Summer window 2023 - marks out of 10

[Carvalho Diablo]

It's a 6 from me.

 

Szobo is a worldie.

Macca fits us like a glove.

Endo is far better than most give him credit for and will play a lot.

Gravenberch will get the Klopp treatment and become a young star.

 

It's so refreshing to have a progressive creative midfield, not wading through treacle.

 

Disappointed we didn't get a starting calibre centre half, same with a right back.

 

Shopping list for next summer:

CB1

Solid starting quality RB

Starting quality 6

CB3

A proper replacement for Mo

 

Get saving John, you tight fisted arl cunt.

[TheDrowningMan]

5/10 as things stand, but that’s for the most part less an indictment on the players signed and more what business hasn’t been done. If the season goes on to be a staggering success then clearly I’ll have underrated it. On the other hand, if we were to sell Salah with no ability to bring in a replacement, regardless of the fee involved, it becomes a 0/10 window.
 

There’s no long term DM and in Endo we’ve signed a 30 year old who put up stats very similar too (and in terms of passing, considerably worse than) last season’s Fabinho in a weaker league.

 

The CB problem is there for all to see, given that it’s a crisis position after three games. We’re going to need three by next summer as well as a Salah replacement, so we can be pretty confident that not enough is going to be spent on the level of quality required.

[Scott_M]

2 hours ago, Section_31 said:

Six for me. We needed a right back. Didn't have to be the best in the world but just someone who wouldn't go wandering off. 

I think we’d have got a centre back, then Gomez and Bradley could compete for right back. 
 

I think the fact that Bradley & Konate are injured and VVD suspended instantly makes us feel light - hopefully Konate and VVD are back for Wolves. 
 

I could see Endo covering right back and centre back. Obviously not a perfect scenario, if everybody else is available, it still should be enough to beat most side. 

[Scott_M]

Seeing a few mentioned the lack of a right back, some say to start
 

I don’t understand why. We have one of the best one out there already. Gomez and (hopefully) Bradley are adequate back ups. 
 

Depending on how Quansah does this season, I definitely think we need at least 1 centre back next summer, possibly 2. 
 

Thaigo & Mo will likely leave so they’ll need replacing as well - hopefully the Mo money will will be reinvested like the Coutinho money. 

[Scott_M]

If we keep hold of Mo past next week, IMO, we should be looking to sign his replacement in January. 
 

Obviously Brentford had a £40m bid for Bakayoko accepted earlier in the week. PSV have Arsenal, Sevilla & Galatasaray in their CL group, I assume Arsenal and Sevilla progress  (no doubt Sevilla would be delighted to drop into the EL again!) from that, so he’d likely be available again in January (hopefully we have a good relationship with them after Gakpo). 
 

I also see Nico Williams at Bilbao is out of contract next summer. Right winger, incredibly fast. We’ve been linked with him in the past as well. 
 

As talented as Doak looks, he’s not 18 until November, it’s a lot to ask of him to replace Mo from next season. Obviously need to see how he does this season, I wouldn’t be against a loan move for him in January. 

[3 Stacks]

Said it in the summer window thread, it is a 5 or 6 for me. 5.5 lets say. I dont think we actually fixed much positionally. We are very strong at the 8 position, and there is something to be said for that with how trendy the position is tactically, but have little at 6. Didnt do anything in defense, where we were awful last season. No preemptive Salah replacement, so well be replacing him 1 for 1 next summer. There will be a million things to do next window(s). 

[Scott_M]

15 minutes ago, 3 Stacks said:

 No preemptive Salah replacement, so well be replacing him 1 for 1 next summer. There will be a million things to do next window(s). 

As long as he doesn’t go next week, does it matter?

 

Diaz & Gakpo were both signed in January to replace Mane & Firmino. 

[3 Stacks]

3 minutes ago, Scott_M said:

As long as he doesn’t go next week, does it matter?

 

Diaz & Gakpo were both signed in January to replace Mane & Firmino. 

It doesnt matter in isolation but the reason it will matter for us is because it will be one more piece of big business we will have to do. CB, 6, forward, maybe left back with Tsimikas deal winding down. Whatever else that will no doubt pop up. In the past few years, we havent anticipated and we keep having to do too much, and then we dont do enough. 

[Scott_M]

6 minutes ago, 3 Stacks said:

It doesnt matter in isolation but the reason it will matter for us is because it will be one more piece of big business we will have to do. CB, 6, forward, maybe left back with Tsimikas deal winding down. Whatever else that will no doubt pop up. In the past few years, we havent anticipated and we keep having to do too much, and then we dont do enough. 

If Mo is to leave, if we’re interested in Bakayoko or Nico Williams come January, they are both appear to be obtainable. 
 

Personally, I’d hope we get the Thiago and Matip replacements in during January as well. 
 

At present it seems reasonably certain (I know things can change) Mo, Thiago & Matip will all leave. You’d hope there has already been planning for Thiago and Matip and we have time to plan for Mo. 
 

In terms of Tsmiskas, we obviously need to plan accordingly, I’d be happy to see Scanlon, Beck, Chambers etc given a chance to make a claim first. 
 

I think circumstances with Ward & Schmadtke haven’t helped this summer. Hopefully we’ll have a proper DOF in full time ASAP. 

[3 Stacks]

16 minutes ago, Scott_M said:

If Mo is to leave, if we’re interested in Bakayoko or Nico Williams come January, they are both appear to be obtainable. 
 

Personally, I’d hope we get the Thiago and Matip replacements in during January as well. 
 

At present it seems reasonably certain (I know things can change) Mo, Thiago & Matip will all leave. You’d hope there has already been planning for Thiago and Matip and we have time to plan for Mo. 
 

In terms of Tsmiskas, we obviously need to plan accordingly, I’d be happy to see Scanlon, Beck, Chambers etc given a chance to make a claim first. 
 

I think circumstances with Ward & Schmadtke haven’t helped this summer. Hopefully we’ll have a proper DOF in full time ASAP. 

We have to do some business in January, theres no doubt. Ideally, the Salah replacement or Matip replacement. 

 

I wouldnt replace Thiago. We have a million 8s already and we shouldnt add to the plate that we already have. Getting someone better than Endo at 6 at some point will be enough. 

 

I think what we do with Tsimikas will be underrated in its importance. I think he needs to go next summer because he will have a bit of value and he isnt the future, unfortunately, though he is a good player and seems a nice lad. And then the replacement will be telling. It needs to either be a pivot into a more defensive profile to have a true tactical alternative to Robbo or it needs to be a young budding star that can really threaten his place. Or those two things in one player. 

 

 

[Scott_M]

13 minutes ago, 3 Stacks said:

We have to do some business in January, theres no doubt. Ideally, the Salah replacement or Matip replacement. 

 

I wouldnt replace Thiago. We have a million 8s already and we shouldnt add to the plate that we already have. Getting someone better than Endo at 6 at some point will be enough. 

 

I think what we do with Tsimikas will be underrated in its importance. I think he needs to go next summer because he will have a bit of value and he isnt the future, unfortunately, though he is a good player and seems a nice lad. And then the replacement will be telling. It needs to either be a pivot into a more defensive profile to have a true alternative to Robbo or it needs to be a young budding star that can really threaten his place. 

Obviously agree on Mo & Matip. 
 

I’d prefer Thiago’s replacement in January. They might not play much, learning how the team play and learning from Thiago would be beneficial for 24/25. 
 

I’m relaxed about Tsmiskas. We have plenty of youth options to at left back. If Klopp doesn’t think they are up to it, I  don’t think signing a left back shouldn’t be  unachievable. 
 

I’m more concerned what we do if the Saudi’s come in for Alisson, VVD, Diaz or any other of our top players next summer. 

[TD_LFC]

8 minutes ago, Scott_M said:

I’m more concerned what we do if the Saudi’s come in for Alisson, VVD, Diaz or any other of our top players next summer. 

 

[Razoray]

Rather than looking at the window in isolation, I have looked at the turnover of the squad in the past 2 years. 

We managed to play every game in the 21/22 season and almost won an unprecedented quadruple, so that is probably the ideal in terms of numbers and luck with fitness. Matip's games were managed well, Thiago played 39 games, and Keita played 40, so the availability of our injury prone players was better than usual. We will need similar with Matip, Gomez this season and Konate needs to improve his numbers. 

From the squad that started that season, we have lost 10 players since and have replaced those with some very talented players. Hopefully, the winning mentality of the players we have lost has also been replaced. 

While Diaz arrived in January and added an oomph, who is to say that we will not bring in someone in January again who makes a similar impact. 

 

Mane - Diaz

Origi - Nunez

Minamino - Doak

Firmino - Gakpo

Milner - Endo  

Keita - Szoboszlai 

Ox - Mac Allister

Henderson - Gravenbach 

Fabinho - Bajcetic 

Williams - Quansah 

[JohnnyH]

Might also be worth @dave u and @Chris waiting until the Saudi transfer window closes before recording that summer transfer window pod.

[Barrington Womble]

We have clearly signed a couple of crackers. And a couple of wild cards. And we acted too slowly on the latter two. We've completely ignored defence and given it the 2022 midfield treatment. 

 

So I think the defence will be worse than last season. The midfield better. And it's not really the whole team rebuild we'd been led to believe was coming. 5/10 for me. And that'll go to 1 if Salah is lost next week. 

[TD_LFC]

Who led us to believe it was a whole team rebuild, it was always a midfield rebuild having rebuilt the attack in the previous windows.

 

 

[Dr Nowt]

Don’t think we can let Mo go this week, whatever the offer, but there is a bit of a whiff of the Coutinho’s about this now - they wouldn’t be pursuing him this aggressively without some encouragement.

 

If we get through the next week with him still in the squad we should be actively looking for what we can do in January, and learning from the recent situation by having anyone coming in signed before he ultimately goes.
 

I personally doubt it would prove to be pre-emptive as much as a direct replacement. Starting to get the strong feeling this ‘long goodbye’ a few of the beat journos are talking about won’t be a 12 month one.

[Barrington Womble]

8 minutes ago, TD_LFC said:

Who led us to believe it was a whole team rebuild, it was always a midfield rebuild having rebuilt the attack in the previous windows.

 

 

Klopp 

 

[Bjornebye]

Too early to judge. Gutted we didn't get a RB. Hopefully no CB doesn't bite us on the arse either which of course it will when we have to bring Caulker in on a free transfer after the international break. 

[TD_LFC]

Just now, Barrington Womble said:

Klopp 

 

 

Seen him talking about having to make more changes in the midfield which meant one player wasn't enough hadn't seen anything about a full rebuild, must have missed it.

[Barrington Womble]

1 minute ago, TD_LFC said:

 

Seen him talking about having to make more changes in the midfield which meant one player wasn't enough hadn't seen anything about a full rebuild, must have missed it.

 

He talked about needing to look to bring people in across the team in every department.  But we struggled so much to deal with losing the 2 players to Saudi, we just gave up on anything else.

 

The last 2 we signed are a consequence of losing those 2, which klopp confirmed was never part of the plan. So really from where we were at the end of last season and our rebuild, we brought in Mac and Dom. 

[TD_LFC]

Reporter: "Jurgen, are you looking to buy defenders"

 

Klopp: "[Laughs] I like it, a direct question, we look in all departments apart from goalkeeper in this moments."

 

Reporter: "[muffled]..we talk about midfield"

 

Klopp: "you spoke about Midfield, I mean not you personally, but yeah"

 

Reporter: "was that a yes or a no"

 

Klopp: "either or, neither or, whatever you want. Yeah look if there's a good one out there I would not deny it it's how sad we have to, and we do, look in all parts, umm all areas of the pitch we have a look definitely"

 

 

[Strontium]

We bought 4 players.

 

So, 4. QED.

[an tha]

I am made up mostly.

 

As said on threads originally discussing this:

 

Shipping out players who could no longer run, tackle, win challenges, had no mobility or physicality, who created sod all and who were pretty much incapable of playing 2 or 3 games a week at a high level anymore as well as shipping out a couple of permacrocks, and bringing in youth, legs, mobility, progressive attitudes to their play and more robust players can only be seen as a very, very good thing.

 

I like our midfield business this summer - a lot.

 

The state of our midfield and the statues in it was gut wrenching to watch last season.

 

Week in week out getting run by and through - outfought, outthought, bullied...

 

Watching Fabinho arrive 5 mins late for tackles and hacking people down - and in the rare ocassions when he won it playing awful slow and often short or misplaced tackles.

 

His appearance at Brighton away in cup was like me in my early 20's rocking up at sunday league straight from a night out in town, throwing up behind the goal then staggering around still pissed out my skull - it was depressing to watch - and there were plenty more efforts like it.

 

Hendo standing around bemused as the opposition give him the run around......

 

Due to the sicknotes littering our options it was then all too often a case of whoever had all their limbs intact to make up the 3rd midfielder - meaning we lacked any sort of fluidity, rhythm, understanding and continuity for most of the season as well.

 

The bright spot was Bajcetic - but we broke him because of a lack of availability of and  Klopp simply not trusting or simply not wanting to use our so called senior pros.

 

Jones was a bright spot too over last 10 games.

 

Watching Naby Keita get hooked at half time after another invisible showing on one of his rare starts summed up the state we were in...

 

Thank fuck we have finally cleared that sort of shite out and fixed the other issues mentioned above and in earlier posts.

 

I'm excited by where we can go now.

 

I wish we'd done something in defence though - it feels like we are going to be flying by the seat of our pants there - especially when the 3 games a week lark starts - maybe Quansah is the real deal - but to me it feels risky with what we have, the reliability is just not there - Konate down already and we are barely underway. Gomez being asked to cover RB and centre half is far from ideal too especially with his own issues.

 

But it is what it is now and as I said I am made up with midfield changes.

 

8/10

[Kevin D]

7/10. It wasn’t great, but it was almost a lot worse.