Hahaha I meant Lallana for the second one!
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Hahaha I meant Lallana for the second one!
Hope you didn't book any planes to Vienna yet as the Salzburg game is at Anfield.
Biggest disappointment in a decade?
I wouldn't go that far.
It's been largely dreadful, but he's not really played much for various reasons, so it's a bit early for that sort of call.
I'm sure you can easily find at least 10 players who were more disappointing than Naby Keita
Of course he’s been injured so he’s not completely at fault but considering the hype and pre signing thread, many were expecting a Gerrard type influence. Not to forget we paid 60m odd when that was a crazy amount of money.
Well, maybe if you factor in expectation and hope it would be a conversation, but he's not really played enough yet.
Not for the price, the expectations and the reputation.
But there haven't been that many "big" signings that everyone thought would be great, but weren't, so it's not a competitive field, really.
And I'm not sure my expectations were fair (if I even had any) because I don't think I saw him play much, if ever, before he joined.
I will admit that I was often fairly scathing about him when he did play last season, though.
"Are we sure we've actually got the right Keita? It's like an Ali Dia situation watching this meff play. Hopefully that will be the last time Keita starts for us this season.
Keita is fucking embarrassingly shite
Yes, now we're level get that spastic Keita off the pitch and we might actually win it"
Erm. Damn.
"Are we sure we've actually got the right Keita? It's like an Ali Dia situation watching this meff play. Hopefully that will be the last time Keita starts for us this season.
Keita is fucking embarrassingly shite
Yes, now we're level get that spastic Keita off the pitch and we might actually win it"
Erm. Damn.
I blame Doc MAC.
Ya not many big signings. Becker and VVD have been immense as have Salah, Mane and Firmino.
Only Carroll and Aqualiana come into the debate and maybe Lallana
Exactly, he hasn’t just not been amazing which many promised, he’s been downright awful for the most part.
Oh look he did a nice turn on the half way line, he’s amazing.
Fuck off. He was abysmal last year price tag, reputation and expectation aside. Adding those just compound how terrible he’s been.
Of course he has time to turn it around but I don’t think he has the mentality to do it.
I'm not sure anyone had huge expectations for Carroll or Lallana really.
Dreamy's got a little hate-boner for little Naby.
As a signing Keita has been a real failure.
As a player there's just not enough information to write him off, at all, but we may never get enough. Then he ends up as one of those players who gives you hope, but not much else.
As a player there's just not enough information to write him off, at all, but we may never get enough. Then he ends up as one of those players who gives you hope, but not much else.
Keita was playing well before his injury, and did show some flashes of just what kind of player he can be. He'll be grand.
Naby is the new Aquilani.
Really? Been looking for someone to obsess about.
This is a perfect thread for you to bring up Downing, a real example of a disappointment.
This is Dreambeliever's flabby melt.
Haha don't remind me...
Dreamy absolutely hates Naby. Can't help but stick the boot in whenever his name is brought up. He's clearly going overboard. Keita has been unlucky.
I think he's a talented player, but it's going to be difficult for him now. He really needed to hit the ground running this season, but instead he's got another little niggly injury.
He's clearly got ability, but if he is to make it here, he needs to start showing as soon as he gets back into the team, and he needs to do it for the long haul.
Unfortunately, I don't know if he can a) stay fit b) break up the current preferred midfield 3 and/or c) demonstrate his ability consistently.
I think he's a talented player, but it's going to be difficult for him now. He really needed to hit the ground running this season, but instead he's got another little niggly injury.
He's clearly got ability, but if he is to make it here, he needs to start showing as soon as he gets back into the team, and he needs to do it for the long haul.
Unfortunately, I don't know if he can a) stay fit b) break up the current preferred midfield 3 and/or c) demonstrate his ability consistently.
Klopp so far has shown that he values creative players in his midfield - Lallana was an early favourite - but they have to show tactical discipline, defensive ability (pressing) and, as always, a ferocious work rate. Of course, he has sometimes made allowances for talents like Coutinho, but it's hard to gauge whether that was due to a lack of *other* obvious talents.
And with a midfield of Hendo, Wijnaldum and Milner, he wanted to address that lack of creativity with players like Chamberlain, Keita, Shaqiri and the abortive attempt to sign Fekir.
But he still seems to have a preference for solidity, work rate and discipline, and players like Shaqiri, Chamberlain and now Keita seem to have to work harder and get less leeway in order to cement a place in the midfield shape he prefers.
And none of those three can really be said to have made themselves indispensable so far, even if doing so seems a bit harder than the more workmanlike options. It feels like Klopp views that role as requiring a change in shape, with a midfield two rather than a three, and it needs something exceptional to justify it.
Even now with all his available options, in the biggest games you know it's going to be from Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Henderson and Milner as the most likely three.
And that leaves Keita with a big task.
Did anyone think Carroll was going to be great?
Completely agree. Keita has his work cut out to break into Klopps system. We mostly agree we're crying out for more creativity. We may not agree that Keita is the answer but his ability to drive at/through the opposition I feel is very good. He can also pick a pass that none of the current preferred options can. Can he get fit, and can he convince klopp to give him enough games to get to a better level than our usual side? Very debatable but I hope he does...
I mean, I hope not. But he's still got everything to prove. Big price, big expectations and combo of form and injury haven't made a great first impression. And I was camping out early on Naby but losing a bit of faith.
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