Liverpool FC - Talk /Gossip/Rumours 25/25

To be fair, if an injury crisis had happened in Klopp's second season instead of his 5th I'm not sure if his playing style would have been achievable with the squad at the time. Right at the moment Slot was implementing his new style he had two attackers sold, one more died, and one dropped off a cliff in performance. In addition 2 of his new attackers were either not match fit, or not physically ready for the PL. Eketike of course burst out of the traps, but he wasn't expect to be the primary point of attack either. In addition his right back, one of the stalwarts of the team, was sold, his replacement was injured for the season, and one of his centre back was going through a major life event and his replacement also injured for the season. The back up for both positions is perennially injured.

The combination of attack dropping off big time, and defense losing all confidence is what killed our season, and it still hasn't been fully reset. I'm not trying to absolve Slot of responsibility, just to say that his luck has been fairly terrible, and I'm not sure how many managers could right that ship. Klopp had 14 games of a bad run before he got things to click, and that was with a team he had been building for 5 years. Slot hadn't really even begun to build his team.

In any case whatever FSG decide to do next I'm at peace with it.

Did you ever watch this season, at the worst of times, and feel "God, everything is clicking here, if only we had a player who could put the ball in the net?"

I honestly didn't.

When you say "just as Slot was implementing his new style", I honestly never really saw this in any tangible sense or things working at any stage despite having Wirtz, Isak, Ekitike, Gakpo and Mo available early on.

I'm thinking it is more like likely he stays than goes as well atm. We've alot of holes in the squad though and spending 100m on individual players will probably be something FSG are wary of.

Plenty has went against Slot this season outside of his control, lost key players not least picking the players up after Jota, new players adjusting to the league, so many injuries, last years POTY loss of form. The league itself has changed, its far more physical and focused on set pieces.

However, I took all that into account and up to probably March I wasn't calling for a change and he obviously has a lot of credit winning a league title last season. But and here's the big BUT, I watch this team and not a single part of the pitch functions. Every game is an absolute slog and you have no confidence before and during the game will we win. I can't look at this and say a couple of players would transform us into a top side again. Obviously the rebuild isn't done, more experience is walking out the door but he just hasn't got a tune from this obviously talented squad as is.

Reading bit about Archie Gray, Liverpool are apparently interested in him if Spurs go down, has played right, left & center back & also defensive, center & right midfield this season. Only 20 & English would seem like a great squad addition if they could get him at a reasonable price

I would say nothing clicked from the get-go, precisely for the reasons outlined. There was no chance of implementing any sort of new style with a wholescale new attacking line. Perhaps Slot told them he would be able to do it, but it was always a big risk. Neither Isak, nor Wirtz were ready, and yet they were who we were trying to build around. It was doomed tbh. The defense was a disaster too.

When a team is winning everything is forgiven, but when a team is losing, then everything becomes an issue. When Klopp first joined for about a season and a half it was heavy metal football and there was wild defense and goals going in both ends. Remember the Liverpool-as-a-car meme, our defense was a laughing stock by our own fans, it wasn't clicking, but I will admit you could see his style immediately. Klopp gave up the heavy metal though, he had change because it was wrecking the players, and we were falling short in the league.

FSG will likely spend some money, as we are sorely lacking in some positions, and if even in the back of their minds they are looking at a new manager early next season, they will want to have a couple of dependable fresh legs in place to fill the squad up. I would expect them to be in the 30-50 million range though, rather than 100 million outlays.

He cost £40m from Leicester and from what I have read he's about the only player they had this season who was consistently good. Relegation or not he would not be cheap.

Not just that, Allison and VVD clicked into the machine and turned Liverpool into perhaps the best side in the world for about 2 years. Champion's league final and win, 97 points, 99 points in the premier league, with an attack line that is among the greatest Liverpool have ever had. When the injuries happened we dropped back off again by 30 points. Same manager, same tactics, same squad, just rotten luck.

The squad last year was nowhere near as good imo, and in addition was massively disrupted over the summer, and we'll probably end up in or around the same points. For sure Slot has a fair part to play in that, but he has had a significant amount of rotten luck also. Given where we were earlier in the season, to have 3rd place still in our own hands is a decent achievement, albeit very underwhelming. A win against united would surely lift spirits too.

I’ve been sus of his appointment since day one.

True enough but that splurge was 8 years ago, entirely financed by Coutinho and was eclipsed by the window just gone.

The investment will be more modest

__________Alisson_____

Gomez__Konate_VVD_Robertson

_____Mac______Graven_______

Sobo_____Wirtz________Kerkez

_________Isak_____________

Kill em that way

tbf it would be incompetent for any club who are currently managerless, or will be looking for a new manager in the summer, to not be contacting Alonso's agent to see what his story is.

I'd be expecting Man City, Man Utd, Newcastle, (hopefully) Liverpool all to be doing the same too.

The quality in this CL semi final really emphasises how far away we are.