Don't care how good Studge is, I'd sell him if we got a decent offer regardless because of his injury record. Thing is, would we get a decent offer from a club that Studge would be prepared to move to?
I'm not sold on Firmino yet. I think the pace of the premier league is too much for him. A bit like Aspas, he looks lost as the ball goes around him. He may improve and certainly isn't on the chop list yet. I know he had a good game against a week Bournemouth that I missed (slower game more his level?) He's young and I know for two months in Germany he hit a purple patch... So willing to give him time, but I'm not convinced that he will hit a premier league level ever. I hope we don't wait too long if he doesn't improve. Be sad to sell him to Leicester for £8 mill in two years.
Far too early to write him off. Worse case scenario we loan him back to Germany in a couple years for him to find some form again before selling him. However, I think he'll be a good player for us. Can see against Bournemouth that his movement and first touch are very good. Just needs to find a position, get a run of games and score a goal or two.
Sell : Skrtel - too many mistakes for a top class centre back. His goals have dried up as well. I always think he's a brain fart away from us losing a game; and I'm sick of his shirt pulling in the box. Sell : Lovren - OMG his purchase is enough to cost Rodgers his job. I've not seen a worse centre back at Liverpool ever. Sell : Kolo - just for some money Sell : Allen - just never going to be top draw. Even a slow Lucas is wayyyyyyyyyyyyy better than Allen. Howeer thanks for the Man City performance last season. Great game. Sell : Enrique - he doesn't care anymore about being a footballer Sell : Sturridge - he's never coming back and well get some good money for him. I think he'd suit a slower leagues maybe Italy Sell : Lucas - but only if we have a replacement lined up for January. Non of the kids are ready to take his place. Sell : Sinclair - if hes not out of contract and is unwilling to sign a new one, then get shut I'll give Rossiter, tex mex, Ibe, Brannagan, Flanno until next Summer to prove there worth keeping, otherwise get shot. IMO they're not going to be good enough for us to get back to the top. Also we need to make space for Klopps' buys.
Firmino was excellent against Bournemouth and he was good at Chelsea. He's only going to get better, has so much to his game. Question - disregard injuries, who would you rather have as the starting striker? Benteke or Sturridge?
The reason why I ask this is because if you rather have Sturridge, then surely you want another striker who is similar who can rotate with him when he's injured. And this is the reason why I would sell Benteke to buy a striker who is more suited to our style. The problem we had under Rodgers is that if we lost a few players to injuries, we would have to completely change our style. I think with a few Windows, we'll be In a position where a few injuries occur and their replacement will be able to slot in and the team style is not disrupted.
we would have to take a loss on benteke, not going to happen anytime soon,if at all. better to find ways for him to suit our style rather than hoping we get rid to get better in. who can we target that would get the best out of him?
So, in a Klopp formation Benteke (who is much more than a target man if he has players who can spot his runs feeding him)
Yup said earlier in a 4231 then Benteke suits that lone striker role far better than Sturridge. Sturridge is half the player on his own compared to when he plays with a partner.
Can't believe we've come back full circle to questioning Lucas again. Seems every season his name crops up and some want rid. The man has averaged the most tackles per game this season from anyone else playing in Europe's top leagues. Unless you're telling me that he does all that whilst standing in one spot because he's immobile. Then you've had Carra and Nev on MNF talking about Klopp's tactics and highlighting player movements. Lucas is always mentioned as he pushes up or moves across to press so again, clearly he can't be standing still. Can we upgrade? Obviously. We could upgrade every single one of our starting XI right now, but does that mean we should? You improve on your weakest link. Lucas is not even close to being that. Apart from being the only defensive midfielder we have who can tackle and put his weight about, our performances are far better when he plays than when he doesn't.
To be fair, whilst Lucas averages the most tackles, his tackle win percentage isn't that great, and he also has the highest number of tackles lost.
The same people calling him immobile and slow are the one's who think Can is great, the fact he is the biggest plodder in the team doesn't seem to bother them.
Shame you don't actually watch our games if you think Can is a plodder. Not to mention that Can is actually one our most effective pressers.
I do watch them (when on Sky and even by stream if there is nobody else worth watching). Can "charges" into the odd tackle and puts a spurt on for the odd occasion he carries the ball into acres of space, other than that he plods around (usually in circles) waving his arms at other players and telling them what they should be doing.
Can is a good footballer, but his versatility also hints at what I consider to be his current weakness. That being, that he's not a stand out performer in any position at present, he's a makeshift CB, RB and central midfielder, but he's not shone in any one of those roles to press. Yes, he's got potential, but he needs to develop his game in what I assume will be his desired position in midfield, as yet, he's a way off in terms of his positional play imo
