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glb

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Gabe

Gabe

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, ryodi said:

Bringing on Origi is a cry for help at this point. Hopefully we can score some goals in the cup game but I expect a frontline of Origi, Minamino and Shaqiri isn't going to strike feat into the Man Utd defense. 

As soon as Origi came on I joked to my girlfriend that Klopp must be settling for the draw then.

 

Burnley at home is now feeling like a must-win game just to kick-start our title challenge again, because we are in some pretty indifferent form right now and City are really ramping things up. Just before their game vs Palace kicked off on Sky they were talking about how they'd only had 8 shots on target against them in their previous 8 games - that's incredible.

 

At least this title race is pretty exciting for the number of teams in with a chance right now. Silver linings and all that.

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gospvg

gospvg

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We have Jota who has been a great signing before his injury but at what point do we start looking at replacements for the front three of Salah, Mane & Bobby?

 

Salah current contract expires 2023 he is 28.

Mane is the same contract expires 2023 and he is also 28.

Bobby is also on the same contract until 2023 and he is 29.

 

I don't think Minamino can fill a role, useful as backup but not seen anything from him to shout first choice. Any of the youngsters could they come through? Ben Woodburn? Elliot? Wilson? or we woul dneed to go shopping in summer 2022/23.

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bradigor

bradigor

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Posted

Minamino is here for when we buy Haaland and Mbappe funded by selling Salah, Mane and Firmino. 

 

Easy this management lark ;) 

 

In all seriousness though. Klopp, Edwards and the rest of the team will be watching players whop are out there and already have a selection who will fit in to our style of play. They won't be existing world class big names. but neither were the current front three. 

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Chewylegs

Chewylegs

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Posted

I just saw the table and noticed the 7 draws.  Took me back to a Benitez season.  We must win, Man U have a relatively easy run until about April and Man City are on a run where they also have the luck with them.

 

Must win, no excuses, get it done and get back in the mix.

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glb

glb

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Anything other than a win would tip a bad run into something a little more concerning. 


While there was a bit more energy on Sunday, the play in the final third was as turgid as it’s been this season (De Gea had one meaningful save to make?)

 

Talk that Matip is back, which would subsequently strengthen the midfield options. Only downside is he’s extremely unlikely to go the rest of the season without being injured again, so we’d be back to makeshift defenders at the expense of the midfield.

 

I’m normally fairly upbeat about the side, but already made peace with the fact the title won’t be defended. There’s not been a reaction in recent weeks to suggest otherwise. Now it’s about securing a top four spot. Anything on top of that will be an unexpected bonus, given the side will remain unbalanced until the summer.

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dizogg

dizogg

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8 minutes ago, gospvg said:

If only we had a transfer window to strengthen our weakness and be stronger to defend our title.


Crap market to buy in, and we spend within our means. I would rather wait until the summer and get a long term target tbh.

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gospvg

gospvg

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27 minutes ago, dizogg said:


Crap market to buy in, and we spend within our means. I would rather wait until the summer and get a long term target tbh.

 

I'm sure there are players we could get in albiet on short-term contracts to ensure we can still challenge for this season. I don't want to write a season off just because we have had our two main cb's injured.

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dizogg

dizogg

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1 hour ago, gospvg said:

 

I'm sure there are players we could get in albiet on short-term contracts to ensure we can still challenge for this season. I don't want to write a season off just because we have had our two main cb's injured.


Who is available on a short term basis who’s any good? I’d rather play Rhys Williams than some 34yr old donkey.

 

I do see your point of view but it’s difficult but I can’t see anyone that would be an improvement on our current options that wouldn’t be expensive.

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bradigor

bradigor

Posted
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1 hour ago, gospvg said:

If only we had a transfer window to strengthen our weakness and be stronger to defend our title.

 

Not in the current climate. It would be a mistake to spend now as we don't know what the short term future is for the sport right now. 

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gospvg

gospvg

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17 minutes ago, dizogg said:


Who is available on a short term basis who’s any good? I’d rather play Rhys Williams than some 34yr old donkey.

 

I do see your point of view but it’s difficult but I can’t see anyone that would be an improvement on our current options that wouldn’t be expensive.

 

15 minutes ago, bradigor said:

 

Not in the current climate. It would be a mistake to spend now as we don't know what the short term future is for the sport right now. 

 

So what we just give up defending the title without looking at the obvious issues we have in defence? I don't know who is available but surely anyone is better than playing two midfielders who we can push back into their positions in the hope that maybe that is what our front three need to get back to scoring goals.

 

I know it won't happen because if it was, LFC would have gone out already and signed someone. Just frustrating when we should and could have been so far ahead of the teams around us if we had 21 points instead or 7 from those draws.

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Gabe

Gabe

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1 hour ago, gospvg said:

 

I'm sure there are players we could get in albiet on short-term contracts to ensure we can still challenge for this season. I don't want to write a season off just because we have had our two main cb's injured.

The issue though isn't that our main CBs have been injured (our defending has actually been better since they've been out) - it's been the perfect storm of all of our front-3 being a bit out of nick and not having anybody to replace them with. Now the second part of that issue - no quality replacements - has been true for years but it's the first part that hasn't happened before. Up until now, at least one of Mane, Salah or Firmino has managed to still scrape some goals when the others aren't firing, but right now it's awful from all three of them. Something like 60+ shots and 1 goal over the past 4 games is a shocking return.

 

The club certainly aren't going to be buying any attacking talent in this window so, unless one of the attackers start banging them in or a midfielder pops up with 10-15 goals, the title won't be retained. If that is the case, I'd be happy seeing Leicester win it again over either Manchester club or Tottenham.

 

I can't be too down about it all because we've been immense for a long time now and it had to end at some point - perhaps all the caffeine-pill popping has finally taken its toll ;). I hope the unbeaten home record continues though, that is something to be very proud of.

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bradigor

bradigor

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26 minutes ago, gospvg said:

 

 

So what we just give up defending the title without looking at the obvious issues we have in defence? I don't know who is available but surely anyone is better than playing two midfielders who we can push back into their positions in the hope that maybe that is what our front three need to get back to scoring goals.

 

I know it won't happen because if it was, LFC would have gone out already and signed someone. Just frustrating when we should and could have been so far ahead of the teams around us if we had 21 points instead or 7 from those draws.

 

We aren't giving up, but I think finally the last two seasons has caught up on us in terms of the amount of fight they have. I honestly can't think of a defender we can bring in now at a low cost who would improve things. Lovren maybe staying might have helped, but I don't think anyone saw long term injuries to Gomez and Van Dijk, so Lovren would have been staying for another year of bench-warming. 

I'd happily play Williams there for the rest of the season personally. As fans we accept he will make errors and will learn from them and not berate him for losing us the odd win here and there. 

In all honesty, I don't see much issue with the defence as in the recent run

WBA 1-1
Newcastle 0-0
Southampton 0-1
Man United - 0-0

The issue hasn't been defending at all. It has been a lack of productivity up top. Mane, Salah and Firmino looik like strangers at the minute, as though there is something up between them. The endless crossing isn't helping. Teams seem to have sussed that out a bit, so we need to play more through the middle again and open teams up that way. Alexander-Arnold and Robertson's weapons have been largely nullified and we need to find a way to get them back to producing. 

 

A couple of good results could see us go on a run again, as to whether it will be enough, then who knows? Jota returning could give us a much needed spark and as long as we keep Man City within touching distance the game at Anfield could prove pivotal in the race. 

 

United are on a good run, but let's see how they handle a couple of bad results. The big unknowns are Leicester and Everton. I expect them to drop off atg some point, but who knows. 

 

Of course the season could be voiced by the end of February anyway and it is all moot. 

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gospvg

gospvg

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10 minutes ago, dizogg said:

Also “surely anybody has got to be better than 2 midfielders in defence”? Every team in the league would happily take Fabinho as one of they CBs IMO!!

 

I would perfer to have him in midfield provinding cover for our CB's whilst also creating chances for the front three to finish off.

I want us to batter Burnley like we did Crystal Palace.

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dizogg

dizogg

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26 minutes ago, gospvg said:

 

I would perfer to have him in midfield provinding cover for our CB's whilst also creating chances for the front three to finish off.

I want us to batter Burnley like we did Crystal Palace.


Well yeah me too, but both our CBs got crocked. 

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Azrael

Azrael

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Its true that defensively we've not been too bad but as mentioned it has come at the expense of our midfield and what they provide the front 3 with. I'd be happy enough giving Williams or Phillips a run alongside Fabinho if it means Hendo can return to the midfield 3. 

 

 

Though I do believe Skrtel is currently a free agent. Could double up as an impact striker too when Firmino isn't performing :lol:

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Gabe

Gabe

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Henderson has only been at CB for the past couple of games though and we've been pretty blunt up top for 4 matches now, so whilst him being there hasn't helped, it isn't the whole problem. It's another long-standing issue that our midfield is very good at what it does when the forwards are clicking, but it has never been the most creative and that becomes more of focal point when the trio up top aren't doing it.

 

Looking at the options we have to offer some creative spark - Shaqiri, Minamino, The Ox - and none of them play enough to even find some form, so it's hard to make a case for any of them being able to slot in.

 

I guess the challenge right now is keeping up the pace with those above us until Jota returns (who knows when that will be, Klopp said 'weeks away' the other day) and hopefully he can inject some guile, freshness and - importantly - goals when he comes back.

 

Let's start that getting back on track tonight with a win - I don't care whether it's an own goal, a scrappy 2-yarder or a VAR foul-up, 3 points is all that matters today.

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