No "big names"

[Zlate]

Klopp insists there is no need for him to sign "big names" ahead of the Premier League season.

The German has added Sadio Mane, Joel Matip and Loris Karius to his squad for the upcoming campaign, with further additions expected.

Klopp said he had no plans to go for players based on their status, focusing instead on what was best for his side as a whole.

"If we go for players and there is obviously no chance, there is no point," he said.

"Look for players you can have and make the best of it. I am 100 per cent happy with the guys we have brought in until now.

"This period in every year is one of a lot of expectations. Everyone expects big names and a big improvement because of big names and if you don't know the players it's like 'What are we doing? What are they doing?'"

Manchester United have added the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, while City brought in Ilkay Gundogan among others.

However, Klopp's focus is on building a squad, saying: "Nobody thinks about the good games we played last season.

"They only think United or City have taken this player and we have taken what's-his-name, but for us it is about creating and building a team for next year.

"We have to prove that our thinking about the team is right."

 

[Hansern]

I also like the fact that his assistent aknowledged the fact that we need bigger and stronger players to compete in the Premier league. A better mix to make us more competitive.

Think Klopp is building something good here, hopefully he'll get some time to get it up and running.

 

[gkmacca]

The problem is, in most other leagues, you can build in this way while only a couple of big clubs with great squads will batter you. In this league there are so many of those you could easily stay stuck well outside the champions league positions, and thus can't get the top players to take you to another level. It's great that Klopp and his assistants are at the club but I don't think we have much of a chance no matter what they do.

 

[Hansern]

Thats the spirit 😉

I tend to agree though, but Spurs have done exactly this and was in the title race last season and finished 3rd.
Its not impossible. Utd and City can spend 1 billion £ on big name players but it has to work on the pitch aswell.

Lets hope Klopp can make us competitive again.

 

[Frogfish]

The problem is, in most other leagues, you can build in this way while only a couple of big clubs with great squads will batter you. In this league there are so many of those you could easily stay stuck well outside the champions league positions, and thus can't get the top players to take you to another level. It's great that Klopp and his assistants are at the club but I don't think we have much of a chance no matter what they do.

The OP is a little misleading. Better to read the whole, very good, article.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football...ol-do-not-need-big-name-signings-to-challeng/

 

[jexykrodic]

I read that as an early start in managing expectations. Jurgen Klopp and his team buying time to concentrate on team building. A collection of tough minded, physical players would enable us to compete better in my opinion. I'd expect one or two more German players to be signed to get a solid backbone in a high intensity team.

 

[Oncy]

The problem is, in most other leagues, you can build in this way while only a couple of big clubs with great squads will batter you. In this league there are so many of those you could easily stay stuck well outside the champions league positions, and thus can't get the top players to take you to another level. It's great that Klopp and his assistants are at the club but I don't think we have much of a chance no matter what they do.

Agreed.
If youre in Germany you can lose both games to Munich and Dortmund and still be comfortable.
Here you have Arsenal, United, City, Chelsea, Spurs and then Southampton, Leicester, Everton, Stoke and West Ham all bastards to beat on their day.
Its not like any other league.
Champions league is a pipe dream here. In most of Europe we would easily be 3rd every year.

 

[gkmacca]

The OP is a little misleading. Better to read the whole, very good, article.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football...ol-do-not-need-big-name-signings-to-challeng/

Yes, I'd read the interviews elsewhere. I just don't think we have much of a chance.

I don't actually like that article, it's full of Bascombe's brand of twisted logic. Take this: "moulding a side is about assembling complementary talents, not obsessing over how much others are spending on established stars."

That's a silly contrast. If you replace the bit about obsessing about how much others are spending with 'the best players,' then it's much more contentious. If Rodgers was still in charge then Bascombe wouldn't be putting that gloss on it, he'd be questioning the lack of proven talent and repeating criticism of the committee's track record. Frankly, I don't care what the price tags are, but if people aren't worried about the CALIBRE of players other clubs are buying, then they're a bit mad or incredibly optimistic

 

[the count]

A journo, Domnick King I think, has said that the club don't plan on bringing any other players in other than Chilwell and Zielinski.
Ties in with the article I guess

 

[the count]

I can sort off see where Klopp is coming from as there were many times when the team showed that they are well capable of competing with anyone in the Premiership.
If anything it is their mentality and self belief that was their undoing.
And a dodgy defense didn't help either I guess

 

[Whirly]

Yeah, I wouldn't read too much into these comments.

 

[gkmacca]

He's just stating the obvious. Would he have looked to bring in better players had we qualified for the champion's league, or done the same business as now? Surely the former. That's always the test of whether this kind of comment is based on principle or pragmatism. That's not a criticism, he's doing what he has to do, but there's no need for Bascombe's puffery. Things aren't so good.

 

[Hansern]

A journo, Domnick King I think, has said that the club don't plan on bringing any other players in other than Chilwell and Zielinski.
Ties in with the article I guess

He said now that we've ended our interest in Zielinski and cooled the interest in Chilwell.

Goal reporting the same with Zielinski close to signing for Milan.

 

[davud graham]

Klopp can say what he like about team building but that doesn't disguise the fact that we haven't solved the problem at left back. Moreno wasn't good enough last season and I doubt he's suddenly become a better defender over the summer.
That was the one of the glaring weaknesses in our team last season and it still hasn't been addressed. Even if we bring in this Chilwell lad then how long before he's good enough? And if we really wanted him or even Hector then get the deals done rather than waiting until the last minute as we always do.
The centre of midfield is also weak compared to our rivals. It looks like another year when we won't buy a defensive midfielder or even someone who can put his foot in.
Having a young squad is great for the future but hardly ever works in the now.

 

[jexykrodic]

So we've got reclusive owners, a progressively more timid manager, weak minded players and a half built stadium. We don't have enough money or cache to compete and have been overtaken by previously mid-table clubs. Nobody wants to play for us and our fans are split between old school sentimentalists and depressive mute OOTers with smartphone cameras.

Does this make Liverpool F.C is 'no big name' now?

 

[Hansern]

A left back and a central midfielder are still two positions we will strenghten though.

We've also bought a new GK, winger/forward with goals and pace and a CB.

Klopp clearly sees the same issues we've been seeing for the last few years.

We knew he liked to build teams this way and have done it successfully a Dortmund.
Will be interesting to see where this takes us.

We were 11 points off 2nd last season and 6 points off 4th. We're not that far off from challenging, if, IF, we get the signings right and creates a more balanced team.

 

[davud graham]

It's weird that he mentioned Iceland and Wales as surprise packages built on teamwork without mentioning Leicester who actually won something.

 

[Hansern]

Wasnt that because he used the European Championship as an example? I might have read that wrong mind

 

[davud graham]

Wasnt that because he used the European Championship as an example? I might have read that wrong mind

He did use Euro16 as an example but I'd rather not think of ourselves as plucky underdogs who only do well if we work harder than other teams. I'm probably nit picking but I don't want our players to start thinking that valiant failure is good enough.

 

[Hansern]

He did use Euro16 as an example but I'd rather not think of ourselves as plucky underdogs who only do well if we work harder than other teams. I'm probably nit picking but I don't want our players to start thinking that valiant failure is good enough.

He also praised Portugal though. 😉

 

[davud graham]

He also praised Portugal though. 😉

You're right he did. But i'm fucked if I want to see us play like them, they bored the shit out of me.
Maybe our transfer activity is affected by the money being spent on the new stand and Klopp is just doing the best he can with what's he's got available. Only time and crushing disappointment will tell.

 

[Hansern]

Not signing a left back would be horrendous​

 

[The Slugmonster]

To be honest not signing big names is not surprising. Klopp built players up to be worldies at Dortmund and our two biggest signings of the last decade Suarez and Torres weren't the finished article when we signed them.

This comes up every transfer window and I dont understand why people don't cop it. I'd imagine it'll stay the same until some sugar daddy buys us and changes the policy.

 

[manwithnoname]

The problem is, in most other leagues, you can build in this way while only a couple of big clubs with great squads will batter you. In this league there are so many of those you could easily stay stuck well outside the champions league positions, and thus can't get the top players to take you to another level. It's great that Klopp and his assistants are at the club but I don't think we have much of a chance no matter what they do.

Yeah, this. It's been repeated so often, but still seems to be forgotten.

Who did Klopp have to beat to win the title in Germany? One team.

 

[manwithnoname]

Yes, I'd read the interviews elsewhere. I just don't think we have much of a chance.

I don't actually like that article, it's full of Bascombe's brand of twisted logic. Take this: "moulding a side is about assembling complementary talents, not obsessing over how much others are spending on established stars."

That's a silly contrast. If you replace the bit about obsessing about how much others are spending with 'the best players,' then it's much more contentious. If Rodgers was still in charge then Bascombe wouldn't be putting that gloss on it, he'd be questioning the lack of proven talent and repeating criticism of the committee's track record. Frankly, I don't care what the price tags are, but if people aren't worried about the CALIBRE of players other clubs are buying, then they're a bit mad or incredibly optimistic

More rightness

Is that a word? Anyway.

 

[dantes]

Perhaps our lack of European games and the ability to pick the same players every week might, just about, make up for the lack of quality and abundance of liabilities in our team.

 

[Hansern]

Yeah, this. It's been repeated so often, but still seems to be forgotten.

Who did Klopp have to beat to win the title in Germany? One team.

Shame Bayern finished 3rd the first year he won it.

Dont think anyone is saying that the Premier league isnt more competitive then the Bundesliga, but you still have to play every team. 18 in the Bundesliga and 20 in the Premier league.
You can do poorly against the top 4-6 but still finish in the top 3-4 in the PL.

 

[manwithnoname]

Shame Bayern finished 3rd the first year he won it.

Dont think anyone is saying that the Premier league isnt more competitive then the Bundesliga, but you still have to play every team. 18 in the Bundesliga and 20 in the Premier league.
You can do poorly against the top 4-6 but still finish in the top 3-4 in the PL.

Yeah, don't make me list the winners of the Bundesliga again. Look it up yourself.

Last 20 years, how many times have the same club won it?

 

[Hansern]

Wolfsburg got to the quarter finals in the CL last year, lost 3-2 on agg to Real Madrid.
Beat Utd in the group stages and qualified at their expense.
Finished 8th in the league.
Dortmund dicked Spurs 5-0. We struggled to beat 12th placed Augsburg 1-0 on agg.

Its not a shite league in any sense. Topp 4-5 in both leagues are probably more close in quality then what people think in all honesty.

 

[Hansern]

Yeah, don't make me list the winners of the Bundesliga again. Look it up yourself.

Last 20 years, how many times have the same club won it?

Indeed, and I dont disagree with you about Bayerns dominance in the league but last 20 years;


BL: Bayern 14 times, 6 different winners

PL: Utd 10 times, 6 different winners