06 Nov 2022 09:07:22
Keita out again. I really don't understand why his contract isn't terminated. Anyone else in another job off sick so often for o long would be canned.

1.) 06 Nov 2022
06 Nov 2022 09:40:22
OP, I feel you BUT I think you need to have the player agree to the contract cancellation hence, the term “by mutual consent”. Now I could b wrong BUT that’s as much as I know.

As for Naby, I think he’s already checked out and frankly, so have I since plast season. Just counting the days till May when he and Ox will finally be gone. He’s been a flop and I strongly guess Klopp regrets moving heaven and earth (and tapping him up) to sign him. It is what it is.

2.) 06 Nov 2022
06 Nov 2022 09:57:52
It would be interesting to work out how much players like Ox, Naby, Adrian and Phillips etc have actually cost the club per game over the years.

I appreciate these lads also train with the first team but for 50-140k a week in wages it’s a lot of money down the toilet.

We could have paid our stadium and training ground loans off.

3.) 06 Nov 2022
06 Nov 2022 10:09:39
Ox would need to be canned too then?

4.) 06 Nov 2022
06 Nov 2022 10:40:51
Olied, I agree, Keita has been an unmitigated disaster and I think Ed02 had warned us from the beginning about this signing.
I do not think Keita will play again for Liverpool, the only positive contribution he can make is to leave and get his wages off the books.

5.) 06 Nov 2022
06 Nov 2022 11:21:26
Klopp's loyalty can be stubborn at times, and to the detriment of the team. I understand that his relationship and positive effect on players goes way beyond many managers abilities in that department, only there needs to be a ruthlessness at the right times to keep things in balance.
I would (probably wrongly ) guess that NK is being kept fit in order to maybe sell in Jan in order to get a small fee and to remove him from the wage bill.
Good riddance, the guy is a wide boy with a bad attitude.

6.) 06 Nov 2022
06 Nov 2022 11:30:09
The good thing is that in 6 months time we’ll not have to talk about Naby and Ox anymore.

I just hope that our next midfield signings come in without poor injury histories.

7.) 06 Nov 2022
06 Nov 2022 11:37:28
I can feel sorry for players like the Ox who get injured because you know it hurts him to be not playing, you see it when he does actually play that he is willing to give it his all.

Same can’t be said for Keita, what an absolute stinker of a signing. I’ve seen him have good moments in games but I don’t think I’ve ever seen him have a good whole game and put in a shift the whole time he’s been on the pitch.

I know we have had some shocking signings over the years but when you take in transfer fee, wages and potential into account he’s got to be up there with the worst of them. The guy worked hard to get a big money move, got it and then switched off and watched the money roll in.

8.) 06 Nov 2022
06 Nov 2022 11:53:01
Agree with Mikey. Ox and Keita aren't the same category of player imo.

They've both had injury problems, but the similarity ends there. Keita was nearly injury free last season (only missed about 5 or 6 through injury) and still only played well enough about 4 times. He consistently hasn't worked hard enough on the pitch when fit, and never looked like a £60m player. Ox on the other hand actually had a couple of decent spells in his Liverpool career where he looked a £40m player before being completely depleted by injuries.

Obviously neither has a meaningful role to play at the club anymore, and it's hard to think about £100m in fees plus £300k a week in wages between two players who aren't doing much for us, when most want to see that sort of money invested in new midfielders, but I have some sympathy for Ox. Keita's deficiencies on the other hand a largely down to his attitude.

9.) 06 Nov 2022
06 Nov 2022 12:04:41
Sr good post mate. I think Ox was injury free all last season also though. Klopp chose not to use him though which paints its own picture.

10.) 06 Nov 2022
06 Nov 2022 12:08:05
In fairness to Phillips and Adrian, when they are needed they’re available and put a shift in. Can’t say that about Keita.

11.) 06 Nov 2022
06 Nov 2022 12:10:52
Didn’t Ed001 say that Keita’s signing was at the recommendation of Mane, and by-passed the usual FSG procedures?

{Ed001's Note - yes mate, they missed out the usually very thorough background checks as Mane vouched for him. They have certainly learnt from that error though, as this summer showed when they refused to take a risk on a midfielder when Klopp finally decided to sign one. FSG wanted to vet him first before making any signing.}

12.) 06 Nov 2022
06 Nov 2022 12:12:18
So SR, Keita's injuries are down to his attitude? Keita played well in 4 games in a season that we got to 3 finals and lost by a point in the League. Did you know in most of the negative results Liverpool had last season that Keita was hardly involved in? Ox has been at LFC a season more than Keita and only played 17 more games and scored a few extra goals?
I get that Keita isn't a fans favourite and he isn't mine either but I don't understand the excuses made for 1 player against another. Both in general were disasters for the team in my opinion and I really don't see much difference in either player.

{Ed001's Note - there is a huge difference. Ox tries, Keita coasts. The least we should expect of any player is effort and he makes none, that is why no one will make excuses for him.}

13.) 06 Nov 2022
06 Nov 2022 12:39:57
I think you're actually right there JK. He filled in for Salah during the AFCON, did ok, scored a couple of times and then just disappeared from selection apart from a cup game. And then he starts this season injured? Strange. I wonder is it a case that the medical staff know he'll just break if played more than X amount of times.

Irish, I can't help you if you didn't actually watch Keita last season. I'm aware of what the results were like, but he personally was not good enough most of the time. That we still won with him routinely disappearing after the first 15 minutes of the game tells you a lot about the other 10 players on the pitch.

14.) 06 Nov 2022
06 Nov 2022 12:54:48
And to think there were rumours we were trying to give him a new contract. Beggars belief really.

15.) 06 Nov 2022
06 Nov 2022 13:04:11
I can’t stand players that are never Fit. Waste of space in the squad. 1/ 2 games fair enough but if they’re missing 80% of every single season what’s point.

16.) 06 Nov 2022
06 Nov 2022 13:11:37
I was never one for believing teams can succeed with only 10 players on the pitch SR, brings me back to the old Gini days ?.

17.) 06 Nov 2022
06 Nov 2022 13:15:48
If Keita is so bad why were we trying to sign him up again.

18.) 06 Nov 2022
06 Nov 2022 13:19:40
Keita's "coasting" does more for the team than Ox's "trying", that at the very least should be unquestionable.

19.) 06 Nov 2022
06 Nov 2022 13:34:55
We’re suckers for an injury prone midfielder. If there one available, you can be sure we’re near the front of the queue.

20.) 06 Nov 2022
06 Nov 2022 13:49:26
That is an expensive 60M gamble that didn't work out well.

21.) 06 Nov 2022
06 Nov 2022 14:10:55
Sooner we get rid of that waste of space the better.

22.) 06 Nov 2022
06 Nov 2022 14:39:01
Wasn’t Naby all over the media and internet though for being in trouble.

Bloody Mane must have hid Fsg’s newspapers and unplugged their internet routers to get his mate in ?.

23.) 06 Nov 2022
06 Nov 2022 23:28:42
I actually love Ox cos he’s a good lad and actually cares. Never ducked out of challenges and never stops trying for the team. The complete opposite is the case for Naby and I don’t blame FSG at all for being more forceful and wanting extra vetting of players. They’ve been burned once before after they trusted Klopp’s recommendation via Mane. After all, we’re not City who can afford to fix expensive mistakes the very next season.

24.) 07 Nov 2022
06 Nov 2022 23:30:32
JK 23
Adrian covered for Alisson quite admirably for a time and also won us the UEFA Super Cup if I recall.
Saves from Kovacic, Abraham, Mount and the penalty save,