They are all an improvement though. My concern is that Origi and Ings are also first team players, we need a quality striker as we cannot rely on Studge to be fit. Neither of those 2 are it imo.
They may well be your hopes and dreams but we are wandering in a Rodgers wonderland and they both may well start.
haha that is true. My biggest concerns are that he will start Lovren over Sakho, and won't start Can in midfield, thus sticking with Milner and Hendo as a midfield 2.
Picking a team from the current squad is difficult, we lack in some key areas and have lots of options in others, it's a very disjointed squad.
I very much believe BR is still on the hunt for a striker, unfortunately I don't think we will all welcome his eventual choice
Striker/Attacker - I'm sure we'll get one in. But I hope we do try and go for Pedro - quality player and can play up front.
Where I see us at the moment Clyne----Skrtle----Sakho----Moreno ----------Henderson--Milner----------- ----------------Coutinho----------------- Firmino-------Sturridge----------Origi Defence - picks itself basically, Lovren should be played in the EL until he shows some grit Midfield - Milner WILL play centrally, he's admitted he basically moved because of that guarantee and will be a starter, again, part of why he moved - Henderson will start - he's now captain - Coutinho will start, and must be played as CAM (we all know how ineffective he is on the wing) Attack - Firmino can play across the front 3, I expect to see him on the wing - Origin on the other wing, who else could boot him out of that position? - Sturridge as the main man Changes? - what do we do with the striker situation? any top striker will want to be a starter, so that means 2 up top when Sturridge is fit. So do we drop origi? - Skrtle, not good enough as starter - Midfield, no real holding presence - is a combination of Milner/Hendo dynamic enough? - Wing, Origi is untested. A "Reus" type signing could be phenomenal here
I really want us to give Wisdom or Ilori a chance at RCB - the likes of Varane and Agger were given chances when young and it does no harm. The team I would like to see: Migs Clyne Ilori Sakho Moreno Can Henderson Milner Coutinho Firmino (Both central) Striker But I do have big concerns that Sakho and Can will not be starting next season.
Clyne----Skrtle----Sakho----Moreno --------------------Can--------------------- ----------Henderson--Milner----------- ----------------Coutinho----------------- --------Firmino-------Sturridge---------- Would be my outfield 10 as it stands, with Hedno and Milner providing some width. Or covering when the full backs get forward. Firmino dropping into a number 10 with Coutinho when needed. Sturridge up top until injury! Basically we need a striker and a DM to challenge with Can. A decent starting 11 though IMO.
The weak link with all of this tbh is Sturridge. He can't be relied upon anymore tbh and BR should now start to see him as a luxury backup. Even when he returns, I guarantee he will be injured again by Christmas. I read that he's been injured like 13 times since he joined for us, staggering.
If I was picking from the current team......... Clyne----Skrtel----Sakho----Moreno -------------------Lucas---------------------- ---------Hendo-----------Milner----------- -----Firmino-------------------Coutinho- -------------------Studge-------------------- But I'm not happy with it and don't like the balance at all, this is what I mean by disjointed. If Rodgers is going to play without Lucas then this happens. Clyne----Skrtel----Sakho----Moreno ---------Hendo-----------Milner----------- -----Firmino--Coutinho-Lallana------ -------------------Studge-------------------- or Clyne----Skrtel----Sakho----Moreno ---------Hendo----Can-----Milner------ ------------------Coutinho------------------ -------------Firmino--Studge------------ The last one at least gives us some kind of balance.
We've had Johnson (over 30), Skrtel (over 29/30), Enrique (29). They're all sh*t. I would prefer a more experienced back line but Rodgers does not want to invest heavily in defensive minded players. Clyne is a good addition, Moreno has a lot of potential (and is far better playing as a left back alongside Sakho, than in a wing back role). Skrtel is horrendous in a back 2 unless he's protected by two holding mids and in a deep line. I rather give Ilori a chance - as mentioned, Agger, Stones and Varane both started young and I'm sure there are other examples - bottom line, quality shines through at any age.
But Skrtel, Lovren, Johnson have all been eaten alive also. Reason being is that they're sh*te. Ilori, Wisdom, Clyne are young players but they possess quality. Give me that over age any day of the week.
I agree with you, I think Clyne is a good addition and want Sakho to start like everyone else! I do think throwing Ilori straight in would be a disaster though. Keep Skrtel in there with Sakho.
I'd give him a chance if he had an old head to guide him along but to have a back 4 with all of them being young could be a problem. Personally I don't think we have bad center backs in Skrtel and Lovren I just think that both of them need the right partner, there's a reason Lovren looked a cracking player at Southampton, he's called Fonte and is a communicator and organiser something that we desperately need.
I dont get all the Skrtel bashing tbh. Yeah at times he can make a mistake, but you know he'll give a 100% and often saves our bacon with last ditch tackles. I actually think he's been a very good player for the club and provides that experience we need while our younger players develop. It wasn't long ago that he was player of the season, he rarely gets injured and doesn't shirk out of any challenges. Of course there are better defenders out there, I just think people jump on him far too easily. The reality is he's our first choice RCB, and imo deserves to be, until someone can actually step up and make the position theirs. People saying Ilori should start etc etc. just because he looked good in the U21's recently doesn't mean he'll be able to step up and be a mainstay in the PL just yet. His time will come when he's ready - I'm pretty sure the staff at Liverpool know a bit more about our defenders than us sat at work on a computer
