Jordon Ibe

[Hansern]

I was surprised Ibe didn't get more game time last season. At one stage Sterling and Ibe looked very equal prospects.

He should stay with us this season.

Sterling is exactly 1 year older which means a lot in regards of development.

Ibe look ready and he deserves his chance. I'd sign a top quality striker and let Ibe fight it out with the others for the wide positions.
Physically he's a beast but he looks ready in his tactical play aswell.
Potential is amazing.
Markovic, Ibe, Sterling, Coutinho. So much talent.

 

[StevieM]

We've got Sterling, Lallana, Markovic & Coutinho already competing for attacking positions and we probably need a top quality forward who can play across all the forward attacking positions.

There isn't significant game time, IMHO, for the younger players - well, maybe a small opportunity for one of them, but the likelihood is that there won't be.

We've changed squad depth since Rodgers practically had no option but to play Sterling.

 

[Dreambeliever]

I thought he would break through last season on the back of his pre season and it never happened.

Hopefully this season he can. He looks quality.

 

[Modo]

We've got Sterling, Lallana, Markovic & Coutinho already competing for attacking positions and we probably need a top quality forward who can play across all the forward attacking positions.

There isn't significant game time, IMHO, for the younger players - well, maybe a small opportunity for one of them, but the likelihood is that there won't be.

We've changed squad depth since Rodgers practically had no option but to play Sterling.

yeah and most likely, three of them will start, which would leave one on the bench. Of course there's room.

 

[StevieM]

yeah and most likely, three of them will start, which would leave one on the bench. Of course there's room.

I don't agree with you Modo.

The only way 3 will start is if one of them drops back in to midfield or we go 4231.

In both case you'd expect Gerrard & Henderson to fill the 2 midfield positions.

Even if you started with Sterling, Lallana & Coutinho - that still leaves Markovic, Lambert, Lucas, Can, Allen and whatever FB & CB's we want to select looking for spaces on the bench.

That's even before we finalise further potential transfers coming in - and we all agree that we need a forward capable of playing across as many of the forward positions as possible.

We're already up to a squad size of 22 before we start looking at Ibe, Suso, etc.

 

[My_Blood_Bleeds_Red]

You know what's great ?

The fact that we are seeing more and more youngsters breaking through into the first team.

Doesn't that just put a smile on your face aye ?

 

[Ryan]

A loan doesn't mean we don't value him, nor does it mean he couldn't contribute something to us. It'd mean he could go somewhere and play and start 25-30 Premier League games - which he will not do for us.

He's behind about 4-5 others for a starting spot right now, so he'll have to sit on the bench and be hopeful of a sub appearance.

How is that going to be better for his development than going to say, Leicester, and starting 25 odd premier league games? It isn't.

Look what a loan at the right time, to the right Premier league club, did for Sturridge? Or Henderson? Or Evans? Wellbeck? etc.

He has played just about zero games in the premier league. That's what he needs, games and games and games, build him up, get him used to the pace, get him scoring goals, and then get him back here when he's flying. 1 year at another club would far further his development than 1 year sitting on the bench with us and getting 10 mins here or there.

 

[Gary25]

Lampard and Beckham also went out on loan back in the day when they were fresh faced teenagers.

 

[Markeh]

He needs a loan to someone who will use him and preferably play decent football. Physically he is ready but his decision making is erratic (sometimes shite imo) hopefully a few months of regular matches will do wonders for him, I don't think Liverpool can give him that.

Loan with recall sounds good, same for Ilori.

 

[hamstrung_pigeon]

Usually, there are 8 spots for midfield / wide forward player types in our matchday squads - 5 to start on the pitch, and another 3 on the bench. In general, the other 4 bench spots go to a centre forward, 2 defenders and the keeper. We currently have about 12 players vying for those 8 spots:

CM: Gerrard, Henderson, Allen, Lucas, Can
CM / AM / WF: Sterling, Coutinho, Lallana, Markovic, Suso, Ibe, Teixeira

I think Teixeira will likely go on loan, given the lack of minutes he's been given in the pre-season, which leaves us with 11 guys. Barring injuries and suspensions, the 5 in bold are certainties to get into the matchday squad, with the other 6 battling out for the last 3 spots every week. If Ibe is to get 15 or 20 games this season with significant minutes, he'll really need to shine in training to emerge from that pool, given that Allen and Lucas have the advantage of experience and familiarity with the league, while Suso and Can have the benefits of having a season of senior minutes under their belt in their development.

I'd still go with the idea that Ibe should stay with the squad for the first half of the season, to train with the club and get some minutes in our games. We can then decide in December whether to keep him for the rest of the season or send him out on loan to further his development in the second half of the season. Probably applies to Suso and Markovic (despite his price tag) as well. From the pre-season, Can certainly looks the most ready of the 21 and under players in that pool.

 

[StevieM]

I'd agree with Studsup - but with certainly Ibe and probably Suso as well - they aren't going to be given a central position - so they are only likely to play in one of the 2 wide attacking areas.

Lallana, Coutinho, Sterling & Markovic are all ahead and that's before we talk about tactical variations that might only require one of the attacking mid's on the park (442 diamond).

 

[Hansern]

If we decide a loan move is the ideal solution for him, it has to be to the right type of club.
Not Birmingham etc.

 

[rurikbird]

If we don't sign another striker, then we'll HAVE to keep Ibe. Especially with Lallana injured for the start of the season.

 

[hamstrung_pigeon]

 

[Silver Sean]

Lallana, Markovic and Sturridge are all injured right now. Injuries, suspensions and loss of form will happen throughout the season. Depth of our squad is finally coming. Of course we need another striker, and of course we need players like Ibe to keep progressing.

 

[ctlovesred]

He's strong and holds the ball up well with his back to goal. That alone could be useful, plus his speed and ability to take people on. Keep him.

 

[TheRedCrusade]

he is surely worth to be given a chance for CF position.

 

[gkmacca]

That's not really his position. He cuts in from the wings or plays behind the forwards.

 

[StevieM]

That's not really his position. He cuts in from the wings or plays behind the forwards.

Has he played centrally much for the reserves?

Rodgers tends to keep the younger players out wide in both defence & attack until they've progressed.

 

[TheRedCrusade]

That's not really his position. He cuts in from the wings or plays behind the forwards.

yeah I know, but I would still say, he has those qualities to develop him into Studge II

 

[hamstrung_pigeon]

Has he played centrally much for the reserves?

Rodgers tends to keep the younger players out wide in both defence & attack until they've progressed.

As far as I know, he's almost always been used as a wide forward in the U18s and U21s. Maybe he played a bit centrally for the U18s when Sinclair wasn't available and Wilson was still with the U16s, but with the U21s, I think he's been used exclusively as the wide forward with others in the centre.

 

[RolandG]

Keep Ibe and play him, he'll only get better. Needs to brush up on his finishing.

 

[Frogfish]

Rodgers has given Ibe a lot of match minutes against very good teams. He's clearly been trying to assess if he is up to the task so Rodgers can make a decision. His performances against Milan and United (where even the United fans were profuse in their praise of his skills) were very good.

I was all for sending Ibe out for another season on loan, however I hope Rodgers sees it as I now do - we need players that can create space, suck defenders in, beat their man and break fast. The decision making will come with working with the team. Keep him, he'll add even more depth to our attack and will see more than enough minutes to make it worthwhile. Better than sending him off to the Championship or worse.