jimmylibel

Takes a season or two for those funds to come through though. We only saw the jump from the current tv deal really kick in last summer. Couldn’t agree more. Any expectation of price drops just aren’t taking into account the bigger picture. Come this summer I wonder how many of the 20/ 25 richest clubs in Europe will be in the Premier League?

Guardian reporting Giroud is about to sign for Chelsea for £17.5m. Also looks like they'll get the left back we had briefed about our interest in last summer. Spurs about to sign Moura. Neither have sold or loaned out any first teamers either.

Come back in August.

I'd settle for 'please sell less' but anyway. Just going to your wider point about comparative wealth, where's the hope then? I mean, unless we decided to go down an individual club TV rights path, we will never come close to the financial might of either of the Manc clubs, or Real or Barca or Bayern or PSG. Competing with Chelsea depends on whether their oligarch decides he can ignore FFP again. Is our only realistic ambition then to be outliers temporarily punching above our weight?

It's completely negligent. As well as all that you've listed there we're also going to need another centre back. It's also unlikely Ings will be here next season. Karius was making noises about going last summer, I'd say if a new keeper is signed he may also be looking for pastures new. All that's before we get to the possibility of players leaving we may not want to lose. But on the bright side, I reckon by the start of next season we'll definitely be confident we're only 12 - 18 months away from having a real crack at winning trophies. Just have to address the gaps that are clear at that stage and we'll be flying.

Well I reckon that's my straws well and truly crushed anyway...

Oh I don’t know. Could certainly see us amongst the favorites for the Europa League next season.

Reckon the reason he hasn’t been in the squad is that Klopp wanted rid and was making it clear he wasn’t gonna be getting a game to be honest. Think he’d have happily shipped him last summer too if anyone would have covered his wages. Agreed. But does anyone really believe we’ll address all issues this summer? Or simply try to plug a different hole in the team/ squad while ignoring another area most can see needs addressing?

Oh you're almost certainly right but my search for a silver lining will continue until the window slams shut in our faces.

Grasping at straws here but... Those latest quotes relate to us not signing a 'replacement for Coutinho'. Apparently, in the discussions with Lemar we have told him we don't want him playing wide - rather that Klopp sees him as being an option through the middle. Have been wondering for a while if Lemar is actually the player we want to replace Sturridge with? Also haven't been many other central attackers linked with us at all.

Keita and a holding midfielder. Another left back to rotate with Robertson. Keeper, striker and a centre back. Another attacker who can play wide. Not all gonna happen but that’s what’s needed.

Lemar has apparently been omitted from the Monaco squad to play Marseille today. Thigh injury cited.

I can sort of see what you're saying on Ings. Very good attitude certainly and has shown before he knows where the goal is. I just don't think the way we play suits him at all. Our central attacker needs to do a lot of hold up play and is a key pivot in our attacks. That's never Ings and he doesn't look like he'd do much out wide I'm afraid.

And is prepared to front up for the 'tough decisions' (selling Coutinho)

What was with our set pieces today, particularly second half? I would have thought the Everton cup game would have clarified our corner routine for the foreseeable - aim for Van Dijk and let him do the rest. Every time the ball is put near him in the opposition box it looks more than likely he will win it and that more than a fair few of those will hit the target. Instead we were getting weak, low corners failing to beat the first man or else short passes to someone who then overhits it.

I genuinely can't understand the strategy. I mean we have weakened upfront with the discretionary sale of Coutinho. We also seem quite content to show Sturridge the door (I think the Klopp quotes the other day about him not being guaranteed more games if he stays were quite telling). I can kinda get why they want rid of Sturridge but surely that only makes sense if there is someone coming in to replace him. It certainly looks like we didn't have a replacement for Coutinho lined up and it also looks like we have no intention of signing any other forward this window. Honestly can't understand what the overall rationale is. And as an aside Klopp's quotes the other day about not willing to let Ings and others leave or go on loan "We have to be mindful of our own needs" or words to that effect. Again how does that tie in with the sale of Coutinho?

Cheers for sharing, that’s a really interesting piece.

Absolutely. As exciting as Keita looks, this is probably the biggest gap that needs to be addressed in our midfield. We can’t just take the heat out of games by keeping possession in a contained manner (we are well able to keep possession by going for the jugular repeatedly though). We were previously linked with Weigl from Dortmund during Klopp’s first summer I think and he was marked as one of our ‘long term targets’ (probably to be filed alongside Pulisic). There was some fresh speculation linking him with a move to the Mancs this summer as Carrick’s replacement. I wonder if we are still tracking him?

Really not sure the January premium applies anymore. Last summer marked the beginning of a re-evaluation of prices on the transfer market, mainly driven by the new Premier League tv deal kicking in (although admittedly it was the Neymar deal that changed the very elite end of the market). As it turned out, there was more value in January 2017 than in summer 2017. Given that this summer will bring a second year of those tv riches, a more crowded market as more English clubs look to flex their new found largesse and the usual price inflation hype driven by a World Cup focus, I wouldn’t be expecting price drops if we wait a few months. Grand so, we can’t spend what we don’t have. Sure aren’t we just grateful to be getting the money from Barcelona at all, very good of them to take that Coutinho fellow off our hands.

Being linked with Luan from Gremio (again).

Should have been on the bench today.

Thought he was one of our better players today. Seemed to be the only outlet all game. Reckon he needed a bit more support near the box - he had two closing him down regularly second half.

Agree with the sentiment here but he does deserve some criticism for the game management, it clearly wasn't working down the right with Gomez and I would have thought TAA would have given us more there. Also not sure what bringing Ings on did for us other than pushing Salah and Mane away from the danger areas. I'd have taken Can off too ahead of OC or Gini. He was poor with the ball and yet kept trying to take ownership of it.

From the Echo... Liverpool believe that Bayern Munich have won the race to sign transfer target Leon Goretzka. The Germany international, who is set to leave Schalke on a free transfer when his contract expires this summer, has attracted interest from a host of top European clubs The ECHO understands that Liverpool have been in contact with the 22-year-old midfielder’s representatives about the prospect of luring him to Anfield. However, the Reds have been given little encouragement and barring a late change of heart they expect Goretzka to join Bayern Munich.Goretzka, who has also been linked with Manchester United, is expected to confirm his choice of club over the coming days.

Yep. His agent denied it last time.