Klopp: Now is not the time for a major rebuild

[TLW]

Jurgen Klopp has rejected suggestions that this Liverpool team needs a rebuild.

 

The reigning Premier League champions are going through a significant loss in form in addition to having a crippling injury list which only increased this week when captain Jordan Henderson was ruled out for at least six weeks with a groin injury.

 

It is undeniable that this current squad has been superb over the past three seasons in their ability to win the big games and in terms of the league last season, leave everyone trailing in their wake.

 

But it is also natural that wear and tear comes into play, especially when you consider the amount of games these guys play both for club and country during a regular season, let alone a extremely compressed campaign that this one has been.

 

While naturally focusing on the present , Liverpool have been more than willing to cast an eye to the future by signing players that might need a bit of time to gain senior experience (like Harvey Elliott for instance) but who will be more than ready when they are called upon.

 

The forward contingent in particular have come under the microscope more than ever before and questions have been raised if the time has come to look at breaking up the World Class trio.

 

Mo Salah and Sadio Mane are 28 while Roberto Firmino is a year older. Diogo Jota was brought in for some extra competition and as well as being a bit younger than the aforementioned trio (24 yo), has been a superb addition to the squad.

 

Speaking to the press (via Sky Sports) ahead of tomorrow’s clash with Sheffield United, the manager understood the premise of the question but said now is the not the time.

 

 

"Rebuild? No. What is 'rebuild' exactly? Rebuild means 10 out, 10 in? Changes to which XI?"

 

“I know what you mean but I don't think it is time for a massive rebuild like how I understand it: six, seven out, running contracts but trying to get rid of them and bring in all the new faces.

 

“The squad of this year didn't have the chance to play together one time really. I think it would make sense to have a look at that but on top of that, of course little readjustments will happen.

 

“Reacting on the situation but planning at the same time for the future and all these kinds of things.

 

"I am not sure we can do that in the summer but that is what we will try."

 

Liverpool are now well and truly out of the title race after collecting just seven points from a possible 33 since Boxing Day which has coincided with a imperious run of form  by Man City who are odds-on favourites to reclaim the league trophy. 

 

The manager now sees a top four place as a significant achievement considering what the team has been through in terms of form and loss of personnel.

 

“You can see the competitors. Look, it is not about the possible performance.

 

"The game we played against Leicester we lost, but the performance on the day was one with which the team usually wins.

 

"It is all about results. The table doesn't lie. Never. That is completely fine. We know that performance-wise we are not that far away, but results-wise we are.

 

"That is what we have to change and for all the different reasons that it was a difficult season so far for us.

 

“We try with all we have to sort it and while you try and sort one problem another problem occurs. That is in a season when it is not going perfect, obviously."

[VladimirIlyich]

'We have no money to buy the players we need so I have to pretend I have the squad I want' is what he's really saying. I'm not sure why he's using 10 signings as a number but that will never happen anyway as it just makes things more difficult for players to gel. 

[Bobby Hundreds]

Buy Jack Grealish and Halaand get a decent centreback with a good injury record and win everything for the next 5 years. Come on FSG do up the house.

[Bobby Hundreds]

I think rather than employ throwing coaches, surf coaches we should employ a coach on how to strike a ball if we already have one he should go and visit a coach on how to strike a ball.

[Jairzinho]

2 hours ago, VladimirIlyich said:

'We have no money to buy the players we need so I have to pretend I have the squad I want' is what he's really saying. I'm not sure why he's using 10 signings as a number but that will never happen anyway as it just makes things more difficult for players to gel. 

I suppose he's unlikely to say "Half of the squad are either fucking shite or complete sick notes"

[Aventus]

2 hours ago, VladimirIlyich said:

'We have no money to buy the players we need so I have to pretend I have the squad I want' is what he's really saying. I'm not sure why he's using 10 signings as a number but that will never happen anyway as it just makes things more difficult for players to gel. 

Exaggerating what people are asking for to make them sound unreasonable. 

 

Like when I ask for a bit of a payrise and my boss goes, "you know I'd give you 100k and a Lamborghini if I could, but we just can't afford it right now because of Covid". 

 

Nobody is asking for 10 players, and I'm not asking for 100k salary, but that's what they make out we're asking for, so when we get nothing it's our own fault for expecting too much. 

[El Rojo]

Oh, and buy Reus. 

[Vincent Vega]

41 minutes ago, Bobby Hundreds said:

I think rather than employ throwing coaches, surf coaches we should employ a coach on how to strike a ball if we already have one he should go and visit a coach on how to strike a ball.

Since Coutinho left we hardly ever see anyone have a shot from outside the box. Coutinho won us a good few games against packed defences with a thunderbolt or a free-kick. Always loved Paddy Berger for his ability to belt one in from miles out. It’s like we’ve been told not to do it now.
 

The same goes for getting to the byline and crossing back in, we hardly ever do that despite it being one of the major sources of goals for those financial dopers at Abu Dhabi City. I’d like to see us try something different as we just look so predictable this season.

[Joey8FrogsLegs]

48 minutes ago, Bobby Hundreds said:

I think rather than employ throwing coaches, surf coaches we should employ a coach on how to strike a ball if we already have one he should go and visit a coach on how to strike a ball.

I think the throw in coach was a great success. We more or less stopped letting in goals right after our own throw ins inside our own half. I rather like that.

 

It has reoccured to some extent this season, but that’s mainly due to all the changes in personnel I would believe.

[Pete]

If FSG consider us a top tier team then they need to start shopping at Harrod’s and not fucking Primark. 
 

[Bobby Hundreds]

40 minutes ago, Joey8FrogsLegs said:

I think the throw in coach was a great success. We more or less stopped letting in goals right after our own throw ins inside our own half. I rather like that.

 

It has reoccured to some extent this season, but that’s mainly due to all the changes in personnel I would believe.

Okay alongside employing throwing coaches and surfing coaches.

[dockers_strike]

4 hours ago, VladimirIlyich said:

'We have no money to buy the players we need so I have to pretend I have the squad I want' is what he's really saying. I'm not sure why he's using 10 signings as a number but that will never happen anyway as it just makes things more difficult for players to gel. 

So you're suggesting he's a shill? Come on mate, you're better than that. And wouldnt Jurgen get even more kudos in the eyes of the anti FSG mob if he told it like you say?

 

Why do people insist Jurgen is also spinning a lie as regards the number of main players he wants or considers he's likely to bring in, in the summer window?

[an tha]

Linked to this story in transfer thread last night.....said this in there then and stand by it.

 

I get why he is saying 'no massive rebuild is needed' - whether agree or not is a matter of opinion, but the worrying part for me is him saying not sure if will be able to do what wants in Summer.

 

Only time will tell of course.

 

It's hard in my view to not call what we need a rebuild though.

 

For me we obviously have a problem at centre half with 1 at least and maybe 2 required (suppose it depends on if keep Kabak)...i know some will still say Matip has a part to play and of course only what Klopp decides matters, but for me its a no, he can't be trusted and we should not take risk.

 

In midfield we are likely to lose Wijnaldum (our most reliable player in there fitness wise)....Milner is surely done now, Keita in same boat as Matip, Oxlade as well - that has to mean we add in midfield.

 

I think most people would agree we require an improvement in forward cover - Origi out, someone in probably.

 

That is quite a lot and maybe can't be done in one window.

 

I suppose a lot will depend on what dead wood we can shift and how much that brings in and if can shift the sick notes.

 

What we can't do for me is rely on those same sick notes again and leave ourselves short of depth again.

[sir roger]

Fair comments an tha , and I would add that we will know a lot more about the return of crowds and covid levels re finances as well by summer.

[an tha]

14 minutes ago, sir roger said:

Fair comments an tha , and I would add that we will know a lot more about the return of crowds and covid levels re finances as well by summer.

Yeah.

 

The obvious really big other issue is whether we get top 4 or not and how if we don't (likely lets face it) we react.

 

For me we can either act like a big club who are on a temporary one season absence from the top table and still invest in squad and compete for best players and pay the fees and wages it takes to compete for them - or we can act like a club who aren't shopping and operating at that top level and can only operate in the level below.

 

For me you have to go with the first option, i fear we will choose the second.

[Aventus]

2 hours ago, Vincent Vega said:

Since Coutinho left we hardly ever see anyone have a shot from outside the box. Coutinho won us a good few games against packed defences with a thunderbolt or a free-kick. Always loved Paddy Berger for his ability to belt one in from miles out. It’s like we’ve been told not to do it now.

Probably have been told not to, maybe our players aren't that good at long shots, so it becomes a low percentage move, with a high chance of losing possession.

 

I'd still like to see it though, it pulls defenders out of position when they rush to prevent a long shot. 

[AngryOfTuebrook]

2 hours ago, Pete said:

If FSG consider us a top tier team then they need to start shopping at Harrod’s and not fucking Primark. 
 

You mean no mare bargain-basement shite like Thiago or Diogo Jota?

[Halcyon Days]

3 hours ago, El Rojo said:

Oh, and buy Reus. 

Great when fit but he’s made of matchsticks.

[Halcyon Days]

4 hours ago, Bobby Hundreds said:

I think rather than employ throwing coaches, surf coaches we should employ a coach on how to strike a ball if we already have one he should go and visit a coach on how to strike a ball.

Get Ian Rush on the case.

[Megadrive Man]

4 hours ago, Vincent Vega said:

Since Coutinho left we hardly ever see anyone have a shot from outside the box. Coutinho won us a good few games against packed defences with a thunderbolt or a free-kick. Always loved Paddy Berger for his ability to belt one in from miles out. It’s like we’ve been told not to do it now.
 

The same goes for getting to the byline and crossing back in, we hardly ever do that despite it being one of the major sources of goals for those financial dopers at Abu Dhabi City. I’d like to see us try something different as we just look so predictable this season.

We improved significantly after Coutinho left. Even though he did score some good goals he blazed it high and wide more often than not.

 

I think you're right, we play percentages now and the data shows that a much higher percentage of goals are scored inside the area than out, which is why we don't shoot from range very often.

 

Our main problem this season has been out lack of threat in the air. We have no height in the team anymore.

[Bobby Hundreds]

2 hours ago, an tha said:

Yeah.

 

The obvious really big other issue is whether we get top 4 or not and how if we don't (likely lets face it) we react.

 

For me we can either act like a big club who are on a temporary one season absence from the top table and still invest in squad and compete for best players and pay the fees and wages it takes to compete for them - or we can act like a club who aren't shopping and operating at that top level and can only operate in the level below.

 

For me you have to go with the first option, i fear we will choose the second.

We will choose the second and use excuses rather than actually saying the squad fell short or its weaknesses were highlighted we need to invest in it. This January was just a shocking display of being as frugal as absolute possible, there was absolutely zero ambition shown, taki was almost certainly loaned out to cover the cost of bringing in a championship player who they definitely thought we can flip this player for more later and a bottom of the bundesliga 20 year old on loan who we probably only looked as in the first place last year because it looked like a moneyball deal but it turns out his club wanted profit on his potential too. At the most vital times it feels like the club is cursed to sit on its laurels while other teams evolve. 

[Vincent Vega]

14 minutes ago, MegadriveMan said:

We improved significantly after Coutinho left. Even though he did score some good goals he blazed it high and wide more often than not.

 

I think you're right, we play percentages now and the data shows that a much higher percentage of goals are scored inside the area than out, which is why we don't shoot from range very often.

 

Our main problem this season has been out lack of threat in the air. We have no height in the team anymore.

I know we improved after Coutinho left, just saying that when he was here there were plenty of games where we playing a 10 men behind the ball wall and he would win us the game with a goal from a free-kick or a belter from distance. It’s just something we rarely see these days. I had a look and we’ve scored 3 from outside the box this season, Leeds have 10, Leicester 9 and even City with their pass you to death/boredom style have 7.
 

I think we’ve become quite predictable and easy to set up against, and it wouldn’t do us any harm to mix things up, especially whilst we’re in this difficult spell.

[an tha]

11 minutes ago, Bobby Hundreds said:

We will choose the second and use excuses rather than actually saying the squad fell short or its weaknesses were highlighted we need to invest in it. This January was just a shocking display of being as frugal as absolute possible, there was absolutely zero ambition shown, taki was almost certainly loaned out to cover the cost of bringing in a championship player who they definitely thought we can flip this player for more later and a bottom of the bundesliga 20 year old on loan who we probably only looked as in the first place last year because it looked like a moneyball deal but it turns out his club wanted profit on his potential too. At the most vital times it feels like the club is cursed to sit on its laurels while other teams evolve. 

Hard to disagree.

 

Feels we are at a genuine crossroads now.

 

An ageing squad....loads of crocks....possibly missing out on European Cup riches.

 

The club can either be bold and start the rebuild from what is a reasonably strong base or sit and do fuck all and watch what have built creak more and then fall apart and fall behind our rivals....

[dockers_strike]

I think Jurgen disagrees with the concensus on here. He's said he sees a few leaving but doesnt intend bringing in 6 or 7 new players.

[Bobby Hundreds]

I wouldn't want 6 or 7 first teamers. 2 or possibly 3 straight in. The permacrocks can be wheel and dealed.