Liverpool FC Team Talk, Gossip, Rumours 2024/25

Think he's played wide left of a front three for 90%+ of his career games so far. He's even said he doesn't particularly like playing centre forward. Not that he couldn't adapt but it would be a big jump to suddenly start playing centre forward in the Premier League.

Being our best player last night isn't much of an achievement. He did very little wrong when he came on. Scoring 4/10 for performance vs everyone else scoring 1s and 2s bar maybe Keita who nabbed a 3. Its more of a reflection of just how bad the rest of the team were.

12 years to the day since we sacked Hodgson so things could be worse I guess

People aren't doing their jobs, and Klopp is beginning to make that clear in public, that certain players are not making tackles, and are instead watching on. But Klopp puts them on the pitch, so buck stops there.

The team is in an extended period of transition, the water carriers have been run into the ground for years and there were no reinforcements signed to take on the task. The situation has occurred primarily because of Klopp's hubris and it's not likely to change before the end of the season.

Last season we had the likes of Tyler Morton available to step in for a handful of games when needed. He's on loan with Blackburn this season and the regular competitive games will no doubt speed along his development. Hopefully next season he will have a role in the squad.

The panicked loan signing of Arthur Melo on the transfer deadline was a pointless square peg for a round hole solution. We have to hope that there is some serious work going on behind the scenes to correct the issues with the squad for next season because major reinforcements are required in midfield. Players that are physically robust and have a hunger to propel the team forward are required.

It might appear to be 'settling for less' but I do think that the manager and players need to sit down, have a chat and re-allign their goals for the season. It might not sit well with the senior players in the prime of their careers to shift from trying to win all 4 trophies to be battling for top 4 just to qualify for the CL. But it is where we are at the moment. It's not great to be doing it for the 2nd time in 3 years. At least the last season it could be put down to an unprecedented injury crisis coupled with COVID disruptions as a once off and the players just sucked it up but it's very tough to repeat that again, mentally and physically.

We know that largely the same group of players have been playing together for the best part of 5 seasons now with few additions for rejuvenation and fresh blood etc. The same group of players that have gone to the well time and time again. I've taken this game as a reference point in 2018 but we can see just how much the 2 squads have changed since then. Of the 18 man match day squads, 12 are still playing for Liverpool. 10 are still key players. 7 still play for Man City. There's a big difference there. Even in terms of recruitment, and I'm not even talking about money, but just numbers coming into the squad to keep it fresh, Man City have signed 5 more senior players in the years proceeding that season. These are key players and have helped to change their outlook, keep the squad young, fresh and hungry for more. There are pros & cons of having a settled squad. Players who know their role, familiarity, team bonding vs staleness, lack of change & growing old together.

Signing 1 senior player every summer doesn't really cut it, especially when the squad is growing old together. There is too much to do now at one time.

For the past 5 seasons, the group of Liverpool players that have stayed together have basically been told you have to win every single game if you want a trophy at the end of the season. Gone are the days of being allowed 10 or 12 off days or a draw at home. Draws are akin to losses. These players had a league season where they won 30 out of 38 games, only losing 1, and were basically told 'you weren't good enough'. It's madness. A massive physical & mental effort exuded, playing through injuries, not getting much rest as they fight on 2 fronts with a smaller squad etc. Trent & Robbo play nearly every game in taxing roles. Fabinho, Gini, Hendo, Mane, Salah, Firmino the same & VVD also every present. Now, I know that they harnessed this energy and won the Champions League after that, and kept this winning momentum into the next season and basically won every single game for 9 months. The same players went to the well again, dug deep, played through knocks and didn't have much rotation options again. Fight through the pain in order to get a deserved reward. Massive physical output for the 2nd year in a row. Then COVID happened and there was mass outcry to call the season off, null & void etc. That's where the mental toll takes it's affect. Players like Henderson & Mane have spoken about how tough it was during this time. Was their sacrifice for a couple of years going to be for nothing? Being told again 'oh it was nice that you won every game, but you don't deserve to be champions'. Thankfully they did get the reward.

It didn't last long as the following season there was mass injuries and knocks. Their bodies couldn't take it and many broke down. Some contact injuries force players to miss the whole season - as a result, others are forced to play more often and then eventually just break down because of the condensed season. Some just had to plow on. There was an understudy signed for Robbo, in order to give him more breaks. A combination of COVID & injury meant he missed half the season. Guess what? Sorry Robbo but you're gonna have to play every league game. Again. A midfielder was signed in Thiago to give the midfielders a break. But guess what, he get's snapped in half in his first start and misses half the season. The other midfielders are forced to play more and as a result pick up more injuries and just can't keep going on playing through the pain barrier. Except one, Gini, who has to do all of the running yet again. A forward is signed to give the front 3 a break and guess what? He also gets injured and is out for months, forcing extra minutes into the forwards who have done back to back intense seasons. The goalkeeper and manager both suffer losses in their personal lives, and are not allowed to attend funerals. Other players are isolated from families and cannot settle because of the restrictions. It's a tough season, mentally, again. And the obvious physical struggle. The season breaks down half way through and they have to re-evaluate. They decide that the top 4 is the target and it's a once-off. We will go again next season and win back the big trophies.

And we are then back to full fitness the season after. One player is signed in the summer. One key player has left the group. So basically the same group of players all go to the well yet again, for the 4th season in a row. Largely the same starting 11 every week as it was 4 years ago. They've been through many lows together, and a few highs but they are going to go through it again this season.

After reassessing in January, and signing one more attacker, they have a brilliant league campaign, winning 28, and only 2 losses. They win every game in the CL group stage and actually get to the final by winning 10 out of 12 games. They win every single cup game they play. They start conceding first in a lot of games but the players dig deep and go to the well yet again and turn those games around to win them nearly every time. Because as we know you have to win every game in order to win this league. And guess what? It's not good enough.

Salah is Eqypt's hero and they reach the AFCON final. They lose on penalties - not good enough. They reach a qualifier for the World Cup, and again lose on penalties. Not good enough. Now they do win 2 cups within the season but losing the league on the final day of the season and being so burned out by the time the CL final comes around, that they can't mount a comeback. The 4 seasons of intense play has caught up with them. The same group of players going together every game. They couldn't go one more time. It's a lot of kickbacks for the same group of players, mentally and physically.

The season after and again it's one key player leaving the club, and only one senior player joining. A constant flow of injuries but the biggest concern is the engine room. Where there once was legs and energy in abundance, it's now severely lacking. Players like Fabinho who screened the back 4 on his own now cannot run in any direction. Henderson built his game on energy and can't press as much, can't get around the pitch. Not putting the tackles in. The defence is exposed. They are conceding first every other game. The players aren't able to go to the well again. First game of the season is a draw, it happens. Are we able to go through another season of this. First game and already told that it's not good enough as you have to win every game. I'm in my 30s, I don't have the energy for this again this year. Those creaking bodies. When I played through the pain barrier for a few years, I can't do it again. I need the 3 week break. Konate lost 2 of the biggest competitions at the final hurdle last season. This season he lost the World Cup final on penalties. Some big blows there.

That lack of fresh blood and energy is showing up now. A new voice in the dressing room and a new burst of energy on the pitch. Where are the midfielders ready to take over the water carrying and running to protect the defence and supply the full backs / forwards?

This is currently our midfield for next season. 3 players at the start of the careers and 3 at the end. None in between. Where is the balance. Where are the players ready to come into their prime or in their prime? We had Salah Mane Bobby in their prime together but had some great succession planning with Jota Nunez Diaz. Where is this for the midfield? It's terrible planning.

How the management can tell the players 'look we need to just get top 4', I'm not sure. These players were signed to win the big trophies. But it's needed, for now.

Thiago is a fabulous footballer better than all our midfielders but i also think he doesn't suit what we try & do ,

When we had Fab., Milner,OX,Henderson ,Gini all fully fit the whole midfield was built on legs and hard work & it set the stall for the full backs and forwards that completely fell apart,

I wouldn't be against the diamond at all. It might just help a few areas - midfield mostly, but also brings Salah & Nunez closer to the goal.

The only question I have is who is played in the 1 at the top of the diamond? Gakpo perhaps. But he is new, and doesn't really know the team yet. Elliott is too out of form and low in confidence, Carvalho too young to play there consistently yet but an option. Ox possibly.

Would the obvious answer to our problems at the minute not to go 3 at the back ?

Most goals are being scored because of balls in the lanes between the CB's & full backs, And crosses where the player comes at the back post between the CB & full back ,

3 at the back fill's that space wit ha CB & also if someone breaks off our midfield give the option for 1 of the 3 to sept forward,

Why not we have 4 CB's left why not use them ,

If there not good enough to be used for a short period they should be sold in the summer as they are not fit for purpose ,,

Not my content found it on Reddit but it really shows how bad our squad is in terms of missed minutes this season

Yeah he played in that friendly before the restart.

Sander Berge is another that was heavily linked for a while, still at Sheffield United.

Decent on the ball but the lad can't really get around the park well ,

He's a bit of Thiago light in my opinion ,

Just my opinion if we are to take someone on the cheap I'd rather it be someone who can run & tackle like **** but is poor technically than the other way around , Just because where we are right now ,

Palhinha went to Fulham for €20m in the summer - not great technically but works his socks off and kicks everything that moves.

Tyler Adams at Leeds is another.

Spurs got top 4 last season after being rubbish in the first half of the season, then bringing in Conte and (more relevantly for us) two quality midfielders.

Wolves replay next Tuesday, 17th, on BBC1

Updated Jan games

Very few I would think...........

They got the order of shirts wrong I think.. that away shirt is fairly horrible, but the 3rd kit is fairly lovely!

It’s interesting Fitz, and normally would be a cause for optimism, but with FSG putting the club up for sale it suits them not to have large transfer instalment due over the next few years - basically makes cash flow look good.

I am curious on what Liverpool podcasts people recommend - I’ve tried Anfield Wrap and Redmen Tv and honestly sometimes I’ve found them ‘too close’ to the subject to give an objective view - whereas the ‘neutral ‘ podcasts would give a more objective and balanced view of where the team is at. It’s a trade off though- those podcasts wouldn’t go into the same level of detail on the club

On the other hand, its attractive to potential owners that they don't have to pay for many players that were not purchased under the previous owners. Compared to Man United, as they are also for sale, the new owners have a large £300m+ bill to pay, aswell as stadium development costs, aswell as a training ground and then their own transfers. And then compared to Chelsea, the new owners were forced into having a large monetary commitment towards stadium redevelopment and transfer spend as part of the deal. The only other investment needed in Liverpool is the playing squad - cheaper than any stadium redevelopment.

Maybe this was FSG's plan all along? To build up the club, have a healthy balance sheet and sell off the club for profit as a certain point. Without having to commit their own cash too often - stadium loans were the only times they had to dip into their own pockets really. Maybe the on field-success was just by accident, and a welcome accident. It was win-win. But now the club has outgrown their model and needs to be one of a super-club now whereas FSG wanted to just be in their model of 'we're smarter than you and will do it for less' in terms of transfers, with CL qualification being their remit. Just thinking out loud here....

But I do think that the transfer spend per year does make the club somewhat attractive because of that creditor amount. It's nothing that is not too unmanageable.

Yeah agree 100% re Jones. A PL loan to the likes of Bournemouth would have been ideal - get him used to the league's physicality and see how he would do as a regular starter.