30 May 2019 01:05:43
ED002,

Can you please check your sources, as apparently just recently we've made contact to Nicholas Pepe's agent. Is this true?

Also can you please mention which club has been pushing the hardest to try and lure him to their club?

Thanks heaps

Tommy T.

{Ed002's Note - Liverpool have not made any formal approach for Pepe - perhaps they are waiting for Salah or Mane to leave as I cannot see that the club are going to be spending £75M on a reserve?}


1.) 30 May 2019
30 May 2019 10:29:48
It really doesn’t make any sense trying to sign Pèpè, Depay, and the likes of as non are going to come as back up wing players. Maxwell Cornett has been looked at and would make sense as he is one who would be back up and push the front 3 players for a starting birth and probably wouldn’t cost crazy money. Having this in mind now I also don’t see how a N.10 (Eg Fekir) would fit into this system unless we change formation totally? Any ideas or thoughts anyone?


2.) 30 May 2019
30 May 2019 10:50:21
Virglfc, sorry I don’t get yours or ed02 (unless his is financial) we’ve been lucky that we’ve not had any major injuries to out front three keeping them out for a sustained period. Plus why does someone have to come in to replace? Why can’t they compete and rotate keeping everyone fresh? If were going to compete with the likes of city we need to strengthen the squad.


3.) 30 May 2019
30 May 2019 11:02:46
I agree about with squad depth Pegleg, however players nowadays won’t come to sit on bench mate. City have Sanè, Jesus and Mahrez all looking at there options to move on due to lack of game time. We have Ox Shaqiri Origi already as back up so I just don’t see a 60m+ signing coming in unless one leaves?


4.) 30 May 2019
30 May 2019 11:41:41
Origi and Shaq had limited game time because they can't compete with the front 3 unless the system changes.
Ox is better in the midfield.
We need another attacker (whatever price - low or high) to come in and compete with the front 3. simple at that.
Imagine we had Pepe coming in for injured Firmino at Old Trafford instead of Studge?
2 points dropped that could have won us th league.


5.) 30 May 2019
30 May 2019 12:18:06
Is it that far fetched that a signing (lets say Pepè for example) could actually come to the club and perform better than one of the current front 3 and earn his place in the team? i understand the side of the argument that says the club can't spend crazy money on an attacker but i can't change my view that in a top, successful team there would be enough games to keep 4,or even 5 players happy in a team playing our 4-3-3 system.


6.) 30 May 2019
30 May 2019 12:34:07
Why do they have to sit on the bench if they’re of the same quality, like I mentioned previously. Rotate them to keep everyone fresh, that way you’re less likely to get injuries and you’ll get more out of the players as they’ll want to play every game giving the manager hopefully a headache.


7.) 30 May 2019
30 May 2019 13:20:40
the signing isn't be intention to be back up.

that should never really be the case. buy better that what you have! or someone to push what you have.

Salah could go up top with firmino, mane and pepe behind him.

pepe could come in an oust Salah. no-one is untouchable and immovable.

We need proper rotation options.

Salah had a 10 game been patch this year. been nice to have had pepe.


8.) 30 May 2019
30 May 2019 14:10:53
I think people are missing the point. Why would the player want to move to Liverpool over a club where he's a guaranteed starter? yes he may be able to oust one of the front three, but why take the risk and potentially lose a year of development when you have plenty of other offers? This isn't limited to Liverpool despite what people seem to imply. Gundogan and Sane aren't happy with their game time at City and have tried to push through moves. Its the reality of modern football. This isn't football manager.

Also people saying we should drop players when they hit a bad patch of form? how on earth does that help them recover their form? Surely we'd rather spend the money (which we don't have after last summer) on guaranteed improvements rather then rotation options. Regardless of how good they are. I know its not a popular opinion on fan forms, but its the reality of the situation.


9.) 30 May 2019
30 May 2019 14:22:11
Exactly what pegleg said, city won the league as they have the strongest squad in the league. Their bench is ridiculous with Mahrez and Sane on it half the time. We need players like that if we want to win multiple trophies in a season. There is a calibre of players slightly below the elite level, like Brandt (i know he went to Dortmund) that won't break the bank or demand stupid wages. Evey player we acquire should be of that level.


10.) 30 May 2019
30 May 2019 15:41:16
Ed002 doesn’t understand that you are allowed more than 11 very good players.

{Ed002's Note - You really don't get it. There is interest in good players from Liverpool but you are all obssessed with Manchester City and copying them - not caring about their players wanting to leave and having been told where there is interest. It is getting pretty hopeless explaining anything regarding Liverpool interest in players.}


11.) 30 May 2019
30 May 2019 15:49:57
I sort of agree with what Nab242 posts but also we know that Sane and a few others want out of City and aren't happy due to game time. You can also be assured that City will just replace these players with the best they can get, so the arguement that we shouldn't have quality players on the bench is weak. If we had better they would surely get more game time and give Klopp options to rotate/ rest players.


12.) 30 May 2019
30 May 2019 16:09:47
This makes me laugh, Salah or Mane will be leaving then to accommodate, football is a squad game, we need quality in the squad, we won't always be as lucky as having no injuries, for the second year running, top of the money charts in tv and CL revenue, that's without new sponsors and kit deals, if we are to push on we need high profile back up pushing for the first team.


13.) 30 May 2019
30 May 2019 16:30:53
There's also FFP to consider too.

I do think we need cover for the front three that isn't a reduction in quality or something different on the rare occasions we don't fire up front.


14.) 30 May 2019
30 May 2019 16:46:42
Honestly why does it always get this difficult?!
Ed2 is very clear in what he is saying but somehow there is always a "he hates us 😭" reply.
If you want an example of signing good players in a smart - not 75 million way - consider an 8 million left back from Hull.


15.) 30 May 2019
30 May 2019 17:00:42
Surely what we should be doing is looking at buying / developing young quality players. Players who are real exciting prospects but who are not quite the finished product yet. Players who are happy to give the club a few years before either breaking into the team or being allowed to look for other opportunities. Robertson is an example of this working perfectly. We paid little for him and he was second choice to Moreno for ages. He is now seen as one of the (if not the) best left backs in the country. If this can be done internally like TAA even better. We do need more quality depth but we do not have to pay €70M for it!


16.) 30 May 2019
30 May 2019 17:11:20
surely this will go down to player exits as well if Origi and Shaq go that would be 3 players from are attack going with Sturridge going and my be Lallana going as well. I think it is time to thin are squad out a bit too many players on big money that don't play enough. Then add more quality over quantity.


17.) 30 May 2019
30 May 2019 18:36:47
We had this discussion last month i believe where myself and Ron were making this exact point. Klopp to our current front 3 "I'm signing a player and you will now all be rotated, but don't worry, we will play 50+ games (potentially) so you'll all get game time". Sure they'll be made up with that.
Potential signing: one offer from a club to be main man playing every game. LFC offer: compete with current front 3, if you're good enough after an initial bedding in period, you may be rotated with them three, but only if they get injured or have a bad spell because why would they be dropped when on form.
This, in its most simple terms, is the current situation and unless one of the front 3 leaves, is how it will remain.


18.) 30 May 2019
30 May 2019 18:40:33
Ed02, I don’t want to be like city. I get you can’t have a squad as big as there’s with the quality they got and not have any players wanting out. However I don’t see a problem with adding another quality defender and forward and rotating them. However that’s just my opinion and I’m often wrong, just ask the missus.

{Ed002's Note - I have explained repeatedly that the club has been looking for additions - and you simply ignore that and whine because they aren't all £75M players. Liverpool do not have the money to be spending vast sums on reserves.}


19.) 30 May 2019
30 May 2019 20:30:49
For me though we will play 50 plus games so between the front 3 that's 150 games so if we got a quality player they wouldn't sit on the bench would they between the 4 they could play at least 35 plus games a season plus sub aperances so don't get we can't sign a quality player that will rotate with are 3.


20.) 30 May 2019
30 May 2019 20:39:41
The point here is not black and white:

1. We don’t have the money to spend like City.

2. Even if we did, why spend huge sums on top quality players simply to get a high quality, but largely unhappy squad? We lost the league by 1 point. We achieved what we have achieved through shrewd management, and a very “together” and happy squad all working for each other. It doesn’t take a £250m bench to bridge that gap.

3. Are our bench players, who are hungry to compete and happy to take their chances when they come along (Divock), THAT much worse in quality than an unhappy top player like Sane who is on the bench every week? I think not. If we had a slight upgrade on one or two of the likes of Shaq Studge Llalana and Llovren this year, who were happy to wait for their chance and step up when needed, I bet we would have won the league.

4. Rotation is a dangerous word. We should put out the team best suited for each game (or run of games depending on fixtures) with a view to maximising our ability to win every game as well as managing the players and their confidence.

We don’t need to spend £100m every time we buy someone, even if we had the finances to do so. We just need to tweak what we are doing.

As I said, it’s not black and white, and I firmly believe the Ed’s know far more than us mere mortals about all of this and I for one, think they do a first class job on here.

Rant over, let’s bring home number 6.

YNWA.


21.) 30 May 2019
30 May 2019 19:47:39
Irish Rover, I get Sane might leave but so what. that's is great business by City. Buy a player young but still good enough to contribute, then sell him for more. They’ll replace him with someone else and if he doesn’t cement himself a first team place then im sure they'll sell him for more as well in a couple seasons.

And ed I don’t think anyone is expecting a £75m player, i think many don’t realise the high price tags of some players when asking about them. 75 for Pepe is crazy.


22.) 30 May 2019
30 May 2019 20:35:22
I’m sorry ed02 but I don’t whine, I personally don’t care if we sign this Pèpè. All I’m saying is I can’t see why we can’t sign someone to compete. If you look to my original reply I said unless it was financial. So I’m sorry but don’t get how I whine or ignore what you’ve said?

{Ed002's Note - You simply don’t get it I am afraid.}


23.) 30 May 2019
30 May 2019 21:54:04
sign quality. quality finds a way into your team. simples.


24.) 31 May 2019
30 May 2019 22:04:28
Ed02 you’re right I don’t get it, please can you explain?
We either can’t afford to have someone of that quality or we can’t add quality to our squad? I’m not talking about any individual players I’m talking in general, and I’m not trying to be smart I’m simply asking you as to be honest you’re the only real reason I come on here., so if I’m wrong could you put me right please.

{Ed002's Note - The problem is that you associate "quality" with the extreme end of the transfer market and that is simply not true. Quality can be added without spending €75M on Pepe or €100M on Dybala. Others think Klopp will be changing formation to accommodate Werner, Pepe, Dybala and the others that are arriving this summer. Is Klopp that stupid? Probably not.}


25.) 31 May 2019
31 May 2019 11:53:57
Ed2 I understand what you’re saying. What I don’t understand is most fans metallity that we can’t sign quality players because they’ll be sat on the bench. Personally I think we could make a few if finances allow and I don’t mean they have to be 75million players. What I’m saying is if we add wisely and rotate the players to keep them fresh and happy it will improve the squad depth because we’ve been fortunate that none of our front three have been out injured for a long period of time. The injuries to our defenders probably cost us the league. Like I said we don’t have to break the bank but a few clever additions will help us compete on a more even scale to Man City.

{Ed002's Note - You are still mixing up cost and quality, and trying to justify it with the suggestion that Klopp will change the successful approach he has by starting to rotate players with no other reason than to keep other players happy. Others are suggesting that Klopp will be changing to a new formation to play all of these players together. And the predominant jealousy about Manchester City that everyone has is truly astonishing.} -


26.) 31 May 2019
31 May 2019 12:09:44
Ugh Pegleg give it up already please mate. We don't want Ed002 to pull all his hair out already, it's not even June yet. He has explained which players Liverpool are known to have interest in and while Liverpool may yet spring a surprise like last year it'll be mostly backup and young players that we sign. Keeping the first team together is the main thing, we're not (as has been reported in the rags) going to pay €120m for Joao Felix for example.


27.) 31 May 2019
31 May 2019 12:45:57
Jurgen Meister, what you on about? I’m not interested in this Pèpè, I know nothing about him I’m on about adding quality additions.


28.) 31 May 2019
31 May 2019 12:48:11
Fair point ed2, however I’ve no jealousy towards Man City. I just can’t see how teams can beat them with the strength and depth that their squad have, something I respect them for.


29.) 31 May 2019
31 May 2019 14:22:28
Ed i strongly disagree with you. There is a clear correlation between cost and quality, and if we want someone to compete with the front three they have to be of high quality. Are you expecting to find a new robertson?

‘and trying to justify it with the suggestion that Klopp will change the successful approach he has by starting to rotate players with no other reason than to keep other players happy’ - not once did pegleg say this. We want to rotate because we were very lucky with not getting any serious injuries to our front three and we would like to challenge for the domestic cup competitions and can’t expect out current team to do so.

And the jealousy of man city. I wouldn’t call it that they’ve just set the standard for what the premier league is and we need to keep up. And just like any competitor in any aspect of life, to match them or overtake them should be the goal of every LFC fan since we’re not far off.

{Ed002's Note - Ok, I accept that Robertson is useless because he was so cheap. Idiot.}


30.) 31 May 2019
31 May 2019 14:46:05
Wow, how you manage to misunderstand my point regarding robertson is beyond me. I was saying we can’t expect to find a diamond like robertson all the time when buying cheap. He is a clear outliar in the correlation i was referring to.

Real class with the idiot comment.

{Ed002's Note - Nobody is suggesting that is the case. You clearly have little or no grasp about transfers and the "quality" of players. You really are wasting your time here.}


31.) 31 May 2019
31 May 2019 15:09:05
I’m convinced I’m talking to a ten year old. If you can’t see the hypocrisy in ‘Nobody is suggesting that is the case’, God help you.


32.) 31 May 2019
31 May 2019 20:56:49
Nab, the point is, people keep talking about rotation etc but why would Klopp do that. Why buy a "quality" front player to rotate unnecessarily? Correct me if I'm wrong Ed002, but I think his point is the club will push through someone like Brewster and keep Origi as the rotation options as why change a winning formula when it doesn't need to be changed. Our front three are not fatigued and not particularly injury prone, so there is not really a need for heavy rotation that will merely just dampen the results.

{Ed002's Note - My expectation, and what Brewster has been told, is that he will be integrated in to the squad. It seems many think Klopp is lying again.}


33.) 31 May 2019
31 May 2019 21:24:07
Guys, please remember that our front 3 came relatively cheap and they come with quality.


34.) 31 May 2019
31 May 2019 21:53:46
Stuie_boy we should aim to win every competition we’re in and it’s virtually impossible for our front three to start each game. No one said to rotate unnecessarily, there were times this season where we could have done with fresh pair of legs to come of the bench that offers more than just a height in the box. I hope brewster is given a chance but he hasn't played any minutes in the prem so we can't rely on him to come on as an impact player. And mate you don't have to be injury prone to tear an ACL. Let’s not forget we played gini up top away to Barcelona when bobby was injured.


35.) 31 May 2019
31 May 2019 21:39:47
Completely agree Ed, I meant it was your point not Nab's in my previous comment, worded that wrong. But yes, I think the clubs intention is keep what we have, get Sturridge off the books and integrate Brewster. Klopp seems genuinely excited whenever he is asked about him as well, hopefully has a bright future.


36.) 31 May 2019
31 May 2019 22:39:22
I do get that, but that's all assumptions and worst case. Unless a front three player leaves, origi and Brewster are adequate. Don't forget, Shaqiri can play higher up too. We have other positions that need to be filled and I don't think as fans we should be expecting a forward player let alone a £50+million player.


37.) 01 Jun 2019
31 May 2019 23:53:41
I don’t understand what people aren’t getting here. The city model of having high profile ‘marquee’ players on the bench is all well and good, but they’re clearly having trouble keeping the likes of Mahrez/ Sane/ Gundogan happy and keep the harmony within the squad.

Some of our best buys have been players with a high level of potential but maybe haven’t quite reached that top echelon yet. Just look at Robertson. Klopp is obviously excellent at getting the players to take that next step and keeping the group hungry and ready for the challenge. The progress has been superb, why change the ethos that’s worked so well?


38.) 01 Jun 2019
01 Jun 2019 12:30:03
FSG Chairman has said we will strengthen. So players are presumably coming in.

Will they want to sit on the bench? I have no idea. Presumably the club have told them what the situation will be.

If remember correctly, Hendo said earlier this season: "any player who doesn't accept rotation can leave. "

If it applies to the midfield, it can also apply to the forward line.

The "front three" have done a great job. But it doesn't mean they will be here forever.

Little room for sentiment at this level, I'm afraid. Just ask all the players put up for sale by Real and Barcelona now.


39.) 01 Jun 2019
01 Jun 2019 12:43:57
Why does everyone on here constantly talk about Shaqiri as if he’s a midfielder? How often did he play in midfield last season? 2 or 3? The rest of the time he played on the right wing. We have 3 back ups for the front 3 in Origi Brewster and Shaqiri. If we buy another attacker then it’s likely he will be replacing one of them and that player is going to have to be happy with being a squad player rather than a starter. If the club can find someone that is an upgrade on Origi or Shaq, is affordable and is happy not to be starting much then they will bring them in but you can expect someone to leave. We don’t need 7 players for 3 positions and we won’t be rotating for the sake of rotating. If a player needs a rest he’ll be rested but Salah isn’t going to be dropped just to keep another player happy.


40.) 02 Jun 2019
02 Jun 2019 08:05:55
Top footballers are generally pretty confident of their ability and don't believe that they are coming as back up to the existing squad (unless they are just interested in the money) . They will generally think that they are better than anyone we currently have.

To suggest that a top player will not come to Liverpool to play as 'back up' is a very moot point.


41.) 02 Jun 2019
02 Jun 2019 22:58:10
Couldn’t agree more Brocko. If a player doesn’t want to come because he’s worried about game time then we don’t want him, I want players who believe they can displace the current occupants other wise what’s the point.


42.) 03 Jun 2019
03 Jun 2019 00:32:03
if salah is constantly asking his agent to move then why wouldn't klopp invest now. we know he likes to bed them in robbo, ox, fab and ketia. bring in pepe now he'll get 25+ in starts/ subs in all comps. and when salah does go (which i've no doubt he will if he hits 20+ again) pepes hot to trot.


43.) 03 Jun 2019
03 Jun 2019 00:32:13
Sane is looking to leave Man City.
Mahrez is looking to leave Man City.

Just because they have these players, they don't want to stay and be on the bench, regardless of the vast sums they pay them. We should just focus on us. our squad is excellent and does not need major signings. just 1 or 2 smart additions would be perfect!


44.) 03 Jun 2019
03 Jun 2019 10:39:22
This silly debate has been recurring constantly and some people are completely missing the real points. Oh the usual 'why can't we sign quality players to rotate'?

The reasons are so clearly obvious and answered so many times. Let's say any attacker in world football who is of this top class 'quality' that we need. So we agree a fee and begin contract talks, unless you're telling that player that mane or salah will be sold and they're the replacement planned, why would any top quality player want to join knowing he's already behind the pecking order.

Any player who currently at this moment in their career are performing to a level of quality to compete or rotate at the standards of our current attack realistically would not want to join. If they're that good of a player they will have plenty of other top teams offering much more appealling roles.

Players at the top of their game don't want to fight for game time with forward players who have consistently performed at the highest level for 2 or 3 years.

Why would they want to risk their career spending time on the bench when they could be offered a star role at nearly ever other club.

This isn't football manager or fifa, we can only realistically target the level of player who will actually agree to join us knowing he's going to have to spend time as backup.

Nearly all of these players we are calling for us to sign would simply say no to us, obviously.

Ed002 has said this constantly now, why aren't people understanding.