Our Rivals Squad's next year - Liverpool 2015/2016

[Wumminator]

I know its early, but last years thread was a massive success, and this year is a massive one for Liverpool. As Gary Neville said if things go wrong this year, they'll really struggle to come back from it.

Here are some of our comments from last year:

Spoiler

My prediction would be Lovren, Moreno, Origi (then loaned out again), and 2 from the three of Sanchez, Markovic & Shaqiri.

If Luis stays, delete Sanchez and make it one of Markovic & Shaqiri.

I could say the exact same thing about youse. Looking at who everyone has been seriously linked with/bought so far, Chelsea are the only team that has me seriously worried.

Lallana and Can?

Two handy additions who have their best years ahead of them. Rodgers is stepping it up.

Last time they came 2nd, they dropped to 7th the following season. That said, I can't see it. They'll be comfortably in the top four again and should yet again be competing for the title. Unless they lose Suarez this summer which changes things a bit.

Why? Of the top 7 only City are currently in a better position in terms of squad health or not having to engage in a rebuild.

Will not challenge next year. I think they will drop out of the top 4 also.

Expect Suarez to be as good as he was last season but still disappoint in the big games, provided he stays that is. Sturridge will struggle to replicate last season. I think Liverpool will finish 4th but am expecting them to do better than expected in the Champions League.

Players who currently will need to be registered.

1. Jose Enrique
2. Kolo Toure
3. Dejan Lovren
4. Ricky Lambert
5. Phillipe Coutinho
6. Jordan Henderson
7. Daniel Sturridge
8. Sebastian Coates
9. Mamadou Sakho
10. Alberto Moreno
11. Adam Lallana
12. Lucas Leiva
13. Simon Mignolet
14. Tiago Ilori
15. Joe Allen
16. Fabio Borini
17. Martin Skrtel
18. John Flannagan
19. Mario Balliotelli
20. Luis Alberto
21. Bogdan
22. Danny Ings
23. James Milner
24. Roberto Firmino

The players in bold were on loan last term.

Notable players who don't have to be registered

1. Raheem Sterling
2. Divock Origin
3. Jordan Ibe
4. Javier Manquillo
5. Emre Can

Players who have left:

1. Steven Gerrard
2. Glen Johnson
3. Brad Jones
4. Iago Aspas

Questions:
1. Just how big of a miss will Steven Gerrard be?
2. Can they keep hold of players like Sterling and Coutinho? Should Sterling stay?
3. Can any of their new loanees or returning players add to the squad?
4. Which dross needs to be shipped out?
5. Which 3 positions are needed to be improved upon?

 

[Raw]

This should be fun.

 

[Wumminator]

This should be fun.

I honestly can't see any way back into the top four for them. I just can't. I can't see how we won't improve, I can't see how Arsenal won't improve. Chelsea and City would have to go massively backwards for them to match the dross I've just typed out.

 

[Wumminator]

This is their yearly report in a paper today. Can't argue with any of it.


Simon Mignolet
Started the season in terrible form, losing all confidence. Recovered after being dropped and was voted Player of the Year by former Liverpool Players Association. A mixed campaign. 6/10

Brad Jones
A survivor of the Roy Hodgson era. Jones has never been up to standard, and it was astonishing when he was selected at Old Trafford in December. He leaves this summer. 3/10

Glen Johnson
He’s given decent service but never repaid his £18 million fee. Won’t be fondly remembered at Anfield when he leaves on a free transfer this summer. Often injured and inconsistent this season. 4/10

Javier Manquillo
A peculiar signing on a two-year loan from Atletico Madrid. Nothing special so far, but not without promise. Lost his place when the formation changed mid-season. 5/10

Martin Skrtel
Should be a contender to be the next captain but he often flatters to deceive. He looks the part one week but is too easily bullied the next – as against Christian Benteke at Wembley. Still the club’s best centre-half. 6/10

Dejan Lovren
Signed to cure Liverpool’s defensive problems – described as a ‘new Carragher’. The Kop legend may need to consult his lawyer. Lovren started badly and then only slightly improved. Much work needed to prolong career on Merseyside. 4/10

Mamadou Sakho
Divides opinion. Sakho is too often injured and makes at least one bad decision every game. Yes, the promise is there – and in a better defensive set-up he might flourish - but he must do much more. 6/10

Kolo Toure
Liverpool’s ex-Manchester City scouts like to buy at least one ex-Manchester City player every summer. Toure gives his all, but he’s no more than a back-up. Looks like he’ll get a new deal, strangely. 5/10

Emre Can
A very talented, promising footballer, but to get the most from him at moment Liverpool may need 12 players. Not trusted in midfield, he’s been shifted to centre-half and right-back, latterly with appalling results. 6/10

Alberto Moreno
Made a good start but defensive vulnerabilities were evident as season progressed. His starting position was not guaranteed in second half of the season. Another work in progress, like so many other recruits. 5/10

Jose Enrique
When Enrique joined Liverpool in 2011 he looked quite good. Since then, he’s become a more of a comedy character, the only reminders he plays for the club coming when he tweets. Dreadful season when he played. 3/10

Lucas Leiva
An unsung hero. Injured at start of season – Liverpool were terrible. He returned – Liverpool were excellent. He was injured again – Liverpool ended season as they began it. Liverpool can't afford to lose him. 6/10

Jordan Henderson
The new vice-captain has improved plenty since his arrival, but he still does not score or create enough to be considered on the threshold of world-class status. He has done well this season, but no more than that. 6/10

Joe Allen
A favourite of Brendan Rodgers, he is yet another player whose best runs of form are constantly interrupted by injury. He has his good days, but his lack of creativity and goal threat means he is just a support act. 6/10

Steven Gerrard
Not the swansong Gerrard wanted. It seems churlish to judge him on this season. For a career, he earns 10/10 as the ultimate Liverpool footballer. For the last 12 months? Still better than everyone else. 7/10

Adam Lallana
“Average,” was Lallana’s self-assessment. Few will argue. There were fleeting moments of promise, but nothing to justify a £25 million transfer fee. Injuries did not help. 6/10

Lazar Markovic
It was odd Liverpool paid £20 million for a player Chelsea refused to take for half the price. Could Jose Mourinho have got it wrong? On the evidence of the Serb’s first season… no, Jose knows best. 4/10

Jordon Ibe
Ended the season as a symbol of promise for the future, begging the question why was he sent on loan to Derby last August? And why did Liverpool pay £20 million for Markovic with Ibe so close to the first team? Did well when selected. 6/10

Philippe Coutinho
Liverpool’s player of the season. Coutinho scored some spectacular goals and was one of the only reasons to look forward to going to Anfield. He signed a new deal but will be the next one looking elsewhere if club does not sort itself out. 7/10

Raheem Sterling
The question ‘how good is Sterling?’ is not churlish based on recent events. Those who remember Owen, McManaman and Fowler at same age are ambivalent on his future. Good? Yes. World Class. Nowhere near yet. 6/10

Daniel Sturridge
Sturridge is a great player who never plays. Liverpool may as well have had Ian Rush or Robbie Fowler in their squad this season - a star name who watches from the stands. Time will tell if he is ever fit enough to fulfil potential. 4/10

Mario Balotelli
Liverpool’s ‘calculated risk’ failed. Replacing Luis Suarez with Balotelli was like replacing a Ferrari with tuk-tuk. Balotelli was every bit was erratic as predicted, showing little signs of maturity in his game. 4/10

Rickie Lambert
The reasons behind the purchase of Rickie Lambert will remain a mystery. The England striker was treated like a club mascot. He looked demoralised. His previous form for club and country must make him better than he looked. 4/10

Fabio Borini
Refused to join Sunderland for £10 million and hasn’t been seen much since. In desperate times he was called up, ran around a bit and then disappeared. Makes you wonder why he was ever signed. 3/10


Very polite to Gerrard's year as well.

 

[Rooney in Paris]

14 is Tiago Ilori, not Llori, the one on loan at Bordeaux.

 

[Rooney in Paris]

You can argue with a bit of it actually. It's incredible they've got Gerrard on 7, and Balo at 4 is still generous! I'd say Lallana and Allen are both a couple of marks above would they would have deserved.

 

[clarkydaz]

lots of 3s and 4s there

 

[Raw]

I honestly can't see any way back into the top four for them. I just can't. I can't see how we won't improve, I can't see how Arsenal won't improve. Chelsea and City would have to go massively backwards for them to match the dross I've just typed out.

It's definitely going to be a struggle for them, they're seriously going to need to spend big for any chance of returning to the top 4. A new set of full backs to stop wasting Can in defence, and a new top class striker (since Sturridge can't be trusted to stay fit) and a left winger and they can probably challenge for top 4 with Spurs. Also with Gerrard leaving they'll have to invest in some depth in midfield. They'll do well to get rid of some of the dross that Rodgers bought that are still stinking up the team.

------- Mignolet
RB - Skrtel - Sakho - LB
-- Henderson - Can
Ibe -- Coutinho -- LW
--------- ST

It's not that bad a team to build around, obviously no way near the quality of the current top 4 but they're going to have to start from scratch. Missing out on Depay this season and Sanchez last season has hurt them, there are just far too many mediocre players in that squad. Though you could probably stick that Flanagan lad in RB, he seemed to have a decent season last year before he got that big injury.

 

[Samid]

 

[B20]

This is their yearly report in a paper today. Can't argue with any of it.

Spoiler

Simon Mignolet
Started the season in terrible form, losing all confidence. Recovered after being dropped and was voted Player of the Year by former Liverpool Players Association. A mixed campaign. 6/10

Brad Jones
A survivor of the Roy Hodgson era. Jones has never been up to standard, and it was astonishing when he was selected at Old Trafford in December. He leaves this summer. 3/10

Glen Johnson
He’s given decent service but never repaid his £18 million fee. Won’t be fondly remembered at Anfield when he leaves on a free transfer this summer. Often injured and inconsistent this season. 4/10

Javier Manquillo
A peculiar signing on a two-year loan from Atletico Madrid. Nothing special so far, but not without promise. Lost his place when the formation changed mid-season. 5/10

Martin Skrtel
Should be a contender to be the next captain but he often flatters to deceive. He looks the part one week but is too easily bullied the next – as against Christian Benteke at Wembley. Still the club’s best centre-half. 6/10

Dejan Lovren
Signed to cure Liverpool’s defensive problems – described as a ‘new Carragher’. The Kop legend may need to consult his lawyer. Lovren started badly and then only slightly improved. Much work needed to prolong career on Merseyside. 4/10

Mamadou Sakho
Divides opinion. Sakho is too often injured and makes at least one bad decision every game. Yes, the promise is there – and in a better defensive set-up he might flourish - but he must do much more. 6/10

Kolo Toure
Liverpool’s ex-Manchester City scouts like to buy at least one ex-Manchester City player every summer. Toure gives his all, but he’s no more than a back-up. Looks like he’ll get a new deal, strangely. 5/10

Emre Can
A very talented, promising footballer, but to get the most from him at moment Liverpool may need 12 players. Not trusted in midfield, he’s been shifted to centre-half and right-back, latterly with appalling results. 6/10

Alberto Moreno
Made a good start but defensive vulnerabilities were evident as season progressed. His starting position was not guaranteed in second half of the season. Another work in progress, like so many other recruits. 5/10

Jose Enrique
When Enrique joined Liverpool in 2011 he looked quite good. Since then, he’s become a more of a comedy character, the only reminders he plays for the club coming when he tweets. Dreadful season when he played. 3/10

Lucas Leiva
An unsung hero. Injured at start of season – Liverpool were terrible. He returned – Liverpool were excellent. He was injured again – Liverpool ended season as they began it. Liverpool can't afford to lose him. 6/10

Jordan Henderson
The new vice-captain has improved plenty since his arrival, but he still does not score or create enough to be considered on the threshold of world-class status. He has done well this season, but no more than that. 6/10

Joe Allen
A favourite of Brendan Rodgers, he is yet another player whose best runs of form are constantly interrupted by injury. He has his good days, but his lack of creativity and goal threat means he is just a support act. 6/10

Steven Gerrard
Not the swansong Gerrard wanted. It seems churlish to judge him on this season. For a career, he earns 10/10 as the ultimate Liverpool footballer. For the last 12 months? Still better than everyone else. 7/10

Adam Lallana
“Average,” was Lallana’s self-assessment. Few will argue. There were fleeting moments of promise, but nothing to justify a £25 million transfer fee. Injuries did not help. 6/10

Lazar Markovic
It was odd Liverpool paid £20 million for a player Chelsea refused to take for half the price. Could Jose Mourinho have got it wrong? On the evidence of the Serb’s first season… no, Jose knows best. 4/10

Jordon Ibe
Ended the season as a symbol of promise for the future, begging the question why was he sent on loan to Derby last August? And why did Liverpool pay £20 million for Markovic with Ibe so close to the first team? Did well when selected. 6/10

Philippe Coutinho
Liverpool’s player of the season. Coutinho scored some spectacular goals and was one of the only reasons to look forward to going to Anfield. He signed a new deal but will be the next one looking elsewhere if club does not sort itself out. 7/10

Raheem Sterling
The question ‘how good is Sterling?’ is not churlish based on recent events. Those who remember Owen, McManaman and Fowler at same age are ambivalent on his future. Good? Yes. World Class. Nowhere near yet. 6/10

Daniel Sturridge
Sturridge is a great player who never plays. Liverpool may as well have had Ian Rush or Robbie Fowler in their squad this season - a star name who watches from the stands. Time will tell if he is ever fit enough to fulfil potential. 4/10

Mario Balotelli
Liverpool’s ‘calculated risk’ failed. Replacing Luis Suarez with Balotelli was like replacing a Ferrari with tuk-tuk. Balotelli was every bit was erratic as predicted, showing little signs of maturity in his game. 4/10

Rickie Lambert
The reasons behind the purchase of Rickie Lambert will remain a mystery. The England striker was treated like a club mascot. He looked demoralised. His previous form for club and country must make him better than he looked. 4/10

Fabio Borini
Refused to join Sunderland for £10 million and hasn’t been seen much since. In desperate times he was called up, ran around a bit and then disappeared. Makes you wonder why he was ever signed. 3/10

Very polite to Gerrard's year as well.

I'd give Sakho and Lucas a 7 instead of a 6, Coutinho an 8, Gerrard a 5, Allen a 5, Ballotelli a 3 and Lambert a 3.

 

[Polite Poster]

If United fans think Liverpool are going to be their rivals next season you are seriously underestimating your own team and/or overestimating Liverpool.

The only way is down for LFC

 

[bishblaize]

This is their yearly report in a paper today. Can't argue with any of it.


Simon Mignolet
Started the season in terrible form, losing all confidence. Recovered after being dropped and was voted Player of the Year by former Liverpool Players Association. A mixed campaign. 6/10

Brad Jones
A survivor of the Roy Hodgson era. Jones has never been up to standard, and it was astonishing when he was selected at Old Trafford in December. He leaves this summer. 3/10

Glen Johnson
He’s given decent service but never repaid his £18 million fee. Won’t be fondly remembered at Anfield when he leaves on a free transfer this summer. Often injured and inconsistent this season. 4/10

Javier Manquillo
A peculiar signing on a two-year loan from Atletico Madrid. Nothing special so far, but not without promise. Lost his place when the formation changed mid-season. 5/10

Martin Skrtel
Should be a contender to be the next captain but he often flatters to deceive. He looks the part one week but is too easily bullied the next – as against Christian Benteke at Wembley. Still the club’s best centre-half. 6/10

Dejan Lovren
Signed to cure Liverpool’s defensive problems – described as a ‘new Carragher’. The Kop legend may need to consult his lawyer. Lovren started badly and then only slightly improved. Much work needed to prolong career on Merseyside. 4/10

Mamadou Sakho
Divides opinion. Sakho is too often injured and makes at least one bad decision every game. Yes, the promise is there – and in a better defensive set-up he might flourish - but he must do much more. 6/10

Kolo Toure
Liverpool’s ex-Manchester City scouts like to buy at least one ex-Manchester City player every summer. Toure gives his all, but he’s no more than a back-up. Looks like he’ll get a new deal, strangely. 5/10

Emre Can
A very talented, promising footballer, but to get the most from him at moment Liverpool may need 12 players. Not trusted in midfield, he’s been shifted to centre-half and right-back, latterly with appalling results. 6/10

Alberto Moreno
Made a good start but defensive vulnerabilities were evident as season progressed. His starting position was not guaranteed in second half of the season. Another work in progress, like so many other recruits. 5/10

Jose Enrique
When Enrique joined Liverpool in 2011 he looked quite good. Since then, he’s become a more of a comedy character, the only reminders he plays for the club coming when he tweets. Dreadful season when he played. 3/10

Lucas Leiva
An unsung hero. Injured at start of season – Liverpool were terrible. He returned – Liverpool were excellent. He was injured again – Liverpool ended season as they began it. Liverpool can't afford to lose him. 6/10

Jordan Henderson
The new vice-captain has improved plenty since his arrival, but he still does not score or create enough to be considered on the threshold of world-class status. He has done well this season, but no more than that. 6/10

Joe Allen
A favourite of Brendan Rodgers, he is yet another player whose best runs of form are constantly interrupted by injury. He has his good days, but his lack of creativity and goal threat means he is just a support act. 6/10

Steven Gerrard
Not the swansong Gerrard wanted. It seems churlish to judge him on this season. For a career, he earns 10/10 as the ultimate Liverpool footballer. For the last 12 months? Still better than everyone else. 7/10

Adam Lallana
“Average,” was Lallana’s self-assessment. Few will argue. There were fleeting moments of promise, but nothing to justify a £25 million transfer fee. Injuries did not help. 6/10

Lazar Markovic
It was odd Liverpool paid £20 million for a player Chelsea refused to take for half the price. Could Jose Mourinho have got it wrong? On the evidence of the Serb’s first season… no, Jose knows best. 4/10

Jordon Ibe
Ended the season as a symbol of promise for the future, begging the question why was he sent on loan to Derby last August? And why did Liverpool pay £20 million for Markovic with Ibe so close to the first team? Did well when selected. 6/10

Philippe Coutinho
Liverpool’s player of the season. Coutinho scored some spectacular goals and was one of the only reasons to look forward to going to Anfield. He signed a new deal but will be the next one looking elsewhere if club does not sort itself out. 7/10

Raheem Sterling
The question ‘how good is Sterling?’ is not churlish based on recent events. Those who remember Owen, McManaman and Fowler at same age are ambivalent on his future. Good? Yes. World Class. Nowhere near yet. 6/10

Daniel Sturridge
Sturridge is a great player who never plays. Liverpool may as well have had Ian Rush or Robbie Fowler in their squad this season - a star name who watches from the stands. Time will tell if he is ever fit enough to fulfil potential. 4/10

Mario Balotelli
Liverpool’s ‘calculated risk’ failed. Replacing Luis Suarez with Balotelli was like replacing a Ferrari with tuk-tuk. Balotelli was every bit was erratic as predicted, showing little signs of maturity in his game. 4/10

Rickie Lambert
The reasons behind the purchase of Rickie Lambert will remain a mystery. The England striker was treated like a club mascot. He looked demoralised. His previous form for club and country must make him better than he looked. 4/10

Fabio Borini
Refused to join Sunderland for £10 million and hasn’t been seen much since. In desperate times he was called up, ran around a bit and then disappeared. Makes you wonder why he was ever signed. 3/10


Very polite to Gerrard's year as well.

Having read that, I do wonder what you need to do to get less than a 3.

 

[bishblaize]

I honestly can't see any way back into the top four for them. I just can't. I can't see how we won't improve, I can't see how Arsenal won't improve. Chelsea and City would have to go massively backwards for them to match the dross I've just typed out.

Agreed. Liverpool need about 7 or 8 of their current players to suddenly improve by a huge amount despite showing little sign of it happening and need a better transfer window this summer than any of the top 4, despite having less money to spend. Hard to see that happening.

 

[Iron Stove]

It feels a bit different than other years. Their fans seem very pessimistic. It's like the boom-bust cycle finally broke. This will probably change with a couple of promising signings though.

I agree that this is a massive summer for them as top four is getting more and more difficult to achieve. Most of all I think they need an influential CM and a striker who actually scores goals. If Sturridge can get back to his best and stay injury free that would be huge for them, but it's not looking very likely given his track record.

Getting the class of players they need to propel them to the next level will be tricky though. They don't have a lot of things that would make top players sign for them. Good chance of silverware? CL participation? World-renowned manager? World class players? Attractive city? Ability to pay more than others?

They would have to pull an Atletico / Dortmund and unearth gems that the big clubs aren't aware of or interested in, but looking at the players they brought in last season it seems like something is off with their scouting / recruitment setup. Don't know if it's the scouts, Rogers or that famous committee but if I was the owner I'd look into it because they seem to waste a ton of money on mediocre players.
To be fair they did manage to get some very good players this way like Coutinho, Suarez and Sturridge. Can and Sakho could perhaps become good buys in the long run, but all in all they have under-performed with regards to transfers.

 

[Nogbadthebad]

I would give Can nearer a 2 for his performances, rather than the 6, he was at fault for three goals just on Sunday. However, he is not a right back, and to my knowledge never has been, or even pretended to be one, so whilst you have to mark him down for his performances, its not all his fault. Rogers has to get a 1 out of 10 for playing the poor sod there in the first place.

If the targets in the summer are Benteke and Ings with an aging Milner, I can't see how they build something new out of the squad. Henderson is not, and never will be, a replacement for Gerrard, even the broken down one of the last year or so, never mind the one of his peak, and that is where they will lose games next year, whatever they do upfront.

 

[Ish]

It feels a bit different than other years. Their fans seem very pessimistic. It's like the boom-bust cycle finally broke. This will probably change with a couple of promising signings though.

I agree that this is a massive summer for them as top four is getting more and more difficult to achieve. Most of all I think they need an influential CM and a striker who actually scores goals. If Sturridge can get back to his best and stay injury free that would be huge for them, but it's not looking very likely given his track record.

Getting the class of players they need to propel them to the next level will be tricky though. They don't have a lot of things that would make top players sign for them. Good chance of silverware? CL participation? World-renowned manager? World class players? Attractive city? Ability to pay more t

They would have to pull an Atletico / Dortmund and unearth gems that the big clubs aren't aware of or interested in, but looking at the players they brought in last season it seems like something is off with their scouting / recruitment setup. Don't know if it's the scouts, Rogers or that famous committee but if I was the owner I'd look into it because they seem to waste a ton of money on mediocre players.
To be fair they did manage to get some very good players this way like Coutinho, Suarez and Sturridge. Can and Sakho could perhaps become good buys in the long run, but all in all they have under-performed with regards to transfers.

Yeah, the issue also becomes irreversible if you're "in the wilderness" (out of the UCL) too long.

They'll end up becoming a feeder club. Which arguably, they already are. We have 1-2 clubs more desirable to players (Madrid/Barca), especially South Americans and some other European countries, with Bayern probably on our level, albeit with much more recent success.

But Pool has to contend with not only those giants, but the local top 4 snatching their players, but other UCL clubs, Juve/PSG etc.

And even if they unearthed some gems, won a title or cup or 2, they'd lose their best assets, and have to rebuild again. Similar to Dortmund/Atletico - and having continuity plus one of the best managers around (who will also not be tempted to move on!) will be key. It's a mountain to overcome, let alone a tough ask.

 

[Ish]

This is their yearly report in a paper today. Can't argue with any of it.



Very polite to Gerrard's year as well.

Yeah, extremely generous/sentimental towards Gerrard, but I'd have given Balotelli even less.

 

[SteveJ]

They really need to sign some more young players, by the look of it:

 

[Orc]

I think their ceiling will be 5th next season. The gulf in class between them and the top 4 is significant and will only get larger as the cash starts getting splashed.

I just can't wait to see if Sterling will be sold and want to watch how they flush that money down the toilet.

 

[Nogbadthebad]

The smile is there, but the eyes are dead.

Also, is sterling's the number of appearances or kids. And why stick zammo from Grange Hill on the end

 

[Tommy]

You can argue with a bit of it actually. It's incredible they've got Gerrard on 7, and Balo at 4 is still generous! I'd say Lallana and Allen are both a couple of marks above would they would have deserved.

Aye. Changes I'd make...

Skrtel - 7. It's ridiculous that after spending nearly £50m on defenders in the past two years that Skrtel remains our best defender.
Gerrard - 4/5. Lets not let the heart rule the mind here... He's been average for a lot of the season.
Coutinho - 8. Our standout player.
Allen - ???. Not an equal to Skrtel & Sterling, that's for sure.

Lallana, though... He's been pretty good at times this season, despite missing a lot of preseason and several weeks of the league due to injury. I'd say 6/10 is fair for when he's played, and I think he'll recapture his Southampton form under a decent manager, maybe going upwards towards a 7/8 in years to come. No more than that, though.

 

[vodrake]

I would give Can nearer a 2 for his performances, rather than the 6, he was at fault for three goals just on Sunday. However, he is not a right back, and to my knowledge never has been, or even pretended to be one, so whilst you have to mark him down for his performances, its not all his fault. Rogers has to get a 1 out of 10 for playing the poor sod there in the first place.

I remember he played Full Back when we played Leverkusen at theirs last year and smashed them 5-0. I have never seen a player look so uncomfortable in a position as he did that night, got absolutely wrecked by Valencia. Should probably have been a big hint to Rodgers that he shouldn't really be played there...

 

[Tommy]

Questions:
1. Just how big of a miss will Steven Gerrard be?
2. Can they keep hold of players like Sterling and Coutinho? Should Sterling stay?
3. Can any of their new loanees or returning players add to the squad?
4. Which dross needs to be shipped out?
5. Which 3 positions are needed to be improved upon?

1. As a player? Barely. As a captain? Probably moreso, but I've no idea.

2. Coutinho? Yeah, for now. Sterling should go. £45m offer on the table, and we already have players that can play in that position. Yeah, going from Sterling to Ibe/Markovic is a downgrade, but we've plenty of positions on the pitch which need a step up, and the funds from Sterling will hopefully help balance the squad out.

3. Origi, despite being the lowest rated player in Lille or whatever, is still a better bench option for the way we play than Lambert, Borini, Aspas, and maybe even Balotelli. Andre Wisdom can come back as RB/RCB cover when Johnson and possibly Kolo leave (although I Hope he doesn't), but RB is one of those positions we NEED to improve on.

4. Ahh damn... (I'm not listing everyone who I don't think is good enough, but those that we can realistically (and should) replace in one window ASAP.
GK - If we can find a better #2 than Brad Jones, or someone to knock Mignolet down to second in the pecking order, then I'd be alright with that.
Defence - Jose Enrique. Always injured and sitting on £60k a week if I recall correctly. Seb Coates can also go.
Midfield - No-one... I know, right? I wish we had better than the likes of Allen & Henderson, but we're not replacing either this season.
FW - Iago Aspas, Rickie Lambert, Fabio Borini, and maybe Balotelli.

5. Right back, CDM/CM, Striker(s).

 

[RobinLFC]

Mignolet; Manquillo, Skrtel, Sakho, Flannagan; Can, Henderson; Ibe, Coutinho, Sterling; Sturridge. Injury troubles aside, that's a decent starting XI, very young but quite experienced already. If Rodgers or our new manager can sort out the back four, I'd be happy with that core of players going forward. It might not be top four quality all around, but it only takes one individual standout and some confidence to get you going like we saw last season.

Of course, you can't rely on the likes of Sakho, Flannagan and Sturridge to stay fit all season and I don't think Sterling will be at Liverpool next season, so we'll need some additions to the squad. A striker, a winger and a CM being the most important ones. We shouldn't be looking for players which are targeted by all clubs because they won't join us. We need to identify young players ready to break through, like we did with Suarez, Sturridge and Coutinho. The likes of Felipe Anderson or Martial come to mind but of course we should also be looking at more established players like Moutinho, Martinez, Nainggolan, Pjanic and co. I just hope they know what they're doing this summer instead of bringing in another shitload of players who all prove to be not good enough to improve us. It'll be an important summer for us: do well and I'd expect us to be challenge for top four (obviously not saying we'll get it but at least make a push), feck it up and we'll be even further away from the top.

 

[Tommy]

Mignolet; Manquillo, Skrtel, Sakho, Flannagan; Can, Henderson; Ibe, Coutinho, Sterling; Sturridge. Injury troubles aside, that's a decent starting XI, very young but quite experienced already. If Rodgers or our new manager can sort out the back four, I'd be happy with that core of players going forward. It might not be top four quality all around, but it only takes one individual standout and some confidence to get you going like we saw last season.

Of course, you can't really on the likes of Sakho, Flannagan and Sturridge to stay fit all season and I don't think Sterling will be at Liverpool next season, so we'll need some additions to the squad. A striker, a winger and a CM being the most important ones. We shouldn't be looking for players which are targeted by all clubs because they won't join us. We need to identify young players ready to break through, like we did with Suarez, Sturridge and Coutinho. The likes of Felipe Anderson or Martial come to mind but of course we should also be looking at more established players like Moutinho, Martinez, Nainggolan, Pjanic and co. I just hope they know what they're doing this summer instead of bringing in another shitload of players who all prove to be not good enough to improve us. It'll be an important summer for us. Do well and I'd expect us to be challenge for top four (obviously not saying we'll get it but at least make a push for it), feck it up and we'll be even further away from the top.

I'm more of a bargain bin buyer than yourself, to be honest.

Winger? Konopylanka - £0. Been great whenever I've watched him in the Europa League. Slight downgrade on Sterling, but he's available for free.
Striker? Ings - £0. I just want us to start with a striker. He doesn't have to be good I'll just explode if I see another midfielder playing up top.
Midfielder? Milner - £0. Solid player. Joking aside, I hope he joins us.

Net spend, -£45m

 

[Polite Poster]

I'm more of a bargain bin buyer than yourself, to be honest.

Winger? Konopylanka - £0. Been great whenever I've watched him in the Europa League. Slight downgrade on Sterling, but he's available for free.
Striker? Ings - £0. I just want us to start with a striker. He doesn't have to be good I'll just explode if I see another midfielder playing up top.
Midfielder? Milner - £0. Solid player. Joking aside, I hope he joins us.

Net spend, -£45m

You don't work for FSG do you ?

 

[Tommy]

Not yet. FSG are pretty fair with the amount of cash we get to spend, to be honest. I doubt they'll trust Rodgers with another £100m this summer, though (£40m-£50m from sales, £50m from our other income).

 

[Dumbstar]

I know its early, but last years thread was a massive success, and this year is a massive one for Liverpool. As Gary Neville said if things go wrong this year, they'll really struggle to come back from it.


Questions:
1. Just how big of a miss will Steven Gerrard be?
2. Can they keep hold of players like Sterling and Coutinho? Should Sterling stay?
3. Can any of their new loanees or returning players add to the squad?
4. Which dross needs to be shipped out?
5. Which 3 positions are needed to be improved upon?

Answers:

1. Gerrard will be a HUGE miss...for Man Utd, Arsenal and City. Doesn't matter how much Utd and City fcked up they always had Gerrard to fall back on, and he didn't fail to deliver effectively being the second biggest reason LFC didn't make top 4 (not buying a good striker being top reason).
2. Losing Sterling might actually help. He's offered 7 league goals and a small amount of assists. Got Ibe who can do all that mediocre stuff next season. Coutinho is going nowhere, there's no appetite from other clubs and he doesn't want to go anywhere.
3. No. We need to buy properly this summer (suggestions of DoF type regime coming in). The loanees are either crap or will need to settle.
4. Too many to mention, most of the loanees and the old folk I would reckon
5. Striker, striker. And striker.

 

[clarkydaz]

lets assume sterling is gone, they are bang average from back to front bar coutinho. They might roll eyes at Milner but he's better than what's there

 

[VanGaalEra]

They'll struggle without good recruitment in the summer and could well fall further down the pecking order with their two top scorers all set to leave. Goal scoring has been an issue for them and will continue to be with Studge as injury prone as ever.

 

[Pexbo]

I honestly can't see any way back into the top four for them. I just can't. I can't see how we won't improve, I can't see how Arsenal won't improve. Chelsea and City would have to go massively backwards for them to match the dross I've just typed out.

Indeed. They benefitted from having a great season when Arsenal were Arsenal, we were uncharacteristically shite and at the end of a cycle/start of a transition and Chelsea were at the start of their cycle.

Compare that to next season where the top 4 will be much much stronger and they don't stand a chance.

They need to win the lottery again with a Suarez type signing because they can only attract from the middle market.

 

[Badunk]

I argued with my scouse mates (mine are real, btw, coz I live in Merseyside) last summer about how fecked they were if Suarez left, but they bought into the narrative that their squad was stronger with the likes of Balotelli and Co. I genuinely thought that Lambert was good business, because he'd been effective for Southampton, but he just wasn't utilised at all really. When your goalscoring threat is no longer the most tireless chaser in the world, but the most huffy striker in the world (along with a talented, but often injured Sturridge), you're screwed.

I argued all last season that Suarez made the rest of the team look good. Players were able to take risks because they knew he'd be a threat all the time. Players like Henderson grew in confidence because even shitty passes would be chased down and won by Suarez. Gerrard could just sit back and ping the ball 50 yards because Suarez was such a willing runner. The opposition defence was so deep because of the threat in behind that Suarez, Sterling and Sturridge posed. Defenders couldn't play out of defence because of it. It was just the perfect storm. But it depended on Suarez more than anyone. Remove him, remove his goals, remove his defending from the front, remove his work ethic, his ability, his determination, and you have a season like they just had.

Danny Ings isn't the answer, I'm afraid. Talented player when he's on form, but Liverpool need a proven goalscorer and he didn't score for months on end, especially the second half of the season. Yeah, he was in a relegation threatened team, but I always believe that the really good players do the business for years at a time, not weeks or months. They need a striker who will bag 20 next season and I don't think he fits the bill.

I actually think that Henderson will become a better player without the shadow of Gerrard there, much in the same way that Fletcher stepped up when Keane left for us. But, like that example, I would always rather have Gerrard or Keane than Henderson or Fletcher.

Coutinho I find a bit lightweight and overhyped. Stepover, shift it onto the other foot, shoot from outside the box, score rarely, rinse and repeat. I think Lallana is a much more likely player to grab the game by the scruff of the neck when the chips are down. Only problem is, he's got as much stamina as Rik Waller.

Defensively, Moreno has been the worst of a bad bunch. He's been truly atrocious and you can tell that Pardew told Bolassie to isolate him when they played Palace. Sakho lacks confidence when coming out of defence with the ball; Skrtel should easily be the most red carded player in league history with the shit he pulls at every corner; Enrique and Johnson being paid for doing diddly squat; Flanagan is good but was injured all season; Can isn't a defender; Toure and Lovren should be much much better than they are; Mignolet is just average.

It does look like they need a complete overhaul, but I don't ever think things need to be that drastic. One or two players can make a huge difference, but they're hard to come by at this level. And even when they do, if a Barcelona or Madrid wants them, they're off. I think the biggest challenge is to lower the expectations of the fans. They're feckin demented and deluded. Every year they have the best manager, the best players in every position, yadda yadda yadda. Then they finish 6th and it starts all over again. All my friends believe that football is cyclical and that it's just a matter of time before Liverpool return to the dominance of yesteryear. Yeah, but what about Huddersfield, Preston, Forest, Villa, Bolton, Leeds, etc, etc? If you don't stop believing in nonsense like that, you're doomed to repeat the same mistakes again and again. Hence the stunningly accurate boom and bust cycle.

 

[Glanville95]

I argued with my scouse mates (mine are real, btw, coz I live in Merseyside) last summer about how fecked they were if Suarez left, but they bought into the narrative that their squad was stronger with the likes of Balotelli and Co. I genuinely thought that Lambert was good business, because he'd been effective for Southampton, but he just wasn't utilised at all really. When your goalscoring threat is no longer the most tireless chaser in the world, but the most huffy striker in the world (along with a talented, but often injured Sturridge), you're screwed.

I argued all last season that Suarez made the rest of the team look good. Players were able to take risks because they knew he'd be a threat all the time. Players like Henderson grew in confidence because even shitty passes would be chased down and won by Suarez. Gerrard could just sit back and ping the ball 50 yards because Suarez was such a willing runner. The opposition defence was so deep because of the threat in behind that Suarez, Sterling and Sturridge posed. Defenders couldn't play out of defence because of it. It was just the perfect storm. But it depended on Suarez more than anyone. Remove him, remove his goals, remove his defending from the front, remove his work ethic, his ability, his determination, and you have a season like they just had.

Danny Ings isn't the answer, I'm afraid. Talented player when he's on form, but Liverpool need a proven goalscorer and he didn't score for months on end, especially the second half of the season. Yeah, he was in a relegation threatened team, but I always believe that the really good players do the business for years at a time, not weeks or months. They need a striker who will bag 20 next season and I don't think he fits the bill.

I actually think that Henderson will become a better player without the shadow of Gerrard there, much in the same way that Fletcher stepped up when Keane left for us. But, like that example, I would always rather have Gerrard or Keane than Henderson or Fletcher.

Coutinho I find a bit lightweight and overhyped. Stepover, shift it onto the other foot, shoot from outside the box, score rarely, rinse and repeat. I think Lallana is a much more likely player to grab the game by the scruff of the neck when the chips are down. Only problem is, he's got as much stamina as Rik Waller.

Defensively, Moreno has been the worst of a bad bunch. He's been truly atrocious and you can tell that Pardew told Bolassie to isolate him when they played Palace. Sakho lacks confidence when coming out of defence with the ball; Skrtel should easily be the most red carded player in league history with the shit he pulls at every corner; Enrique and Johnson being paid for doing diddly squat; Flanagan is good but was injured all season; Can isn't a defender; Toure and Lovren should be much much better than they are; Mignolet is just average.

It does look like they need a complete overhaul, but I don't ever think things need to be that drastic. One or two players can make a huge difference, but they're hard to come by at this level. And even when they do, if a Barcelona or Madrid wants them, they're off. I think the biggest challenge is to lower the expectations of the fans. They're feckin demented and deluded. Every year they have the best manager, the best players in every position, yadda yadda yadda. Then they finish 6th and it starts all over again. All my friends believe that football is cyclical and that it's just a matter of time before Liverpool return to the dominance of yesteryear. Yeah, but what about Huddersfield, Preston, Forest, Villa, Bolton, Leeds, etc, etc? If you don't stop believing in nonsense like that, you're doomed to repeat the same mistakes again and again. Hence the stunningly accurate boom and bust cycle.

 

[Wumminator]

Mignolet; Manquillo, Skrtel, Sakho, Flannagan; Can, Henderson; Ibe, Coutinho, Sterling; Sturridge. Injury troubles aside, that's a decent starting XI,

Is it? There's major question marks over most of those.

 

[Orc]

Is it? There's major question marks over most of those.

Seriously.

There's about 1 player in that team that would get into the XI of any side in the top 4.

 

[JoaquinJoaquin]

Going to be seriously interesting to see who they bring in over Summer. The problem they face is that the Top Tier players will not sign for them so they have to take alot more 'risks' if you will. Thankfully Brentan is not very good in the Transfer market and then ends up massively overpaying for players who will not improve the team.

 

[Hellboy]

 

[RobinLFC]

Seriously.

There's about 1 player in that team that would get into the XI of any side in the top 4.

That's such a bullshit criteria to judge a team.

 

[Badunk]

That's such a bullshit criteria to judge a team.

How? When your goal is to get in the top 4, it's going to be very difficult to do if hardly any of your players are good enough to get into their teams.

 

[Rooney in Paris]

That's such a bullshit criteria to judge a team.

'Best XI' is just as shite a criteria to use to judge a team's chances to do well in the league. Of course it's important, but squad depth is equally as important, especially if you have permacrocks in your starting XI, and if you're going to play European football.