The Burning Question: Overall, are you happy with this Transfer Window?

[Babb'sBurstNad]

Gauged against some recent windows, yes. Keita is a huge deal, will easily be our best midfielder and is just a smart piece of business all round. We've got an actual LB, and Salah means we'll be less reliant on Mané for pace.

 

However, when measured against the pre-window renew your season tickets now PR offensive, and the final hurrah of "There's £175m there to be spent", no. It was the polar opposite of under promise and over deliver, compounded only by the holier than thou attitude of those who state that FSG themselves never promised anything, like they were disconnected to those hyped reports.

 

We continue to have a problem at CB, and like last year when it was patently obvious what would happen when Mané went to the ACN, Klopp appears to underestimate just how quickly our season can fall to tatters with one key absentee. I like that Gomez is going to be given a chance, but ideally he'd be doing so alongside our best CB; the reality is he's more likely to feature when Matip is injured and we stick him next to either Lovren or Klavan. A potential recipe for disaster.

 

Overall it feels a bit like a Rodgers window, where the manager goes for forwards / AMs, won't accept a plan B and begins the long arduous road to denying any problems with the defence whatsoever. Cue stats about clean sheets.

[stringvest]

I'm not happy but I won't cry.  It's football.

[bizzle10]

Not happy.

 

Glaring weakness in the back four, specifically in the centre back department, which the whole fucking world can see, not addressed.

 

How the fuck are we supposed to win trophies which is what this club is, or rather used to be about, when our defence is dodgy as fuck as well as being soft as a freshly dropped dog turd?

 

Whoppers on twatter and those with their noses pressed against the crack of the Boston cigar muncher's arse aside, how can anyone be happy with the transfer window?

 

Another missed opportunity.

totally agree think we will be competing for champs league spots instead of the title i hope im wrong and coutinho comes back with a chip on shoulder and goes on a suarezesq run but i just cant see it

[stringvest]

 

We fucked up massively with van Dijk (and still no one at the club has been sacked over it) 

 

 

perhaps that's because it might be that Klopp is the most culpable

[jimmycase]

perhaps that's because it might be that Klopp is the most culpable

 

I dont think it was Klopp who tipped the wink to the media with the leak van Dijk only wants to play for LFC, do you?

[Paul]

perhaps that's because it might be that Klopp is the most culpable

It was the player's own agent that fucked up rather than us.

[Section_31]

To be honest I'm not that arsed about lack of a CB I still think and have always thought the lack of a commanding defensive midfielder is our biggest flaw but it just doesn't seem to be on the agenda for whatever reason.

[Bobby Hundreds]

I'd have to say no. It's been a very common theme under FSG, deals for real game changing type players to fizzle into nothing. I genuinely think they have no intention of signing most of them over the years but want to create the illusion we will compete. It's just happened way way too often. The team in charge of negotiating should be shot into space otherwise.

[Gooch]

To be honest I'm not that arsed about lack of a CB I still think and have always thought the lack of a commanding defensive midfielder is our biggest flaw but it just doesn't seem to be on the agenda for whatever reason.

 

I'm exactly the same, we seem to have a plethora of midfielders, none of which are primarily defensive minded, let alone being actually any good at it. Will Keita solve this problem? I've never seen the guy play so wouldn't know.

 

It's bizarre that it hasn't even been considered through multiple transfer windows now. I dare say we would see a marked improvement in Lovren etc if they had quality cover in front of them. 

[magicrat]

Dan's piece is bang on. 

 

Agreed.  Our defence remains piss poor and will leak goals incessantly 

[Stickman]

Worst window since Safestyle fitted my double glazing

[Chip Butty]

As a starting 11 it may seem we have not improved dramatically, but as a squad and the depth that the wider squad team gives - yes, abso-fucking-lutely.

 

 

As an aside - I find far too many are hung up on the individual defensive performance when, in the greater dynamics of how we play, we allow more pressure on our back four than any other team.

So if anyone thinks that by signing VVD he is the answer to everything, then they are sorely mistaken. There are very few defenders around, if any at all, who could comfortably live with our willingness to press so forward and leave our back four so exposed at times.

 

Add to all of this the Oxo skiddy knickers has been a red from since he was a kid, then ye, love signing reds. 

[Pureblood]

I'm not allowed to say.   We signed a couple of midfielders and stringy says I always get that part of the pitch wrong. 

[Shitty Arse]

No

[KMD7]

Wait and see

[General Dryness]

Meh. Willing to wait and see how the season pans out. Xx

[Pureblood]

"As for the lack of a new centre half - is there anyone anywhere who thinks that wasn't our greatest priority?"

 

Jurgen Norbert Klopp.

[thompsonsnose]

4/10

[Razoray]

Couple of points Dave left out of my piece:

 

We'll be back for VVD, I've no doubt - and hopefully in January once Southampton have made their point. I just don't see other centre halves around with the complete package like he has. I regularly read the view that there "must be" other options to VVD and yet no-one - not even the stattos and hipsters - can come up with a credible name.

 

Lemar I'm less convinced we'll try again for simply because, unlike at centre half, there are plenty of other options around that represent better value in the position for our requirements. He looks sensational but I'm not convinced £90m would be well spent on a third option for the Mané/Salah slots - especially when those two cost a fraction of the Lemar asking price.

You state that AOC is the planned replacement for the wing positions. I would expect Coutinho to be the primary replacement on the wing if Mane or Salah are rotated/injured. Slight change of tactics but no less effective. We will not have the massive drop in attacking quality this season that existed last year.

[Paul]

I'm not allowed to say. We signed a couple of midfielders and stringy says I always get that part of the pitch wrong.

Tart. Say what you think! And stop nibbling at your internet nemesis.

[Paul]

You state that AOC is the planned replacement for the wing positions. I would expect Coutinho to be the primary replacement on the wing if Mane or Salah are rotated/injured. Slight change of tactics but no less effective. We will not have the massive drop in attacking quality this season that existed last year.

Don't think I even mentioned AOC mate. Maybe Dan or Brownie did.

[Joey8FrogsLegs]

Happy with the players we've signed, but we should've signed at least one CB. Ideally two, to make Lovren 4th choice.

[Brownie]

Don't think I even mentioned AOC mate. Maybe Dan or Brownie did.

I did. I'm assuming that Coutinho is going to be brilliant in the middle so I won't want to move him out of there, even to cover Mane and Salah, as it may disrupt his rhythm.

 

For me it will be a similar situation to when Firmino plays wide. He's much more effective centrally and I think in time we'll say the same about Coutinho.

[SlugTrail]

You have to look at where we were before the window compared to our rivals, and what we did in the window compared to our rivals, and ask if we realistically hope to improve on our rivals.

 

 

Chelsea spent £185m on RUDIGER, BAKAYOKO, MORATA, ZAPPACOSTA, DRINKWATER.

Man City spent £228m on SILVA, EDERSON, WALKER, DANILO, MENDY

Man United spent £169m on LINDELOF, LUKAKU, MATIC, IBRAHIMOVIC

Tottenham spent £61m on SANCHEZ, AURIER, LLORENTE, FOYTH, GAZZANIGA

We spent £79m on SALAH, ROBERTSON, OXLADE CHAMBERLAIN, SOLANKE

 

 

Just look at the state of our signings from the point of view of experience or potential, in a wider international sense. How far up was Robertson in the World Football 'ones to watch' list of 2016...

 

And let's look at NET spend. Don't be a fucking bellend, it's relevant at times, especially when the club and the media mouthpieces exclaim of a £200m 'war-chest'. So where did we rank in terms of NET spend in the division?

 

 

NET SPEND TOTALS Summer 2017

1. Man United -£160m

2. Man City -£134m

3. Chelsea -£93m

4. Watford -£51m

5. Liverpool -£46m

6. Everton -£43m

 

That's right, we were outspent by two teams that finished above us, and another team that will be our rivals.

 

http://www.skysports.com/transfer/news/12691/11015137/premier-league-transfers-how-much-did-your-club-spend

im pretty sure Tottenham spent closer to 90m as Davison Sanchez was 42m and Aurier was 23m.

[Anubis]

It was ok. Made up with Salah and Keita, and Solanke. Jury's out on Chambo and Robertson. VVD was a cluster fuck. Not bothered about Lemar.

 

Ok only because VVD was a priority and should have been handled with care.