Scouseinthehouse
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As today is the first game of a new era, I thought I’d take a look at the state of the squad and where I see things going into this coming season-
GOALKEEPER.
Alisson. 33.
Jaros. 25. HG.
Marmardashvili. 25.
Woodman. 29. HG.
Sound across the board in nets.
——————————————————————
RB.
Bradley. 23. HG.
Frimpong. 25. HG.
Ramsay. 22. HG.
You’d expect Ramsay to be sold. Bradley we know is top quality. But thanks to that
Martinelli, he’s out long term. 
Frimpong I personally believe will really flourish under Iraola. I’ve seen more than enough of him at Leverkusen, tearing up the Bundesliga and European competition, to think he’s a perfect fit for what Iraola does with his FB’s pushing them on. Not personally concerned at all over his sketchy debut season. And the injury’s were a combination of the different intensity in the PL. And the lack of intensity in our play and training. Another thing Iraola should fix.
DEFO need to add an experienced, dependable right-full of some description.
——————————————————————
LB.
Kerkez. 22.
Tsimikas. 30.
Kerkez is locked in for the next decade at left full. He came on leaps and bounds the more last season went. Should be totally back to what he was at Bournemouth under Iraola. One of the best LB’s in the league. I wouldn’t say no at all to replacing Nick the Greek like. But I’m personally sound for another season, as much as I don’t care for him, with Tsimikas backing him up. Doesn’t complain being second-fiddle. Very experienced International. Knows the club and is brilliant in the changies for daily enthusiasm and moral. Perfect for the back-up role.
——————————————————————
CH.
Gomez. 29. HG.
Jacquet. 21.
Leoni. 19. U21/ Will be HG.
van Dijk. 35.
DESPERATELY need someone here.
The one area that is a REAL mess.
Jacquet and Leoni are two of the best and most sought after young CH’s in Europe. No concerns there long term. But neither have played a single second in the PL. And Leoni is coming off a horror injury. Joe is Joe. You’d expect him to start the season partnering big Virg. Which is as solid as it gets across the entire league. But you just know he’ll sadly break down sooner, rather than later. And we can’t be asking the skipper to go every single game, at 35, again.
They’ve done really well over the past few years recruiting some top teenage talent back there. But it’s imperative at least one senior centre-half is added for this season. I’d say 2. But I’m mindful that we’ll more than likely be exercising Quansah’s much cheaper buy-back clause next summer.
——————————————————————
MIDFIELD.
Bajcetic. 21. U21/ Will be HG.
Endo. 33.
Gravenberch. 24.
Jones. 25. HG.
Nyoni. 19. U21/ Will be HG.
Szoboszlai. 25.
10.
Elliott. 23. HG.
Mac Allister. 27.
Wirtz. 23.
Sound here for both quality numbers and young legs. Bajcetic rejoining team training this pre-season is a major boost. As is having Harvey back the squad. You’d expect Endo to leave to free up a non-HG slot. And Nyoni to see a sizeable increase in his games as he continues to develop rapidly.
If they add another, sound. Many would say a DM. But Iraola never has played with a specialist DM. His pressing and having players stepping up through the levels, in this case one of the CH’s, is how he makes defensive midfield work. So nowhere near as pressing a need as it was under Arne. But if we choose to just add in other areas, then we should be more than sound in the middle.
Early shout for Wirtz to be both our, and the PL, player of the year BTW. He’ll come alive under Iraola’s style in the little pockets he picks up. Can well see him returning to Leverkusen levels and what he was when we signed him. One of the very best, and most sought after, under 23 year-olds in the World.
——————————————————————
RW/ LW.
Chiesa. 28.
Munoz. 23.
Ngumoha. 17. HG.
Morrison. 19. U21/ Will be HG.
LW.
Gakpo. 27.
The other BIG, glaring need. And why we are going all out for the VERY best available.
Chiesa won’t be here. Buttons gamble but he just has no pace for the PL after the horrific injury sadly. And he’s hogging a vital, non-HG slot like Endo. Rio you’d think will see a significant increase in game time. Munoz looks a super smart addition/ fit. The versatility in both those two is what Iraola craves in his widemen. Who he often switches wings mid-game. Never mind to start. Gakpo’s reliable experience. But you wonder how happy he will be with what you’d expect as the season goes on. Him falling back to backing-up Rio?
IMPERATIVE we get Barcola over the line. I believe we will like and an official bid will be going in very soon now the club know he wants to come. They’ve worked on this for too long, and have coveted him for too many years, for them not to get him. And he is another perfect, versatile fit for an Iraola winger.
I don’t even want to think of the alternative if we somehow mess that up at this stage given the severe drop off to the next level of widemen on the market.
——————————————————————
CF. ?
Ekitke. 24.
Isak. 26.
Danns. 20. U21/ Will be HG.
Wright. 18. U21/ Will be HG.
Funny one this as Ekitike should be back the second half of the season. And there’s no 2 better number 9’s, with contrasting styles, than he and Alex at any club across Europe. So you don’t want to spend big on a third who will be limited for game time going forward. Danns is ideal for that role but the fitness issues are becoming a big concern. Wright might develop into that man but there’s a LOT of development to go.
An experienced, multifaceted front man late in the window would be ideal to cover across the front line.
——————————————————————
We only have ONE non-HG slot left too so the likes of Endo and Chiesa really do have to be moved on ASAP!
2 HG slots available.
——————————————————————
——————————————————————
Still big work to do the window. But if we add Barcola, an experienced CH and RB, regardless of who else follows to fill out the squad, I think we’re as sound as anyone else going into the season. Nobody should be taking anything of anything from last season given the context of everything we had to deal with. This season will be completely different regardless. And although we left Arne short in numbers last summer, the top, top quality additions we did make will proper thrive under Iraola. Give him those three or four additions, and this is a serious PL/ CL challenging squad.
Over to you Liverpool to get boxing what’s needed. If you don’t, I don’t know what to say.
But anyway. We can forget all that worry today and just enjoy the mighty Reds being back in action!
GOALKEEPER.
Alisson. 33.
Jaros. 25. HG.
Marmardashvili. 25.
Woodman. 29. HG.
Sound across the board in nets.
——————————————————————
RB.
Bradley. 23. HG.
Frimpong. 25. HG.
Ramsay. 22. HG.
You’d expect Ramsay to be sold. Bradley we know is top quality. But thanks to that
Martinelli, he’s out long term. Frimpong I personally believe will really flourish under Iraola. I’ve seen more than enough of him at Leverkusen, tearing up the Bundesliga and European competition, to think he’s a perfect fit for what Iraola does with his FB’s pushing them on. Not personally concerned at all over his sketchy debut season. And the injury’s were a combination of the different intensity in the PL. And the lack of intensity in our play and training. Another thing Iraola should fix.DEFO need to add an experienced, dependable right-full of some description.
——————————————————————
LB.
Kerkez. 22.
Tsimikas. 30.
Kerkez is locked in for the next decade at left full. He came on leaps and bounds the more last season went. Should be totally back to what he was at Bournemouth under Iraola. One of the best LB’s in the league. I wouldn’t say no at all to replacing Nick the Greek like. But I’m personally sound for another season, as much as I don’t care for him, with Tsimikas backing him up. Doesn’t complain being second-fiddle. Very experienced International. Knows the club and is brilliant in the changies for daily enthusiasm and moral. Perfect for the back-up role.
——————————————————————
CH.
Gomez. 29. HG.
Jacquet. 21.
Leoni. 19. U21/ Will be HG.
van Dijk. 35.
DESPERATELY need someone here.
The one area that is a REAL mess.
Jacquet and Leoni are two of the best and most sought after young CH’s in Europe. No concerns there long term. But neither have played a single second in the PL. And Leoni is coming off a horror injury. Joe is Joe. You’d expect him to start the season partnering big Virg. Which is as solid as it gets across the entire league. But you just know he’ll sadly break down sooner, rather than later. And we can’t be asking the skipper to go every single game, at 35, again.
They’ve done really well over the past few years recruiting some top teenage talent back there. But it’s imperative at least one senior centre-half is added for this season. I’d say 2. But I’m mindful that we’ll more than likely be exercising Quansah’s much cheaper buy-back clause next summer.
——————————————————————
MIDFIELD.
Bajcetic. 21. U21/ Will be HG.
Endo. 33.
Gravenberch. 24.
Jones. 25. HG.
Nyoni. 19. U21/ Will be HG.
Szoboszlai. 25.
10.
Elliott. 23. HG.
Mac Allister. 27.
Wirtz. 23.
Sound here for both quality numbers and young legs. Bajcetic rejoining team training this pre-season is a major boost. As is having Harvey back the squad. You’d expect Endo to leave to free up a non-HG slot. And Nyoni to see a sizeable increase in his games as he continues to develop rapidly.
If they add another, sound. Many would say a DM. But Iraola never has played with a specialist DM. His pressing and having players stepping up through the levels, in this case one of the CH’s, is how he makes defensive midfield work. So nowhere near as pressing a need as it was under Arne. But if we choose to just add in other areas, then we should be more than sound in the middle.
Early shout for Wirtz to be both our, and the PL, player of the year BTW. He’ll come alive under Iraola’s style in the little pockets he picks up. Can well see him returning to Leverkusen levels and what he was when we signed him. One of the very best, and most sought after, under 23 year-olds in the World.
——————————————————————
RW/ LW.
Chiesa. 28.
Munoz. 23.
Ngumoha. 17. HG.
Morrison. 19. U21/ Will be HG.
LW.
Gakpo. 27.
The other BIG, glaring need. And why we are going all out for the VERY best available.
Chiesa won’t be here. Buttons gamble but he just has no pace for the PL after the horrific injury sadly. And he’s hogging a vital, non-HG slot like Endo. Rio you’d think will see a significant increase in game time. Munoz looks a super smart addition/ fit. The versatility in both those two is what Iraola craves in his widemen. Who he often switches wings mid-game. Never mind to start. Gakpo’s reliable experience. But you wonder how happy he will be with what you’d expect as the season goes on. Him falling back to backing-up Rio?
IMPERATIVE we get Barcola over the line. I believe we will like and an official bid will be going in very soon now the club know he wants to come. They’ve worked on this for too long, and have coveted him for too many years, for them not to get him. And he is another perfect, versatile fit for an Iraola winger.
I don’t even want to think of the alternative if we somehow mess that up at this stage given the severe drop off to the next level of widemen on the market.
——————————————————————
CF. ?
Ekitke. 24.
Isak. 26.
Danns. 20. U21/ Will be HG.
Wright. 18. U21/ Will be HG.
Funny one this as Ekitike should be back the second half of the season. And there’s no 2 better number 9’s, with contrasting styles, than he and Alex at any club across Europe. So you don’t want to spend big on a third who will be limited for game time going forward. Danns is ideal for that role but the fitness issues are becoming a big concern. Wright might develop into that man but there’s a LOT of development to go.
An experienced, multifaceted front man late in the window would be ideal to cover across the front line.
——————————————————————
We only have ONE non-HG slot left too so the likes of Endo and Chiesa really do have to be moved on ASAP!
2 HG slots available.
——————————————————————
——————————————————————
Still big work to do the window. But if we add Barcola, an experienced CH and RB, regardless of who else follows to fill out the squad, I think we’re as sound as anyone else going into the season. Nobody should be taking anything of anything from last season given the context of everything we had to deal with. This season will be completely different regardless. And although we left Arne short in numbers last summer, the top, top quality additions we did make will proper thrive under Iraola. Give him those three or four additions, and this is a serious PL/ CL challenging squad.
Over to you Liverpool to get boxing what’s needed. If you don’t, I don’t know what to say.
But anyway. We can forget all that worry today and just enjoy the mighty Reds being back in action!
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