I think they took a very similar scatter gun approach to it as spurs did.
i think they wanted some CL experience and bought both can and Markovic as young players for it.
However.... It is indeed very poor squad management. Klopp started at the bottom in having 40 young layers released. his view is we've too many at the outset to focus on I would love to know if klopp decided to keep linders at the club or was asked to as well. They seem to get along pretty well now. I wonder if there was a big element of early choices made by getting opinions out of him and if inglethorpe also has an ear of klopp.
For me we are still very unbalanced
Our europa squad is a prime example. we were only allowed 21 players
Mignolet, Bogdan, Clyne, Gomez, Toure, Lovren, Moreno, Sakho, Skrtel, Lucas, Henderson, Milner, Can, Allen, Coutinho, Lallana, Firmino, Origi, Ings, Sturridge, Benteke
this is because in a 25-man squad at least eight of those players must be homegrown. However at least four of those eight players must have been trained at the club meaning they’ve spent three years with us before they turn 21.
We could not ful fill those criteria so we binned ilori, teixteria and markovic.
If you look at the list U21 players can go on a B list so thats where ibe and the other young lads come in. Our 21 man squad have gomez in it who was u21.. origi who is u21.
to make the B list you must have been both born after Jan. 1, 1994, and have had an uninterrupted two-year spell with the club at some point since the age of 15, neither origi nor can meet these.
so:
The only guy we have to meet those crtieria who is over 21 is flanagan who was not going to play. We could not make another 3 to get the full 25 man squad.
This means that there IS a value to players like Smith and Randall at full back as they can fill out a european squad in future. We have to coach them to be better players.
In future time ibe will meet the HG requirements
Hwever buying english is actually no good under these rules. You can have 4 english players max that you buy in your team and 4 more that can be any nationality but have to train for 3 years here. U21s you buy like markovic are no good unless you have them at the club for 2 years. you can have 17 foreign players then..
So:
HG eventually: Gomez (18-21 = 3 years) Ibe: (since age 15.) Flanagan (easy) smith or randall (again easy) you can add anyone of the young lads at the club like rossiter etc eventually.
HG english purchases: Milner, clyne, henderso, sturridge.
The reality for LFC then is the rules in the prem are actually going to be harsher. right now about the same rules exist in the prem 8 players who must be trained for 3 years before age 21. but dyke wants that to go to 12 AND move the age back to 18 so you have to be signed up at 15. ergo for a foriegn kid coming over you cannot be Hg unless you come at 15.
Therefore we have to be very watchful of this. theres zero point flooding the academy with young foreign boys unless they really can be good or meet the criteria at least. Klopp has said cull it to 200 which is across all ages.
Yes we need balance... but we need to ensure we have the numbers to make up the squads properly and be able to challenge.
everton but we've seen with mark hughes... getting back to the big clubs will take some doing.
