Liverpool Starting XI – 2017/18 Predictions
This topic contains 22 replies, has 12 voices, and was last updated by NotoriousBingo 7 years ago.
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February 24, 2017 at 2:05 pm #1439855
Have a fun pop.
Hart
Clyne
Lovren
Van Dijk
Chillwell (maybe Hector)Hendo
Lallana
WijCoutinho
Lacazette
ManeDoes anyone else agree, that although we’re scoring goals, that we still need that natural 9 up top who can get us 20 plus goals a season? I do, big time. Chelsea have Costa, City usually have Aguero banging ’em in, United have Ibra (who will still be scoring when he’s 50 – such a fantastic signing) and Spurs have Kane. We have goals dispersed around the team, which is great, but so did United back in the day AND they still had someone who got 25 goals a season (Yorke, Cole, RYN). We need that man, we do. It’s too often ‘samey’ with Firmino and Coutinho over a stretch of games. We need three guys up top offering different things. We have the playmaking, control and shot of Countinho, the sheer pace and directness of Mane and Firmino who is doing well in the 9 role but isn’t, by trade, a Kane or a Costa or an Ibrahimovic.
I was tempted to put a new mid in there and I do think Klopp will shop in that department but I could not think of who it would be so sticking with what we have now.
Don’t take this serious but on tuther ‘and don’t put an XI out there that is unrealistic either.
Friday fun!
February 24, 2017 at 3:10 pm #1439909I’d rather have Tierney from Celtic than Chilwell. What about Matip?
February 24, 2017 at 3:12 pm #1439911I don’t think the club are interested in Lacazette. The time to sign him was 3 years ago but now all he is , is a big name to sell tabloids.
I also don’t see us signing Hart but I hear he’s doing well now so what do I know. .
I hate to disagree again Rob but this place is all about opinions and mine is that we don’t necessarily need to get a 20+ goal a season striker. You talked about what the individuals each off from that front 3 and what Firmino adds to things up there are worth goals even if he isn’t scoring all of them. It’s not just a coincidence that we score a lot of goals, we’re not lucky. Firmino knows how to play the high pressing game better than anyone else in the team. he inter-changes with midfield seamlessly and he still has 8 PL games, he’s have a lot more too had he not been played out of position on the left when we were missing players.
It’s true that he isn’t a natural goal scorer and there certainly have been times when he’s had the ball and at that very moment, I’ve wished we had a Torres to finish it off. . but it’s all about the entire package and Firmino is greatly under-appreciated in my view. It’s a bit like the Milner situation to me in that because we have someone who is playing out of what people consider to be their natural role, their short-comings or mistakes are emboldened.
With Coutinho and Mane back I think we’ll see the more exciting side to Firmino again and I’m hoping that he can score enough goals from here on to change some fans minds and also to convince Klopp to stick with him next season. I think 15 goals isn’t impossible for him, it certainly wouldn’t be easy but we’re back to full strength again and with some luck and some good performances we will hopefully have our swagger back soon.
As for a starting 11 for next season, that’s really tough. I love the 4-3-3 when it works but I can see Klopp dropping it in the summer. I’m really surprised to see you leaving Matip out of your team Rob, is it his performances or his injury record that have you getting rid of him?
February 24, 2017 at 3:31 pm #1439928I’m finding it really hard to make up a potential 11 so I’m going to blank players who’s positions I think will be filled.
Schmeichel
Clyne – _____ – Matip – Milner
NEW DM
Lallana(C) – Coutinho – Wijnaldum
Mane – Firmino (SS)Sub signing : Brandt – To compete with Wijnaldum and maybe Firmino. To cover for Lallana and Coutinho, so he’d get a lot of games. . and if he hits the ground running, he may make a place his own.
I’ll probably be torn apart for putting out a formation a team that drops Henderson and plays Mane as a striker but you did say that this was under the banner of fun. Now Henderson , he’s great when he’s great but we would have dropped fewer points with a more disciplined DM. I keep Milner because I think he’s excellent. Lovren will lose his place not just because he can make mistakes but he’s also in and out a lot. Matip stays because he’s a class ahead of Lovren even though he is in and out a lot. I’ve left Lovrens replacement blank because I bet the signing won’t be one of the big names that we’re connected to. As for what DM, I couldn’t hazard an intelligent guess so I won’t waste peoples time.
February 24, 2017 at 5:43 pm #1439952Sorry, my bad, meant Matip instead of Lovren. Oops.
February 24, 2017 at 6:57 pm #1439967Historically every Premiership winning team has had a predominant scorer, someone who has bagged 20-30 goals.
Yorke, Cole, RVN, Shearer, Wright, Costa, Rooney, Henry, Aguero…off top me head.
These goals too will get you a Champions League spot.
We achieved that with Torres.
Having a marksman also makes the opposition focus more on that player thus creating more space for others.
I would like to see a new KEEPER, LEFT BACK, CENTRE BACK and FORWARD.
February 24, 2017 at 8:10 pm #1439986ok, we need another goalie and CB. We will need width, hence Brandt. Dahoud holds and allows Hendo to burst forward. Agreed, we need a striker. Need a lot of pace upfront, so in addition to the above, we will sign another midfielder to cope with Champions league extra load.
GK
Clyne
[CB]
Matip
Chillwell
Hendo
Dahoud
Brandt
Coutinho
Aubameyang
ManeFebruary 24, 2017 at 8:12 pm #1439987Of the lads in the squad IMO Mignolet, Klavan, Sakho, Lucas, Stewart, Moreno, Sturridge and Ings might need to go shopping for a new home in the summer. Can might join them if the club does not tie him down to a new long term deal.
So a new keeper is in order, Schmeichel or Hart would do fine.
We might go for two centerbacks, I just want a beast there, someone that will win over 90% of all heading duals. I dont care if he could only hoof the ball into row Z.We need more steal to the midfield, someone mobile enough to intercept and win the ball for us. We suffer out there every time Henderson is out. We also need more creativity, if Lallana goes missing we lack penetration from deep. Especially when we usually rely on Coutinho as a forward.
Then we need pace upfront, someone that can run all day and get stuck in. A bid for Vardy might be in order, he needs to reinvent himself and we need someone senior with experience if Sturridge leaves. Then to compete in Europe we need 4-5 players competing for the front three. Im hoping for Lacazette, some actual investment being made.
February 24, 2017 at 9:15 pm #1440003Karius
Clyne, Matip, Van Dijk, Milner
Lallana, Henderson, Coutinho
Mane, Mertens, PromesFebruary 25, 2017 at 10:28 am #1440090We are all going to have different opinions on this, however I wouldn’t be surprised to see us line up with;
A new goal keeper, new cb, new left back, new central mid, another option in wider areas and a new striker.
Firmino is good but I think he’s more back up for me in that position.
February 25, 2017 at 11:23 am #1440115Im surprised too see how few of us recognize the need for a right back.
February 25, 2017 at 2:04 pm #1440174I think TAA is capable deputy for Clyde. Signing a new RB will impede his development.
February 25, 2017 at 3:19 pm #1440225Im even more surprised to see that there is someone who actually think that we need a rightback when we have Clyne (main), TAA (understudy) and Milner/Gomez who have done Ok for that role. Investments should be focus on areas like centreback, leftback, defensive midfielder and a winger.
February 25, 2017 at 3:52 pm #1440243I only remember seeing Gomez as a left back, Milner has also excelled there and might perform better on the right but it’s much too much to ask Alexander Arnold to put pressure on Clyne. He got no chance of making the first eleven unless injuries happen and we are forced to play him.
February 25, 2017 at 5:30 pm #1440312Agree rob, we need a 20 plus goal per season striker. Said it myself earlier. We also need a keeper, CB, LB, CM enforcer and a winger to cover Mane. We could also do with bolstering the squad for rotation. A lot of work to do and money to spend.
February 25, 2017 at 7:02 pm #1440408Well if we go for your typical natural goal scorer, we’re likely going to lose quality in pressing from the front.
February 25, 2017 at 7:14 pm #1440409Mak, a natural goal scorer can be trained to press.
February 26, 2017 at 12:46 am #1440506I imagine Gomez is stronger at RB than LB…he played a few decent games for us at LB but that was it, he was an “unknown” at the time. Within 2/3 games he got quite found out and like Milner always had to cut inside. I think he will be better on the right side, on his stronger foot. Milner I also think would do just fine there. TAA looks promising, I don’t personally think he has shown enough to say he is ready for an extended amount of games – yet. But clyne is super reliable and consistent so really we can rely on him to be there almost all season (barring major injury). Reinforcements are more vital in other positions, such as LB, in my opinion. Striker too as Sturridge sadly seems to have his days at LFC numbered. Origi is a bit shit (just being honest). He has potential and has had some luck with banging a few goals in here and there. That’s about it. He’s played like 5 really good games for us, at the end of last season. Nothing more.
February 26, 2017 at 12:58 am #1440507I guess that, if we will be in the champions league, we need more than a “starting 11”. Let’s face it, with our playing style, January really showed how vital a good rest and good preparation between games is. We looked short of energy and ideas. I think we just need a very strong squad of 18-22 players who can all come in and do a job. I think Klopp values the ability of players to interchange their roles (such as our midfielders and front 3) – it makes us unpredictable and difficult for opposition to mark us. So I just think a few of the “right” signings will be all we require. We need to sign first team quality tho – no more squad player signings (hopefully our academy youth/signings like grujic can fill in the holes).
But I appreciate this is meant to be for fun 😛
Butland or Schmeichel (Pickford?)
Clyne / matip / new cb/ new lb
Hendo
Wijn / lallana
Mane / firmino / coutinhoNot much changes – I think our front 5 have been lethal this year when all on the pitch together. Some good other options like a Brandt (not actually watched him play) or a javier Hernandez, or dahoud will be welcome. the key is just finding some stability at the back. I’d love it if we can find a back 4/5 who are there for the next 5-10 years and really be the foundations of each team sheet – then we choose the attackers required for the job at hand in each match
February 27, 2017 at 12:31 pm #1441254Chillwell doesn’t look ready to be our first choice LB
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