We'll all be cursing Karius as soon as he makes a mistake, regardless as much as we want to believe we won't.
I don’t remember being worried about the fullbacks last summer. At this time last year we didn’t know about Clyne’s injury and we thought Milner would play left back. Centerback was the position that was essential to strengthen. Klopp shocked everyone by not signing anyone. On one hand it worked out. Van Dijk was worth waiting for and helped us get to the Champions League final. On the other hand, by the time we got him City had already run away from us. Are we willing to take that risk again with goalkeeper? Is there even a VVD equivalent at the goalkeeper position that is worth waiting for? Are we willing to put all of our hopes of winning the title in the hands of Danny Ward? Maybe Ward is this year’s TAA, but fullback is a much less crucial position than goalkeeper. If Trent and Andy didn’t work out there was Clyne, Gomez, Milner, and Moreno. Putting our faith in Ward is far more risky. There is also more at stake. We have a squad capable of winning trophies. The biggest threat to our season is poor play from our goalkeeper. I think it needs to be addressed now, even if that means overpaying or going for secondary targets.
I think we are putting too much emphasis on GK - yes - it is an important position (perhaps the most important position) but only because there is only one on each team, and it is unique...GK will make mistakes - as all players do (and all GK do!)...it's just that, often, a GK mistake leads directly to a goal... If we score more than the other team - the GK mistake can get swept under the rug (like Loris' did in the WC Final)...if we don't, then the mistake comes out glaring and is hard to forget...
I think having a good backline is way more valuable than a good keeper. To me, the main problem of some of these trains of thought is that they are kind of presupposing that LFC will realistically challenge for the title. I don't think that really makes sense... they could have missed top 4 last season. Yeah, you could point to how things have changed and extenuating circumstances at the time, but they still almost finished 5th. I think a quality backup in attack is more important than spending big on a keeper -- I'd take Shaqiri and Fekir over Alisson every day of the week. Now, next summer if they don't get a really good/expensive keeper, there's basically no excuse. Agreed.
The goal this season is to challenge for the title. Our transfer business this summer will be done with that goal in mind. It doesn’t matter if you believe we are ready, because the manager does. This isn’t a discussion about which position is more important. We have already signed Shaquiri. We are possibly going back in for Fekir, and if not we will go for an alternative. Signing a goalkeeper is not at the expense of any other position. The question is whether or not Klopp should be stubborn like he was with VVD or if we should make sure that we get a goalkeeper in this summer. I am not ready to start this season with Karius and Ward as our goalkeeping options.
If we don’t think we are ready to challenge for the league they might as well just hand it to City now, since all the odds makers have us as the second favorites. Good thing it wasn’t just handed to Chelsea at the start of last season after they ran away with it the previous season. We saw how it worked out for them. It will be near impossible for City to maintain their level of last season.
What people say in the media doesn't really matter... Klopp "thinks" lots of things. He also said that he's confident in Karius and Ward. So that shows how much a quote given to a newspaper is worth. Regardless if you honestly think Naby, Fabinho, a full season of VVD, Shaqiri, and maybe Alisson and Fekir are going to have a decent chance to dissolve City's 25 point from last season, I disagree. I think they are all really good signings, and they should absolutely not be 25 points behind City next season, but overtaking them is about more than a few signings. Either way, that has nothing to do with how the actual squad should prepare. Of course they should prepare to try and win every competition, but there is no "we" in terms of results -- they are the people in the club with the real ability and chance to impact the matches, while supporters are categorically a separate thing. Chelsea and City really aren't comparable. Chelsea won because of very specific circumstances, namely no Europe and pretty great injury luck, City had no such benefits but still set prem records and then didn't go and lose players essential to the way they play. Not the same, for me. But we'll see, I'd love to be surprised by LFC really challenging City for the title late into March or April. That would be great.
What does that have to do with signing a goalkeeper? If you want to be ultra negative about our chances this season that’s fine, but why not address the most obvious weakness in the squad?
With the injuries we had without TAA or Robertson playing at the level they did there is no way we get top 4 or make it to the CL finals. Milner played ok last year but no where near the level of Andy either going forward or back. So who else were you comfortable with, Moreno? Last year it was left back and CB that most thought were the highest need. I think it's our back line, especially with VVD that gave us the clean sheets. It's only that our back line and Mid field is bolstered that the GK position looks like a weak link. Last year I don't think anyone thought Karius or Mingolet was the answer in goal but we also had a lot of other weaknesses.
Saying they’ll improve is ultra negative? I don’t think keeper is the most obvious weakness, it’s just a popular emotional refrain due to recent events... the most important of which happened when a guy was concussed. And if you weren’t worried about the fullbacks before the breakout of both Robertson and TAA I don’t think you’ve been paying close attention.
Fullback was not a problem the season before last. Clyne and Milner were both quality. The main issue last summer was centerback and we didn’t sign one. It’s a similar situation with goalkeeper at the moment. I’m not getting into an endless debate about this with you. Rumors today that we could still be in for Allison. Hope it’s true and we get a deal done.
#Alisson is close to @LFC, talks ongoing with @OfficialASRoma @SkySport @SkySportsNews— Gianluca Di Marzio (@DiMarzio) July 17, 2018 1019208077848039424 is not a valid tweet id
lots of Allison hubbub this morning. he's apparently taken references of Roma out of his instragram page and followed the liverpool tranfer messiah, paul joyce.
Until people start following private jets on some weird aeroplane radar sex fantasy app, I don't believe a thing. Fake news
LFC have lodged bid in region of £62m for Roma keeper Alisson.— Chris Bascombe (@_ChrisBascombe) July 17, 2018 If this doesn’t work out, we still have Danny Ward.
i think the tweets from pearce and bascombe are more significant than in years past, as the club seemed to have put a tight lid on their moves -- and even doubled down on it post-fekir... i would think they wouldn't be given this info -- or given permission to put it out -- unless it was practically done.
adding onto this -- also remember that these same guys were given the story that klopp was unlikely to move for a keeper and the happy to give ward his shot at number 1 less than a week ago. (i know it perverse to quote oneself. apologies. i'll probably go blind)
It must of been inconceivable to Roma that we believed in Karius, so we put it out there that we believe in Danny Ward. All for leverage in negotiations.
From the Guardian - we only need to add another 5M... Liverpool have opened talks with Roma over the possible signing of the Brazil goalkeeper Alisson, with an initial offer of €70m (£62.2m) including add-ons being lodged with the Serie A club. Roma are holding out for another €5m to take the total fee to €75m (£66.6m) for the 25-year-old but both clubs are hopeful that an agreement can be reached. Chelsea are also still interested in the Brazilian, should Thibaut Courtois leave. Real Madrid, another possible suitor, have yet to make contact with Roma. Liverpool signed Mohamed Salah from Roma last season but despite the good relationship the clubs enjoy the Italian club would not hesitate to sell Alisson to any other club that matches their valuation. If the deal goes through it would make Alisson the world’s most expensive goalkeeper, eclipsing the €53m paid by Juventus for Gianluigi Buffon in 2001 and the €40m it cost Manchester City to buy Ederson from Benfica last summer.