07 Nov 2018 14:58:41
Good Afternoon Eds and Reds,

When Countinho left in January, a lot of people, myself included stated we became a better team after his departure, mainly because he was sulking and dragging his heels whilst engineering his dream move to Barca, and because it allowed The Ox a good run of games and he continued to improve game by game so PipCou didn't seem to be missed

However, I do believe now we are missing a "Countinho at his best" and that little bit of magic to turn a game on its head.

Somebody with that clever "no look" or "slide rule" pass, or somebody who can hit the top bins from 25 yards out of nothing.

When was the last time we actually scored direct from a free kick? Or from outside the box even?

I am hoping Naby will become that player closely followed by the return of The Ox next season but I do feel we may need to go into the market in next summer to find a new magician who can unlock the box.

Do you think this conservative football Klopp is playing is hindering the space in the final third for the front three to run into from deep?

And do you think it is to conserve energy in the first half of the season, and we may see him let them rip in the second half?

1.) 07 Nov 2018
07 Nov 2018 15:43:35
Shaquiri can clearly be that player for us!

2.) 07 Nov 2018
07 Nov 2018 15:56:23
Can we all just give Fabino and Keita time to settle in before we assess if there's actually an issue with creativity or linking midfield to attack? We also have have the Ox to come back and Shaqiri to be more bedded in.

3.) 07 Nov 2018
07 Nov 2018 17:13:11
Shaquiri was clearly that player for bayern inter and stoke.

4.) 07 Nov 2018
07 Nov 2018 17:15:49
Pretty sure sturridge banged 1 in from outside the box vs chelski.

5.) 07 Nov 2018
07 Nov 2018 17:58:13
Shaqiri has won me over but he is no coutinio. I like the original post, you're bang on mate. I think we are all hoping Keita is that man. Klopp seems to be holding him back a bit.

It seems to fall to the forwards to play the slide rule passes and it works. Can you imagine if we still had coutinio though? Or had signed jorginio? We would be unstoppable.

Danny sturridge scored our last 25 yarder and I'm quite surprised he has not been played much lately. I would give him a shot tonight.

6.) 07 Nov 2018
07 Nov 2018 19:22:57
For fulham, i’d personally just go balls to the wall. Keita and Fabinho in a two, with mane, shaqiri and salah behind sturridge. Firmino needs some kind of break to get physical and mental respite.

7.) 07 Nov 2018
07 Nov 2018 19:29:54
In the summer I thought Klopp signed Fabinho as the holding midfielder, Keita as the all action powerhouse mid and Nabil Fekir was going to be the creative mid/ attacker.
The fact is Fab needs time to adjust, Keita not really got going yet due to injury/ form and Fekir transfer, say no more.
Obviously Klopp felt Liverpool needed a creative player, hence Fekir. So out of the 3 midfielders Klopp wanted, 2 have barely played and the other is still in Lyon.
It's fair to say that the current midfield is probably not Klopps' first choice.

{Ed001's Note - he signed Shaqiri instead of Fekir.}

8.) 07 Nov 2018
07 Nov 2018 19:47:57
OP, I disagree. IMO, The player we are missing is not a Cou-type player. The player we are missing badly I might add, is Ox, plain and simple. Ox was much better for our system after Cou left cos he could do everything. He could press, pass, tackle, shoot, score, track back, defend and assist. Most importantly, Ox could break the lines with pace and power and drive at the oppo's defence. Don't believe me? I propose you watch the City games he played in where they had no answer for him.

We have Keita who can do everything Ox can (see his RBL games for yourself) and Shaq may not be Cou, but he has shown some fine form and is still learning the system. Personally, I don't care for players who don't play for us neither ever or anymore. Hence, let us support those (Fab included) who are here cos they are talented and hope they can help us in due time esp. Keita. He is the one we need right now.

9.) 07 Nov 2018
07 Nov 2018 20:26:29
Agreed on Shaqiri Ed01, I was not criticizing Klopp but pointing out that he has addressed the midfield problems in the Summer.
The new players need time to settle into the team and system which could take months or even most of the season.
It just needs time not panic buys in January.

10.) 07 Nov 2018
07 Nov 2018 20:36:05
I don't understand how people can expect Keita to replace Coutinho or Ox when he's been a DM/ CM his entire career? How does Keita even have the technique to do what Coutinho did for us? Shaqiri is closer to being a solution but even he is nowhere technically able. Part of the reason Keita is languishing is because he is being asked to play on the left, just below Mane. When he is at his best in the middle of the field. Keita would probably be at his best in a pure CM role doing what Milner and Wijnaldum usually do. Or the popular "box to box thingie" role in vogue nowadays.

I may be adding 2 and 2 and getting 5, but if you consider what one of the Eds had said about the club trying to sell Wijnaldum during the summer, and Keita coming in, then it's not far fetched to see where the coaching staff see Keita playing.

11.) 07 Nov 2018
07 Nov 2018 21:50:49
ArAy1969, IMO Keita is a box to box midfielder. Having said that, I fully agree with your post.

12.) 07 Nov 2018
07 Nov 2018 22:08:18
He wanted cabellos bad apparently from real madrid according too Macca and eds mentioned it.

13.) 08 Nov 2018
08 Nov 2018 00:03:32
I believe it's clear after last night that our 'strength in depth' is not as strong as we thought.

14.) 08 Nov 2018
08 Nov 2018 00:07:53
Yes we are currently missing something in midfield, that was my point, and why Klopp wanted Fekir who would start every week had we signed him. Shaqiri, as much as he has played well when given the chance will only ever be back up or start games against the likes of Huddersfield.

Please don’t make silly proposals, I was at 3 out of the 4 city games last season, I’ve had a season ticket in the old Kemlyn Road for 35 years.