Moving forward

Liverpool Football Club - General Discussion

Postby Boocity » Sun Apr 26, 2020 8:25 am

Even Andy Gray has said that null and voiding the season is not an option.
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Postby Penguins » Wed Apr 29, 2020 1:11 pm

Well, it doesn't matter. What matters is what the people with power decides.
If the season is cancelled my passion for football will drop, that's for sure.
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Postby UvS xR4GEx » Thu Apr 30, 2020 7:47 pm

The Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson wants the season Null and Void. Apparently he is worried that crowds will gather outside Anfield if we win the league..


Oh he's a Everton fan aswell so he has no motive whatsoever.
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Postby Reg » Fri May 01, 2020 8:05 am

Judging by the reaction in the press and messages I'm receiving from my mates, the mayor is coming out of his as a complete incompetent and unbelievably stupid c*nt.

I think that's fair.
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Postby kazza » Sat May 02, 2020 5:36 pm

Mohamed Salah's future: Should Liverpool sell their star man?
How can Liverpool improve? Why Mohamed Salah's changing role means Liverpool might need to look for a new forward...


Could Mohamed Salah's evolution dictate Liverpool's transfer plans?

Liverpool have not even had the chance to wrap up that first league title in 30 years yet but such is the capacity for football to throw things forward – even when at a standstill – that it feels natural for thoughts to turn to how Jurgen Klopp's side might be able to improve. Not easy with a team that was on course to break the Premier League points record.

One upgrade that has been mooted is the acquisition of Timo Werner. The 24-year-old German is rated among the top prospects in Europe, boasting an impressive scoring record at RB Leipzig. Although primarily a centre-forward, Werner is capable of playing anywhere across the front line. So who would he replace in Klopp's first-choice starting line-up?

It might seem extraordinary given his record for Liverpool but Mohamed Salah might be the supporters' choice. Indeed, if another young talent such as Jadon Sancho could be persuaded to head to Anfield, there are those who might even consider selling their star man. It is a possibility that was raised by Jamie Carragher earlier in the season.


"I think Mo Salah is seen as world class by those on the outside but with Liverpool fans I think he is a little bit underappreciated," said Carragher, speaking on Monday Night Football. "Certainly going from that first season to what he is doing now, there has been a bit of a dip. But he was never going to score another 47 goals in a season.

"I think Liverpool have got six world-class players. I think if you asked Liverpool fans whether they would take big money for the other five, they would all say no, no matter what the money. There is no way they would sell Alisson or Virgil van Dijk. But if you offered them £130m for Salah, they would think about it. That is why I say he is underappreciated."


No doubt some supporters would not countenance such a sale. Selling the Egyptian king could be seen as sacrilege. But would they let him go for a billion pounds? The answer must be yes, so the rest is haggling. The job of Liverpool's decision-makers is not to dismiss such talk out of hand but work out the fee at which folly would become financially savvy.

That is true of every Liverpool player, of course, but Salah turns 28 in June. At that point he will be the same age as fellow forwards Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino. All three can lay claim to being at the peak of their powers, but that is actually part of the problem. The trio risk growing old together if Klopp is not proactive in freshening up Liverpool's forward line.

Speaking to the former Liverpool manager Roy Evans recently, he was reflecting on how the club relinquished their position at the top of the English game after that previous league title win some 30 years ago. The failure to plan effectively for the future, allowing the team's world-class players to fade away, was an error that proved costly.


Inside Liverpool's boot room
In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports, Roy Evans lifts the lid on his career at Liverpool
"When you are top of the league," Evans told Sky Sports, "you have to make sure that you keep dominating and keep bringing in players who are able to keep you in that position."

In truth, Liverpool were also guilty of discarding players too soon back then. Peter Beardsley and Ray Houghton had more to offer. John Barnes stayed and provided many more years of fine service but he was never quite the same again after the hamstring, calf and Achilles problems that he suffered at the age of 28. It can be a tricky time for a wide forward.

Salah's decision-making can still improve. The mental side of the game could yet allow for greater consistency. But that explosiveness on which forwards rely - and he was recently clocked among the seven fastest players in Europe - risks being compromised in the years to come. He might be able to adapt his game but what is certain is that he will have to.


Football's dribbling age curve could not be more clear. Examining data collated from years of Premier League matches reveals that the number of dribbles completed by the average forward declines throughout their career. In short, dribbling is a young man's game.

Salah is not the average forward, he is rather more exceptional than that. But while his dribbling numbers are higher than most, the trend throughout his three seasons as a Liverpool player is unmistakable. The numbers are only going one way.


The sustained excellence of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo well into their thirties might sway some into thinking there is a new normal but there is nothing normal about those two.

Look instead to the previous five forwards to have won the Ballon d'Or. Kaka, Ronaldinho, Andriy Shevchenko, Ronaldo and Michael Owen were all well past their best by their late twenties. Some were even in semi-retirement. The optimum time to sell had already passed.

Salah could avoid that fate if free of injury and distraction but his game will need to evolve. Cristiano Ronaldo did that - eschewing the dribbling of his younger days to become a power forward, utilising his formidable intelligence, heading ability and finishing prowess to thrive. Barnes swapped the left wing for the centre of midfield as his skill-set changed.

What sort of player will Salah become two years from now? Klopp has already adjusted his position in order to maximise his strengths, often deploying him in a more central role and relieving him of the defensive duties that are customarily assigned to the right winger.

It is a recognition of Salah's key qualities - running through on goal to great effect from that inside right channel. But it is also an acknowledgement that he has become much more effective there than when up against the full-back one-on-one out on the flank.

This is the key point for Klopp - it is clear that he has a winning formula but that winning formula is dependent on the characteristics of the personnel in his team not the identities of those personnel. These characteristics are sure to evolve over time and the challenge facing the Liverpool manager is to ensure that he maintains the optimal blend at all times.


'Werner would challenge front three'
In short, the names may have to change for Liverpool to stay the same.

Should they sell Mohamed Salah? Probably not. But expect him to continue to develop into a player who does his best work closer to the opposition goal. And that means that Liverpool's search for a player who can do what he has done these past three seasons must not be allowed to stop
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Postby ycsatbjywtbiastkamb » Thu May 07, 2020 6:36 pm

If we want to be challenging the likes of City, Barcelona, Real Madrid etc for the biggest prizes in the game over the next few years we need to keep our best players, having Mo in your squad is pretty much like having a guarantee for 20 goals a season, that’s an average season by his standards as well, in reality it’s probably closer to 30.
We need 4 class front men, firstly it allows Jurgen to rotate so they aren’t burnt out for the run in and it keeps them all on their toes so they know they need to perform, keep Mo, bring Werner in, job done.
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Postby Reg » Fri May 08, 2020 2:35 am

I can't remember whether I read it or it was a video analysis of Mo's style but it certainly made me appreciate him more.

The 'expert' was showing how Mo takes multiple very short strides that allow him greater acceleration and greater body control and ability to change direction, jinx etc.. and ball control if he plays it at his feet. It was a very convincing analysis and highlighted he has all the physical skills required and if he has a fault it's his brain - doesn't pass when he should, shoots wide and simply makes bad decisions.

If Mo can improve his decision making then has the another level to rise to.

It doesn't make the question of which of the front 3 I'd sell any easier. Mo is 28 next month. Bobby is 28 1/2 and Mane has just turned 28 last month.
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Postby kazza » Fri May 08, 2020 8:02 pm

I think players hit their prime from 28-31 so they all prime, in no way old, however we need to think forward. We need to buy young top talent now to bed them in so that when we do sell any of our front three, we will not miss them. I think we need the same philosophy for the midfield. So to summarize, we need to buy two top young players this summer and keep our first eleven together.
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Postby damjan193 » Sat May 09, 2020 3:16 am

I agree with you guys, but IMO it would also be completely understandable if the club decides to sell one of our front players and replace him with a top young player.

Thing is, not just one but all three of our front players are nearing 30, and at some point like it or not we'll have to replace them. If we have all three playing for us for as long as possible, we'll end up with an aged front three with zero sell on value in just a few years. Now do you really think our club can afford that? I guess if you're Man City it won't be a problem, but Liverpool can't afford to not play smart in the market.

Selling one of our front three (preferably Salah) while they still hold value would be a difficult decision, but a smart one for the long term IMO.
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Postby Reg » Sat May 09, 2020 4:48 am

As Roy Evans said recently, Liverpool went off the boil because they stopped investing in new players whilst at the same time letting players who weren't past their prime go. We cannot stand still now, we need to invest - we all know this season that if one of the lads got injured we would have been in serious trouble. We need 4-5 top striker options to mix league, CL commitments and absorb injury problems. It's a no brainer.
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Postby kazza » Sat May 09, 2020 4:55 am

I am disappointed that we were on course to break all kinds of records placing us as possibly the best premier league team ever, smashing the once unachievable 100 points as well as other records and now that will surely be gone. We will not even be able to celebrate waiting thirty years for a title with a parade. More than any team we deserved that recognition because what the club has done has been remarkable. A few years ago we were on the verge of bankruptcy and now we have become the best team, competing with and beating teams with endless cash both in England and Europe.

Hopefully we will get our title but it will always have an asterisk, we can celebrate big next year when we lift number 20  :buttrock
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Postby kazza » Sat May 09, 2020 8:11 pm

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Postby Boocity » Tue May 12, 2020 9:07 am

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Postby damjan193 » Mon May 18, 2020 4:43 pm

As expected, clubs will return to training soon. They're allowed to start with training sessions in small groups as early as tomorrow.
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Postby red till i die!! » Thu May 21, 2020 9:44 pm

Seen a few pics floating about from the lads training so can't wait till we kick off again and wrap the fooking thing up  :nod
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