Selling squad depth to fund one of the strongest 1st XI the PL has ever seen does have inherent risks. If you have the same injury record as last year, it's pretty much a wrap and we may as well crown you champions now. If you have a normal injury record, you're still favourites. However, if you're unlucky with injuries, it actually could start to swing the other way quite quickly.
Alexander Isak | Liverpool player
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It is nice for Newcastle to be put in their place
we getting carried away with the strongest XI the league has seen stuff
For me you stack that team up against the best United, Arsenal, Chelsea and City sides and there isn't a comparison really.
much better players than Wirtz have failed in the Premier League....
Ekitike a similar profile to a signing like Darwin Nunez.....
As a Manchester United fan we should all be more than aware that money spent isn't always guaranteed success.....
More important than the signings will be the fitness and levels of Van Dijk and Salah
To be fair, I said "one of the strongest". And it is.
I completely agree with you about fitness, though. Isak is somewhat injury prone and van Dijk / Salah are both well into their 30s and played a lot of games last year.
Yes please.
Looks great on paper but impossible team for several reasons:
First and foremost, Slot always will play 433. And why would he change a functional system anyway that the players are familiar with
Secondly, they simply don’t have enough CM for this system
Or CBs. Even if they bought Guehi.Looks great on paper but impossible team for several reasons:
First and foremost, Slot always will play 433. And why would he change a functional system anyway that the players are familiar with
Secondly, they simply don’t have enough CM for this system
I mean so far they've sold Quansah, Kelleher and Diaz. Kelleher wanted to go and we have plenty of GKs. Diaz wanted to leave to so it wasn't only to fund this squad. It made perfect sense to sell him and the likelihood is they'll replace him with a younger player and have Rio.
The only position LFC are short on is CB. VVD, Konate and Gomez. They will likely sign one?
Right Backs
Bradley, Frimpong, gomez. Jones has played there when needed.
Left Backs
Kerkez/Robbo/Tsimikas Sell Tsimikas?
CMs
Grav/Alexis/Endo/Jones/Szobo as CMs Possibly out, Elliot/Bajcetic and Morton.
CAM
Wirtz and Szobo.
Forwards
Salah/Gakpo/Ekitike with possibly Isak and a Diaz replacement coming in. Obvious one down due to Jota. Rio looks a real prospect, maybe too young.
Nunez goes, Doak, Chiesa.
Not sure they are killing depth there do you?
With 1 CB in and Isak/LW there are 20 outfield players before the odd player sticking around.
You listed four forwards for thee positions. And acknowledged there are are only three CBs.
Obviously if Liverpool sign Isak and a top quality CB and LW, their squad will be very strong. My comment was a reply to someone typing out a 1st XI and based on the assumption that they're not going to spend another £230M+ (£130 + £50m + £50) this transfer window.
Oh stupid, that’s what I meant to say. Yeah, not enough CBs for that
They look good with Isak joining as well. But Arsenal looks the more balanced team on paper, especially their defence which is the best in the league by far. Think if Arsenal fix their left side, they slightly edge out.
Either way, will be an interesting title battle for sure!
Either way, will be an interesting title battle for sure!
"Selling squad depth to fund one of the strongest 1st XI the PL has ever seen does have inherent risks"
Diaz was sold as an unhappy player and Quansah, let's be honest, it's a good deal with a buyback. So far i don't see the selling to fund a super team.
If the PSR buffs are to believed LFC can sign Isak and another without a sale.
Are LFC going to go into the season with Gakpo/Salah/Isak/Ekitike? i'd say the odds are heavily against that. Nevermind the odds Isak actually joins, i mean if we have him, i still think we go with 5.
I still also firmly believe LFC are not going to start a season with VVD/Gomez/Konate. I guess the only reasonably possible reason for that would be if they are happy use Grav/Endo as number 4. Again, i'd say the odds are against that.
LFC spending another 200 mill or so would take them to 500 mill euro spent, seems crazy. However, over a 3 year spell or so, it wouldn't take us ahead of the other top 4 rivals.
Surely centre half cover is the most pressing issue they have? Why are they not giving Konate a new deal before he does a Trent and walks on a free to Real next summer? With Gomez sent home from pre-season with an injury then they are effectively going into this season with just VVD and Konate. I’d be amazed if they don’t sign a centre half before the window shuts.
I didn't know Diaz was unhappy. Seemed to an outsider that things were pretty rosy last season. And whther Quansah is a good deal and has a buyback is pretty irrelevant - he's not in the squad. No one is saying Liverpool are doing bad business, they're clearly not.
If that's the case, then great. Although I do think we sometimes overindex on PSR debates. Just because there is PSR headroom, that doesn't actually mean there's money to spend.
As I said, If Liverpool spend another £230m, they will have a strong squad, no arguments here.
Liverpool are currently on €309m. £230m would take them to €575m. That's 66% of Arteta's total spend since 2019 in the space of a couple months.
Liverpool are putting together an awesome lineup. All I'm saying is that to do so, they'll either have to sacrifice squad depth or spend a lot more money. That applies to literally all teams.
I don't mean the following is an agro way whatsoever, I'm genuinely curious. Why do a lot of Liverpool fans try to downplay their spending whenever it's mentioned? I'm not even criticising your spending here - in fact I'm applauding it.
He stole @Olly 's gif
It's so interesting how City are being overlooked completely. Most people seem to think Arsenal or Liverpool will take the title.
I'm hesitant to write City off with Rodri back and Pep's new moustache.
Isak has been left out of their kit launch apparently.
Yeah, that is running story for years now. And that myth became some kind of truth. You have narrative how FSG didn't allow Klopp to spend money. At the same time Klopp spent one fecking billion euros on players.
I also don't have any issues with them spending money. Why wouldn't they? But them keep downplaying it is really annoying. They are pushing some kind of underdog story; "We poor bastards against those filthy rich clubs".
I wonder what Roy Keane thinks of this
Liverpool conceded 9 goals in the last 4 games so the defensive stats are a bit skewed. Based on last season they still have the best CB and keeper. Liverpool’s squad isn’t imbalanced in any obvious sense. They’re down a Quansah and a Trent - don’t recall either being lauded on here for adding to Liverpool’s defensive solidity.
It’s just compared to United and Chelsea and City. Obviously spent big money but won all the cups so it’s regarded favourably.
Not sure how starting porn will make Pep a better coach. More penetration perhaps?
I don’t understand why Newcastle are acting like pussies with regard to this. I don’t use that word lightly but that’s what they are doing.
They have Isak on contract for another three years so why are they bending to his will soo easily especially after a disastrous summer for them. They have the power here and should name an a feck off price and not even entertain any talk until they bid over £150m. Isak should be in training and should be playing in their games.
Kane and Zaha were in similar situations for many years and they didn’t give in. The same with Eze and Baleba now. The selling team holds the power to sell or not and will only be swayed when an offer too good to be true comes in.
Newcastle seem to just be rolling over and accepting one of the best players in the league and in the world will be sold. To make it worse they’ll be selling to the team that also bought their first option as a replacement. The price for Liverpool should be £200m.
They have Isak on contract for another three years so why are they bending to his will soo easily especially after a disastrous summer for them. They have the power here and should name an a feck off price and not even entertain any talk until they bid over £150m. Isak should be in training and should be playing in their games.
Kane and Zaha were in similar situations for many years and they didn’t give in. The same with Eze and Baleba now. The selling team holds the power to sell or not and will only be swayed when an offer too good to be true comes in.
Newcastle seem to just be rolling over and accepting one of the best players in the league and in the world will be sold. To make it worse they’ll be selling to the team that also bought their first option as a replacement. The price for Liverpool should be £200m.
God I hope they don't get him.
I've had to put up with a smug Liverpool housemate all summer. Every single day bragging about their amazing transfer window and how every player is going to hit the ground running and all be in contention for the balon d'or.
This would be the icing on the crap cake.
As a side note, did anyone here go around bragging about United's past transfers to people? I find it a little weird to keep going on about it.
I've had to put up with a smug Liverpool housemate all summer. Every single day bragging about their amazing transfer window and how every player is going to hit the ground running and all be in contention for the balon d'or.
This would be the icing on the crap cake.
As a side note, did anyone here go around bragging about United's past transfers to people? I find it a little weird to keep going on about it.
Because they're living in the real world, dealing with humans.
He said he wants to leave. From this point onwards, it could go either way if he's forced to stay. Either he gets puts this out of his mind and gets back to his usual form or plays like shit and leaves next year for less. They have to take a call based on what they think is more likely.
If anything, Kane's experience is an even bigger motivation for Isak to push to leave asap.
True. This doesn't look good.
I think you mean one bajillion pounds.
Once VVD fully declines, I'm hoping they'll become as shaky as before Klopp brought him in, and they hopefully won't replicate what Salah/Mane did with their new attack.
Funny if they end up putting up more fight keeping Ashworth than trying to keep Isak
It’s imbalanced by numbers. Which obviously can be fixed by spending more, but until then, the squad is definitely light.
Signing a CB is basically all that is required. Either way it’s still July.
The biggest shortfall from last season is Arsenal’s goal scoring. It stopped them completing and caused them to draw too many games. Liverpool’s defence was largely fine relatively speaking. Have Arsenal addressed the biggest issue? Arteta has yet to show he can build a side that can score goals while having the defensive balance that wins big trophies.
I’m old enough to remember when it was Klopp who was holding it all together.
What is it with these swedes and going AWOL.
But I don't think arsenals midfield is all that.
I’m fully hoping VVD’s legs go in a Varane style breakdown this season and they end up playing Tsimikas as a makeshift centre half.
Lindelof is available on a free.
Stop it. That poster discussing Frimpong being too short to defend at corners would cream himself.
Not sure why you're so surprised when we had one here, who did it in our defence for 8 years.
Poor Victor, catching strays even after he's left.
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