Liverpool FC - Talk /Gossip/Rumours 25/25

Maybe a mix up in how we're bucketing players but I was separating out the front 3 (striker and two wingers) from the midfield… whatever way you line them up… so Wirtz, Grav, Szobo, Mac and Jones for 3 positions… with Nyoni and Elliot potentially there for some depth.

Reminder of my caveat for the post you quoted. I'm just talking about depth for positions in relation to the squad being described as thread bare. Those 5 players (plus Nyoni, plus Elliot if he stays) in contention for 3 spots isn't thread bare. Argue all you want about some of those players needing to be replaced, that's just not what I was talking about. And also don't take this to mean that I wouldn't love to see another option brought in. Midfield was just bottom of my list compared to the 3 forward positions, the entire back line and GK (given Allison will be injured for a decent chunk of the season).

A cm being an afterthought ahead of 3 forwards is just mind boggling to me, so I respectfully disagree. PSG this season, and last season, schooled us in midfield.

We can move Wirtz up front if we're stuck and we should also put faith in Rio. We really need a completely different dynamic in midfield at this point.

To me it's a dire need. Hughes, Edwards and Slot will just have to suck it up in regards the front line and use what they have.

I genuinely forgot about Wirtz first. 🤗 🤦

However, even with him included I'm really talking about depth in terms of players Slot will actually use and not just players that happen to be on the books and give the illusion of depth, like Endo this season for example. He simply won't use Elliot properly if he is here and how many games did Jones start in midfield last season? I'm not gonna bother googling it but I know it's not enough for him to be considered a genuine option for us there while Slot is in charge.

If Klopp was still in charge I would include everyone on our books as a potential option even the tea ladies but Slot has shown he has no interest whatsoever in using anybody apart from his chosen 14 or 15 players no matter how poorly those players play unless injury forces his hand. He really manages a squad like a 15 year playing FIFA.

So I'm positing that we have 4 players he will actually use for 3 spots, which is not even close to enough. His use and management of the squad is easily the worst I have ever personally seen from a Liverpool manager.

I'm in the Slot out camp but your two first lines are a bit ott to say the least.

We only won it because another team didn't? Could be said every season!

Points were 84 versus 60. Very different.

We won the league at a canter tbh.

Perhaps I'm completely misinterpreting the post

The points totals by late March were almost identical in each season. i.e. when the league was essentially decided.

There is no evidence we could have reached 90 points, that's just speculation.

City winning once in 6 between Oct and early December was the far greater differential between the two seasons. Again the points total was solid, as it was in 23/24, but my opinion, and it is soley mine, is that that was more decisive than Slot's role.

My point is that they should all be playing more advanced in the pitch. Mac, Grav, and Szobo are not playing in their best position and offer the same thing, Szobo being the best of them.

Jones doesn't offer a different aspect from the bench either. I think we could easily swap out Mac and Jones out, and get the type of midfielders we actually need for balance.

Ah c'mon how can you say there was no evidence we couldn't get another 6 points in our last 4 games if needed? Last season the team was consistent throughout the whole season up until they won the league. You are telling me if the title was still on the line then 2 points out of the last 4 games would be the norm and consistent with how the whole season played out for us?

Curtis probably feels he’s as good as Gravenberch and Alexis.

Based on this season, he has an argument to be fair but I don’t know if Liverpool can go for it.

We really need a Defensive minded midfielder.

I could see Alexis and Curtis leave this summer and Wharton and another come in.

This is going to be a fun summer in here! 🙈

You were responding to my post, in which I did give credit to Slot for winning the league I was just saying in my opinion I think Klopp had he stayed would have likely won it too as both our main rivals had poor seasons by their own recent standards - that wasn't going to change regardless who was in charge, but, does have to be factored in.

You can't say it doesn't matter what City ( or indeed Arsenal) did because they are the most likely to challenge, so if they have 90 point seasons as they did the previous year, then we likely don't win the league. Of course Klopp and Slot would go about things in a different way as they are different people, talk about stating the obvious! All we know for sure is that Slot did win the league, we can never prove or disprove that Klopp would have, just give our opinion, and they don't have agree!

I have always said Slot deserves the credit for winning the league, he kept us in a position to win, when our rivals faltered, which was very impressive. Equally he deserves the stick he is getting this season as he has presided over a dreadful season, where we played terrible football, bar a handful of games we we terrible all season and no real progress was made in how we play. He inherited a squad capable of winning the league, the squad we currently have are a long way from that, not all of that is his fault, but, he is certainly not blameless!

Another factor in 23/24 is that we totally rebuilt the midfield, so obviously it took players time to settle at the club and in some cases the league/ new country. This was after the Caicedo and Lavia transfer sagas before that season. It was remarkable given the circumstances that we were in a title race at all, but, that did lay the foundations for the following season as those players; Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Endo, Szob, had a season to settle at the club( and the league for those with no EPL experience), so were ready to go the following season.

Contrast how the signings of summer 23/24 integrated into the squad compared with last summers signings is like chalk and cheese!