Liverpool FC Team Talk, Gossip, Rumours 2024/25

martyos121 · 19-07-2023 04:50PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120871741#Comment_120871741

Selling our only two midfielders who play can play as a number 6, so Klopp plays our number 66 there instead to cover for both.

He’s playing 4D chess.

Fitz* · 19-07-2023 04:57PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120871772#Comment_120871772

The number 84 Conor Bradley has been popping up as an inverted midfielder at times too - perhaps as homage to the more traditional centre midfielder numbers of 8 & 4.

SeamusAFA · 19-07-2023 04:58PM

Formation doesn't look anymore defensively sound than last season.

I know it's only first match pre season.

antimatterx · 19-07-2023 05:10PM

Henderson done. £12m + add ons.

noodler · 19-07-2023 05:21PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120871844#Comment_120871844

Really silly.

He is worth so much more than that to us.

martyos121 · 19-07-2023 05:23PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120871844#Comment_120871844

Unless those add-ons involve 300,000 barrels of their finest oil, we’re getting ripped off.

jones · 19-07-2023 05:24PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120871844#Comment_120871844

It's such an odd move I'm still not sure how I feel about it. Really thought he'd be a bit part player this season but to leave and go Saudi was not.... expected. 😄

If we reinvest in good players it's great he was clearly on his way down as is fab.

So fab and Hendo go - who are we signing?

Augme · 19-07-2023 05:26PM

Very disappointed with the news of this transfer on so many levels.

SuperTortoise · 19-07-2023 05:28PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120871844#Comment_120871844

We've been robbed.

Electric Nitwit · 19-07-2023 05:29PM

12m is a joke. Just so disappointing all round

Vicxas · 19-07-2023 05:33PM

They better have people lined up if they're letting Fab and Hendo go. Madness otherwise.

martyos121 · 19-07-2023 05:34PM

Any fewer than two more midfield signings will be unacceptable now that Hendo’s gone.

Unless Mbappé can play as a very attacking number 6.

Luxembourgo · 19-07-2023 05:37PM

Honestly pretty happy with Henderson going

Don't see where he fits in the team at all next year. He's a player who relied massively in his physicality which will only start declining and he's no Milner.

Mr Crispy · 19-07-2023 05:37PM

Gutted on so many levels.

Damien360 · 19-07-2023 05:55PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120871930#Comment_120871930

I'm inclined to agree with you but £12m is peanuts, especially from the new Saudi league. We should have got twice that.

LuckyLloyd · 19-07-2023 05:56PM

I think we may have to accept a period outside the CL. And by the time we are ready to go back in, the fabric of football may have changed further. End of an era, a **** fabulous era.

giveitholly · 19-07-2023 06:00PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120871993#Comment_120871993

Do u honestly think keeping Henderson and Fabinho would nearly guarantee champions league next season. They are the reason we didn't get it last season with their poor form. Both players are in serious decline so now is the time to move them on. Exciting times ahead

~Rebel~ · 19-07-2023 06:01PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120871931#Comment_120871931

Same exactly. A real downer as a Liverpool story, a football story, and a broadly general life story.

LuckyLloyd · 19-07-2023 06:07PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120872018#Comment_120872018

The 2022 team is being broken up

Mane

Gini

Origi

Milner

Henderson

Fab

Keita

Bobby

Ox

Virgil has been creaking, Thiago is older again and injury prone, Salah another year older too

What are you excited about, exactly? I’m not saying we’re going to collapse to dust, but a full on rebuild is underway now. And Utd are about to be bought by a wall of money; City and Newcastle are inevitable; and Arsenal have come through the other side of their long sallow period.

People are fooling themselves a bit if they don’t see a long hard period ahead.

It’s not about keeping any of these players as the right decision, more that we are letting a lot of proven winners walk out the door and we don’t have the means to replace them. We are regressing quite sharply and obviously.

giveitholly · 19-07-2023 06:10PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120872048#Comment_120872048

But the 2022 team was on its last legs and needed to be broken up and a rebuild is needed. Granted it should of started at least last summer. We have Allison,Konate Gakpo,Diaz,still plenty of years left in Salah. Hopefully Nunez hits the ground running as well.

Two new exciting signings already for midfield. Let's see who they get to replace Fab and Hendo first before we throw the towel in

noodler · 19-07-2023 06:13PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120872018#Comment_120872018

Interesting strawman.

Do I think keeping Henderson increases the chances of CL? Yes, I absolutely do.

Blaming Fabinho and Hendo for no CL last season is ridiculously simplistic. Our new attacking options didn't gel, the defense creaked and we just didn't have the bodies in midfield.

Incredible how having both Hendo and Fab in 2022 guaranteed got us two trophies, a CL final and 2nd place in the league but a year later you can't see any redeeming reason to keep them.

Anyway. We need 2 or 3 midfielders now and then Klopp needs to integrate them.

tinpib · 19-07-2023 06:23PM

Hendo a massive loss becuase of his experience, leadership, presence. Perfect for coming on on 60/75 minutes. The thing is, with FSG's track record there is no guarantee they will buy more players. They've done it/not done it before. As others have said a minimum of 2 is logical but we could skimp and just buy 1, assuming Fab is off as well. And there is a defo a non-zero chance we dont buy any, and Juergen is wheeled out to say to the press he is happy with a smaller squad.

So let's see what happens and cross our fingers that sensible signings are made.

martyos121 · 19-07-2023 06:26PM

The mentality monsters are back.

We can do it on a balmy Wednesday in Karlsruhe.

~Rebel~ · 19-07-2023 06:29PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120872070#Comment_120872070

Yeah, that integration factor basically writes off the top-tier aspirations for this season for me. We all know how reluctant Klopp is to throw even one tactically-important player in over their first few months at the club... it might've been possible to have some sort of challenge if the new players could be eased into the system seamlessly enough around the old heads, but with all the experience gone they'll just have to give it a lash. And we don't even have the benefit of the old pro's showing the new guys the practical aspects of their positions, since all the experienced lads who ever played 6 or 8 for us are now gone.

ShamoBuc · 19-07-2023 06:33PM

Fab and Hendo gone for a bit over 50m. 2 big wages gone too. Their legs were not good enough last season, I expect they would be no better next season - Hendo was only going to be good enough for 30 mins really, while Fab had quite a poor year.

A huge gap in experience needs filling. Who we buy and play as their replacements will effectively decide our season.

350k, no tax, for 3 years, hard to say no to but it is a pity I think. Sign of the times really, every club will be selling players to Saudi. Not the first not the last. The fee was a pittance in essence.

hawaii501 · 19-07-2023 06:35PM

What are they going to show them, how not to run around?

That midfield was an absolute disgrace last season! I'm glad they are all gone, none of this sentimentality and experience. I know they were class at one stage but they have all regressed sadly.

Anywag we've gotten a world cup winner and a Hungarian captain livewire in so far along with hopefully 2 more in and I can't wait for next season. Think something special is happening. Diaz fully fit and a new cb would be a dream.

Widdensushi · 19-07-2023 06:37PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120872048#Comment_120872048

Well you can't have it both ways, unhappy that players have been moved on and pointing out that the ones that are still there are regressing,we need a full rebuild , there is no place for sentimentality and it's likely not going to be pretty this year but at least attempts are being made to change it up again.

LuckyLloyd · 19-07-2023 06:46PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120872152#Comment_120872152

This is delusional stuff tbh, but I suppose football fans love new things and are generally short-term in their perspective.

The team was poor last season, but that should have been expected in the context of a massive emotional comedown on a very short off-season.

I bought into a last hurrah with Keita / Milner / Ox / Firmino cleared out and effectively replaced by Diaz / McAlister / Sobs. Everyone would be hungry and rested, and we could have a last run.

But Hendo and Fab going completely changes the equation; how could it not? We will now have an entirely new midfield; we have lost lots of experience and will be integrating many young and unproven players. The reality here is quite obvious if you can step back briefly. All teams' age and time remains undefeated in life and sport. We hoped to pull rabbits out of the hat to find replacements because we cannot compete financially with City, Newcastle and Utd.

This is not about Hendo, Fab, Milner and Keita being right to go. These moves are prudent squad moves; they make financial sense. But it signals that our run with Klopp is over. Maybe we come back strong the following season, but VVD, Salah, and Thiago will likely be dropping off at that point. The reality is hard to accept; I get that. It's sad.

LuckyLloyd · 19-07-2023 06:56PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120872160#Comment_120872160

I'm not asking for it both ways. People are talking about "exciting times". We just had a poor season and are running into another one; then we will have more players to move on and probably a new coach. I think being "excited" about that is mad.

Fitz* · 19-07-2023 07:01PM

Bobby, Ox, Keita, Henderson, Arthur were all earning between 100k - 180k a week. Fabinho still is. Milner was on reduced wages but still a pretty penny. I'd guestimate that they were taking home around 800k a week between them.

With only AMA & Szoboszlai signed, I'd guess that there is around 220k ish currently being offset against that. That's a very large difference.

It's a lot of bodies out and not enough in yet. Lot of experience out with low experience in. Still need another midfielder in, possibly 2.

The club needs to decide soon whether they want to go down the route of bringing in 2 midfielders, at least one being a dedicated DM, or whether to bring in one midfielder and one CB. This latter route would allow more confidence to be placed in Bajectic, Jones & Elliott. And that is the route I think the club will take. Thiago will leave next summer so maybe they will look at delaying recruiting experienced replacements until then.

Liverpool FC Team Talk, Gossip, Rumours 2024/25

Comments