Our midfield

[bizzle10]

28 minutes ago, 3 Stacks said:

The midfield "fix" was always pretty simple. Let Milner and Chamberlain go, Henderson becomes Milner, buy one or two legitimate first eleven quality players at the position. Klopp and the club choose not to do it. Gotta shrug your shoulders. 

And I’d add Keita to Milner and Ox out the door get Nunes/Barella etc now then Bellingham next season Thiago will come back and get injured again rinse and repeat 

[El Rojo]

43 minutes ago, 3 Stacks said:

The midfield "fix" was always pretty simple. Let Milner and Chamberlain go, Henderson becomes Milner, buy one or two legitimate first eleven quality players at the position. Klopp and the club choose not to do it. Gotta shrug your shoulders. 

I always felt we wanted Tchouameni and did a Fekir/Alisson by going big on Nunez instead when that wasn't a goer. I don't know where that would have left us in terms of replacing Mane if he'd still left. 

 

Agree with your approach but I'd have settled for one good acquisition. I'd keep Milner as even though he's 62 he's still more durable than Thiago, Henderson, Keita, Ox and even Fabinho. Keita and Ox could have gone at no real loss to our prospects, though there probably wasn't a huge amount of interest in either. 

 

I like Thiago, but we're potentially looking at a season where he won't be much use to us for large stretches again.

 

Also, this thing of referees allowing a bit more niggle in tackles won't do us and our brittle middle crew much good either. 

[Trojan1892]

Nunes this summer, Bellingham next summer….

it’s pretty simple tbh and that sorts the issue out for the next decade.

[VladimirIlyich]

Am I the only one who seems largely underwhelmed by Elliott,even though I realise he's still a kid? He's getting minutes so I have to assume he's pulling up trees in training. The sad thing about Saturday was that Milner looked our stand out player despite being a late substitute and doing nothing but the simple things very well. The minimum required from a midfielder for me.

[3 Stacks]

32 minutes ago, VladimirIlyich said:

Am I the only one who seems largely underwhelmed by Elliott,even though I realise he's still a kid? He's getting minutes so I have to assume he's pulling up trees in training. The sad thing about Saturday was that Milner looked our stand out player despite being a late substitute and doing nothing but the simple things very well. The minimum required from a midfielder for me.

Milner made an impact against Fulham and so did Elliott. I'm not sure why one would garner praise, but not the other.

[VladimirIlyich]

8 minutes ago, 3 Stacks said:

Milner made an impact against Fulham and so did Elliott. I'm not sure why one would garner praise, but not the other.

I didnt see that much from Elliott myself,but did notice it from Milner.

[Kevin D]

44 minutes ago, VladimirIlyich said:

Am I the only one who seems largely underwhelmed by Elliott,even though I realise he's still a kid? He's getting minutes so I have to assume he's pulling up trees in training. The sad thing about Saturday was that Milner looked our stand out player despite being a late substitute and doing nothing but the simple things very well. The minimum required from a midfielder for me.

Elliot is overrated among our fanbase, generally, and specifically on here. 

[an tha]

6 minutes ago, Kevin D said:

Elliot is overrated among our fanbase, generally, and specifically on here. 

I feel it is far too early and we simply have not seen enough of him at this level to form a strong opinion.

 

He is talented of course and has potential and it looks like we'll potentially learn a lot more about him this season.

 

 

 

[Carra_is_legend]

He may be overrated generally but he made an impact on Saturday

[3 Stacks]

24 minutes ago, Kevin D said:

Elliot is overrated among our fanbase, generally, and specifically on here. 

Probably because Klopp gave him games in midfield at 18 years of age.

[Freddo]

Pearce saying Thiago is up to six weeks out. If that’s the case he won’t return until October I’d imagine after the international break. 
 

[Lee909]

8 minutes ago, Freddo said:

Pearce saying Thiago is up to six weeks out. If that’s the case he won’t return until October I’d imagine after the international break. 
 

 

Just in time to build fitness for the world cup and get unjured over there. 

[coachpotato]

Thiago out for six weeks? Going to be interesting to see how we get around that!
Harvey Elliot is a kid and, although he shows some nice touches, he generally plays like that.
It’s putting unfair pressure on him to think he can come in to our midfield and perform miracles. 
Same with Carvalho, too early to expect too much.

Of the others, Keita has to stop fucking around and show us some consistently good performances or get the fuck out.

Ox is unfortunately looking like a lost cause.

Jones needs not to be the kid with great potential.

Fabinho has to ensure he finds that dominance he had a season or two back.

Which leaves Milner and Hendo and not much else other than untried kids.

Millie and Hendo are too slow but are likely to be who we rely on to navigate the ship through the early season games.

We probably could do with at least one established midfielder, but I don’t believe we’ll see one come in any time soon.

 

[Joey8FrogsLegs]

4 minutes ago, coachpotato said:

Thiago out for six weeks? Going to be interesting to see how we get around that!
Harvey Elliot is a kid and, although he shows some nice touches, he generally plays like that.
It’s putting unfair pressure on him to think he can come in to our midfield and perform miracles. 
Same with Carvalho, too early to expect too much.

Of the others, Keita has to stop fucking around and show us some consistently good performances or get the fuck out.

Ox is unfortunately looking like a lost cause.

Jones needs not to be the kid with great potential.

Fabinho has to ensure he finds that dominance he had a season or two back.

Which leaves Milner and Hendo and not much else other than untried kids.

Millie and Hendo are too slow but are likely to be who we rely on to navigate the ship through the early season games.

We probably could do with at least one established midfielder, but I don’t believe we’ll see one come in any time soon.

 

We’re doooooomed! Booooooo!

[VladimirIlyich]

6 minutes ago, coachpotato said:

Thiago out for six weeks? Going to be interesting to see how we get around that!
Harvey Elliot is a kid and, although he shows some nice touches, he generally plays like that.
It’s putting unfair pressure on him to think he can come in to our midfield and perform miracles. 
Same with Carvalho, too early to expect too much.

Of the others, Keita has to stop fucking around and show us some consistently good performances or get the fuck out.

Ox is unfortunately looking like a lost cause.

Jones needs not to be the kid with great potential.

Fabinho has to ensure he finds that dominance he had a season or two back.

Which leaves Milner and Hendo and not much else other than untried kids.

Millie and Hendo are too slow but are likely to be who we rely on to navigate the ship through the early season games.

We probably could do with at least one established midfielder, but I don’t believe we’ll see one come in any time soon.

 

Keita is so good that I'd actually forgotten about him.

[Grinch]

17 minutes ago, Lee909 said:

 

Just in time to build fitness for the world cup and get unjured over there. 

The bestest midfielder in the world won’t be getting much football with Spain.

[FrenchEyeGlass]

8 hours ago, 3 Stacks said:

The midfield "fix" was always pretty simple. Let Milner and Chamberlain go, Henderson becomes Milner, buy one or two legitimate first eleven quality players at the position. Klopp and the club choose not to do it. Gotta shrug your shoulders. 

They couldn't shift Ox because he was too shite to attract any attention, which tells you how much of a viable option he should be for us.

 

Milner was kept around at a vastly reduced contract (likely around 100pw now IMO). He covers three positions so makes sense. Don't see why a midfield signing would or would not be contingent on Milner being here for one more year.

[3 Stacks]

2 minutes ago, FrenchEyeGlass said:

They couldn't shift Ox because he was too shite to attract any attention, which tells you how much of a viable option he should be for us.

 

Milner was kept around at a vastly reduced contract (likely around 100pw now IMO). He covers three positions so makes sense. Don't see why a midfield signing would or would not be contingent on Milner being here for one more year.

Squad size and numbers. Klopp doesn't like people not making matchday squads. 

[Joey8FrogsLegs]

8 minutes ago, 3 Stacks said:

Squad size and numbers. Klopp doesn't like people not making matchday squads. 

Pep is the same apparantly. Clueless whoppers both of them.
 

[HBenn]

14 minutes ago, 3 Stacks said:

Squad size and numbers. Klopp doesn't like people not making matchday squads. 

That is the ironic thing in all of this. If we didn't currently have such a big squad we would really be struggling to put a 3 out.

 

We are partly carrying such a big squad (and delaying loans - Morton - where others pay the wages) because we have a number who historically cannot stay fit.

 

The argument will no doubt be that we cannot afford to add to the 9 midfielders we have already. Makes real sense in one regard as 9 is a ridiculous number but if you bring in a player now that has a good record and is more likely to stay fit then you can start to get rid of maybe 2-4 others instead of needing to keep them around due to the current "safety in numbers approach*.

 

It would be a short term financial hit for a longer term benefit

 However from a wages point of view overall our squad is still smaller than last season so imagine there is still space in the overall wage bill for one more.

 

#Granted it would be a waste of time adding one if Klopp doesn't see anyone available he rates

 

 

[Section_31]

I like Thiago but I hate sicknotes. Shanks would have shoved the Pamplona bull run up his arse.

[HBenn]

7 minutes ago, Section_31 said:

I like Thiago but I hate sicknotes. Shanks would have shoved the Pamplona bull run up his arse.

I think he is a wonderful player but you cannot help but feel the club are spinning the extent of the injury.

 

James Pearce came out and said it is looking like upto 6 weeks and Gorst is saying that the club don't feel it's serious and are awaiting results of another scan. With some reports saying they are glad they caught it early.

 

I don't see how a player pulling up with an injury mid game can be considered to have "caught it early". I also feel like the club are desperately trying to say he will be back really quite soon.

 

Thiago dissapears for weeks with the most  innocuous of injuries and it probably all stems from his long term injury anyway so personally I just don't see him back before October-November. 

 

I may well be wrong but if not either they don't want to look like they are desperate to avoid getting rinsed or they don't want to spend and are trying to justify it to the fanbase

 

 

[Barrington Womble]

1 hour ago, Freddo said:

Pearce saying Thiago is up to six weeks out. If that’s the case he won’t return until October I’d imagine after the international break. 
 

And aside when he had a champions leagie final to wobble through, he has normally taken longer over recovery than expected.

[an tha]

It has got to stage now where Thiago being fit and available is a "bonus".

 

If he starts half our league games it will be a bonus.

 

He started 17 of them last season.

 

Keita being fit and available for the other half is about the best we can hope for, but that is far from a guarantee.

 

Looks like the kids Carvalho and Elliott are going to see plenty of minutes and Milner probably too.

 

Fabinho and Henderson really need to stay fit....

 

 

 

 

[Section_31]

2 minutes ago, HBenn said:

I think he is a wonderful player but you cannot help but feel the club are spinning the extent of the injury.

 

James Pearce came out and said it is looking like upto 6 weeks and Gorst is saying that the club don't feel it's serious and are awaiting results of another scan. With some reports saying they are glad they caught it early.

 

I don't see how a player pulling up with an injury mid game can be considered to have "caught it early". I also feel like the club are desperately trying to say he will be back really quite soon.

 

Thiago dissapears for weeks with the most  innocuous of injuries and it probably all stems from his long term injury anyway so personally I just don't see him back before October-November. 

 

I may well be wrong but if not either they don't want to look like they are desperate to avoid getting rinsed or they don't want to spend and are trying to justify it to the fanbase

 

 

He can't be counted on, that's the bottom line. He's a luxury player who's nice to have in the squad but you can't start a season building plans around someone so soft as shite.