If we lose 3 of Gomez vvd konate and Matip so Phillips has to play with 1 other then sure I’d be fine with that. Not gonna get anyone much better as a 5th choice
But in the world where VVD can play 38 games a season then we are looking at someone playing beside him. Konate? gomez? Matip? someone else? I agree, After playing 17 and looking like a "keyish" player that he ought to be wanting more. 5th choice = play maybe in the league cup. one or two games? For us fans we can see the risk with the 3. gomez, matip and vvd. huge risk one or two break down again. thats why we want to say imo.
yeah agree. What’s happening with Kabak? Last I heard is that we wouldn’t exercise the option on him so he can replace Konate.
nothings decided i hear. there was some rumour that we had to inform Shalke we would pay up a while ago so for all we know shalke can already sell him to others and i believe he is going to euros. in theroy we could go back in with 12mil or less. I thought he did ok in general and improved as he played. He showed decent reading of the game after a few games.
Er, note of, er... caution. This is the Konate who was kept out of the Leipzig side by Umpalumpa and Orban? Was that just injury?
Wouldn't mind Kabak but I guess with schalke getting relegated £18m with additional 6m seems a lot in this summers market. Could be a ploy to try drive price down. Thought he did alright when he played. Came into a new team in middle of **** results abs was expected to be the senior CB at 20 years old, the same age as rhys Williams.
Liverpool are closing in on the signing of Ibrahima Konate and intend to meet the RB Leipzig defender’s release clause. Liverpool do not intend to keep Ozan Kabak at the club, however. [@JamesPearceLFC / @TheAthleticUK]
Don’t think kabak gets much credit for the role he played. Hope he goes onto bigger and better things - should have plenty of takers
We should have enough defenders (both starting and back up) so that we never have to use Phillips again. He’s simply isn’t good enough - he’s being praised massively for doing such an awful job
I don't think you're being very fair to him. He won practically every header. Imagine all, half or any of those were won by the opposition and the possible outcome close to their own goal. You shouldn't underestimate the interceptions and clearances he made. Even his clearance off the line isn't common. We didn't have the elite out there but the make do and mend approach, while we don't want that to be a necessity again, worked well.
Over exaggerating things. He’s not done an awful job at all has he. He’s been better than Fabinho and henderson were at Cb. He did better than Matip for pure fact he wasn’t injured every 45 minutes. Yes he’s not a top 4 defender but he was 5th choice CB. Name me a better 5th choice in the Prem this season?
His one good attribute is heading. Everyone is literally disregarding the fact that he gets beaten easily on the ground, he struggles to defend space behind him, he struggled with the flight of the ball, the lack of pace, the constant mistakes. Basically he fails in every meaningful attribute that is important to have in a Klopp defence. as per usual, the media pushes the narrative that he’s an excellent defender. It’s embarrassing and it’s why we ended up with ****e like Lucas, Skrtel, mignolet and Lovren for years. Don’t judge him against his own incredibly low standards. Judge him against the standards that we require. VVD Konate Matip Gomez These 4 will be our main defenders. Going in with just 4 decent options isn’t enough for me given at least 2 of them are injury prone. If that’s the case, then I still do not want to see Phillips starting.
Mate I don't think anybody is trying to say he's better than he is or wanting him to be a regular starter when the injured are back. Some of us are able to appreciate what he's done and not downplay it.
He deserves massive respect for coming in. But we have to be brutally honest - he simply wasn’t good enough. Everything apart from heading, it’s league 1 standard. I hope we’re never in a position where we have to use him again. We should have enough quality starting and back up.
So if we look at our squad again. kelleher is one option who will grow up a bit over the next two years Neco williams needs some time. peoepl are ultra critical, he hasn't the vision nor the experience in defending. trent got games. Neco is sat there watching so its tough Tsimikas - i simply don't get the criticism. he got injured. he is a LB specialist and is always going to be sat behind robertson. he seems a nice lad and fits in well so whats the beef.? Matip - made of class and unreliable. over paid and long contract so we are stuck with him but he's got a great attitude and will be there if fit when needed We don't have a LCB reserve. We don't have a not 6 reserve but we lend out grujic constantly. this is why people assume he will be sold. LCM then, milner, jones, kieta. take your pick. Clearly milner is there when picked but has so many injuries over last 2 years. small niggles. Jones is only developing. Keita ought to be grabbing that wijnaludm shirt but right now he is talking about going via agent. RCM: ox and shaqiri? and they are behind henderson and thiago. This is why people assume shaqiri will e surplus if he wants to go. LW: origi sits there quietly but doens't look to be up to much. Jota covers this slot CF; agani jota covers it and orgigi sort of does but is poor Rw: shaqirir covers it. There is a full squad but its about replacing with more hunger or more ability. as I've said several times, I'd love to see a CF buy this summer. I'd also be more than happy seeing Ox take shaqiri's cover role for salah if we loan out or sell wilson and loan elliott again. If we went into next season with mane firmino salah jota, NEW CF and Ox that would be a full squad for me. So sell shaqiri and origi if we can but who comes in? If we had a midfield set up with henderson thiago fabinho milner jones and keita i wouldn't be crying but I still think we should be thinking about something different in midfield if we can. I would like jones to come back stronger next season, he has that little something but its not come out this season. i see him as a guy who can score goals but its not quite there. Keita out new CM in? At the back personally I wouldn't make massive changes. Rhys Williams should go on loan, we've 4 full backs, we need to look at the CBs 3 newly fit but have to be questions so do we keep 5?? Konate coming in makes 4 injury doubts for me (if sky is a signal this is really on) No matter how we cut it theres an amount of guys who ought to be thinking about their own career and opportunity to earn. Origi can sit on 60k per week for next 3 years. in 2024 he will be 28 going on 29 and suddenly needing one last contract. Can he earn the same elsewhere? shaqiri is 29, he's got 2 years left on 80k a week. where else would he get that? It has to be baout getting a 4 year deal for him and getting at least close to that so that he gets more money i nthe end. I wouldn't blame him for sitting on our bench Keita then. 85k per week but 2 years left. hes 26. Do you go cos you are not playing or do you sit on it. he will be 28 when his contract is up. Again probabaly the power is his. I'm more on wilson and grujics side where they are both 23/24 with 2 years left. If they keep hanging round on loan they will end up at 26 on a free with no scope. A good 4 year deal now where they can play and really perform and they could be in their prime for a final contract at a good level. If i were either i'd be keen to go. and a final mention for the forever forgotten minamino. he never thought he would get this move but at 25 now he's got it and a decent wage. Does he now sit or can he get another signing on fee and the same moeny out to age of 30 off a prem club?
with respect, 90% of what you attack phillips with is grossly exaggerated. I doubt you've ever seriously studied a league 1 standard defender. Phillps has been quite under rated by you consistently as a pet target. He's cleared a lot of balls on the ground, done a decent amount of cutting out stuff, shows a reasonable passing range as his confidence increases. Yeah he's as slow as me and that but hes not league 1 standard. He is a good player cos he's worked to make himself a good player. other people like milner etc all got your both barrels too at times. there seems to be a pattern. anyone who works really hard gets abuse where as flash players seem to get a bye from you, i don't know why.
