Topic: Naby Keita Watch

[didi shamone]

Most? All of them with the exception of Allison.

I'd say Nunez, Badger tits and Ibou also.

[groove]

Poor first half from him, but then has a storming 15 to start the second and then his sub makes zero sense. We're on top, Wolves are dropping deeper, don't take a guy off that can unlock things for one that is much less good at that.

[Schmidt]

Poor first half from him, but then has a storming 15 to start the second and then his sub makes zero sense. We're on top, Wolves are dropping deeper, don't take a guy off that can unlock things for one that is much less good at that.

We've been doing it for a while now, making a raft of subs on the 60 minute mark even if the players going off are doing great and the players coming on are in atrocious form.

[Barrow Shaun]

I just don't rate this guy, sorry. He's done nothing to convince since we've had him.

[Johnny Aldridge]

I just don't rate this guy, sorry. He's done nothing to convince since we've had him.

Same. He’s a passenger, through injuries and while he’s on the pitch. He’s had flashes but that’s all they are.

[grenny158]

Oh for the days when we no longer have to think of Keita as a 'great hope' for our midfield.

He is an average player - exactly what he has been for his entire career at Liverpool, and exactly what he will be until the end of the season.

I have always said - Keita hides on the field and cannot be relied on when the chips are down. Great in the Bundesliga but the PL is just too tough of a league for him.

The reality is that we should have cashed in on him 2 seasons ago instead of persisting .. much like we should have done with Ox.

[spider-neil]

The playmaker in the team was geggenpressing and our fullbacks positioned high up the pitch. This meant the primary function of the midfield was to protect the defence and fill the gaps the fullbacks left. You only have to low at the low return of goals and assists from the midfield. Keita’s strengths in Germany was breaking the lines with his dribbles taking opposition players out of the game. At Liverpool, this feature of his game was marginalised because his primary function was block passing lanes and fill gaps in midfield.

It’s fine not to rate Keita I just think the system we play doesn’t play to his strengths. Also, there is no getting away from the injuries he is injured a lot.

This is a view and balanced critique of Keita in Germany vs his time at Liverpool
https://youtu.be/HehLVApLV9w

[number 168]

I just don't rate this guy, sorry. He's done nothing to convince since we've had him.

I guess you are not alone in that view but injuries apart I think he has been asked to play in a team that doesn't suit his talents. He was outstanding in Germnay in teams that used him as an attacking midielder, who ran with the ball, beat people and looked to play others in. He has had to restrict his game with us becoming a disciplined player with a more limited role. I think he was expected to be part of a midfield of him, Fabhino and Fekir whch would have allowed him a freer role in a more attacking creative set up.. Being part of a midfield expected to run hard and close down to allow the full backs to essentially play as wing backs is just not the platform his skills marry in to.

[mrantarctica]

I guess you are not alone in that view but injuries apart I think he has been asked to play in a team that doesn't suit his talents. He was outstanding in Germnay in teams that used him as an attacking midielder, who ran with the ball, beat people and looked to play others in. He has had to restrict his game with us becoming a disciplined player with a more limited role. I think he was expected to be part of a midfield of him, Fabhino and Fekir whch would have allowed him a freer role in a more attacking creative set up.. Being part of a midfield expected to run hard and close down to allow the full backs to essentially play as wing backs is just not the platform his skills marry in to.

Even aside from that, I find his contributions to have been quite disappointing. Yet to see a game where Naby really dominated proceedings or looked like he wanted to dominate proceedings. He's had some good games for sure, but sadly the consistency and quality have just not been there often enough for me.

[RyanBabel19]

Even aside from that, I find his contributions to have been quite disappointing. Yet to see a game where Naby really dominated proceedings or looked like he wanted to dominate proceedings. He's had some good games for sure, but sadly the consistency and quality have just not been there often enough for me.

He’s dominated plenty of games, it’s also hard to be consistent when you cant play consistently, I think modern day has rubbed out the reality that sports people who can just turn it on at will are few and far between, its part of why the legends of every sport are praised so much

How many injury prone footballers are super consistent?

[Red Bird]

The Guinea FA has a lot to answer for this guy’s stop-start and eventually stalling nature of his Liverpool career. He’s much better than he’s been allowed to show but then they carried on playing him when injured in that worthless match.

[tubby]

I dunno how people can keep blaming Guinea for this when you look at the state of our physio department and the non-stop injuries we've been getting.  They might've contributed but that was a long time ago and he's been repeatedly injured since on our watch.

[Zlen]

The Guinea FA has a lot to answer for this guy’s stop-start and eventually stalling nature of his Liverpool career. He’s much better than he’s been allowed to show but then they carried on playing him when injured in that worthless match.

No.
He is injury prone anyway.
Simply not cut out to make in fast and rough league like this one.
Only issue I have is that we kept him around too long.
We should have been looking to sell three years ago when we could have recouped at least half of his value.

[mrantarctica]

He’s dominated plenty of games, it’s also hard to be consistent when you cant play consistently, I think modern day has rubbed out the reality that sports people who can just turn it on at will are few and far between, its part of why the legends of every sport are praised so much

How many injury prone footballers are super consistent?

Apart from the comment that he's dominated plenty of games, otherwise 100% agree. I think everyone knows the reasons why Naby has struggled for consistency. It's still disappointing that that is the outcome, however. Given the outlay, and that the writing has been on the wall for some time, I think many would feel that we would have looked to source a replacement for him, and Ox, by now.

[.adam]

That stat about him only completing 90 minutes on 19 occasions for us just sums him up really.

[robertobaggio37]

That stat about him only completing 90 minutes on 19 occasions for us just sums him up really.

Wow, I didn't think it was this bad. Good decision by the club, just a shame all around really.

[Red Bird]

No.
He is injury prone anyway.
Simply not cut out to make in fast and rough league like this one.
Only issue I have is that we kept him around too long.
We should have been looking to sell three years ago when we could have recouped at least half of his value.

Now he is but until that game, I don't think he was.

[newterp]

Now he is but until that game, I don't think he was.

Yeah - he was even trusted to start the first leg of the Barcelona Semi-Final away - and was doing well enough until scissor-tackled from behind ending his season.

[Silverbird]

He’s dominated plenty of games, it’s also hard to be consistent when you cant play consistently, I think modern day has rubbed out the reality that sports people who can just turn it on at will are few and far between, its part of why the legends of every sport are praised so much

How many injury prone footballers are super consistent?

Not challenging your point per se but your question made me think of Hazard. At least before he moved to Madrid. When he was at Chelsea, I recall he often missed several games at a stretch but he was always such a danger when he did play, particularly against us. Had nightmares whenever I saw his name on the Chelsea team sheet against us. But a brilliant player capable of winning games on his own.

[didi shamone]

Not challenging your point per se but your question made me think of Hazard. At least before he moved to Madrid. When he was at Chelsea, I recall he often missed several games at a stretch but he was always such a danger when he did play, particularly against us. Had nightmares whenever I saw his name on the Chelsea team sheet against us. But a brilliant player capable of winning games on his own.

I looked this up and the least number of games Hazard played for Chelsea in the league over a season was 31. He was there 7 seasons.
In all competitions it was 43.  He wasn't  an injury prone player by any stretch. I was surprised to be honest. Once he went to Madrid that changed dramatically.

[sattapaartridge]

Keita’s strengths in Germany was breaking the lines with his dribbles taking opposition players out of the game.

I mean, does that sound like a traditional number 8 to you? He was never a profile for a premier league box-to-box midfielder.

[Silverbird]

I looked this up and the least number of games Hazard played for Chelsea in the league over a season was 31. He was there 7 seasons.
In all competitions it was 43.  He wasn't  an injury prone player by any stretch. I was surprised to be honest. Once he went to Madrid that changed dramatically.

Thanks for checking - that is quite surprising. Another example of the "eye" or "mind" test not being particularly accurate.

[Sheer Magnetism]

I mean, does that sound like a traditional number 8 to you? He was never a profile for a premier league box-to-box midfielder.

You don't think midfielders in this country ever run with the ball in midfield? Did you ever watch Gerrard in his prime?

[joezydudek]

You don't think midfielders in this country ever run with the ball in midfield? Did you ever watch Gerrard in his prime?

When Gerrard was in his prime, he was moved first to the right wing and then behind the striker, where Rafa rightly felt his attacking talents would shine through more.
There are other examples, more recent ones at that, but Gerrard's maybe not the best one.

[Scottymuser]

I looked this up and the least number of games Hazard played for Chelsea in the league over a season was 31. He was there 7 seasons.
In all competitions it was 43.  He wasn't  an injury prone player by any stretch. I was surprised to be honest. Once he went to Madrid that changed dramatically.

Yeah - never injured at Chelsea, but also was never actually that good at producing the goods compared to his reputation and the money he cost.  He averaged a goal OR assist every 140 minutes, which is about average for a top side's main creative/goal scoring threat (Nunez, for example, this season is on one every 132 mins - and he has been wasteful and has had many people think we overpaid etc).  In fact, he only ever got under a goal/assist every 130 mins ONCE in his entire season there - his last, where he was quite obviously putting in extra effort to get a move to Real (and even then it was only a goal or assist every 94 mins). 

Thing is, even when Hazard has played, he has been AWFUL for Real, so they only play him if their other first choice players are injuredor need a rest - he has 4 goals and 6 assists in the equivalent of 27 full games in the league!

[GreatEx]

Once again not trusted in a big game as our dogshit midfield is ripped apart, and yet rumour has it we were offering a new contract earlier this season? No offence to the lad but I am looking forward to him leaving before I scratch through to the skull.

[JasonF]

Once again not trusted in a big game as our dogshit midfield is ripped apart, and yet rumour has it we were offering a new contract earlier this season? No offence to the lad but I am looking forward to him leaving before I scratch through to the skull.

He's clearly not getting a new contract. Well done for getting some digs in when he's not injured and not playing though.

[Knight]

Once again not trusted in a big game as our dogshit midfield is ripped apart, and yet rumour has it we were offering a new contract earlier this season? No offence to the lad but I am looking forward to him leaving before I scratch through to the skull.

He was last season in big CL games. But as is clear from how far off our midfield is, and where Klopp must have thought they were to spend most of pre season being happy with it, Klopp's not always been an infallible judge of the midfield. And he's not always got his selections, or non selections rather, right with Keita. That said, our midfield can't get close to the opposition, I'm not sure Keita fixes that.

[GreatEx]

He's clearly not getting a new contract. Well done for getting some digs in when he's not injured and not playing though.

Who am I having a dig at? I am puzzled and frustrated by his situation.

[groove]

I don't think he was getting digs in there. It is bizarre he goes from starting and playing quite a bit better than the average of what we'd been seeing from Henderson and Fabinho and then all of a sudden... nothing again. For his sake, he should just leave. He's too good to be sat on our bench when he's fit.

[newterp]

I actually and truly think he is carrying an injury and is on the bench making up numbers.

Otherwise - he could have come in and helped at least provide a touch of control in the midfield.

[Machae]

I don't think he was getting digs in there. It is bizarre he goes from starting and playing quite a bit better than the average of what we'd been seeing from Henderson and Fabinho and then all of a sudden... nothing again. For his sake, he should just leave. He's too good to be sat on our bench when he's fit.

Keita and Ox are two players who went out of favour suddenly. Ox played consistently for 5 games in a row, and did Keita play back to back.

I don't think we would've won with Keita, but would've liked to have seen him come on to give a different dimension

[JasonF]

Who am I having a dig at? I am puzzled and frustrated by his situation.

I might have misread it. Apologies if so.

[MonsLibpool]

Keita and Ox are two players who went out of favour suddenly. Ox played consistently for 5 games in a row, and did Keita play back to back.

I don't think we would've won with Keita, but would've liked to have seen him come on to give a different dimension

I can't wait for them to be replaced.

[Usman1987]

I think the watch is broken beyond repair in terms of his LFC career after this summer. Showed plenty of glimpses of quality.

[MonsLibpool]

I think the watch is broken beyond repair in terms of his LFC career after this summer. Showed plenty of glimpses of quality.

We paid almost £60m for him to walk into our midfield. Five years later, we can only talk about "glimpses of quality". Very disappointing signing.

[Chris~]

Would be interesting to know why he came in to the side and then was dropped so quickly. Just to give Henderson/Fabinho a rest and Milner couldn't play 60+ minutes?

[JonnyCigarettes®]

Aquilani and Keita have both broken my heart.

[fallenhd]

The result may or may not have been different with Keita but I think we would've had way more control of the MF. This was the same in the CL final last season where he should have started. He deserved to start, didn't and we lost the MF battle again. Regardless we need a MF overhaul, DF as well. Not sure how we do it though., financially.

[Saus76]

The result may or may not have been different with Keita but I think we would've had way more control of the MF. This was the same in the CL final last season where he should have started. He deserved to start, didn't and we lost the MF battle again. Regardless we need a MF overhaul, DF as well. Not sure how we do it though., financially.

He didn't deserve nothing, lad. Keita has proven numerous times that he can't be relied upon. He's well past his sell by and needs moving on.