His arrival seems to have boosted your profile back up to what it was around the Strachan/O'Neill eras. I don't think someone like Toure would've joined you under Delia. It'll be interesting to see how he deals with the threat of Rangers, something you haven't had to deal with for the last few years, personally I think it'll push you on and make you more competitive in the league and in Europe, something you might've been lacking over the last few years without many real domestic rivals. The flip side is that losing a game badly against Rangers can turn the supporters against you, something other managers haven't had to deal with recently (in the league). With no European football hampering us then we've got to be trying to get into the top 4. It will still be hard to do so with the quality of managers and players available to the other teams that want top 4. I look at Mourinho, Conte, Guardiola, Wenger (to a certain extent) etc. and they are all winners. It will be hard to topple even one of them to get into the top 4, and that's disregarding teams like Everton, West Ham etc. who have good managers and are perfectly capable of having a season like Leicester did last season, though maybe not going on to win the thing! Unless we make a world class signing out of the blue I personally see us finishing 5th or 6th and doing well in the domestic cups.
Having Rangers in top division is a boost, no matter what anyone says . That helped attract a Rodgers rather than a delia. Defo going to be a good season in Scotland ... Yeah , going to be tough , Chelsea arsenal Man U man city Tottenham yourselves plus Everton West Ham ... And maybe Leicester continuing on from last season ! I definitely think a world class striker , like a saurez type , is needed to push for top 4 .
Crossing is listed as a weakness of Wijinaldum's on WhoScored's website, and I don't think Mane is renowned for his crossing either.
Yup, I think there'll be a lot more interested viewers of the SPL this season with the Old Firm derby, especially if the semi final last season was a sign of things to come in terms of drama and atmosphere. Can only help your league develop back closer to what it was. Definitely, Sturridge has the quality but he isn't reliable enough, we need someone who can play a guaranteed 30+ league games a season and score/create close to 30 goals. If we go into the season as we are then we are putting a lot of faith in Firmino (not a striker), Origi & Ings (both inexperienced at top level) as we know Sturridge will probably miss at least 10 games in a season. Though I can see why we aren't rushing into buying anyone because £79m for Higuain, £30m for Deeney etc. is stupid money.
Haha, all part of Jurgen's master plan Obviously it wasn't the plan but we've got to take advantage of the fact that most of our top 4 rivals will play 10+ more games than us this coming season! As we did in 2013/14.
Benteke is the presumed target, but cannot understand why he cannot fit in to Klopp's system of play or Rodger's system. Something is wrong with the target .If the target only relies on others to do the donkey work, not a good target.
Hes a superb player let down by managers... he goes in the box the ball never comes. He comes short players hoof it over. He begs for a pass to feet players hold onto it and hold onto it until they end up passing backwards.
Transfer fees are outrageous just now and will get worse with more money flowing into epl. Deeney for 30m mental ! Think ings will go well this season ...at least 15 goals this season (if he gets a chance) but he's not thee answer to top 4 or league challenge .
it does help if the ball is played in the vicinity of said target a job that seems beyond the vast majority of our squad. quite why we signed another big target man when we have a squad totally incapable of supplying him is the more pertinent question
Yup, I think he might pick a few goals up along the season but like you say, he isn't the answer. He doesn't have the overall game to be a leading striker for a top 4 club. Players like Suarez occupy 2 or 3 defenders even on a bad day, I don't think Ings has that ability.
MITO, I thought buying Benteke was insane, but I hoped for the best and, after the home game against Bournemouth, I thought he may adapt in a way that Ballotelli didn't. But do you remember the West Ham away game in the Prem? Okay, they were all poor that day, but all he did was follow James Collins around (not the other way) and stand next to him hoping for a pass from Platini or Cruff, presumably. He just hasn't got one tenth of the brains of Studge. We can't even get a full game out of Studge, never mind a full season. But he's only on the pitch for five minutes and the difference is astonishing.
Shushh.. dont ruin it. Hes an amazing 40mil player whos going to score 25 next season And ill keep saying it til hes sold
Spoken by a man who knows his own worth....................... Zlatan: "All I'm hearing is Pogba is too expensive, this and that, well, my jersey sales alone will pay for Pogba."