Luckily I couldn’t watch live this weekend, but looked at the team sheet and thought we’d struggle. I don’t know what else to say about this lot, you think you’ve turned a corner and can get some real momentum going, then throw a result like this in to the mix. Infuriating stuff.
It is infuriating but unlike the teams above us atm, we haven't had a settled starting lineup to get any real sort of rhythm or momentum going. Our top priority in the summer was Tchouameni. That area had already been identified as needing a new body and also what type of body. It would have transformed the team. The baffling thing for me was not going for an alternative. Did they look at Guimares (spl) for example? Some have said we got Nunez instead but I think the money and the desire was there for both. New faces help motivate the whole team, is the opposite true? I don't know. I still think the click is coming when everything will fall into place.
I'm sure I read somewhere that Bruno was definitely a target but Newcastle came in for in January however we decided to go all in on Tchouameni - which is fair enough however as you say, it's negligent to not have a back up in place. The long term squad planning from us has been shocking and we've allowed rivals to overtake us.
There’s nothing we can do about it now or maybe ever but the problems started after we won the CL. We never strengthened properly for two windows…..we simply cannot go spend big every window…..so the team has aged together with little blended in over a two year period when we had real success - a cardinal sin according to shanks and co. We needed to add at the top because when you’re not there, the pool of talent willing to come gets smaller. Now we have to rebuild again, rather than seamlessly adjust the team….
Very true. No consistency, no line up to rely upon. You are right that the strong rumour was klopp was after said player and talked to said player and you are right that we bought nunez but i also agree it was not either but a player in each position. For me this is about young but ready players who can give for 90 and turn round and give for 90 again the next game. Alisson Check Trent - inconsistent and picked up injury. we are seeing in and out at RB, no consistency lately Robertson - Again injured. More inconsistency. its not like tsimikas set the world alight coming in. Matip - Gomez- Konate - injuries, bad form. **** mistakes. we cannot get one guy to stand firm here VVD- shadow vvd more like. Fabinho - nightmare fall off in ability to get about. Thiago - can't run. in and out as well. Henderson - can't last 90 never mind play 2 in a row. Salah/Elliott. RW: we will see. Salah's drop off is awful. elliott is doing ok as rw but well... Diaz/Jota/Carvalho. 2 injuries and one not ready. pretty much nightmare Jota/Firmino/Nunez - head butts, injuries, inconsistency. can't get a settled pair up top We need the 23-25 year old line up Alisson Trent Konate VVD Robertson (vvd looking old) Salah Henderson Thiago Carvalho (real issues here but what else do we have) Firmino Nunez The reality is we should be playing Alisson Trent Konate VVD Robertson Salah New CM New CM Diaz jota Nunez If we could have fitness locked down and that kind of younger line up where we ate just carrying salah and vvd as OAPs it wouldnt be so bad.
You summed it up nicely there "injuries, inconsistency. can't get a settled pair up top" - or at the back. We played every game it was possible to play last season - 63? 100% effort for 50% of the rewards. Add to that the CL final debacle away from the actual game and you can see not only the physical but the emotional toll. Of the three things pointed out, consistency is the most important. That can only come with a return from injury and less injuries occurring which will in turn lead to a settled lineup and consistency will resume. This team and Klopp have spoilt us with the best football a lot of us has ever seen. Once you've been spoilt in this way, you want more and more because that's what you've come to expect. The Rolls needs a new engine but it can still do extremely well in the race.
Only we can have a fairly settled team if we wanted but we chopping and changes it around because of the number of fixtures we have to fulfil. Same for most other teams too.
We really can't. We lost 3 forwards to injury so have had to play Firmino whether that was the plan or not. Both RW and LW have been out with injuries and as we don't have a RW understudy we've had to mix and match there as well. Back line, we've only had Virgil as a permanent with his partner being whoever is fit at the time. I'm not even going to mention the midfield options..Nowhere on the pitch, other than Salah, Alisson and Virgil, have we been able to plan for the next game. The chopping and changing has been a necessity not a choice and nothing to do with fixtures. Out of interest because I don't keep track, which teams have had only 3 regular players so far this season?
Keita and Ox are 27 and 29; they're the ones who should be there. That was £100m that was ultimately misspent, sadly. They'll both be off the books next season, freeing up squad space and wages, possibly Milner and Bobby as well (think Bobby will probably get an extension though). Beyond RF, nowhere else really needs investment unless someone leaves, so we can go all out on midfield. Maybe Tielemanns in January for not much or the summer on a free, leaving more money for e.g. Bellingham? Our scouts are better than me though so probably got better/cheaper names in mind.
none of our current midfielders are "ready" or able to keep running any more by the look of it. henderson thiago fabinho milner, ox , kieta. thats 6 of 8. they just don't look at the party in terms of running I duno.
