Right! for this exercise I'm going to make the following assumptions, if you disagree with those assumptions very strongly then I'm afraid this exercise will be seen as pointless by you so why point it out eh?. Assumption 1: The current attempted style/system (call it what you will) is the right system to be played over the next 3-5 years at Liverpool FC and more importantly WILL be played at LFC. The players kept and bought should be with this system and its variations in mind. Assumption 2: Brendan Rodgers will be given the full 3 years to prove his system a success or failure. Assumption 3: FSG will only provide 30-40 million a year without sales. Those players will have to be under 26. Assumption 4: We need 4 players for each position and to be competitive those players must fall into the top 2 of the following categories. So; I've looked at our squad and broke it up into 4 categories: 1)Good enough now to be in a competitive first team capable of at least reaching top4 2)A young prospect or new enough to the team to still be considered a prospect but I expect to be good enough by the end of the 3 year cycle to move to category 1. 3)Squad: Good enough to be in the team this year but for various reasons shouldd be replaced by the end of year 3. Ideally that replacement will be immediately a category 1 player but minimun category 2. 4) Not good enough for a squad looking to make top 4 and beyond. Should be removed/replaced as soon as possible. The reason can be age, lack of ability or temperment. Good Enough: GK Reina RB (LB cover) Johnson RB (CB cover) Kelly CB Agger CB Skrtel LB Enrique DM Lucas AM (DM cover) Allen AM Sahin * Front 3 (F3) Suarez Prospect: CB Wisdom (RB cover) CB Coates CB Wilson CB Sama LB Robinson AM Henderson (DM cover) AM Shelvey AM Suso F3 Sterling F3 Borini F3 Assaidi F3 Yesil * F3 Morgan Squad: GK Jones GK Gulasci Coady (only because of the comp ahead of him) DM Spearing AM Gerrard (purely because of age and not my personal criticism of him lately) F3 Pacheco F3 Carroll Not Good Enough: GK Doni: Ever to return? RB Flannigan CB Carragher (great servant but done) F3 Cole F3 Downing Feel free to dispute my placements, Dont assume it's necessarily because I think the player is bad, it migh be the competition ahead and behind him for the same position, their age etc. I do not deem a new player needed immediately unless we only have 1 in category 1 currently, other wise we should add over the 3 year cycle. I have it that we need the following: GK 1 immediately, 1 over 3yrs LB 1 immediately CB 1 over 3yrs RB 1 over 3 years DM 1 over 3 years AM* 1 over 3 years but this is on the assumption we get to keep Sahin F3* 2 immediately but this is on the basis we get to keep Yesil I have also not included the likes of Sinclair or anyone else I think might need more than the 3 years to make it in the first team. I also am of the understanding that my coverage is based on the sensible usage of the youngsters and no devasting run of injuries in one position. So I think 4 players over the next couple of windows (strikers the priority) and 9 over the 3 year cycle. (Again not taking into account that by year 3 we could have one or two new in the prospect category from the academy). If we are looking to bring in category 1 and 2 players I dont think £120 million (including wages) is going to be enough from FSG. So I think we will need to rely on a bit of luck I'm afraid, But I do think a large part of the squad is present in the first 2 categories, maybe not enough in 1 but I do think managed properly that many in category 2 will move up within a year. I think overall the ingredients are there over the 3 year cycle. So I'm essentially back to preaching patience again. I'll leave others to suggest the players to bring in or tear the whole thing to shreds lol......
Of that good enough list Reina has been **** for nearly 2 years! And Enrique has been woefully out of form since January and is looking likely to be shipped out in the next transfer window. Johnson, Kelly and Agger aren't really reliable enough to depend on them to manage playing most league games in a season. Sahin is a a controversial selection as he hasn't really performed consistently yet in this league, we'll need to see how he does for the rest of the season before judging him fully IMO. So in reality we've got 4 players who are in the good enough section and able to play most games in a season. That's Skrtel (prone to the odd **** up), Lucas (recovering from a long term injury therefore likely to be picking up niggles while recovering), Joe Allen and Luis Suarez (yellow card machine). Its not really great is it! Sorry for being pessimistic Frank but I don't rate our squad as highly as you do!
We all have ideas on who's good enough and what players are needed, no real problems with what the OP is saying. Only changes I would make is Jones, Wilson & Spearing into not good enough. Flanagan into Squad. Coates into Good Enough.
I've no problem.... in tehory with what you say i just think when you said what do we need i instantly came up with a list while waiting for the page to come up. my list was 1. 1 billion pounds 2. jose mourinho that was it... literally..... eveything else as cheslea and city have proved will come flooding in once you have the money. you see my ambition for FLC will never ever be just top 4. its win the league and european cup. finally nit picking but we bought yesil, he's our player.
I really think another recognisably talented winger or striker would transform the team. They need confidence more than anything. Also, hopefully Sterling and Suso will turn into players that save us £40M quid.
LFC fans are like a family an institution, or to use an other analody, like a hive off bees, the bees work together towards a common cause, if an intruder attacks the hive, the bees fight till death to protect the hive. An intruder or an outsider is easilty spotted.
In which case Bluff, I bid you farewell before I get stung. (you need to work on your spelling, way too much of that was correct to be Baz like)
Most of the players debated so far are ones I had to hesitate over. Lucaas you are right to a point, I too think I was a little generous with category 1. I'm hoping immediate additions to GK, LB and F3 would improve the form of players that are still young enough for a 2nd wind so to speak. As for Yessil I thought the terms of the "buy" were an option to enforce buy back at same price with the approval of the player? Or was that a media myth? I do think it depends most on a combo of immediate buys & how many of the category 2 players can be pushed to top without burnout. I personally think there is enough of them in similar positions to keep them all competitive AND to rest them adequately. But Yes FSG better have either picked a mighty scouting team or find an extra 20 million a year to spend.
Not sure about Enrique in the 'good enough' column.He's been off his game all year,will his form return? The way Johnson has settled in at left-back,and with Kelly and now Wisdom at right-back I can see Johnson's position becoming a permanent fixture with Enrique as cover or even being shifted on next summer if no improvement is seen. I would also include Coates in the 'good enough' column,with probably six 'prospects' close to joining that group.Namely Hendo,Shelvey,Suso,Sterling,Wisdom and Robinson.
Carra, Gerrard are throw backs who contribute positively anymore. If we're gonna start again, we should build with players who are hungry and capable, The players dont play with the freedom they do when the elder players are about, they are not game winners anymore anyway plus those 2 must be on ridiculous wages, which looking at their contribution these days is not justified.
I got half way through doing my list and the stupid thing decides to flick back a page and lose it all I had only 7 in the good enough team and that's with Sahin(and with the condition of a return to their best form for a year or two for Gerrard and Reina) Prospects are very similar although I'd say for me Coates, Wisdom, Suso and Sterling at the moment I'd imagine at least to be squad level. I can't see any of those listed as "not good enough" that will be there and I'd add Spearing, the keepers, Wilson and Pacheco to those that won't have much say so will leave. Mandy will leave as well unfortunately (IMO). What do I have to do now?
