Liverpool FC Team Talk, Gossip, Rumours 2024/25

Henderson is captain, if nothing else start a fight, show passion,get angry

Anyone want to take a guess on how many more points than us Man City have won over the last 10 games?

1 point.

A lot of focus on Liverpool's problems but maybe after years of such high performance and now a change in tactics from both clubs things aren't so rosey.

Hopefully we get a new midfielder in and the massive gap in midfield can be narrowed.

Yeah fair point about city in the last 10 games *but* they are still 11 points ahead of us after 18 games so it's all semantics really.

We've been terrible, city have been a bit more hit and miss than usual but no where near as bad as we have.

Haaland was a massive boost for them early days though and we have had a huge amount more injuries this season.

I'm just pointing out that both teams have been well below par this season.

But the thing is Henderson hasn't the legs to cover Trent anymore. The problem is the huge gap left by Trent when he wanders and couple that with the ridiculous high line designed for fast players to cover. We have been an easy target for a very long time.

I don't get that signing right now

Neves biggest weakness is his inability to run , which is also our biggest weakness that we need to fix

Doesn't matter. Just get numbers into midfield and stop being overrun.

We cannot recover if we go a goal down so we need to prevent it happening.

Thankfully Everton make us look somewhat functional but I'm struggling to see where we get 40 points from. Every team has us sussed and we've no plan A, nevermind plan B.

I dunno, I can't tell if you are trolling or serious this time.

Playing a B team against Wolves may be the requirement. Risking more "tiredness" of our main players only to go back to Brighton to be hammered and another game in the schedule seems like too much.

Few months ago Thiago was best in the world, not just a great player, a world class player, Fabinho regarded as best in the world at what he does, Henderson a machine, a leader, Keita who made the quad a possibility, 40 plus great appearances last season, Elliot the rising star, Carvalho the next Thiago.

So we have the players, but they are in system overload, too much info, too much puppeteering from the bench, on the field you cut the strings, and play it as you see it, it seems to me the players are told '' fill this space, hold here, this will solve the problem'' while the opposition fill another space, and the puppets stay put and allow it, you adapt on the field, you sense danger, you kill the space, you abandon your position and track when you need. You play on the edge, and do what's required, you live on your wits on the pitch.

Bit of a Sunday Smeltdown post / rant but yeah - some musings.

Full disclosure I was a fan of Henderson for the duration of time at Liverpool. He has plenty of critics as it is. But he has been very poor this season. His legs have gone, and they were a massive part to his game. He had a good World Cup and in hindsight maybe he was saving himself for that, it was his last one after all, so I can see why he did that. A lot of people would do the same, especially considering the effort he has put into his club career the last 10 years, let alone the last 5.

But his performances are really affecting the club. He's been really bad. Which happens, but is there more to it? He's club captain. He has to play every game or least expects to play most games. He's the dressing room leader - goes to the manager with problems within the squad etc. Sort of controls it in a way, making sure every one is happy. If you drop Henderson or sub him off every game etc, he's gonna be upset and this can cause bad morale in the changing room. If you drop Naby Keita, he accepts it and works to start again. Henderson won't. Now maybe that's the sign of a good mentality, but it's hurting the team.

But my main point is maybe the sharp decline is linked to Henderson. Tin foil hat time here perhaps.

The Edwards & Klopp dynamic in terms of recruitment and contracts is working excellently. Players are signed at the right time, contracts given out at the right time or players released at the right time.

But then Summer 2021 and there are some clearly designed stories put into the press about Henderson only having 2 years left on his contract. He was 31 at the time. There was links with Atletico Madrid etc. Clearly from him side through agents etc for a new deal and look it's part of the game these days to force clubs to act. Michael Edwards was still the Director Of Football at the time and the data guys must have decided that Henderson was not worth having around past his 33rd birthday in 2023. They could forsee a drop in endurance etc perhaps.

Klopp stayed loyal to his player, his captain, his leader and overruled Edwards, forcing the club to give him a new 4 year contract. The start of the data guys not being listened to. At the time it could be said that maybe it will a once off, but it's the start and the barrier has been broken.

4 months later Edwards officially handed in his notice after a month or two of rumours and talks of being put on gardening leave. Maybe he thought that his position wasn't as strong as before where his ideas are not being followed up on. Maybe some younger players were being suggested as recruitments but being advocated by Klopp because he thinks that his players - Fabinho Hendo Milner Thiago Ox Keita etc all have many years left in them.

Edwards leaves and Ward comes in. Tchouameni is heavily wanted but the club come up short. Instead of signing an alternative, Milner gets a new contract. The recruitment team had put forward Enzo Fernandez and Bounanotte amongst others but are not signed. Who vetoed those signings, at a low cost? Was it the coaching team or was it the owners? Nunes from Sporting Lisbon is also linked. It's also said at this time that Klopp & Ljinders are having more of an influence on recruitment. Diaz was signed on the recommendation of Ljinders through his contacts in Portugal after working. Klopp publicly declares liking Nunez after a CL game and he is signed. Another Portuguese based player. Nunez was a very direct shift in change of playing style. The shift away from Bobby false 9 to a more traditional direct number 9. It's a big change.

Then Ward & Ian Graham announce they are leaving suddenly. Two more longstanding members of the data team. Why? Within 2 weeks, and there is talk that Liverpool want to sign Nunes from Wolves, 6 months after the club passed up on the opportunity of signing him from the Portuguese league. This morning there are links to Neves, a Portugese player who IMO does not suit the style of play. He's a young player and am no means writing him off or the transfer but Fabio Carvalho doesn't scream Klopp player to me. He's more of a technical player in a free role. Not a physical midfielder or a goalscoring, direct wide man. All these players who are either Portugese or coming from the Portuguese league. Maybe it's a coincidence.

But why is there such a disconnect between recruitment now with somewhat random styles. We used to see a midfield that was full of physical players who can really run hard, big players. Now we are looking at slower, smaller players who can pass the ball nicely. Elliott is getting a lot of game time.

Something happened behind the scenes that we don't know about. 3 major players in the recruitment team have left in the last 18 months. The recruitment has gone backwards in the last 18 months. The club used to be so decisive in the transfer market and act super smartly. That doesn't seem to be the case any longer, unfortunately. Other clubs have caught up too, so that advantage is no longer so strong. Look at Brighton, Brentford etc using their models and how they are lauded.

Probably just more Twitter nonsense but there’s a few rumblings about the sale of the club today. Apparently the same guy who first reported Salah’s new contract thinks a deal is done with the Qataris.

Again, more than likely BS, but thought I’d post it anyway just to distract from the result yesterday.

Unfortunately, I think so. And it's the reason why the data guys are leaving.

Is this from a bad movie?

I do wonder why in games like yesterday where its clear to everyone we'd struggle in midfield why Klopp didn't take attention out and put Gomez RB just to try shore up that side ,

Little small things like that would massively help right now

I know we play OUR game but right now ifs probably right to protect ourselves at times

Here here

Funny someone should mention Achterberg as he was the previous behind the scenes scapegoat when things weren't going well. Perhaps every club needs to have one but this Pep thing is bizarre based on not much more than hearsay and some weird objection to him bringing a book out. There have been many mistakes made at all levels of the club behind the scenes so the recurring scapegoating of Pep is ridiculous.

Even in a 4-4-2 Trent and Robertson bomb forward, it's kinda funny.

I think if you line up that way you get your creativity from midfield full stop

________Allison____

Trent_Konate_VVD_Robertson

____Fab____Thiago__________

Salah____Firmino_____Diaz

_______Nunez________

Back 5 players defend, full stop, don't give an inch, front 4 gets us the points, but also drop in without the ball, but break fast, Nunez on the shoulder

Yeah seen the rumours on twitter today and how nothing will be announced until next month. As you said probably just a smokescreen