opposing players have time to get their head up and pick out passes in behind. you'll also retain possession higher up the pitch, and get your best creative outlets (Trent and Robbo) back to where they're supposed to be.

but these owners are negligent and/or Klopp is too loyal. so I don't think we're getting anyone in January. and that means the season will be effectively over.

So we've a forward injury crisis alongside the 2 lads misfiring (hopefully, surely Gakpo will ease that at least), a midfield crisis and now we're going for defensive crisis 2: electric boogaloo.

Only thing that could make this worse is if Alisson gets injured.

Yeah I was thinking of putting him in the 2 beside Fabinho.

In the 3 then with the current uninjured players who would you pick?

Salah in the middle and Elliot on the right?

Look at the average position below in the first half against Brentford

Fab & Thiago where a double pivot & there was acres of space down the line each time every time they played a long ball ,

60 matches played last year is crazy, especially considering we had to stop for a WC too

I think Elliott is good enough for our midfield, in the correct role. Like, I think he works if Hendo is right and Thiago or Fab are left, and he can play just in front of them with a little more creative license.

Think he’ll look better if he gets to play in a team with more legs around him too, like we were when he first burst into the team with a far fitter and more mobile Hendo and Fab than we see these days.

He’s got glaring weaknesses, but significant strengths too, especially for his age. Love to see us taking greater advantage of the latter, while minimizing the former.

No, not at all as an old number 10. The same role as tonnes of central midfielders have, like KDB or Keita. Doing defensive cover work, without necessarily having to drop all the way back to CB/FB. Not all your central midfielders drop to the last line - some do, which then leaves space for the next layer in front to cover - that's where he should be operating.

Keita is a good example incidentally, as a player who is really terrible at having to drop all the way back because it's totally at odds with his strengths - but we don't whinge about it cause it's not his role. Elliott has a lot of the same strengths, but he's been used in a role where his weaknesses get exposed more than his strengths get used.

The speculation about Ljinders is possibly based upon the Paul Tompkins article from late November.

KDB and Keita have totally different responsibilities to Elliott though. KDB is not expected to be back at full back covering for Walker the whole time, and Keita is not expected to be back at full back sitting in for Robertson. Meanwhile, Elliott is expected to cover for a player who roams out of position far more than either of those defenders in Trent. He has to effectively play auxiliary full back, while also being an attacker between the lines. it's too much, and the former part is stuff he just isn't equipped for (in the same way Keita definitely isn't).

Elliott's not brilliant out of possession, but I think he's a decent presser from midfield, as long as he doesn't also have to cover for fullback behind him, as obviously that's two contradictory responsibilities - if you're trying to push up on someone, while over your shoulder Trent is nowhere to be seen, how are you to do either effectively? He always looks better and more assured pressing with Gomez at FB for instance. Hendo in his prime is the perfect guy for that role - but he also tended to stay at the base of a building attack, keeping the pressure on from the rear, rather than moving forward to receive a pass in the final third as Elliott is expected to do (which is one of his strengths).

His strengths are ball retention, picking a pass, and breaking a press. He's excellent in those moments where the opposition press is closing in, where he can either spot a little pass out, or turn and run out and switch play. He's at his best driving into the spaces in the final third, or across between the lines, drawing a man, and playing a ball on the run - has a really good relationship with Salah for this stuff, the pair of them obviously look for each other in these moves. He's just incredibly composed with a ball at his feet, with really good vision for the space around him while under pressure.

He's 19. He's far from the finished article, but he has more to give than he's been allowed to show, partly due to Klopp having such faith in him. He'd actually be better off if Klopp trusted him slightly less - would be better at the role Curtis Jones tends to be given for instance.

Looks like FSG have finally cracked and decided to spend some money on the Red Sox.

BREAKING: Star third baseman Rafael Devers and the Boston Red Sox are finalizing an 11-year, $331 million contract, sources familiar with the agreement tell ESPN. The deal is not done. The physical process hasn't started. But in the end, Devers is expected to remain in Boston.

For playing rounders. Mental

City sign another sponsorship deal with a company that's funded by their owners.....

I see Chelsea are expected to meet the £105 realise clause for Fernandez before the transfer window is done. It seem an enormous amount of money for someone that only mildly impressed me during the world cup. I wouldn't have had him in Argentinas top 5 performers in my opinion.

He’s been fantastic for Benfica in the champions league this season too. Was highly rated before the move to Portugal, but has kicked on more than anyone expected this year at both club and international level. It’s still a massive price - too much - but he is a quality player in fairness.

I'm not saying he's not a great player. But this has World Cup performance tax all over it...he is a solid 55/60m pound player.

It’s nearly more desperation tax from Chelsea… it’s mid season, and Benfica are in the CL knockouts with a great draw, so they’ve no need to sell for anything less than the buyout clause. Benfica did well to pop a clause that high in though, fair play to them!

Are u sure that transfer is going through

Have to say, it disappoints me that I’m happy about a Man City victory. If we weren’t so far back I’d be gutted right now, but now it’s just 3 points taken off our rivals for a top 4 spot.

Yes, as others have said, I was also cheering on City tonight. The feeling I have of being unclean will probably never go away...

But we are we are. City face lots of top 4 rivals coming up, hope they win all of them.