Could anyone else do better?

[mom]

Take any top team in the land and remove half of their midfield and let’s see what happens. It’s not Klopp. Is he blameless? Of course not. Do I think anyone else out there could even come close with this squad? No.

As long as the owners stay tight with their spending, we will struggle.

 

[moron]

In a word to the title of the thread .... No - absolutely no chance. Klopp stays but needs to learn to let go of certain players and re-build that midfield.

 

[rubans]

With the budget and how Americans run the club, no way could we have done any better than what Klopp has managed.
Can anyone do any better with current setup now? Doubt it judging based on those that came before Klopp.
Everyone below us spent whole load of money over the last 4 yrs to get above us. Chelsea, Arse, Spurs and even Hammers?
Hogan & Co still wanking off about our commercial income increase, not sure I would trust them to pick succcessor to do any better.

 

[RedStar]

When the thread was started earlier in the season asking would we become like late era Wengers Arsenal under Klopp as the owners underfunded the team and relied on a great manager to keep them from imploding many people laughed. Well take a look at this squad, without serious investment over the next 18 months that's exactly where we are headed.

 

[mwake]

Even in our title winning season I never felt confident about our Midfield. It's always been the weak part of the team.

When we won the league I was hoping for a massive upgrading. By signing world-class attacking midfield and a world-class replacement for Gini. Instead we lost Gini and then we got a world-class 'stop gap' in thaigo who himself comes with a "use with care" specific instructions (which surprise surprise we don't have).

I don't think we need to panic long term but I definitely worry about qualifying for champions league for next season such is the mess of our Midfield.

Personally I would experiment with Trent in midfield to at least remove Trent from the liability he is occasionally at right back and leave Gomez there.

Plus having Trent in midfield gives us better defensive steel and attack than we would by playing Elliott in that midfield.

 

[localny]

Even in our title winning season I never felt confident about our Midfield. It's always been the weak part of the team.

When we won the league I was hoping for a massive upgrading. By signing world-class attacking midfield and a world-class replacement for Gini. Instead we lost Gini and then we got a world-class 'stop gap' in thaigo who himself comes with a "use with care" specific instructions (which surprise surprise we don't have).

I don't think we need to panic long term but I definitely worry about qualifying for champions league for next season such is the mess of our Midfield.

Personally I would experiment with Trent in midfield to at least remove Trent from the liability he is occasionally at right back and leave Gomez there.

Plus having Trent in midfield gives us better defensive steel and attack than we would by playing Elliott in that midfield.

Great point on Trent. Could he do the job in M? Where specifically you think?

 

[rubans]

I know this mental but I would just swap him to RWF for a game or two and swap Salah to the left till Diaz is back next year.

 

[Irishanfield]

Klopp has done very well to get Net Spend FC this far. If this doesn't wake FSG up, nothing will.

Fsg won't change their business model

 

[redblack7]

Fsg won't change their business model

They will if we are stuck in midtable for very long.

 

[Judge Jules]

Great point on Trent. Could he do the job in M? Where specifically you think?

I believe TAA was a midfielder pretty much throughout his youth team years. When he stepped up into the first team squad he got (as quite a few players have, Stevie G for one) his first appearances at fullback and fitted the overall team template so well that he was kept on there. He'd have to do some readjusting obv.but it might be something to consider. Having survived the Uncle Roy years I'm not generally a fan of tinkering with players' positions, as he did constantly with little or no success, but unless FSG now loosen the purse-strings (and possibly even then) we are going to need some new thinking to get back on track.

 

[juniormember]

I believe TAA was a midfielder pretty much throughout his youth team years. When he stepped up into the first team squad he got (as quite a few players have, Stevie G for one) his first appearances at fullback and fitted the overall team template so well that he was kept on there. He'd have to do some readjusting obv.but it might be something to consider. Having survived the Uncle Roy years I'm not generally a fan of tinkering with players' positions, as he did constantly with little or no success, but unless FSG now loosen the purse-strings (and possibly even then) we are going to need some new thinking to get back on track.

Pretty sure he was converted to right back before getting into the first team squad. Think he played right back under Stevie G.
It was after this that he got promoted to the first team squad.
I just can't see it working. He's really uncomfortable in crowded areas when he comes inside, and absolutely excels when he's out wide with only one player around him.
Maybe he'd adapt, who knows, but he's far far below the level of the top midfielders in the league with the ball at his feet. Him having time and space out wide is exactly what allows him to use that peach of a right foot. I couldn't trust him in a Xabi role in a 4-2-3-1 either, as he's really really careless with his passing when in our half.
Can't understand why people want him playing in midfield.

 

[Judge Jules]

Some good points there but he could play wide right MF, given the way our wide forwards constantly come inside (people persist in calling them "wingers" but they really aren't). It would mean a change of formation but IMO we need to think about doing that anyway.

 

[Hansern]

I see the cunt Hamann is on Talksport saying he thinks we're close to having a discussion about whether or not Klopp is the right man for the job. The example he's using about players unrest; Henderson being not happy about being subbed off against Rangers.

What an awful "pundit".

 

[Tinto]

Nope

 

[juniormember]

I see the cunt Hamann is on Talksport saying he thinks we're close to having a discussion about whether or not Klopp is the right man for the job. The example he's using about players unrest; Henderson being not happy about being subbed off against Rangers.

What an awful "pundit".

He’s consistently been a terrible pundit. Talks absolute bollocks about everyone.

 

[KopRed]

Klopp has always had us punching above our weight with the system he set out.

Look at the players who left us? Gini, Coutinho, Taki, Origi, even Mane is struggling.

Now that our forwards don't press as well, and our midfielders don't have the legs anymore, our defence are left exposed again and again and everybody has lost their confidence.

We need a couple of wins on the bounce to give us a chance of regaining that confidence, but it's likely we will struggle to make top 4.

 

[peterhague]

Our net spend this year was under £5m. When everyone and their mum could see our midfield was injured and aging. For. Fucks. Sake.

Don't blame the owners, blame the fuckwit fans who won't hear a word said against them.

 

[JohnnyRocket]

There's a very "this is fine" sentiment about Liverpool supporters in general isn't there. Our owners consistently keep net spend at near zero, meanwhile it's the United supporters out in force against their owners - despite having the most expensive squad ever assembled. Bizarre.

What will it take for full blown protests against our owners?

 

[dmishra]

Klopp getting flak before FSG is the most bizarre thing I've ever heard.

Klopp can burn this place to the ground before I'd even consider sacking him. The guy can have a free run for the next decade if it were up to me. Best thing that's happened to us in 30 years.

It is genuinely outrageous that there should even be a whisper of a discussion about whether he's the right man for this job.

FSG are incredibly lucky that Klopp happened to them. We'll be West Ham or Leicester once he leaves with the way FSG spend.

 

[Farkmaster]

Klopp getting flak before FSG is the most bizarre thing I've ever heard.

Klopp can burn this place to the ground before I'd even consider sacking him. The guy can have a free run for the next decade if it were up to me. Best thing that's happened to us in 30 years.

It is genuinely outrageous that there should even be a whisper of a discussion about whether he's the right man for this job.

FSG are incredibly lucky that Klopp happened to them. We'll be West Ham or Leicester once he leaves with the way FSG spend.

But he gets to use ALL the monopoly money given to him at the start of the game!

 

[tombrown]

He’s consistently been a terrible pundit. Talks absolute bollocks about everyone.

Trouble is he is the resident pundit on RTE, so I get to watch him tomorrow night

 

[Judge Jules]

All that drinking and smoking he used to do while he was still playing must be coming back to haunt him now, because he really does chat a load of cobblers.

As far as ex-LFC pundits go, with the possible exception of Zidanny Murphy it's been mostly downhill since Jocky Hansen, and even when he was still doing it he had to put up with that constipated bloodhound Lawrenson alongside him.

 

[jexykrodic]

I reckon Pep Guardiola with half a billion quid could do better.

 

[Red rose]

Not sure where to put this, so decided on here ..maybe it’s already posted elsewhere, if so, apologies.

 

[keniget]

I don't think we need to panic long term

What we've achieved (or came close to) under Klopp and his team is beyond anything we could've reasonably expected.

The club does not have the resources or the mindset of other 'elite' clubs. As such, it would be foolish to expect continued success at the same level.

I always expected that at some point we would fall back into the chasing pack. I just thought it would be further into the future... when Klopp eventually left.

It'll be interesting to see what happens in the summer - given that we seem to prioritise balancing the books above all else. At most other top clubs a season like this would be followed by (serious reciminations and) a massive spending spree. Let's see what FSG do. The fans, media and certain players as well will all be watching.

 

[Irishanfield]

They will if we are stuck in midtable for very long.

No they won't . They have a business model and they won't change from that.

 

[Irishanfield]

Trouble is he is the resident pundit on RTE, so I get to watch him tomorrow night

Unless of coarse you do what I do and watch the prematch on BT and turn over to Irish tv for the game. The commentary is so bullshit biased with English teams it's painful to listen. Even lfctv isn't as biased towards us

 

[refugee]

Unless of coarse you do what I do and watch the prematch on BT and turn over to Irish tv for the game. The commentary is so bullshit biased with English teams it's painful to listen. Even lfctv isn't as biased towards us

I'd rather drill a hole in my head than listen to Owen, McMoneyman, Hoddle, J Cole, and all the other plebs BT has managed to expertly assemble.

 

[peekay]

What we've achieved (or came close to) under Klopp and his team is beyond anything we could've reasonably expected.

The club does not have the resources or the mindset of other 'elite' clubs. As such, it would be foolish to expect continued success at the same level.

I always expected that at some point we would fall back into the chasing pack. I just thought it would be further into the future... when Klopp eventually left.

It'll be interesting to see what happens in the summer - given that we seem to prioritise balancing the books above all else. At most other top clubs a season like this would be followed by (serious reciminations and) a massive spending spree. Let's see what FSG do. The fans, media and certain players as well will all be watching.

I don't think FSG will mind that much. If you follow their Red Sox trajectory, that is kinda what they do. Build a team that wins the world series, rather than investing in keeping the team on the top, let it slip away, and then build the next great team. But building the next great team is easier in baseball due to salary caps, draft, and other differences.

 

[RedStar]

Pretty sure he was converted to right back before getting into the first team squad. Think he played right back under Stevie G.
It was after this that he got promoted to the first team squad.
I just can't see it working. He's really uncomfortable in crowded areas when he comes inside, and absolutely excels when he's out wide with only one player around him.
Maybe he'd adapt, who knows, but he's far far below the level of the top midfielders in the league with the ball at his feet. Him having time and space out wide is exactly what allows him to use that peach of a right foot. I couldn't trust him in a Xabi role in a 4-2-3-1 either, as he's really really careless with his passing when in our half.
Can't understand why people want him playing in midfield.

I'm constantly amazed at people who suggest Trent playing in midfield. Midfield is the position on the pitch the requires the most spatial awareness and ability to manage distance. Great midfielders have a 360 map of the pitch in their heads because they need to be able to move in any direction at any time.

Trent has shown time and time again he has really poor positional sense and constantly looses track of the movement of other players. I think hed quickly run into the same problem in midfield which is that he needs a free role where he's not required to track runners off the ball or hold his shape. Trent is at his best when he has space infront of him he can look up and pick a pass. He will get less time and space on the ball in midfield.