Liverpool transfers in/out and rumours 22/23 + Contracts

[Steveo]

Yes, but he still, imo, has blind spots - Fabinho and Thiago in midfield for one, continuing to play Robbo when he's so obviously out of form being another.
All things considered, I suppose, he's not doing too badly.

I agree he has a midfield blind spot... but - this from almost May of last season ( that's April 25 2022) would suggest that the Thiago and Fabinho pairing is not the blind spot.


https://www.planetfootball.com/quick-reads/liverpool-thiago-fabinho-starting-together-alcantara-record-stats-jurgen-klopp/

"not doing too badly" indeed

[Taksin]

Yes, but he still, imo, has blind spots - Fabinho and Thiago in midfield for one, continuing to play Robbo when he's so obviously out of form being another.
All things considered, I suppose, he's not doing too badly.

That's how it looks - he isn't perfect after all.

Having said that I believe he favours training over transfers. If he has top class professionals at his disposal and he thinks they have the right character to work with him, I think he prefers to use what he has and believes he can make a success of it. The Diaz purchase shows that we don't buy players under instruction from the manager. He doesn't say that's what I want now. Its more of an ongoing process, finding the most talented footballers around (that isn't Klopp's job), monitoring them, looking at the economics of the move, getting the timing right. All of that is part of squad building.

[Insidious]

Lot's of 1% increases the day we signed Jurgen.. And coincidentally the year we released the Coutinho dosh on Virgil - Alisson - Fabinho - and Shaq too.

Henderson doesn't lift a major trophy without that despite all the little 1%'s. Most of us know what and where the power comes from. Where that real tangible difference is made.

I get what you are saying Sid but honestly mate it isn't the physio's or the data teams any more than it is the weather on training camp pre season ...

Klopp is undoubtedly the largest factor in our success and needless to say, transfers/investment play a big role too, nobody would begrudge you that stance - Klopp is immense and finances are an important part of competing.

I do think however that you're doing a slight disservice to the backroom staff - in recruitment for example players like Brandt and Gotze would be here rather than Mane and Salah - indeed, Salah was one Klopp's been reported to have needed persuading on yet he is now our best-paid player.

Jürgen himself would tell you that he couldn't so his job without the staff he has at the club, some of whom have PhDs and are very high up in their field.

All of these "bits and pieces" stack up. Klopp is of course the roots and the trunk of the tree, but the branches, buds and leaves all play a part as well.

[Steveo]

Very true Sid.. I guess I was just suggesting that all these undoubtably great professionals could be at other clubs or here with another manager and their effect would very likely be far less than they are with a maestro like Jurgen. His lack of ego being just another weapon in his arsenal.

[Insidious]

Amadou Onana linked. Apparently a bit of a knob so I would be surprised.

Matheus Nunes described as a "strong possibility". One or two of the accounts that are pushing the idea are names I remember being affiliated with the Núñez rumours so this might(?) have legs though I don't see it unless we think we have something lined up in terms of a departure for Ox or something.

[Jenson78]

Regardless of the amount of injuries we get from now until the transfer window shuts. I would be very surprised if we brought anyone else in. Can see us getting rid of a few tho. FSG love to balance the books.

[Insidious]

Regardless of the amount of injuries we get from now until the transfer window shuts. I would be very surprised if we brought anyone else in. Can see us getting rid of a few tho. FSG love to balance the books.

Thankfully all the injuries are pretty short-term so far.

Our most injury-prone area of the pitch is midfield and even after Henderson/Thiago/Fabinho/Milner/Keita/Jones/Elliott/Ox (approximate pecking order) we have Morton if we don't loan him out. Carvalho has no. 10 qualities for me but could probably do the no. 8 type of stuff in our system if we got down to the bare bones, which would be incredibly unlucky given that we can better manage minutes with the 5-subs rule.

I wouldn't worry too much - quality goes down in certain positions the further down the pecking order you go, but that's true for all sides.

[justme]

short term injuries for Ox/Keita/ Thiago etc are LONG term. its because they have so many

[Insidious]

short term injuries for Ox/Keita/ Thiago etc are LONG term. its because they have so many

Get what you mean.

That said, Keita's injury rate (compared to what we are used to) was pretty good last season - think his and Thiago's minutes were managed quite well, so hopefully we see them fare better.

Morton's a curious one for me. I'd want to loan him so he is ready for next season, yet (due to his potential versus Ox having likely peaked) I personally would be having him play before Ox now - but I am very future-focused to be fair so that's subjective on my part.

[redebreck]

Ben Davies moving to Rangers for £4 million.
Because, apparently, Bassey has been bought by Ajax reportedly for £20 million.
Another £4 m for FSG's pockets.
What do we think of the selling price - bit cheap in my opinion?