Summer transfer thread

[Taksin]

That's why we see it very differently Taskin, my brain is very highly geared to recognise patterns of play and mechanics

Thanks again for the interesting post, Nineteenx. I'll give a few responses to explain why I don't think your insights are complete enough and maybe what the autistic understanding of football might be missing (I hope you don't mind me putting it that way).

Another feature of Hendo at No6 was his orchestrating the press, our press and counter press was at the highest levels it has ever been with him playing there and mechanics wise

Yes, this and many of your other observations of what is happening on the pitch with different players is hard to disagree with. The problem is, there are pressures that alter the possible set-ups due to all kinds of things; an injury here, a tired and out of form player there, or maybe a new idea germinating in Klopp's mind. What you are describing is how things work for the team, but what I am suggesting is it more fluid and part of an ongoing evolution (which, admittedly, can include Klopp or the players forgetting or not even noticing all of what makes them successful).

Fast forward to this season and the mechanics

First a foremost, Jurgen started tinkering with the forward's movement and positioning, specifically Mane's, I commented on this in the very first game it happened, as Robbo was making his bursts forward, looking for Mane in his usual position (obviously a very strong part of our mechanics) to link with, but Mane wasn't there, time and time again, as he had been instructed to take different positions. Mane didn't play as well and Robbo didn't play as well and I warned at the time, immediately in fact, that if we persisted with that, we would play both Mane and Robbo out of form and. that's exactly what happened

When you see things changing you imagine it is part of a conscious plan. But if that were the case, Klopp wouldn't be screaming at them from the sidelines. And if he puts Thiago on the pitch in Henderson's absence, he knows the mechanics will be different because they have different skills and qualities, but he doesn't imagine he can't put out a winning team, as Thiago is one of the best midfielders in football.

The other very noticeable difference was Jurgen tried to adopt a more patient passing style and ditched a lot, almost all of our more direct football, Henderson looked under instruction to stop playing his long diagonals,

But also the opposition was trying out new tactics against us. We have lost games with 75% possession this year. On top of that, the players may be a bit jaded and don't feel the intensity playing against a parked bus in an empty stadium that feels essentially like a friendly. You can demand tactics, shape and positioning, but sometimes the air has been let out of the tyres.

I have always maintained that a football team is like the human body, everything is connected and if something one part of the body is dependent on changes for whatever reason, it affects how everything else works and even one major change can see several other things break down

I agree with this. I would extend the body to include the fans below, the manager at the centre, and the ownership above. You need all three to be functioning to enjoy the success we have with the team in the last few seasons. The problem is that the body is not purely mechanical, much to the chagrin of the materialists. There is this pesky thing at the centre of it called psychology that can cause disease and generate healing. And good psychology can result in success, even if the body is falling apart (see Benitez 2005).

Psychology is the thing we don't understand the most about ourselves. That's why we need psychotherapists and I think it's also why we probably don't want our coach to be autistic - and I'm not taking the piss. Klopp has the power to raise the hopes of half a city. Mourinho (at this point in his career) has the power to depress people in their millions.

I've barely recognised our team in any game this season, we've played well and dominated most of our games, but the mechanics of our doing that have been entirely different for the most part

I just think it's been a dud season. As soon as we started losing the games we used to win, the fans think it's time for Mane, Salah, Firmino or whoever to go. They're finished. The fact that they haven't been replaced as of yesterday is evidence of underinvestment. We play well like yesterday and suddenly they look like world-beaters again.

The reason it's been a dud is probably due to Covid measures in my opinion, but people are so determined to keep the football passion rolling in their lives they seem to have been unwilling to factor this in. Is it a minor thing or is it everything?

[LEGS]

I agree with that Taksin about it being a dud season.

I mean yes they are pros who are paid stupid money but it isnt enjoyable for anyone players managers tv or fans.

I guess if you win something its abit of comfort but you cant really enjoy as much if you havent been on the journey with the team either by being at the games or going to watch it with your mates/family.

Two weeks today and its all over then hopefully we never see anything like this again.

[Nineteenx]

Rodrigo De Paul

[eggy81]

How many or our best players only have 2 years left now. Salah mane vvd are 3 I read earlier. Looks like we could be in for a period of huge change starting this summer

[Insidious]

How many or our best players only have 2 years left now. Salah mane vvd are 3 I read earlier. Looks like we could be in for a period of huge change starting this summer

Quietly confident that Salah's got just the 2 seasons left come the end of this season, so we will need to negotiate it quickly, or sell while he retains value.

[Nineteenx]

Some stats on Rodrigo De Paul this season

Box to box midfielder

Goals 9 assists 9 in a mid table Udinese side

Involved in 44% of all Udinese's goals

Great variation of assists, some brilliant through balls, long and short, some absolutely brilliant Trent like crosses, powerful, athletic, pretty quick, not lightning, but PDQ for a midfielder, great first touch, really decent dribbler with a few tricks up his sleeve he pulls off consistently

To my autistic spectrum recognition of patterns of play and mechanics, I have not ever seen a player who I think is such a perfect fit for Liverpool and who our team is such a perfect fit for his talents. What this lad does and can do with the ball in the exact same positions with players making runs in the exact same positions to the exact same areas that we've bemoaned all our current midfielders and Trent from that deeper inside right position lack of ability to do for the past 3 seasons blows every single one of them out of the water

You can see from his footage he prefers the RCM area but that he's equally comfortable at LCM or AM, can easily see him slotting in comfortably at right attacking midfield with Jota at left attacking midfield if Jurgen wants to play or switch to a 4231 in any game or at any point in any game

I've never been so excited about any player we've been linked to since Virgil, there's no such thing as a sure thing, but as far as sure things go, this lad being an incredible success in our side, given how we play and our mechanics and patterns of play is as sure a thing as you could possibly hope for, and in the current market you need as sure a thing as possible, really REALLY hope I'm not left disappointed on this one

He can play the balls we sometimes employ Shaq further forward late on in games to try and pick far better and more consistently, he can dribble and go by players using skill or strength and power far better than Keita, he is a proven set piece take, he can cross a ball in open play better than Hendo and approaching trent level, just absolute quality delivery, AND play that ball i'm always going on about, the cross from deep bent over the fist CB in behind the second towards the far post, AND get past a player with a sudden injection of speed to get off long shots like Ox.

Signing him would also give us priceless options tactically in games, in those games we keep Trent further back and more defensive looking to play switches, long diagonals and balls over the top for Mo, we'd STILL have a mid further forward who can put Trent like crosses in AND is better than Trent and that early ball over the first CB and in behind the second CB towards the far post, or pick a top quality through ball from the same position, which is absolutely fucking priceless when you've go Mane or Jota arriving there

We could easily offoad Keita, Shaq and Ox if we bring this lad in and look to land another who can operate at LCM of No6 too

[miller0863]

Not Klopp’s kind of player.

[reddownunder]

Not Klopp’s kind of player.

Neither is Thiago who I feel has upset the midfield as he doesn't press hard enough nor does he have the engine of a typical Klopp midfielder

[Insidious]

Really hope we have a good look at Alexander Isak but we're not one of the main names linked with him.

[scientificred]

Bukayo Saka at Arsenal looks pretty damn good Still only 19.
LM or LB
Could go for maybe £60 million.