Emre Can

[Norbs]

The representatives of the German have requested that he be placed in the highest bracket of earners at the club.

They have pushed for a release figure that is well below his market value and doesn’t correlate to the wages being sought.

Liverpool are largely opposed to including release classes in contracts.

Liverpool would be willing to agree a lower release amount that couldn't be triggered by their domestic rivals. (@MelissaReddy_)

We're over the barrel and whether it's right or not we should just give him what he wants. I'd rather we got £25m than nowt and nowt is precisely what we're getting if we don't include a clause

[Pablo]

Anyone else feel like Keita will take over as captain?

[fidget]

VVD will

[Maxiedge]

Having Emre back will help a bit but we would be naïve to think that it will solve any issues.

Unless, anyone else has any bright ideas, I'm going to throw one in the mix:

Firmino to play in midfield and Sturridge upfront

[labourRed]

Having Emre back will help a bit but we would be naïve to think that it will solve any issues.

Unless, anyone else has any bright ideas, I'm going to throw one in the mix:

Firmino to play in midfield and Sturridge upfront

Wrong on two levels. Sturridge isn't nearly good enough in terms of output for our team nervermind be anywhere near the pace of Salah and Mane. Jesus could you imagine a counter with those three, it'd be embarrassing for Sturridge.

Firmino would be a square peg in midfield. We could play Firmino in a 10 but we don't play that system nor do we have an adequate 9 either IMO.

Personally I think Mane and Salah are best in a front three and they are close to our best players so we need to stick with this formation rather than twist.

Hopefully we can buy a few defenders in January. Failing that sort the defence out in the summer.

[Maxiedge]

Wrong on two levels. Sturridge isn't nearly good enough in terms of output for our team nervermind be anywhere near the pace of Salah and Mane. Jesus could you imagine a counter with those three, it'd be embarrassing for Sturridge.

Firmino would be a square peg in midfield. We could play Firmino in a 10 but we don't play that system nor do we have an adequate 9 either IMO.

Personally I think Mane and Salah are best in a front three and they are close to our best players so we need to stick with this formation rather than twist.

Hopefully we can buy a few defenders in January. Failing that sort the defence out in the summer.

I might be wrong on two levels, but our current setup is wrong on 3 or 4 levels so I think I've got the upper hand there.

On a serious note, putting your concerns with Sturridge to one side, I really think Firmino could be an excellent midfielder with defensive responsibilities. He's actually really good at closing down and tackling, better than Gini and Henderson. He's also good in the air, so we might actually win a few balls in midfield.

Didn't he start off as a midfielder or defender?

[Doc_Piptorious]

I might be wrong on two levels, but our current setup is wrong on 3 or 4 levels so I think I've got the upper hand there.

On a serious note, putting your concerns with Sturridge to one side, I really think Firmino could be an excellent midfielder with defensive responsibilities. He's actually really good at closing down and tackling, better than Gini and Henderson. He's also good in the air, so we might actually win a few balls in midfield.

Didn't he start off as a midfielder or defender?

He was bloody good in Germany when he played in the AM role. He generally went between the AM, support striker and wide midfield roles when he was at Hoffenheim.

If we had genuine quality in two of our CM slots, then Firmino would be an ideal player to have playing deeper behind a quality front man.

The striker up front, Salah and Mane on the flanks with Firmino roaming at will between the front three and the middle two and he could interchange at will with any of the attacking three.

Course that would rely of us having a prolific striker in front of him and quality in CM behind him, so in the here and now we don't really have the option to try that.

But who knows in the future what with Keita inbound and probably a massive wedge of cash from selling Coutinho.

[Maxiedge]

He was bloody good in Germany when he played in the AM role. He generally went between the AM, support striker and wide midfield roles when he was at Hoffenheim.

If we had genuine quality in two of our CM slots, then Firmino would be an ideal player to have playing deeper behind a quality front man.

The striker up front, Salah and Mane on the flanks with Firmino roaming at will between the front three and the middle two and he could interchange at will with any of the attacking three.

Course that would rely of us having a prolific striker in front of him and quality in CM behind him, so in the here and now we don't really have the option to try that.

But who knows in the future what with Keita inbound and probably a massive wedge of cash from selling Coutinho.

Interesting

I still think we're missing a trick by not playing him in a deeper midfield role. Imagine if this side could click:


Firmino------Can------Coutinho

Salah-------------------Mane

----------Sturridge -------------

**** me, that is tasty

One of the issues we have is not putting teams to bed and/or not taking our chances. For me, Firmino is not a natural striker so he will miss more than he will score. My assessment after 3 seasons is that he should play in midfield. He has all the traits to be special there.

I feel so strongly about this but I don't know what to do

[Doc_Piptorious]

Interesting

I still think we're missing a trick by not playing him in a deeper midfield role. Imagine if this side could click:


Firmino------Can------Coutinho

Salah-------------------Mane

----------Sturridge -------------

**** me, that is tasty

One of the issues we have is not putting teams to bed and/or not taking our chances. For me, Firmino is not a natural striker so he will miss more than he will score. My assessment after 3 seasons is that he should play in midfield. He has all the traits to be special there.

I feel so strongly about this but I don't know what to do

Would not have both him and Coutinho in the same midfield though and would want someone more mobile and with a higher workrate (and less injury prone. than Sturridge ahead of him.



Would be thinking something lke this (assuming we sell Coutinho and get a van load of cash for him). Have just put Belotti in there as my choice for a striker to fit the role and left Can in beside Keita for the sake of example.



Mane----------Belotti-----------Salah
---------------Firmino---------------
-------Keita-------------Can---------



Of course another option would be to buy no new striker and slot Firmino into the Striker slot and bring in someone like Lemar for the AM role (again I am assuming that Coutinho gets his move next summer).



Mane----------Firmino-----------Salah
-----------------Lemar---------------
-------Keita---------------Can---------


But for me a dream move would be to bring in both a striker and a new CM (if Can goes) that is able to sit deep (be it a DM or a deep lying playmaker. Guys like Weigl or Saul if we wanted a deep dm or roaming destroyer type or guys like Jorgino or Veratti (the latter being a dream pick) if we wanted a quality playmaker that can defend).

That way we would have greater balance in the centre as we would have an AM type midfielder with a high workrate in Firmino, a box to box guy with a high workrate in Keita and a deeper guy be it DM or Deep playmaker with high workrates like the four I named and all would be skilled players too.


Then up front we would have wide men in Salah and Mane with great pace, great wskill, goal getters and good work rates. And at the point a strong fast striker with a Kuyt like workrate and who can link play or play as a lon striker in Belotti.


So




Mane----------Belotti-----------Salah
-------Keita (No 8)----Firmino(AM-
----------DM/Deep playmaker-------



And as we are using our Coutinho money for Belotti and the new midfielder (if Coutinho gets us something in the 120m to 130m range), we still have the summer window left over money for VVD or another quality CB.


So basically just three players on top of those we already have or that are incoming like Keita.


Any spare cash could go towards a new keeper, but I suspect with a more solid and mobile midfield along with a VVD level CB that our current keepers could suddenly have more protection and play in a more confident manner.

[danperkins]

Having Emre back will help a bit but we would be naïve to think that it will solve any issues.

Unless, anyone else has any bright ideas, I'm going to throw one in the mix:

Firmino to play in midfield and Sturridge upfront

suggested this previously myself, although I wanted us to buy a proper striker in the window as Sturridge is so injury prone. Get a natural goalscorer with good movement up top & gets Firmino's creativity and work rate working between the midfield and striker which was the position he was playing at Hoff.

IMO when everyone is fit, our team should line up like this:

--------------Sturridge-----------------
Mane--------Firmino----------Salah
---------Coutinho------------------
------------------Can-------------------
Robertson--Matip---Gomez-----Clyne
--------------Mig----------------------

Matip as captain for me. Jaco mentioned Belotti, what a quality addition he would be to our side and absolute perfect fit. Many people seemed against the idea of us getting another striker in the window as Firmino scores a few goals and his work rate is brilliant... I think we have seen that our current crop of players are nowhere near as clinical in front of goal as we need them to be and it has cost us points.

[BillobShaisley]

To many attackers, only Can with any semblance of defensive ability and that's not his forte either.

[SB]

Can is a decent defender in my ability. He likes to break from deep & run the ball but that's not usually very productive so I'd argue that he's better in the holding role although he can chip in with a few goals.

[little dave hedgehog]

our best midfielder this season by a country mile. looks assured, technique is spot on, busts his ass to make runs back and forth. i'd have him as my captain if i were in charge.

[SB]

our best midfielder this season by a country mile. looks assured, technique is spot on, busts his ass to make runs back and forth. i'd have him as my captain if i were in charge.

[Fosterbloke]

Definitely captain material. I'd be selling Henderson and installing Can as the number 6. It's the only way to make the change of captain less awkward.