Summer 2021 transfer thread.

[aRdja]

7 minutes ago, Red74 said:

I’d rather we signed players who are specialists in their positions and just played them there. 
 

Cant be arsed going back to the days when we got too clever for ourselves and thought we could re-invent the wheel by signing deadbeats we’d have to replace every summer. 

Of course, Rice would spend most of his time in midfield, but in the event of an injury crisis like we’ve seen it this season, he’d make a more than capable fill in. That’s a good thing IMO.

[Trumo]

The players signed need to be good, durable and hit the ground running. Do that and they can elevate themselves to new heights like the successful signings we've had over the past 5 years.

[Red74]

Id like to see the academy get more pressure put on them to start producing more players for the first team rather than just giving the lads a game until they get too old and then letting them go. 
 

I know klopps gave some of the lads a go but it would be great to have another Fowler / Owen / McManaman / carragher and a Steven Gerrard putting pressure on everyone to get a look in. 
 

Ive seen from experience with my lads teams that the LFC & EFC academies do more harm to players than good. The kids get too soft as once they’re in, they’re there till they’re 18 and they lose the hunger as there’s no pressure on them. 

Tell the scouts to get the scallies in Jurgen. 

 

 

 

 

[Red74]

7 minutes ago, Trumo said:

The players signed need to be good, durable and hit the ground running. Do that and they can elevate themselves to new heights like the successful signings we've had over the past 5 years.

Agreed. We need a few players in who are just under the radar and are hungry to win things to freshen it up. There’s only Jota who hasn’t won anything in this squad and he came in with a great attitude. 
 

Jurgen built a brilliant team like this and you can understand if the hungers gone after all they’ve won. 

I didn’t expect this drop off from all of them tho. 

[Barrington Womble]

1 hour ago, aRdja said:

It’s useful to have versatile players as we’ve seen it with Milner and Fabinho. Having said that purely as a midfielder he’s very good too.

It could be argued our players versatility has caused the problems we see this season too. If half the midfield wasn't considered backup defenders, maybe we wouldn't have so few defenders. 

[aRdja]

14 minutes ago, Barrington Womble said:

It could be argued our players versatility has caused the problems we see this season too. If half the midfield wasn't considered backup defenders, maybe we wouldn't have so few defenders. 

It could, but that’d be nonsense. Bayern and City are the two best teams in the world currently and they have loads of versatile players. 

[Red74]

33 minutes ago, Barrington Womble said:

It could be argued our players versatility has caused the problems we see this season too. If half the midfield wasn't considered backup defenders, maybe we wouldn't have so few defenders. 

And the other half of the

midfield are back up forwards who are crap in both positions. 
 

Over investment in midfield. Under investment in the money positions. 
 

[Jairzinho]

Rice would cost 100m and plays for a team that'll finish above us. 

 

Can't see the club signing any of the highly rated early/mid 20s British players. FSG would not want to pay what they would cost. 

[Jairzinho]

21 minutes ago, aRdja said:

It could, but that’d be nonsense. Bayern and City are the two best teams in the world currently and they have loads of versatile players. 

Manchester City played central midfielders in defence last season and were shit. Then they signed two central halves in the summer and are about to win the league by 25 points, so I'm not sure they're the best example. 

 

They're also able to be more flexible because of how they play. 

[Lee909]

On 05/03/2021 at 14:28, Bobby Hundreds said:

Why is Grealish considered a bad person. He looks like a twat but he's a superb player, he actually runs at and takes on players and he grafts. I dont want us to sign nice lads I want good footballers who improve us. 

Sign a homegrown 3rd choice keeper. 

Not sure who, a older guy happy to be a squad player. 

[Barrington Womble]

10 hours ago, aRdja said:

It could, but that’d be nonsense. Bayern and City are the two best teams in the world currently and they have loads of versatile players. 

The point is both arguments are valid. Flexibility can be good. It can be a hindrance. What we have shown this season if you are looking for players who start in your best team to be the ones moving around, it is probably not very good for your team as you get hurt twice. If it is say someone like milner and chamberlain who wouldn't be in the team anyway, it doesn't have that impact. City suffered from it last season by thinking their holding midfielder could replace kompany (like we thought fabinho could replace lovren) and it would all be of because of an incoming player (like we did with thiago). Making your starting point that lad can play centre back as well as midfield defeats the object. If you need a midfielder, buy him. If he happens to be versatile, that's ok, but it matters little if the player can't do what you bought him to do. I can't think of any time you would buy someone for your first XI and put versatile on a list of requirements. 

 

Declan Rice would cost the sort of fee that he should play in his preferred position every week. 

[3 Stacks]

Fabinho is basically a better Declan Rice. He doesn't really make much sense for us. If we're sticking with a 4-3-3, the midfielder we need is essentially a young James Milner or Hendo. Someone with humongous work rate who can play on the right side, track back, make forward runs, win second balls, 50/50's, etc. Jones and Thiago are already the ones who can conserve the ball. Hendo is the alternative to Fabinho. We need a legitimate alternative to Hendo. The obvious player is Ward-Prowse, but he'd cost a fortune. 

 

Or, we move to a double pivot and buy a #10 with goal threat.

[aRdja]

26 minutes ago, Jairzinho said:

Manchester City played central midfielders in defence last season and were shit. Then they signed two central halves in the summer and are about to win the league by 25 points, so I'm not sure they're the best example. 

 

They're also able to be more flexible because of how they play. 

Ake was bought to cover for two positions (CB and LB). Bernardo Silva and Foden have started at seven and eight different positions respectively this season. I think versatility is a good quality. I wasn’t saying “let’s buy Rice and forget about CB”. Let’s get Rice and a CB. We absolutely need to replace Matip, as he hasn’t contributed since the CL win. 

[Jairzinho]

1 minute ago, aRdja said:

Ake was bought to cover for two positions (CB and LB). Bernardo Silva and Foden have started at seven and eight different positions respectively this season. I think versatility is a good quality. I wasn’t saying “let’s buy Rice and forget about CB”. Let’s get Rice and a CB. We absolutely need to replace Matip, as he hasn’t contributed since the CL win. 

I think they're helped by their style. Players like Silva and Foden can play midfield or as a wide forward. Ours can't. 

 

Agree re Matip. Excellent player but has to go. Can't see us looking at Rice though. 

[cloggypop]

2 hours ago, aRdja said:

I really like Declan Rice. I reckon he’s one of the most underrated players in the league. The fact that he can comfortably slot in at CB is a bonus too. 

I'm getting Harry Maguire flashbacks here and it's not pleasant 

[Lee909]

It'll be a interesting summer. 

I really think Klopp might look at breaking up the front three and if he can get enough backing from the tight arsed upstairs it might be the start of a shake up. 

 

Does the club stick to their guns and tell the players they are going nowhere and go all domestically for a title run with a fit and fresh squad. Assuming we get Europa League play fringe and kids in the group stages and it's always a back door into the Champions League

 

Or do you cash in on aging players and rebuild for the next few years. Fees for Salah, Mane etc would be depressed but maybe if say Madrid are interested you could get some sort of swap deal with the likes of Marco Asensio, Rodrygo or Vinícius Júnior thrown in. 

 

I'd seriously look at the Bosman market to fill out the squad. Depay, Draxler, Hakan Calhanoglu, 

 

Juan Bernat, Ryan Bertrand, Patrick van Aarnholt and Elseid Hysaj would offer something as back up for the fullbacks. 

 

Or we could embrace the decline and sell Virg and Mo and get Benteke and Sakho back on a free, think of the Yacht Linda could get 

[Lee909]

7 minutes ago, cloggypop said:

I'm getting Harry Maguire flashbacks here and it's not pleasant 

I'm currently rethinking my valuation of Rice with this news as I originally thought it might be a good move

[Jairzinho]

3 minutes ago, Lee909 said:

It'll be a interesting summer. 

I really think Klopp might look at breaking up the front three and if he can get enough backing from the tight arsed upstairs it might be the start of a shake up. 

 

Does the club stick to their guns and tell the players they are going nowhere and go all domestically for a title run with a fit and fresh squad. Assuming we get Europa League play fringe and kids in the group stages and it's always a back door into the Champions League

 

Or do you cash in on aging players and rebuild for the next few years. Fees for Salah, Mane etc would be depressed but maybe if say Madrid are interested you could get some sort of swap deal with the likes of Marco Asensio, Rodrygo or Vinícius Júnior thrown in. 

 

I'd seriously look at the Bosman market to fill out the squad. Depay, Draxler, Hakan Calhanoglu, 

 

Juan Bernat, Ryan Bertrand, Patrick van Aarnholt and Elseid Hysaj would offer something as back up for the fullbacks. 

 

Or we could embrace the decline and sell Virg and Mo and get Benteke and Sakho back on a free, think of the Yacht Linda could get 

Vinicius is shite. Rodrygo is really good and won't be sold.

 

Asensio is an interesting one, it feels like there is a really good player there and he's six foot one and strong, so he'd have no issue with that side in England. Could see Klopp being interested in turning him into the player he always had the potential to be. 

 

[Lee909]

5 minutes ago, Jairzinho said:

Vinicius is shite. Rodrygo is really good and won't be sold.

 

Asensio is an interesting one, it feels like there is a really good player there and he's six foot one and strong, so he'd have no issue with that side in England. Could see Klopp being interested in turning him into the player he always had the potential to be. 

 

Only seen bits of Vinícius Júnior he's looked raw but talented. I'm sure others will have seen more of him. 

[3 Stacks]

Asensio has had a horrific knee injury and has never scored more than 10 goals in a season. If we were replacing Salah or Mane with him, that would be an incredible risk. 

[Jairzinho]

2 minutes ago, Lee909 said:

Only seen bits of Vinícius Júnior he's looked raw but talented. I'm sure others will have seen more of him. 

Watched most Real Madrid games this season (girlfriend's father supports them). Vinicius is thick as shit. Fast, quite skillful, atrocious decision making. Not helped by Zidane who is a real arm around the shoulder manager rather than actually offering any tactical advice. They'll bin him off as soon as they can. Apparently Leonardo at PSG likes him. 

 

Rodrygo, on the other hand, is going to be really good. 

[an tha]

Think this may be the lowest the echo have stooped yet...

 

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rhian-brewster-liverpool-future-struggles-19967653

[Colonel Bumcunt]

10 minutes ago, an tha said:

Think this may be the lowest the echo have stooped yet...

 

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rhian-brewster-liverpool-future-struggles-19967653

I wouldn't write him off just yet.  

Was watching him today, and I have to admit he is a mechanical dream in the way he moves and his pace, he is silk.  Was also clear that he wasn't getting ANY service to feet or passes in-behind, it was all head height balls blasted a n his general direction, at best.  

It's not surprising to see, it's just staggering that Sheff Utd agreed to pay so much for someone they had no intention of getting the best out of. 

 

Also worth noting the career of the Southampton lad Tella, his second start today, and he is a real handful.  21 though, some lost years, but interesting. 

[an tha]

22 minutes ago, Colonel Bumcunt said:

I wouldn't write him off just yet.  

Was watching him today, and I have to admit he is a mechanical dream in the way he moves and his pace, he is silk.  Was also clear that he wasn't getting ANY service to feet or passes in-behind, it was all head height balls blasted a n his general direction, at best.  

It's not surprising to see, it's just staggering that Sheff Utd agreed to pay so much for someone they had no intention of getting the best out of. 

 

Also worth noting the career of the Southampton lad Tella, his second start today, and he is a real handful.  21 though, some lost years, but interesting. 

I can't see Brewster having anything other than a decentish career with lower half PL clubs/top end of championship clubs.

 

He has time on his side of course to prove me wrong.

 

Deffo not the right kind of team for him in Sheff Utd and way they play though - he'd be better at  Brighton or Fulham.

 

Can't comment on Tella - not seen him.

[Lee909]

It was always a terrible place for him to move. Sheff Utd did well last year but it was always a castle built on sand, it was all about them keeping clean sheets and nicking points, they where never that good. A team that relied on getting the ball up top of crosses in. Was never going to work for Brewster unless that had a legit target man to be the Toshack to his Keegan.