Naby Keita

[danperkins]

As to your first point, again, it's not just about the Villa performance, he has consistently failed to hit the level we expect in our midfield.

I'm not asking him to play the way he played before. I'm asking him to be a decent performer in our midfield. I'm not seeing it, and it's not like he hasn't had enough time. It's a perfectly legitimate question to ask.

it is a perfectly legitimate question. I think some people forget that we paid £54m quid for him, that is huge money.

Here a question, has he been any better than Fred? Not really, and he's a standing joke among football supporters.

[Mark79]

As to your first point, again, it's not just about the Villa performance, he has consistently failed to hit the level we expect in our midfield.

I'm not asking him to play the way he played before. I'm asking him to be a decent performer in our midfield. I'm not seeing it, and it's not like he hasn't had enough time. It's a perfectly legitimate question to ask.

That’s just not accurate though. He consistently one of the biggest contributors across all aspects of our midfield.

He is being a ‘decent’ performer in our midfield.
You’re asking a question that is already being answered.

You (and many others) seem to be stuck on your own preconception of the player.

[Venton]

That’s just not accurate though. He consistently one of the biggest contributors across all aspects of our midfield.

He is being a ‘decent’ performer in our midfield.
You’re asking a question that is already being answered.

You (and many others) seem to be stuck on your own preconception of the player.

I can only say what I see mate, I genuinely don't think he's been that good. He's not ****, just not that good. I didnt see him in Germany so don't really have any preconceptions of what his play is like.

[danperkins]

It's not really a preconception though is it he was never going to have the same freedom in our setup, it is what we and most others have seen of him since arriving at LFC & would hazard a guess you are in a very small minority that think he has been in excellent form or that he has remotely justified the transfer fee. Has he been any better than Fred at United I asked earlier? Don't really think so and Fred has been mocked the world over. He hasn't been ****e and certainly hasn't been good... average is what I would say.

Naby is a lovely baller, nice technical player but I don't think it's a stretch to say that he has struggled in the premier league, the pace of our setup & is not the player we thought we were getting. Singing Thiago for me pretty much backs that up. Naby will be a squad player and imo if he doesn't drastically improve we will move him on if the fee is decent. Just to state, that nobody has said he's **** or abused him, everything that has been labelled at him imo is perfectly reasonable. Also I was one of the people waxing lyrical about Keita a year before we signed him.

[Norbs]

Sell

[Irishnev]

Ooof

https://twitter.com/DominicKing_DM/s...80961934102533

Been rubbished in this thread

[ame="https://twitter.com/aiunderpressure/status/1313421531410771968"]https://twitter.com/aiunderpressure/status/1313421531410771968[/ame]

[Buzzo]

I think it’s easy to forget we played really well against Arsenal and Chelsea and won a toe to toe v Leeds.

[Irishnev]

It's not really a preconception though is it he was never going to have the same freedom in our setup, it is what we and most others have seen of him since arriving at LFC & would hazard a guess you are in a very small minority that think he has been in excellent form or that he has remotely justified the transfer fee. Has he been any better than Fred at United I asked earlier? Don't really think so and Fred has been mocked the world over. He hasn't been ****e and certainly hasn't been good... average is what I would say.

Naby is a lovely baller, nice technical player but I don't think it's a stretch to say that he has struggled in the premier league & is not the player we thought we were getting. Singing Thiago for me pretty much backs that up. Naby will be a squad player and imo if he doesn't drastically improve we will move him on if the fee is decent. Just to state, that nobody has said he's **** or abused him, everything that has been labelled at him imo is reasonable.

I am a massive Naby fan and perhaps a little biased but I will concur that he has been slightmy disappointing. I will temper that by stating our midfield is set up fundamentally different to RBL and he has to curb a lot of his natural instincts to allow the team to function.

I hope he gets a new contract because he is still young and should be hitting his peak soon. When he plays we normally win

[Phoenix07]

If fans really aren't going to be back in grounds until March (even then, at significantly reduced capacity), I reckon he could be sacrificed to raise funds next summer. We are still very early in the season, but I think Klopp was counting on him to start the press against Villa, and he just didn't do it.

I've defended him from the start, but I do think with our finances, and the Government's refusal to allow fans into stadiums, he has this season to prove himself.

[Mark79]

I can only say what I see mate, I genuinely don't think he's been that good. He's not ****, just not that good. I didnt see him in Germany so don't really have any preconceptions of what his play is like.

By preconception I meant more the disappointment/frustration of his 1st year or 2 which I think has formed a lot of people’s opinions on him.

[danperkins]

I am a massive Naby fan and perhaps a little biased but I will concur that he has been slightmy disappointing. I will temper that by stating our midfield is set up fundamentally different to RBL and he has to curb a lot of his natural instincts to allow the team to function.

I hope he gets a new contract because he is still young and should be hitting his peak soon. When he plays we normally win

all you have to do is have a quick look at my posts from few years ago about Naby, over the moon when we signed him and gradually over the time I just lost faith in him. Nobody is doubting his technical ability, he is a lovely footballer. For me, it is the pace and physicality of the league that he struggles with. It shows you just how quick the prem is, Naby looked nippy in the Bundasliga, I was shocked at how slow and fragile he has looked in the prem. The word I would use to describe him in many games would be, a passenger.

Just to reiterate it's not like I have always been on his back, I was one of the people itching for him to be signed but imo it is a fair comment to say has been a disappointing signing for us. I have been waiting for him to break out and lay down a marker but it just hasn't happened, too much time has gone by he has to start doing it. With Thiago, Hendo, Fab, Gini he won't be first choice. I highly doubt his gameplay with improve with less minutes.

[danperkins]

If fans really aren't going to be back in grounds until March (even then, at significantly reduced capacity), I reckon he could be sacrificed to raise funds next summer. We are still very early in the season, but I think Klopp was counting on him to start the press against Villa, and he just didn't do it.

I've defended him from the start, but I do think with our finances, and the Government's refusal to allow fans into stadiums, he has this season to prove himself.

we are £48.2m net this season, you can be guaranteed we wil recoup every penny of that and imo the players we thought might go in this window will be gone in January. I think Keita will get until the summer and then good luck if he hasn't improved.

[Harv]

There's nothing wrong with Naby. Leave him alone FFS. He was one of the only players (along with Jota and Robbo) that even looked like creating anything against Villa.

It was a complete aberration of a performance. A one-off from 3 years of total domination. Why are people even dwelling on it? Everything that could've gone wrong in that game did.

Start worrying if we play like that again against Everton.

[danperkins]

There's nothing wrong with Naby. Leave him alone FFS. He was one of the only players (along with Jota and Robbo) that even looked like creating anything against Villa.

It was a complete aberration of a performance. A one-off from 3 years of total domination. Why are people even dwelling on it? Everything that could've gone wrong in that game did.

Start worrying if we play like that again against Everton.

People clearly aren't just talking about that or one game which would be ridiculous

[Mark79]

It's not really a preconception though is it he was never going to have the same freedom in our setup, it is what we and most others have seen of him since arriving at LFC & would hazard a guess you are in a very small minority that think he has been in excellent form or that he has remotely justified the transfer fee. Has he been any better than Fred at United I asked earlier? Don't really think so and Fred has been mocked the world over. He hasn't been ****e and certainly hasn't been good... average is what I would say.

Naby is a lovely baller, nice technical player but I don't think it's a stretch to say that he has struggled in the premier league, the pace of our setup & is not the player we thought we were getting. Singing Thiago for me pretty much backs that up. Naby will be a squad player and imo if he doesn't drastically improve we will move him on if the fee is decent. Just to state, that nobody has said he's **** or abused him, everything that has been labelled at him imo is perfectly reasonable. Also I was one of the people waxing lyrical about Keita a year before we signed him.

Never change!

I think fans are divided over Naby, but I don't agree that it's a very small minority that rate him or appreciate his performance since he's been playing more regularly.
And even if that were so, so what? Broad opinions can't be wrong?

Admittedly I haven't followed Fred as closely, but on balance yes, i do think Naby has performed better in England than Fred has.
Whether Fred has been mocked the world over is neither here nor there, that may well be undeserved too.

To answer your final statement, I haven't suggested that there's been any abusive comments or anyone saying he's **** during this conversation.
I'm simply arguing the criticisms being labeled at him as I don't agree that they're accurate, since a lot of recent his performances disprove them.
And that's perfectly reasonable too imo.