Trent, Salah and VVD

[Frogfish]

To play him like as a false 9?
Not a bad idea, but I'm not sure if it suits him.

Exactly - he can still be further advanced up the pitch, no longer hugging the touchline and be unable to get out because of a lack of pace. But he will have more chance to shoot and more options for assisting with fast tricky wingers either side of him. Moreover he's very good at avoiding the offside trap. And it also 'solves' the CF conundrum (we'll keep Jota, which I think will happen anyway).

 

[Frogfish]

Now that I can wholeheartedly cheer…Virgil literally carries, organises, leads, symbolises our whole defensive line whilst also authoritatively - without ego - exercising his captain duties. No one is pulled out of shape to cover him, no one has to work harder than him to compensate…moreover he tends to cover for others (Robbo) etc galloping forwards. His form is also consistently brilliant, especially since he simply cannot afford to go missing in ANY game.

He’s a truly elite player that requires no special circumstances around him to bring out his best…like Mo used to be really.

Amen.

 

[Frogfish]

Agreed. Part of that is we've never provided proper back up or competition for the role, which will have to change over this contract. Klopp chose to invest in other areas and Slot has inherited Elliott and probably had Chiesa lumbered on him because FSG sniffed a profit.

Maybe my memory is remiss but didn't Klopp try Doak a few times (coming on as sub for Mo.)? Until he was injured or loaned out?

 

[Glen C]

Every time I read someone saying ‘Mo’s been carrying the team’ I think of how many players around him (Szobo, Grav, the right back) have to exhaust themselves over ac season carrying his defensive workload.. and how the expectation on the other flank on someone like Diaz is to both run himself into the ground and score / assist…and how other sides can just target our right hand side at will (and do so).

Like Modo I’m glad on balance he’s signed, but I’m concerned enough that a declining Mo might not prove worth the overall net negative on other important players in the system over the course of a long season. Personality aside, there a whiff of late career Ronaldo about it all to me.

Yeah salah is fortunate he doesn't do the defensive work like the others do. But they are a lot younger and have the legs to do it. But the fact is they dont chip in with enough goals for the role they play....diaz especially should be scoring more goals. I've given up on nunez.

 

[Buddha]

Yeah salah is fortunate he doesn't do the defensive work like the others do. But they are a lot younger and have the legs to do it. But the fact is they dont chip in with enough goals for the role they play....diaz especially should be scoring more goals. I've given up on nunez.

I think we’ve all given up on Nunez eventually…it’s the Diaz bit I’m addressing really, it’d be great if he could consistently score / assist more but I think sometimes the rest of it is undervalued.

Granted Mo is well out of sorts right now (and was on fire earlier in the season)…but just how many do you think Mo would score and assist if he had to carry Diaz’s monumental workload whilst the guy on the other flank strolled around waiting for the ball?

 

[ibromurph]

I get what you're saying but he's supposed to be the "main guy" and he's getting "main guy" money and minutes on the pitch.
He's been great all season long, can't take that away from him, but it also needs to be acknowledged that he's been missing for about 7 weeks and that's not acceptable for a player of his caliber.

I get where you're coming from, but if we surround Mo with the right legs, he's still got enough quality to win us the league or CL next season.

Get a dominant FB behind him and a quality CF that he can play off. We can also help VVD, by sorting out the LB situation too.

Mo will start the season next year on fire as per normal and fade by the time Afcon come around in December-Jan. Hopefully by then we are 5-10pts clear. Then others (like the quality CF) can take it from there.

 

[binomial]

So that dog we call a sporting director has finally come to his senses huh? Better late than never I suppose, now start working on bringing in some hot talent we can get erections over.

 

[mark1975]

Mo's always had spells like this hasn't he? It's not new, a few years ago the majority thought he was done, and he'd been shitter for longer then.

 

[The Nomad]

View: https://x.com/JamesPearceLFC/status/1910623059372810307

😭

Bad news Jimbo...

Hopefully the club does him dirty again.

 

[Frogfish]

Yeah salah is fortunate he doesn't do the defensive work like the others do. But they are a lot younger and have the legs to do it. But the fact is they dont chip in with enough goals for the role they play....diaz especially should be scoring more goals. I've given up on nunez.

Why should Diaz be scoring more? He's got 10 (+ 7 assists) already and is the 15th highest scorer in the PL (top winger bar Mbuemo who is more of a CF for me).

No other winger bar Johnson (11) in the PL has more. Bowen 8, Iwobi 8, Gakpo 8, Son 7, Saka 6 and Anthony (the oft talked about replacement) only 6+6 in more minutes (1,982 vs 2,124) !

I often feel Diaz is hugely under-rated by many on here.

 

[binomial]

Why should Diaz be scoring more? He's got 10 (+ 7 assists) already and is the 15th highest scorer in the PL (top winger bar Mbuemo who is more of a CF for me).

No other winger bar Johnson (11) in the PL has more. Bowen 8, Iwobi 8, Gakpo 8, Son 7, Saka 6 and Anthony (the oft talked about replacement) only 6+6 in more minutes (1,982 vs 2,124) !

I often feel Diaz is hugely under-rated by many on here.

Because of the great argument that he's not Mane, so if you're not getting Mane numbers - you're automatically shite. It’s only been used the odd 50000 times.

It's going to be fun in here when Salah/Virg's eventual replacements don't turn out as good either.

 

[peterhague]

Why should Diaz be scoring more? He's got 10 (+ 7 assists) already and is the 15th highest scorer in the PL (top winger bar Mbuemo who is more of a CF for me).

No other winger bar Johnson (11) in the PL has more. Bowen 8, Iwobi 8, Gakpo 8, Son 7, Saka 6 and Anthony (the oft talked about replacement) only 6+6 in more minutes (1,982 vs 2,124) !

I often feel Diaz is hugely under-rated by many on here.

I agree, he's a good but not quite top class winger. I suppose you could say his numbers before this season have been more of a problem, but I think he's one of those guys who just causes defences constant problems with his energy and dribbling.

 

[Fabio]

For all the ball Diaz gets, for all the times he's sent through, for all the times he's in a dangerous area to pass; cunt should have a lot more than what he's got.

Tenacity and work rate are top class. His physicality (frail as a toddler with cancer), alongside exceptionally patchy decision making are my biggest issues.

He's a fantastic bench option, but not consistent enough to be a starter for me

 

[Tinto]

Why should Diaz be scoring more? He's got 10 (+ 7 assists) already and is the 15th highest scorer in the PL (top winger bar Mbuemo who is more of a CF for me).

No other winger bar Johnson (11) in the PL has more. Bowen 8, Iwobi 8, Gakpo 8, Son 7, Saka 6 and Anthony (the oft talked about replacement) only 6+6 in more minutes (1,982 vs 2,124) !

I often feel Diaz is hugely under-rated by many on here.

Plus he was played out of position as a false 9 in a few league games where he did his best, but ultimately struggled. That experiment skews his numbers.

 

[KopRed]

I did not fact check, but I am 99% certain Diaz has produced zero GA for every single finals we haven taken part in, and every single game that had got us knocked out of each competition each year. All that despite playing 90 mins all the time.

Once or twice is a coincidence, 4 seasons of running around producing nothing is a pattern. That, my friends, is enough for me to want to bin his ass.

He needs to drop to the bench even if he stays if it so happens that no one is willing to buy the "under-rated" Diaz.

 

[KopRed]

Because of the great argument that he's not Mane, so if you're not getting Mane numbers - you're automatically shite. It’s only been used the odd 50000 times.

It's going to be fun in here when Salah/Virg's eventual replacements don't turn out as good either.

Yeah indeed. It's embarassing to put Diaz and Mane in the same sentence. Not going to make that mistake again...

Coincidentally they took the same trajectory towards the end of their career with us, winger to centre forward, with very different outcomes.

 

[Hansern]

I get what you're saying but he's supposed to be the "main guy" and he's getting "main guy" money and minutes on the pitch.
He's been great all season long, can't take that away from him, but it also needs to be acknowledged that he's been missing for about 7 weeks and that's not acceptable for a player of his caliber.

Salah has played 45 games, scored 32 goals and assisted 22 this season. Do you know how insanely good that is?

 

[Squiggles]

I reckon Trent will sign with Madrid and drop his ‘letter to the fans’ after the season wraps up, and after the parade. I just don’t think he’s got the balls to do it before then. Still, I’d absolutely welcome an “I’m not fucking leaving” speech on the Pier Head in May.

 

[Tinto]

I did not fact check, but I am 99% certain Diaz has produced zero GA for every single finals we haven taken part in, and every single game that had got us knocked out of each competition each year. All that despite playing 90 mins all the time.

Once or twice is a coincidence, 4 seasons of running around producing nothing is a pattern. That, my friends, is enough for me to want to bin his ass.

He needs to drop to the bench even if he stays if it so happens that no one is willing to buy the "under-rated" Diaz.

Mo, Mane and Bobby hardly starred in any of the finals they played in. So…

 

[Brizzle]

I get what you're saying but he's supposed to be the "main guy" and he's getting "main guy" money and minutes on the pitch.
He's been great all season long, can't take that away from him, but it also needs to be acknowledged that he's been missing for about 7 weeks and that's not acceptable for a player of his caliber.

A bigger part of the problem is that when Mo is off form (and most of that was during Ramadam), no one else stepped up. In those past 7/8 weeks: Gakpo was injured, Jota has been crap since returning, Darwin not trusted and mostly crap, Diaz mostly crap, Szobo mostly crap, Alex & Gravy carrying the weight of the team. Trent was mostly crap. Robbo has been mostly crap.

 

[binomial]

Yeah indeed. It's embarassing to put Diaz and Mane in the same sentence. Not going to make that mistake again...

Coincidentally they took the same trajectory towards the end of their career with us, winger to centre forward, with very different outcomes.

Lasted all of about 20 seconds. Good job.

 

[Tinto]

A bigger part of the problem is that when Mo is off form (and most of that was during Ramadam), no one else stepped up. In those past 7/8 weeks: Gakpo was injured, Jota has been crap since returning, Darwin not trusted and mostly crap, Diaz mostly crap, Szobo mostly crap, Alex & Gravy carrying the weight of the team. Trent was mostly crap. Robbo has been mostly crap.

Diaz wasn’t crap in any of the recent league games. He helped win us the points against Southampton and Everton. If Mo had his shooting boots on, Diaz would have helped salvage a point against Fulham too.

 

[Woland]

Yeah between him and Gakpo the left wing is good enough. It's the centre that needs sorting. Jota is off but can't see a deal happening for Nunez. Either way we need a striker.

 

[Modo]

A bigger part of the problem is that when Mo is off form (and most of that was during Ramadam), no one else stepped up. In those past 7/8 weeks: Gakpo was injured, Jota has been crap since returning, Darwin not trusted and mostly crap, Diaz mostly crap, Szobo mostly crap, Alex & Gravy carrying the weight of the team. Trent was mostly crap. Robbo has been mostly crap.

The thing is Salah is a very vital part of our attacks. When he doesn't play well, it affects the rest.

 

[Modo]

Salah has played 45 games, scored 32 goals and assisted 22 this season. Do you know how insanely good that is?

How many pens?
How many games in a row hasn't he scored or assisted from open play?

 

[Woland]

The whole team has been shite for ages.

 

[Hansern]

How many pens?
How many games in a row hasn't he scored or assisted from open play?

Great impersonation of an Arsenal fan.

 

[Hansern]

Yeah between him and Gakpo the left wing is good enough. It's the centre that needs sorting. Jota is off but can't see a deal happening for Nunez. Either way we need a striker.

Darwin is gone

 

[Judge Jules]

I'd be surprised if there aren't takers. We'll be making a loss on him though unless he goes to Saudi.

 

[Brizzle]

The longer he is in the team the more of a loss we take as he just isn't a fit, isn't confident and is an anchor to our attack.