Next season - Hendo, Thiago and Fabs

[Woland]

No. He's too slow now and might as well have a yellow before he walks on the pitch. He isn't get his pace back and he should be sold.

The caveat here is maybe he was injured and needed a rest but was being asked to play through it as we had noone else. I doubt it as that kinda thing doesn't happen so much now, but I suppose it's a possibility, and it's the only way he may have an upturn.

 

[Fabio]

No. He's too slow now and might as well have a yellow before he walks on the pitch. He isn't get his pace back and he should be sold.

The caveat here is maybe he was injured and needed a rest but was being asked to play through it as we had noone else. I doubt it as that kinda thing doesn't happen so much now, but I suppose it's a possibility, and it's the only way he may have an upturn.

Precisely. Maybe not the sold part, but he certainly should be relegated to the backup.

If he needs people around him to do 2/3rds of his job, why fucking persist? Hes a guaranteed yellow, he's lost any pace, his reaction time is fucking abysmal, and his positioning (if he's not actively instructed by people around him), is now atrocious.

If he was injured, thats a shitter, but it's not like he's been a sensational for 12 months then went shite. Hes massively been on a downturn for a while

 

[StevieM]

I think we’re overthinking the Fabs issue.

If the forward press isn’t working - which it wasn’t last season, the opposition have more time to either play through us or pick more accurate passes into the midfield or space behind our defenders playing a high line.

In a 433, playing a proper 9 (rather than a false 9), with that press not working, but the 2 other midfielders and full backs pushing up high - there’s basically too much for Fabs to cover.

A false 9 cuts off loads of passing routes into midfield and that press, when working, means passing out from the back is more rushed and less accurate.

That’s where our problems started last season - but didn’t end - Fabs has never been the most mobile, he can’t do it all on his own.

We absolutely should be looking to bring someone else in for that role - but Fabs still has an important role to play.

 

[moron]

Look it's really simple:

1) Sell Thiago
2) Fab and Hendo stay - 2 most senior midfielders who have won everything with us, and Fab may significantly improve with runners around him next season based on what we saw in his last 10 games.
3) Keep Hendo - because the midfield is getting a re-build and you need a leader in place. Hendo should be afforded some rest time now between games as we no longer have the 2 cripples in our squad anymore. Yes Hendo is frustrating - as he is limited technically and lacks the pace now, but maybe we get better out of him if he is rested not used like some 24 year old.

The issue we have is a bollox one when we count the total number of midfielders - reason it like this - we are in a very weird situation:

1) Mac - only really a one good season behind him, so we HOPE he will be the business.
2) Szob - German League experience - could be a hit and miss, but we HOPE he will be ok
3) Fabinho - we HOPE he will be ok and not as bad as last season.
4) Henderson - can't play all games but we need the experience.
5) Thiago - good when available but max 15 to 20 games at best.
6) Curtis Jones - Stable option in my view, but injury record is a massive worry
7) Elliot - not really a midfielder is he ?- I have always seen him as a 10 or as Salah cover.
8) Bajcetic - just coming back from an injury and still young and does not have the physical - muscle to be an effective DM by himself.

When you look at the above list - what goes through your head ? If we assume that HOPE players are the answer + Hendo and Thiago and Curtis - we really have something like 4.5 midfielders. As I think you can only count Thiago+Curtis as equating to one midfielder, and Henderson as 0.5.

 

[StevieM]

Look it's really simple:

1) Sell Thiago
2) Fab and Hendo stay - 2 most senior midfielders who have won everything with us, and Fab may significantly improve with runners around him next season based on what we saw in his last 10 games.
3) Keep Hendo - because the midfield is getting a re-build and you need a leader in place. Hendo should be afforded some rest time now between games as we no longer have the 2 cripples in our squad anymore. Yes Hendo is frustrating - as he is limited technically and lacks the pace now, but maybe we get better out of him if he is rested not used like some 24 year old.

The issue we have is a bollox one when we count the total number of midfielders - reason it like this - we are in a very weird situation:

1) Mac - only really a one good season behind him, so we HOPE he will be the business.
2) Szob - German League experience - could be a hit and miss, but we HOPE he will be ok
3) Fabinho - we HOPE he will be ok and not as bad as last season.
4) Henderson - can't play all games but we need the experience.
5) Thiago - good when available but max 15 to 20 games at best.
6) Curtis Jones - Stable option in my view, but injury record is a massive worry
7) Elliot - not really a midfielder is he ?- I have always seen him as a 10 or as Salah cover.
8) Bajcetic - just coming back from an injury and still young and does not have the physical - muscle to be an effective DM by himself.

When you look at the above list - what goes through your head ? If we assume that HOPE players are the answer + Hendo and Thiago and Curtis - we really have something like 4.5 midfielders. As I think you can only count Thiago+Curtis as equating to one midfielder, and Henderson as 0.5.

What goes through my head is not “hope” - it’s what we’re doing on the training ground and tactically to minimise the risks.

The only “hope” is Mac & Slobberchops aren’t as fragile as Ox & Keita - and they haven’t given any indication that they are.

Searing pace in midfield isn’t essential - it is in defence & attack - so you don’t need to worry about a lack of pace from them.

You minimise the chance of Fabs having a shit season by having Trent operate closer to him, meaning he’s not covering everything himself.

Harvey, Curtis & Badgertits are young and progression is expected, not hoped for - the more they play, the better they get. Klopp clearly sees Harvey as a midfielder - he’s spent 2 years playing him there and not as a 10 or a Salah replacement.

We know that Thiago, Curtis & Badgertits are injury prone, so it’s a good job that all our midfielders can play in each of the more advanced roles - if we have 5 or 6 midfielders injured - it won’t matter because it would likely be the same as selling them and trying to integrate 5 or 6 new midfielders at the same time.

Also - you don’t need muscle to be a good DM. Sure, it can help, but positional and spatial awareness are probably as important. Fabs isn’t a muscle bound monster - in fact the best DM’s generally aren’t (neither is Declan Rice for example).

 

[Hansern]

Hendo is wanted by Gerrard and his new club. I cant see it happening or that he'll want to leave this season.

 

[Woland]

I want to be wrong but Fabinho was so slow last season that he couldn't even foul properly. He wasn't just late for the ball, he was late for the man. In a league that keeps getting quicker we're not going to be see many Molby's dictating the game anymore.

 

[moron]

What goes through my head is not “hope” - it’s what we’re doing on the training ground and tactically to minimise the risks.

The only “hope” is Mac & Slobberchops aren’t as fragile as Ox & Keita - and they haven’t given any indication that they are.

Searing pace in midfield isn’t essential - it is in defence & attack - so you don’t need to worry about a lack of pace from them.

You minimise the chance of Fabs having a shit season by having Trent operate closer to him, meaning he’s not covering everything himself.

Harvey, Curtis & Badgertits are young and progression is expected, not hoped for - the more they play, the better they get. Klopp clearly sees Harvey as a midfielder - he’s spent 2 years playing him there and not as a 10 or a Salah replacement.

We know that Thiago, Curtis & Badgertits are injury prone, so it’s a good job that all our midfielders can play in each of the more advanced roles - if we have 5 or 6 midfielders injured - it won’t matter because it would likely be the same as selling them and trying to integrate 5 or 6 new midfielders at the same time.

Also - you don’t need muscle to be a good DM. Sure, it can help, but positional and spatial awareness are probably as important. Fabs isn’t a muscle bound monster - in fact the best DM’s generally aren’t (neither is Declan Rice for example).

Elliot is just too light to do that midfield role, we have seen enough of him in that role, hoping he gets a good run at RW when Salah is away, as I think he will be excellent in that role, and will score goals, or used as a 10 in some way, Klopp can't leave him out, as I think the kid has enough vision and trickery to player that role. The Trent thing in midfield is annoying me, yes the inverted stuff worked but the final two games of the season worry me slightly. I agree Fabinho will be helped by runners in midfield, but hoping that his drop off last season was more a case of exposing his limitations due to the lack of runners rather than his general form as a DM.

You are right - you don't need muscle to be an effective DM, but I think it helps to have sufficient strength to move push other players and out-muscle them in midfield when necessary. I don't know the word to describe it but you need something in your physique to be that good DM, I just don't think Bajcetic has it yet when I look at him.

 

[Hyena]

If there's stupid Arab money on the table that could fund a major rebuild, then I'll sell them all.

 

[keniget]

If there's stupid Arab money on the table that could fund a major rebuild, then I'll sell them all.

Snap.

 

[StevieM]

Elliot is just too light to do that midfield role, we have seen enough of him in that role, hoping he gets a good run at RW when Salah is away, as I think he will be excellent in that role, and will score goals, or used as a 10 in some way, Klopp can't leave him out, as I think the kid has enough vision and trickery to player that role. The Trent thing in midfield is annoying me, yes the inverted stuff worked but the final two games of the season worry me slightly. I agree Fabinho will be helped by runners in midfield, but hoping that his drop off last season was more a case of exposing his limitations due to the lack of runners rather than his general form as a DM.

You are right - you don't need muscle to be an effective DM, but I think it helps to have sufficient strength to move push other players and out-muscle them in midfield when necessary. I don't know the word to describe it but you need something in your physique to be that good DM, I just don't think Bajcetic has it yet when I look at him.

Harvey is too slow and not good enough at finishing to be an effective replacement for Salah.

Yes, he’s brushed aside too often, so he has to adapt better to a midfield role.

We don’t play with a 10 - and that would require a massive structural change.

The right sided midfielder is there to run into half spaces and provide width - Harvey needs to develop his ability to retain possession and press - more like Curtis who isn’t particularly physical either - he’ll get goals like Curtis as he develops.

If you don’t have Trent pulling into midfield and have him stick to RB - then you’re going back in time and needing him to push up and provide width - which means not only Harvey is superfluous m, but we’ve just wasted £65m on Slobberchops when we needed a younger version of Hendo or Gini 2.0 that will spend more time defending & closing space than being creative.

Badgertits is 18 - he still has a bit of filling out to do.

 

[Fabio]

Maybe bluebell is the chosen one for transfers?