I’ve got some time, so why not? Liverpool — my favorite team, perhaps your favorite team — are champions of England. For the next hour, I’ll be in the thread. Ask me whatever you want!
Phew! OK, that's gonna be it for me today. Loved all of the questions. Thanks for hopping in on such short-notice. Liverpool won the league, you guys. Enjoy your weekends!
I don't think there will be an upgrade; it'll be a replacement by a younger player who they hope could one day be as good. Mane is proooooooobably the easiest to replace, so let's say him. I really have no clue who it'll be, though. Their contracts all expire at the same time.
At this point, they've won enough that I think I'll be forever happy with a Firmino jersey. Also, it'll give me more chances to unleash Firmino truther rants about 2014 Brazil
Have you thought about doing a deep dive into TAA this season? Was having a discussion with some friends so far as the disconnect between commonly used full back metricks(see his radar with Statsbomb) and TAA's impact/role in the squad. Figured you'd have very developed thoughts on that :D
How would you rank our midfield players? After the Palace game I can't stop thinking about how good Fabby Long Legs is. I think that's the best I've ever seen him play.
We'll remove Keita from the discussion for now. I'd go: 1) Henderson, 2) Gini, 3) Fabinho, 4) Ox. The fact that Liverpool ... got better when Fabinho got hurt is hard for me to shake.
Not even close. Henderson has been awesome this season. The team got BETTER when Fabinho was out and he was forced to play the holding role that Klopp said he never should've played him in. He's fantastic, and despite being British, he's absolutely underrated. LeBron played the best Finals any player has ever played, and Igoudala was the guy who was supposed to be guarding him! It's insane!
Has to be Iguodala, because that was essentially the voters trying to give the Award to LeBron. For 2012-2015 the FMVP winner was either LeBron or the person who guarded LeBron. Iguodala was at best the third-best player for the Warriors in the 2015 finals.
lol he's just not a Liverpool-type player at all -- all dribbling and crossing and getting fouled, literally nothing else. I love him, but I would be SHOCKED if this really happened.
While no big incomings seems to be the clear message, do you think that means no additions to the first team at all? I’d rather sell the guys who seemingly were out the door anyway: Shaq, Lovren, Wilson, Grujic, for as much as possible and turning whatever money that is into as many lottery tickets from relegated/smaller league teams as possible and hoping someone hits ala Robbo or Gini. There’s a number of guys on Norwich alone I’d be interested in. Why not take a few dart throws and see if we can land some important depth?
I try not to get too into prospects until we actually see them play senior minutes; I'm not at training, so I don't have enough info. However, Jones has basically been peak Paul Pogba in the UEFA Youth League, so let's say him.
you have spoken in the past of Center Mids being low on the list of importance for positions, yet two of the best right backs of the last 20 years (Lahm and Kimmich) have both been moved out of the right back spot and into the center. what do you make of this, and do you see something similar happening with TAA?
I think he'd get moved if he played for any other team, but I really don't understand the obsession -- not yours, Daniel, but just in general -- with Trent playing a different position. The guy is freaking amazing, he's the creative engine for the best team in the world over the past two seasons, and he's only going to get better. On top of that, I'm not sure the moves with Lahm and Kimmich say much about positional value; seems like it has more to do with the needs of the teams they were on.
Great Q -- I always lean Salah. He's just way more involved in build-up play/hold-up play than Mane is, and their attacking outputs are roughly the same, so he gets the edge.
looking back on four seasons under Klopp, is there a watershed moment -- a game, a signing, a tactical shift -- that, to you, proved most pivotal to getting to this point?
Probably the first leg against City in the Champions League in 2018. Liverpool totally dominated the best team in PL history, but more importantly they basically shut them out on the defensive end. That was the first time the defense really held up against an elite team -- a clear sign of what was to come.
It's great that Liverpool finally won after 30 year! That being said, this team is young-ish and can compete for like a couple of years in the EPL, but I feel like they're one bad injury to one of their front 3 from just stumbling. Man City is like kanye west: "I'm pulling girls off the bench like a sixth man." Do you see liverpool spending to bolster the depth of their attack? Origi and Minamino are good, but i feel like they need more
I see them adding on the margins, but don't expect any major signings. They're not gonna add someone who's as good as, say, Leroy Sane or Gabriel Jesus.
I mean it's really hard to wedge that gap. Find someone better than those two, or Ox, and also tell them "Hey, unless something bad happens you're not got gonna be playing much." Maybe another attacker is purchased, but their board are also showing that they're not gonna shell out oligarch/oil money sums during this economic down turn. Glass half full for them could be that City can't attract new players because of their UCL ban.
Given that Elliott is only 17 and has 500-plus minutes of gametime already, plus two very brief PL cameos, I think it's safe to read into that and anoint him as the best. I don't really agree with the rotation comment; Klopp's gotten really good at managing the teams minutes.
I was listening to the "Red Agenda" podcast where they mentioned Minamino fits best in the middle. Is he the answer to Firmino juuuust about peaking (turns 29 this October)?
Could be! But given the small fee and what I've seen from him this year and the fact that he's not super-young either, my guess is that he keeps on keeping on as a squad player.
Kind of Klopp related... I desperately want to see BvB topple Bayern next year.In a sentence or two, could you refresh my memory as to why Lucien Favre might not be the man to make that happen?
His teams always crazily overshoot their xG numbers because of the weird possession-heavy-but-also-quickly-counter approach. The teams just feel like a house of cards that'll inevitably come crashing down.
Who would you most like to see get a run at the 3rd midfield spot in games against teams trying to defend deep? Assuming the other 2 are Fabinho/Hendo or Hendo/Wijnaldum. I'm not sold on Keita and Ox hasn't looked the same since the injury. I'd love to see Curtis Jones get a run there.
Keita is an absolute superstar when he's on the field; Jones and Ox aren't close to him. But Keita was also recently accused on by a woman of sexual assault. I don't think it's really worth discussing his value to the team until that gets treated properly: https://twitter.com/popcornpontso/status/1275163645765451776?s=21
Is there any good research on how the prime years/aging curve of a player vary by position? Conventional wisdom is certainly that goalies age the best, I guess followed by CBs. I have zero doubt that’s true with respect to goalies but wondering how that logic extends throughout the squad, i.e., how much longer can we expect peak Virgil than peak Bobby even though VVD is three months older?
Before the break, I put a bet on TAA to win PFA Player of the Year. Do you think we see a reverse of last year with KDB winning it or does it have to go to a Liverpool player? If so, who is the best bet?
Liverpool is currently (briefly) the Champion of England, of Europe, and of the World. Assuming they do NOT repeat as EPL champions, how do you compare them to the City team of the last few years? Who is better?
It's a really fun rivalry. City have this suffocating, longterm dominance that lends itself to a 38-game season and winning just about every domestic trophy in sight. I think they're probably a "better" team, and they've been able to win all the tangential cups that Liverpool have essentially sacrificed for chasing the major ones. But! The point is to win the Premier League and the Champions League. I think Liverpool's past two seasons get upgraded over City's best two since they won the two trophies you're supposed to win. Now, if City win the CL this summer, that's another conversation...
I watched a video from Sky Sports where they tried to determine the best every Premier League team based on a 3 year run. Carragher and Neville were the analysts, and it ended up being really interesting. Either of the current Man City squad and current Liverpool squad could end up as the top team depending on who wins what in the next few years.
Liverpool have led the Premier League the last two seasons in pressure success %. How much does that contribute to their success overall, and do you think they can do it again next year as the core of the team continues to age?
It's huge! Their pressing volume has tailed off, but being able to be so successful at selectively pressuring is what took them from a solid top-four team to what they are now. I don't see any issues with it next season -- and maybe the year after that, too -- but I don't think we see the same players doing the same thing three years from now.
Liverpool obviously didn’t make the bid some thought they would for Werner. What moves do you want them to make in what should be a strange transfer window? Either in terms of positions to build depth, or specific guys to target?
They still have the potential for some internal improvement with personnel changes in midfield. They need a backup left back, and I think the biggest move they could make would be for a fourth attacker, a la Werner. That's tough, since you can't guarantee playing time, but landing a guy who could A) improve after you sign him, B) be OK with not starting every game, and C) eventually be good enough to replace Mane/Salah/Firmino full-time seems like it'd be the most impactful individual move they could make. I don't think that'll happen, but like I said below, I love Nkunku. Marcus Thuram is really nice, too.
European Champs, World Champs, EPL Champs... Assuming no core/starting players are sold, who would you want Liverpool to target to compliment current squad for 20/21 campaign either as an improvement on current core or as reserve?
In the 538 chat it was mentioned that Liverpool's rebuilding would likely start after next rebuild and that's why Klopp signed the extension so which positions/players do you see getting sold off and replaced by new signings?
Wijnaldum's contract expires next season, and he's one of the older starters, so he's the most obvious one to get phased out. No one in the backline or in goal. Henderson is 30, so my guess is that he'll slowly get moved into a less prominent role over the next few seasons, too. Then there's the front three -- all of whom are edging right up against the end of their peaks.
The last few years have been amazing, I would love to see the success continue. What sort or move, or moves do you think Liverpool can make to stay near (at seems impossible) current form?
They can't. Let's just get that out of the way. A huge part of the reason they're so good is because almost all of their players are in their peak years at the same time. They're all going to start slowly declining right around the same time, and they won't be able to -- and I don't think Klopp will even want to -- replace them at the same time. It's just too many guys! There's gonna be a managed decline at some point, and they'll need to start turning the squad over by signing a bunch of promising young players over the next few seasons.
I think it's the Leicester game, too. They'd been kiiiiiind of unconvincing up until that point in the year, and then they just absolutely demolished a team that was (I think?) second place at the time, on the road. The Firmino goal -- la pausa in the box, placing it in the top corner -- was a personal fav.
I love Christopher Nkunku. Don't see it happening, but he seems like a perfect, versatile Klopp player, and he's absolutely a guy who LFC will rate highly because he pops on all the possession-value-based metrics.
I'd come to believe that coaches like Klopp were so intense and demanding that they'd eventually burn out .... but I don't believe that any more. The team was just in so much more control this year, and they made winning look easy. With the front office behind him, it really feels like they could build a longterm sustainable project. Being at the front of that -- being the one coach at a big club who holds the job for a decade -- seems pretty appetizing.
My takeaway from "Bring the Noise" was that Mainz and BVB burned out from Klopp's playing style, not Klopp burning out as the manager. That as well as those squads being raided by bigger clubs...
Probably takes a bigger chunk of Origi's minutes and gets more of the minutes that were given to Ox as part of the front three. Seems like he'll just be a depth piece, which they badly need!
How long do you think LFC will keep this core together? Specifically thinking TAA, and imagining they'll get a monster offer for him from Madrid or PSG. Seems like they are a team (with all their analytics) likely to accept an offer they deem too high to pass up.
I don't really view TAA as part of the core. He's years away from his prime still, while everyone else is already in it. Gotta imagine he's at the center of their long-term planning, which is why it's a good thing that they've basically handed him the keys to the midfield (despite him not being a midfielder). He's only gonna leave if he wants to leave.
ESPN has that video with Ogden, Gab and Juls debating a "superstar" signing by Liverpool may change the dynamic in unfavorable ways, implying that Liverpool have succeeded in creating a "whole greater than sum of parts" dynamic. What do you think about that, specifically for Mbappe, who I think is the only "superstar" we'd want. (FTR, I think his personality would fit right in, but maybe I'm just rosy about the title😁)
If you sign a "superstar" who doesn't fit the team and is an asshole, then sure, but what about LFC's recruitment style suggests they would ever do that? That being said, I'm not sure I'd hold my breath on a massive signing anytime soon. It seems like the club have decided to just run it back with this group a couple more times and take the inevitable hit from having a bunch of 30-year-olds on the team in a few years.
It does feel that way, I just wish they could justify the funding to get a couple more foundational pieces behind the front 3 and Virgil. TAA is one, but no one else screams "franchise player" for over 2 years. Maybe that doesn't exist in soccer really, but I feel like it's what Barcelona and Real Madrid do.
Will Premier League clubs attempt to emulate Klopp's Liverpool in the way that many have attempted to emulate Guardiola? And do Robertson and TAA offer something too unique to copy?
Grace Robertson made this point in the chat we just did at 538 (https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/liverpool-won-it-all-will-they-do-it-again/). Klopp's lovey-dovey-huggy approach might just blind teams to what a masterful managerial and tactical job he's done and to how the team used objective info to scout and acquire players. I think that the de-emphasized midfield will eventually be a thing other big clubs start to accept, but it's really hard for a team to acquire two players like Robbo and TAA with unlimited amounts of money; LFC did it for 8 mil combined.
Phew! OK, that's gonna be it for me today. Loved all of the questions. Thanks for hopping in on such short-notice. Liverpool won the league, you guys. Enjoy your weekends!
At this point, Liverpool has to be the first team mentioned when we look back on Milner’s career, no?
No respect for the Newcastle years, huh?
I mean, until the start of this season, I considered him a Swindon player first.
Real heads remember the Aston Villa days.
Will Chelsea win next year?
banned
Had to do it to ya
Yessssss
Who's the first player in the front 3 to move on // that the club tries to upgrade?
I don't think there will be an upgrade; it'll be a replacement by a younger player who they hope could one day be as good. Mane is proooooooobably the easiest to replace, so let's say him. I really have no clue who it'll be, though. Their contracts all expire at the same time.
Yeah, the expiring contracts thing is unusual. I'm curious to see how often the front 3 is rotated in the league next year.
I'm going to be bummed when I buy this Firmino jersey today then he's the first to leave.
I never buy a player jersey until they retire (saved me with Coutinho)
At this point, they've won enough that I think I'll be forever happy with a Firmino jersey. Also, it'll give me more chances to unleash Firmino truther rants about 2014 Brazil
2018 🤦🏽♂️
Love it and love Firmino
Apropos of nothing, I cannot get "Show Me Love" by Robin S. out of my head.
happy for you
its great innit?
love it
Have you thought about doing a deep dive into TAA this season? Was having a discussion with some friends so far as the disconnect between commonly used full back metricks(see his radar with Statsbomb) and TAA's impact/role in the squad. Figured you'd have very developed thoughts on that :D
I've been wanting to for a while. Hoping to dig into it pretty soon!
How would you rank our midfield players? After the Palace game I can't stop thinking about how good Fabby Long Legs is. I think that's the best I've ever seen him play.
We'll remove Keita from the discussion for now. I'd go: 1) Henderson, 2) Gini, 3) Fabinho, 4) Ox. The fact that Liverpool ... got better when Fabinho got hurt is hard for me to shake.
What's more egregious: Jordan Henderson winning PFA player of the year, or Andre Iguodala winning the 2015 Finals MVP?
Not even close. Henderson has been awesome this season. The team got BETTER when Fabinho was out and he was forced to play the holding role that Klopp said he never should've played him in. He's fantastic, and despite being British, he's absolutely underrated. LeBron played the best Finals any player has ever played, and Igoudala was the guy who was supposed to be guarding him! It's insane!
Has to be Iguodala, because that was essentially the voters trying to give the Award to LeBron. For 2012-2015 the FMVP winner was either LeBron or the person who guarded LeBron. Iguodala was at best the third-best player for the Warriors in the 2015 finals.
Is Jordan Henderson the third-best player on Liverpool though?
He's maybe the third-best midfielder for Liverpool. Still, at least it's not a wink at giving the award to a player who doesn't play for Liverpool
Let's talk Adama on this team. I want to believe. If he's under £50mil, I'm praying it can happen. Also, I'm buying every version of that 20/21 kit
lol he's just not a Liverpool-type player at all -- all dribbling and crossing and getting fouled, literally nothing else. I love him, but I would be SHOCKED if this really happened.
While no big incomings seems to be the clear message, do you think that means no additions to the first team at all? I’d rather sell the guys who seemingly were out the door anyway: Shaq, Lovren, Wilson, Grujic, for as much as possible and turning whatever money that is into as many lottery tickets from relegated/smaller league teams as possible and hoping someone hits ala Robbo or Gini. There’s a number of guys on Norwich alone I’d be interested in. Why not take a few dart throws and see if we can land some important depth?
My guess is that is, in fact, what they end up doing
Which of the young players (Elliot, Neco, Jones, Brewster) are you most excited about?
I try not to get too into prospects until we actually see them play senior minutes; I'm not at training, so I don't have enough info. However, Jones has basically been peak Paul Pogba in the UEFA Youth League, so let's say him.
you have spoken in the past of Center Mids being low on the list of importance for positions, yet two of the best right backs of the last 20 years (Lahm and Kimmich) have both been moved out of the right back spot and into the center. what do you make of this, and do you see something similar happening with TAA?
I think he'd get moved if he played for any other team, but I really don't understand the obsession -- not yours, Daniel, but just in general -- with Trent playing a different position. The guy is freaking amazing, he's the creative engine for the best team in the world over the past two seasons, and he's only going to get better. On top of that, I'm not sure the moves with Lahm and Kimmich say much about positional value; seems like it has more to do with the needs of the teams they were on.
Mane or Salah? Who has been the offensive MVP the last two seasons?
Great Q -- I always lean Salah. He's just way more involved in build-up play/hold-up play than Mane is, and their attacking outputs are roughly the same, so he gets the edge.
Gun to your head, who is your favorite player on this current team?
Virgil. I love him. He makes me feel safe.
That's as good a description for VVD as any.
looking back on four seasons under Klopp, is there a watershed moment -- a game, a signing, a tactical shift -- that, to you, proved most pivotal to getting to this point?
Probably the first leg against City in the Champions League in 2018. Liverpool totally dominated the best team in PL history, but more importantly they basically shut them out on the defensive end. That was the first time the defense really held up against an elite team -- a clear sign of what was to come.
provided some of the most striking visuals of recent years, too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7OCLC01uhM
"Is Jordan Henderson an elite midfielder" is the "Is Joe Flacco an elite quarterback"
It's great that Liverpool finally won after 30 year! That being said, this team is young-ish and can compete for like a couple of years in the EPL, but I feel like they're one bad injury to one of their front 3 from just stumbling. Man City is like kanye west: "I'm pulling girls off the bench like a sixth man." Do you see liverpool spending to bolster the depth of their attack? Origi and Minamino are good, but i feel like they need more
I see them adding on the margins, but don't expect any major signings. They're not gonna add someone who's as good as, say, Leroy Sane or Gabriel Jesus.
I mean it's really hard to wedge that gap. Find someone better than those two, or Ox, and also tell them "Hey, unless something bad happens you're not got gonna be playing much." Maybe another attacker is purchased, but their board are also showing that they're not gonna shell out oligarch/oil money sums during this economic down turn. Glass half full for them could be that City can't attract new players because of their UCL ban.
What is your creepy new logo?
The OG Ronaldo from the 2002 World Cup - Epic haircut
Wow.
Who’s our best young prospect? And our work rate and lack of rotations for scares me. Thoughts?
Given that Elliott is only 17 and has 500-plus minutes of gametime already, plus two very brief PL cameos, I think it's safe to read into that and anoint him as the best. I don't really agree with the rotation comment; Klopp's gotten really good at managing the teams minutes.
I was listening to the "Red Agenda" podcast where they mentioned Minamino fits best in the middle. Is he the answer to Firmino juuuust about peaking (turns 29 this October)?
Could be! But given the small fee and what I've seen from him this year and the fact that he's not super-young either, my guess is that he keeps on keeping on as a squad player.
Kind of Klopp related... I desperately want to see BvB topple Bayern next year.In a sentence or two, could you refresh my memory as to why Lucien Favre might not be the man to make that happen?
His teams always crazily overshoot their xG numbers because of the weird possession-heavy-but-also-quickly-counter approach. The teams just feel like a house of cards that'll inevitably come crashing down.
Who would you most like to see get a run at the 3rd midfield spot in games against teams trying to defend deep? Assuming the other 2 are Fabinho/Hendo or Hendo/Wijnaldum. I'm not sold on Keita and Ox hasn't looked the same since the injury. I'd love to see Curtis Jones get a run there.
Keita is an absolute superstar when he's on the field; Jones and Ox aren't close to him. But Keita was also recently accused on by a woman of sexual assault. I don't think it's really worth discussing his value to the team until that gets treated properly: https://twitter.com/popcornpontso/status/1275163645765451776?s=21
Oh wow, I totally missed that one.
Is there any good research on how the prime years/aging curve of a player vary by position? Conventional wisdom is certainly that goalies age the best, I guess followed by CBs. I have zero doubt that’s true with respect to goalies but wondering how that logic extends throughout the squad, i.e., how much longer can we expect peak Virgil than peak Bobby even though VVD is three months older?
Your instincts are correct! https://www.espn.com/soccer/blog/tactics-and-analysis/67/post/3056495/soccer-age-curves-show-goalkeepers-and-central-defenders-peak-latest
Before the break, I put a bet on TAA to win PFA Player of the Year. Do you think we see a reverse of last year with KDB winning it or does it have to go to a Liverpool player? If so, who is the best bet?
Just took a look at the odds. My guess is that it goes to Mane or Hendo, and that's my guess because they're the two current favorites lol.
Who is a good young prospect that fits Liverpool’s system that the club could target?
Thuram and Nkunku are both great, and both from sides that have some similarities to what LFC do.
Liverpool is currently (briefly) the Champion of England, of Europe, and of the World. Assuming they do NOT repeat as EPL champions, how do you compare them to the City team of the last few years? Who is better?
It's a really fun rivalry. City have this suffocating, longterm dominance that lends itself to a 38-game season and winning just about every domestic trophy in sight. I think they're probably a "better" team, and they've been able to win all the tangential cups that Liverpool have essentially sacrificed for chasing the major ones. But! The point is to win the Premier League and the Champions League. I think Liverpool's past two seasons get upgraded over City's best two since they won the two trophies you're supposed to win. Now, if City win the CL this summer, that's another conversation...
I watched a video from Sky Sports where they tried to determine the best every Premier League team based on a 3 year run. Carragher and Neville were the analysts, and it ended up being really interesting. Either of the current Man City squad and current Liverpool squad could end up as the top team depending on who wins what in the next few years.
Does this 2019-2020 season count as a treble winning season?
Didn't they count the UEFA Cup, FA Cup, and Carling Cup as a treble at one point? If so, this sure as hell does, too.
Liverpool have led the Premier League the last two seasons in pressure success %. How much does that contribute to their success overall, and do you think they can do it again next year as the core of the team continues to age?
It's huge! Their pressing volume has tailed off, but being able to be so successful at selectively pressuring is what took them from a solid top-four team to what they are now. I don't see any issues with it next season -- and maybe the year after that, too -- but I don't think we see the same players doing the same thing three years from now.
Liverpool obviously didn’t make the bid some thought they would for Werner. What moves do you want them to make in what should be a strange transfer window? Either in terms of positions to build depth, or specific guys to target?
Just based on a point you’ve made in the past that teams that win titles should still always be looking to buy in the offseason
They still have the potential for some internal improvement with personnel changes in midfield. They need a backup left back, and I think the biggest move they could make would be for a fourth attacker, a la Werner. That's tough, since you can't guarantee playing time, but landing a guy who could A) improve after you sign him, B) be OK with not starting every game, and C) eventually be good enough to replace Mane/Salah/Firmino full-time seems like it'd be the most impactful individual move they could make. I don't think that'll happen, but like I said below, I love Nkunku. Marcus Thuram is really nice, too.
How much will Minamino contribute next season?
I think he'll be a solid depth piece across all the competitions.
European Champs, World Champs, EPL Champs... Assuming no core/starting players are sold, who would you want Liverpool to target to compliment current squad for 20/21 campaign either as an improvement on current core or as reserve?
Like I said below, depth for the front three and depth at LB are the two most obvious areas they can immediately improve.
If no major additions are made, how much longer do you think this team can compete for UCL and EPL titles
UCL: three or four? EPL: two?
How scared should Liverpool be of an emerging Chelsea team? How many titles will the West Londoners win before Liverpool win another?
Get back to me when they get a new keeper.
Onana, that's his name. Onana, that's his name.
In the 538 chat it was mentioned that Liverpool's rebuilding would likely start after next rebuild and that's why Klopp signed the extension so which positions/players do you see getting sold off and replaced by new signings?
Wijnaldum's contract expires next season, and he's one of the older starters, so he's the most obvious one to get phased out. No one in the backline or in goal. Henderson is 30, so my guess is that he'll slowly get moved into a less prominent role over the next few seasons, too. Then there's the front three -- all of whom are edging right up against the end of their peaks.
what “needs” should LFC address for next season?
Front three depth, and they badly need a backup left back.
The last few years have been amazing, I would love to see the success continue. What sort or move, or moves do you think Liverpool can make to stay near (at seems impossible) current form?
They can't. Let's just get that out of the way. A huge part of the reason they're so good is because almost all of their players are in their peak years at the same time. They're all going to start slowly declining right around the same time, and they won't be able to -- and I don't think Klopp will even want to -- replace them at the same time. It's just too many guys! There's gonna be a managed decline at some point, and they'll need to start turning the squad over by signing a bunch of promising young players over the next few seasons.
Favorite moment of the season besides yesterday?
I think it's the Leicester game, too. They'd been kiiiiiind of unconvincing up until that point in the year, and then they just absolutely demolished a team that was (I think?) second place at the time, on the road. The Firmino goal -- la pausa in the box, placing it in the top corner -- was a personal fav.
For me, it was Trent's pose against Leicester
Now that Werner is going to Chelsea, who are some alternative options you would like to see them go after?
I love Christopher Nkunku. Don't see it happening, but he seems like a perfect, versatile Klopp player, and he's absolutely a guy who LFC will rate highly because he pops on all the possession-value-based metrics.
Really hope RBL makes a run in this UCL tourny. They have so many fun pieces, could look back and see shades of 16/17 Monaco
I was intrigued by Gladbach's interest in Grujic. Possible swap deal for Thuram?
Too expensive?
What’s left to keep Klopp interested?
I'd come to believe that coaches like Klopp were so intense and demanding that they'd eventually burn out .... but I don't believe that any more. The team was just in so much more control this year, and they made winning look easy. With the front office behind him, it really feels like they could build a longterm sustainable project. Being at the front of that -- being the one coach at a big club who holds the job for a decade -- seems pretty appetizing.
My takeaway from "Bring the Noise" was that Mainz and BVB burned out from Klopp's playing style, not Klopp burning out as the manager. That as well as those squads being raided by bigger clubs...
Who's a player that you would like then to add this summer that they could realistically buy for next year's title defense?
He's not the right age, but if they're going all in on peak-age guys for the next two seasons, then it's gotta be Felipe Anderson.
Where do you see Minamimo fitting in next year? Do you think the young players will fill in squad roles left by Shaq/Lallana?
Probably takes a bigger chunk of Origi's minutes and gets more of the minutes that were given to Ox as part of the front three. Seems like he'll just be a depth piece, which they badly need!
How long do you think LFC will keep this core together? Specifically thinking TAA, and imagining they'll get a monster offer for him from Madrid or PSG. Seems like they are a team (with all their analytics) likely to accept an offer they deem too high to pass up.
I don't really view TAA as part of the core. He's years away from his prime still, while everyone else is already in it. Gotta imagine he's at the center of their long-term planning, which is why it's a good thing that they've basically handed him the keys to the midfield (despite him not being a midfielder). He's only gonna leave if he wants to leave.
In his MIB interview TAA said his real goal is to be Liverpool captain, and his models are Carragher and Gerrard. Feels like he stays long-term.
I would take what a player says in an interview about staying at their club with a heavy pinch of salt.
ESPN has that video with Ogden, Gab and Juls debating a "superstar" signing by Liverpool may change the dynamic in unfavorable ways, implying that Liverpool have succeeded in creating a "whole greater than sum of parts" dynamic. What do you think about that, specifically for Mbappe, who I think is the only "superstar" we'd want. (FTR, I think his personality would fit right in, but maybe I'm just rosy about the title😁)
If you sign a "superstar" who doesn't fit the team and is an asshole, then sure, but what about LFC's recruitment style suggests they would ever do that? That being said, I'm not sure I'd hold my breath on a massive signing anytime soon. It seems like the club have decided to just run it back with this group a couple more times and take the inevitable hit from having a bunch of 30-year-olds on the team in a few years.
It does feel that way, I just wish they could justify the funding to get a couple more foundational pieces behind the front 3 and Virgil. TAA is one, but no one else screams "franchise player" for over 2 years. Maybe that doesn't exist in soccer really, but I feel like it's what Barcelona and Real Madrid do.
Will Premier League clubs attempt to emulate Klopp's Liverpool in the way that many have attempted to emulate Guardiola? And do Robertson and TAA offer something too unique to copy?
Grace Robertson made this point in the chat we just did at 538 (https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/liverpool-won-it-all-will-they-do-it-again/). Klopp's lovey-dovey-huggy approach might just blind teams to what a masterful managerial and tactical job he's done and to how the team used objective info to scout and acquire players. I think that the de-emphasized midfield will eventually be a thing other big clubs start to accept, but it's really hard for a team to acquire two players like Robbo and TAA with unlimited amounts of money; LFC did it for 8 mil combined.
8 mil combined AND one Kevin Stewart!
Should there be an asterisk?
banned
Btw I’m kidding....
Kidding*
With no meaningful games left this season do you favor going for the points record or getting Jones/Elliot/Williams more 1st team minutes?
The latter. I didn't know it at the time, but I don't care about the points total at all right now.
figure that'd be different w/o covid?
Knock Real out of the CL next year
that's the final task