This summer.... midfield crisis.. next summer CB crisis.....?

[toshin]

Nat Phillips says hello.

Pity all these young centre backs - Hoever, Sepp van den Berg, Rhys Williams, et al don't seem to make it.

But yeah, I'd like us to sign a new centre back now, otherwise we need two next summer, and get fleeced.

All our backups (most positions) lack pace and/or strength and that's already setting them back.
I'm not saying these qualities make them world class. What it does is paper over cracks and make them acceptable to slot in when needed esp if paired with someone like vvd.
Gomez was someone with pace and it covered all his failings, till his injuries slowed him down.
If Rhys was as fast as Rio Ferdinand he'd be a decent backup with potential as he gets experience.

[Steveo]

It's fair to be concerned about it, but we don't yet know whether Gakpo and Núñez will continue to improve, how Jota might handle the pressure of becoming our most senior attacker and how Diaz will fare as he adjusts to a new-look attack - nor indeed whether or not we might find another gem that the market largely ignores - we had relatively free runs at the acquisition of Suarez and of Salah for example.

Plus a youngster like Doak may yet surprise us - and if goals do become an issue, the rest of the team will just have to step up and get better at conceding less.

[JockStrap]

Ah ken someone who's aff tae love this thread. Any talk o' a crisis 'n' he's a' ower it.

[Kev0909]

Konate down already, that didn't take long

[JockStrap]

We’re in some trouble when salah goes or declines. Seriously in massive trouble.

It's true and nothing lasts forever. This may be Salah's last season here. I'm sure Klopp and his team are well aware of that. As long as we have a replacement lined up and Salah leaves on our terms then all is good.

[eggy81]

It's true and nothing lasts forever. This may be Salah's last season here. I'm sure Klopp and his team are well aware of that. As long as we have a replacement lined up and Salah leaves on our terms then all is good.

Be interesting to see does Ben Doak get significant minutes this season on that right hand side. Although he strikes me as more of an orthodox winger than a wide forward.

[JockStrap]

Be interesting to see does Ben Doak get significant minutes this season on that right hand side. Although he strikes me as more of an orthodox winger than a wide forward.

He'll get some minutes. Don't know how significant it will be. I suppose it will depend on injuries.

I haven't seen that much of him. He's obviously very quick but how good is his end product?

[eggy81]

He'll get some minutes. Don't know how significant it will be. I suppose it will depend on injuries.

I haven't seen that much of him. He's obviously very quick but how good is his end product?

Herd to know yet. Seems to love running at full backs which is good. Hopefully he can kick on and develop the end product too.

[Insidious]

We’re in some trouble when salah goes or declines. Seriously in massive trouble.

I know I responded to your post in quite a Salah-specific way already, but just to do so in more general terms, the words "serious trouble" is extremely "relative" overall.

We haven't been outside the top 8 in the League since before the 62/63 season or something mad. Before anyone misunderstands, misquotes or jumps to conclusions, I am not suggesting we should "settle" for that.

For me "serious trouble" is administration, relegation or for a club like us that enjoys a very privileged position in the footballing Pyramid it would be the dismantling of a side without adequate replacements.

I wasn't around (or old enough) to enjoy the 70s and 80s so my time as a Liverpool fan has been Evans and onwards really and our best time pre-Klopp was the Rafa years.

That side saw Torres, Alonso and Mascherano depart while Carragher and Gerrard got past their very high peaks (Gerrard still had good times during and beyond 09/10 but his best years were 04/05 - 08/09) and the likes of Reina and Agger leaving not long after. Even when we had that wonderful side the squad depth was incredibly lacking and if Torres wasn't available we were often reliant upon N'gog.

The landscape may be changing and success getting harder due to the sheer number of good sides and more money than ever in the game, but these days we have 5 very good attackers and a promising youth talent in Doak, plus are in a situation whereby players do get replaced to one degree or another. Henderson doesn't depart and get replaced by a Christian Poulsen - we go and get Szoboszlai. Thiago's age and injury issues persist, so Mac Allister comes in with a view to taking more (and eventually all) of his minutes. Fabinho gets sold and we acquire the Captain of Japan and Stuttgart.

Prior to this the club learns that Mane is leaving, so we get Diaz in. We learn that Firmino is to depart, so Gakpo arrives. The club want a finisher "on the cusp" before their value explodes, so they get Núñez - admittedly he still has some way to go yet in terms of conversion, but his underlying stats are very promising.

Salah will eventually leave and it will undeniably be a big blow, but our capacity to recruit other lads will be there, whether it's after the fact or giving someone at the club a more significant role, or both. Plus with the way we utilise money, we would find a way to reinvest via the £350k-per-week coming off the bill.

"It never stops - the football is officially going on forever - there is still everything to play for and forever to play it in" aka there will be ups and downs but we will persist.

[Martyboy]

Piero Hincapie

https://tbrfootball.com/liverpool-now-want-27m-talent-whos-one-of-the-most-promising-defenders-in-the-world/

We've been tracking him for a while apparently...