It's only 4 for the first team though, and ca. 35% of the full squad - I'm not sure where the line is drawn for middle ground and extreme overhaul !
Squad Next Season
- Thread starter carlv
- Start date
- Latest activity Latest activity:
- Status
I want our first team next season to look like:
(NEW)
Clyne (NEW) (NEW) (NEW)
(NEW) (NEW)
(NEW) Firmino Coutinho
(NEW)
That's how bad it is. I don't think apart from those 3 there's anyone that we desperately need from the squad for the first team or are consistently good enough. Obviously if Sturridge could stay fit (impossible) he'd take the top spot, but anyone else from the current first team should be backup for the new XI or could be sold.
(NEW)
Clyne (NEW) (NEW) (NEW)
(NEW) (NEW)
(NEW) Firmino Coutinho
(NEW)
That's how bad it is. I don't think apart from those 3 there's anyone that we desperately need from the squad for the first team or are consistently good enough. Obviously if Sturridge could stay fit (impossible) he'd take the top spot, but anyone else from the current first team should be backup for the new XI or could be sold.
The post you originally quoted said challenge for the top 4, there was no mention of immediate propulsion into the top 4. United have scored the same as us yet are 6 points ahead in the league, that's because they have conceded 14! less. Step one for me is to fuck Ming out the door and find a defender our shite center halves will improve beside.
Is it likely we'll have the injuries in striking positions again next year, we'll improve by default in goal scoring. I also suggested a midfielder and a striker but I'm not for effectively starting again with the team, that's another bedding in year.
And the fact it's a low scoring league this year highlights just how tough it is to find top forwards.
It must be soul destroying playing with this defence, fixing that can't hurt the mentality.
Yea the squad feels like a streaming pile of shit at the moment but imo it'd be surprising the effect a few good men could have.
There's a big summer ahead
We had this conversation in the pub after the match yesterday. Mostly local boys but a good smattering of OOTers as well.
Conclusion? There's not a single one of the squad you'd keep if a reasonable offer came in; 2 or 3 of the starting XI are actively disliked/hated (by people who are more used to unswerving blind loyalty of all things red); for the first time in everyone's lives it's a struggle to name your favourite player (and not because there's 2 you can't choose between!).
There were quite a few moments of quiet power-drinking when the naughty side of the bar reached that conclusion. Fortunately the owner put the Southampton game on and we realised one of the lads who'd left had left his tab open....
"Hi Luis.....frankly we've assumed you've had a mental breakdown to consider coming back to us, but let's push on. Plans for next season? Well, we're thinking just a couple of new signings really because of our wealth of existing talent; clearly Ojo deserves a run in the first team, and of course we're bringing Markovic back from loan.......Luis?......Luis?......hello Luis, are you there?.....Luis?"
You total fucking berk.
It's all up for grabs really. I think in terms of quality, mentality whatever I'd keep the following, but not many of them are assured of anything:
Gomez
Flanagan
Skrtel
Smith
Henderson
Milner
Can
Stewart
Branagan
Lallana
Coutinho
Firmino
Ibe
Sturridge
Ings
Origi
There are a few players there who get a reprieve because they are young and have development value (Ibe and the younger lads), I think Lallana and Milner at least have the right attitude and could contribute with a better structure to the team.
I think we need a spine, we need a better left back, a couple of centre halves, a dominant midfielder, a wide attacker and a striker.
.
Gomez
Flanagan
Skrtel
Smith
Henderson
Milner
Can
Stewart
Branagan
Lallana
Coutinho
Firmino
Ibe
Sturridge
Ings
Origi
There are a few players there who get a reprieve because they are young and have development value (Ibe and the younger lads), I think Lallana and Milner at least have the right attitude and could contribute with a better structure to the team.
I think we need a spine, we need a better left back, a couple of centre halves, a dominant midfielder, a wide attacker and a striker.
.
I know that you want to destroy threads. If you want an answer then don't insult people. I will put you on ignore so I don't need to read answers from one of the biggest idiots on the net, you.
I doubt very much that Suarez would turn us down only because Klopp give players a chance. I didn't said that Ojo or Markovic will play every game. I enjoy when Klopp give our young players a chance and most supporters probably have the same opinion.
Oooooh Arn - don't 'net hate' on me brother, I'm pretty sure someone on here gave a heart rending account of why it was a bad thing...
So, to be clear, you reckon Suarez is coming back in the summer, or at least is an eminently realistic signing, because " Klopp gives players a chance"? Also, he shouldn't worry about the lack of other signings (there will be a couple) because our master plan is that we're also going to "give our young players a chance"....like Ojo and Markovic?
Obviously this isn't based on any kind of real world logic, so did it come to you in a dream, or was it on some kind of beloved footy simulation game thingummy? Does Luis come to you in dreams Arn, is that what happens?
I don't think any of the options we have are top class but they don't necessarily need to be as long as we play well as a team. We do need at least one guy though who is very reliable. Utd don't have a top class backline, neither do Arsenal, City need Kompany to marshal the defence and at Chelsea Terry has carried Cahill to a certain degree.
Can is clearly able to be more than a substitute but he's playing too many games, agreed. Henderson is either unfit or having a bad spell. Milner goes from being meh to decent. As things stand there is no standout player there unless you look at past performances or potential. We can't replace them all and we'd be mad to do so because they're not that bad. We have more pressing needs elsewhere. What we really need in midfield is a cool head that can manage a game and ideally take over some of the playmaking duties from Coutinho as we've got no-one else in the squad that can do that.
I said attacker actually because depending on who that player is we could potentially get away with our current lot but yeah would be nice to get a shit-hot striker.
So buying 3 players that really meet our needs would bring about a huge overall improvement I think with a couple more for the squad.
Buy 6 players for the first team and it'll be another transitional season as we try and manage another summer of sweeping changes.
It's also worth noting that we've not had the benefit of really road testing a lot of our signings from last summer because they've either been injured themselves or other key players to their integration have been injured.
That's been the real waste this year not the league. Next year we're starting all over again with the likes of Ings, Origi and Gomez and guys like Firmino have not had the benefit of our A-list cast to really show what they can do (hopefully there is more to come).
By that time there will be more new signings. Not great.
That's been the real waste this year not the league. Next year we're starting all over again with the likes of Ings, Origi and Gomez and guys like Firmino have not had the benefit of our A-list cast to really show what they can do (hopefully there is more to come).
By that time there will be more new signings. Not great.
Leicester were bottom one year ago. Now they are top.
I believe anything can happen now.
We need pace and a goalscorer.
For all the money spent we still look fucking pedestrian.
Coutinho slow
Firmino slow
Lallana slow
Henderson slow
Can slow
Benteke slow
Milner slow
Allen slow
Our entire game is built around pressing the ball and breaking quickly which we cannot do with these players.
Leicester have TWO pacy players and they rip teams apart with them.
I believe anything can happen now.
We need pace and a goalscorer.
For all the money spent we still look fucking pedestrian.
Coutinho slow
Firmino slow
Lallana slow
Henderson slow
Can slow
Benteke slow
Milner slow
Allen slow
Our entire game is built around pressing the ball and breaking quickly which we cannot do with these players.
Leicester have TWO pacy players and they rip teams apart with them.
I wouldn't call Coutinho slow. One of his biggest assets is his burst of pace over 5 yards or so which gets him away from his man. Henderson is no slouch either...once he gets going anyway.
Agree about the rest and we definitely need more pace in the side...amongst other things.
Can is somewhat of an enigma.
He looks the part but he isn't the most intelligent player on the pitch.
He tries to do too much himself. I've played with similar types of players, he just needs to be coached out of it.
I don't think he's got what it takes to play in the DM role that's for sure.
Christ, Stewart showed a lot more promise in that position than him.
He's a bit like a young Gerrard in that he seems to have no clue how to set the tempo of the game, and runs around, looking quite impressive at times, because he thinks he needs to be involved in everything.
Unfortunately he doesn't have Gerrard's range of passing, isn't as tenacious in the tackle, and most importantly, has none of the goal threat Gerrard possessed.
Unfortunately he doesn't have Gerrard's range of passing, isn't as tenacious in the tackle, and most importantly, has none of the goal threat Gerrard possessed.
He's more of a box-to-box midfielder. Can is the least of our worries. He's a really talented guy but too much is being asked of him and there is no-one really to learn from.
And that's a problem for more than a few of our young players - who in this squad are they supposed to look up to and learn from? Kolo Toure? James Milner?
Can is playing far more than is ideal, to be honest. He's had good games and shit games which is par for someone of his age and experience. Clearly a very promising player, but we shouldn't expecting that much of him at the moment. Unfortunately we don't have many good central midfielders.
We need a Houllier-style moment when Hyypia and Henchoz were brought in. We had a frail, untrustworthy, shot-stopping keeper back then, too, in Westerveld, but getting the centre of defence secure was such a relief after the shambles of Uncle Roy's latter days. So start again. Get proper centre backs. And a central midfielder and a fierce, smart, striker who stays fit and scores goals. Then see how the rest respond, or fail to respond, to that and weed out accordingly.
Last edited:
Hyypia and Henchoz, what a partnership. Not really blessed with much pace, or lauded for their amazing technique or passing - although many unfairly overlooked this part of Sami's game - they were first and foremost imposing physical presences, who defended first and worried about everything else second. Henchoz was probably bought after his Anfield display for Blackburn the season before. I think it was 0-0, but Henchoz produced one of his Alamo displays, that we saw on occasion when he played for us.
Houllier brought a real spine into that Liverpool team; those two and also Didi Hamann.
Hahahaha! Even I think this is a bit harsh, but on reflection, everyone would admit that we need a new goalkeeper, two new CBs, a DM, a quick attacking player and a new striker, so it's not actually that harsh, or funny.
I think even the last of the Mignolet fans has disappeared, and Sakho is a genuinely dreadful defender. And who really knows what Can is? Henderson and Milner are both decent if uninspiring, but need some quality with them. Firmino and Coutinho have no pace, and poor old Benteke looks bereft.
Certainly next season we cannot afford to have players like Mongolet, Sakho, Toure, Allen, Lallana anywhere near the first team, and I'd add to that the on loan disasters like Markovic and Balotelli.
I don't think we should be trying to fix the squad this summer, jettisoning 8 players and bringing in 8 or whatever. Concentrate now on just signing the three-four players who can provide a spine.
I have zero faith in fsg succcesfullly pulling off the kind of squad revamp that is being talked about here.
Its kind of what I meant. He'd definitely benefit from having better players around him.
You can clearly see that Can is a winner. I wish we had more players in the squad with his attitude.
Whatever we do I just hope we go for quality over quantity. We have over the past many Seasons seen quite the overhaul each Summer and it's practically mostly set us back. No more of that, please.
For me the most important players in the squad - when fit - are:
Can, Ibe, Firmino, Henderson, Coutinho and Sturridge. The talents of course (Smith, Ojo, Barragan etc.) and at a push Clyne (he needs to improve his forward game doesn't he) and unlike the general opinion on here, I've not completely given up on Moreno either. I quite like him even, probably because he's more or less the only one in the team apart from Ibe with bursting pace and explosive runs. But he can also be quite awful at defending, so I am a bit torn there.
I am not saying we should give up on the rest as there are more than a few that has not exactly played themselves out of the equation, Milner, Skrtel and perhaps even Allen and Sakho, but the squad just seems very slim and with a great lack of depth and quality overall.
For me the most important players in the squad - when fit - are:
Can, Ibe, Firmino, Henderson, Coutinho and Sturridge. The talents of course (Smith, Ojo, Barragan etc.) and at a push Clyne (he needs to improve his forward game doesn't he) and unlike the general opinion on here, I've not completely given up on Moreno either. I quite like him even, probably because he's more or less the only one in the team apart from Ibe with bursting pace and explosive runs. But he can also be quite awful at defending, so I am a bit torn there.
I am not saying we should give up on the rest as there are more than a few that has not exactly played themselves out of the equation, Milner, Skrtel and perhaps even Allen and Sakho, but the squad just seems very slim and with a great lack of depth and quality overall.
You get a like from me for this statement. However, I think I may be in a minority here when I say that I'm kinda done with thinking that Ibe will somehow become a world beater. He frustrates the fuck out of me every single time I watch him. He plays with timidity and fear when, in his youth, he should be at his most audacious. I really really can't see it.
Of course, I think I was the only person on the early threads about Milner who said that he was a total meh when everyone was fapping over him. And I got that one bang on too.
- Status
