We have a problem in midfield, change is needed.

[Code]

What we really need this window and have done for a while is to get a central midfielder who can chip in with goals and assists on a regular basis.

We have played 20 PL games this season and the contribution from our midfielders when it comes to goals and assists could and should be a lot hetter.

Another problem is obviously the lack of continuity in midfield, the player with the 3rd most starts has only started 8 out of 20 games and the one with second most starts has only started 13 out of 20.
 

I included Minamino in this, but maybe thats wrong, maybe he should be classed as a forward.

 

Goals and assist from midfield in the PL this season after 20 games:

Henderson:  16 (2) games - 2 goals + 3 assists

Keita: 6 (5) games - 2 goals + 1 assist

Thiago: 8 (3) games - 1 goal + 1 assist

Fabinho: 13 (1) games - 1 goal + 1 assist

Jones: 3 (3) games - 1 goal + 1 assist

Minamino: 0 (6) games - 1 goal + 0 assists

Ox-Chamberlain: 6 (8) games - 0 goals -  1 assist

Milner: 7 (6) games - 0 goals - 1 assist

Elliott: 3 (1) games - 0 goals - 0 assists

Morton: 1 (1) games - 0 goals - 0 assists

 

We need to get new players in, players with pace, technique and the ability to score and create goals.

 

We could do a lot worse than getting Coutinho back on loan. 

[an tha]

We do have problems in midfield, we do need change in there.

 

Coutinho though is not the answer.

[Megadrive Man]

The way we play, midfielders don't really get many chances to score. 

 

The three midfielders and two centre backs are basically the defenders in our team whereas the three attackers and full backs are the attacking players.

 

We've scored 52 league goals this season.

We do need to replace Milner, Ox and Keita with players that can contribute at the highest level.

[Megadrive Man]

Coutinho can't even get in an average Barcelona team.

 

He wouldn't fit at all in our midfield three.

[J-V]

Replace the lot of them bar the youngsters. They're all getting on (Fab is 29 this year) or are shit no to mention the constant injuries.

[Scott_M]

The only time we’ve looked at the quality of 18-20 is when Thaigo has played.
 

But he can’t stay fit.

 

I thought Milner did very well today. Needless free kick for the Kovacic goal but that’s more to do with Kovacic’s strike than anything else. He blocked and intercepted loads of times in the first half.

 

Apparently Milner is joining the coaching staff in the summer. Given Hendo will be 32 & Thaigo 31, we likely need 2 midfielders in the summer.

 

And that’s without Ox or Keita leaving.

 

Kessie, Bissouma, Brozovic, Kamara & Zakaria are all free in the summer. Spend on Bellingham and sign one of those and numbers would be sufficient. I can’t comment on quality apart from they are “highly rated”.

[Joey8FrogsLegs]

Clearly now the area we need to strengthen. Well to be fair it has been quite clear for a while, as looking back at transfer window threads on here would show.

 

The combination of lack of quality and lack of ability to stay fit and be available for selection every week makes it a bit tricky. Ideally perhaps we should move three or four players on, and get at least three new in.

That, with the current owners and manager, most likely will not happen. I definately think we’ll see more

of a step by step approach. And if we get it right that could improve us more and faster than we tend to believe. 
 

We’ve seen in the past that players of really top quality can improve the team more or less instantly. Alisson did it, Van Dijk definately and to some degree Fabinho who was brilliant once he had adapted and got proper game time.

 

If we get a top quality box to box midfielder, an «eight» if you like, in it would improve us a lot. Needs to be one that is mobile and with some pace. In many games now we suffer from the lack of intensity, one of the reasons being that either two or all three in the middle are slow players. 
 

A player like Tielemans would improve us massively, or Bissouma if he was someone we could get (I assume he isn’t). Also suspect Bellingham would fit the bill, and probably already be good enough.

There are probably others that may fit even better, I dont watch enough football to know who are the best options, but they’re out there and we’re probably better off spending 80 million on one top class one than 120 on three decent ones. 

 

[Pureblood]

I do the quality midfield threads around here. 

 

Anyway, my contribution is this; fuck all of the Hendo haters, right in the rectum. 

[KevieG]

We've always been somewhat limited under Klopp in midfield. I used to think the midfielders, though limited in some respects, created the commotion, that unsettled the opposition. 

 

With them getting old  they just can't do that anymore. Hendo being 3 yards off his man today did my head in. 

 

I would love to get in a couple of hard working skillful players. A Kante and Silva type. Don't know if it would work. And have no clue who fits that bill as I don't really watch other teams/leagues anymore. I think Saka for Arsenal could play 2 or 3 positions for us. Would love to get him in. 

 

 

[J-V]

15 minutes ago, Scott_M said:

 

Kessie, Bissouma, Brozovic, Kamara & Zakaria are all free in the summer. Spend on Bellingham and sign one of those and numbers would be sufficient. I can’t comment on quality apart from they are “highly rated”.

Bissouma is not on a free that’s next summer.  He’d be a superb signing though just depends what’s happening with his legal issues.

[sir roger]

We have a fair amount of midfielders on paper but we don't have a single one who ticks all of the major requirements. 

Fabinho is probably the nearest. I see the hierarchy as.

 

Fabinho

Thiago , Hendo , Elliott

Keita , Milner , Ox , Jones , 

( I don't count Minamino or Morton )

 

Over January and Summer I think we need two new players for category A , and to get rid of any two of three in category C and Milner will retire.

[Carvalho Diablo]

I perceive our midfield problems to be even worse than most seem to. We are badly short of quality, of difference makers.

 

It won't happen but I'd like to see 3 out and 3 in. One defensive and 2 creators.

 

I thought Leon Goretzka was on the outs at Bayern?

[Red Shift]

Alexander-Arnold has two goals and eleven assists. That’s from RB. I say we buy a great RB defender - rock solid - and give TAA the freedom to move about midfield and continue supporting Mo and others. He’ll reward us with more of his goals too. It’s not like he wouldn't be tracking back to help defend, but he would be given a mandate to be intuitive in attack & counter-attack with Mo.

 

Might even be cheaper to buy a RB than a midfielder.

[3 Stacks]

The thing is that the midfield is kind of an easy fix. Henderson and Chamberlain both have the skillset to play the role Milner has for years as kind of the important utility man, but the one that you don't want to have to play too often. So they replace what Milner does pretty easily, especially as he doesn't really play fullback anymore, they could just run around a lot and tackle people, bring energy, fill in at a couple of different positions, Henderson at 6, Chamberlain at forward, etc... 

 

Then you simply buy a midfielder better than those two, which at this point isn't very hard and you get rid of and replace Keita, who has added next to no value, so that shouldn't be very hard either. The profile of the players could be anything really, I'd prefer more creative midfielders so we don't get eaten alive technically like we did yesterday, but whatever. So two in, two out, you don't lose that much continuity. It shouldn't actually be hard, but I'm not gonna hold my breath because while the team has evolved a bit and we've added good players to the squad in the past few years, we do it very deliberately. I doubt anyone at the club will think the midfield is that big of a problem. We'll probably buy one in the summer, at most. 

[Lee909]

We aren't signing Bellingham. No way they pay the money Dortmund will want,especially as Dortmund will play hardball with Haaland off. 

 

Brozovic is supposed to be staying at Inter. 

 

Bissouma would be my choice but all depends on what going on legally with him. If there's any suspicious he's guilty the club rightly won't touch him. 

 

I'd take Kessie on free,even if it's just a short term stop gap we can sell on later. Same with Zakaria. They should look at getting one in now as this midfield just can't control a game at the moment. 

[Code]

Why are everyone talking about Bellingham exactly?

 

Would it not be better to try and get Giovanni Reyna if we are looking at Dortmund midfielders?

I remember I always liked his dad when he played for Sunderland and City. 

 

[Jairzinho]

Problem solved.

 

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/leighton-clarkson-returns-to-liverpool-22628223

 

More likely to get a game here than at Blackburn.

[VladimirIlyich]

23 minutes ago, Jairzinho said:

Problem solved.

 

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/leighton-clarkson-returns-to-liverpool-22628223

 

More likely to get a game here than at Blackburn.

I'd rather have Leighton James.

[Preston Red]

24 minutes ago, Jairzinho said:

Problem solved.

 

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/leighton-clarkson-returns-to-liverpool-22628223

 

More likely to get a game here than at Blackburn.

Leighton Clarkson not being good enough for Blackburn can save Liverpool millions, etc...

[Guest Alex_K]

Other way around. Scoring goals is fine. Team solidity is not. Whenever we have played a decent, composed team this year we could (sometimes have) conceded a hatful. City home; Chelsea home/away; Spurs away etc. The side was very hard to score against for several years and that is completely lost now against any decent outfit. Result of injuries & decline in key position quality.

[No2]

4 hours ago, Code said:

Why are everyone talking about Bellingham exactly?

 

Would it not be better to try and get Giovanni Reyna if we are looking at Dortmund midfielders?

I remember I always liked his dad when he played for Sunderland and City. 

 

I'd prefer Zidanes young lad based on that logic.

[Wicket]

It’s almost as though we’re missing a certain player who was constantly available, and teams rarely ever ran through us at ease with them in the team. 

[VERBAL DIARRHEA]

The midfield is sorely lacking in pace, stamina and technique. We need two new starters.

[VladimirIlyich]

This is the only change Klopp will be getting from FSG

[Pidge]

I still think we need to refresh the midfield, but that's not the biggest concern for me. The attack is a far bigger issue in my opinion. I think we're going to really struggle over the next few weeks. The club essentially chose to carry on without any centre backs last season and it essentially ended the season. Going ahead as we are is choosing to try and challenge for trophies without a huge percentage of our goals - it's madness. 

 

It hit the whole squad's morale last season and we've not really recovered. With the Salah contract situation, showing no ambition to win things is only going to see him leave.