Your 2022-2023 season's expectations and aspirations

[Steveo]

The splurge on front line talent highlights something I have been trying to convey for years…

It reveals the deep paranoia.

For me it shows that the football minds at the club at least RECOGNISE that the real key was our front 3… what was a fab 4… that was the key to the goals. To the terror imposed on rival sides. Salah Mané and Bobby were monsters. Monster levels of running, closing down and frankly nobody could handle them in their pomp. They were so good we could cope with a workman like midfield. Gini and Fab and Hendo were tireless (Fabinho was WC) So good that one-trick Ponies like Trent (yes I know he has a super right foot but we need more) were hailed as best in the world - ditto Robbo. This was always laughable to me. Both incredibly hard working alongside our engine room - but both with so much room to work with. The front 3 were terrifying defences. 2 men on each.

Our full backs were never WC in isolation. Not in my opinion. Watch Robbo for Scotland or Trent for Engerland - if he can get a game.

Klopp built a system that worked for a while. It worked as long as Mo, Sadio and Bobby were all on fire. Even if one dropped off - we had 2… right now - we have a 1 broken Mo.

[teesred]

FSG certainly have their faults, but I very much doubt that John Henry forced anyone's hand when it came to us buying -

- Diaz (£37m or so)
- Carvalho (between £5m and £7.7m)
- Núñez (£65m rising to £85m or so)
- Gakpo (£40m or so)

- all within the last 12 months, without any midfield upgrade. A decision will have been made (either via a committee or an individual) that we had enough in midfield for this season when we couldn't land Tchouameni and if we knew who made that call, then it would merit examination.

Good point.
Maybe the money for Tchouameni was either spent on Nunez in the summer or Gakpo now.
The decisions to add 4 attackers whilst not bringing in a midfielder is baffling. My hunch is that Klopp spat his dummy out over not getting Tchouameni and that's why we haven't bought one. Wether he did or not it's a truly ridiculous situation to be in, we've splurged money on attackers we didn't need and I definitely think somebody at the club gets a serious case of FOMO around this. Diaz was certainly that but he's worked out ok providing he comes back good after injury. The other three are very debatable on both ability and wether they fit or we actually needed them.

[Steveo]

More on why I believe there could be a focus on the attack over everything else.


"When the history books are written from this Liverpool era, they will tell us that the Reds' current front three of Sadio Mané, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah are up there with the very best in terms of Anfield attacks. The anniversaries of days like yesterday's 5-2 demolition of AS Roma in the Champions League semi-final will draw comparisons of 1988, of halcyon Ian Rush and prime Kenny Dalglish."


https://www.liverpool.com/liverpool-fc-news/features/liverpool-salah-mane-firmino-coutinho-18146294

I think we tend to forget what it was that made us a force. In effect - we tightened up defensively but maintained the attack to a good degree. That defence being the platform but the attack and its goals so obviously - the spearhead. I always said Klopp had a blind spot for midfield and if we look closely - he really isn't too bothered with it. It is just a means to an end. YES our midfield is old and yes it could have been refreshed BUT the real killer is the front 3. They just aint there anymore.

Anyone believe we win the title in 2020 with the same team but the current attack? really?




You can play with Moreno - or Emre Can - it makes no diff they were scoring like a freight train

[Insidious]

the real key was our front 3… what was a fab 4… that was the key to the goals. To the terror imposed on rival sides. Salah Mané and Bobby were monsters. Monster levels of running, closing down and frankly nobody could handle them in their pomp. They were so good we could cope with a workman like midfield.

Klopp built a system that worked for a while. It worked as long as Mo, Sadio and Bobby were all on fire. Even if one dropped off - we had 2… right now - we have a 1 broken Mo.

Agree with this and for me it highlights just how unlucky we have been with long-term injury.

I imagine we would have gone into this season hoping to utilise a front three of Diaz/Jota/Salah with Firmino/Núñez/Carvalho in rotation until Núñez got to grips with our pressing triggers, system etc.

As it is we have Diaz, Jota and Firmino out with Núñez and the newly added Gakpo having to learn on the job ahead of a spluttering midfield.

Irrespective of people's thoughts on our spending, that has been really rotten luck.

[CCTV]

FSG certainly have their faults, but I very much doubt that John Henry forced anyone's hand when it came to us buying -

- Diaz (£37m or so)
- Carvalho (between £5m and £7.7m)
- Núñez (£65m rising to £85m or so)
- Gakpo (£40m or so)

- all within the last 12 months, without any midfield upgrade. A decision will have been made (either via a committee or an individual) that we had enough in midfield for this season when we couldn't land Tchouameni and if we knew who made that call, then it would merit examination.

Your last bolded caveat is largely irrelevant.
We know the clubs transfers and we can identify key individuals.

JwH/FsG - Owners - relative tight arses for many of the fan base, compared with City, PsG, etc
But #BigSpenders relative to Real Madrid on net spend.

For me the focus on our owners financial constraints is the least relevant. Its a known reality and the interesting analysis comes with understanding these have to be managed.

Klopp, our manager and obviously a major say in who comes into the club, and a big but lesser part in who leaves - players have to take moves and clubs have to be found.
As a rule better money coming here, and lesser money leaving here bar a few star players.

Then everyone else at the club of note, Edwards/Ward, the sponsorship and other business aspects. Who knows exactly how it's panned out.

But between these employees of the owners, your underlined part can be examined.

[Steveo]

Do you not think CC that you are fixating on a huge anomaly? Real Madrid have a very small net spend. It’s puny compared to all their rivals and even clubs like Everton. But it’s only over a specific period - following what was the largest repeat spend on players in history.

They have net spent small of late. However, surely you can see some of the reasons why they have managed it?

Looking at their net spend over the last decade is like looking at ours post Coutinho. We spent a record amount but the net spend was relatively low. Offset by the sale. Net spend low because we sold a player for a mint. This happens when your man is sought after and the buying club has to make you an offer you can’t refuse.

Real are the club that was built on massive spend. ‘The Galacticos’ Real were built on buying the best and most expensive players on the planet. that was their MO and what consolidated them in the minds eye of all in this sport.

Are we to ignore the fact that they are by far the most successful club on the planet? They have the most allure. Players the world over want go and play for Real.

So we have this club that sits on top of the world. That has an ocean of players to trade after winning it all again and again - and spending and spending on their empire of Galacticos. This same club manages to produce an extreme low net spend over a decade and remain successful. It’s just as we did post Coutinho only on a massive scale.

The difference is - we had one golden goose they had many and ANY player they sell is marked up over the odds.

Now this is simple stuff for almost all fans of this sport.

Real are dining out on being far and away the top dog. Nobody comes close.

If anyone thinks their model of the last 10 years can be stretched out for another decade, I say that’s fanciful and were they to try, things might change significantly, if they try it for another 2 decades, then their own legacy at the top gets put in jeopardy imo.

They took advantage of the changing landscape post Galactico.

In short - as prices for players have risen so sharply, with the petrodollar clubs injecting massively inflated fees into the sport - the ability for Real to turn a huge profit from ageing and surplus players has grown exponentially.

It’s not fair to compare their net spend of the last 10 years with anyone - let alone us - certainly not to use it as a barometer of success. It’s a snapshot in a massively changing landscape.

They are a unique case because of what they have spent in the past AND what they have won.

[reddownunder]

So after the unsurprising eventuality of no midfield signings in January what do we think will happen over the course of the rest of the season? I'm thinking knocked out of Europe by Real and finishing 7th in the league.

[Insidious]

So after the unsurprising eventuality of no midfield signings in January what do we think will happen over the course of the rest of the season? I'm thinking knocked out of Europe by Real and finishing 7th in the league.

Probably about right.

I'd love us to squeeze out some wins as the gap on the Champion's League spots (10 points plus a game in hand) truly isn't THAT big if we could go on a run. But I just am not seeing such a run occurring. We were still in 7th spot after Match week 34 in the 20/21 season and snuck in, having won 8 of our last 10 games - but the current side just doesn't look remotely like being able to pull something like that off.

If we ended up getting 7 points or 9 points from our next 3 League games and got a couple of lads back (Firmino? Jota? Van Dijk?) then I would suddenly get a big shot of belief - especially if we win the 6-pointer against Newcastle. But we are honestly looking more likely to do something like draw v Wolves, draw v Everton and lose to Newcastle right now - which would kill any ambitions we have right off.

[fagin]

During or after the Summer Transfer window,can't recall my exact post but i did say that because all other teams had made signings to improve their squads i suggested we may be looking at finishing outside the top group,so i for one am not surprised where we are at all even with our injuries which hadn't happened when i posted.
I was basing it on who had been signed by other clubs in the summer.

[teesred]

So after the unsurprising eventuality of no midfield signings in January what do we think will happen over the course of the rest of the season? I'm thinking knocked out of Europe by Real and finishing 7th in the league.

Yep it'll be exactly that or something similar I'd think.
Problem is you just can't see where the next win is coming from.