Don't see any respectable club trying to integrate 6 new first team players into a team. Not least when the current first team can match any top club (as proven by our record) and we're not owned by oil rich people.
The Mane Game
- Thread starter redhorizon2
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Klopp has said that he had support from the board but the players identified couldn't be signed. I really hope that is not because we weren't offering the best package, if we don't get CL we wave goodbye to about £50mil. I think the massive decline in Sturridge's form and ability has cost us dear, you could foresee he would be out injured for maybe half the season but in the other half you would have expected a lot lot more out of him. He just isn't the player he was, basically the guaranteed 20 goal a season striker some of you are wittering on about.
We must be sitting on a huge warchest for the summer coz as well as culling the squad size we have made a profit on transfers over the last two seasons. If so top quality not potential should be the watchword.
We must be sitting on a huge warchest for the summer coz as well as culling the squad size we have made a profit on transfers over the last two seasons. If so top quality not potential should be the watchword.
Yeah mate but some (most) of those deficiencies might have been addressed by signing(s) in Jan. Who knows? Doing nothing didn't help though. And nothing wrong with extra competition for places.
I never got the assertion that we needed to buy a replacement for Mane in January. I get that we needed a second player like Mane, but he should have been signed in the summer. I think folks who thought we could go out & buy someone January 1st and he would fit into the team & pick up Mane's mantle from Jan 2nd were away with the fairies.
It would most likely have taken him some time to fit in with the team, and by the time he was starting to show the benefit Mane would have been back. Not bad to have competition for his place, but not a solution (with or without hindsight) for the January blues, IMO.
Now I know I should have said that in December, but you'll all have to take me at my word that was what I was thinking then
It would most likely have taken him some time to fit in with the team, and by the time he was starting to show the benefit Mane would have been back. Not bad to have competition for his place, but not a solution (with or without hindsight) for the January blues, IMO.
Now I know I should have said that in December, but you'll all have to take me at my word that was what I was thinking then
There's an inherent presumption that our problems stem from our inability to break down tightly packed deep lying defences.
The assertion is we need more fast, direct players like Mane?
It almost begs the question why, because I'd have thought that the counter is to sit deep and make sure there isn't space for pact forwards to exploit.
We've lost key games to teams that sit back safe in the knowledge they'll suck us in and have opportunities on the counter - and if they can take them - they have a great chance of taking points off us.
Chat on this site often ends up being about which forward were missing & how Firmino is a non-goalscoring CF.
This is despite the fact our scoring record is excellent.
Our inability to keep opposition from scoring on the other hand, is abysmal.
Now, I've asked time and again for names of these pact, aggressive, goalscorers that
we should have signed - and have had nothing.
So.... here's my response to that.
I think, if we'd signed Virgil van Dyke at the start of the January window . We'd have had a much better chance of being in a better position right now.
Except - he would have cost a fortune, even if he was available, which doesn't seem the case, was subsequently injured and is out for a significant length of time.
The assertion is we need more fast, direct players like Mane?
It almost begs the question why, because I'd have thought that the counter is to sit deep and make sure there isn't space for pact forwards to exploit.
We've lost key games to teams that sit back safe in the knowledge they'll suck us in and have opportunities on the counter - and if they can take them - they have a great chance of taking points off us.
Chat on this site often ends up being about which forward were missing & how Firmino is a non-goalscoring CF.
This is despite the fact our scoring record is excellent.
Our inability to keep opposition from scoring on the other hand, is abysmal.
Now, I've asked time and again for names of these pact, aggressive, goalscorers that
we should have signed - and have had nothing.
So.... here's my response to that.
I think, if we'd signed Virgil van Dyke at the start of the January window . We'd have had a much better chance of being in a better position right now.
Except - he would have cost a fortune, even if he was available, which doesn't seem the case, was subsequently injured and is out for a significant length of time.
I think Mane is key, in respect respect to having players with pace - previously when we had problems unlocking stubborn defences, it was because we needed someone who could "unlock" the back line, now we have plenty of players who play intricate, one touch, pass and move football. Mane has that ability to slow things down and wait, and then just have a sudden burst of speed to take it past the defender, either directly attacking or to get to the byline and put a ball into a dangerous areas. It's a good option on the break and an even better option against a team bus.
I don't think we necessarily need pace, but I think having Mane as our only genuinely fast outlet, means that he's easy to double up on (Ok, not that easy) and that when he's unavailable it's a real thorn in our side. We need a bit more pace AND, more importantly, a steady flow of goals.
I don't think we necessarily need pace, but I think having Mane as our only genuinely fast outlet, means that he's easy to double up on (Ok, not that easy) and that when he's unavailable it's a real thorn in our side. We need a bit more pace AND, more importantly, a steady flow of goals.
So no one can name any of these mystery players "because I'm not a scout with access to vast amounts of blah blah blah...". Fair enough, that's a half-legitimate cop-out.
Which players that fit the bill for what we were after fucking signed for anyone last month then? Name one player that we should have signed that went to someone else?
There are none, because this 'why didn't we sign more players' line is laced with fucking one-eyed rubbish to suit the argument of 4 year olds.
Which players that fit the bill for what we were after fucking signed for anyone last month then? Name one player that we should have signed that went to someone else?
There are none, because this 'why didn't we sign more players' line is laced with fucking one-eyed rubbish to suit the argument of 4 year olds.
Ryan Babel was available on a free. Bet you feel stupid now.
But in all seriousness... the squad was looking pretty jaded, lost and in need of relief.
Pin that down to perceived failures in the summer or in January, it doesn't really matter. It remains a failure nonetheless.
We'll get to judge the magnitude of that failure at the end of the season. If we manage to finish in the top 4 then it'll be consigned to the footnotes surely.
If not, well you start to ask questions... and top of the list will be "what have we achieved this season?".
Pin that down to perceived failures in the summer or in January, it doesn't really matter. It remains a failure nonetheless.
We'll get to judge the magnitude of that failure at the end of the season. If we manage to finish in the top 4 then it'll be consigned to the footnotes surely.
If not, well you start to ask questions... and top of the list will be "what have we achieved this season?".
Actually Ryan - it is not the rubbish thinking of 4-year old's. It is in summary a lack of faith by our scouts or a limited vision of what players can only fit our system. It is the responsibility of the scouts/management to find players when there is a clear need for a certain type of player and the argument that no such player currently exists across countries/continents is the thinking of 4-year old's. I think most people on here would not have made a fuss about not signing during January if we had a plan to use one of our youth players for those league games (like Ojo) but clearly that was not even on the cards - the only thing that the coach had in mind was to stick Lallana up front, and also add both Can and Gini in the middle with Henderson.
Regarding - Mane - I think Brendan was suggesting surely it cannot be that Mane is the difference - well the facts speak for themselves - yes he is the difference. The rest of the team is good at possession an all and I understand why Klopp has faith in them but it is Mane that gives that team the ability to realize its efforts on the pitch with his added pace, strength and striker's ability. Without him I would say the most we can expect against any PL opposition is to draw games, with him we can expect to win them. So in reality that is how fragile we are as a team this season.
Argh, foiled!
In all seriousness, I'm just waiting for Dreamy to come in and argue why 10M for Robbie Brady would have suited us.
So, in summary, because we didn't sign anyone, and no players that "fit the bill" were signed by anyone else, that means - somehow - that there weren't any, anywhere in the world.
Because reasons.
Yes, let me give you a relatable analogy.
If I lived in Liverpool and wanted to buy a copy of The Lying Rag, and so popped down to my local newsagents - only to find they didn't have any, then what am I to do - look elsewhere? But the whole city doesn't stock them, so what I'm supposed to invent a copy?
You can't buy something that isn't available, or isn't being bought elsewhere.
@Ryan - this analogy changes nothing - if you go out and are desperate to buy a paper you look for similar qualities:-
a) bit of smut
b) bit paranoia
c) celeb bollox
d) some right wing rhetoric
Therefore you have choices from:-
a) The Daily Star
c) The Express
d) The Daily Mail (if you really want one characteristic of pure Paranoia and some celeb gossip)
Every team should accept that they may not get the targets they want but that don't mean there is nothing out there with similar characteristics. In a world where there are thousands of football players - don't fucking tell us we had no options. The conclusion is basic - our scouts are shit.
Or in summary you don't get what you want.
Lots of words for something so simple.
No - you may get something better but at least you have some of those missing qualaties you are looking for. As for getting what you want - how often is that the case for us ? We only get or end up with what other clubs don't want and by other i mean those with bigger cheque books than ours.
This doesn't work as an analogy, or indeed its intended purpose, which is a laughably transparent attempt to antagonise and/or denigrate.
Still, you're a trier.
What about if we finished 2nd some 6 pts off the title?
I'd nearly be more pissed off at that than finishing 5th
While I'll love Robbie Brady I don't see him being any kind of improvement on what we have or what we needed.
Mind you he takes a good set piece and that for Charlie Adam in the door
If I was gonna for an Irish player it would be Wes
What's the difference between the Mail and the Express? Thought they were pretty much the same.
There is no trying in defending our position not to buy. It was a stupid decision no matter what excuses they make for Klopp and co. The very least they should have tried a cheap youngster with some pace on the wings. The decision has pretty much destroyed our season unless you count being finishing 2,3,4 as ultimate success.
I disagree. Far too often in recent years we've gone for those "near enough is good enough" signings and not come even close to getting value for money out of them. A signing or two would have been good to see BUT only if they were the right ones, i.e.signings which genuinely strengthen us rather than scratch a temporary itch.
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