Transfer Rumours 21/22
- Thread starter King Binny
- Start date
- Latest activity Latest activity:
- Status
join the dark side and have a moan
I’m going to have to review the Kelly’s Heroes list.
I'm not sure what's more likely, 1st or 5th. Probably 5th.
Can't see the front 3 sustaining it all season with minimal backup. Unless something outrageous happens, like Harvey Elliott suddenly emerging as Messi MK2 during the course of the season.
Can't see the front 3 sustaining it all season with minimal backup. Unless something outrageous happens, like Harvey Elliott suddenly emerging as Messi MK2 during the course of the season.
superfan
FSG Apologist?
Do not doubt the Elliott
Its almost as if everyone forgets we still have a really fucking good team.
Nah, mate... We don't. We all know that our first team, if fit, might still be the best team in the league. But we're so fucking thin both up front and across the middle, and we're so unlikely to have the practically injury-free season that we're going to need to challenge for the title again, based on the injury history of key players like Hendo, Fabs, Matip, and the uncertainty of VVD and Joe's returns, that it's hard to feel like the owners give even the smallest fuck.
If we lose any of our key players long term, it's hard to see us doing anything but fight to make the top 4, considering how strong both Mancs and Chav$ki look after their summer activity.
I'm not too disgruntled. I'm more concerned by the long term prospects of the club without Edwards, Klopp, a heavily aging squad and no Salah renewal.
For this season we've got enough to compete for the league providing Mane isn't completely ruined and we don't have an injury crisis.
Elliott will deliver more than Wijnaldum. He's been class. The issue is it's forced Henderson over to the left and he didn't play so well there against Chelsea, so that's something for Klopp to consider. You also have to think Thiago will have an improved year with a steady DM behind him.
For this season we've got enough to compete for the league providing Mane isn't completely ruined and we don't have an injury crisis.
Elliott will deliver more than Wijnaldum. He's been class. The issue is it's forced Henderson over to the left and he didn't play so well there against Chelsea, so that's something for Klopp to consider. You also have to think Thiago will have an improved year with a steady DM behind him.
That's all well and good but it's not the same fresh team from 2-3 years ago really is it? They all look burnt out and we've done next to nowt to help that.
Question now is when and how do we start the rebuilding phrase of this squad? Previously it came after big money sales....we don't have that right now.
Yea, not all will agree, but I do think losing Wijnaldum for Elliott will be beneficial.
Yes, I too share the concerns of your opening line... Under this ownership, unless they drastically change their ways, when we lose Jurgen, we're going to rapidly become Arsenal... Living on somewhat recent glories, but obviously and tangibly falling rapidly backwards into mediocrity. Just without the crazy spending.
[
Well... it doesn’t really matter if Elliot & to a lesser extent Jones are likely to play a reasonable amount of games.
Well... it doesn’t really matter if Elliot & to a lesser extent Jones are likely to play a reasonable amount of games.
Why do you all act like losing key players is a uniquely LFC problem? City have no recognised striker (Jesus isn't good enough), and the past shows that when they lose KDB or Gundogan they suffer, add into that Dias, they're just as vulnerable. Chelsea, what happens if they lose Kante, Jorginho, Lukaku or Azpi? sure they're stacked in midfield, but don't pretend they don't rely on (or are expected to with Lukaku) those key players. United, well lose Fernandes and they aren't even remotely the same team.
Everyone's vulnerable to losing there best players, yet everyone gets hysterical and think it's only a issue for our squad. I legit think we have the most rounded squad in the league, as mentioned City have a massive striker issue for me, Chelseas defence I don't rate close to ours, and Uniteds goalkeepers aren't up to the level of the other three clubs, also there's a lot riding on Varane to improve them in the centre of defense and their manager is out of his depth relying on counter attacking tactics that don't win you leagues anymore.
By contrast our squad is well rounded, I wouldn't swap our defence or keepers for anyone. Our starting strength in midfield is strong, but not as strong as a Chelsea or Citys that's fair, but our attack is still the best in the league for me, and even though Manes form has dipped a bit its fair to stick with him for now. There's issues with depth for sure, we can only afford to lose one player upfront before looking at a substantial drop off in ability, and in midfield we are gambling a lot of youth, but christ guys perspective, this squad in considerably stronger than the one that won everything two years ago, and every club faces this issue.
Last edited:
Long term yes, short term (first few months) not so much. I think the annoying thing is, if we're honest, Thiago has been a bit of a let down so far, he should have covered Ginis role.
You can also add that we have the same group of players playing together and have already incorporated relationships on the pitch.
A well worked back 5, a front three/four that have played in upteenth games together.
No doubt that the other clubs have had a better window than us, its not even close. But they still have to incorporate these new players into a starting eleven and make it work on the pitch.
People seem to think that every new signing that other clubs make will immediately improve them. While all the work that Klopp and Lijnders have done on the training ground isnt worth anything.
Should we have signed 1-2 more players, absolutely. But are we suddenly now not contenders for the league title? Hell no.
We come 12th in terms of net spend, surprisingly United come 1st and the Arse come 3rd.
I would like to see someone from the board be quizzed on why so little investments have been made in the squad? And how they plan to refresh the squad as players lose pace and edge
[article]
1. Manchester United
Spent: £665.73m
Received: £184.80m
Net spend: £480.93m
2. Manchester City
Spent: £760.42m
Received: £288.36m
Net spend: £472.06m
3. Arsenal
Spent: £580.50m
Received: £243.72m
Net spend: £336.78m
4. Chelsea
Spent: £793.35m
Received: £554.64m
Net spend: £238.71m
5. Everton
Spent: £450.78m
Received: £229.73m
Net spend: £221.05m
6. Tottenham Hotspur
Spent: £404.46m
Received: £197.69m
Net spend: £206.78m
7. Aston Villa
Spent: £349.52m
Received: £150.08m
Net spend: £199.44m
8. West Ham United
Spent: £364.50m
Received: £168.77m
Net spend: £195.73m
9. Brighton & Hove Albion
Spent: £282.75m
Received: £95.06m
Net spend: £187.69m
10. Wolverhampton Wanderers
Spent: £328.64m
Received: £147.98m
Net spend: £180.67m
11. Fulham
Spent: £212.78m
Received: £51.17m
Net spend: £161.61m
12. Liverpool
Spent: £440.22m
Received: £287.21m
Net spend: £153.01m
13. Leeds United
Spent: £184.08m
Received: £49.68m
Net spend: £134.40m
14. Newcastle United
Spent: £222.80m
Received: £97.37m
Net spend: £125.43m
15. Leicester City
Spent: £385.51m
Received: £262.96m
Net spend: £122.55m
16. Sheffield United
Spent: £130.99m
Received: £36.68m
Net spend: £94.31m
17. Crystal Palace
Spent: £147.81m
Received: £70.85m
Net spend: £76.96m
18. Cardiff City
Spent: £77.11m
Received: £23.60m
Net spend: £53.51m
19. Stoke City
Spent: £120.74m
Received: £74.20m
Net spend: £46.54m
20. Burnley
Spent: £113.03m
Received: £74.84m
Net spend: £38.20m
21. Huddersfield Town
Spent: £109.04m
Received: £70.91m
Net spend: £38.13m
22. West Bromwich Albion
Spent: £119.10m
Received: £85.59m
Net spend: £33.51m
23. Southampton
Spent: £242.55m
Received: £217.98m
Net spend: £24.57m
24. Watford
Spent: £153.72m
Received: £145.02m
Net spend: £8.70m
25. AFC Bournemouth
Spent: £160.48m
Received: £157.75m
Net spend: £2.73m
26. Norwich City
Spent: £97.93m
Received: £140.25m
Net spend: -£42.32m
27. Brentford
Spent: £88.22m
Received: £137.74m
Net spend: -£49.52m
28. Swansea City
Spent: £75.79m
Received: £172.08m
Net spend: -£96.29m
[/article]
I would like to see someone from the board be quizzed on why so little investments have been made in the squad? And how they plan to refresh the squad as players lose pace and edge
[article]
1. Manchester United
Spent: £665.73m
Received: £184.80m
Net spend: £480.93m
2. Manchester City
Spent: £760.42m
Received: £288.36m
Net spend: £472.06m
3. Arsenal
Spent: £580.50m
Received: £243.72m
Net spend: £336.78m
4. Chelsea
Spent: £793.35m
Received: £554.64m
Net spend: £238.71m
5. Everton
Spent: £450.78m
Received: £229.73m
Net spend: £221.05m
6. Tottenham Hotspur
Spent: £404.46m
Received: £197.69m
Net spend: £206.78m
7. Aston Villa
Spent: £349.52m
Received: £150.08m
Net spend: £199.44m
8. West Ham United
Spent: £364.50m
Received: £168.77m
Net spend: £195.73m
9. Brighton & Hove Albion
Spent: £282.75m
Received: £95.06m
Net spend: £187.69m
10. Wolverhampton Wanderers
Spent: £328.64m
Received: £147.98m
Net spend: £180.67m
11. Fulham
Spent: £212.78m
Received: £51.17m
Net spend: £161.61m
12. Liverpool
Spent: £440.22m
Received: £287.21m
Net spend: £153.01m
13. Leeds United
Spent: £184.08m
Received: £49.68m
Net spend: £134.40m
14. Newcastle United
Spent: £222.80m
Received: £97.37m
Net spend: £125.43m
15. Leicester City
Spent: £385.51m
Received: £262.96m
Net spend: £122.55m
16. Sheffield United
Spent: £130.99m
Received: £36.68m
Net spend: £94.31m
17. Crystal Palace
Spent: £147.81m
Received: £70.85m
Net spend: £76.96m
18. Cardiff City
Spent: £77.11m
Received: £23.60m
Net spend: £53.51m
19. Stoke City
Spent: £120.74m
Received: £74.20m
Net spend: £46.54m
20. Burnley
Spent: £113.03m
Received: £74.84m
Net spend: £38.20m
21. Huddersfield Town
Spent: £109.04m
Received: £70.91m
Net spend: £38.13m
22. West Bromwich Albion
Spent: £119.10m
Received: £85.59m
Net spend: £33.51m
23. Southampton
Spent: £242.55m
Received: £217.98m
Net spend: £24.57m
24. Watford
Spent: £153.72m
Received: £145.02m
Net spend: £8.70m
25. AFC Bournemouth
Spent: £160.48m
Received: £157.75m
Net spend: £2.73m
26. Norwich City
Spent: £97.93m
Received: £140.25m
Net spend: -£42.32m
27. Brentford
Spent: £88.22m
Received: £137.74m
Net spend: -£49.52m
28. Swansea City
Spent: £75.79m
Received: £172.08m
Net spend: -£96.29m
[/article]
Yeh exactly, those other clubs had glaring weaknesses so they had to sign players and spend big, we only had one glaring weakness, our injury prone centre backs behind VVD, so we signed Konate, who I think we're all forgetting about, he's a top top signing for depth and the future.
I think I agree with the highlighted but with a caveat. I'd liked to have replaced Shaqiri, but it's obvious that Klopp is putting faith in Elliot to do this role, both in midfield, but don't be surprised to see him playing on the wing sometimes soon, seeing as thats where he's played before this season. We always want youth to be promoted through the ranks, I guess we can't complain too much when we do.
That's a rather strange take given that even at the absolute peak of this team's powers (18-19 and 19-20), we were comfortably behind City as an attacking unit.
City have been the best attack in the league 4 years running (17-18, 18-19, 19-20, 20-21). Their depth of technical talent through midfield and attack is still staggering, lack of natural striker notwithstanding. Aguero scored only 4 goals last year, yet they comfortably outscored everyone in the league. Their style of play, and the addition of Grealish will mean they will continue to put the smaller teams teams to the sword. City do have some weaknesses, but that's a separate debate.
As for our attack, well, we were 2nd in 17-18, 18-19 and 19-20, but fell to joint 3rd behind City and United last year. Joint with Leicester and Tottenham. Frankly, I expect us to fall to 4th this year. United have significantly strengthened their attack with Ronaldo and Sancho, and so have Chelsea with Lukaku. Meanwhile, our entire attack comprises of 4 players, 2 of whom are clearly declining. You think Salah and Jota will lead us to the best attack in the league? Not happening.
I do agree that without injuries, we have the best spine in the league. We were the best defence in the league in 18-19 and 19-20, and even with an injury ravaged season, we were a respectable 4th best last year. If the axis of Alisson, VVD and Fabinho remain fit, I expect us to be best in the league again.
The question is can the best defence and 4th best attack win the league? I think you have to be top 2 in both categories to win frankly. Attack is where we'll lose out.
Incidentally, I'm not as worried about midfield. Yes, we will miss Gini in the big games, because he really showed up in those, but the fact is that Klopp's midfield is designed for players to be easily rotatable and replaceable (bar Fabinho). We will replace Gini through sheer numbers, and we do have them in the squad.
Our glaring weakness is our form falls off a cliff when Salah doesnt play.
We have zero depth up top. None. Klopp looked at his bench on Saturday, saw 2 attacking players and brought on a fullback.
Every single one of our rivals is stacked in attack. We're not. It's not controversial or petulant to say that we're going in to the season same as last year; vastly underprepared in one part of the field
We have zero depth up top. None. Klopp looked at his bench on Saturday, saw 2 attacking players and brought on a fullback.
Every single one of our rivals is stacked in attack. We're not. It's not controversial or petulant to say that we're going in to the season same as last year; vastly underprepared in one part of the field
Sorry, had to run the kids to school...
I don't disagree with much of what you say here, but what I keep coming back to is the feeling that we need a basically injury free season to be able to compete. Others don't.
We are threadbare up front, and if anything happens to Salah, I fear the rest can simply be man-marked out of the game if he's not on the pitch. We're strong on paper in the middle, but anything bad happens to Hendo and / or Fabinho, we're a very pedestrian unit and the balance of the entire team is gone. Likewise, at the back, if VVD and Joel stay fit and strong, we're very tough to beat, but that's an enormous 'if'.
I could run down why I feel our competitors wouldn't miss key losses like we would, but I can summarize my concerns in one sentence: Much of our title challenge is built on hope - the hope that we don't lose one of three or four key players - and none of the other contenders are nearly as reliant on that hope as we are... Given our injury history and the law of averages, that terrifies me.
ITS NOT FUCKING GOOD ENOUGH FABIO
Last year was an anomaly for me, no fans, we had the worst injury crisis I can remember a club facing, it's unfair to compare as we're their biggest competitor and we were unable to compete. Before then our stats were neck and neck, but they had both David Silva and Aguero, and it's these two I think they've struggled to replace, but on the flip side we've strengthened with Jota. Player for player I think our front three is superior.
The part you've highlighted is key, City have fantastic attacking stats, but that's because they're flat track bullies, they basically play with 6 attacking midfielders / forwards because their entire team is designed to squeeze teams and overwhelm teams who play a low block, and although it's always been the way Peps played, I feel like they somewhat have to play this to make up for their lack of a pure goal scoring threat and to be fair to them it works, they'd have probably beaten 10 men Chelsea playing like this, but in general I do feel it's exaggerates their goal scoring stats, a lot of games we'll win 1-0 or 2-0, City win 3, 4 or 5.
The downside to this is that this approach does leave them exposed against better drilled teams, and better teams in general, in a way I don't feel our more conservative and structured midfield permits. The Tottenham game was a good example, they lacked a top quality forward to make the breakthrough, and as a result whilst they were piling on that pressure they conceded a sloppy counter attacking goal (a goal imo we wouldn't have conceded) as they were overexposed, after that they were rocked and couldn't get back in the game and became increasingly frustrated by Spurs solid defence. That wouldn't have happened to City in 17/18, they had better stand out players in Silva and Aguero and one of them would had made and taken a chance in a way that their current lot can't. Likewise I feel our players are better at taking these chances in these bigger games, I'm not saying our team is better at dealing with the low block, it's obviously not, I'm just saying that whilst as a whole our team isn't geared to attack quite as aggressively and methodically as City are, we can rely on our front three, and especially Salah, a lot more without having to over expose the defence.
To sum up in short, I feel like we have a better forward players, in an overall less attacking team.
- Status
