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Can of Worms 2

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OK, I admit, I'm being very harsh towards Lallana. Maybe even unfair.
In a recent press conference Klopp expressed his delight with Lallana, especially his pressing game and that's probably the main reason why he's still in the first line up. He gives us balance.
My biggest issue with him though, is that he just doesn't do enough offensively. Sure, he sometimes pops up with a goal or an assist but it's almost never when it actually matters.

4 goals against Dortmund and he wasn't involved in any of them.
4 goals against Everton, same there. And for some reason people have him in their top 3 players of the game.

I don't get it. He just frustrates the hell out of me. More often than not he winds up in the corner with the ball, does a Cruyff turn. Hold the ball, does another Cruyff turn. Looks up, decides not to cross it and just passes it to the full back. That might be just all well and good. I mean he didn't lose possession of the ball right?
But then you find Coutinho in the same situation and he takes on the defender, gets passed him maybe 7 out of 10 times, cuts in, shoots or maybe crosses the ball.
That's what I want from him. That's what we all should expect from an attacking winger. Also, it is so easy to find someone who could press and be an attacking threat.

Your points are valid, he doesn't get enough goals, but he does create space well for others. I know a lot of players can have high workrate, but Lallana does it in an intelligent way and seems like he's very quickly taking on board Klopp's ideas/instructions. Okazaki at Leicester does something similar. He stretches teams and Mahrez and Vardy reap the rewards, but he doesn't have many assists or goals. I've never been Lallana's biggest fan, but I appreciate what he brings to them and to me he's definitely worth a squad place next year (although I'd like an upgrade too, but football is a squad these days so we don't have to worry about where everyone fits into the 11). I don't think finding someone who can presses intelligently and more often that not make the right runs in attack would be easy to find cheaply.
 
Your points are valid, he doesn't get enough goals, but he does create space well for others. I know a lot of players can have high workrate, but Lallana does it in an intelligent way and seems like he's very quickly taking on board Klopp's ideas/instructions. Okazaki at Leicester does something similar. He stretches teams and Mahrez and Vardy reap the rewards, but he doesn't have many assists or goals. I've never been Lallana's biggest fan, but I appreciate what he brings to them and to me he's definitely worth a squad place next year (although I'd like an upgrade too, but football is a squad these days so we don't have to worry about where everyone fits into the 11). I don't think finding someone who can presses intelligently and more often that not make the right runs in attack would be easy to find cheaply.
Like you said it's a squad game, so when Coutinho isn't doing well or Sturridge or someone else can we trust Lallana to be the man who wins it for us?
I respect the fact that he works hard and opens up space for others and I honestly wouldn't mind keeping him around as a squad player. But the money we would generate from selling him could go to fund the transfer of a top class player.
I'm absolutely sure that some clubs will test our resolve with a bid during the summer.
Especially if we manage to lure Götze over.
 
Like you said it's a squad game, so when Coutinho isn't doing well or Sturridge or someone else can we trust Lallana to be the man who wins it for us?
I respect the fact that he works hard and opens up space for others and I honestly wouldn't mind keeping him around as a squad player. But the money we would generate from selling him could go to fund the transfer of a top class player.
I'm absolutely sure that some clubs will test our resolve with a bid during the summer.
Especially if we manage to lure Götze over.

Does Gotze score a lot then?
 
20 goals in 70 games for Bayern. Not bad for a player said to be out of form there. Presumably not all starts either.

He also scores winning goals in world cup finals. Well, one.
 
To those who "don't mind keeping Lucas as a squad player," why would you take playing time away from the likes of Brannagan, Stewart, Grujic, possibly Rossiter and one of Dahoud/Zielinski/Geis if we buy any of them and give it to Lucas? This makes no sense, we need to develop our future and Lucas after this season will be the past - and not the most glorious part of our past, I might add, although it's not his fault. He's a good pro and I never had a problem with him, but it's time to move on from the Lucas era.
 
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To those who "don't mind keeping Lucas as a squad player," why would you take playing time away from the likes of Brannagan, Stewart, Grujic, possibly Rossiter and one of Dahoud/Zielinski/Geis if we buy any of them and give it to Lucas? This makes no sense, we need to develop our future and Lucas after this season will be the past - and not the most glorious part of our past, I might add, although it's not his fault. He's a good pro and I never had a problem with him, but it's time to move on from the Lucas era.
Well the biggest reason being that none of those you mentioned bar Stewart and Rossiter are DM's.
Also, Lucas is still better than them and he's not 47 years old, he's still got a few more years in him.
I'd get rid when Stewart or whoever prove to me that they are better than Lucas or we buy a direct replacement for him.
Finally Lucas is a great player to have in the squad for reasons beyond football. He speaks both Spanish and Portuguese and has helped many of the latin american players settle.
 
I respect us trying to convince ourselves we have a good squad but I want some fucking better players next season thanks.
 
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20 goals in 70 games for Bayern. Not bad for a player said to be out of form there. Presumably not all starts either.

He also scores winning goals in world cup finals. Well, one.
It's 34 in 111.

31 in 116 for Dortmund.

17 in 50 for Germany.
 
A case for keeping them all? If we keep them all, we'll come 6th or 7th again next season. We need better players.
The keepers shit, Moreno's shit, Lovren and Sakho will revert to mediocrity at some point as they are not top class players, the midfield is piss weak and Sturridge will get injured again. This fuckin happens every season as we canter to 6th place, 'hey lads, we'll be ok for next season'.
From your list I'd keep Flano, Skrtel, Milner, Stewart, Lallana, Sturridge & Origi. Most of the rest are meh who should be hovering around the exit door.
 
Buy players for the first team, make current starters squad players. They aren't all shit, and we can't change 11 players each season expecting results
 
This may be a whole new can of worms, but I would strongly consider selling Coutinho for the right offer (a Sterling-like one).

While I love his moments of genius, I think he is far too inconsistent between games and within games for the role he plays. He simply gives the ball away or makes the wrong pass too often.

I think with the funds provided, we could find a player with similar positive "moments" (channeling Klopp here) and fewer negative ones.

I do love the guy, but also extremely frustrating because of his skill and potential which never seems fully and consistently realized.
 
I think with the funds provided, we could find a player with similar positive "moments" (channeling Klopp here) and fewer negative ones.

Yeah, with our record of selling high and buying high, what could possibly go wrong...
 
Every player has his price, but I wouldn't want to see Coutinho go. For one thing he's still young and should have plenty of improvement in him yet. For another, whatever fee we got for him we'd be charged crazy money for signing anyone even approaching his standard, and our transfer kitty is going to have to stretch pretty far this summer as it is. Last but not least, we know he suits us and there's zero guarantee his replacement would do a better job.
 
My list hasn't changed much I'd still sell the majority of them if the price was right.

We have a weak team.

Rubbish keeper
Rubbish CB
Rubbish LB
Weak CM
Unreliable ST
 
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