Your team v Atletico II (Champion's League)

[Steveo]

When they find a mug of a club who'd actually spend money on him. Same with Ox.
Only way Keita leaves is if we take an immense hit on him.

That's the answer to Vin's question right there...highlighted in bold and yes ditto Oxlade.

[Kev0909]

Maybe we can start a gofund me, or players fund?

I'm sure there's enough reds fans around the world right? if we all donate 1 pound, we may get there and hey some rich people may even put in 2 !

[miller0863]

Keita would be a perfect candidate to part ex for Bellingham

[justme]

which parts of Keita is working? maybe we can sell off his best bits at auction. We should have made a decision on him in the summer. Theres no way we will sell him not with his injury record.. It was wishful thinking he would go into a season and actually play more than 10 games. The problems are is that we need to shift players in the squad to get players in.
Will Keita and Oxlade happily leave 100 thousand a week job for less money?.

[Insidious]

Not giving Gini that extra year and leaving on amicable terms isn't looking like the sharpest idea.

Definitely will be a subject that rears its' head over the course of the season.

I still see it as an opportunity for others to get game time rather than a massive loss, but we have been a bit unlucky with the injury to Elliott. That selection gap opened an opportunity for the likes of Keita and Ox to try and nail down a spot (or show enough that we can sell one of them) and indeed chances for Jones and Elliott to work their way closer to the starting XI - the major injury to Elliott is pure bad luck. Numerically we are well stacked for midfielders, but as everyone knows we have one or two too many that are just too prone to being unavailable.

Ironically enough one or two have mentioned "feeling sorry for" Phillips and Gomez due to a lack of games at centre-back, but that's what happens when people play and are fit - if all of our midfielders had injury records similar to Suarez or Kuyt the complaint would be that we had too many players - it's just one of those things.

[justme]

Definitely will be a subject that rears its' head over the course of the season.

I still see it as an opportunity for others to get game time rather than a massive loss, but we have been a bit unlucky with the injury to Elliott. That selection gap opened an opportunity for the likes of Keita and Ox to try and nail down a spot (or show enough that we can sell one of them) and indeed chances for Jones and Elliott to work their way closer to the starting XI - the major injury to Elliott is pure bad luck. Numerically we are well stacked for midfielders, but as everyone knows we have one or two too many that are just too prone to being unavailable.

Ironically enough one or two have mentioned "feeling sorry for" Phillips and Gomez due to a lack of games at centre-back, but that's what happens when people play and are fit - if all of our midfielders had injury records similar to Suarez or Kuyt the complaint would be that we had too many players - it's just one of those things.

so your happy players "get time" just not about the results. that seems to be a common theme with you.. If you seriously cant see we are missing Gini or someone simiilar in midfield then you need to look again. How many games do we have to draw because we have run out of steam will it take or you or the club to realize. we are missing some real strenght in the centre of the pitch.

[Insidious]

so your happy players "get time" just not about the results. that seems to be a common theme with you...

Not what I said.

Yes, delighted for players to get time, but no, it's not a case of me not caring about the results.

Succession planning is important and undeniably it's a very fine balance. Currently, with 10/38 League games played we are just 3 points off top spot, with us also holding top spot in our Champion's League group. The quality we have in defence and attack does allow for a little bit of transition in midfield and if we had even one more available (Elliott for example) we have that one extra sub to help with the maintenance of energy in the middle of the park, though we've been unfortunate to have a miniature injury crisis overlapping a major injury to a player.

We have Henderson, Thiago, Fabinho, Keita, Ox, Jones, Milner and Elliott - EIGHT midfielders. In a perfect World we get a Wijnaldum-esque player in and I'd be very happy about that, but surely (and I'm not talking net spend here) someone gives way before we bring someone in, otherwise it's NINE which is overkill. I think the plan for this season was to wean Jones and Elliott in so they got, for talk's sake, 8-10 League starts each so that we could look forward, whilst simultaneously working out which of Ox/Keita we'd want to move out at the end of 21/22 with Milner. Then you can bring one (maybe two?) mids for 22/23 and all of a sudden we have potentially lowered the average age of the midfield unit whilst upping the health of it, assuming of course we bring a resilient mid in.

The injury crisis exacerbates the sense of wanting a "ready-made" midfielder in now, but I'm not sure how easy it is to justify a NINTH mid that further blocks the path of Elliott/Jones/youth prospects. I'm not averse to transfers and I want success, but I'll never shy away from a preference to give young talent a chance first when we have great players in other areas to slightly compensate, plus will always advocate 18-26 year old purchases more than 27-32 year old purchases so we don't create massive problems for ourselves when a whole spine changes at once - that's all.

Speaking specifically to your "strength" point - Jones isn't easily shrugged off the ball physically and given his age should get stronger yet. Naturally due to the stage of his development he'll give possession away via a sloppy pass and have the odd stinker, but his potential is enormous and I'd rather he get the time to grow (as Henderson did) before we buy 2 new mids or whatever.

[CCTV]

Not what I said.

Yes, delighted for players to get time, but no, it's not a case of me not caring about the results.

Succession planning is important and undeniably it's a very fine balance. Currently, with 10/38 League games played we are just 3 points off top spot, with us also holding top spot in our Champion's League group. The quality we have in defence and attack does allow for a little bit of transition in midfield and if we had even one more available (Elliott for example) we have that one extra sub to help with the maintenance of energy in the middle of the park, though we've been unfortunate to have a miniature injury crisis overlapping a major injury to a player.

We have Henderson, Thiago, Fabinho, Keita, Ox, Jones, Milner and Elliott - EIGHT midfielders. In a perfect World we get a Wijnaldum-esque player in and I'd be very happy about that, but surely (and I'm not talking net spend here) someone gives way before we bring someone in, otherwise it's NINE which is overkill. I think the plan for this season was to wean Jones and Elliott in so they got, for talk's sake, 8-10 League starts each so that we could look forward, whilst simultaneously working out which of Ox/Keita we'd want to move out at the end of 21/22 with Milner. Then you can bring one (maybe two?) mids for 22/23 and all of a sudden we have potentially lowered the average age of the midfield unit whilst upping the health of it, assuming of course we bring a resilient mid in.

The injury crisis exacerbates the sense of wanting a "ready-made" midfielder in now, but I'm not sure how easy it is to justify a NINTH mid that further blocks the path of Elliott/Jones/youth prospects. I'm not averse to transfers and I want success, but I'll never shy away from a preference to give young talent a chance first when we have great players in other areas to slightly compensate, plus will always advocate 18-26 year old purchases more than 27-32 year old purchases so we don't create massive problems for ourselves when a whole spine changes at once - that's all.

Speaking specifically to your "strength" point - Jones isn't easily shrugged off the ball physically and given his age should get stronger yet. Naturally due to the stage of his development he'll give possession away via a sloppy pass and have the odd stinker, but his potential is enormous and I'd rather he get the time to grow (as Henderson did) before we buy 2 new mids or whatever.

Our best 11 players though are

Alisson
Trent Matip VVD Robbo
Hendo Fabinho
Salah Jota Fimino Mane

Do you squeeze Jota or Bobby into a 433 formation ?

If so I'd put Bobby at lcm, he's Gini like in terms of qualities and in our 433 could get the left side ticking.

Alternatively you play a different system to get the best out of your best 11, or adapt the current one to suit.

[Nineteenx]

Our best 11 players though are

Alisson
Trent Matip VVD Robbo
Hendo Fabinho
Salah Jota Fimino Mane

Do you squeeze Jota or Bobby into a 433 formation ?

If so I'd put Bobby at lcm, he's Gini like in terms of qualities and in our 433 could get the left side ticking.

Alternatively you play a different system to get the best out of your best 11, or adapt the current one to suit.

From your best 11 pick

Alisson

Trent Matip Virgil Robertson

Jota Fabinho Hendo

Salah Firmino Mane

Worked well against City last season before Jurgen tried to shut up shop after 25 minutes, although the midfield was

Jota Hendo Gini and an unusual CB pairing of Matip Gomez

[CCTV]

Way I see it we have 2 very capable 6s in Fab and Hendo compared with a more attack minded player like Bobby or Jota to play in the 3. They are more AttaciingMid/Strikers.
It's squeezing the best players into a formation that would more naturally lean to a double pivot of Hendo & Fab.


Given other dynamics I think you have to leave the lcm berth as the one to be filled by one of those 2, Leave Hendo on the right.

Hendo Fab Jota
Salah Firmino Mane