Topic: Takumi Minamino

[Asam]

Just needs to add a few things to his game and he’ll be a great asset, he’s on the verge of making an impact, just needs to anticipate faster what is going on around him, the rest will come with time

[Zimagic]

I really like Taki, he'll do well here but I do think he's too nice. In a forward line of really nice guys, we could have done with a bit of a cnut, and it's not Taki.

[red_Mark1980]

Happy to be proven wrong in the long run. I just don't see it.

Too slow and weak and simply not good enough for this team

[tubby]

He's just not a false 9, he can't play that Firmino role.  Like one poster said earlier, it'd be great to see him as a 10 behind a striker.

[Rheinbacher]

He looks neat and tidy on the ball but not sure he was the physicality for this league.

[Motty]

Good player but needs to bulk up a bit,  he's had about 3 or 4 chances on the edge of the 6 yard box where he's been muscled off the ball. Apart from that he's technically very good I think.

[ac]

He looks lightweight to me. Should have been stronger for the chance he had in the box.

[red_Mark1980]

He's just not a false 9, he can't play that Firmino role.  Like one poster said earlier, it'd be great to see him as a 10 behind a striker.

So we fundamentally change how we play to accommodate him?

[tubby]

So we fundamentally change how we play to accommodate him?

I think the appeal of Minamino is his technique in tight spaces, his movement, his engine and his ability to play a few different positions in midfield.  I don't remember him really playing as a false 9 for his previous club, and in this league you end up against bruising centre backs, something Bobby can handle because he's incredibly durable and strong for his size.

Minamino has all the attributes of a 10, playing behind a central striker.

[ac]

I think the appeal of Minamino is his technique in tight spaces, his movement, his engine and his ability to play a few different positions in midfield.  I don't remember him really playing as a false 9 for his previous club, and in this league you end up against bruising centre backs, something Bobby can handle because he's incredibly durable and strong for his size.

Minamino has all the attributes of a 10, playing behind a central striker.

If he can only play number 10 then he is going to struggle given Klopp is predominately a 4-3-3 man

[rafathegaffa83]

Really thought we would have been trying some new formations and style of play since we won the league but nope it's been the same team/formation every single game. Would have been nice to try some new things seeing as we're playing well below our best just now and get game time to the likes of minamino and keita who have something to prove

Yep. This was a great opportunity to bring in the likes of Minamino and others in a low-pressure environment

[tubby]

If he can only play number 10 then he is going to struggle given Klopp is predominately a 4-3-3 man

I agree.  My feeling is that buying a player like Minamino and the strong links to Thiago mean we might move towards a more possession-based style as the next evolution of the team.  Either that or he was just too good a player to pass up at the price we could get him for.

[red_Mark1980]

I think the appeal of Minamino is his technique in tight spaces, his movement, his engine and his ability to play a few different positions in midfield.  I don't remember him really playing as a false 9 for his previous club, and in this league you end up against bruising centre backs, something Bobby can handle because he's incredibly durable and strong for his size.

Minamino has all the attributes of a 10, playing behind a central striker.

So you're saying we need to ditch how we've been playing for the last three years. Buy a central striker and find a way we fit our front three into that so we can play him as a ten Behind a striker?

Mmmmm sure.

[Reeves]

If he is to start for the rest of the season which I think he now should, it should be in the bobby role. There's nowhere else he fits in our current system (and he might not fit in the bobby role), rather like Coutinho unfortunately.

[tubby]

So you're saying we need to ditch how we've been playing for the last three years. Buy a central striker and find a way we fit our front three into that so we can play him as a ten Behind a striker?

Mmmmm sure.

No I'm just saying don't play him in the same position Bobby plays.  Play him as one of the two 8s or as a proper 10 behind Mane or Salah if we want to switch things around.

[Oskar]

No I'm just saying don't play him in the same position Bobby plays.  Play him as one of the two 8s or as a proper 10 behind Mane or Salah if we want to switch things around.

He's going to play in that position.

We're not going to change the way we set up to accommodate Minamino. He was bought for that role and it's one he'll be afforded time and patience by the coaching staff to adapt to.

[tubby]

He's going to play in that position.

We're not going to change the way we set up to accommodate Minamino. He was bought for that role and it's one he'll be afforded time and patience by the coaching staff to adapt to.

I hope he succeeds, I really do.

[red_Mark1980]

No I'm just saying don't play him in the same position Bobby plays.  Play him as one of the two 8s or as a proper 10 behind Mane or Salah if we want to switch things around.

Mane and Salah aren't the kind of player you can call a striker.

He looked fine behind someone like Haaland, and how Red Bull set up against us.

I don't think we're ever likely to set up like that and I honestly don't know why we bought him

[jillcwhomever]

He was good today loved the way he and Keita combined for the shot that he had just after they'd come on. He looked much more assured in his normal position a glimpse of the future perhaps.

[Big Dirk]

Thought when he came on he done well..needs to start the next game.

[killer-heels]

Mane and Salah aren't the kind of player you can call a striker.

He looked fine behind someone like Haaland, and how Red Bull set up against us.

I don't think we're ever likely to set up like that and I honestly don't know why we bought him

Maybe he was bought as an opportunity? He was cheap, he was highly rated. If he doesn’t work out, we can sell and make a healthy profit.

[Redcap]

So we fundamentally change how we play to accommodate him?

I think the only fundamental to how we play is that we press intelligently and with intensity.

We have evolved to playing the way we do now because we had the forwards we had with Mo, Bobby and Sadio.

Now the shape of the team is gradually changing, and that means we'll have more options for playing in different ways.

One of those ways will be to have more creative passing/threat from the middle. Having the stodgy middle 3 has been a key feature of how we play, but I think we've been evolving to have more variety to how we attack even in the last two seasons, with bringing in Keita being a key example. Takumi is just going to be another possibility that we'll have.

To be honest I thought he was really good today. He doesn't offer the same type of threat that Mo or Mane does, in that he's not as quick or direct. But he's so intelligent with his positioning, his runs, his passing. Ultimately as he integrates into the squad, that's going to make it a lot easier for us to break down parked buses like the one we saw today.

But I think we need to be patient.

[Kopenhagen]

I'd like to see him start the next game. I thought he did well against Everton and has looked decent enough in some cameos recently.

Re: the positional discussions above: I really think he'll play as an 8 more often than not. I think he's Lallana's replacement (the version we saw in 2016-17). They basically have the same attributes in that role, and the same limitations.

[number 168]

The guy is desperate to succeed and it is hard for him to try and make an impression when he is only a sub, and then sometimes very late on in the game. He has excellent movement, wants to attack and with starts we might see the player we expected him to be.

[duvva 💅]

Can’t see why some seem to want to write him off after 6 months and 12 games for us. Perhaps just wait and see if he can break into the team and get a run of games first?

We should know by now how difficult a team this is to not only break into but to become a well-oiled working part of.

[Willy Poolman]

Can’t see why some seem to want to write him off after 6 months and 12 games for us. Perhaps just wait and see if he can break into the team and get a run of games first?

We should know by now how difficult a team this is to not only break into but to become a well-oiled working part of.

Yep, this is a great point, I agree. He really has just arrived at the club, and the season has been horribly disjointed. Imagine landing in Japan at this time, ready to start a new job. The club likes to give new arrivals a while to settle in now, just like used to happen in the glory years, so that's double the reason to cut him some slack. This is the ideal time to be giving squad members a bit of a run, and I am delighted Jurgen is doing that, at least a little. It helps them get their bearings, or show how they can contribute as we morph into a new variant of the Red Machine next season.

[wemmick]

Hard to imagine what Klopp has in mind for Minamino. I guess I wouldn’t be surprised to see the team shape include a more orthodox #10 sooner than later. Jones seems like a natural #10 as well. Much of the core of our 4-3-3 will be over 28 next year. We don’t have any younger wing-forwards to replace Mo and Sadio and keep playing this way. It’s already an issue, even though our subs work admirably to fill those roles and sometimes find success.

[Lar Salty]

I understand people wanting to stick up for him, but I genuinely can’t see what this kid brings to the squad. He doesn’t look particularly talented, and I have a hard time believing he’s physically capable of being a contributor. I’d love to be proven wrong, but I don’t see anything to be optimistic about at all with Minamino.

[bornandbRED]

I thought he looked good last night. Clearly not a winger, but through the middle he has a tight touch, is nippy and always looking to connect with those around him. He was one of the positives to come out of the game for me.

Not sure why anyone would write him off when he’s barely had the chance to make an impact. Wouldn’t mind him starting the next two.

[Ghost Town]

Tyler kept calling him Salah, so that explains why people here are laying into him already

[Reeves]

Maybe he was bought as an opportunity? He was cheap, he was highly rated. If he doesn’t work out, we can sell and make a healthy profit.

This is it for me. Moneyball signing. They may've thought the same with Shaquri although I've always really rated him. Not seen enough of Mini but both have the similiar problem of not fitting into box to box midfielders nor pacy tricky wide forwards who cut in or a false 9.

[Zimagic]

Tyler kept calling him Salah, so that explains why people here are laying into him already

Its the hair!!

[Amatt]

Happy to be proven wrong in the long run. I just don't see it.

Too slow and weak and simply not good enough for this team

Same for me. Just don’t see anything in him at all that suggests he’ll be a success here. Thought apart from that instance were he could have gone down for a penalty, he was completely anonymous again. Looks like a Championship level player from what I’ve seen so far.

[Alan B'Stard]

Tyler kept calling him Salah, so that explains why people here are laying into him already

I know and Salah wasn’t even on the pitch at that point.

[him_15]

Need to increase his body strength a bit to survive in the Premier league. Go down too easily.

[redk84]

Soon as the title was mathematically ours i'd have had him playing as much as possible. Get as much minutes with first team as its a good opportunity.

Hasn't played as much as I'd have hoped but he was good last night.
Definitely needs to add strength

[LallanaInPyjamas]

Soon as the title was mathematically ours i'd have had him playing as much as possible. Get as much minutes with first team as its a good opportunity.

Agreed, especially with Firmino playing like a Sunday League player since the turn of the year.

Ridiculous people are writing him off already to be honest after a fairly bright cameo. The way he let the ball run across him before getting his shot on target was really impressive and showed a great appreciation of his surroundings. He's very agile and clearly loves a give-and-go so I think he's going to be a good option against bus-parkers. We looked much less stodgy when him and Keita came on.

[royhendo]

If our eyes had been open he’d have tapped in twice. He will be fine. Got absolutely halved not long after coming on and the ref did nowt - ordinarily we would have taken our own retribution but I think that’s what betrayed they’re thinking of it as pre season. Nobody really got that physical.

[JackWard33]

No idea if he’ll be good enough from what we’ve seen but the one thing that stands out is that he comes back to the ball a lot... like really a lot.

[HeartAndSoul]

There must be a player in there. Usually in a klopp team, players usually take about 6 months to settle and this pandemic probably hasn't helped with him settling in due to the stop start.

Weren't most of our players so impressed with him after the first leg against Salzburg that they advised klopp to have a serious look at him?

I'm sure I read an article saying that after we signed him