Summer of 2014

You have to plan to succeed,” Rodgers told the ECHO.“It’s something we are doing already.

“There is no doubt that if you arrive in the Champions League, it opens up the market to a different quality and type of player.

“We are certainly not complacent but you certainly have to have two plans ready. There’s no doubt that where you finish and whether you have Champions League football can affect you.

“We know what being back in the Champions League can bring us. If we don’t make it there then we will still look to reinforce the squad in the summer and look to make more strides forward.”

So we either get Kroos if we make CL or we go for Nolan if we fail yet again. (I've lost faith in this whole "back up" player the committee thinks what's right...)

http://vimeo.com/87828785

Kono vs Spurs.

Bahh gawdd he's good. Decision making could improve though.

ffs Nolan is underrated, Crazy amount of goals from the midfield, Gerrard of the bottom half of PL.

Don't get me wrong nishy, I rate Nolan quite highly, but he's not Liverpool material.

He's also half the level of Toni Kroos, and that was my point. There's a huge drop off in quality when we miss out on our main targets. Our "alternative" targets area really really bad if you compare them to the primary, number 1 priority etc.

I was joking :/

 

Nolan's horrible, a past-it poacher CAM who doesn't rely so much on skill but luck. Similar to Jonathan Walters.


I don't think there's any way we can get Kroos, but I am eager for some CM rumours - when it gets a bit closer to summer.

Art Morte wrote:I think Caulker's a pretty good CB and definitely one who should look for a PL club if Cardiff go down. Wouldn't be against buying him if we needed a CB, but I don't think we do.

You don't think we need a CB, Art? I have to say that I respectfully disagree. Our CBs are, for the most part, very inconsistent. Moreover, our best prospects are young and/or adapting to a new league/team. Here, let's look at our options individually:
- Skrtel - He's improved dramatically from last season. However, I don't think the fact that he's been at times the best (and most consistently healthy) CB in the squad should taint our evaluation of him. He's still prone to defensive errors; too often puts himself in a position to make the "heroic", last-ditch tackles that he's sometimes touted for; and he can swing between being the best player in defense to being a liability in a period of minutes.
- Agger - As much as it pains me to criticize such a devoted player, he is not without his faults. He has difficulty matching up against strong, physical CFs. He has also been exposed in his marking quite often in the last few seasons. Of course, you can argue that this is miscommunication between the back five and their responsibilities, but Agger's man has too often been the one on the end of crosses and corners.
- Sakho - He makes his mistakes, though it's still early in his LFC career and he's adjusting to a new club/league. He's far from perfect, but he has the highest ceiling of our current starting-level CBs, and he's the sort of physical "monster" with a cultured touch that BR wants at the back. His very presence in the squad is a sign that Agger is likely on his way out of at least the starting line-up, if not the club in the summer.
- Toure - Toure is a solid backup, and his experience is invaluable. However, as we've seen, he is not, nor was he brought in to be, a candidate to be a regular starter for the club. He was brought in for cover, and it has to be said that he's done that job quite well. However, I personally believe that the rigors (mentally and physically) of being a regular starter at LFC are beyond him at this point in his career.
- Ilori - The base skills appear to be there, and he is in the process of proving himself at lower levels. (Correct me if I'm wrong.) He now appears to be performing well while on loan. The future is bright for the young Portuguese, but it would be ambitious to expect him to come back and contribute as a semi-regular starter next season.
- Wisdom - Wisdom's involvement last season, came as a surprise to many (myself included), and it's that trust from Rodgers that suggests he may just have a regular place in the squad next season. Wisdom is probably the best argument against buying Caulker, as he is 2 years younger and arguably at or even ahead of the Cardiff player at the same point in their development. The only question is whether this season on loan at Derby has adequately prepared him for a more regular role at CB next season. We know he can do a shift as a more defense RB, but can he handle the responsibility of the CB position at the top level?
- Kelly - To be honest, I'm not sure if we can even continue discussing Kelly as a CB, anymore. While it's his "natural" position according to many, he's seldom featured there under Rodger's watch. (This is strange, as he seems to have all of the qualities BR would want, but that's a conversation for another time...) I simply can't see Kelly being relied upon next season.

Based on Rodgers' recent comments, it seems there will be defensive changes over the summer. Due to this, I get the feeling that one of Skrtel or Agger will leave in order to clear space (wages and roster spot), as well as so they can continue getting regular playing time. This means we will need to buy, and likely will buy, at least one CB in the summer.  Whether Caulker is a good option to bring in… Well, that depends on who leaves, I suppose.
- If Agger goes, we will have Sakho, Skrtel, Kolo, Wisdom, and Ilori. Caulker is at a level where he could rotate with Skrtel, allowing him to bed in slowly, and minimize the risk of Skrtel’s lapses in concentration.
- If Skrtel goes, we’re in a very different position. With Sakho, Agger, Kolo, Wisdom, and Ilori, we find ourselves with two starting-level LCBs but no truly reliable option at RCB. In this case, we would likely need a more polished player than Caulker to come in. We would need someone that could immediately establish themselves as THE starting option at RCB, something that is likely beyond Caulker for at least another season.

As you can see, I like the idea of adding Caulker as a low-cost/high long-term return CB. However, he needs to be a conditional option, as I’m not confident in him carrying the load as the primary starting RCB next season.

It's good and objective analysis,  .

I don't think Caulker is a viable option even as rotation with Skrtel. He is no better than Agger and (unlike Sakho) will not improve much. In fact, I would wager Wisdom to do a better job. Either we get a player with similar ceiling like Sakho or we keep faith in the present set of CBs with Wisdom & Ilori thrown in the fray.

donttreadonred wrote:

Art Morte wrote:I think Caulker's a pretty good CB and definitely one who should look for a PL club if Cardiff go down. Wouldn't be against buying him if we needed a CB, but I don't think we do.

You don't think we need a CB, Art? I have to say that I respectfully disagree. Our CBs are, for the most part, very inconsistent. Moreover, our best prospects are young and/or adapting to a new league/team. Here, let's look at our options individually:
- Skrtel - He's improved dramatically from last season. However, I don't think the fact that he's been at times the best (and most consistently healthy) CB in the squad should taint our evaluation of him. He's still prone to defensive errors; too often puts himself in a position to make the "heroic", last-ditch tackles that he's sometimes touted for; and he can swing between being the best player in defense to being a liability in a period of minutes.
- Agger - As much as it pains me to criticize such a devoted player, he is not without his faults. He has difficulty matching up against strong, physical CFs. He has also been exposed in his marking quite often in the last few seasons. Of course, you can argue that this is miscommunication between the back five and their responsibilities, but Agger's man has too often been the one on the end of crosses and corners.
- Sakho - He makes his mistakes, though it's still early in his LFC career and he's adjusting to a new club/league. He's far from perfect, but he has the highest ceiling of our current starting-level CBs, and he's the sort of physical "monster" with a cultured touch that BR wants at the back. His very presence in the squad is a sign that Agger is likely on his way out of at least the starting line-up, if not the club in the summer.
- Toure - Toure is a solid backup, and his experience is invaluable. However, as we've seen, he is not, nor was he brought in to be, a candidate to be a regular starter for the club. He was brought in for cover, and it has to be said that he's done that job quite well. However, I personally believe that the rigors (mentally and physically) of being a regular starter at LFC are beyond him at this point in his career.
- Ilori - The base skills appear to be there, and he is in the process of proving himself at lower levels. (Correct me if I'm wrong.) He now appears to be performing well while on loan. The future is bright for the young Portuguese, but it would be ambitious to expect him to come back and contribute as a semi-regular starter next season.
- Wisdom - Wisdom's involvement last season, came as a surprise to many (myself included), and it's that trust from Rodgers that suggests he may just have a regular place in the squad next season. Wisdom is probably the best argument against buying Caulker, as he is 2 years younger and arguably at or even ahead of the Cardiff player at the same point in their development. The only question is whether this season on loan at Derby has adequately prepared him for a more regular role at CB next season. We know he can do a shift as a more defense RB, but can he handle the responsibility of the CB position at the top level?
- Kelly - To be honest, I'm not sure if we can even continue discussing Kelly as a CB, anymore. While it's his "natural" position according to many, he's seldom featured there under Rodger's watch. (This is strange, as he seems to have all of the qualities BR would want, but that's a conversation for another time...) I simply can't see Kelly being relied upon next season.

Based on Rodgers' recent comments, it seems there will be defensive changes over the summer. Due to this, I get the feeling that one of Skrtel or Agger will leave in order to clear space (wages and roster spot), as well as so they can continue getting regular playing time. This means we will need to buy, and likely will buy, at least one CB in the summer.  Whether Caulker is a good option to bring in… Well, that depends on who leaves, I suppose.
- If Agger goes, we will have Sakho, Skrtel, Kolo, Wisdom, and Ilori. Caulker is at a level where he could rotate with Skrtel, allowing him to bed in slowly, and minimize the risk of Skrtel’s lapses in concentration.
- If Skrtel goes, we’re in a very different position. With Sakho, Agger, Kolo, Wisdom, and Ilori, we find ourselves with two starting-level LCBs but no truly reliable option at RCB. In this case, we would likely need a more polished player than Caulker to come in. We would need someone that could immediately establish themselves as THE starting option at RCB, something that is likely beyond Caulker for at least another season.

As you can see, I like the idea of adding Caulker as a low-cost/high long-term return CB. However, he needs to be a conditional option, as I’m not confident in him carrying the load as the primary starting RCB next season.

You forgot about Coates, he's returning from loan at the end of the season too.

I know United was linked with Reus for a while, but do you think that with MU out of the CL that there's a chance Liverpool would take a gander his way? It's just speculation, no rumours whatsoever it's more of a dream signing than anything...I was just thinking about it today.

@ DontTreadyRedy

Sorry for not quoting, but your posts can be so elaborate that I just sometimes find it easier to do it this way
(It's nice, though, to get your style of posting in here when you've got the time and will)

I don't agree about Skrtel's inconsistency. He has been our best CB this season and a very fine one. Looking at his past few games (Soton excluded, where he was good), yeah, he hasn't been flawless, but looking at his overall form this season - a more accurate performance meter - he's surely been good enough in my book. Trying to replace him in the starting line-up would just seem incredibly risky to me. Mistakes made by CBs get highlighted five-folded compared to strikers, too, so they deserve a bit of slack. Not that we should forget he was chosen our player of the season just a couple of season's back.

Sakho, he should be a certain starter, for his quality, his age and his price tag.

After that we will have Kolo and while it could be argued should he be our 3rd choice or not, I think we can spend our transfer budget better to other areas than buying a CB that would push Kolo further back. Not that I'm too happy with him after his two horror shows, but just trying to be realistic here.

Agger, if he stays - the only CB out of these four I can see us realistically selling this summer - we will not need a new CB.

If Agger is sold and we cannot consider any of our youth CBs (Wisdom, Ilori, Kelly, Coates) good enough to play for us even in the 4th choice capacity, then we should buy a CB but only then. Personally I think we can have four CBs for next season without buying any.

Conner

Wouldnt mind getting any one of these players: Lallana, Shaw and Chambers.

Shaw would go for a hefty price.

United, City and Chelsea are all after him lol

We need at least 2 starters and 1 squad depth player imo to compete in 4 competitions next year.

Starters at CM, LB

Squad depth - ?

Starters at CAM (number 10 to replace Coutinho and rotate Coutinho so he can develop at his own rate, he's some what struggled this season) and at RCB to compliment Sakho.

Rest is depth.

-One wing forward (as well as bring Borini back; Conner?)
-One full back as we're not sure how Enrique is going to pull up and Cissokho's loan expires.
-Defensive minded midfielder (doesn't have to be a DM as they most likely won't play that role) to rival/cover Lucas.
-Replacements if anybody is to be sold (ala if the likes of Agger/Aspas want to leave for game time etc)

What's the summer plans for assadi?

I'd get rid personally.

He's okay, but he's 25 now. He'll want first team football and is a confidence player. Which means he'll need a consistent run of form to perform at a decent level. Sterling is better already, and we're most likely going to sign Konoplyanka in the summer. Let's not forget we get Borini back in the summer, and Coutinho can play on the left wing if needed as well.

mr-r34 wrote:What's the summer plans for assadi?

oooo. Keep him. Please, please, please keep him

Liverpool and Manchester United have joined the queue for Inter Milan defender Ibrahima Mbaye. Inside Futbol

Porto forward Juan Iturbe, reportedly a target for Everton and Liverpool, looks likely to extend his loan stay with Verona. Talksport

Reds target Roberto Firmino is subject to interest from Russian side Zenit St Petersburg. Tuttomercato

to reply to Mr. noreadnowrite, OR to add to what you have already written, buying Caulker I absolutely dont agree with unless he is WC, which I dont think he is.

For me, another thing is after the impressive season we are having, it is time to move forward. And I dont want to even argue if Agger/Skrtel are good enough or their form in this season. I just think if we are having a WC attack we certainly should have a WC defense. I would excuse Sakho from this discussion, since this is his first season. So I am thinking on the lines of Hummels, for our system he is probably the exact type of defender we need. I think to push further for title/consistent CL/another trophy, we need to replace one of those two Skrtel/Agger. I think BR has to decide how to make this transition smooth without disturbing the cohesiveness of the current defense.

About fullbacks, we have Enrique and GJ still in the team, GJ needs some stick may be but he is clearly the best we have as of now. I think a wholesale change in defense wont be a good thing. We should just get a LB who can start for us. Flano can play one or two odd games here and there. Actually I have some hopes about him because he is good with the ball, just needs to get cool head, right decision making, some sessions with Carra probably and a little more experience. I think he can be a solid solid back up, unlike other people's opinion.

McY, can you explain a little more about those gifs, pls-

Sorry forgot to write about Kelly, i would definitely loan him and see if he can come back to anything what looked like his future at the club. I think he is wasting his own time and club's time by being at Anfield and not getting the first team experience at high level. I dont want to write him off as of yet, he seems like completely another player compared to what we saw when he was young.

Jan Vertonghen







  

Saw a rumour that we're in on Vertonghen now.

Also still hoping that Liverpool is secretly in on Reus. Would take him over Konoplyanka (or both, if Liverpool is up to it).

El Cujo wrote:Saw a rumour that we're in on Vertonghen now.

Also still hoping that Liverpool is secretly in on Reus. Would take him over Konoplyanka (or both, if Liverpool is up to it).

Reus. . . . a little too unrealistic don't you think?

Fahim89 wrote:Reus. . . . a little too unrealistic don't you think?

Unfortunately...yes. I would love to bring in a world class player like Reus, Kroos or Isco this summer but it is very unrealistic. A man can still dream.