Liverpool FC Team Talk, Gossip, Rumours 2024/25

Hard to see us winning tomorrow and it looks like Toney is available now

I guess my reply to both of these replies can be added as one as it comes down to one area really. We need numbers in the midfield. At the moment we are looking okay though, but a few injuries will again highlight the problem. We have Henderson, Fabinho and Thiago as what many would consider our best 3 available and fit. Then you have Keita back. With the signing of Gakpo you will see Ox move back into the middle and if Milner is back that is another option. We will need to see how bad Elliott's injury is but seeing as he was preferred to Keita in the last match you would think he is more than just a last gasp stop-gap option.

I know he has been injured but Artur Melo will be another option once he is fit, and then you have Jones to come back as well. I suspect you will see injuries once some are back, as that is how it works really. My hope is we have a little more luck in this second half as it will help with the balance of the squad not to have one area decimated by injuries. As for potential options as mentioned in Zak's reply, I think we should be weary of signing players on the back off a good World Cup. Their value will be the highest and I don't know what the underlying numbers are behind the player and whether recency bias will play role in the assessment of players coming off a good World Cup. Then you have to add whether the player is available and wants to move clubs, again lots of factors to consider.

Seeing the Spurs result at home to Villa it shows we got a very good result at Villa. We have always given up big chances, our high line is always commented on when teams are able to get in behind. This was true in the season we came second (18/19), the title winning season and last season as well. What has happened is our players has the wear of a tough season on their bodies and they are a year older, and other clubs had another year to get a tactic right against the high line as it is the preferred system of more teams. So you will see more success against it and it will mean we will have to hope our players get into form in front of goal. Scoring a couple of early goals sure seem to change the narrative and it did in many of our best seasons, even when big chances were given up in those games.

Looking at the log, it looks like you have 2 teams that seem certain for the top 4 right now in Arsenal and City. That means there will be 2 spots left for the "other big 6" to fight over. Then you add in Newcastle to the mix and all of a sudden you have 2 spots for 5 teams. Some big names are going to miss out on top 4 this season. I think though it will not that big of a disaster. United has been outside of the top 4 of 2 of the last 4 seasons and it has not stopped them signing players or spending money. The PL has so much money in it, apart from the 2 state owned clubs, that you can still bully teams financially outside of the PL and Barca, Real and PSG really. It will be bad to miss out on top 4, but we have to be realistic that it could be us because Arsenal is playing as well as they are (reminds me of us in 19/20 when everyone also expected our level to drop but we just kept going) and Newcastle being better right now than many expected it means there will be a shock to some of the big clubs at the end of the season. We have to be prepared that it could be us.

He has flown with the squad to London anyways.

I'd say it's a case of trying to have him registered in time and well if he is, then he can make the bench maybe, and if not well he is getting used to the squad travelling together etc. No harm to have him travel for that reason alone.

Thiago has plenty of fight and plenty of other attributes.

I'm actually not sure how Gerrard would be on in our midfield three system.

Well sure but I feel like as recent as a few years ago that was referred to as "tapping up" and was quite frowned upon 😆 the times are a changing

I've been here over 10 years. Im also aware of tobys agenda.

Thanks for the comment

"You're obviously new here"

If you want anyone to take your posting seriously, I'd suggest you steer clear of posting like this. I've been posting here 15 years, lurking much longer, and i recall seeing Augustus Gloop in this forum a long time.

And the bit about Thiago and Elliott from toby was a country mile off the mark. Thiago is so, so much more than a tidy player. And Elliott at 19 has shown excellent heart as well as his obvious potential, and is still just a teenager.

Yes, everyone knows this.

But he's not a Roy Keane, or a Gerrard, he aint going to rattle cages, and get the team and crowd going when needed. The way a Gerrard did, the way Suarez did.

Inspiring players inspire others way beyond their capabilities. It might sound like Roy of The Rovers stuff, but it's reality.

I recall us playing awful in a game recently, can't recall what game, but Klopp got into some argument on the touchline, got the crowd and players galvanized though, flipped a switch, suddenly we're playing well and win. Football needs passion.

The same was true when we played Man City this season, we were playing okay, but so were City, but Klopp was in full flow, getting crowd going, showing passion that the players absorbed too, yea he got sent off, but again we were brilliant that day, didn't give a fcking inch.

Gerrard and Suarez, in their prime, never game an inch, no matter what the game.

Lets see who shows passion today, away to Brentford...