Y.N.W.A Thread III: Enter 'The Normal One'

[saint.nick]

As for the City game, I think we were decent and deserved a draw. I do agree that the midfield selection was underwhelming. Klopp picks it because it served us so well in the UCL run last year, but it is time that he shows more faith in his other more technically gifted midfielders in the squad. But despite that, we still gave City a torrid time and should've scored more goals. That was like a cup final for City as well, which made them work a tad bit harder for everything.

 

[cb4]

- Clyne was not brilliant v United. He was decent, but he didn't have to defend much and being decent on his first game back made him look excellent. The hard fact is that he is not a top defender and is quite useless in attack. If we need someone to fill in at RB then we have Milly, Hoever or even Fabinho.

He was though, and he is better than Milner, Hoever and Fabinho. Those three are awful shouts as cover.

- I don't think there's much point in buying another CB unless we plan to offload Matip this summer. 4 experienced centre back options is still quite a lot and it's just a bit unlucky that 3 of them have gone down injured all at once. Will Cahill even want to come and be 2nd/3rd choice?

We have three centre backs that are extremely injury prone, and VVD is an injury away from our season being f**ked.

This is the first time in Lovrens Liverpool career he has played more than 6 games in a row. Before that he managed 6 twice.

Matip fell over with no one around him and broke his colar bone, has torn hamstrings kicking a ball and jumping as well.

Gomez is as injury prone as it comes. We need a back up.

- I don't think that Origi is being let go. Solanke had to go for the sake of his own development. He needs to remember how to score goals.

Origi will be let go if a 20 Mil pound bid comes in.

- 13/14 had nothing to do with the January window though, in fact it was proven in hindsight that who we wanted in that window (Konoplyanka) wasn't even necessary after all.

Kono wasn't needed, I agree. Neither was Salah. Either of them would have been handy though.
But we needed another midfielder and definitely needed a Centre Back.

 

[cb4]

As for the City game, I think we were decent and deserved a draw. I do agree that the midfield selection was underwhelming. Klopp picks it because it served us so well in the UCL run last year, but it is time that he shows more faith in his other more technically gifted midfielders in the squad. But despite that, we still gave City a torrid time and should've scored more goals. That was like a cup final for City as well, which made them work a tad bit harder for everything.

No it didn't. That midfield only played a few games together.
Most notably a 4-2 Loss to Roma and a 3-1 Loss to Madrid.
Another notable game was a 0-0 game against Porto at home.
AOC was a bigger part of the midfield than those 3.

 

[saint.nick]

He was though, and he is better than Milner, Hoever and Fabinho. Those three are awful shouts as cover.

But was he really? What made him so brilliant? Like I said, he had relatively little to do in that game and he was also a lot more energised than his starting team mates.

I don't see how they are awful shouts. Milner played a whole season on his weaker side at left back and did very admirably. Fabinho has experience in the position and often plays there for Brazil. Ki Jana is a very highly rated kid and is also the same age as Milner when he debuted. It's not like he is first choice cover either.

We have three centre backs that are extremely injury prone, and VVD is an injury away from our season being f**ked.

This is the first time in Lovrens Liverpool career he has played more than 6 games in a row. Before that he managed 6 twice.

Matip fell over with no one around him and broke his colar bone, has torn hamstrings kicking a ball and jumping as well.

Gomez is as injury prone as it comes. We need a back up.

I agree that their injury proneness is concerning, and I support buying another centre back just as long as another is shifted along. I just think its unlucky even despite their injury proneness. I worry about trying to convince an actually decent CB to come join as a potential 2nd/3rd choice player.

Kono wasn't needed, I agree. Neither was Salah. Either of them would have been handy though.
But we needed another midfielder and definitely needed a Centre Back.

I'm not really sure they would've made much difference, I feel like the way Rodgers set that team up was always bound to result in leaking goals.

 

[saint.nick]

No it didn't. That midfield only played a few games together.
Most notably a 4-2 Loss to Roma and a 3-1 Loss to Madrid.
Another notable game was a 0-0 game against Porto at home.
AOC was a bigger part of the midfield than those 3.

...you're right, you remember better than I do. Klopp needs to ditch the industrious approach in these games and introduce a bit more actual technicality.

 

[thorson1987]

Won't happen but imagine a CB partnership of VVD and Koulibaly.

 

[saint.nick]

Won't happen but imagine a CB partnership of VVD and Koulibaly.

Also, imagine a CB partnership of VVD and Joe Gomez...oh wait, we already have it!

 

[Captain Apollo]

Well we had a CB partneship of VVD and Fabhino today. Helped LFC to a 1-0 victory over Brighton.

 

[thorson1987]

Also, imagine a CB partnership of VVD and Joe Gomez...oh wait, we already have it!

Gomez is great, and will be glad when he is back. Koulibaly is just a level above him imo.

 

[saint.nick]

Gomez is great, and will be glad when he is back. Koulibaly is just a level above him imo.

Only because Koulibaly is far more experienced. Gomez is highly capable of reaching his level.

 

[cb4]

Trents out 4 weeks. Clyne loan looks great business

 

[saint.nick]

Milner, Fab, Camacho, Hoever...

 

[Captain Apollo]

Milner, Fab, Camacho, Hoever...

Bit hard for Fab to do it when he';s being used in the CB rotation. Looks like Klopp hasn't learned from injuries last time that you need depth in all positions. Guy only ever seems interested in midfielders.

 

[saint.nick]

Bit hard for Fab to do it when he';s being used in the CB rotation. Looks like Klopp hasn't learned from injuries last time that you need depth in all positions. Guy only ever seems interested in midfielders.

He won't be used in CB rotation much longer, if at all from hereon. Matip is back, Gomez is back soon.

 

[cb4]

Milner, Fab, Camacho, Hoever...

Have a combined 1 game at right back in the premier league. 2 of them haven't played in the premier league, one is a defensive midfielder and the other is a jack of all trades.

All 4 of those players aren't better than Nathaniel Clyne.

 

[Sunshine Coast Tiger]

Have a combined 1 game at right back in the premier league. 2 of them haven't played in the premier league, one is a defensive midfielder and the other is a jack of all trades.

All 4 of those players aren't better than Nathaniel Clyne.

Clyne wanted to go. He is a good defender but not offensive minded enough to play fullback under Klopp's way of playing.

Fab I am certain plays right back for Brazil National Team and could do the job their if needed for a few weeks. I actually think in about 2 years time we will be looking back at Fab being a great signing, guy is going to be world class.

If Matip is back this week, I say Milner will play right back, and we will have Henderson/Fab in a midfield 2 and have Shaq, Firminho, Mane with Salah at striker. Should be good enough team to win. We than have 11 days between games with a warm weather training camp planned and likelihood that Gomez and Gini will be back and maybe Lovern as well.

 

[saint.nick]

Have a combined 1 game at right back in the premier league. 2 of them haven't played in the premier league, one is a defensive midfielder and the other is a jack of all trades.

All 4 of those players aren't better than Nathaniel Clyne.

Clyne was a bit of a problem behind the scenes and didn't want to be there anyway.

He's not that special. Doesn't know how to attack and his defending is nothing extraordinary.

Milner played a whole season at left back, and it was arguably more accomplished than any season Clyne has had at right back. Fabinho is a defensive midfielder who started as a right back and still plays there for Brazil.

The other two are 4th and 5th choice RBs, their 0 EPL experience isn't that material then don't you think?

 

[saint.nick]

I'll have another say on this. As fans we tend to frequently misjudge the ramifications of recruitment decisions. It's almost already been a year since I was basically bemoaning Klopp's decision to not replace Coutinho in January, yet we became an even better team without him. We were bemoaning our failure to buy Salah or Konoplyanka in 2014 yet we still exceeded expectations and almost won the title. I think that Klopp has done more than enough to earn our trust with whichever squad decisions that he makes. He proved us wrong with Robertson, he proved us wrong with Ox, and he proved us wrong with selling Coutinho in January. He does this job 24/7 with a team of staff there to support and aid his decisions. I'm sure that they made the decision to offload Clyne with a lot of educated reasoning derived from training ground/other observations that we just don't have access to. Milner and Fabinho are highly capable stand in right backs. I mean, if Clyne was so good, then how was he usurped by an inexperienced 18yo midfielder? How does that alone make him a better right back than Milner or Fabinho?

Milner has played plenty of games on the other side at left back - even for the whole season 2 seasons back - and was doing so well initially that people were talking about him as being one of the best left backs in the league, despite it being his weaker side. Therefore, I think he is more than capable of filling in for TAA for a mere 3 of 4 games.

 

[saint.nick]

Very good news: Klopp just confirmed that TAA injury not as bad as thought, even close to contention for Palace game. Ditto for Gini. Also likely to see Ox before end of season.

 

[Captain Apollo]

Nervy 4-3 win over Crystal Palace. Came from 1-0 down at half time. Milner played right back and was sent off after picking up 2 yellow cards.