I assume klopp thought Jones would play a bigger role plus didn’t expect to lose Elliott for the season so can’t fully blame not buying someone there. Let’s just see if we learned lessons from last season by getting someone in early January
I wouldn't hold my breath. As long as we have Fabinho plus one of Thiago / Naby next to him, we will win games and should stop giving away leads and dropping points. The lack of control and protection the midfield is providing is really hurting us this season. If he had our best mid, we'd be turning those draws into wins IMO.
Windy was ****.lets not eulogise about him now.he is gone. Nat.phillips rarely gets injured either Get on the klopp wagon lads. Klopp will back and develop youth. Hes got in elliott and Jones and given them their chance. In the long term you will be grateful. If you want to make a point then make it about not shifting ox and keita on and buying in replacements. Let's not forget we have a strategy to back young players so they need to be backed and brought on.
I agree to some extent re. Gini. However whilst I absolutely couldn't stand the way he was on the ball, we cannot underestimate a) his availability and b) his defensive contribution. He would sit alongside Fab and play as a second 6, and that's how were able to control so many games because he is good at not losing the ball and also blocking passing lanes. Thiago and Naby can both play this role whilst contributing to our attacking play but neither have the availability. I said before this season that I would happily sell the likes of Ox and Naby because I want physical and robust players. Happy for Jones and Elliot to get game time and to develop, however neither play the disciplined defensive role that Gini does.
the main issue here is still not windy ****ing off. Its not replacing the players we know are not good enough. minamino, origi, ox, keita (cos he just cannot stay fit) those guys are on my list for 2 years now at this point. I've seen zero moves on any of them to improve the squad. theres over 110mil of investment there which is really the issue.
Klopp reportedly unhappy with our body language and effort when we went 2-0 up, not doing the jobs they were put out to do. We do seem to have an issue of switching off and going in cruise control if it looks like we're getting a simple win (Man U game aside). We also did it against Milan at home and Atletico away. We're not closing out games as we should.
Well, not replacing Gini and not finding reliable midfielders to replace Ox and Naby are pretty much the same issue i.e. not bringing someone in!
The only plausible reasoning for not buying a midfielder this summer is because we're holding out for someone i.e. Bellingham.
Tbf we started the season with 8 fully fit midfielders. That allows for rotating as little injuries occur, nobody could have foreseen Elliott's long term injury, Jones' concussion, Thiago and Fab longish injuries and two hamstrings ... almost simultaneously. One after the other you can cope with, all together, not so much.
Exactly jb..........8 midfielders should be enough in normal circumstances. We have been unfortunate again with injuries but one or two will be back very soon, maybe even for AM.
We have numbers but not the quality / reliability. Ox, Naby, Thiago, Hendo and even Fab all pick up injuries throughout the injury.
List of 8 4 regularly pick up knocks and have done since they arrived. 2 are absolute unreliable crocks. The other two are jones and Elliott. Negligent.
So what did you want us to do? Buy another 2 midfielders (and not buy Konate?) so we had 10 midfielders for 3 slots? Its not as simple as we just need to buy another player. Maybe wasnt one available? Maybe couldn’t convince some e to come in and be 8th choice behind Jones and Elliott. Yes ideal workd we get rid of ox Keita Minamino and free up space abs then buy a quality player or two to replace them, but ho is buying any of those players?
My answer to that is simple. Klopps had his plan to keep elliott and jones in house and use them in his system. I've no issue with that and applaud it. The issue is knowing that milner has been a sick note for 2 years and ox and keita are too similar in fitness and style. Someone needed to leave last summer imo and one come in to freshen it up. As nobody left there was no room to buy in, exactly as you say. Same for up top lmo. 4 good ones and two coming back in form but two milestones in minamino and origi who were not shifted. If we dont let players go we can't bring players in. It's that simple. Its.more about balance. Gk absolutely fine. Adrian is not needed imo Defence: absolutely fine in all slots imo. Midfield. Here's the thing. Milner winger. Thinks he is a cm but he is not. Ox. Same. Keita not a deep lying playmaker. Dribble, shoots, passes, intercepts, goes down as soon as a stiff breeze blows off the sea. Another attacker. Jones. He is a left winger moving back Elliott right winger moving back. Henderson. Thinks he is box to box. Thiago, deep lying playmaker who's made of glass Fabinho no 6. So if we could keep fabinho henderson and thiago actually fit then there is no issue but even take one of fabinho and thiago out and the gaps open up. Take two out and its either all out attack and goals or backs to wall attack v defence. Attack. Its "ok" but imo we are a body short up top with two absolutely not up to the level reserves cockbloxking transfers. If we get thiago on the park with fabinho all these issues start to go away. Simple.
The only reliable midfielder we had in terms of injury was Wijnaldum. We didn't buy a replacement (although arguably that was Thiago because the club knew Gini wasn't renewing) but we brought in two youngsters to rotate, develop and do the job and fill the gap between them. Without Elliott's injury, we wouldn't be having the conversation. We could have bought another midfielder and he could have got injured. Throw out a few names Jimmy of midfielders who are rarely injured that we should/could have gone for.
Yes to all bar the fact that both youngsters are attacking minded so the balance is off. I see 6 who only want to go forward. Sitting with the ball and making play is a mindset. I call that proper midfield play. I cannot abide how Henderson wanders forward of the ball when the opponent its "top quality" it just shows impatience and disrespect to opponent. The like of thiago is always available and always making play as hes in the right place.
This is it. I'm happy Jones and Elliot are getting game time but neither can play that Gini role. The only two players who can do it are injury prone, but you're also limiting their true potential. Thiago down that right side during the end of the last season was phenomenal.
You touched on something here - playmaker. Thiago fits the bill perfectly in all aspects of the role, Fabinho too and both work hard in defence, actually Mané and Salah work harder on defence than most of our midfielders.
