Summer transfers

[miller0863]

I doubt Gakpo survives more than a season under another manager

[Insidious]

Our recruitment is poor, How can the likes of Brentford find stars like Thiago and we never seem to be able find rough diamonds like that?

Brentford are absolutely obsessed with data analytics and have a hybrid system of intensive scouting and mathematical models.

They're arguably the most "Moneyball" side in the League. They target undervalued players below a certain age having scouted them and run them through the models, scouts and analysts have a discussion, then they make moves.

Sell for the right price, re-invest.

Interestingly when they targeted Mbuemo when he was 19 or so, the mathematic models didn't paint him in the most flattering light, but multiple scouts scored him so positively that they took the punt.

They seem to have gotten the balance right better than almost anyone. The next step for them will be the final push for Champion's League football to increase their income. If they get that and continue to operate as they do, they'll remain in the Premier League for a long, long time.

Everyone uses data these days of course, but the 4 clubs in the League that are probably most oriented around it would be ourselves, Brentford, Brighton and Bournemouth - and overall I think those clubs are doing pretty well as a collective over the last decade or so, even if Liverpool have been in a malaise for about 18 months. Not to mention we had Jürgen, which gave us a Hell of an edge - just as the clubs above have had good managers as well. It will never be "just" the Data, though when used well it's ridiculously helpful.

Hopefully we will return to the strategy we had before we pretended we were Real Madrid for a Summer.

I was overall happy with the quality of each individual player at the time, but the blend, given what we had on the books, was bizarre. Two main concerns were the amount of players in the squad who all thrived in the left half-space which I thought would impact a number of on-pitch relationships (hasn't looked right 37 games on!) coupled with the reduction of the press in the team, which stems from loss of natural busy-bees (Diaz, Darwin) a change in conditioning (for the worse) and tactical choice from the manager.

I firmly believe we can go back to a model more similar to what brought Firmino, Mane, Salah etc in, though it won't happen overnight and fans may struggle with a transition period to enable it. On paper we should be strong enough to be able to go through a transition (without Slot and Hughes please) whilst still remaining in the Champion's League spots - but not easy.

[jozza800]

Recruitment is always good when you have one of the best managers in history - strangely it goes to shit when they aren’t around anymore.

The delusion was those naive enough to believe it was being driven by the running of the club. That always made me chuckle

You need both.

No good having the ingredients for a great recipe but having a poor chef. A great chef isn't getting Michelin Star cooking with rotten vegetables and dogshit.

[Steveo]

So we bought rotten “vegetables and dogshit” this summer?

First I have heard of it,

[jozza800]

The difference for the Brentfords, Brightons and Bournemouths is they don't have the pressure of competing at the top of the game, so have time to develop their players and can afford to bin them off if they don't work out.

Was reading a post on Reddit on the West Ham sub and one of their fans was complaing about them, calling them Maths Experiment clubs. I immediately thought, well if your own club was ran half as well as theirs you wouldn't be gettning relegated!

[jozza800]

So we bought rotten “vegetables and dogshit” this summer?

First I have heard of it,

No, we have a poor chef.

[Steveo]

We know that - but you and many others thought he won the title. Clearly it was the team left by Jurgen that did that.

A great manager makes average players look good and good players look great. When they leave, the standard drops back down to reality it took less than one year with the same group.

You can call the new guy a "poor chef" all you want, but the reality is he's been handed a random basket of chopped ingredients from a board who thinks buying expensive stuff automatically makes a good meal. Post Klopp panic

[reddownunder]

The difference for the Brentfords, Brightons and Bournemouths is they don't have the pressure of competing at the top of the game, so have time to develop their players and can afford to bin them off if they don't work out.

Was reading a post on Reddit on the West Ham sub and one of their fans was complaing about them, calling them Maths Experiment clubs. I immediately thought, well if your own club was ran half as well as theirs you wouldn't be gettning relegated!

Crazy to think that one of those clubs could be in the champions league next season

[jozza800]

You can call the new guy a "poor chef" all you want, but the reality is he's been handed a random basket of chopped ingredients from a board who thinks buying expensive stuff automatically makes a good meal. Post Klopp panic

Even a home schooled chef would know how to knock up a decent tea with what he found in the cupboards. Our 'chef' has almost burned down the house.

[jozza800]

We know that - but you and many others thought he won the title. Clearly it was the team left by Jurgen that did that.

A great manager makes average players look good and good players look great. When they leave, the standard drops back down to reality it took less than one year with the same group.

You can call the new guy a "poor chef" all you want, but the reality is he's been handed a random basket of chopped ingredients from a board who thinks buying expensive stuff automatically makes a good meal. Post Klopp panic

I do give credit to Slot for winning the title.

If you don't then you have to give credit to what must surely be an incredible set of players to win the title without Klopp.

Slot has made an absolute mess of the season.

[Steveo]

I do give credit to Slot for winning the title.

If you don't then you have to give credit to what must surely be an incredible set of players to win the title without Klopp.

Slot has made an absolute mess of the season.

I don't - If only things were as simplistic as you seem to believe jozza..


I give credit to the man who made average players good....good players great.....and top players the best in the world....

[Ravo19]

The bench hasnt been weak this season it hasnt existed and needs strengthening.
Harvey elliott should return as back up for the 10 spot and right attacking midfielder if sticking with 4 2 3 1.

[Steveo]

People forget - Elliot was good enough for Klopp to win trophies with - couldn’t get a game at Villa.

[jozza800]

I really like Elliot and was one of his biggest supporters (he had a lot critics) but he's likely to suffer the same positional puzzle as Wirtz if he stays with Slot in charge. He's a 10. He's not quick enough as a winger or robust enough as a central midfielder.

If we're going to continue with a 10 then persoanlly i'd keep him as backup to Wirtz. But you have to use him as the backup.

But if I was Elliot, and Slot stays, then I'd be looking for a new club. Over his 2 seasons Slot has made it obvious that he'd rather have chiseled square pegs in round holes rather than a slighty wonky round pegs in a round holes.

We have a squad with almost 'like for like' positional replacements for the first team, yet Slot wont use them.

File this one away under the Chiesa files.

[redgold]

File this one away under the Chiesa files.

If ever there was a player I'd like to personally apologise to it's Chiesa...