Thoughts going into the new season?

[danperkins]

Hope Leicester do well. I expect them to score lots of goals and concede lots of goals

[RedReet]

IMO biggest drop off in quality is if VvD, Mane or Salah are injured. Positions we could improve (IMO ) - two of the current first choice midfielders.

Gini was one of our best players last year and played far games than any other midfielder for a reason. He's massively underrated.

Regardless of what you think of Henderson and/or Milner, we have two top class replacements in waiting (Keita and Ox) so it's hardy an area of concern right now.

[danperkins]

Looking at our squad as it stands now, it's a solid enough squad. I would imagine Klopp is looking at the quality Ox, Lallana, Gomez and Keita have and thinking surely these guys won't have as bad luck with injuries as last season. Shaq is another one who has quality and for whatever reason got little game time after the new year. Not sure if he had nagging injuries or simply that Klopp didn't trust him? Brewster I won't expect much to be honest, he's a kid and the step up is enormous. Origi can do a job and does have an eye for goal even if his overall game isn't the greatest.

Personally I would have loved another quality striker that can work across the line or another attacking midfield but Klopp clearly feels we have enough. I think maybe he sees Hendo & Gini pushing into more attacking roles from the midfield maybe? Boys will need some shooting practice but are more than capable of doing that job. Gini did it before he was at LFC and got good numbers and Hendo I think had 10 assists in the season he played in his natural role (Gini and Hendo have both curbed their natural game for the sake of the team). Even at the end of last season you could see Hendo was so much more comfortable playing higher up and bursting forward.. personally I think his delivery is under rated but he hasn't had much of a chance to show it. More than happy having Lallana playing deeper instead of Hendo. Saves Lallana's legs and he is better on the ball than Hendo, I always hated Hendo is that deep lying role but he was simply doing what was asked of him. Top professional. Milly as a squaddie is fantastic too.

We get alot of injuries but have some how managed to keep the front 3 relatively fit for last few seasons. They are the best front 3 in the world imo for their overall game, they have everything. Maybe Bobby getting a few more goals would be nice, more than capable with his ability. I still expect City to win the league this season but I think we'll have another excellent season & will push them.

[Rigadon]

Gini was one of our best players last year and played far games than any other midfielder for a reason. He's massively underrated.

Regardless of what you think of Henderson and/or Milner, we have two top class replacements in waiting (Keita and Ox) so it's hardy an area of concern right now.

I really like Henderson. Always have. Gini is both massively underrated and massively overrated - truth is, he falls somewhere in the middle. Neither are concerns but midfield is an area that could be improved.

[Doc_Piptorious]

Pretty confident going into this season. Last season was not a fluke and the team also got that losing streak in finals of of their collective backs.


Would have liked to have seen some new faces come in, some quality to cover the front three and maybe at full back, but at the same time we do have a squad that is failry well stocked in most positions save for a silly run of long term injuries.


A quality left sided attacker would have been my first choice for new cover. My logic there is that Mane can cover Firmino and play in the centre plus Mane can cover Salah on the right.

Salah can play on the right and he can also cover Firmino and play in a central attacking role.


But if Mane is out we have nobody that can go into his slot without there being a big drop off in quality.


So a left sided attacker would get game time if Mane was injured/rested, and also if he replaced Mane if Mane was cover for when Firmino or Salah was injured/rested.


However it could well be that Klopp had a few names in mind that he wanted to bring in and simply could not get them this window so is prepared to wait for the next window to try again. The man has a great track record on this so am not going to complain if he thinks the squad as it stands is more than capable and ready for the season ahead.


As for our rivals this season, well City will be there as usual. Chelsea may see a drop in form but I do think there squad is not as weak and some might think.

Man U I think will do similar to last season. Lots of media gushing over them and lots of gnashing of teeth from their own support.

Spurs will be Spurs. They are a solid unit and a very settled team who added a few good players this summer. Top four again for them.

Arsenal I think might do better than expected. Could see them coming 4th as easily as I could see them coming 8th. However I think they will be a bit like us a few seasons back. Relying on firepower to try and cover up weaknesses at the back.


Of the rest I have a sneaky feeling that Wolves will do better than last season and might push one of last years top six out of the mix.

[Fuzzy]

[ame]https://twitter.com/jacklusby_/status/1158686231141736448[/ame]
[ame]https://twitter.com/jacklusby_/status/1158687137967017985[/ame]

[frank the tank]

Harry Wilson not being there is a bit disappointing i think.....

[Fuzzy]

The final squad?


Alisson, Adrian, Kelleher

TAA, Gomez, Hoever, VVD, Matip, Lovren (?), VDB, Robertson, Larouci, Lewis

Fabinho, Keita, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Milner, AOC, Lallana, Shaquiri, Elliott

Salah, Mane, Firmino, Origi, Brewster, Duncan

Harry Wilson not being there is a bit disappointing i think.....

Bournemouth it is then...

[Rigadon]

The final squad?


Alisson, Adrian, Kelleher

TAA, Gomez, Hoever, VVD, Matip, Lovren (?), VDB, Robertson, Larouci, Lewis

Fabinho, Keita, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Milner, AOC, Lallana, Shaquiri, Elliott

Salah, Mane, Firmino, Origi, Brewster, Duncan

Second team?

Adrian

Milner, Matip, Lovren, Larouci

Keita, AOC, Lallana

Origi, Brewster, Shaquiri

[Cormack74]

Gomez is **** at fullback. Cant cross. Awful going forward. He will pick up more injuries at fullback.

Yeah not great there defensively and doesn't offer enough going forward. Far better in the centre.

[Corndog]

It looks light on the back ups for the front three at first glance but thats only because there are actually 3-4 players thought of now as CMs who have quite a bit of experience also playing as wide-forwards in their career to date.

i.e if one of the 3 starting forwards got injured, not sure whether it will be Origi Shaqiri or Ox to come in. Lallana has also played there in the past but I think he's a bit too slow now. Wijnaldum could do a job there even though he isn't the strongest finisher.

Will be interesting to see if in such a case, Klopp throws in one of the above instead of someone less experienced like Brewster or Duncan.

[Patricks_Berger]

Bobby Duncan for top scorer!

[labourRed]

Bobby Duncan for top scorer!

Aye, he's nowhere near. Hoever seems like the only one who will make the step up at present IMO.

[Patricks_Berger]

Aye, he's nowhere near. Hoever seems like the only one who will make the step up at present IMO.

Could do with a loan to Rangers.

[Exiled_red]

Squad Depth - Ideal world we need a couple more....based on the current squad list all staying/no-one being sold.....

You want/need two players per position - so I see us as good full back cover and another quality/pacey front man short....

GK - Alisson/Mignolet

LB - Robertson/No one

CB - VVD/Gomez/Matip/Lovren

RB - TAA/Clyne

CM - Hendo/Fabinho/Wijnaldum/Ox/Milner/Keita/Lallana

Widemen - Salah/Mane/Shaqiri/An other

Forward - Firmino/Origi


21 players there - add the full back and forward and we'd have 23 man squad plus some promising players coming through.


New ginge CB/Hoever/Woodburn/Wilson/Brewster etc



Personally, i'm not sure if Woodburn/Wilson/Brewster are there yet, which is why I am hoping we add another forward player.


There are also concerns with fitness on Gomez/Matip/Lovren/Clyne/Henderson/Lallana/Ox/Keita - who have all missed long periods over the last couple of years through niggling injuries - it's vital we keep as many of them fit as possible.


Competition wise - obviously City are the main issue....Spurs will be up there again however I am not at this moment to worried by Utd/Arsenal/Chelsea.



Bring it on

Mignolet has been replaced with Adrian.

LB backup will be Milner or Gomez, my preference would be to keep Gomez at CB rather than full back but I suspect that he will play a fair few games at RB.

RB I am not convinced that Clyne will stay or will be involved, as I said I see Gomez playing in there some of the time and Milner, Henderson and Fabinho could fill in if needed (probably in that order, so as to keep midfield as strong as possible).

CB is fine as long as we avoid too many injuries, VVD and Gomez would probably be my first choice, but Matip and Gomez are probably fairly interchangable, Lovren is 4th choice

CM is well stacked in terms of numbers, although I do worry about quality a little, Fabinho is top notch but so far the others aren't at the same level. If Naby could step up to the level he was at before we signed him that would be massive.

Wide Forwards I think that Origi will play out wide a fair bit in the absence of Mane and Salah (hopefully only when we rest them), Ideally we would have another player in here too but it isn't going to happen, I would look to give Wilson opportunities, but I'm not sure that is going to happen.

Forwards Brewster will get opportunities here at some point but probably not as soon as I was expecting.

I don't see any of the other youngsters playing in anything other than cup games unless they do amazingly well or we have an injury crisis.