Sugar Ape

Some of the shit these fucking geeks chat. "He's better than a Donny Van De Beek, but only just" and " He's definitely a versatile enough and intelligent enough player to not be a complete liability".

 

 

I was looking for some articles on Giorgio Scalvini, the Atalanta centre backs we've been linked with, and found this article which is now my favourite article of all time. It reads like the author is a mix of Duncan Jenkins and a Chimp on acid (sorry @the chimp).

 

Giorgio Scalvini with Atalanta 2022/23: tactical analysis scout report (totalfootballanalysis.com)

 

 

Giorgio Scalvini: Why Atalanta must hold on to the elite defender

 

Good defenders do tackle, but great ones are already in the position to make an interception. Paolo Maldini said these things after he had the world at his feet and won every prize he was ever eligible for.

 

One of the sport’s all-time best defensive players has walked through his years of expertise. It’s although crazy to think that his influence on Italy’s defenders can make such a difference.

 

While Giorgio Scalvini was born months after countryman Maldini won the Champions League with Manchester United, he elevates tackling to fine art and proves that there is always an exception to every rule.

 

This tactical analysis presented as a scout report will delve into Scalvini’s style of play under Atalanta’s tactics and also what data says about him. This analysis will also examine his potential options to move out as the speculations circle.

 

Player profile

 

Elegant and technically sound with a dominant right foot, Giorgio Scalvini checks off most of the criteria necessary to thrive as a modern-day central defender.

 

His sideways, extending lunges appear almost scripted, and he’s over two metres tall. His game awareness in general is superb, and seeing his lanky dashes forward in a back-three structure is entertaining. 

 

He is a capable defender who can read the play and intercept incoming passes, as well as hold his own in physical battles. His sideways, extending lunges appear almost scripted, and he’s over two metres tall and has played for Italy at every level, including senior level.

 

Coming to his on-the-ball ability he does very well for a teenager who is too Italian, given the youth system of Italy being old-fashioned.

 

His passing is solid as well; he enjoys going for Maguire-style runs, and when he recovers, it’s as if he activates gadget legs. The legendary Atalanta has accomplished another feat.

 

His game awareness is superb, and seeing his lanky dashes forward in a back-three structure is entertaining. It will be interesting to see how he adjusts to a four-at-the-back system in the future if he had to.

 

We see Scalvini’s touch map in the accompanying image in all of his major tournaments in his breakthrough season. As we take in the picture, he’s a left-sided centre-back with a dominant right foot and that’s some combination.

 

His attacking-mindedness allows him to skilfully pass the tests for the negative advantage of his weak foot on the left side of the pitch.

 

To conclude the topic, we’ll see how Scalvini rose through the ranks in the midst of young blood taking over the world. 

 

He came up through Atalanta’s youth system before making his way to the first team just last year. Since he first appeared at this level in October 2021, he has played almost 40 games for them.

 

He has also played for the national team at every level from the under-15 to the senior. He’s a central defender who can also play in the defensive midfield.

 

Without further ado, let’s dive into the player’s stats, in-game screenshots, and more to learn more about him.

 

Defensive attributes & On the ball ability

 

 

In this topic, we will look at how good he’s on the ball and how good he can be while the team’s defending. Looking at his defensive specs, his aggression topples all other things.

 

Next in line is his heightened state of awareness as he attempts to out-react his guy. The manager is content in part because he is aware of the need of being alert at all times.

 

Scalvini’s vigilance was crucial in helping the Bianconeri restrict in-form World Cup champion, Ángel Di María. Di María may have fooled the kid on occasion, but Scalvini showed him his true colours.

 

In the best possible scenario, he follows his marker into empty space and stays there until he has the ball, at which point he switches to marking him from behind.

 

 

The ideal course of action, upon seeing such an open area and the kind of player heading into it, was to mark him tightly as your teammates pressed. Indeed, he did just that.

 

He spends a lot of time on the pitch duking it out, which is great news for his coach. The more he challenges others to fight, the more his management will want to put him in situations where he can show off his physical prowess.

 

Now, with Lazio, he watches as his team presses and immediately responds when he sees his guy making a move to receive the ball.

 

 

There seems to be a two-arm length difference between the players, yet when the marker made his initial contact, Scalvini was just a centimetre away. When his marker has possession of the ball, he makes sure to provide pressure.

 

The first contact is the single most important factor in setting the stage for upcoming events. Just like that, Scalvini dealt with the Lazio winger.

 

The whole Atalanta defence collapsed during their Coppa Italia match against Internazionale, leaving Scalvini to play fruit or death against World Cup champion Lautaro Martínez.

 

 

This frame was intentionally frozen to show how Scalvini intends to counter the oncoming danger. If he’s serious about it, he understands it’s a target. Hence, he takes care to maintain an appropriate distance from his man.

 

The important thing is that he abandons his man to protect the weaker side (the left) while he goes to the stronger side (the right). Now Lautaro’s only option is to face his opponent head-on. But, Scalvini is already on Lautaro and he steals the ball as he attempts to go right on a fake left.

 

Scalvini’s best-attacking figures increased when he was forced to play the entire 90 minutes against Alessio Dionisi’s Sassuolo. With three out of four dribbles being successful, his success rate was 75%.

 

Down low, he wins the ball on the edge of his box and immediately spots an opening to advance. As can be seen in the image below, he gains incredible speed with the ball in an instant.

 

 

His deft footwork helped him last long until he was fouled by one of Dionisi’s players, awarding a yellow card.

 

In about 8 seconds, Scalvini could move over 70 yards and break Sassuolo’s defence. In the nick of time, he decided to go around the outside of the block and find a way through.

 

Scalvini’s rise through Atalanta’s academy was like something out of a storybook until he began playing for extended stretches against the more experienced competition. He displayed some of his support play against Milan.

 

 

Just before the above picture was snapped, Scalvini deftly pretended to take a touch when Brahim Díaz was on his neck. Scalvini got rid of Díaz simply by not taking a touch but leaving it.  Because of his natural instincts, he can freely move around the pitch.

 

The winger then has space to both keep possession of the ball and stretch Milan’s defence thanks to his overlapping move. 

 

The characteristics he exhibits are ambitious for a young man of his stature. Subsequently, we’ll take a look at the evidence that could provide which might back up this claim.

 

What does data say?

 

Scalvini sits in 11th place for the most defensive duels faced per 90 in Serie A with 9.78 to his name. This is an astounding number for a 19-year-old which shows how much trust he has gained from the manager.

 

He is now a big fan of the teenager letting out full of positive comments about the Maldini-like defender.

 

From the 85 minutes that he played against the reigning champions Milan away from home, his best defensive performance came.

 

 

He had 82% of defensive duels won in the game with nine duels winning from a total of 11. That was fascinating for a youngster trying to get a spot in the starting eleven.

 

The above graphic tells us how many defensive actions the youngster has engaged in and how many were fouls and interceptions. Although we see more fouls being made, that is true. His untimely tackles are the only negative point.

 

As we know how Scalvini uses his aggression, here are some numbers on his high regains, counter-pressing recoveries and dangerous recoveries.

 

In all competitions this year, he has made 14 high regains which is very high as visible in the above graphic. His counter-pressing numbers stand up to 21 with dangerous ones amounting to just six.

 

His best performance also came in the Coppa Italia against Spezia when Atalanta thrashed them scoring five goals, three more than the opposition. 

 

He won six out of six duels which is a 100% success rate in the 58 minutes that he played in Italy’s most prestigious competition.

 

The below graphic illustrates the frequency of penetrating carries by the defender. 26 carries into the box is a very good figure for a ball-playing centre-back.

 

Whenever Atalanta outscored their opponents, Scalvini was their top and solid performer despite being on and off in the starting eleven.

 

 

Regardless of how many carries have been into the box, the penetrating carries around the pitch massively help Atalanta in their build-up.

 

The above graphic tells about his passing range and the direction he prefers to pass it out. While building up, progressive passes allow everyone to advance and not get stuck.

 

His ability to find teammates who generally position higher than him, helps his manager decide quickly as Scalvini outshines all of his teammates when it comes to on-the-ball ability.

 

Probable future destination

 

As the boys reach a certain age, they all want to join a more prestigious club. Naturally, the player’s performance must be flawless.

 

It’s remarkable to watch how far a 19-year-old can travel, both with and without the ball. Despite having concerns cast upon him and having setbacks in recent years, he has pleased Gian Piero Gasperini and his team throughout the season.

 

Who could try to recruit the young Italian defender is an exciting subject now. Most teams have specialized scouts seeking players who share the club’s values.

 

Even though there are many other leagues in Europe, the Premier League is where the major money is spent on players and where the next generation of players can test themselves against the best.

 

All youngsters want they could play for one of the “big six” clubs but considering a few factors at the moment on how much the team needs a defender is to be talked about.

 

Mikel Arteta and Arsenal currently play with a back four and it filters Scalvini from joining them. Regardless of the fact, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães have well-settled as the future centre-back duo for the Gunners.

 

Considering how badly Scalvini would want play time as the first and foremost factor, Arsenal would be out of the choice.

 

Manchester United, after the influx of Real Madrid legends Raphaël Varane and Casemiro, has been quite solid except for the game at Anfield. And the Dutchman now seeks to strengthen the midfield with rumours around.

 

Pep’s City has put their trust in Manuel Akanji for the time being who came in last year and has a loaded defence including World Cup stars like Nathan Aké, Aymeric Laporte, and Rúben Dias.

 

Liverpool is one of the suspects to sincerely scout Scalvini knowing that Joel Matip would be out of the squad shortly. 

 

Jürgen Klopp now has Ibrahima Konaté under his belt who’s growing a healthy relationship with the main man Virgil van Dijk. If ever Konaté is to get injured given that Liverpool heavily suffering from injuries, Scalvini should be the wisest choice to go to as his price tag is feasible.

 

Coming to Graham Potter’s Chelsea, I’m not even going to step in as they are already an overloaded squad with team chemistry missing in the puzzle.

 

This now leaves out only Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur who have comfortably signed former Serie A talents like Cristian Romero, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Dejan Kulusevski in the past years. 

 

They have all well flourished under Spurs’ system after Conte’s arrival. Seems like Tottenham has won the jackpot in recent years, both in terms of drafting and signing talented young players and in terms of signing veteran Italian players.

 

Spurs are in a good position to do the right things given that they are in fourth place, only two points behind Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United thanks to the positive direction the squad is headed in under Antonio Conte.

 

This is a hopeful time for the north London club as they were able to get Pedro Porro from Sporting despite Pep Guardiola’s public admiration of the player.

 

Scalvini can defend quite far from his position, even into the opponent’s half, thanks to Atalanta’s defensive tenacity and the performance of the outside centre-backs.

 

His ability to both drive and swiftly escape after a theft is one of his most notable ball-handling skills. It doesn’t matter if he’s right-footed; he always attempts to advance the ball and moves off the line to assist the midfield to move the ball from the left side.

 

Scalvini utilises this method of advancement based on Atalanta’s tremendous personality to be a leader since he is as distinctive as Atalanta is in his game.

 

Spurs’ three-centre-back formation places a premium on the central defenders’ ability to clear a path for the team’s forwards. Centre-backs, to attract pressure and play with teammates in front of them, need to be sharp thinkers who are fast off the ball. 

 

As Ben Davies and Eric Dier will soon be unable to improve upon their current performance, Scalvini presents a compelling alternative.

 

Conclusion

 

Leaving out his gambling at times, his defensive actions give him more control over the team. And his offensive abilities are no doubt that he’s going to be one of the best ball-playing defenders to break through in the coming years.

 

Scalvini has everything to learn from his colleagues and experiences that he’s now cultivating under Gasperini and Atalanta.

 

The Italian defender would thrive under Conte’s system at Tottenham, making the club a top choice for his next stop. The Italian can only hold on to hope since Spurs are the only club in the big six to have three central defenders.

3 hours ago, Barrington Womble said:

I got one and 4 cans this weekend. I really like it. It's been a long time since I've been to Ireland to compare to a pint of draught there, but it's deffo up there with any pint I can get here. 

Yeah I’ve had my four cans of it now (need to get some more) and it’s pretty much as good as a pub pint. Good deal considering the price. 

46 minutes ago, Barrington Womble said:

Is it easy enough to clean out too? 

Yeah piece of piss. There’s a YouTube video on the cleaning and pouring and whatnot here:

https://nitrosurge.guinness.com/en-gb/explore-nitrosurge

 

19 minutes ago, Barrington Womble said:

I always thought the original surger like what they have at the match was sound enough, but Tesco only stuck with that for a year or so and it never made other supermarkets. 

 

What's it like on price? 

Cost me £29 for the unit and four cans. Not bad at all. 

£25 (or £22 with a club card) from Tesco https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/310154620

 

And the cans are £8 (£7) for four 558ml pint cans 

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/313004051

Anyone got one of those Guinness Nitrosurge units? Got one from Tesco with the nitrosurge cans the other day,  lovely pint. Not far off one from a pub. 
 

 

21 minutes ago, Scott_M said:

Given it’s by Wallace & Bascombe, I’d assume it has some merit. Is anybody able to post the article please?

 

A mass media company feels like it makes sense, although I’m not really sure what this lot do other than own Atalanta Braves & F1. 

Liverpool’s owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) are looking at major media companies as potential investors to take a minority stake in the club, Telegraph Sport understands.

 

The club’s US ownership group has announced this month that it is examining a partial sale which it is expected to use to fund the next stage in the club’s development in what is likely to be another crucial transfer window this summer. Last May, the US business analysts Forbes valued Liverpool at £3.6 billion and a sale of the stake would give FSG an idea of how the market currently values the club.

 

FSG declined to comment on potential investors or indeed the sector from which they might come, other than to say it was still in the process of evaluating the suitability of minority partner options. John W Henry, the principal owner at FSG, said last week that the club were “talking with investors” and that there would not be a full sale.

 

One such contender could be the US media giant Liberty Media, which owns Formula One as well as the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball. It was Liberty’s acquisition of Formula One, and assorted subsidiaries from private equity group CVC, finalised in January 2017 at an equity value of €4.4 billion (£3.6 million), that announced it as a global player in major sporting brands. It also owns the SiriusXM radio group in the US. Liberty Media declined to comment on interest in Liverpool or FSG.

 

Formula One announced a 15-year partnership with Tottenham Hotspur this week, primarily an electric karting track to be built underneath the south stand of the new stadium – for public use and also championship racing. The deal prompted suggestions that Liberty may look at Spurs as a long-term investment.

 

Liverpool, under previous ownership, has in the past sold stakes to media companies. In 1999, what was then Granada, one of the regional franchise broadcasters under the auspices of ITV, bought a 9.9 per cent stake in the club for £21 million. Among other things, it brought some expertise to what was then a fairly rudimentary club media operation.

 

The size of the stake that FSG is prepared to sell is not yet clear. FSG acquired the club for around £300 million in 2011. The sale of Chelsea for £2.5 billion last year has clearly raised expectations among ownership groups. The Glazer family ownership are understood to be asking for around £5 billion for Manchester United, the sale of which is currently moving into its second phase.

 

All commentary from FSG on the process so far has been for a sale of a stake in the club itself rather than the parent company FSG. However, FSG would look at either option if it was in the interests of raising investment for the club. In March 2021, the group, which also owns the famous Boston Red Sox franchise, of Major League Baseball, among other assets, announced the sale of 10 per cent of FSG to the private investment firm, RedBird.

 

The deal meant that other investors in Liverpool, including the fabled NBA basketball professional LeBron James, could take a stake in FSG. It also provided the funding for the second stage of Anfield’s long overdue development as overseen by FSG. The £60 million Anfield Road stand will open next season.

 

Speaking to the Boston Sports Journal this month Henry responded to questions about the sale of Liverpool, which were posed in November. He said: “Will we be in England forever? No. Are we selling LFC? No. Are we talking with investors about LFC? Yes. Will something happen there? I believe so, but it won't be a sale. Have we sold anything in the past 20 plus years?”

 

Liverpool announced on Tuesday that in its most successful 12 months for generating revenue, profits for the year up to May 31, three days after it played the Champions League final in Paris, were just £7.5 million. The results emphasise just how much investment there has been in the squad – and also in performance related bonuses - with new deals in that period for a range of players including Jordan Henderson and Andy Robertson.

 

Liverpool’s 2021-22 season propelled them to their highest ever placing of third – from seventh the previous year – in the Deloitte Money League which ranks clubs according to revenue generated. Liverpool had a third run to the Champions League final under Jurgen Klopp, as well as triumphs in the FA Cup and League Cup. Revenue was up 27 per cent from last season to £594 million.

 

In doing so it overtook Manchester United for the first time in terms of revenue generated – not least because its three cup runs earned £98 million in matchday.

2 hours ago, Scott_M said:

I’m going to go out on a limb and say Benzema, Touchameni and Kroos are all available…

 

 

Real Madrid have confirmed their travelling squad for the Champions League last-16 first-leg with Liverpoolon Tuesday.

 

The 14-time champions travel to England this week to face the Reds at Anfield.

 

Toni Kroos and Aurelien Tchouameniare both missing for the trip with illness leaving manager Carlo Ancelotti with holes to fill in midfield. 
 

Striker Mariano Diaz is also missing.

 

Karim Benzema is fit to travel, however, after missing the La Liga win over Osasuna at the weekend.

It’s from Ornstein in The Athletic so might have some legs. 
 

*
 

Liverpool are finally gaining some timely momentum after a season of struggle on the field.

 

Saturday’s 2-0 win at Newcastle United, a result which made it back-to-back wins after beating Everton in last Monday’s Merseyside derby, has reignited hopes of a top-four finish and is ideal preparation for the crucial Champions League tie against Real Madrid on Tuesday.

 

Off the pitch, too, Liverpool are beginning to emerge from a turbulent period that saw the club put up for sale and then confirmation arriving that sporting director Julian Ward and director of research Ian Graham are to leave their roles.

 

Graham will hand over to William Spearman — an internal promotion — while the process to replace Ward is now under way and in its early stages.

 

Among the names strongly considered was Paul Mitchell, the Monaco sporting director who French newspaper L’Equipe recently reported had rejected a contract extension.

 

However, the Englishman is expected to continue at Monaco — and has been tasked by their president with recruiting a successor — ahead of his terms expiring at the latest in June 2024.

 

The current state of flux at many of Europe’s top sides, and the prospect of vacancies arising across the continent, is an additional factor that Mitchell is sure to be conscious of.

 

Another potential candidate attracting interest at Anfield is Eintracht Frankfurt’s sporting CEO Markus Krosche. The 42-year-old German switched to the Bundesliga side in 2021 from RB Leipzig, signing a deal that is scheduled to run until 2025, and has forged an impressive reputation within the game.

 

Since his arrival, Eintracht have won the Europa League and are in the last-16 of this season’s Champions League, where they face Napoli on Tuesday.

 

The task of filling the void left by Ward may have only just begun, but Liverpool will hope that it is another piece in the jigsaw of restoring their fortunes after a challenging campaign.

1 hour ago, Bjornebye said:

How many on here would shag Nicola Sturgeon? 

 

Lifey

Alan

Sugar Ape

 

Add your name 

@Captain Turdseye definitely would. He can’t resist the schoolboy uniform. 
 

 

From Northcroft in The Times. 
 

Jürgen Klopp saw Liverpool’s decline coming. If anyone can fix things, he can

 

The club’s struggles come from a cocktail of smaller issues but the German has been aware of the need to rebuild ever since the end of last season

 

 

 

In the trade we call them “win-lose scenarios” — those feature articles, prepared in advance, that papers can slot into the coverage should a big result go a certain way. I’ve still got the “Liverpool win piece” I had ready to be used in the event of them beating Real Madrid in last year’s Champions League final.

 

“Make no mistake, Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool are a great football side,” I wrote that May evening in Paris, noting how their run of three European Cup finals in five seasons had equalled Manchester United’s at Sir Alex Ferguson’s peak, and that they had been a hair’s breadth from winning the Premier League, too, and completing an immortal quadruple. I quoted Pep Guardiola who, a few days before, had said: “I’ve never seen a team like Liverpool in my life.”

 

That is where Liverpool were a mere eight months ago and only Thibaut Courtois having the game of his career stopped them beating Real and going down as one of the all-time great sides. Now? With the same manager, same backroom staff and almost the same players, they limp into a Merseyside derby with only one more win than when Roy Hodgson was relieved of his duties 20 league games into the miserable 2010-11 season.

 

The almost all-time side are now “passive” and “lack confidence” and gave a performance in defeat away to Wolverhampton Wanderers last week for which “there are no words”. This is not the verdict of a critic, but of a baffled, beleaguered Klopp himself.

 

So what has happened? Let’s start back in Paris. Involved that night were Jordan Henderson, who was about to turn 32, Mohamed Salah who was about to hit 30, Thiago Alcântara, 31, Virgil van Dijk, now 31, Roberto Firmino, now 31, Joel Matip, now 31, and an unused substitute was James Milner, now 131. Or something. The workload of most of those players had been incredible, not only in the 63-game season the club had just played, but over the three or four-year cycle of the team’s genesis.

 

Take Salah, who since joining in 2017 has played in 96 per cent of all the league and Champions League matches (262 out of 273) contested by his club. The Egyptian has played 23,347 minutes for Liverpool. For perspective, that’s well over 9,000 minutes more club football than Erling Haaland has played in his career.
 

Henderson ended 2021-22 with more club appearances (57) than any player in Europe’s big five leagues and amid all the talk of Liverpool’s Quadruple chase, few paid attention to Klopp on the final day of the league season, when Manchester City shaded the title race. “We’ll build a team again and we will go again,” he said at the time.
 

Klopp knew there and then — before Paris — that a rebuild was needed. He talked in pre-season about “fresh blood” and wanted transfers to provide the infusion. Liverpool went “all-in,” a source said, for Aurélien Tchouaméni but were again pipped by Real, who signed the defensive midfielder from Monaco. Liverpool instead signed the striker Darwin Núñez, for a club record £85.3 million from Benfica.

 

In reality, a new striker (with Sadio Mané departing) and midfield reinforcements were needed but Klopp has always respected, and worked with, the “self-sustaining model” of Liverpool’s owner, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), and was especially hot on Núñez . When he did the analysis on Benfica before meeting them in the Champions League quarter-finals last season, he is said to have exclaimed, “wow, this guy is perfect” and Núñez followed up with superb performances in the tie.

 

Liverpool had also failed to score across 330 minutes in their three finals (they won the FA Cup and EFL Cup on penalties) and Klopp’s counterpressing starts with the work of the front three, which were further reasons to prioritise signing a striker. A mantra of the Klopp regime is “training is our transfer” (it’s a chapter title in his No 2, Pep Lijnders’, book Intensity) but the summer brought a truncated pre-season (with Liverpool back in action on July 30, in the Community Shield) and a tour to Asia.

 

It contrasted with 2021, where Klopp had time and space to re-energise his players in his favourite pre-season destination of Évian. That summer was so happy that, on returning from France, Klopp and Lijnders got Liverpool’s head of nutrition, Mona Nemmer, to organise barbecues on the terrace at the club’s AXA Training Centre and the head of first-team operations, Ray Haughan to put table tennis tables in its hallway, to keep the Évian vibe going.

 

It’s clear from Intensity that the mood was ebullient. In contrast, a contact who encountered Liverpool staff at The Titanic Hotel, the club’s base before home matches, three games into this season was struck by how tired they already seemed.
 

Liverpool won only two of their first seven league games. This put them 11 points off the top and seven in arrears of City. Having finished second to City with 97 points (2018-19) and 92 points (2021-22) experience told Klopp’s players that already the title was all but gone and, for a group with such high self-expectations, it seems this was hard. For years, they have run through brick walls for Klopp — but is fourth spot something you run through walls for when you’re used to chasing trophies?

 

One observer likened it to 2009 when, having so nearly been champions under Rafa Benítez, Liverpool lost a key player in the summer (for Mané read Xabi Alonso) then started the new season badly, quickly ruining what had been big title hopes. It was “like all the air went out of the balloon” — a dismal campaign ensued. Similar happened after Brendan Rodgers’ side’s 2013-14 title tilt.

 

Running through walls is also hard to do from the physio’s table. While all teams have had the World Cup, and injuries, to deal with, these factors have hit Liverpool unusually hard. Out for significant periods before the Premier League paused were Luis Díaz, Diogo Jota, Thiago, Ibrahima Konaté, Matip and Naby Keita. Since, there have been issues with Firmino and Van Dijk, while Henderson and Fabinho have seemed respectively physically and mentally drained. Klopp has tried different formations to mitigate absences and reboot his team: traditional 4-4-2, 4-2-3-1, 4-1-4-1, 4-4-2 with a diamond.

 

None has brought particular joy, and, for a coaching team for whom “training is a transfer”, the most alarming thing about the recent defeats by Wolves and Brighton & Hove Albion (twice) is that they came after Klopp and Lijnders had a full week to work with the players.

 

It was a question touching on this that made Klopp snap at a respected Liverpool correspondent after the Wolves defeat and, on Friday, happier and calmer, he tried to explain to journalists that “it’s not always easy” to do press conferences when the team is in a trough and people are looking for new explanations for the same old mistakes. He is indignant about some of the recent Liverpool coverage, notably articles suggesting friction within his staff and that Andreas Kornmayer, his head of fitness and conditioning, is hard to work with.

 

Klopp is protective of the people around him and feels it is unacceptable — without on-record accusations that can be answered publicly — to call out backroom employees who have no platform to answer back. Lijnders has been criticised too but he, Kornmayer and others were there while Liverpool were winning titles and Champions Leagues and pushing for a Quadruple, so why are they suddenly a problem now?

 

What is inescapable is that this is a period of behind-the-scenes instability and churn. In the past 18 months, Liverpool have lost the club doctor Jim Moxon, key analyst Mark Leyland and — biggest of all — Michael Edwards, the Midas-touch sporting director who worked hand-in-glove with Klopp and the FSG president, Mike Gordon, to build the golden era.

 

Julian Ward, Edwards’ successor, is stepping down at the end of the season, as is the director of research Ian Graham, the Cambridge physics PhD who built Liverpool’s renowned data science department. However the club are close to plugging that gap: it is understood that a leading data specialist, already working at a high level in football, is lined up as Graham’s replacement.
 

By far the biggest loss is that of Gordon who, it was announced in November, has stepped back from a hands-on role running the club. Gordon is a special individual, someone of deep intellect but also with great people and listening skills. His relationship with Klopp is close and the dynamic between Edwards and Klopp — two strong-minded characters, who didn’t always agree — for a long time worked because of Gordon’s knack for bringing people together.

 

Billy Hogan, whose responsibilities increased when Gordon reduced his, has a good relationship with Klopp but the dynamic is different: Hogan is Liverpool’s chief executive, whereas Gordon was part of the ownership. There is instability in that regard, too, with FSG inviting offers for Liverpool in November, and still exploring new investment.

 

Having lost five and won three of ten games since the World Cup — a bleak run, during which Leicester City’s Wout Faes has been Liverpool’s top league scorer — Klopp is determined to draw a line. After Wolves he said: “It’s clear [last season’s 63 games] has influenced the first part of the season, but how long do we want to suffer off that?” Boosted by receiving indications that he will be backed to significantly improve his squad, the hope is to finish strongly and in the summer be finally in a position to “build a team again and go again”.

 

To further improve his mood, Jota is in contention for the Everton game having been out since October with calf issues. Firmino and Van Dijk are also close to returns and Díaz, running again after a knee injury, could be available next month.

 

Díaz, Jota and Firmino do not only add to Liverpool’s cutting edge but are important to their pressing. A theme of Intensity is how Klopp and Lijnders see the game in collective terms. Defence starts with the attack, just as attacking starts with defence, and if Liverpool have been jaw-droppingly easy to play through at times, it’s not only down to midfield or back four.

 

For the rebuild to work, Klopp needs to find new chemistry at the top of the pitch, having lacked it since the underrated Mané departed. The bet on Núñez needs to come good and Cody Gakpo, a £44 million arrival from PSV Eindhoven, must show his slow start is due to coming into a malfunctioning team, rather than personal shortcomings. Crucially, Gakpo and Núñez are 23 and point to a policy shift towards younger signings.

 

That is overdue. Jamie Carragher criticised Klopp for showing too much loyalty towards his old guard, including Henderson, rewarded with a four-year deal in 2021. Carragher has said Liverpool remind him of Arsenal late in Arsène Wenger’s reign: a team once unplayable because of its pace and physicality that had morphed into a softly-softly technical side.

 

Watching Liverpool recently, there seems truth in this, but the fact that the dynamic Jude Bellingham is his principal target suggests Klopp sees it too. What has happened to the almost-Quadruple winners? There is not one big problem with Liverpool, more a cocktail of many smaller ones.

 

Walk on . . . through a perfect storm — but, surely, if anyone can do it, it’s still Klopp.

3 hours ago, Arniepie said:

Superhan's vibes

I think I know what the police are missing in all this. 
 

 

He’s meant to be quite reliable. 
 

 

It’s still on Disney. At least in the UK. 

20 minutes ago, Bob Spunkmouse said:

Remember those boss threads we had for a few seasons where someone (I want to remember the name of but the name I think I can remember doesn’t show up when I try and @ them)

went to painstaking effort to track what we needed points wise to achieve our ambitions for champions league spots and an ultimate league title against a bunch of different statistical barometers and whether we were up, down or even against them?

 

I loved them. They were boss.

 

well, GOT have started their own, and I reckon it could be just as much fun

 

https://www.grandoldteam.com/forum/threads/there-are-lies-damn-lies-and-statistics.116927/

 

 

@The Woolster

There are lots of horror films I love like The Devil Rides Out and The Lost Boys but they’re not actually scary. 
 

Off the top of my head, ones that had scary bits in it at least:

 

Alien

The Conjuring

Halloween 

Hereditary 

The Innkeepers

The House of the Devil

Poltergeist 

The Shining

Sinister

Smile

Summer of 84

Rec (Spanish version)

Vampires

Wake Wood

The Wicker Man

 

I reckon the most I’ve ever jumped out of my skin is the attic scene at the end of Rec. Watched that in the Showcase on the East Lancs and my bird screamed the place down when we watched that bit. 
 

Luckily with it being a Spanish language film there were only about another three people watching it with us.

Decided to watch some YouTube videos of Fernandez from his time at River Plate and this is going to give me nightmares now. 
 

 

Milner starts the first game of next season in centre mid. 
 

 

Is this the same publication/company as Diario AS which is Spanish?

 

 

From David Lynch. 
 

https://www.sportingnews.com/uk/soccer/news/saudi-qatari-3-billion-liverpool-bid/utofytyfunz3yo2x95qpzzvg
 

Saudi-Qatari consortium plotting £3.2 billion Liverpool bid

 

EXCLUSIVE — A joint Saudi-Qatari consortium have emerged as strong early contenders to buy Liverpool, The Sporting News understands.

 

Investors from the two Gulf states have agreed to join forces so as to avoid becoming embroiled in a bidding war for ownership of the six-time European champions.

 

They are preparing an initial bid in the region £3.2 billion, and their vast shared wealth puts them in a commanding position as they look to complete an Anfield takeover.

 

Although the two parties involved are described as private investors, strong links to their respective states inevitably exist.

 

But sources close to the bid are confident those relationships would withstand sufficient scrutiny to be signed off by the FA, particularly in light of the recent takeover of Newcastle United by the Saudi Public Investment Fund.

 

Just two years ago, the idea of groups from the two nations uniting to pursue an investment opportunity would have been unthinkable.

 

In 2017, Saudi Arabia was joined by Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates in severing all ties with Qatar, citing its alleged support of terrorism.

 

That diplomatic crisis resulted in Qatar-based broadcaster beIN Sports being banned in Saudi Arabia, with the emergence of a pirated alternative creating further tensions.

 

However, relations between the two countries began to normalise in early 2021 and full trade has since resumed. A joint takeover of Liverpool would provide further evidence of their strengthening bond.

 

 

Of course, despite the strength of their offering, the Saudi-Qatari partnership is likely to face stiff competition from elsewhere.

 

It is understood they have been joined in the early running by coalition of German investors, who are further along in the process of tabling a bid to Fenway Sports Group. An unnamed American consortium has also registered its interest in putting forward an offer.

 

Still, FSG remain keen to hear from more bidders as they look to maximise any profit on the £300 million they spent in purchasing the club in 2010.

 

Publicly, Liverpool's owners continue to assert that they are also exploring the possibility of attracting new investment that would allow them to retain their controlling stake. However, sources familiar with the situation insist that a full sale remains the desired outcome.

 

Were the takeover to eventually go through at the proposed £3.2b figure, it would value Liverpool as the most expensive club sale in Premier League history.

 

The widely-reported £4.2b package for Todd Boehly's acquisition of Chelsea last year was comprised of a £2.5b valuation of the club, in addition to £1.7b of further investment. Great rivals Manchester United — also currently looking for new owners — are next on the list, bought by the Glazer family for just shy of £800m in 2005.

1 hour ago, TheHowieLama said:

Stringvests Grandson punching Turdseye in the jaw there.

 

Just finished the first of the Darth Bane trilogy by Drew Karpyshyn. It’s very good and I’ll be reading the other two. 
 

Set about 1000 years before the original Star Wars amidst a full scale war between the Jedi and the Sith, it charts the rise of Bane as he establishes the rule of two that the Sith use going forward. 
 

Loads of action and use of force powers that seem to have ceased to exist by the time Star Wars starts. Recommended. 

22 hours ago, Paul said:

Fucked off The Atlas Paradox. It’s just boring. 
 

Had nothing to read and scanned the, “From authors you like” list on my kindle to discover there’s a new Cole and Pike novel from Robert Crais! Is right. I’m already 20% in and I only bought it after I’d gone to bed last night. Readable as ever. 

I hadn’t realised there’s a new Crais out either. I’ll get on that next. 

22 hours ago, Paul said:

Fucked off The Atlas Paradox. It’s just boring. 
 

Had nothing to read and scanned the, “From authors you like” list on my kindle to discover there’s a new Cole and Pike novel from Robert Crais! Is right. I’m already 20% in and I only bought it after I’d gone to bed last night. Readable as ever. 

I did a list of books a few pages back, some good stuff on there. Have you read an Adam Nevill book before? The one on the list, Cunning Folk, is a good read. 
 

https://www.liverpoolway.co.uk/index.php?/forums/topic/31055-the-gf-book-thread/&do=findComment&comment=6278242