The Liverpool Thread

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Scouseinthehouse said:
I think the controlling CM Klopp wants, as per all the reliable sources, is Dahoud. And he's prepared to wait a year to get him rather than waste money getting someone he doesn't want a year down the line now.

So if Wijnaldum fills that slot in say 15/20 games now, with Grujic playing 25 or so, both alongside Can, it then allows Wynaldum to move further forward next year when we get Dahoud. With a year under his belt here
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That make a lot more sense to me. Suggests Joe Allen's days are numbered though. Will be tough to prise him for Borussia, but worth the fee.
 
Mike. said:
That make a lot more sense to me. Suggests Joe Allen's days are numbered though. Will be tough to prise him for Borussia, but worth the fee.
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Definitely. On both counts. Not expecting Allen to be here by the end of the window.

I think the captain is under serious pressure this year too. Not least with the lingering injury. This could well be Henderson's last season at Anfield.
 
Scouseinthehouse said:
Definitely. On both counts. Not expecting Allen to be here by the end of the window.

I think the captain is under serious pressure this year too. Not least with the lingering injury. This could well be Henderson's last season at Anfield.
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He needs to get himself to Spain, he would be excellent there.

Feels like a straight shoot between Wijnaldum and Henderson, which is why I initially queried the deal, but again if Henderson is under threat, then his signing makes sense.
 
Mike. said:
He needs to get himself to Spain, he would be excellent there.....
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Completely agree. I really hope Sevilla make a decent offer over him going back to Swansea. The slower, less physical game out there would suit his game down to the ground. Technically excellent footballer Joe. Just lacks that turn of pace to get away and he's a little too undersized for the middle in the PL. But as he showed in Europe and at the Euros, the Spanish game would suit him down the ground.
 
Grujic is a fascinating one - has the stature, the build and the qualities to 'potentially' be very good.

It's been mentioned numerous times, and whilst I'd rather be in it, having no european football could be massive for us being able to have an almost fresh 11 each week and being able to rotate players
 
LFCMarshall said:
Grujic is a fascinating one - has the stature, the build and the qualities to 'potentially' be very good.

It's been mentioned numerous times, and whilst I'd rather be in it, having no european football could be massive for us being able to have an almost fresh 11 each week and being able to rotate players
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Don't know if you caught what Krawietz said about him the other day. He was fair gushing: http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/first-team/227707-melwood-coaches-very-very-optimistic-about-marko-grujic

I've joked on here about him being a giant, and obviously I knew he was tall at 6'3. But seeing him close up at Fleetwood ..... Fella really is a freaking giant. And imposing with it. Ok, it was only against a League One side in their first putting of the summer, but they were bouncing off him. His physical presence alone was lightly impressive. And I honestly thought he was more defensive minded but he was breaking forward all half. It was Lampard-esq the way he was arriving late and finding space the box.

How ready he'll be for Arsenal remains to be seen, but after that highly impressive first outing you wouldn't be worried to see him out there.
 
Mike. said:
That make a lot more sense to me. Suggests Joe Allen's days are numbered though. Will be tough to prise him for Borussia, but worth the fee.
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Out of pure curiosity, as I seem to recall a whiles back you mentioning you specialised in the Bundesliga as part of your work, how good is Dahoud and how good could he become in your opinion?

I mean he looks to have every attribute for a top class controlling CM. But that's from YouTub cut-ups which tell you nothing. I could make myself look top drawer doing that! Honestly, if I didn't know Klopp desperately craved him, he'd hardly register as a name so I'm pretty much in the dark.
 
Scouseinthehouse said:
Out of pure curiosity, as I seem to recall a whiles back you mentioning you specialised in the Bundesliga as part of your work, how good is Dahoud and how good could he become in your opinion?

I mean he looks to have every attribute for a top class controlling CM. But that's from YouTub cut-ups which tell you nothing. I could make myself look top drawer doing that! Honestly, if I didn't know Klopp desperately craved him, he'd hardly register as a name so I'm pretty much in the dark.
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He's part box to box, part playmaker. I'd probably say he's an intelligent box to box mid, knows when to sit back, knows when to break forward, and when to play passes. Needs a dedicated holder next to him, but reminds me of Gundogan, though certainly not on his level. I think he can be as good as Gundogan currently is.
 
Mike. said:
He's part box to box, part playmaker. I'd probably say he's an intelligent box to box mid, knows when to sit back, knows when to break forward, and when to play passes. Needs a dedicated holder next to him, but reminds me of Gundogan, though certainly not on his level. I think he can be as good as Gundogan currently is.
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Phew, high praise indeed. He and Can sounds like a **** of a potential partnership for a lot of years, Hopefully he doesn't extend and the price drops next summer with his contract running down.

Appreciated.
 
Sakho changes squad number to 3. Must be confirmation of him staying?
 
I actually agree with Mike. There's no doubt Wijnaldum is talented and a year ago I would have taken him in a heartbeat. Now though, at double the price, and coming off a season where by all Newcastle reports he had a habit of disappearing when the going got tough, I'm a lot less certain.

The talent is there, it's more a question of the attitude - and of course, whether we really need another player in his position. Versatile yes, but surely we need a more defensive minded CM. And I think Rafa's comments should be taken with a pinch of salt, he's hardly going to be slamming a player they're trying to get a premium price for.
 
PatrickLFC said:
..... - and of course, whether we really need another player in his position. Versatile yes, but surely we need a more defensive minded CM. And I think Rafa's comments should be taken with a pinch of salt, he's hardly going to be slamming a player they're trying to get a premium price for.
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Most definitely that type of midfielder is still a need, but I'd conversely disagree about adding 'another player in his position.' One massive need we haven't had is pace and goals. Klopp's one **** of a coach that has faith in his own ability to coach players up, ala last season and not making a single signing. But they're the two things you can't teach. Particularly speed. Seem's to be a very conscious effort in our dealings to add both height and strength in the middle and at the back for the physicality of this league and in Mane and now Wijnaldum, if he arrives, speed and goals up the other end. Can never have too much of that. Not least when it's been lacking massively from our midfield. We've seen a noticeable change in how quickly we're getting the ball forward in the pre-season games. And he was never afraid to go long at Dortmund and hit over the top. That speed will be vital in transition.

The Rafa article was from not long after he'd taken over at Newcastle mate. It's not a recent one.
 
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Wijnaldum is a decent player if you put him on 10 and is allowed to play close to your striker to make combinations and rush over him like he used to do in the last season at PSV with Luuk De Jong. He disappears when he is sitting deeper, like he did during last World Cup with Holland. And I can't remember when he really played on the wings, unless you go back to his Feyenoord days when he was still a very young player.

I haven't watched him this season, but to me he doesn't really look like an exciting player, except maybe if you're planning on playing countre-football.
 
lxl Ra lxl said:
Wijnaldum is a decent player if you put him on 10 and is allowed to play close to your striker to make combinations and rush over him like he used to do in the last season at PSV with Luuk De Jong. He disappears when he is sitting deeper, like he did during last World Cup with Holland. And I can't remember when he really played on the wings, unless you go back to his Feyenoord days when he was still a very young player.

I haven't watched him this season, but to me he doesn't really look like an exciting player, except maybe if you're planning on playing countre-football.
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Ta for the Dutch view man.

Something else we have a 'supposed' lot of, but not one 'true' player for the position. Number 10. Coutinho isn't a 10. Thought he was going to be, but that's not his game. And he never seems comfortable nor wants to be the 'main man' carrying the side. I think he'll flourish more this year doing his thing with Mane opening up more space for him with his speed in behind. Firmino is the closest we have and I think he'll be in there this year with Coutinho and Mane in the main either side of him. But I'm honestly still not sure what Firmino's best position is. Mane will definitely be playing wide. Even in pre-season he's only been looked at on both sides. Lallana's too slow to recieve, turn and go in the role. Good to know there's a potential pure player there for that role if Wijnuadum arrives.

He was nearly consistently left sided for Newcastle last season. Particularly under Benitez. Think he viewed that as their weakest spot and Wijnaldum one of the clubs best talents so he filled it with him.
 
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Think Wijnaldum getting a tad too much stick here. It was his first season in England and in a ***** side. When the team plays better he plays better. Put him in a better team and he will improve.

11 goals 5 assists in his first Premier league season shows he has something, I think he would be a good buy
 
Average Joe said:
Think Wijnaldum getting a tad too much stick here. It was his first season in England and in a ***** side. When the team plays better he plays better. Put him in a better team and he will improve.

11 goals 5 assists in his first Premier league season shows he has something, I think he would be a good buy
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Goals and speed mate. Invaluable commodities in this game. You can NEVER have too much of either.

I don't know how good or not he'd turn out to be if he signed. But I know he brings them and I know we lack both from midfield.
 
Scouseinthehouse said:
Goals and speed mate. Invaluable commodities in this game. You can NEVER have too much of either.

I don't know how good or not he'd turn out to be if he signed. But I know he brings them and I know we lack both from midfield.
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Signing of Mane and potentially Wijnaldum show what Klopp is after.

Speed and goals from midfield
 
PatrickLFC said:
I actually agree with Mike. There's no doubt Wijnaldum is talented and a year ago I would have taken him in a heartbeat. Now though, at double the price, and coming off a season where by all Newcastle reports he had a habit of disappearing when the going got tough, I'm a lot less certain.

The talent is there, it's more a question of the attitude - and of course, whether we really need another player in his position. Versatile yes, but surely we need a more defensive minded CM. And I think Rafa's comments should be taken with a pinch of salt, he's hardly going to be slamming a player they're trying to get a premium price for.
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Comments were made in March so seemingly genuine
 
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