So, next season then

[beejay]

This one is over so far as the league is concerned.

Origi is coming in, but we need to rebuild our midfield and add more options up front.

Players out : Definite - Gerrard, Johnson, Jones, Coates, Borini, Enrique, Aspas, Luis Alberto. Probable - Toure, Balotelli. Maybe - Lucas, Lambert, Wisdom

Core squad (IMO Starting XI in bold) :

Keepers : Mignolet, Ward

Fullbacks : Flanagan, Manquillo, Moreno

Centrebacks : Skrtel, Sakho, Lovren, Can, (Ilori)

Defensive midfielders : Henderson, Allen (Can)

Attacking midfielders : Sterling, Coutinho, Ibe, Markovic, Lallana, (Ojo), (Teixeira)

Strikers : Sturridge, Origi, (Sinclair)

I think we should revert to a back 4 and to me, that means we need a "best XI" starting LB and 2 centre midfielders.

For the squad to be strong we need a good keeper to challenge Mignolet, another full back and at least one reliable striker probably two.

We also need some strength & power in the side, especially in that CM.

Oh and I would have Sakho as captain because Henderson doesn't get into my best team, brilliant player to have in most games but against the very best, he would be a sub.

It's a big ask for Jordon Ibe to be in that starting side, but I've seen enough to believe he is good enough although over a long season he will be rotated with Henderson, Lallana etc.I'm a big fan of Flanagan and think we have missed him massively this season but hopefully he will be as good as a new signing next year.

Non-sarcastic comments appreciated

 

[Tinto]

Ibe was outstanding in our unbeaten run. He gave us a bit impetus just as our momentum was flagging. Losing him and Lucas, who was also a key player in the good run, to injury was a huge blow. I don't think it's a big ask and he's better than Markovic already.

We need try Can in CM to see if he has the ability to get on the ball when under pressure. Both Allen and Henderson have been found out a bit in that regard.

 

[Judge Jules]

Interesting post. My comments would be:
1. Not convinced about a back four - three seems to have worked better for us this season; and
2. Not sure Sakho's English is up to being captain yet, though I agree he'd be a good choice in other respects.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

FFF will rip into me, as will Ryan, but if we get an offer of 40 million+ for Sterling, we should sell.

Yes, he may be a world class talent (and player in the future) & yes, he is a key player for us now ... but he's a key player for an average team who doesn't have the ability to swing games remotely. He's an average finisher, and if we can get a large sum, and invest in 2 more talented players - I say our first team without gerrard in ages needs to to be players who WANT to be here, WANT to win here and WANT to fight the war to get us there. 40 million can get us a Schneiderlin (DM) & and Vietto (AM).

 

[mom]

Someone who actually has a pair is our first priority. It's all good and well having pace and youth etc blah, but only if you don't bottle it when the chips are down in the face of top competition.

 

[mom]

FFF will rip into me, as will Ryan, but if we get an offer of 40 million+ for Sterling, we should sell.

Yes, he may be a world class talent (and player in the future) & yes, he is a key player for us now ... but he's a key player for an average team who doesn't have the ability to swing games remotely. He's an average finisher, and if we can get a large sum, and invest in 2 more talented players - I say our first team without gerrard in ages needs to to be players who WANT to be here, WANT to win here and WANT to fight the war to get us there. 40 million can get us a Schneiderlin (DM) & and Vietto (AM).

40million for a largely unproven teenager on the big stage, who's more than happy to play the little tricks he has done recently off the field with that interview? I'd sell in a heartbeat. Either that or pay him silly money for a five year deal so he can do the same in another couple of years. paying silly money and breaking the bank for Suarez was one thing, but this kid has nowhere near the talent at present and certainly not the mindset Suarez had.
I'm all for paying Sterling a top wage, but if he tries to play hard ball much more and a good offer comes in, sell.
Anyone who thinks this isn't already disrupting the team is naive.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

40million for a largely unproven teenager on the big stage, who's more than happy to play the little tricks he has done recently off the field with that interview? I'd sell in a heartbeat. Either that or pay him silly money for a five year deal so he can do the same in another couple of years. paying silly money and breaking the bank for Suarez was one thing, but this kid has nowhere near the talent at present and certainly not the mindset Suarez had.
I'm all for paying Sterling a top wage, but if he tries to play hard ball much more and a good offer comes in, sell.
Anyone who thinks this isn't already disrupting the team is naive.

ding ding ding

Suarez wanted to leave and what did he do last year? gave 100% every fucking game and destroyed teams ... Where the fuck is that fight amongst our team? I said it last year 100 times, his attitude is what we need from LIverpool players ... The willingness to fight for every fucking blade of grass on the pitch ...

 

[beejay]

This isn't a Sterling thread there's plenty of them. And by the way, he was our best outlet today and will walk into our starting team so we should not contemplate next year without him.

Looking ahead to next season, we don't have a huge rebuild - we have to keep the nucleus of what is a decent team and plug the gaps, which are pretty obvious.

 

[Markeh]

If Suarez taught us anything it's that shit hot forward players are what you need to be competitive. You can get away with ropey and average elsewhere if the forwards can make up for it.

 

[ibromurph]

Goals change games. Especially the first goal.

So with that in mind, we need to find a player in the Suarez mould. A game changer who can finish off both sides, can play as a 1 or part of a front 2. Benzema would be the pipe dream. Firmino looks more likely if we get in there fast and another top side don't.

 

[Red Astaire]

Interesting post. My comments would be:
1. Not convinced about a back four - three seems to have worked better for us this season; and
2. Not sure Sakho's English is up to being captain yet, though I agree he'd be a good choice in other respects.

Sorry JJ - I'm not convinced his technical abilty is up to scratch let alone his English.

 

[James]

So with that in mind, we need to find a player in the Suarez mould.

I've heard that Alexis Sanchez is meant to be quite good... Oh.

 

[Rosco]

I disagree with Henderson not being good enough, we just need to find the right partner for him in the middle

Allen and Lucas aren't good enough, and I think it might take people to see the lack of a market for either if they were available to realise it.

 

[Red Astaire]

FFF will rip into me, as will Ryan, but if we get an offer of 40 million+ for Sterling, we should sell.

Yes, he may be a world class talent (and player in the future) & yes, he is a key player for us now ... but he's a key player for an average team who doesn't have the ability to swing games remotely. He's an average finisher, and if we can get a large sum, and invest in 2 more talented players - I say our first team without gerrard in ages needs to to be players who WANT to be here, WANT to win here and WANT to fight the war to get us there. 40 million can get us a Schneiderlin (DM) & and Vietto (AM).

In my opinion you are bang on right LTW. People can bleat on all they like about how he can play in multiple positions, he's young, he's English (why that should matter fuck knows) etc. If his heart is not here then he can fuck off. It hardly takes Freud to figure out he's had his head turned. Sign or fuck off. Simples.

 

[Tinto]

I disagree with Henderson not being good enough, we just need to find the right partner for him in the middle

Allen and Lucas aren't good enough, and I think it might take people to see the lack of a market for either if they were available to realise it.

Can?

 

[Rosco]

Yeah Can might be the one, I said that earlier this year.

He's not quite there yet in terms of consistency but id like to see them together. They'd be good enough to allow us play a back four again if we had a couple of decent full backs.

 

[beejay]

Yeah Can might be the one, I said that earlier this year.

He's not quite there yet in terms of consistency but id like to see them together. They'd be good enough to allow us play a back four again if we had a couple of decent full backs.

I don't think Henderson & Can are technically skilled enough to play in a midfield the way we are set up. Rodgers wants us to play from the back through the midfield and that means having players who are entirely comfortable with receiving passes in tight areas. Alonso-types who can turn, find space and link with the attack. I'm sick to death of seeing a ball from the back to the midfield instantly passed back to the defender, putting the emphasis on the last man to build the play.

The best sides all have these types of midfielders and that's one department where we are seriously lacking. It has to be fixed if Rodgers is ever to create a consistently dominant team. Can might develop into such a player but I don't think Henderson will, but he has other assets and is a valuable member of the squad - he's a terrific utility player but at the moment we are looking to him to be the playmaker and he doesn't have that quality.

 

[Halmeister]

It sounds extremely basic, but fuck it, my basic way of thinking has proven right more often than not recently. Obviously we can't compete with the top clubs for the top players. So we have to look at that tier below, and their potential to become world class. Fuck spending the best part of 50m on proven premier league class from Southampton. Just look at who Dortmund, Porto and Atletico are after and decide from there. I'm sick of being right the majority of the time.

 

[beejay]

It sounds extremely basic, but fuck it, my basic way of thinking has proven right more often than not recently. Obviously we can't compete with the top clubs for the top players. So we have to look at that tier below, and their potential to become world class. Fuck spending the best part of 50m on proven premier league class from Southampton. Just look at who Dortmund, Porto and Atletico are after and decide from there. I'm sick of being right the majority of the time.

Buy South Americans? You could be on to something here

 

[Rafiagra]

We need to keep Sterling as he is one of our better players. We need to buy better ones than we have, unlike we did last summer, bar Can.

 

[jexykrodic]

I would advise the club that the best money they could spend would be getting Dr Peters on a permanent contract, there is something wrong with our preparation that means we are insufficiently motivated at the start of matches.

Player positions to fill are an extra striker and a creative midfielder, if the clubs current recruitment strategy prevails I expect we'll see the likes of Ings and Hughes coming in. I'd be surprised if the purse strings were loosened.

 

[dantes]

The players will all improve next season, especially the new ones. I'd stick with the current system and squad as they can go on long unbeaten runs against the average sides. If you suddenly change things again it will risk losing that period of consistency.

All we lack is a player to win it against the bigger teams. Without Suarez and Gerrard the team suffers from an inferiority complex.

 

[Judge Jules]

I would advise the club that the best money they could spend would be getting Dr Peters on a permanent contract, there is something wrong with our preparation that means we are insufficiently motivated at the start of matches.

Player positions to fill are an extra striker and a creative midfielder, if the clubs current recruitment strategy prevails I expect we'll see the likes of Ings and Hughes coming in. I'd be surprised if the purse strings were loosened.

I suspect he wouldn't want to tie himself down to one client in such a way, or we'd probably have got him on board already. But your overall idea is a good one IMO - either persuade Peters to sign up or find somebody else of the right standard who's willing to work exclusively for us.

 

[Judge Jules]

Sorry JJ - I'm not convinced his technical abilty is up to scratch let alone his English.

I respectfully disagree, because IMHO that's looking at the style rather than the substance of what he does. At times he can look awkward on the ball, but it gets where he wants it to go.

 

[6TimesaRed]

I can see us signing James Milner..

Good signing, would improve the midfield.. certainly has the balls and experience this team lacks.

Though you can't help feeling this signing if it was to happen would be all very Joe Cole

We need a worldy striker.. A player that can lift the team.

It has to be made a priority in the summer

 

[hamstrung_pigeon]

I can see us signing James Milner..

Good signing, would improve the midfield.. certainly has the balls and experience this team lacks.

I think that might not happen now, given Rodgers' comments about the average age thing. Felt to me like he was reflecting on a setback in bringing an experienced player in (someone of proper quality and still at or near the top of his game). Recent rumours have Milner going overseas as well.

From the original list, I suppose I would be okay with this to start next season:

GK: Mignolet, <new guy>, Ward (or Fulton)
FB: Flanagan, Manquillo, Moreno
CB: Skrtel, Sakho, Lovren, Ilori, (Williams)
CM: <new guy?>, Henderson, Lucas, Allen, Can, (Rossiter)
AM: Sterling, Coutinho, Ibe, Lallana, Markovic, (Teixeira, Brannagan, Ojo, Kent, Canos)
FW: Sturridge, Origi, <new guy>, <new guy>, (Wilson, Sinclair, Dunn)

With a few guys able to play multiple positions, we don't need that many specialists at CB or FB. Yes, strikers aside, it isn't too different from what we have this season, but having the stability and understanding in the squad should hopefully help. I'm still undecided whether we need to add a new CM, as I'm wary of stunting Can's development (and Rossiter's). If Lucas leaves, then we'll definitely need a new CM, and if we do, I'd love an enforcer type. Otherwise, I suppose we'll have to see whether Can can step up and have a monster season in midfield.

The other question is Sterling, obviously. If we do sell him, I don't think we need to put the money back into the AM department given the depth (and upcoming players) there. I'd rather we put the money into securing the really good strikers we need, and in the CM should we choose to acquire one.

We definitely need a proper striker next season to partner Sturridge, or start in his place when he's out injured again.

Perhaps most importantly, we need this season's big ticket purchases to step up big next season. Lovren, Lallana, Markovic - I'm looking at you guys.

 

[Halmeister]

If we sign Ings I'll be gutted. It's just more of the same, and that hasn't worked for the past 25 years.

 

[gkmacca]

Ings is perfect for the way Rodgers wants to play.

 

[Halmeister]

Perhaps. I just don't think he's very good.

 

[gkmacca]

I've wanted us to get him for ages. Hopefully you'll be pleasantly surprised.