What can we expect from Jota this season?

[SummerOnions]

In my mind the choice front three are Salah, Nuñez and Diaz.

Of course we will rotate but I'm curious about Jota. I feel like his form dropped off a lot in the second half of last season.

How do we reckon he will fare?

 

[The Nomad]

In my mind the choice front three are Salah, Nuñez and Diaz.

Of course we will rotate but I'm curious about Jota. I feel like his form dropped off a lot in the second half of last season.

How do we reckon he will fare?

I think he was carrying an injury. He'll be back and will have his fair share of games.

 

[Woland]

He's boss but he's obviously starting from the bench a lot unless there's a load of injuries. Absolutely great squad player. I don't think his form was that bad, it was more that Mane got used where he would usually start once we'd signed Diaz, so there wasn't a starting role for him like there had been, and that's clearly going to continue with Darwin

 

[StevieM]

He’s going to be injured all season.

 

[Irishanfield]

Goals?

 

[Modo]

I think we could be seeing the beginning of the end for Jota at LFC.

 

[Red Bird]

With 5 subs allowed this season he'll be crucial to what we'll achieve this season. He'll be banging in the [crucial] goals as frequently as he was doing last season.

 

[Beamrider]

Goals and occasional shithousery. That'll do for me.

 

[Hyena]

He'll be our last hope after Diaz rips his ACL

 

[Judge Jules]

I wouldn't be surprised if Nunez takes a wee while to settle in properly, so I can see Jota getting a fair number of games. He'll be all right IMO.

 

[tombrown]

I think we could be seeing the beginning of the end for Jota at LFC.

Would this be the same "beginning of the end" that has been predicted for Henderson in the last 7 summers?

 

[Mystic]

Is he injured at the moment, weird not seeing him at all these preseason.

 

[Fabio]

I think he'll be rotating with Diaz and Darwin. He'll get minutes and he'll get goals. At least 15-20 across all competitions

 

[Modo]

Would this be the same "beginning of the end" that has been predicted for Henderson in the last 7 summers?

Not really since it hasn't taken Jota
5 years to come good.
More to do with the fact that he can't really be considered first choice any more. Not sure he'll be happy playing second fiddle

 

[The Nomad]

Is he injured at the moment, weird not seeing him at all these preseason.

Yes he is. Same injury as the end of the season. Aggrevated it again.

 

[mom]

A warm bench

 

[Frogfish]

He'll be fine. 15 - 20 all comps.

 

[Evo]

Surely he'll be taking us to victory, after running down the left wing, cutting inside, and scoring for LFC.

 

[RedStar]

Are people's memories that short? Some serious recency bias going on here, he was excellent for most of the season last year. 15 goals for 27 starts in the league and people are talking about his career being over.

He ended the season out of form but he can play in both the LF and CF positions, he's a very good goalscorer. I don't think he's going to get to Salahs level but the very few players do, I don't expect Diaz or Nunez to come near those sort of nu.bers either.

Another 17-20 goals and a couple of medals. He will be fine.

 

[Aidan O' Neill]

Not really since it hasn't taken Jota
5 years to come good.
More to do with the fact that he can't really be considered first choice any more. Not sure he'll be happy playing second fiddle

Henderson has been good since his second season.

 

[Squiggles]

For this season, I was hoping Jota would iron out his streakiness, but with a new look attack, increased competition, and another injury in pre-season, matching his already strong numbers would represent a decent season. I suspect we'll see Jota rotating into the CF role more this year with Diaz and Carvalho rotating on the left. In a way, the chances we're looking to create for Nunez will also be the ones Jota thrives off. Whilst he's an excellent dribbler of the ball in space, Jota is far more a finisher than a creator. He knows where to be to maximise his chances of scoring. The problem he's going to have is getting himself in the first team to showcase it. He needs a run of fitness and some impactful bench performances, similar to how he started.

He's still got a huge role to play in our future.

 

[Hansern]

Henderson has been good since his second season.

Modo and Henderson have a soon to be 20 year old feud going.

 

[MomoWASright]

He'll be fine. 15 - 20 all comps.

Agreed. We won’t see him for a few months as he will have his own pre-season timetable. I think he’ll be one of our strongest performers in the last dozen games.

 

[Judge Jules]

For this season, I was hoping Jota would iron out his streakiness, but with a new look attack, increased competition, and another injury in pre-season, matching his already strong numbers would represent a decent season. I suspect we'll see Jota rotating into the CF role more this year with Diaz and Carvalho rotating on the left. In a way, the chances we're looking to create for Nunez will also be the ones Jota thrives off. Whilst he's an excellent dribbler of the ball in space, Jota is far more a finisher than a creator. He knows where to be to maximise his chances of scoring. The problem he's going to have is getting himself in the first team to showcase it. He needs a run of fitness and some impactful bench performances, similar to how he started.

He's still got a huge role to play in our future.

Excellent post as per. Would add only that, when Jota's had a run in the side, IMO he's tended to be less streaky than Mane even if his ceiling hasn't (yet) been quite on the same level.

 

[mark1975]

He's a good player and his usual 15 or so goals will be crucial once he gets fit. As we saw in recent years, when one forward slumps a bit, generally one of the others step up, so we can only hope that this continues to be the norm. It's kinda like what City had with Jesus, he would always weigh in when they needed it, or Sterling and so on.

The big questions are going to be whether Diaz can start to score more goals and if Nunez can have a fairly decent initial impact. Jota being injured isn't disastrous, but it's not ideal either, as he'll always weigh in despite being streaky, if Nunez and Diaz don't provide a fairly consistent goal return from the off, Jota's absence can be damaging.

 

[darkstarexodus]

Modo and Henderson have a soon to be 20 year old feud going.

There's only one winner in that feud. Given that one of the participants is a league and European Cup winner who is among our greatest captains, I got my bet in a while back.

 

[dee]

I’m sensing that many of you have Diaz in front of Jota. Not sure that’s the case and I’ll be expecting a fit again Jota to start scoring for fun again

 

[localny]

Jota definitely was off the boil for the last few months of the season. Likely injury of course.

As for Diaz, I think he's a wonderful prospect, but call me an arse, I would like to see MORE end product.

He was completely neutered in the CL final by Madrid, and that was a little alarming. Hoping it will spur him on.

Great potential, I just think he's been hyped a little too much

 

[Donavan Ried]

To score plenty of goals 🙂

 

[Donavan Ried]

Expect Nunez to be eased in come the start of the season and if Bobby ends up going then Jota will be playing the CF roll till Darwin is fully up to speed.. So goals, Yes