13 Feb 2018 15:54:49
So how do people expect our back 5 to look next season?

Personally, I don't expect much to change at all!

I think its probably a good idea to keep Gomez at RB for now and I imagine we'll have the same LB options for atleast 1 more season.

VVD will take one CB spot obviously. If we were to buy another CB then you'd think we'd probably have to sell 2 of our current players and Liverpool do seem to struggle selling surplus players so I wouldn't be too surprised if things stay the same.

Re GKs, sure people will disagree but I'd personally like to keep faith with Karius and bring in an experienced GK as No2, someone with quality and experience to help Karius out abit (not another Manninger! ) . I think buying a 1st choice GK and dropping Karius will damage him abit and we'll be left with a shaky backup option.

Again, the issue we'll have is trying to sell our other 3 surplus GKs! But hopefully we can. I'm sure Ward, Migs, and Karius all believe they should be 1st choice and I expect the dynamic behind the scenes isn't very good.

Don't like asking the Eds questions too often but would be interested to hear what you expect to happen with our GKs and defence. Of course, if anyone wants to kick off and disagree or offer me some praise for a great post then you are also welcome to comment!


1.) 13 Feb 2018
13 Feb 2018 16:45:59
My prediction is that we will sign Keylor Navas, and sell Mignolet and Ward. I think we may also sign a much older keeper for the role Manninger had last year.

I think Gomez and Trent will stay as right backs for now, with Clyne Randall and Flanagan leaving.

I think we will sell one of Matip or Lovren and sign a first team ready replacement. No idea who though. Total stab in the dark but perhaps we'll go back after Koulibaly, De Vrij, Howedes or Upamecano. All have been of previous interest reportedly.

At left back i think we will probably stick with Moreno and Robertson. I wouldn't be surprised if one of them left and wasn't replaced though, as we also have Gallacher (18/ 19) who will be knocking on the door next season.

Gk: Navas, Karius, (exp 3rd pick)
Rb: Gomez, Arnold
Rcb: De Vrij, Matip
Lcb: Virgil, Klavan
Lb: Robertson, Gallacher

Not what i expect, just a prediction based on current and previous interests.


2.) 13 Feb 2018
13 Feb 2018 17:26:47
It's wonderful how everyone has just forgotten clyne.


3.) 13 Feb 2018
13 Feb 2018 17:37:19
Maybe I'm being a bit stoopid, but the only good outcome I can see from us signing Navas is that he comes in and is our definitive second choice. I don't think he is good enough to warrant taking the No. 1 jersey and it would be (to quote Ed002) a kick in the teeth to Karius. Surely Klopp wouldn't again opt to have different Champions League and Premier League goalies?

Therefore, can you see Navas coming in and accepting his spot on the bench? If he does then I think it's a good move, but it seems unlikely to me.


4.) 13 Feb 2018
13 Feb 2018 18:00:49
Navas is far and away better than anything we have, I don’t know what you’re talking about kloppo. Karius still has a lot to do to prove himself. Hopefully he’ll get the remainder of the season and all it’s games to prove that but navas is one of the best keepers in the world and has won so much with Madrid. He’ll go straight in if he was to come now, and it’s delusional to suggest otherwise.


5.) 13 Feb 2018
13 Feb 2018 18:25:21
Why would you persist with Gomez at RB? He has been dreadful in that role so far. Offers nothing going forward and often we play like 3 at the back. We need a new RB in the summer and it’s essential for the style Klopp plays.

We need a new LB more than ever. He was beaten all over against saints and they kept attacking our flanks. I am not sure what game did you watch. Robbo might be a nice lad but he can’t cross, can’t dribble, can’t shoot and can’t defend. We have no width whatsoever with those two!

We will have a new GK for sure and it looks like Navas might be coming in.

Our weakes area bar GK is full backs!


6.) 13 Feb 2018
13 Feb 2018 18:27:08
I'd like to see matip Clyne and mignolet to go. Gomez and Trent right back is good for now, they are both young, but maybe klopp sees Gomez as a CB next season. If so a right back may be purchased but would be a step back for Trent, unless we sign someone around 28-30. Id like Karius to do well and prove he can be our number one.

Left backs will stay as is in my opinion.

CB as I said matip out, can't stand him any more. Klavan would be good fourth choice, and if we sign one CB that will do me, but I'd like to see a settled middle three anyway. Kind of like Spurs, try and build a strong core and rotate your full backs.


7.) 13 Feb 2018
13 Feb 2018 18:26:59
I didn't forget Clyne, i just can't see him getting back in the squad. Gomez and Arnold are better already and Clyne genuinely just isn't that good.

I am with Kman92 on Navas. People are acting as though he is a bad keeper. He won back to back Champions Leagues with Real Madrid!

He's no Buffon or DDG, but he is still a great keeper and better than Karius is currently. I do hope Karius takes the season by storm though and cements the No.1 role. I just can't see it. He is still young though and will be a good back up to Navas for a few seasons, by which time he might be good enough to take the shirt back. It's easy to forget that keepers play until they are 40, and Karius is about 24/ 25.


8.) 13 Feb 2018
13 Feb 2018 19:07:38
Baby Driver, you're asking too much.
We have Robertson and have Moreno, so we'd need to sell one and one will drop to the bench which could cause some grumps.

You'll also need to sell Clyne and take game time away from TAA and Gomez.

And then also adding a new 1st choice GK will mean trying to sell our other keepers and hoping 1 will be happy watching from the bench.

I don't think it's realistic to expect so much change to the back in this window. Maybe one good experienced keeper to work with Karius and maybe an experienced CB. Got to be careful not to go to crazy!


9.) 13 Feb 2018
13 Feb 2018 19:26:54
Kman, the point I was making wasn't about whether Navas was better than Karius (not sure we can judge Karius properly still), it was that I think it would be silly to bring Navas in to be our number 1. He may be better than Karius but I think we should aim for someone better if we are replacing Karius. It seems unlikely that we are going to replace Karius, therefore it seems silly to bring in Navas. He is not good enough to fairly depose Karius and perhaps too good to sit on the bench.

Maybe we're going to drive a dump truck full of money up to his house? He's not made of stone.


10.) 13 Feb 2018
13 Feb 2018 19:38:08
Agreed George. Harry is advocating a new keeper, new centre back, 2 new full backs and I'll bet he wants a new DM too. You can't change 5 out of the back 6 in one window!

Gomez is just fine at right back. He has not been awful at all. He's been very good aside from about 3 occasions where he lost flight of a ball over his head. Down to the coaches to help him iron that one major weakness out. Might as well sack Klopp now if he can't improve a 20 year old with as much natural talent as Gomez.

I agree Robertson isn't fantastic, but whilst he looked bad against Saints, i remember people going nuts about him after he ruined Raheem Sterling in the City game. So nuts that i was one of the few voices of reason!

Robbo is also still a young player adapting to a new club. Let's not forget he only broke into the team at the start of December when Moreno got injured. Far too early to go replacing him. Our coaches need to do their jobs and coach the players they asked for, first and foremost! Navas and a solid right sided centre back will sort a lot of our problems in my opinion.


11.) 13 Feb 2018
13 Feb 2018 19:46:51
We need a first choice keeper and another first choice centre back. I think we are sorted at right back but a left back would be nice although probably not a priority.


12.) 13 Feb 2018
13 Feb 2018 20:47:08
George
I am sorry but if you want to challenge the title then changes has to be made and keep the sentiments and emotions in the back pocket. We struggle to beat teams that park the bus mainly coz we have no width thanks to our current fullbacks! I am one hundred percent sure, Klopp would buy two full backs in the summer and I don’t know who goes to the bench and who moves out!

Moreno is a very very poor footballer and Robertson is championship level at his very best. Gomez is a CB while TAA is atleast an year or two from starting place!
It doesn’t matter how many you add every other places but if you have no width then you don’t break the bus! Simple! Klopp will want to improve from where we are currently and two obvious weak links are full backs!


13.) 13 Feb 2018
13 Feb 2018 20:50:05
I think Navas is better than Karius, but I won't go for him. If we're going to replace Karius, it should be with someone on Alisson, DDG, Never level.
Karius'ceiling might be higher than Navas. We won't know until he plays consistently.
A right back and a centre back to come in. Clyne, Klavan and one of Matip/ Lovren to leave IMO. If we sign a left back, I expect Moreno to leave, but I believe we'll focus on right and centre.


14.) 13 Feb 2018
13 Feb 2018 21:29:37
Clyne will be sold.


15.) 13 Feb 2018
13 Feb 2018 22:33:00
MK which of our defenders have the coaches improved, that’s my concern. Lovren and Matip as poor as ever. Moreno 3 to 4 years here and got a handful of good games out of him. Clyde just ok, never improved at the club. TAA and Gomez though both still young seems to make the same mistakes constantly.
Maybe it’s better defensive coaches we need before we splash 100million plus on new defenders? Just a thought.


16.) 14 Feb 2018
13 Feb 2018 23:08:34
Can't believe people don't rate clyne he is very reliable an done a good job shame he going to leave.


17.) 14 Feb 2018
13 Feb 2018 23:31:46
Sorry but there is no way that Navas is better than Karius, he’s as bad as Claudio Bravo, it’s almost as if you guys don’t actually watch these players! There is a reason that Madrid are desperate to get shot of him and it’s becayse he costs them too many matches either with an absolute howler or because he just lacks the physical attributes and the ability when it matters, personally I think it would spending money very badly, we’d be better off sticking with Karius and Ward then bringing in a third more experienced keeper than wasting good money on Navas.


18.) 14 Feb 2018
13 Feb 2018 23:39:24
Is there genuine interest In Keylor Navas? I hadn’t seen anything relating to him before this prediction Adam.


19.) 14 Feb 2018
14 Feb 2018 00:18:03
I like Robinson, some of the comments i think a bit harsh, every player has a bad games. He was able to keep sterling in his pocket, and city and sterling have been having a top season. If he can find that form week in week out he's far greater than championship level if you ask me. He just needs to be able to take his level up to that and stay as consistent as possible.

I think he's doing a decent job so far, having to wait until he gets his chance.

I don't think we should sell clyne just from an experience point of view, TAA is learning and doing a good job all in all so far, you can't expect the finished article and I think if he has a poor game or needs to be taken out of the spotlight a bit seeing as so many fans seem so quick to start ripping on their own teams players after one bad game. Even with the criticism you should still want your own players to do well. So having the option of putting clyne in would be nice still. Not saying he is the best defender but it gives us an option, as I'd rather have gomez as a CB along side VVD, He would learn a lot and i think he's mroe suited to CB than RB.


20.) 14 Feb 2018
14 Feb 2018 00:49:08
I think LB is in decent shape, Robbo has done reasonably well defensively, and while he can improve going forward, he’s shown in his first game he’s capable of getting in behind and putting in a good delivery. I think he’s a solid long term prospect and we need someone like that at LB. Moreno is a more than capable challenger.

LCB I think we’re fine with VVD and Klavan as backup

RCB I would like to see Gomez and Lovren challenging each other next year and Matip move on. If Lovren keeps making errors in the second half of the season then we may need to replace him too for a first team quality RB, but I think hopefully next to VVD and with his head right he’s a capable defender, and Gomez is a more than capable deputy as he grows into the long term solution.

RB, TAA is a great young player but we need a new first choice that can play if Gomez is transitioned to RCB. I’d ideally like to see someone able to play both sides.

Goal Keeper is tough. I think it’ll depend on Karius but I’m guessing Ward and Migs move on an Karius gets to compete with the new incoming. Personally I hope it’s Allison, as another debateable first teamer just destabilizes Karius without solving the problem. If Karius performs this year I’d be fine with it being Ward as backup but I suspect he’ll want to move after this season. We then need a ‘mature’ backup at no.3 who is fine to sit on the bench and pass on his wisdom. I would it to be Reina.


21.) 14 Feb 2018
14 Feb 2018 10:32:08
I seem to be the only one who likes clyne. He is solid, not flash like walker, taa or even moreno, but steady. Like Hendo and gini, they do the basics well and he knows when to attack that right flank. He is our only true rb, taa and gomez are both being played out of position.

I think we have 5 decent cbs, I kinda like the rotation. Klopp picks the cbs he thinks are best suited to opposition. Matip can be poor, but don't forget, he has so been brilliant. We forget that. Klavan was Playing out of his skin before Xmas. We saw why klopp liked him. Just took a while to settle I think.


22.) 14 Feb 2018
13 Feb 2018 21:23:02
VVD and Lovren. The 100 mil defensive partnership!


23.) 14 Feb 2018
14 Feb 2018 10:35:44
I agree, I think Joe Gomez is much much better at CB. Plays there for England but not Liverpool. Remember he was one of 25 players to be nominated for the golden boy competition. Dom Solanke was nominated. Joe wasn't nominated for his attacking flair (which is what you need at rb) he was nominated for his defensive qualities. Klopp is clever though and is protecting the kid. If he had a poor game at cb then maybe another poor game people might start to get on his back about it, demand that he be dropped, top flight career over, off to west brom. That's a bit dramatic, but you get my meaning.

The thing with having taa at right back is he is still quite thin, he'd need to bulk up a little bit. I just know he is going to be top class.


24.) 14 Feb 2018
14 Feb 2018 10:36:11
Either trent makes the rb position his own (which I don't thing he wants to. His future is further up the field) or Clyne comes back and has gone up a notch. Clyne is OK but not the most exciting Player. I think we might buy a rb in the summer. Let's see how Karius does for the rest of the season before we start calling for navas. If Karius flunks I would be very happy to sign navas though.


25.) 14 Feb 2018
14 Feb 2018 12:27:24
Move Gomez to CB, sell Clyne and buy another RB to compete with TAA.
Sell matip.
Sell Moreno and buy a new LB to compete with Robbo.
Give Karius till the end of the season. if he hasn’t done the business sign Alisson.

On top of that if we can bring in a DM and another forward that would be a brilliant summer for me.

5 new signings max.


26.) 14 Feb 2018
14 Feb 2018 14:52:09
Navas is a flapper and poor on crosses. If we are going to bring in a keeper to take Karius' spot, it better be one that is much better than him, not one who is marginally better nor one who is inferior to him at crosses.