Liverpool v Leeds (H) PL

[Slinky Skills]

True, but it’s not really on the older guys either. Expecting a 36 year old to control a PL midfield is also too much to ask, and I’m sure Henderson isn’t deliberately declining as a player. The staff appear to have overestimated the abilities of the older and young players to perform.

Edit: not directly related, but it’s strange and somewhat amusing when we see questions like ‘would you take James Maddison?’ and everyone’s like, ‘nah, overrated’ while we’re picking Harvey Elliott every week and managing the minutes of Henderson and Milner.

[Maxiedge]

Agree about the Elliott stuff. We’ve looked so soft in midfield since he’s been more regular. Hate singling out players but I don’t think he’s at the level we’ve set over the last 6 years. Of course the counter is that Klopp doesn’t want to start him so much (alluded to it yesterday) but he doesn’t have a choice which makes our summer transfer activity even more confusing.

[Exiled_red]

Agree about the Elliott stuff. We’ve looked so soft in midfield since he’s been more regular. Hate singling out players but I don’t think he’s at the level we’ve set over the last 6 years. Of course the counter is that Klopp doesn’t want to start him so much (alluded to it yesterday) but he doesn’t have a choice which makes our summer transfer activity even more confusing.

I agree that Elliott isn't ready, but also the senior players (even when fit) aren't at the level of previous years. Fabinho's form has dropped off a cliff, Henderson is on the wane, Milner is too old, Ox and Keita are never available. Thiago is quality but his injury record isn't great while he's been here.

I said previously that based on age our first choice midfield should be centred around Thiago, Keita, Fabinho and Ox, with Henderson being the old head to come in when needed and Jones and Elliott being developed, but we are almost as far away from that ideal scenario as is possible, I've been saying it for a few years but the midfield is a mess, currently it's a **** show

[calvoboy]

The reality of the situation is our first choice midfield now based on age should be Fabinho, Thiago and Keita with Ox giving another option, Henderson being the old head coming in when needed or to see games out with Elliot and Jones getting minutes for experience and development. Problem is we are miles away from that scenario. Most of the players in that middle age group are way too injury prone to be reliable

And with Keita out long-term and Thiago injury-prone, even the club panicked towards the end of the window, only for our reinforcement to get a long-term injury himself before he was even ready to play for the first team.

Got to muddle through and then surely FSG realise we need a big January here to bolster the midfield regardless of what the plans for the summer are.

[Exiled_red]

And with Keita out long-term and Thiago injury-prone, even the club panicked towards the end of the window, only for our reinforcement to get a long-term injury himself before he was even ready to play for the first team.

Got to muddle through and then surely FSG realise we need a big January here to bolster the midfield regardless of what the plans for the summer are.

While I feel we have done some really good business in January Diaz, VVD, Suarez, Sturridge, I feel it is a difficult window to work in much of the time. Particularly if you aren't doing well and clubs know you are desperate. Even if that isn't the case, clubs still in the CL or contention for domestic silverware are unlikely to want to sell big players.

Given how our season is going would any big players want to join us when currently we are mid-table closer to the relegation zone than the top 4? I think most would be tempted to wait 6 months and see what happens.

For me we are in a difficult position we need to bring players in but teams will know our desperation and adjust their prices accordingly I fear the situation will end up with another panic signing Arthur Melo or Ben Davies that do little/nothing to help the situation. Or buy someone second rate for an inflated fee who we will struggle to get rid of in a couple of years time.

[calvoboy]

While I feel we have done some really good business in January Diaz, VVD, Suarez, Sturridge, I feel it is a difficult window to work in much of the time. Particularly if you aren't doing well and clubs know you are desperate. Even if that isn't the case, clubs still in the CL or contention for domestic silverware are unlikely to want to sell big players.

Given how our season is going would any big players want to join us when currently we are mid-table closer to the relegation zone than the top 4? I think most would be tempted to wait 6 months and see what happens.

For me we are in a difficult position we need to bring players in but teams will know our desperation and adjust their prices accordingly I fear the situation will end up with another panic signing Arthur Melo or Ben Davies that do little/nothing to help the situation. Or buy someone second rate for an inflated fee who we will struggle to get rid of in a couple of years time.

Someone like Rice or Tielemans might be available for the right price and would make a big impact. We still offer them Champions League knockout-stage football and a team that can be a real threat in the cups if we're a bit luckier with injuries.

Agree in not signing a stop-gap - go big and sign class or don't bother.

[BootRoom]

I think we’re gradually lowering our standards then. This was Leeds at Anfield, one of the favourites for relegation; doing okay in some regards and poorly in others is not helpful for a club like ours. We have a global profile, tens of millions of fans, expected to challenge for the title and on trots Curtis Jones and a 36 year old as we look for a winner. It’s a ****ing joke if we’re being honest.

Having to put the big CB up top and feed off scraps from aimless balls lashed into the box is not a good look, either.

[Exiled_red]

Tielemans maybe as he's out of contract in the summer, Leicester might prefer to let him leave in a free if they think keeping him might help keep them up.

Rice I can't see us being able to afford, West Ham were supposedly turning down offers in the £60-70m regime in the summer and supposedly said they wanted £150m for him. While I suspect if it came to it they would sell for less, but he will still have 2.5 years on his contract so given that and the fact clubs like Chelsea and Man Utd are/we're supposedly interested I can see him going for £80m+. If we spend that on one player I imagine that's most of our summer budget gone, and to be honest I think we need two new midfielders minimum by the start of next season.

[Irishnev]

Tielemans maybe as he's out of contract in the summer, Leicester might prefer to let him leave in a free if they think keeping him might help keep them up.

Rice I can't see us being able to afford, West Ham were supposedly turning down offers in the £60-70m regime in the summer and supposedly said they wanted £150m for him. While I suspect if it came to it they would sell for less, but he will still have 2.5 years on his contract so given that and the fact clubs like Chelsea and Man Utd are/we're supposedly interested I can see him going for £80m+. If we spend that on one player I imagine that's most of our summer budget gone, and to be honest I think we need two new midfielders minimum by the start of next season.

Our recruitment team were lauded for finding under valued gems and making them superstars - let them do their job. Rice would improve us massively but way over priced - he’ll end up at Chelsea I bet. We need a hit the ground running guy but a value for money version in Jan ( Caciedo but he’ll also be v over priced) - a smart Bosman (Laimer, Tielemans etc) + a top quality starter in the summer

[Norbs]

We're not as attractive to English players as some of our rivals. Makes you wonder if they're Tories from London and that the City (Liverpool) feels disconnected to them.

Getting players from overseas seems no problem at all, whereas back in the day it was more difficult. Funny old world

[Fosterbloke]

Hello cunts!

Another ****e performance and result I see... The squad is ****e, our injuries are ****e, our manager is ****e, our owners are ****e, and our rivals are no longer ****e.

Oh well it was good while it lasted.

[Harv]

Hello cunts!

Another ****e performance and result I see... The squad is ****e, our injuries are ****e, our manager is ****e, our owners are ****e, and our rivals are no longer ****e.

Oh well it was good while it lasted.

Why bother with this ****? What do you aim to achieve?

[Slinky Skills]

Hello cunts!

Another ****e performance and result I see... The squad is ****e, our injuries are ****e, our manager is ****e, our owners are ****e, and our rivals are no longer ****e.

Oh well it was good while it lasted.

[vlahka]

Hello cunts!

Another ****e performance and result I see... The squad is ****e, our injuries are ****e, our manager is ****e, our owners are ****e, and our rivals are no longer ****e.

Oh well it was good while it lasted.

I say we pin this at the start of every match thread. That way we dont get too excited before and depressed later.

[Tribute]

We're not rebuilding this midfield in a Jan transfer window, so we have to focus on securing a top four place with what we have, more or less. The frustration - as we've all said - is that Naby, Ox and to a lesser extent, Milner, Hendo and Thiago... just aren't going to be available for three games in a row. Naby and Ox are as big a millstone for this club as Karius, Aquilani and Carroll were. Sucking the huge wages and contracts out of us doing some decent business elsewhere. That's on Klopp, Pep and FSG though... they knew there was not going to be a miraculous change from last season, yet they all persisted with this 'we don't need anyone else' garbage until we panicked for Arthur. Look how ****ing good he turned out to be as well... my god.

We should have had two or three alternative targets to Tchou in the summer or gone balls out for Bellingham once he went to RM. Doing nothing is now very evident. The icing on the cake is Fabinho's form... absolute Kieron Dier levels of ****ness this season... No-one would have forseen a fit Fab playing as ****e as this. He's worse than bad. The whole thing is just a perfect storm and now it's descended into a perfect ****storm. We have our work cut out to get fourth based on current outings and every other PL team will now see us as a potential win not a 'work hard for the point'.

Stupid books aside, Jurgen and Pep need to get back to basics and drill the **** out of the fit players we have left to get back to basics, work hard(er) and do the mileage. If they can't do that, as a minimum, we going to be in the hideous Thursday night brigade and that will **** any potential rectifying transfer plans in the summer. No UCL is a massive loss if we want the best talent. Without it, we're on another long rebuilding journey which will probably outlast Klopp's tenure. We're so far behind now compared to where we were - Arsenal's good form is the only realistic challenge to Citeh and then it's a free-for-all for the UCL scraps. Chavs are pretty ****e too, but ****ing Utd and even Newcastle seemed to have found their tempo and could go big again in the Jan window to support that charge. Be interesting to see who the first really big name is who is prepared to take a punt on going there like Robinho kicked things off with Citeh and Mark Hughes all those years ago. The start of oil money dominance next season... once again.