Summer transfers

[Ravo19]

I still foresee distinct possibilities of a back three or doing a 4-1-2-1-2 (Diamond) given our profile.

Watching it all unfold will be.....interesting.

Slots never shown interest in a back 3 as far as i know

[Steveo]

Why would we struggle to attract players? We're Liverpool FC, the only team winning things worth talking about in a league (the PL) compromised by 115 FC....
We're the current PL champions, and we've been in 3 CL finals these last 7 years.
Plenty of big teams have crappy seasons, but our pedigree is there. We're one of the top 5 or 6 destinations in world football...

Much of this sounds like it was written by someone who has been living in a vacuum the last 10 years. Unable to remember the struggle to sign the likes of Salah (who chose Chelsea) and Virgil or Alisson since rhe glory days of old.


Everything major that we have won in the Premier league era was down to Rafa Benitez for number 5 and all of the rest is completely down to Jurgen Klopp. If you think the top players we landed while he was here are coming to play for Arne slot - dare I say it but you’ve been in the woods too long


One thing rings true tho and it’s the decidedly underwhelming bottom line - “5 or 6 destinations “ About right - and only for now - while our star is still in the memory of some… but be under no illusion - PSG have crushed us in European terms. 4 games and they destroyed us twice in footballing terms in gay Paris and came to Amfield and dumped us out.,, We are not mighty to most anymore…. and with the hapless Arne Slot and the 2 stooges H’edwards we are on a road to nowhere.

[Ravo19]

Alisson
Frimping konate vvd kerkez
Szoboszlai wharton
Diamonde wirtz gordon
Isak

Sub-]Mamardashvili,(tsimikas)bradley,leoni,jacquet,grav enberch(jones)(gapko),rio

Sell-gomez,macallistair,elliot,chiesa

Gomez=new CB
tsimikas-slot has hinted of his return
Jones-Versatility might save him
gapko-with chiesa going and ekitikie out for most of next season,we need back up for isak,would prefer new attacker but gapko could be it.
Would like to see elliot back but not hopeful.

[Steveo]

Tsimi and Elliot would be good to see both back. I know Elliot was always a squad player but has quality - not sure what a year in the wilderness will have done for his confidence tho..

[Insidious]

Slots never shown interest in a back 3 as far as i know

Indeed, thinking in the event we had a different manager and also just the profile of lads we have in general.

If Slot stays and we are a back four side then I think the Diamond is a viable option.

[jozza800]

Tsimi and Elliot would be good to see both back. I know Elliot was always a squad player but has quality - not sure what a year in the wilderness will have done for his confidence tho..

Assuming we're only going to have limited funds this summer, Tsimi coming back as backup to Kerkez makes absolute sense.

I really like Elliot, and was disapointed we tried to shift him. I think however, unfortunately he'll be used again to generate funds.

Ekitike's injury really ballses things up for us. I can't see us dropping £60m/70m on another striker, so I think Gakpo might be used as a forward and a couple of wingers brought in.

[jozza800]

Alisson
Frimping konate vvd kerkez
Szoboszlai wharton
Diamonde wirtz gordon
Isak

Sub-]Mamardashvili,(tsimikas)bradley,leoni,jacquet,grav enberch(jones)(gapko),rio

Sell-gomez,macallistair,elliot,chiesa

Gomez=new CB
tsimikas-slot has hinted of his return
Jones-Versatility might save him
gapko-with chiesa going and ekitikie out for most of next season,we need back up for isak,would prefer new attacker but gapko could be it.
Would like to see elliot back but not hopeful.

I didnt see this earlier but this looks like a good line on paper. Though, I did think this season's team looked good on paper...

[jozza800]

With my Championship Manager head on I am thinking something along the lines of -

Out

Mo
Robbo
Mac Alister
Endo
Chiesa

In

(Top Winger) Diomande / Olise etc...
Ismael Sarr
Wilson
Wharton
Tsimikas
Elliot

Alisson
Frimpong (HG) - Konate - VVD - Kerkez
Szoboslai - Wharton (HG)
Sarr - Wirtz - Diomande
Isak

Maramar
Bradley (HG)
Jacquet
Leoni
Tsimikas
Grav
Jones (HG)
Elliot (HG)
Wilson (HG)
Ngomoha
Gakpo

Gomez (HG)
Nyoni

This does depend on FSG spending a wedge again, as I wouldn't want to sell those that have a real sale value I really like Mac, but there's no denying he's fallen off a cliff over the last year, so would be the one player I would sacrifice. And if we received a suitable of for Gomez then I'd take that as well.

That's probably £70m from the OUTs. And estimated £170-£200m for the INs.

[Ravo19]

I didnt see this earlier but this looks like a good line on paper. Though, I did think this season's team looked good on paper...

Biggest issue this season has been the 4 2 3 1 with slot stubbornly going with geavenberch and macallistair with szobo being used as a 10 or rightback.i have been saying all season that mac is to slow as a 6 and szobo would be a better fit.
Finally slot has seen this and used szobo as a 6 and we have looked tighter with wins against fulham and everton and even against psg we stayed in the tie for 70 mins with a toothless attack.
Hopefully adding the right players for the formation could push us on again next season.

[RedMagic]

The jury is still out on Mamardashvili. I personally didn't think he was ready to take over from Alisson even before his recent injury. Frimpong is neither an out and out full-back or an out and out right sided attacker. Usefull as cover for others or an alternative option, but not good enough to be the regular starter in either of those positions.

Konate is too error prone. His presence seems to make everyone else around him nervous, particularly Van Dijk who himself may be a lot closer to the end of his top level career than we first thought. The jury is still out on Kerkez. He would probably benefit from playing under a manager able to make the most of his attacking talents and alongside other players who can defend a lot better than they currently are. On top of that Leoni will be coming back from a serious injury, never mind that he's only played a few minutes for us, whilst Jacquet hasn't even joined us yet.

Gravenberch was good last season. His drop off this season might be down to a variety of factors which are also affecting most of our other players, however we need to consider the possibility that last season was a one off and that he won't play near that level again.

Wharton, Gordon and Diamonde are going to cost a lot of money. We're unlikely to be spending a lot of money this summer. Wharton and Gordon haven't been pulling up trees this season to the point where I've heard a few Palace and Newcastle fans grumbling about some of their performances, whilst Diamonde has played 25 games this season and has scored just 1 goal.

Who knows what is going to happen with Wirtz. He is obviously a talented player, but the jury is still out as to whether he can adapt to playing in the PL and he may well continue to struggle for us as long as Slot is our manager. Isak has proven he can perform in the PL, but whether he can replicate that for us in our current state and whilst being managed by Slot and after returning from a serious injury is anyone's guess.

Other players such as Gomez, Jones, Gakpo, Mac Allister, Endo, Bradley, Tsimikas etc are either injury prone, error prone, inconsistent, over the hill or simply not good enough. It will be difficult to shift all of those players, but even if we keep a few of those players they should be kept as cover, not kept as players who can or should be relied on for any sizeable length of time.

[Steveo]

Assuming we're only going to have limited funds this summer, Tsimi coming back as backup to Kerkez makes absolute sense.

I really like Elliot, and was disapointed we tried to shift him. I think however, unfortunately he'll be used again to generate funds.

Ekitike's injury really ballses things up for us. I can't see us dropping £60m/70m on another striker, so I think Gakpo might be used as a forward and a couple of wingers brought in.

Yep… Do we think Gakpo will prove good value at £250,000 a week? What balloon sanctioned that?? Presumably the same one who refused Diaz the same… Do we think his add ons - that’s another £65k a week - on top - will kick in..?

I mean IF they do - happy days… as we will be doing well but £315,000 a week for a player who, in his prime….struggles to perform even in his natural position… seems hugely idiotic,

[Ravo19]

Virgil has a habit of ripping into his defensive partners,even blaming them when he fucks up,maybe kerkez and konate will be better without him

[faridtoxteth]

Next season we have Jaquet and Leoni coming through, surely Virgil will play less games, which will make him a bit sharper.

[jozza800]

Yep… Do we think Gakpo will prove good value at £250,000 a week? What balloon sanctioned that?? Presumably the same one who refused Diaz the same… Do we think his add ons - that’s another £65k a week - on top - will kick in..?

I mean IF they do - happy days… as we will be doing well but £315,000 a week for a player who, in his prime….struggles to perform even in his natural position… seems hugely idiotic,

Nope. As I say i'm a fan of Gakpo but he's not in that bracket of player. I'm not sure i'd have given Diaz £250k either to be honest, not for 4/5 years at 30. In the same way I wouldn't have given Mo £500k a year. I'd have just about given Virg his money.

It's a tough one for a number of players because of the way Slot has set us up this season. Mac looked phenomenal for 2/3rds of last season, as did Grav. Gakpo was useful throughout most of last season, but he like every single other player (other than Szobo) struggling like the rest.

[jozza800]

Next season we have Jaquet and Leoni coming through, surely Virgil will play less games, which will make him a bit sharper.

You'd imagine that might have happened more often this season if Leoni hadn't cripled himself.