Not only are we good ... we're young!

[Ne Moe Imya]

I don't know about the rest of you, but I've been having some trouble adjusting to LFC being good.

 

Obviously I'm happy with it, it's just so unexpected.  I thought we might challenge for top 4 this season, but then the way the window opened I think all of us may have let some doubt creep in.  And, well, it's early in the season but the initial signs are very encouraging.  

 

I don't mean only that it's encouraging for this season, but the side Klopp has put together is not only excellent but it looks set to go on for a few seasons, with only a few places to improve as we look to the next couple of years.  Look at the ages of the side that started the game yesterday:

 

Karius (23)

 

Clyne (25)  Matip (25)  Klavan (30)  Milner (30)

 

Henderson (26)

 

Lallana (28)  Wijnaldum (25)

 

Mane (24)  Firmino (24)  Coutinho (24)

 

We all knew that the summer business, at least the selling part, was good while it was going on.  What I don't think occurred to me was how well Klopp has positioned us moving forward.  That trio up front looks absolutely devastating, and all three of those players are on long-term deals and show every sign of only getting better and better.  We could have them together for several seasons to come while they do so without making a single attacking purchase!

 

The only holes in that group that you would really say need to be filled in the next 2 seasons are Klavan (who was always bought to be a backup, I would think, and even Lovren is only 27), Milner and maybe Lallana.  Now, obviously we need depth beyond that but it's really a contrast to looking at the squad 2 or 3 years ago and thinking "yeah, we have top quality in a couple of places but when those players age out or move on we're in trouble."

 

And looking behind this group you have top young players set to come in as well.  And I don't mean players who look exciting at youth level, I'm talking about players who have looked good in our first team squad before their 21st birthday.  Can, Origi, Gomez, Grujic, even Ojo.  

 

Again, I'm not saying we won't need to improve the squad at all moving forward, but more that there is no more dramatic surgery needed the way we needed to this summer.  From here it can be selective purchases of a top player or two every window to improve on what is already a strong foundation.  And as these players age into their peaks some of them can go beyond even the level they've performed at this season so far, which could make them really special.

[Kant]

Interesting to hear Klopp's comment yesterday that he doesn't expect to do a lot of business next summer.

So: smash the league this season, add a couple of players and then smash it even harder next year?

[Bjornebye]

Nonce

[Harry Squatter]

Gary Glitter would love us.

[ZonkoVille77]

I'm struggling with the fact that we're not really fuckin shite at the minute. I'll be devastated if we win the next 3 games.

[jimmycase]

30 isnt old for a centre back, they should be good enough to compete upto age 34 or thereabouts. bit of experience to go with youth, that's what we've been lacking.

[Ne Moe Imya]

Interesting to hear Klopp's comment yesterday that he doesn't expect to do a lot of business next summer.

So: smash the league this season, add a couple of players and then smash it even harder next year?

 

Yeah, you could easily see us going a couple of seasons and only adding maybe 3-4 players.  In 2 years we could pretty much have the exact same lineup that featured yesterday still playing for us, maybe with Can (who'd then be 24) instead of Lallana and a different centre back and left back.

 

Very odd to see us in such a good position, both in our play and with our forward-thinking transfer business.  Feels very un-Liverpool, at least since Rafa left.

[Paco]

These aren't the words to love is a battlefield

[3 Stacks]

Good post NMI and I think that Klopp has now positioned the squad in such a way that we'll be done with summer windows in which we have to buy 7 or 8 players to overhaul every area of the team.

 

What I hope happens is that we start operating a bit like Arsenal and have sort of a base of young players and then we supplement them with a big signing here or there like they've previously done with Ozil and Sanchez.

 

The only thing I have concerns about, (and this is looking further down the line) is that also like Arsenal, we make the mistake of keeping our squad of players too long and complacency starts to set in. Klopp asks so much from the players physically and mentally that I think we'll also need to keep things fresh and have a healthy amount of player turnover. If Klopp is to be our long-term manager, I think his biggest challenge will be keeping continuity while also mixing that in with a good amount of change. Ferguson was a master at that and it's one of the main reasons he was able to be successful for so long, in my opinion.

[Paco]

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37468237

[Ne Moe Imya]

Good post NMI and I think that Klopp has now positioned the squad in such a way that we'll be done with summer windows in which we have to buy 7 or 8 players to overhaul every area of the team.

 

What I hope happens is that we start operating a bit like Arsenal and have sort of a base of young players and then we supplement them with a big signing here or there like they've previously done with Ozil and Sanchez.

 

The only thing I have concerns about, (and this is looking further down the line) is that also like Arsenal, we make the mistake of keeping our squad of players too long and complacency starts to set in. Klopp asks so much from the players physically and mentally that I think we'll also need to keep things fresh and have a healthy amount of player turnover. If Klopp is to be our long-term manager, I think his biggest challenge will be keeping continuity while also mixing that in with a good amount of change. Ferguson was a master at that and it's one of the main reasons he was able to be successful for so long, in my opinion.

 

That's a great point, actually.

 

Klopp kept it going for quite a while at Dortmund, though.  Most of the core of that 2010-11 squad that he did so well with stayed there for a good few years.  There were exceptions that he did sell off (Sahin, Barrios, Kagawa) but the core of that team he kept until he was forced to sell Gotze and Lewandowski.

 

Even those three players that he did sell he replaced with the likes of Gundogan, Reus and bringing Gotze through.  He didn't really start to struggle until Bayern decided to flex their financial muscle and he started to lose players he didn't want to.

 

So while you're right, there is always a chance that things go stale for Klopp I actually think that unlike Wenger Klopp personally will ensure that none of the players lose the intensity he requires.  I think we've seen that he's ruthless enough to dump a talented player who doesn't have the off-field concentration he requires.  

 

Look at Sakho.  If he'll do that to Sakho (and replace him with Klavan and Lovren, who are nowhere near as good but who do what they're asked off the pitch and on it) then I don't think he'll have any problem shipping out a Henderson or a Clyne or a Coutinho or whoever if they fail to produce what he's looking for.  It is an interesting point you bring up, though, and one worth keeping in mind as you look to what we might do with the squad in the medium term.

[SlugTrail]

Gary Glitter would love us.

 

 

now then now then theres no need for that

[3 Stacks]

That's a great point, actually.

 

Klopp kept it going for quite a while at Dortmund, though.  Most of the core of that 2010-11 squad that he did so well with stayed there for a good few years.  There were exceptions that he did sell off (Sahin, Barrios, Kagawa) but the core of that team he kept until he was forced to sell Gotze and Lewandowski.

 

Even those three players that he did sell he replaced with the likes of Gundogan, Reus and bringing Gotze through.  He didn't really start to struggle until Bayern decided to flex their financial muscle and he started to lose players he didn't want to.

 

So while you're right, there is always a chance that things go stale for Klopp I actually think that unlike Wenger Klopp personally will ensure that none of the players lose the intensity he requires.  I think we've seen that he's ruthless enough to dump a talented player who doesn't have the off-field concentration he requires.  

 

Look at Sakho.  If he'll do that to Sakho (and replace him with Klavan and Lovren, who are nowhere near as good but who do what they're asked off the pitch and on it) then I don't think he'll have any problem shipping out a Henderson or a Clyne or a Coutinho or whoever if they fail to produce what he's looking for.  It is an interesting point you bring up, though, and one worth keeping in mind as you look to what we might do with the squad in the medium term.

 

Yeah, I have to say that while I like Sakho as a player and am a bit sad at the way he's currently being treated, I think it's a good sign for the future of the club that Klopp is willing to dump people out with authority. Hate going back to Ferguson, but this is the kind of stuff he would do all the time and he'd get rid of anyone who wouldn't toe the line.

 

Going back to the point of staleness, Simeone recently got his contract extension reduced at Atletico from 2020 to 2018 and the reason he gave was that there is only so much he can teach the players and that it would be better to the club if he looked more towards the short-term and evaluated his options a bit earlier. 

 

We'll see if Klopp ever has these same feelings but it's obviously much too early to say and he's only just in the beginning of his project. The squad is young and in good position for a decent period of top 4 finishes, I feel.

[Ginny]

The players that were signed before Klopp here have proved their worth. I'm not sure if it was money ball or Rodgers and FSG but they bought young and potential - and klopp is just getting a tune out of them. Obvioulsy Klopp's signings are great as well. Looking forward to see who else he brings in (if anyone) in January. Would love him to start bringing more players in like Matip. 

[Section_31]

It's a great start but I'm not getting carried away. The team is more than the sum of its parts and credit to the coaching for that, but there's still a dearth of real quality in the squad.

 

Anyone who knows how Klopp works was expecting us to come out of the traps strongly as that's what we train for, rather than come into form later in the season, but it'll be interesting to see how we cope after Christmas, especially with no German style winter break.

[njackets]

It's a great start but I'm not getting carried away. The team is more than the sum of its parts and credit to the coaching for that, but there's still a dearth of real quality in the squad.

 

Anyone who knows how Klopp works was expecting us to come out of the traps strongly as that's what we train for, rather than come into form later in the season, but it'll be interesting to see how we cope after Christmas, especially with no German style winter break.

Prety much what I was going to post.

[A_S]

The lack of winter break will be offset by no European games though. Not that you'd want this to be a long-term problem but for a season while he beds down his ideas, it's ok.

[JagSquared]

It's a great start but I'm not getting carried away. The team is more than the sum of its parts and credit to the coaching for that, but there's still a dearth of real quality in the squad.

 

Anyone who knows how Klopp works was expecting us to come out of the traps strongly as that's what we train for, rather than come into form later in the season, but it'll be interesting to see how we cope after Christmas, especially with no German style winter break.

Pretty much. Injuries will take their toll too. We're only a Milner injury from playing Moreno.

 

We've had a good start in the very early stages and we've performed well against the better sides in this league. Our real test is against the Burnley's and how we react when things don't go out way.

 

I'm delighted so far but one game at a time.

[BCM]

Whilst the players in defence could be around for years.

You;d have to think with the way Klopp likes his teams to play, the attacking players won't last around as long, Id say once they get near 30 it will be difficult to play this high energy press from the front as well as he would like.

That being said we don't have to worry about that for a while so............. Keep Battering em Redmen.

[G Richards]

We're going well at the moment. Klopp has overhauled the squad and he's got everyone playing to his system. He also, rightly, rules the roost. The age of the squad is great, and there's some quality young players on the fringes and coming though.

 

It's a good time to be a red.

 

The point about Klopp's style being hard on the players is well made. I think this season we'll cope, since we have no European football. We may enter the January market, or we may promote a youngster or two to pad it out a bit. Either way, with confidence flooding back into the club, it seems we'll be OK.

 

Can't wait to see how this season unfolds. I was criticized on these boards, unfairly in my opinion, over the summer for rating our prospects. As it stands I'd say Man City look favourites, but the way we are going we might make a fight of it.

 

We've got an exciting young team that is going places. Bring it on!

[scudger99]

We're going well at the moment. Klopp has overhauled the squad and he's got everyone playing to his system. He also, rightly, rules the roost. The age of the squad is great, and there's some quality young players on the fringes and coming though.

 

It's a good time to be a red.

 

The point about Klopp's style being hard on the players is well made. I think this season we'll cope, since we have no European football. We may enter the January market, or we may promote a youngster or two to pad it out a bit. Either way, with confidence flooding back into the club, it seems we'll be OK.

 

Can't wait to see how this season unfolds. I was criticized on these boards, unfairly in my opinion, over the summer for rating our prospects. As it stands I'd say Man City look favourites, but the way we are going we might make a fight of it.

 

We've got an exciting young team that is going places. Bring it on!

 

You'll probably find that the majority of those doing the criticizing were more interested in playing Top Trumps with transfer fees than in the players themselves, or what the team would eventually achieve with those players.  These are the guys who will be squealing the loudest when Klopp won't spend £50 odd million in the summer on some exotically named foreigner because he looks good on a 2 minute clip on YouTube.

We look to have some very promising players coming through, and I can't think of a manager I'd rather have developing them than the one we have.

Klopp looks to have the age balance just about right, having Milner with his experience of winning things is a big bonus too.  We shouldn't get too carried away this season, this is where the players knit together and learn how to win games, especially when things are going against them.  There's going to downs as well as ups while they learn.  It's still going to be an exciting ride, but I think next season will be the one where we gain the real consistency that could pave the way to the Premiership title.

That said, I wouldn't go writing this season off yet......

[Tony Moanero]

I'm struggling with the fact that we're not really fuckin shite at the minute. I'll be devastated if we win the next 3 games.

I'm sick of having my weekends ruined.

[Paco]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2016/09/26/liverpool-are-thrilling-the-nation-thanks-to-teamwork-built-on-s/

[VladimirIlyich]

Rolf Harris likes this thread.

[aRdja]

You'll probably find that the majority of those doing the criticizing were more interested in playing Top Trumps with transfer fees than in the players themselves, or what the team would eventually achieve with those players.  These are the guys who will be squealing the loudest when Klopp won't spend £50 odd million in the summer on some exotically named foreigner because he looks good on a 2 minute clip on YouTube.

We look to have some very promising players coming through, and I can't think of a manager I'd rather have developing them than the one we have.

Klopp looks to have the age balance just about right, having Milner with his experience of winning things is a big bonus too.  We shouldn't get too carried away this season, this is where the players knit together and learn how to win games, especially when things are going against them.  There's going to downs as well as ups while they learn.  It's still going to be an exciting ride, but I think next season will be the one where we gain the real consistency that could pave the way to the Premiership title.

That said, I wouldn't go writing this season off yet......

I'm speaking for myself here.. but I think you're being unfair and prematurely too. We still have plenty of holes in the side, and we are still more than capable of putting out meek performances like the first half against Swansea, and Burnley away. Milner is doing well at LB at the moment, at the start of the season none of us knew he would because he never *really* played there. I still think we need a controlling midfielder, Hendo has had a good start but Wijnaldum has yet to really impress in CM, there will be times where we will need to manage the game better than going at it at full throttle for ninety minutes.