No “traditional” newsletter today. Liverpool won the Champions League; I wrote about it. So, let’s do another chat instead. I’ll be in there from 10 AM PST to around noon, answering questions. But also: feel free to talk with each other, too! See ya soon.
OK -- that's it for today! Thanks for all the thoughtful Qs. We'll do a bunch more of these, since it seems like there's interest. And if you all feel like continuing to chat in here, go for it. I trust you to not devolve this thing into a YouTube comments section!
Curious on your take for Liverpool's strategy of incoming transfers v. promoting talent from within, and how other teams are managing this as well. As we've seen with Sancho, teams risk losing players if they don't have a route to the first team, but with Liverpool's current primary players all in an age range of 25-28 it seems like bringing in more established players makes sense. It could be a simple question of "promote Brewster and Wilson or sign Werner/Depay/whoever else the rumor of the day lists" but it seems a bigger question than that.
I think its safe to expect Real Madrid and Barca to be back challenging for the champions league very soon, but do you foresee continued premier league dominance in the europa league? It just seems like the gap between 5th-7th place in the premier league and the rest of the top 5 leagues is massive in terms of tv revenue and expectations.
Here is my take: I don't think Sarri at Juventus works on a tactical/squad level.
How does a veteran squad play in that physically demanding style? Pjanic is probably the best suited to play the regista role but that isn't his specialty, right? Are we expected Emre Can or Matuidi to do the running of Allan/Kante? Do they field Ronaldo, Dybala, Bernardeschi and Costa? Is Szczęsny the ball-playing keeper they need?
I think Juventus are in a window to win the Champions League before a lot of their squad ages out of their prime. Learning how to play Sarriball for a season seems like a waste of a season.
Are these concerns valid or am I looking at this too short term?
What does Liverpool's midfield look like next year with Ox coming back and Fabinho seeming to solidify his role? Is there enough minutes to keep Milner, Henderson, Gini, and Keita all happy?
Timo Werner to Liverpool? Could you see him fitting in as a backup for both wing positions AND for Firmino? When I watched last season, I saw him playing some Firmino-esque defense as well as making some slick runs behind defenders on the wings
As a Spurs fan, I’m both excited and nervous about the club’s future. Poch has been a godsend, and in my opinion Levy has to do whatever it takes to get him to stay. If they make some of the rumored transfers (Lo Celso, Ndombele, Sessegnon, Grealish, Maddison, etc.), can they take that next step to actually compete for the league title? Or is this just a case of their ceiling being capped at 3rd/4th place + a consistent quarter finalist in Champions League play?
Leroy Sane, player continues to confuse and slightly disappoint. I'm a passionate die mannschaft fan and I have high hopes for him, but he seems to have fallen out of favor with Pep. I would love to see him get regular playing time, and Bayern seems to be making a play for him, but won't spend over 80 million pounds, so move sounds unlikely (unless thats a negotiation ploy from the Bayern brass). Either way, would love to hear your thoughts on him as a player, and then Bayern's strategy going forward with the rebuild.
When talking about Mustafi, you mentioned that you don't trust basic defensive stats (like tackles and interceptions). Any publicly available data that you trust on defenders? Also, opinions on Chris Smalling (strangely one of the only current United players I like)? You once mentioned that stats models like him.
Between Juventus TV and La Liga's pending in-house OTT platform, will clubs forming entire media divisions be worse for transparency? They already offer exclusive access to interviews, press conferences, and BTS footage- how long until they're bidding for live game rights?? How else is Antoine Griezmann supposed to fulfill his destiny as the next Werner Herzog???
Sturridge, Moreno confirmed leaving today. Likely Mignolet and Lallana and other fringe squad players. Will LFC look to sign like for like replacements - backup GK, Fullback, CAM, Striker? Who do you think they target? Do you think they look to improve any areas or just backfill the edges of the squad?
There is a lot of smoke around this VVD possible Ballon d'or... The question is are there numbers to equate how much better he is in comparison to other cb's around the world? There are endless think pieces and we have lots of data (some good, some bad) about Ronaldo, Messi and other strikers that can be compared against that mold. Those numbers can paint a picture about a player's affect in the game.
Who's the 2nd best defender? Do we have data to back that up? Is it just dribbles defended, clearances, and tackles?
What can Arsenal do to fix the mess they currently find themselves in? Sell both or one of Aubameyang & Lacazette, followed by hard reset with younger Guendouzi-type signings?
Gabriel Jesus? Does he become the awesome, super efficient player he threatened to be in his first 2 seasons, or does he continue to be the silky smooth but low confidence backup option to Aguero? He's about to enter those prime 23-27 years for PL strikers?
What European club team has the largest and most passionate following in the United States? Is it an American owned club like Liverpool? An obvious choice like Real Madrid? More star-centric than team-focused a la PSG?
Will transfer fees this summer be as high as previous years? While I believe transfer fees are steadily inflating, I believe big ticket signings like Neymar inflated fees the past couple windows. I doubt it was a bubble, but was it artificially high?
Can you give us your take on Nicholas Pepe, one of the biggest LFC transfer rumor targets? His youtube highlights are mouth-watering, but so are everyone's.
What big club has been the most successful at keeping squad players who could start at many other teams happy for prolonged stretches? And how have they done that? For Liverpool, I'm specifically thinking about how to replace Moreno and Mignolet with players whom you'd trust in big games (not necessarily to excel; instead, to avoid mistakes).
Did Liverpool have an unusually lucky year in terms of health of its most valuable players? And looking forward, where do you think Liverpool is most lacking in depth?
Should anyone take a chance on Bale this summer? And if so, is there a scenario that you think is smart for a club, whether it’s a loan or permanent deal (feel free to use Tottenham as the example)
What kind of impact do you think Rhian Brewster will make at Liverpool next season? Personally I think he could be an excellent backup to Firmino and he’s got loads of potential
What do you think happens to Chelsea losing Hazard and not being able to make transfers? I suppose we'll see lots of CHO and Pulisic next year? Seems like a rebuilding season almost.
Riffing off Goodman's Ringer article which discusses both the advantages and perils of having all your best players the same age, would you accept an unsolicited $100 million+ offer for Mane/Salah this summer and start the reloading process now? Or give it a few more years?
Hey Ryan. Do you think there's any chance Liverpool's current (let's call it "stats boom") era is a little bit like the early 2010s "La Masia" era Barcelona? What I mean by that is I remember at that time reading a decent amount of stuff that posited the idea that Barca were going to be bringing players of the Messi, Xavi, Busquets, Iniesta level through for the foreseeable future because La Masia was just set up so well. While they are definitely still an amazing team, I don't know that they've really brought through anyone of that level since?
Similarly I feel like I've read a lot of stuff as this season has wound down about the incredible work Liverpool's stats guys have done in the last few years in bringing in guys like Salah, Mane, Firminho, Robertson, etc. And it seems like the belief is that this will continue.
So I guess my question is, do you think Liverpool have had a little bit of hard-work-meets-good-fortune with their signings in the last few years, or is this just the new normal for Liverpool (and teams making analytics based purchases in general)?
Also: if I did another one of these during the Nations League semis tomorrow, would that be of interest?
No one cares about the US u20s against France?!?!?!?!? (It is not going well.)
When will Donnie Kwak eat the cleat???
OK -- that's it for today! Thanks for all the thoughtful Qs. We'll do a bunch more of these, since it seems like there's interest. And if you all feel like continuing to chat in here, go for it. I trust you to not devolve this thing into a YouTube comments section!
Hey Ryan, what are your thoughts on Real Madrid signing Luka Jovic? Also do you have any book recommendations on the beautiful game?
I'm gonna run in a couple minutes, but am around to answer another question or two if anyone has one!
Curious on your take for Liverpool's strategy of incoming transfers v. promoting talent from within, and how other teams are managing this as well. As we've seen with Sancho, teams risk losing players if they don't have a route to the first team, but with Liverpool's current primary players all in an age range of 25-28 it seems like bringing in more established players makes sense. It could be a simple question of "promote Brewster and Wilson or sign Werner/Depay/whoever else the rumor of the day lists" but it seems a bigger question than that.
I think its safe to expect Real Madrid and Barca to be back challenging for the champions league very soon, but do you foresee continued premier league dominance in the europa league? It just seems like the gap between 5th-7th place in the premier league and the rest of the top 5 leagues is massive in terms of tv revenue and expectations.
Here is my take: I don't think Sarri at Juventus works on a tactical/squad level.
How does a veteran squad play in that physically demanding style? Pjanic is probably the best suited to play the regista role but that isn't his specialty, right? Are we expected Emre Can or Matuidi to do the running of Allan/Kante? Do they field Ronaldo, Dybala, Bernardeschi and Costa? Is Szczęsny the ball-playing keeper they need?
I think Juventus are in a window to win the Champions League before a lot of their squad ages out of their prime. Learning how to play Sarriball for a season seems like a waste of a season.
Are these concerns valid or am I looking at this too short term?
Who would be your top transfer targets for Liverpool?
What does Liverpool's midfield look like next year with Ox coming back and Fabinho seeming to solidify his role? Is there enough minutes to keep Milner, Henderson, Gini, and Keita all happy?
Ryan, love the newsletter. Really good data and insightful commentary. A few commentators on the major networks would do well to follow your lead.
Timo Werner to Liverpool? Could you see him fitting in as a backup for both wing positions AND for Firmino? When I watched last season, I saw him playing some Firmino-esque defense as well as making some slick runs behind defenders on the wings
Has there ever been a more fun or catchy player-themed supporters song than the Dirty Old Town remix for Virgil van Dijk? #CalmAsYouLike
As a Spurs fan, I’m both excited and nervous about the club’s future. Poch has been a godsend, and in my opinion Levy has to do whatever it takes to get him to stay. If they make some of the rumored transfers (Lo Celso, Ndombele, Sessegnon, Grealish, Maddison, etc.), can they take that next step to actually compete for the league title? Or is this just a case of their ceiling being capped at 3rd/4th place + a consistent quarter finalist in Champions League play?
Leroy Sane, player continues to confuse and slightly disappoint. I'm a passionate die mannschaft fan and I have high hopes for him, but he seems to have fallen out of favor with Pep. I would love to see him get regular playing time, and Bayern seems to be making a play for him, but won't spend over 80 million pounds, so move sounds unlikely (unless thats a negotiation ploy from the Bayern brass). Either way, would love to hear your thoughts on him as a player, and then Bayern's strategy going forward with the rebuild.
When talking about Mustafi, you mentioned that you don't trust basic defensive stats (like tackles and interceptions). Any publicly available data that you trust on defenders? Also, opinions on Chris Smalling (strangely one of the only current United players I like)? You once mentioned that stats models like him.
What's up with this Griezmann situation, he's out at Atletico, but Barcelona players don't want him? Is this smoke or is he left out to dry?
Between Juventus TV and La Liga's pending in-house OTT platform, will clubs forming entire media divisions be worse for transparency? They already offer exclusive access to interviews, press conferences, and BTS footage- how long until they're bidding for live game rights?? How else is Antoine Griezmann supposed to fulfill his destiny as the next Werner Herzog???
Sturridge, Moreno confirmed leaving today. Likely Mignolet and Lallana and other fringe squad players. Will LFC look to sign like for like replacements - backup GK, Fullback, CAM, Striker? Who do you think they target? Do you think they look to improve any areas or just backfill the edges of the squad?
what will man utd's starting 11 look like next season
If VVD picks up the nations league, it's hard to dispute his legitimate candidacy for Balon D'or
There is a lot of smoke around this VVD possible Ballon d'or... The question is are there numbers to equate how much better he is in comparison to other cb's around the world? There are endless think pieces and we have lots of data (some good, some bad) about Ronaldo, Messi and other strikers that can be compared against that mold. Those numbers can paint a picture about a player's affect in the game.
Who's the 2nd best defender? Do we have data to back that up? Is it just dribbles defended, clearances, and tackles?
Nico Morales, greatest football writer of all time? Thanks.
What can Arsenal do to fix the mess they currently find themselves in? Sell both or one of Aubameyang & Lacazette, followed by hard reset with younger Guendouzi-type signings?
I swoon for USMNT prospects every time.... Any thoughts on this US u20 team this tourney? Can Weah be the LW of the future?
Do you think Getafe will get an opp to play Valencia in a 4th place playoff after the match-fixing scandal that broke today?
Gabriel Jesus? Does he become the awesome, super efficient player he threatened to be in his first 2 seasons, or does he continue to be the silky smooth but low confidence backup option to Aguero? He's about to enter those prime 23-27 years for PL strikers?
hilarious that Real might get Hazard/Jovic in from less than what Coutinho cost Barca.
Messi... best free kick taker in the history of the sport?
What European club team has the largest and most passionate following in the United States? Is it an American owned club like Liverpool? An obvious choice like Real Madrid? More star-centric than team-focused a la PSG?
Will transfer fees this summer be as high as previous years? While I believe transfer fees are steadily inflating, I believe big ticket signings like Neymar inflated fees the past couple windows. I doubt it was a bubble, but was it artificially high?
If you had to choose to sell one of LFC's starting XI, who would it be and who would you choose to replace him?
Calling it now, Leicester will finish at least 6th, maybe even 5th.
Any thoughts on Barca's summer moves?
Do you think Man City will be allowed to play in the Champions League next year?
Can you give us your take on Nicholas Pepe, one of the biggest LFC transfer rumor targets? His youtube highlights are mouth-watering, but so are everyone's.
How do you feel about the proposed change in college soccer to 3 subs and that's it? I'm a big fan
What big club has been the most successful at keeping squad players who could start at many other teams happy for prolonged stretches? And how have they done that? For Liverpool, I'm specifically thinking about how to replace Moreno and Mignolet with players whom you'd trust in big games (not necessarily to excel; instead, to avoid mistakes).
Did Liverpool have an unusually lucky year in terms of health of its most valuable players? And looking forward, where do you think Liverpool is most lacking in depth?
Who takes the African Cup of Nations? Copa?
Should anyone take a chance on Bale this summer? And if so, is there a scenario that you think is smart for a club, whether it’s a loan or permanent deal (feel free to use Tottenham as the example)
What kind of impact do you think Rhian Brewster will make at Liverpool next season? Personally I think he could be an excellent backup to Firmino and he’s got loads of potential
Watching the U-20 France vs. USA match. Who are some of the young prospects for the US outside of the big names in the Bundesliga?
what should southampton do in the transfer window?
What do you think happens to Chelsea losing Hazard and not being able to make transfers? I suppose we'll see lots of CHO and Pulisic next year? Seems like a rebuilding season almost.
Early predictions for next year?
Who are some younger players on Big 6 squads in the EPL that you want to see get more tick next year?
Riffing off Goodman's Ringer article which discusses both the advantages and perils of having all your best players the same age, would you accept an unsolicited $100 million+ offer for Mane/Salah this summer and start the reloading process now? Or give it a few more years?
Hey Ryan. Do you think there's any chance Liverpool's current (let's call it "stats boom") era is a little bit like the early 2010s "La Masia" era Barcelona? What I mean by that is I remember at that time reading a decent amount of stuff that posited the idea that Barca were going to be bringing players of the Messi, Xavi, Busquets, Iniesta level through for the foreseeable future because La Masia was just set up so well. While they are definitely still an amazing team, I don't know that they've really brought through anyone of that level since?
Similarly I feel like I've read a lot of stuff as this season has wound down about the incredible work Liverpool's stats guys have done in the last few years in bringing in guys like Salah, Mane, Firminho, Robertson, etc. And it seems like the belief is that this will continue.
So I guess my question is, do you think Liverpool have had a little bit of hard-work-meets-good-fortune with their signings in the last few years, or is this just the new normal for Liverpool (and teams making analytics based purchases in general)?