/glares in Dave Dombrowski's directionWhat's the point of having the best recruitment staff in the world if you won't pay for the players they want?
Maybe John Henry should sell some bricks from Anfield to try to raise some funds since he's so strapped for cash.
That’s a very thoughtful reply to Dummy’s trolling.Continuing on from @Dummy Hoy's comment in the Chelsea thread re: Werner:
/glares in Dave Dombrowski's direction
Not much to say - it's clear Klopp wanted him, he would have been a perfect fit in allowing Firmino to play deeper and go with the 4-4-2 diamond that worked well in the last few months of Coutinho's tenure as an alternate look to the 4-3-3, but it is what it is. They could waste the entirety of Mane / Salah / Van Dijk's primes I don't think they have the financial flexibility, nor are they enamored enough, with Kai Havertz as an alternative, and Mbappe is laughable to even suggest with Madrid lurking.
I still think they are in a good place to defend their title in the coming season, but it's obvious with Chelsea spending big and United / City sure to splash cash, the competition will be as stiff as ever. Thankfully, Spurs are broke!
In: Harry Wilson, Marko Grujic, Rhian Brewster (loans ending)
Out: Adam Lallana, Xherdan Shaqiri, Nathaniel Clyne
First choice attack: Mane, Firmino, Salah
Attack cover: Minamino, Origi, Wilson, Elliott, Brewster
First choice midfield: Henderson, Wijnaldum, Fabinho
Midfield cover: Oxlade-Chamberlain, Keita, Milner, Grujic, Jones
16 deep for 6 positions seems adequate, though I wouldn't be surprised if Wilson is sold and veteran attacking cover is brought in. Defensive cover is a bigger need in all likelihood.
First choice defense: Robertson, Van Dijk, Gomez, Alexander-Arnold
Defense cover: Matip, Lovren, Hoever, van den Berg
Karius is coming back from loan at Besiktas but I doubt he'd be kept as a backup on his wages, so maybe the job is Kelleher's.
I think the key point is “the right guys” .. or, more accurately the right guys to fill positions of real need. When you have a glaring hole in the lineup it’s pretty easy to justify spending big to fill it. Werner, on the other hand was going to be, at least initially , a complimentary player and long term protection against any of the front three leaving.That’s a very thoughtful reply to Dummy’s trolling.
It stinks to miss out on Werner who is entering his prime, wants to play here, is such a great fit for the tactics, and has already shown great ability. I doubt he’ll flop at Chelsea, but LFC has a strong recent track record of fiscal prudence. They’ve laid out record breaking fees for the right guys - VVD & Alison - made smart bargain purchases, and reinvested in the squad’s core players. Have to trust the process that has gotten the club to this point.
Plus, Lampard doesn’t know his ass from his elbow. He’ll squander this.
good point. If I’m being honest, the part that gives me pause is the apparently split between Klopp and the front office. The pieces I’ve read so far make it seem like Klopp was all in on Werner. Not that I think this will sour the LFC-Klopp relationship, but rather than Klopp knows the squad so well and has a long track record of identifying his guys.I think the key point is “the right guys” .. or, more accurately the right guys to fill positions of real need. When you have a glaring hole in the lineup it’s pretty easy to justify spending big to fill it. Werner, on the other hand was going to be, at least initially , a complimentary player and long term protection against any of the front three leaving.
Plus, you always worry about team psychology when bringing in a player of Werner’s stature. What kind of message is that sending to Mane or Salah?
For those that scoff at this kind of stuff It’s quite illuminating reading about Fernando Torre’s decline and fall at Liverpool. Sometimes you have to coddle player’s egos to get the most out of them.
https://www.theanfieldwrap.com/2017/04/fernando-torres-on-his-anfield-exit-a-complete-chapter-from-ring-of-fire-liverpool-into-the-21st-century-the-players-stories/
Just like Van Dijk got an assist for being fouled for TAA's free kick.I wonder how pissed TAA is that Robbo got an "assist" on Fabinho's thunderstrike. We know they're competing, but that falls into a "Dude, really?" category.
There goes the points record....Matip is out for the rest of the year with a for injury, so be prepared for some more of the Dejan Lovren Experience in the last few games.
Yeah, I think Gomez will be the first choice in the run-in, but with 7 games in 24 days they're going to need to rotate some. Hopefully nobody on the back line gets injured, since with Milner hurting as well Gomez is probably the first backup for the fullbacks.There goes the points record....
I’m actually hoping Gomez can use this opportunity to lock down the job next to VVD. He’s grown so much as a game-reader and positioner since VVD arrived, but the only way he’ll continue to improve is to get regular starts. No disrespect to Matip, but I think he’s done developing. I believe Gomez has another level he can unlock running alongside VVD.
They've got Williams who can play Right Back, but don't really have a back up Left back.Yeah, I think Gomez will be the first choice in the run-in, but with 7 games in 24 days they're going to need to rotate some. Hopefully nobody on the back line gets injured, since with Milner hurting as well Gomez is probably the first backup for the fullbacks.
Larouci should get some run at LB, see if he can grab the backup LB position for next season.They've got Williams who can play Right Back, but don't really have a back up Left back.
Anyway, would love to hear about other people's experiences with the book, the Shankly days, whatever. Cheers!Bill walked over to the bed. Bill picked up his shirt and Bill put on his shirt. His brand-new red shirt. Bill went to the dressing table. Bill opened the top drawer. Bill took out his cufflinks. His gold cufflinks. Bill closed the drawer. Bill did up the cuffs of his shirt. His brand-new red shirt. Bill went to the wardrobe. Bill opened the doors. Bill took out his suit. His freshly cleaned grey suit with the white pinstripe. Bill left the wardrobe doors open. Bill walked over to the bed. Bill laid out the suit on top of the bed covers. Bill took the trousers from the coat hanger. Bill put on the trousers of his suit. His freshly cleaned grey suit with the white pinstripe. Bill went back to the dressing table. Bill opened the second drawer of the dressing table. Bill took out a red tie. The red tie his daughters had given him for Christmas. The red tie Bill had never worn before. Bill closed the drawer. Bill walked back to the wardrobe. The doors still open. Bill stood before the mirror on the back of one of the doors. Bill put on his tie. His red tie. Bill went back over to the bed. Bill picked up the jacket from the bed. Bill took the jacket from the coat hanger. Bill put on the jacket of his suit. His freshly cleaned grey suit with the white pinstripe. Bill walked back over to the dressing table. Bill opened the top drawer of the dressing table again. Bill took out one white handkerchief and one red pocket square. Bill closed the drawer. Bill put the white handkerchief in his left trouser pocket. Bill laid the red pocket square on the top of the dressing table. It looked like a red diamond. Bill brought the bottom point of the red pocket square up to the top point. It looked like a red triangle. Bill brought the left corner of the triangle to the right corner and then the right corner to the left corner. It looked like a long red rectangle with a point at the top. Bill folded the bottom almost towards the top. Bill walked back over to the mirror on the back of the wardrobe door. Bill stood before the mirror. Bill placed the red pocket square in the breast pocket of his grey jacket. Bill looked in the mirror. Bill adjusted the pocket square until just enough of the point was coming out of the pocket. The red point out of the grey pocket. Bill stepped back a little from the mirror. In the house, their semi-detached house on Bellefield Avenue, West Derby. In the bedroom, in the mirror. Bill looked at himself, Bill saw himself. And Bill smiled. Today, Chelsea Football Club were coming to Anfield, Liverpool. Today, the world would be coming to Anfield, too. Today, Bill knew the world would be watching Liverpool Football Club. And Bill could not wait, Bill just could not wait.
Sure, KDB was the best player in matches, but how many rousing half time speeches did he give? How many training ground dust ups did he quell? How many texts did he send checking in on teammates???Although I think KDB should have it you won’t get many arguments from me about a Liverpool player getting it after dominating the league. However, Henderson seems like one of those embarrassing choices writers make when they get swept up in Captain Intangibles garbage. Mane or TAA or Van Dijk were far more critical to your success imo.
It's strange with opinions on Henderson. He's either winning the media's player of the year or viewed as just a guy by many fans. Allison is world class. He also missed nearly 3 months to start the season. The club was 8 points up when he returned vs ManU. Henderson didn't earn Liverpool and England armband by having cool eyes and a gait. He brings a lot to the table on the actual pitch. For me, he was their best player when they won the world title vs Flamengo. I wouldn't have voted for him, but he also is not just along for the ride while the club is racking up trophies.Yeah this award is a joke. Henderson was like the sixth or seventh best player on his own team this season. I would have picked TAA, VVD, Salah, Allison, Robertson, and Mane above him.
I think Henderson is a very good player. He's better than Just a Guy. But Liverpool are stacked right now. Being the sixth best player on Liverpool is no crime.It's strange with opinions on Henderson. He's either winning the media's player of the year or viewed as just a guy by many fans. Allison is world class. He also missed nearly 3 months to start the season. The club was 8 points up when he returned vs ManU. Henderson didn't earn Liverpool and England armband by having cool eyes and a gait. He brings a lot to the table on the actual pitch. For me, he was their best player when they won the world title vs Flamengo. I wouldn't have voted for him, but he also is not just along for the ride while the club is racking up trophies.
Edit: The award itself has a goofy history. No City player has ever won it. During the Shiek's ownership, there have been multiple seasons where the best player has been at City.
This is very true. John Cross was referencing the philanthropy Henderson has done this year during Covid. Very admirable, but it was all he talked about when stating the case for him.It's so like the English press to look at a team like Liverpool and pick the white English guy as the most important player because of his intangibles.
Wait I read this the other day on a Twitter daily email I get for some reason and literally thought it was a joke. Good grief.Yeah this award is a joke. Henderson was like the sixth or seventh best player on his own team this season. I would have picked TAA, VVD, Salah, Allison, Robertson, and Mane above him.
He posted a nice goodbye on instagramDone deal: Dejan Lovren has left Liverpool to join Zenit St Petersburg.
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/dejan-lovren-liverpool-transfer-news-18669431