Author Topic: Naby Keita Watch  (Read 1880336 times)

Offline Davidbowie

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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10000 on: April 8, 2021, 02:00:28 pm »
Any talk of 'selling' Keita in the January window genuinely makes me laugh for just how inconceivable it is. No club would pay the £40-50 million in January for a player who has spent 3 years consistently injured.

However, thinking longer term - I think it's pretty obvious Keita won't be at the club, 18-24 months from now.

It's easy to jump on the bandwagon with him - but I was never fully convinced, not simply because he can't stay fit but also his form, which has been up and down on those rare occasions when he has stayed fit for a few weeks.

When we eventually signed him I thought we were getting an elite midfielder of the same bracket as Thiago - obviously not at that level, but someone who within a season or two could become one of the top 5 or 6 in the world in his position.

Not actually sure if there'd be interest from clubs abroad who could actually afford him - but I would bite their hand off for an offer in the £40-50 million region and go for someone a bit more robust who plays every week.

I posted this about Keita 3 months ago - I feel exactly the same today as I did then.
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Offline mattD

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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10001 on: April 8, 2021, 02:12:33 pm »
Can see him starting with Fab and Thiago against Villa. If he's that good to start against Madrid then he should start against Villa if he's fit. There were others just as bad if not worse and he shouldn't have been put in the situation in the first place. Give him the chance at home against Villa and see what his reaction is. Play Thiago and Fab with him.

It’s the midfield I’d go for. Wijnaldum was the worst of the lot on Tuesday.

Post match I admit I was very much pointing the finger at Naby. But with things settled, it’s not his fault - just seems a natural consequence of his inconsistent Liverpool career so far due to bad luck with injuries. He reminds me of Kewell starting in Istanbul - a massively talented player, getting injured and booed by the fans for things ultimately beyond his control. It’s a shame about Naby, all eyes were on him for replacing Thiago which wasn’t his fault. And if his performances in training are to be believed, then he merited a place in the line up - that’s nothing out of the ordinary for Klopp to reward.

But you can’t expect a stop-start injury prone player to have consistency. Maybe after six months constantly in the starting line up, but I can’t ever remember him being in the line up for more than a few weeks at a time.

And the reality is, he’s mostly done fine when he’s in the team. Not amazing, but always kept things ticking over.

Worth the fans sticking by him these next few weeks in the run in rather than throwing him under the bus and having less options.
« Last Edit: April 8, 2021, 02:15:14 pm by mattD »

Offline Bucko - Dubai

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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10002 on: April 8, 2021, 02:51:10 pm »
Think as has been said, I and many others really bought into the hype of him.
This also stemmed from managers (Schalke's I think) saying he is like being against 2 players.

I think compared to a lot of clubs supporters we have been extremely patient, with the return from every set back I've thought now is your chance to prove yourself. But I dont think we can wait any longer than 2 and a half years

But being brought off early signals the end of his LFC career to me.

I dont see what reason he would get brought off in the 41st minute as opposed to at half time

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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10003 on: April 8, 2021, 02:56:14 pm »
Arguably not his fault, though - he was a bit of a 'hipsters' player' back in that 2016-'18 period, which allowed some hype to build, and (I think I'm right in saying) he was playing a different role in that RBL side...?  From what I've seen he appeared to have a lot more attacking freedom, whereas our midfielders are expected to have a lot more functional responsibility.

Availability issues are of course a concern, but I don't recall many occasions where he's stood out as poor (I know that's not the level we're looking for) in our team.  People have pointed at him a common presence in first-halves against both Villa & Real this season, but much of the season overall has been a shit-show and I think that two game sample is too small from which to decide that he was a causal factor in those performances.

Personally, I think that the substitution on Tuesday was one where excessive reading into it is just an inevitable & unfortunately side-effect, and I hope to see him back on the pitch in the next couple of games - possibly a start against Newcastle next weekend.

-----

Caveats about small samples apply here, too, but this cropped up a few weeks ago*:



https://twitter.com/topimpacat/status/1375847469968461824

*Edited this to be separate to the prior comments.  I should have posted as two separate ones really - the last line and graphic were very specifically a response to "producing so little".  It's some, limited evidence that seems to support the idea that it's his availability rather than his ability that is holding him back and is why patience is wearing thin.

Good to see Harrison Reed progressing well in this analysis.

Hopefully we finally get his transfer across the line this summer after coming close to getting him in the last few transfer windows. Would be a good addition in midfield and much cheaper than Bissouma or Ndidi.
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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10004 on: April 8, 2021, 04:38:59 pm »
Can see him starting with Fab and Thiago against Villa. If he's that good to start against Madrid then he should start against Villa if he's fit. There were others just as bad if not worse and he shouldn't have been put in the situation in the first place. Give him the chance at home against Villa and see what his reaction is. Play Thiago and Fab with him.

I hope he doesn't pick the same three in midfield again from the other night, given the time they played before that was the Villa 7-2.
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Offline RainbowFlick

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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10005 on: April 8, 2021, 04:49:42 pm »
He definitely wasn't the sole issue against Real, but his performance was so incredibly lacking of any real drive, motivation, or commitment. Really quite strange. I appreciate he's been in and out a lot, but still, the basics of being a midfielder for our team just weren't there and he had a huge opportunity to showcase his talent.

It's also on Klopp, though, for introducing him in such an important game. Keita must have been incredible in training for Thiago to be dropped.
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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10006 on: April 8, 2021, 04:52:30 pm »
He definitely wasn't the sole issue against Real, but his performance was so incredibly lacking of any real drive, motivation, or commitment. Really quite strange. I appreciate he's been in and out a lot, but still, the basics of being a midfielder for our team just weren't there and he had a huge opportunity to showcase his talent.

It's also on Klopp, though, for introducing him in such an important game. Keita must have been incredible in training for Thiago to be dropped.

he was, he mentioned it after and before Arsenal game [about keita doing really well], and I had no qualms with the decision before the match. Keita was supposed to help press and he's done it well when he's played well. Obviously it didn't pan out that way.


His performance was poor, and so was our team performance where we couldn't' complete simple things in the game [in that first half]

Offline RainbowFlick

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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10007 on: April 8, 2021, 04:54:42 pm »
he was, he mentioned it after and before Arsenal game [about keita doing really well], and I had no qualms with the decision before the match. Keita was supposed to help press and he's done it well when he's played well. Obviously it didn't pan out that way.


His performance was poor, and so was our team performance where we couldn't' complete simple things in the game [in that first half]

I genuinely don't think I saw any effective pressing or even any running at all from Naby. In fact I'm almost struggling to remember him running in any of his recent cameos. Our midfield depends on hard yards and eh, he doesn't seem to add anything so far.
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Offline Adeemo

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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10008 on: April 8, 2021, 05:07:32 pm »
I genuinely don't think I saw any effective pressing or even any running at all from Naby. In fact I'm almost struggling to remember him running in any of his recent cameos. Our midfield depends on hard yards and eh, he doesn't seem to add anything so far.

He probably produced our best moment of attacking intention in the 1st half, when he dribbled past 2 Madrid players in midfield, only to find no available player to pass to. The entire team was terrible in that half and he certainly wasn’t the worst.
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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10009 on: April 8, 2021, 05:08:36 pm »
I genuinely don't think I saw any effective pressing or even any running at all from Naby. In fact I'm almost struggling to remember him running in any of his recent cameos. Our midfield depends on hard yards and eh, he doesn't seem to add anything so far.

I'd recommend to watch his games back or look at his stats when it comes to pressing to save time. When he plays well, he progresses the ball well in the final third, he presses well and wins the ball efficiently. Obviously none of that happened on the nigth

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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10010 on: April 8, 2021, 05:15:42 pm »
Setting aside the injury and availability issues for just a moment I think it's clear from basically every midfielders thread on this forum that all of them vacillate between amazing and shit during any one season, sometimes with multiple swings between the two.  Is it because most of us grew up where the ideal modern midfielder was Gerrard or Lampard where they're all over the field while banging them in from 30 yards?  No modern midfielder plays that way but do we compare them without acknowledging that? 

As far as Keita, was he worth £50m?  We'd have to go back to the summer we actually got him and see what the other options were, would they have come to LFC and would their team have sold them.  There probably is a better deal there that could have been made.  But I'd also so that has more to do with his availability than ability.  When he's played he's been pretty good and if he was actually able to play 80% of the league minutes or so we probably would think he's pretty amazing.  But since he's never really been consistently available then here we are. 

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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10011 on: April 8, 2021, 05:28:19 pm »
The most consistent performers in those two number 8 slots under Klopp have been Henderson and Wijnaldum, two players who run all day, are tactically disciplined and don't contribute much to our attacking play.  Thiago hasn't really lit up the league, Keita has struggled, Ox did ok for a spell but is in and out, Jones has had to curtail his more attacking instincts and play within himself, and Milner hasn't got the legs for it anymore.

It's the current system, it doesn't really suit forward-thinking, progressive midfielders.  If we're going to persist with this playstyle, then we should be looking for midfielders with great engines and tactical nous.  Being good dribblers or passers doesn't really count for a huge amount in our set up as it is.
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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10012 on: April 8, 2021, 05:34:17 pm »
The most consistent performers in those two number 8 slots under Klopp have been Henderson and Wijnaldum, two players who run all day, are tactically disciplined and don't contribute much to our attacking play.  Thiago hasn't really lit up the league, Keita has struggled, Ox did ok for a spell but is in and out, Jones has had to curtail his more attacking instincts and play within himself, and Milner hasn't got the legs for it anymore.

It's the current system, it doesn't really suit forward-thinking, progressive midfielders.  If we're going to persist with this playstyle, then we should be looking for midfielders with great engines and tactical nous.  Being good dribblers or passers doesn't really count for a huge amount in our set up as it is.

I disagree. The problem for Keita on the night wasn't because he is a dribbler, it's because he couldn't' do the basics right. The other issue is his availability.

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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10013 on: April 8, 2021, 05:38:54 pm »
I disagree. The problem for Keita on the night wasn't because he is a dribbler, it's because he couldn't' do the basics right. The other issue is his availability.

Don't disagree.  I was all in on Keita when we were first linked, and for the first couple of seasons, but despite throwing up good numbers he's rarely available and I cannot think of a single game where he's been the difference maker.  I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him move on this summer.
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Offline thaddeus

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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10014 on: April 8, 2021, 09:40:14 pm »
It's the current system, it doesn't really suit forward-thinking, progressive midfielders.  If we're going to persist with this playstyle, then we should be looking for midfielders with great engines and tactical nous.  Being good dribblers or passers doesn't really count for a huge amount in our set up as it is.
I think the plan this season was maybe for the midfield to be a bit more ambitious.  The whole "attacking the title" talk and seeming adoption early on this season of the Bayern style of swamping/overwhelming the opposition.

Two things probably killed that plan off to varying degrees; shipping seven goals to Villa in a game where we didn't track a midfield runner all game and then losing VVD and Gomez in the space of a couple of weeks.

The plan now just seems to be for the midfield to regain and retain possession and never risk exposing our makeshift defence.  With three out-and-out forwards and two very attack-minded full backs it's not unreasonable that we can't also accommodate an attack-minded central midfielder.  The onus on creating/scoring is very much on those five players.

It leaves Keita and Ox as square pegs in round holes and Curtis having to adapt his game to fit in.

I've sometimes watched us recently and wished we had less possession, a less aggressive press and a deeper defensive line so that we could hit teams on the break a bit more.  Even if Klopp/Ljinders were thinking the same though (which they're probably not!) I'd expect that's a difficult thing to adopt mid-season with such little time between games.
« Last Edit: April 8, 2021, 09:42:03 pm by thaddeus »

Offline Medellin

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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10015 on: April 8, 2021, 10:31:12 pm »
Wil Naby kick on to be that world beater or will he end up being another Aquilani who just didn't cut it after the very high expectations when they arrived here.
There is a difference..after x amount of games you could see Aquilani just wasn't gonna cut it, Naby..fucks sake you can see a  real player who has it all & is so frustrating to see all the quality he possesses but for whatever reason fitness, injuries, form etc..it's just not happening..regularly at least.
It seemed to me on Tuesday Klopp gave Naby that trust he has got with Fabinho, Gini, Milner, Hendo when called on.
Naby was one of quite a few who could have been hooked when he did on Tuesday, Gini was just as bad & Fabinho not far from those two too.
I do hope Naby can kick on..Tuesday was the first time I questioned whether he will progress or is this how Naby is, fits & starts..good & bad with no consistency.
Will the real Naby Keita please stand up!
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Offline andy07

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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10016 on: April 8, 2021, 10:43:44 pm »
UCL Final 2021

Man City 0-1 Liverpool
         
                    Keita 90+4

We can dream......
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Offline Scottymuser

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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10017 on: April 8, 2021, 10:58:36 pm »
He definitely wasn't the sole issue against Real, but his performance was so incredibly lacking of any real drive, motivation, or commitment. Really quite strange. I appreciate he's been in and out a lot, but still, the basics of being a midfielder for our team just weren't there and he had a huge opportunity to showcase his talent.

It's also on Klopp, though, for introducing him in such an important game. Keita must have been incredible in training for Thiago to be dropped.

I thought in the first half hje was the only player in the middle who was trying to take the ball forward, to beat players and create something - I remember a good 3/4 times he beat players, got to about 25 yards out and then was unable to make the final pass.  He was no worse than Fab in that period at that part, and measurably better than Gini - Thiago coming on didn't alter things at all in the middle either.  I can see why he wanted a "bull dozer" in the middle, someone who could try and run with the ball rather than just pass - none of the other 3 (especially Thiago) are capable of that (Henderson at his best is, Fab is ok at it), but after weeks of not trusting him it kinda backfired. 

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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10018 on: April 8, 2021, 11:19:51 pm »
I thought in the first half hje was the only player in the middle who was trying to take the ball forward, to beat players and create something - I remember a good 3/4 times he beat players, got to about 25 yards out and then was unable to make the final pass.  He was no worse than Fab in that period at that part, and measurably better than Gini - Thiago coming on didn't alter things at all in the middle either.  I can see why he wanted a "bull dozer" in the middle, someone who could try and run with the ball rather than just pass - none of the other 3 (especially Thiago) are capable of that (Henderson at his best is, Fab is ok at it), but after weeks of not trusting him it kinda backfired. 

Your right with that.  Almost like Naby was the only player given license to be positive. 
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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10019 on: April 8, 2021, 11:42:44 pm »
I thought in the first half hje was the only player in the middle who was trying to take the ball forward, to beat players and create something - I remember a good 3/4 times he beat players, got to about 25 yards out and then was unable to make the final pass.  He was no worse than Fab in that period at that part, and measurably better than Gini - Thiago coming on didn't alter things at all in the middle either.  I can see why he wanted a "bull dozer" in the middle, someone who could try and run with the ball rather than just pass - none of the other 3 (especially Thiago) are capable of that (Henderson at his best is, Fab is ok at it), but after weeks of not trusting him it kinda backfired. 

Yeah - I largely agree. He wasn't great but he was positive when on the ball.. and the rest of the midfield was horrendous too.
He had a nightmare off the ball ... but I suspect he was given a conflicting brief press high and keep shape/help out at right full back, thats what it looked like  - it was a strange set up that did nothing to stop Kroos having days on the ball or our inside right channel being constantly exposed. Impossible to know if the fault lies in the way it was drawn up or the execution or both.

Happy to hold my hands up that I was excited by the team pre match and thought we could have a go at them however not playing Firmino was probably the bigger error over the midfield line up given how important it is to either a) disrupt them high up the pitch or b) play them on the counter...

I do think Klopp did him dirty to drop him in to a game like that with no minutes and then yank him before the end of the half... I also suspect he knows that and it won't be the last game he starts in the near future. Some of the takes about him post match have been predictably melodramatic

Offline Bjornar

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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10020 on: April 9, 2021, 12:43:33 am »
It seems that there's no 'reasonable' ground in discussing Keita. You're either hyping him up to be the best midfielder in the league or he's a waste of space.

Agreed, good post.
« Last Edit: April 9, 2021, 12:45:46 am by Bjornar »

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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10021 on: April 9, 2021, 06:48:52 am »
I disagree. The problem for Keita on the night wasn't because he is a dribbler, it's because he couldn't' do the basics right. The other issue is his availability.

I second that. I do think there is a place for a player like Keita in our team. Or someone similar who can dribble and progress the ball upwards, but also have a good engine and work hard for the team. It would be crazy to think these two aspects couldn't be found in a player in 2021.
I like Keita a lot, but the problems with injuries and inconsistency are just too much to ignore. And as someone else said the hopes that came with his transfer was set really high. Here we thought we'd get soon a world-class midfielder that would take our midfield to the next level.
No one can say honestly that's been the case with Keita.

It is a shame as he has so many good qualities, and he's very unlucky with injuries but at some point, you need to say enough. The question is, is it this summer? I think that will decide for us, not any price we might get for him. His stock won't be the highest and with COVID most clubs aren't flushed with money these days.

And I don't think you could put in on Klopp that much to start Keita. I was hopeful as I always am with our all players.

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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10022 on: April 9, 2021, 12:15:02 pm »
Klopp taking him off before half time really means nothing regarding his future. We made a mistake, 50m investment on a player who is physically not good enough. The club is trying to make it work even gave him so much time off and this will continue until his contract ends because I can't see the money guys happy with selling him for 5m or so.

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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10023 on: April 9, 2021, 02:45:26 pm »
UCL Final 2021

Man City 0-1 Liverpool
         
                    Keita 90+4

We can dream......

Fucking hell - no thanks...that looks like it'd be quite stressful!  ;D

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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10024 on: April 9, 2021, 10:27:47 pm »
UCL Final 2021

Man City 0-1 Liverpool
         
                    Keita 90+4

We can dream......

At least that might boost his sale value I guess.
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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10025 on: April 10, 2021, 12:57:40 am »
Honestly, all the talks about selling him this summer is too reactive. Look at our midfield, Gini will go, Shaquiri will go, Milner will probably go. If there's one player to be sold, it should be Ox. He's older, has a lower peak, is just as injury-prone, and even offers less than Keita when available, but doesn't get the stick because the expectation with him is low.

What if we sell both? Then we only have Fabinho, Henderson (now turns 31), Thiago (30) and Jones (not starting 11 material yet) as our midfielders. We're not gonna go into the new season with 4 midfielders for 3 slots (2 of them over 30 and have injury problems as well). Do we have the money to buy not 1 but 2 quality midfielders to replace them? No. Then may as well keep the one with more potentials.

Offline decosabute

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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10026 on: April 10, 2021, 05:45:43 am »
Klopp taking him off before half time really means nothing regarding his future. We made a mistake, 50m investment on a player who is physically not good enough. The club is trying to make it work even gave him so much time off and this will continue until his contract ends because I can't see the money guys happy with selling him for 5m or so.

This basically.
He's not a bad footballer and he clearly wants to do well, but it's hard to argue he's been anything other than a flop at this point, considering the money paid and what he was brought in to be. He's a bit like Sturridge without the amazing 18 months to start with.

And I don't think it's only fitness that's cost him either. A run of games would indeed do him the world of good, but I also think he's a player who won't ever lift or prevent a bad team performance. He's certainly shown he can contribute to a good team performance, but I don't think he's got much ability to lift the team when the chips are down. It's not a coincidence that three of his only starts are three of our absolute worst and most wide-open performances of the season - Villa (a), Fulham (h), Madrid (a).

I agree that his career almost certainly isn't over at Liverpool - we'll try to make the most of having him, purely because we're not selling him for buttons and I'd imagine he's on fairly big wages. I wouldn't even be surprised if he starts today. But I just can't see the manager throwing him in for a game as big as Madrid ever again, unless he's had a long run of games and good form leading up to it. And I don't see that part happening as it frankly hasn't happened in three years.
« Last Edit: April 10, 2021, 05:51:36 am by decosabute »

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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10027 on: April 10, 2021, 10:33:03 am »
The most consistent performers in those two number 8 slots under Klopp have been Henderson and Wijnaldum, two players who run all day, are tactically disciplined and don't contribute much to our attacking play.  Thiago hasn't really lit up the league, Keita has struggled, Ox did ok for a spell but is in and out, Jones has had to curtail his more attacking instincts and play within himself, and Milner hasn't got the legs for it anymore.

It's the current system, it doesn't really suit forward-thinking, progressive midfielders.  If we're going to persist with this playstyle, then we should be looking for midfielders with great engines and tactical nous.  Being good dribblers or passers doesn't really count for a huge amount in our set up as it is.

The team in recent seasons (from pretty much the Coutinho sale) has been based around a front line that scores regularly and full backs that bomb on and regularly set them up. The function of the midfield has been more tactical and to keep things ticking over.

It's not necessarily by design though. We signed Keita and Ox to be more attacking and create and score but both have been battered by injuries. We signed Thiago to make things happen on the ball and keep things ticking over, then he was injured for nearly half a season. Therefore without Fabinho and Henderson in there as well we had nobody in there who was either helping the defence effectively or the attack and that's when we fell off a cliff.
Could have done with Grujic and even Chirivella to tide us over this season

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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10028 on: April 10, 2021, 10:36:48 am »
And I don't think it's only fitness that's cost him either. A run of games would indeed do him the world of good, but I also think he's a player who won't ever lift or prevent a bad team performance. He's certainly shown he can contribute to a good team performance, but I don't think he's got much ability to lift the team when the chips are down. It's not a coincidence that three of his only starts are three of our absolute worst and most wide-open performances of the season - Villa (a), Fulham (h), Madrid (a).

You could just as easily be talking about Wijnaldum there. The difference is Gini has always stayed fit.

The team lacks leaders in general and have always looked to Van Dijk and Henderson.
Could have done with Grujic and even Chirivella to tide us over this season

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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10029 on: April 10, 2021, 10:42:52 am »
He still has a future here. But he and the whole team need to show a reaction. People will remember those players who really tried to stand up and be counted during the poor run.

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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10030 on: April 10, 2021, 10:52:54 am »
The team in recent seasons (from pretty much the Coutinho sale) has been based around a front line that scores regularly and full backs that bomb on and regularly set them up. The function of the midfield has been more tactical and to keep things ticking over.

It's not necessarily by design though. We signed Keita and Ox to be more attacking and create and score but both have been battered by injuries. We signed Thiago to make things happen on the ball and keep things ticking over, then he was injured for nearly half a season. Therefore without Fabinho and Henderson in there as well we had nobody in there who was either helping the defence effectively or the attack and that's when we fell off a cliff.

Good points there man. People think humans are machines but they’re not. Circumstance plays a big hand and you get drop offs. I’m personally unaffected as I expect peaks and troughs, and luckily have a calm disposition during the troughs so long as the fundamentals are sound, which they are in this case.
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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10031 on: April 10, 2021, 11:12:08 am »
As for Naby, great player when he maintains a run in the team. But if he can’t stay fit I don’t see the point in retaining him. I can’t help but feel it’s make or break time for him now (bit like it was for Matip when he suddenly came good fitness wise for a year and helped us win the CL). Naby needs to pull it out the bag now fitness wise. The ability is definitely there.
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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10032 on: April 10, 2021, 11:23:45 am »
As for Naby, great player when he maintains a run in the team. But if he can’t stay fit I don’t see the point in retaining him. I can’t help but feel it’s make or break time for him now (bit like it was for Matip when he suddenly came good fitness wise for a year and helped us win the CL). Naby needs to pull it out the bag now fitness wise. The ability is definitely there.
I can’t see how he can simply choose to stay fit? Are you suggesting that part of it is psychological? I guess the medical staff and physios would have sussed anything like that well before now. I feel that he has just been unlucky and not helped by his national team on occasion.

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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10033 on: April 10, 2021, 11:46:09 am »
Think Madrid just bypassed our midfield with long balls over the top to nullify our press

As Klopp said, that meant a tactical adjustment but no one came out of that night well

Suppose Keita carries the can regardless
A win for the Liverpool country

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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10034 on: April 10, 2021, 11:49:27 am »
You could just as easily be talking about Wijnaldum there. The difference is Gini has always stayed fit.

The team lacks leaders in general and have always looked to Van Dijk and Henderson.

Not a fair comparison at all. Maybe Wijnaldum isn't affecting games enough this season, but he's done more than enough to drag us out of difficult situations over the years. The absolutely huge goals vs Middlesbrough when we needed to win for top 4, and the greatest Anfield night in the club's history spring to mind as two immediate examples. Even this season, Wijnaldum bossed the second half vs Spurs in December, helping us keep the pressure up on them until they caved in.

Keita has never bossed a game or scored a big goal when we really needed it. The only example I could think of is Southampton away in 2019, but that was basically an OG as his header was shanked into the defender's back.
« Last Edit: April 10, 2021, 11:53:19 am by decosabute »

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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10035 on: April 10, 2021, 12:37:45 pm »
Think Madrid just bypassed our midfield with long balls over the top to nullify our press

As Klopp said, that meant a tactical adjustment but no one came out of that night well

Suppose Keita carries the can regardless

What press? There was no attempt to press even when they played through the middle and avoided using long balls 

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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10036 on: April 10, 2021, 01:27:55 pm »
I can’t see how he can simply choose to stay fit? Are you suggesting that part of it is psychological? I guess the medical staff and physios would have sussed anything like that well before now. I feel that he has just been unlucky and not helped by his national team on occasion.

I’ve been a massive Naby supporter and yes he can’t choose to remain fit. But to stay in the squad at this pay level and status he needs to demonstrate he can stay fit and maintain a prolonged run in the team. That’s all I’m saying. You can’t build a team around crocks.
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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10037 on: April 10, 2021, 01:55:59 pm »
He still has a future here. But he and the whole team need to show a reaction. People will remember those players who really tried to stand up and be counted during the poor run.
Personally think we will move him on if we get a decent offer in the summer , his last season at Lepzig he started  23 games with 7 yellows and 2 reds , Wondering  was  it a red flag he was struggling but we had already committed to signing him .
Honestly tought under Klopp he would be successful with us

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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10038 on: April 10, 2021, 02:01:01 pm »
I’ve been a massive Naby supporter and yes he can’t choose to remain fit. But to stay in the squad at this pay level and status he needs to demonstrate he can stay fit and maintain a prolonged run in the team. That’s all I’m saying. You can’t build a team around crocks.
So Gomez, Chamberlain, Matip gone too ?
A win for the Liverpool country

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Re: Naby Keita Watch
« Reply #10039 on: April 10, 2021, 02:52:53 pm »
I’ve been a massive Naby supporter and yes he can’t choose to remain fit. But to stay in the squad at this pay level and status he needs to demonstrate he can stay fit and maintain a prolonged run in the team. That’s all I’m saying. You can’t build a team around crocks.
You are still saying the same thing. It’s not a case of ‘demonstrating’ you are fit, you are either fit or you are not.