This isn't Pornhub: The LFC Summer (Lack of) Transfers Thread 2024

I removed the bulk of what you said for space reasons only - I don;t disagree at all with you (for a change!)

I just think we are being somewhat negative.

I rate Gravenberch and Bajcetic as good enough if they are (one of them for the other) fit. If not it'll have to be Endo alongside someone. It's not ideal - but to me (barring a plethora of injuries) not a disaster.

I don't really buy the "ran out of legs" argument for last year, frankly.
Those legs created enough amount of dangerous possession and chances in Man Utd. Everton and Palace games to handily win them. As many as one would expcet at any point in a season. We didn;t put the ball in the net. We could have, even given whatever seasonal tiredness we were suffering. And then it's a different story.
(And Atalanta would have done anyone on a good day IMO.)

Then by West Ham it was becoming pointless and we gave up the ghost, basically.....

So, I'm hopeful enough .. albeit with, as you say, with fingers crossed re injuries.

 

Who have Man City signed this summer who is better than what they have?

(I'll give Arsenal Calafiori...)

 

he was standing on the field when they cheated him out of a Champions League.
He might as well join Man Utd as far as I'm concerned, after that.

 

Holding Karius responsible makes more sense than anyone on Madrid… but even if that wasn’t the case, Ramos (like Karius) is long gone.

Mostly my point remains — Liverpool haven’t given him a reason to stay. Why should he sign? He’s done everything at Liverpool already, there will likely be no recreation of that historic (and fantastic) run, his manager is gone, most of the squad looks like it will be turned over by next June, and a performance/trophy dip seems to be happening before all our eyes.

 

There is a always a risk of injuries, but the down side risk means we probably finish 4th.

 

I'm not ruling them out by any means, I'm just not convinced they have done anything meaningful in the market that's going to push them from an 89 point team to 97/98+ point team. When Klopp's team took off they blasted their way to a CL final and the huge points haul followed. Arsenal fell down against a decidedly average Bayern. They have added a defender, Raya is their keeper, Partey and Jorginho will play significant minutes, Martinelli and Jesus both only had 8 goals all comps. Its just as likely they take a step back as they kick on. Their squad is as susceptible to key injuries as we are. Any of Saka, Odegaard or Rice go down for a period and they aren't anywhere close to the same team. Game against Villa this weekend will tell a lot.

City is City, but they have 19 senior players, including Bobb and Lewis. They may win again, but I'd be shocked if they get to 97/98+ points.

 

Slot seemed to suggest this morning that Gomez is likely to stay. Hope so.

 

LOL. You've really talked yourself into believing our boys are crap all because we fell a few games short last year. No way Dom, Macca, Nunez, Elliott, Salah, Trent, Robbo, Konate, Grav, Diaz or Jota can improve on last year.

 

Safe to say that there are very few who actually know the situation with TAA. Very few. There are many reasons, not all of them bad why he hasn’t signed a new contract.

For anyone claiming that this means he’s off to Real, Bayern or Doncaster Rovers, frankly you’re talking out of your arse. You don’t know.

Some different scenarios:
1. TAA may have refused to enter negotiations to increase his leverage but is going to stay
2. The club may have decided he’s the next Coutinho, sell him to relaunch the team
3. The two sides may be deep in negotiations, close to a deal and don’t want to leak anything lest negotiations are f.ucked up
4. Maybe they’re in a cooling off period, being so far unable to reach an agreement
5. Maybe TAA is on his way, but maybe he really doesn’t want to go to Madrid, so both sides are trying to find a mutually acceptable club.
6. And so on. There are many scenarios that would account for the lack of action or progress and no one except those on the extreme inside know the state of play.

So speculate away, but no one except the chosen few really know anything.

 

Liverpool are closely monitoring Bayer Leverkusen and Ecuador defender Piero Hincapie, 22. (Football Insider)

edit: here's the piece .....

Liverpool are closely monitoring Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie, sources have told Football Insider.

Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, senior correspondent Pete O’Rourke revealed that the 22-year-old has been on Liverpool’s radar for “quite a long time.”
The Ecuador international is a versatile player who is wanted by several other Premier League clubs as well.

However, Liverpool will only make a move to try and sign him if they lose a couple of centre-backs before the transfer window closes.

The Reds sold Sepp van den Berg to Brentford on Thursday on a five-year deal, and Joe Gomez could follow him out of Anfield.

 

Listen, I’m just talking about the assertion that City and Arsenal can’t improve. No one but you is talking about “97 points”, unless I missed something? No one needs to get to 97 points to win the current league… there are 2 actual contenders, 90 will do juuuust fine. And this Liverpool aren’t getting to 90 points.

Whats the other X factor at play here… oh yeah, Klopp! He’s gone too if I remember correctly. Did he have any impact on positive results/playing above sum of the parts? Do Arse and City also have new managers?

Nothing left to do but see how it plays out. I hope I’m wrong and you’re right, I just don’t think that’s what’s going to happen. Barring a couple surprise transfers, this level of investment in this squad and upcoming season is pathetic IMO.

 

In the second final, he was as culpable for letting Vinicius ghost in and score that solitary goal, though. I do agree, that is all in the past but players must also accept being part of a team that failed and some responsibility for that failure.

Klopp left a good core around which to build and I expect we will. But I see little reason to buy just for buying sake— that’ is what Man U has been doing since Ferguson left. Of course we must also plan for the inevitable decline if Salah, van Dijk and Injuries and fitness catching up with Robertson— mistakes we made during Klopp’s tenure.

Unlike most people around here, I feel the area which this summer needs improving (not strengthening) is the forward line not midfield. We did not score enough goals from the chances created last season and are, in my view, a Jota-injury from being borderline toothless. Unless Diaz, Nunez and Gakpo step up their contributions.

 

I think Ronald Koeman, of all people, showed how to get the best out of Gakpo - play him on the left, exclusively with a roaming mandate - and as for Diaz and Nunez, interesting conundrums. Are they what they are now or can better players be coaxed out of them?

 

I agree with all of that ,RB. We have a very good squad basically the same squad which got us third place last season. I don't want to buy any players just for the sake of it and I agree with your point about finding players to improve the squad.

Can we find a better player than Endo ? Matip has gone , Virg is 33 , Konate has a history of injuries so can we add both depth and also continuity at cb?

I'd also like to see more goals from the forwards too.

Any squad can be improved and never underestimate the galvanising effect a couple good signings can have on the rest of the squad.

 

Edwards has been back since May, right? If they were truly in for Gordon and Zubimendi, what is keeping them from moving on to 2nd targets? That's not spending for the sole sake of spending... it's merely addressing the areas of the squad that, due to those initial (failed) inquiries, have already been publicly acknowledged; CB, 6, the attack in general... those are areas of need.

This squad is decent, they should get top 4. But they should have gotten top 4 in 22/23 too. Sometimes things go wrong, and this squad is fairly thin in multiple positions. Why just roll the dice?

All that is only exacerbated by the contract situations faced with Mo/Virg/Trent... I just don't understand this approach.

 

Finally, a signing to strengthen the tea-a keeper you say? Immediately on loan, you say?

 

aha - so that's what you do in your non-posting hours.

 

Romano reporting we’ve made contact for Chiesa.

Strange