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What Happens Next!- Liverpool FC and FSG

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ToneLa:
Yep, this summer is make or break for LFC. I expect Klopp to be backed and changes to happen.

Great post, I like to see good writing on RAWK!  :D will have to get my head into it properly tonight. I miss seeing long, thoughtful posts from those who have been on RAWK longer than me.

I'm happy to wait and see but sometimes the wait is a bit painful

Pistolero:
See?..this why it'd be criminal if rawk went the way of high button collars and Aztec Bars. Terrific, spot-on summary of where LFC is right now.

Desert Red Fox:
Excellent piece, a lot to ponder!

rickardinho1:
That was a thoroughly enjoyable read and exceptionally well written, thank you.

Hard to disagree with any of the many good points.

With the stadium refurbishment finished, and with the squad one year on from a mass clear-out, this does indeed look like a summer that should be defining, in the sense that it is probably the first summer in a very long time where the club has been in a strong position to add to the squad - both from a financial perspective as well as in terms of squad numbers.

In previous seasons there has been an inordinate amount of players simply taking up place in the squad, but that is no longer the case.

The likely departure of players currently not considered for the first XI (eg. Sakho, Lucas, Moreno, Sturridge) will also make room in an already shallow squad for what would surely be a busy summer of arrivals.

Looking back 3-4 years, during Brendan's regime the direction of the squad seemingly changed year-on-year (one year tiki-taka, the next with Carroll, then high-press, then countering, etc), but personally I think more recent moves squad-wise have been refreshingly progressive and logical.

To borrow some words from this post I recently made in the tactics thread, since Klopp has arrived, in one summer we have seen a massive clear out of the squad along with 4 key additions:

GK - Karius
CB - Matip
CM - Wijnaldum
RW - Mané
... along with an experienced stop-gap CB in Klavan.

The main focus last summer was clearly on getting rid of a lot of deadwood to streamline the squad, and with only 4-5 first team players coming in it inevitably left the squad quite thin. That said, it may be that Klopp was keen to be patient with which players he bought (quality over quantity), such that he was happy to put up with having Milner at LB for a season for example, while waiting for the right player to become available instead of filling gaps with average players.

The first XI already looks solid, but beyond that it doesn't really look like a "Klopp team" yet.

The squad is quite shallow, so there is certainly plenty of room to add players to the squad, particularly when you factor in the likely departures of Lucas (30 years old, expiring contract, playing CB despite not being a CB), Moreno (unfavoured despite being the only LB), and Sturridge (unfavoured).

Judging by last summer's signings - where 4 of 5 signings went straight into the first XI, it is apparent that Klopp is intent on signing quality rather than quantity, and I think most would agree that the team needs some quality additions - perhaps not only to the first XI (eg. a proper LB), but also first XI-calibre players to strengthen depth in midfield and up front.

If James Pearce is to be believed, this summer could see 5-6 incoming players, and given that 4 of the 5 players Klopp added last summer went straight into the first XI, it would be logical to think that any new players this summer would also be quality players Klopp could trust.

Most would agree that the team is in need of:

- A first-choice LB
- A CB (debatable whether it should be an upgrade on Lovren, or simply a strong #3 CB)
- A central midfielder, given that beyond the best trio of Henderson-Lallana-Wijnaldum the midfield is incredibly bare, with only Can representing a strong option as yet, though it remains to be seen how Grujic is developing.
- At least one forward, most likely a winger.

At a conservative estimate, it isn't unreasonable to expect that Sakho (£15m), Lucas (expiring contract), Moreno (£10m), and Sturridge (£15m) could fetch £40m combined, so those moves on their own would already suggest that there is room for incoming players... That is, before you even consider the "usual" £30m transfer kitty, or the fact that stadium revenues are ticking in. Not to mention that the club broke-even last summer, suggesting that there may be more money available this summer (or so one would think...) if the right players are available.

That would certainly seem to be the case if Klopp himself is to be believed: “Will it be a similar transfer window as last summer when we broke even? I don’t think it is possible. Now there will be a few other faces”.

Imagine that... Liverpool actually being a spender to strengthen an already solid team... Here's hoping anyways...

Billy Elliot:

--- Quote from: Banquo's Ghost on March 11, 2017, 01:26:06 pm ---Magnificent piece of writing and I agree with the conclusion - this summer will probably tell us everything about FSG as owners.

--- End quote ---

Nice one, you've saved me from having to read the post.

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