Klopp: We have our squad and can focus on the season ahead

[Bjornebye]

11 hours ago, VladimirIlyich said:

Keita is a very useful 4th/5th choice. Oxlade is rarely a choice at all.

When both are fit I reckon I'd lean towards Ox. 

[m0e]

5 minutes ago, Bjornebye said:

When both are fit I reckon I'd lean towards Ox. 

Me too.

 

Don't think Klopp would though.

[Bjornebye]

Just now, m0e said:

Me too.

 

Don't think Ox is ever fit though. 

.

[Strontium]

I'm a bit concerned about our depth up front. We've offloaded three proven goalscorers in Mane, Origi and Minamino, and we're relying on Nunez and a kid from Fulham to replace them.

[sir roger]

I suppose you could argue Diaz came in a window early and could count as another replacement.

[m0e]

21 minutes ago, sir roger said:

I suppose you could argue Diaz came in a window early and could count as another replacement.

You could argue we were light there before Diaz came in.

 

The numbers we had at the end of last season is exactly what we need to compete on all fornts, as we did, and with Nunez for Mane, and Carvalho for Minamino, we're a Big Dick Origi short, still.

 

If we got Diaz last summer, we may have won the league.

[3 Stacks]

Yeah, if there's one area where depth is a little light it's at forward. We could use another squad player, mostly for domestic cups.

 

But the difference with other seasons is that we have real 5 options from the start. We've never had that. The problem is if there's injury, it will be to an important player because in that position group they're all important.

[Lee909]

I think they will look at Elliot,Carvalho to pick up Origi,Miamino minutes up top. It'll mostly be dead rubber games in Europe of early cup rounds anyway. If the club don't plan on a new deal for Bobby obviously ideally you get his replacement in now to get him up to speed. But many players won't risk minutes in the build up to the world cup. 

[Bobby Hundreds]

On paper I dont think we've improved our side if anything we are a bit weaker. Mane was world class, Nunez isn't that level yet, he might never be but potentially he is. A right back cover for Trent. Firmino a year older I love the guy but the vast majority of time he plays these days he's a poor version of himself. He has his moments. Carvalho looks good but how does he fit in the side and instead of who. I've not watched a single friendly so I'm not arsed about how we have played or the result its a fitness exercise. Unless we have tactical changes or we become more clinical this season I cant see how we improve upon last year's league standing or even match it. We might not need too City may go off the boil. Its so fucking hard this league now Abhu Dhabi have bought it, I just don't know how the players and manager motivate themselves to go again and again, just one dropped point is like undoing a seasons work, you have to be that impeccable.

[HBenn]

4 hours ago, Bobby Hundreds said:

On paper I dont think we've improved our side if anything we are a bit weaker. Mane was world class, Nunez isn't that level yet, he might never be but potentially he is. A right back cover for Trent. Firmino a year older I love the guy but the vast majority of time he plays these days he's a poor version of himself. He has his moments. Carvalho looks good but how does he fit in the side and instead of who. I've not watched a single friendly so I'm not arsed about how we have played or the result its a fitness exercise. Unless we have tactical changes or we become more clinical this season I cant see how we improve upon last year's league standing or even match it. We might not need too City may go off the boil. Its so fucking hard this league now Abhu Dhabi have bought it, I just don't know how the players and manager motivate themselves to go again and again, just one dropped point is like undoing a seasons work, you have to be that impeccable.

My concerns around us lay more in midfield than up top. I think if we get an injury to Fabinho, Thiago or both then we will really be up against to be impeccable. With Thiago it always feels a case of when and not if.

Maybe they see Carvalho taking up those lost minutes. They seem to have given a lot of mins to Bajcetic in the holding role and while he has been very impressive I cannot see them relying on a 17 yr old.

In terms of Nunez, I actually think he will improve our overall team though. He has real raw pace and physicality. We haven't had that in the last 2 seasons. We aren't slow up top but neither were we the pace monsters we were 3 years ago. 

I think that will allow us to scare teams like City again and give the midfield more space to play in and allow us to properly dominate territory as teams sit that bit deeper to avoid that ball in behind.

Konate is more accustomed and I don't worry about any forwards bullying us or causing huge problems with the high line. If we were to add more pace into the defensive midfield I think we would be pretty impregnable now.

[Section_31]

I'm not worried about up top at all, it's the midfield that's the weak link. Only Fabinho and Thiago are anything approaching world class and the latter is often crocked. 

 

If you go into a title decider with city with Milner, Jones and Keita in the middle you're in a world of pain.

[TD_LFC]

Attack is the short term issue as it stands, might change on the weekend, but it's lacking in fluency and efficency at the moment. 

 

Jota being injured doesn't help.

[HBenn]

19 minutes ago, Section_31 said:

I'm not worried about up top at all, it's the midfield that's the weak link. Only Fabinho and Thiago are anything approaching world class and the latter is often crocked. 

 

If you go into a title decider with city with Milner, Jones and Keita in the middle you're in a world of pain.

Agree

[an tha]

Midfield is very clearly and obviously our area of concern.

 

We are going to need to be a lot luckier with injuries/absences than we were in the first half of last season when we rarely were able to field the same 3 let alone our 'best 3' week to week.

 

It is no surprise at all that once we were in the 2nd half of the season our results improved.

 

 

[Le Duan]

We’re the Andy Murray of the Premier League

[Daisy]

18 hours ago, m0e said:

You could argue we were light there before Diaz came in.

 

The numbers we had at the end of last season is exactly what we need to compete on all fornts, as we did, and with Nunez for Mane, and Carvalho for Minamino, we're a Big Dick Origi short, still.

 

If we got Diaz last summer, we may have won the league.

You arent saying we are about to go into another league campaign with an under strength squad through lack of investment by FSG? 

[Section_31]

Maybe Klopp thinks this is Elliott's year, who knows. I also like what I've seen of Carvhalo so far, could be a real star.

 

I also think we've strengthened by replacing Mane with Nunez in one sense. Yes Mane was proven, but with him and Salah in the same team we always had to find space behind. That was painful to watch againts Madrid. When the opposition doesn't come out to play, we're fucked. 

 

If, and it is an if, Nunez turns out to be the top drawer played we hope he'll be, I think we'll see more of a classic striker who can play off the shoulder. 

 

I'm not arsed about losing Taki and Div to be honest, they were shite.

[Bjornebye]

4 hours ago, Section_31 said:

I'm not worried about up top at all, it's the midfield that's the weak link. Only Fabinho and Thiago are anything approaching world class and the latter is often crocked. 

 

If you go into a title decider with city with Milner, Jones and Keita in the middle you're in a world of pain.

Yeah if I could sign anyone it would be a midfielder. 

 

 

And that midfielder would be Joshua Kimmich. (Other than De Bruyne obviously) 

[an tha]

1 hour ago, Section_31 said:

I'm not arsed about losing Taki and Div to be honest, they were shite.

They were but they contributed 16 goals between them last season.

 

Mainly in the cups, yes, but the question is who gets those (or a good chunk of them at least) this season.

 

What is stronger over course of a season/4 comps?

 

Diaz, Jota, Firmino, Salah, Nunez

 

Or:

 

Mane, Salah, Firmino, Diaz, Jota, Minamino, Origi

 

We are about to find out.

[Creator Supreme]

2 hours ago, an tha said:

They were but they contributed 16 goals between them last season.

 

Mainly in the cups, yes, but the question is who gets those (or a good chunk of them at least) this season.

 

What is stronger over course of a season/4 comps?

 

Diaz, Jota, Firmino, Salah, Nunez

 

Or:

 

Mane, Salah, Firmino, Diaz, Jota, Minamino, Origi

 

We are about to find out.

The latter!

[aws]

We replaced Mane by Diaz and Nunez.