takanohana

This could help bring out the best in Keita too. He can clearly bring creativity through the middle in an advanced role. The risk is when he dribbles/tries something intricate and loses the ball we're more exposed in a 433. The four in midfield option should give him more freedom to take people on centrally.

Forgot about Keita tbh. Really want to see Jones get some minutes this season though.

So with everyone fit, what's our first-choice match-day squad... Alison Trent VVD Gomez Rob Fabinho Hendo Thiago Mo Bob Sad Subs: Adrian, Matip, Jones, Gini, Milner, Jota, Mina Decent...

I stand corrected

As centre halfs go, I would say Dunk is a household name. Happy with him as back-up. Can't see it though.

V excited about these two signings. Big change to mood with them coming in. Hopefully energises the current team too. Also clearly shows moaning about lack of transfers pays off...

I'm put in mind of weapons of mass destruction.

They won't shut up about it will they...funny that.

Fine as a high level statement. That can mean different things to different people with different priorities though. FSG may want to win, but prioritise sticking to a low-risk financial model, and will be satisfied with a good balance sheet and commercial performance even if we're not winning. Klopp may prefer to strengthen the squad but agrees to work within financial model, and then by his nature backs himself to outperform better-funded squads. He could consider himself unlucky to be sacked if he's worked with FSG on that basis. And it's valid for fans to make the point that a low-risk financial approach with a reduced chance of winning on the pitch is not a plan for success and not the only possible way.

Not winning things does not necessarily mean a manager is underachieving. If Klopp is consistently given less spend than he wants in comparison to say City, Chelsea, then it would be difficult to argue he is underachieving by not winning the league. I think the reverse in a way is the risk for us in the next few years: FSG lean too heavily on Klopp's ability to work on smaller budgets/improve players, and find its limits.

Which would not be a good thing.

We need to raid Sc*nthorpe for an unknown star in the making. That should be within budget and has worked before.

Keita hasn't quite proven himself yet for me as a regular and reliable starter. First few weeks of this season are key for him, hopefully he'll push on and become the player we expected.

Well, it's all pub talk and guesswork. Not going to happen. And if it did I'd trust Jürgen had looked him straight in the eye, shouted 'gegenpress', and seen if he blinked.

Don't know all the ins and outs of course, but looks to me that Madrid have treated him v badly. I reckon he'd be up for it after getting out of there, especially playing under Klopp.

Yes please. Guessing he's on too big a packet though.

Our scouts are lazy buggers. Sit on the bench, watching the game, he looks alright let's sign him, job done.

We're not in contact with Bayern. Barcelona aren't in contact with us. Just need Rumminegge to tell us that they've had no contact from Barcelona. Solid result, good transfer window!

Loved GH while he was manager, and gutted when he left. But that ‘it’s your team boss’ stuff is cringeworthy as well as being ridiculous. Never had any animosity towards Rodgers. A bit gauche for sure, and wasn’t up to it ultimately, wasn’t the first though. Hendo is great.

I go cheese under beans on a spud. Properly melts the cheese.

Haven't seen loads of Thiago but seems he would offer something different going forward. Can be said our midfield is lacking a bit if creativity.

Yeh it wasn't to say we shouldn't sign him. More about using some flimsy logic to deduce we must have a hat full of cash.

Be great to get Thiago. But something about spending £30m on a 29-year old, us apparently being v cautious this year with spending, the FSG model, and a number of our big players approaching 30, doesn't entirely add up for me. I conclude (dubiously) we have looser purse strings than we're letting on, and have some exciting young blood lined up too.

Disappointed with the trivial transfer speculation today. This thread needs to get back to what it was created for, meta-analysis of reputation building and neologisms.

For £5m?