To answer the question posed in the title..
Do we have a right to complain? I would say "yes, of course", then ask in return - do we have a reason to?
That becomes harder to answer I think. As Fucking Appalled has laid out - our squad is in a really, really strong place. Almost definitely the strongest it's been since the club was formed, maybe 2001 aside. Are there areas we could add additional players so that it was even stronger, again yes for sure, RB cover could be improved probably, our 5th choice attacker could be better suited to the style we play, there's a question mark over whether two of our midfield options (assuming this is where Ox is seen) are able to be fit enough to contribute.
So, after identifying the areas where we think we can easily improve the next step is to either think about the cost, value and ramifications of doing so. A few off the top of my head
- the amount of minutes those additions are likely to get and whether this fits with what the players you've targeted want.
- the value that these players would bring to the squad in comparison to the transfer fee, agent fee and wages - are they going to significantly increase our chances of being successful?
- Whether there is a knock on in terms of not being able to register other members of the squad. Subsequently to this - what that does in terms of the unwanted players market value and also to the morale of the group
- Opportunity cost - if we bring in players that strengthen those positions does that hinder us from pursuing better players in the future - because of the impact to available registration slots, playing minutes or cash to buy them with
- Opportunity cost - if we don't bring players in in these positions will this hinder our chances of achieving our targets and then have a knock on effect of hurting our chances of improving through quality purchases in the future
My frustration with a few posters and some of the discussions is because it seems that their starting position is "I want a new signing" and are happy to use that last point above in order to justify it without even stopping to consider for a moment if a) they're right or b) any of the other impacts of getting new players in.
I've seen a few people referencing Paisley and saying "If you don't strengthen you stand still" but I'd question whether the world in which Paisley worked and where we work today is even remotely the same? I saw that we revamped our youth system in 1998 - "to enhance it from the previous informal system" but I have no idea what sort of numbers of youth players the club had on its books back in those days. Did Paisley have a full squad of u23s and u18s that he could see the future being developed in? Did he have a 1st team squad of around 27/28 players - some of which have barely featured or are being developed in house and through the loan system in order to strengthen us in the future?
One of my other gripes is with a number of posts that have, at best, implied we've not really spent or strengthened under FSG and in particular 'recently'. This is patently, clearly and factually bullshit. Every season up until now we've bought at least 3 players across the summer and winter transfer windows.
https://www.transfermarkt.us/fc-liverpool/alletransfers/verein/31 People will immediately jump on the 19/20 season for this and it's the only one where there's even a debate. That season we added Harvey Elliott, Sepp Van Den Berg and Takumi Minamino. So that season aside, where we have to ignore the fact that Elliott was seen by most clubs in the world as a huge talent and is possibly ready to contribute to the first team squad this season, we've spent and improved the squad in every window with at least 3 first team players up until this window. This window we immediately addressed the key weakness in the squad - Centrehalf - with a young monster of a human with huge potential. So what exactly is the beef here? Is that they haven't signed the players that *you* wanted? That they haven't spent money to the same level as other clubs? If it's the latter - WHY do you care what we spend? Surely it's about what we end up with? And at that point I refer you back to Fucking Appalled's first 18 lists (whilst asking you to consider which players on our books don't appear there)
So back to my question - do we have a reason to complain?
I don't really see one. I think our starting 11 is as strong as anything else that can be fielded in Europe. I think our CB and CM cover is, talent wise, as good as you could realistically hope for. We've got decent cover in the left fullback position and players who can do a job at RB if needed. In attack we've got the obvious front three who have a real competitor for their spots in Jota. Beyond that we have versatile players who can bring respite through rotation in Shaq & Ox, and we have further numbers in Origi and Minamino - Origi arguable fits into the previous category as well.
I would like us to move Origi, Shaq & maybe Minamino on and bring in a 5th forward either around or above the level and potential of Jota but ideally more suited to competing directly with Firmino. This forum (and footy manager) tells me that Martinez at Inter would be pretty ideal, but I'm not too aware of players playing outside of England. That seems to take into account all of the considerations I could think of earlier in the post with the exception of whether the new signing would be happy with that role and level of competition.
If we do, I think it would probably marginally increase our chances of winning the league/CL and more than marginally improve our chances in the domestic cups. I don't think there's any realistic business, or potentially ANY business, we could do that would make us certain to win either of the big ones. The competition is too rich & strong and the variables too many.
If we don't do any more than Konate, I think we'd be 2nd favourites for the league and amongst the top 3/4 favourites for the CL. I think we'd naturally strengthen and improve from last season by
- Curtis Jones being a year older, stronger, more adapted, more settled, more skilled, more aware.
- Harvey Elliott being part of the squad
- Van Dijk, Gomez, Matip, Keita and Ox being fit
- All the above 5 and the rest of the squad having a proper pre-season with Klopp (Something that even pre-covid they didn't necessarily get due to commercial constraints)
- The season being less congested
- Fans being back in the ground. Anfield isn't up for debate I don't think, but I think this team thrives off our away end and killing home ground atmospheres.
- The motivation and hunger from a season where I feel that they feel they were on track to win the title and were robbed by two thuggish morons in Everton shirts and a run of awful luck.
At some point this squad, and key players, need to be refreshed/replaced. I don't see why that is this year.