Tbh I didn't think we'd see Grav again this season so that alone makes it a +ve. Endo a knock I can live with, anything non muscular with him and Nunez are usually ok and can play again in a week.
I'd like to, once again, go on record and say I thought his signing was wasteful due to his atrocious injury record throughout his career - at the time we signed him. I can't even say he was a disappointment because I expected nothing from him given he would never give us anything other than sporadic bits of play. Sadly, I was proven right. A player who could have been the best midfielder in the world, betrayed by a body unwilling to adhere to the demands of professional football.
When leaving the stadium in a boot, it's usually a matter of 'how long will he be out' rather than 'if he will be out.'
One of those weird ones where you seem so happy to be proven right. he was instrumental in us securing the CL the year after we won the title as he played all the games down the stretch and bossed it. He was also a key player in almost incredible 21-22 season. Agreed that we took a risk - but sometimes you have to. At least we only paid 20m in a fee (wages are what they are with any player).
He wasn't on crazy wages and we didn't pay a crazy amount for him, you're right. I wish I wasn't right and he was coming off three years of 30+ appearances in the PL. But why would a club with the goal of winning a treble annually give him away to us in his prime? They knew his body couldn't handle it. He made 98 appearances and our record was W:62 D:15 L:21 with him, or 2.05 points per game. Below our average in 21-22 and this season, above last season.
y'know tips, there's been a few times when I've posted an opinion on here that's turned out to be correct. in fact I'm pretty sure every one of us have. but unlike the rest of us you seem to like to brag that you were RIGHT! at a guess I'd say you've posted to remind us that YOU WERE RIGHT ABOUT THIAGO!!! .... 4 or 5 times. give it a rest, eh? it's way beyond tedious.
The way I see it - he was supposed to give us the ability to break down the low block and really start controlling games - moving from the high pressing all intensity system to the high press when needed and squeeze the life out of you system. To me at least - it's a shame we never got to see the full potential of a truly world class player. I think it's compounded by the fact that he was part of a midfield that included the always injured Keita and regularly injured Ox (and Jones had his early weird injuries and growing pains).
I don't think the only value players have is what they do on the pitch during games. That's only one portion of their impact at a club. Granted an important one, but there is a lot of stuff going on during training sessions, workouts, even injury recovery that we aren't privy to. We had Milner for a long time, and yes he got on the field a lot, but I think he had as big (or perhaps bigger) influence in training and squad cohesiveness. We brought in a lot of Spanish and Portuguese-speaking players and while Milner was undoubtedly a great leader, I don't think he's very fluent in Spanish or Portuguese. I think along with the hope that Thiago would contribute on the field there was a view that here was a true professional player, who was fluent in both English and Spanish (and probably therefore conversant in Portuguese also). This can make a huge difference in settling new players who might otherwise struggle if their language skills are not good enough to help them integrate into the team. So while I'm disappointed that Thiago didn't play more for us, I also think that wasn't the only reason he was brought in. I bet he's played a pretty important role in the dressing room even if not on the pitch.
Yes, do you remember that incident when Klopp was sending Nunez on and called Thiago off the bench to translate to make sure Nunez knew exactly what to do?
Problem is that you and anyone else are only right after the fact in this kind of prescience and not before it. That's a major problem in Vegas with the function of time, my friend... You are correct in the notion that we could have instead signed Scott McTominay and it all would have worked out better!
Yep - certainly was heavily compounded..... And it is a real shame. Fantastic footballer to watch. particularly when operating his magic behind that front three...
not sure about that. my recollection is Thiago did that on his own, while Klopp looked at him with a "wtf are you doing?" look on his face.
Apparently Allison's injury is pretty bad and he's no where close to being available. Thank God for Kelleher, but if something happens to him we get Adrian
Are you trying to say we’re bordering on an injury crisis despite having 10+ first teamers out Shaggy?!?! Not gonna lie, I have no idea what Adrian even looks like these days.
fuxxake .... Paul Joyce, Northern Football Correspondent Friday March 01 2024, 10.30pm GMT, The Times Jürgen Klopp has admitted that Alisson’s hamstring injury is so severe that he will miss a large chunk of the rest of the season, but believes Liverpool’s ambitions remain in safe hands with Caoimhin Kelleher in goal. The Liverpool manager insisted Alisson’s season was not over, but conceded the setback was a “rather serious one” with Saturday’s trip to Nottingham Forest the fifth game in a row he will have missed because of the problem. Mohamed Salah will also again be absent at the City Ground because of a hamstring issue, although Darwin Núñez and Dominik Szoboszlai are poised to return as the visiting side seek to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League. Alisson was injured in training on the eve of the Brentford game on February 17 and Klopp said: “There is no real timescale on it, but it is a proper muscle injury. It is not a short one. It is a rather serious one, but not a season-ending injury.” Klopp’s angst has been eased somewhat by the form of Kelleher, who produced an inspired display as Liverpool beat Chelsea to win the League Cup final at Wembley last Sunday and has now made 17 appearances in all competitions this season. The 25-year-old has been Klopp’s No 1 in the Europa League, and the promise of more appearances headed off any likelihood of Kelleher leaving last summer. In addition, Liverpool’s valuation of the player would have pushed him out of reach for a lot of clubs although Nottingham Forest were credited with showing an interest in Ireland international. That came to nothing with Klopp suggesting the prospect that Kelleher could have left for £20 million as “nonsense.” There were talks with the player before the season, but Klopp said: “It is completely normal that you have these discussions with players who are ready. “An outfield player in a situation like Caoimhin would never come and talk about these sorts of perspectives because they have ten other positions. With a goalkeeper it is slightly different, but it never reached a point whereby it was, ‘You have to stay, shut up’. It was just the normal discussion about his future. “The most important thing was we had to help him on the next step in his development by playing more games. I saw it the same way as what the player would say. I think now he would be pretty happy with the decision he made in the summer. “For me there was no chance of him leaving, so I was not interested in who was asking. It would have had to be a proper price to give us a chance of doing something in a difficult market. “It is not like other goalkeepers moving from A to B for £15 million or £20 million. That is totally unrealistic and nonsense.” Liverpool face Sparta Prague in the Europa League next Thursday before the title showdown with Manchester City at Anfield, which is a realistic target for Salah. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/...pool-jurgen-klopp-caiomhin-kelleher-26s00qrgv
Yeah, saw something that said he wouldn’t be able to resume training until the end of March and even that might be a little early. The question then will be form. If Kelleher continues to play as he has, do you want to substitute a hot keeper for a less hot one coming back from serious injury down the stretch of a title run (assuming we’re still in the race)?
Bit of a seesaw battle between Liverpool and the Egyptian FA over Salah. Basically the position is that if Salah plays any part of any game for Liverpool before the international break, then the Egyptian FA will call him up for their friendly. Apparently Salah is not communicating with the Egyptian FA at the moment; Liverpool have asked that Salah be exempted from the call up regardless of fitness and games played status (primarily because it’s a friendly). Worst case scenario is that the Egyptian FA can request Salah be banned from all football if he refuses to turn up, if fit. This has the potential to be very messy yet.
Its a friendly ffs. The EFA should have just as much interest in maintaining his long term fitness as we do.
Yep. Except FIFA mandates, friendly or no, clubs must release during an official international break.