2022/23 Season

[Fierce]

I'd sell the entire squad before sacking Klopp.

**** them all off and start again.

Diaz, Robertson, Allison, VVD, Thiago

Wouldn't be overly arsed if the rest went I don't think.

Intrigued as to what Darwin will do next mind. If nothing else, it's entertaining

[little dave hedgehog]

don't have the inside scoop but sounded like mane wanted a change.

[Le Chef]

The squad has stagnated, particularly in midfield and now the players can no longer cope with the demands of the playing style.

The man who played an integral role in building the squad has gone. His successor is already leaving too. Several others of the analytics/recruitment team have left/are leaving.

There’s been indications over the past couple of years that we’ve been deviating from our successful recruitment process.

The glut of departures points to upheaval behind the scenes. I think there were disagreements over a succession strategy for the squad. The data guys lost, or weren’t being listened to and so are getting out.

The structure that was such a huge part of our success is gone.

Mentioned the above previously, when Edwards left both Salah and Henderson got their big contracts, Not so much Salah, but Hendo's drop off this season has been jaw dropping.
Fabinho's legs have just gone and Thiago aint getting any younger, so why keep with the three, change it to a 442 and at lest have a little protection

[Buzzo]

Every conceivable game last season. Missing out on the 2 biggest prizes in the final match. AGAIN. Short pre season. No reinforcements in midfield. World Cup.

Burn out.

Assuming we could get many of these guys to go to the well yet again was there mistake.

[Charly]

Shoulda paid Mane whatever he wanted and bought a midfielder that would give us 5 years of blood and thunder

I disagree.

We speny hiw much on Salah's contract and bought in 3 new players who can play Mane's position.

I also think Nunez does a pretty decent job off the ball and has the attributes to press.

We spent enough to replace Mane and bring in a new midfielder.

Signing Mane who himself was already in decline would be just making the same mistakes people are moaning about.

[little dave hedgehog]

aren't bayern fans complaining that he looks like he played 63 matches last year and is in his 30s or something?

[Exiled_red]

I disagree.

We speny hiw much on Salah's contract and bought in 3 new players who can play Mane's position.

I also think Nunez does a pretty decent job off the ball and has the attributes to press.

We spent enough to replace Mane and bring in a new midfielder.

Signing Mane who himself was already in decline would be just making the same mistakes people are moaning about.

I have said a number of times that I think we really miss Mane as he was the leader of the press, Diaz was a good signing, I have my doubts as to whether he will get as many goals at the moment as Mane was getting, but we are lacking legs in the side I don't think we improve that with another 30 year old in the side.

Successful sides remain successful by slow but continuous refreshing/improvement of the squad, of the 11 that started yesterday 7 started the CL final in 2019 and were VVD not injured it would have been 8 (possibly 9 with Bobby), in 3.5 years we have replaced 2 or 3 first team players.

[little dave hedgehog]

i do think that's a klopp thing, wasn't it the same at dortmund?

[Fredo]

He did mention this in his PC on Friday. "We've got to squeeze everything out" of the current lot.

[red g]

isn't that the problem? they have all been squeezed and squeezed again till there is **** all left in the tank.

In fact when we were good, It didn;t matter which 11 were on the pitch we were awesome. 4-0 Barca, With Shaq, Derek et all

I am not sure this team have got anything else to give and thats sad.

[little dave hedgehog]

not sad really, just end of an era. how many teams have ever been 180 minutes of football away from a top tier quadruple? normally when a team is fighting on more than one front, they still wrap up the league earlier than the final day, and have already crashed out of one of the others. when you take our final position in all competitions and what it would have taken to finish 1st in all 4 instead, we arguably had the best season of any team in the world without ever looking like were quite in 5th gear. everyone at the club for the last 5 or so years has had a part to play in that. they took us far.

and it's time to break up the team and start over. i would say klopp and fsg have earned the right to try. they didn't just hire the right people, they fired the right ones as well. they identified and eliminated our weaknesses. they've learned a lot doing it. let's see where the adventure takes us next. fine to lose interest in a season that got away from us as fans. not sure why we want to throw out the entire structure that brought us to the top tier of football in the world.

i was thinking about the coutinho deal earlier. that's a deal you get when you're a 2nd tier team with a 1st tier player (or at least a 1st tier team thinks he is!)

peak value salah was worth more to us than he was on the market because there was nowhere to go for him but down, he was winning everything there was here. the only player we have similar to coutinho's age and talent at the club now is trent. can you really imagine him demanding to move to a team that matches his ambitions after all the medals he's won in the last few years? our players don't want to leave. i don't blame them. big money deals to chelsea or newcastle might appeal to some and they can have them if they want, but the days of our players using ambition as a bargaining stick against us to get their move have been over for a while. hopefully they don't return for a long while. but it does mean we let contracts wind down more often or only get small fees for players because they aren't featuring or their contract is nearly up.

i know which way i prefer it to be.

[ChesterDave]

how may teams have ever been 180 minutes of football away from a top tier quadruple?

One. And I doubt it will ever be seen again in my lifetime

[Tribute]

not sad really, just end of an era. how many teams have ever been 180 minutes of football away from a top tier quadruple? normally when a team is fighting on more than one front, they still wrap up the league earlier than the final day, and have already crashed out of one of the others. when you take our final position in all competitions and what it would have taken to finish 1st in all 4 instead, we arguably had the best season of any team in the world without ever looking like were quite in 5th gear. everyone at the club for the last 5 or so years has had a part to play in that. they took us far.

and it's time to break up the team and start over. i would say klopp and fsg have earned the right to try. they didn't just hire the right people, they fired the right ones as well. they identified and eliminated our weaknesses. they've learned a lot doing it. let's see where the adventure takes us next. fine to lose interest in a season that got away from us as fans. not sure why we want to throw out the entire structure that brought us to the top tier of football in the world.

i was thinking about the coutinho deal earlier. that's a deal you get when you're a 2nd tier team with a 1st tier player (or at least a 1st tier team thinks he is!)

peak value salah was worth more to us than he was on the market because there was nowhere to go for him but down, he was winning everything there was here. the only player we have similar to coutinho's age and talent at the club now is trent. can you really imagine him demanding to move to a team that matches his ambitions after all the medals he's won in the last few years? our players don't want to leave. i don't blame them. big money deals to chelsea or newcastle might appeal to some and they can have them if they want, but the days of our players using ambition as a bargaining stick against us to get their move have been over for a while. hopefully they don't return for a long while. but it does mean we let contracts wind down more often or only get small fees for players because they aren't featuring or their contract is nearly up.

i know which way i prefer it to be.

It's easy to say with hindsight I know, but if we'd have cashed in on Salah last season instead of giving him a huge contract and wage increase, we'd have invested back into the first team and could have strenghtened midfield in summer like we were supposed to with Tchouameni. Once that fell through, we should have gone all out for Bellingham, Rice, Caicedo... or similar.. that would have renewed the energy and press in the centre of the park.

Salah's been just as culpable as anyone for this season's poor performances - sick of him running into opposition defenders and then just throwing his arms up in the air while watching the counter attack...

We've conceded first 21 times in the last 35 games. That's incredible given how good we used to be at the back. Even when our defence was decimated, we didn't have this poor a run of form. Midfield weaknesses definitely open up our back five to easy counter attacks and wide open spaces for teams to play into.

We have no energy levels except the kids and they get in others way, they don't have the experience and discipline to play in that system yet.

I do wonder where this is all going to play out - a sale and big cash injection would be great, but won't be until summer, so that's this season written off and likely UCL places too. Without reinforcements and new energy in Jan, we'll struggle to reach top four. Conversely, I'd hate to think of LFC being owned by some Qatari group/billionaire... it would drain the lifeblood out of the club and turn us into oil team #3... or #4 if Utd also get middle east money. I'll be done at that point. Footy will have gone to hell in a hand cart...

[S-RED]

I'd hate to think of LFC being owned by some Qatari group/billionaire... it would drain the lifeblood out of the club and turn us into oil team #3... or #4 if Utd also get middle east money. I'll be done at that point. Footy will have gone to hell in a hand cart...

Yeah me too, being owned by 'win at all cost' owner states will do football as a passion for me; yes i will still want liverpool to be sucessful as you cannot just switch off after 48years of the passion, glory, heartache & pain in an instant; but for sure it won't ruin weekends & cause huge highs/lows in moods as it has done for most of my life.

Sad times TBH, Chavs were the start of this with the russian money, now the state nations have arrived, its going to get progressivly worse; Man c are the perect example, now newcastle, Man U & Spurs will follow. After that Aresenal will have to look to sustain; **** is going to get ****tier.

[calvoboy]

I have said a number of times that I think we really miss Mane as he was the leader of the press, Diaz was a good signing, I have my doubts as to whether he will get as many goals at the moment as Mane was getting, but we are lacking legs in the side I don't think we improve that with another 30 year old in the side.

Successful sides remain successful by slow but continuous refreshing/improvement of the squad, of the 11 that started yesterday 7 started the CL final in 2019 and were VVD not injured it would have been 8 (possibly 9 with Bobby), in 3.5 years we have replaced 2 or 3 first team players.

If you look at our signings we've brought in 2 solid first teamers every season during that time - Nunez and Gakpo this season, Diaz and Konate last season, Jota and Thiago in 20/21. All of those 6 could feasibly be in our first XI when fit.

It's not the replacement rate, it's just the midfield. After Thiago, Fabinho and Henderson, we've just got crocks, geriatrics and youngsters. And those three are tipping towards the first two categories themselves.

Despite that, we're really missed Diaz and Jota - their goals would have got us out of the **** in a couple of games where we were playing badly.