Our Squad

Ok obviously still some room for improvement, but I really like our team. To start the season I'd like to see this:


Unstoppable my friends. We will run the league over worse than Dortmund.

We are one Sturridge away from a top 2 push and a top 6 struggle, IMHO.

agreed, if he misses like 10 games out of 38, we are frracked upside-down

I disagree. Sturridge is a great player but he doesn't run the team and doesn't create chances out of nothing like Suarez did. All we really need to back-up Sturridge is a striker with pace (but if Markovic and Lallana are healthy I would not mind one bit trying out Sterling as a back-up when Sturridge needs rest/is injured).

That's what i meant, We lose Sturridge to injury without a replacement ( I dont rate Lambert/Borini ) we are arguably *bleep*.

We are going to buy a striker, but we'll see what's the quality we are able to get.

Anyone that can finish decently, likes to latch onto through balls and makes intelligent runs will more than suffice this window. We don't need a world beater. Lacazette (also has great potential), Muriel, Chicharito, Aubameyang or even Kalou, etc. would work fine for this season and maybe even in the future. The bulk of this team's work is going to be done in the midfield anyway relying heavily on the likes of Henderson, Sterling and Coutinho to be our difference makers IMO.

So

#6. Lovren
#9. Lambert
#18. Moreno
#19. Manquillo
#20. Lallana
#23. Can
#50. Markovic

7 and 11 still vacant.

Assuming Assaidi is off.

I wont be surprised if 7 remains vacant this season and probably till we find a player worth wearing that shirt...I would personally like Sterling to wear it when he will sign any new contract.

So we've got these players contracts expiring at the end of the season.

Touré
Flanagan
Johnson
Suso
Gerrard
Brannagan
Adorjan
Dunn
Pelosi
McLaughlin
Maguire
Ward

Stevie is an obvious one that will get renewed. Then if rumors are anything to go by we're looking to reward Flanno and Suso with contract extensions.

Brannagan is massively talented so he'll get an extension for sure me thinks.

Can't see Johnson or Kolo being renewed.

Think we'll also look to renew Dunn and McLaughlin, the rest though are very doubtful (Pelosi, Ward, Maguire, Adorjan).

Missed a bit of news there, McAgger.

From last November:

Liverpool Football Club are pleased to announce that Academy duo Marc Pelosi and Cameron Brannagan have signed new contracts.

Highly-rated American Pelosi, who hasn't played since February 17, when he sustained a serious broken leg at West Bromwich Albion, is making excellent progress in his rehabilitation and has penned a contract extension.

Manchester-born midfielder Brannagan has been in outstanding form this season following his progression to Alex Inglethorpe's U21s squad, and has signed his first professional deal.

Brannagan has netted memorable goals this season away at Manchester City and in the 5-0 thumping of Tottenham Hotspur.

http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/latest-news/149337-academy-duo-pen-new-deals


Both were "long term professional contracts" according to various sources including Sky Sports.

Also:

Northern Ireland Under-21 international Ryan McLaughlin has signed a fresh three-year contract with Liverpool.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/northern-ireland/23383634

A three year deal starting in summer 2013 would run through 2016.

Pelosi never impressed me, but the McLaughlin extension isn't surprising after his performances for the U21 squad. Really stepping it up.

I dont know, what a player has to do to impress you
If you look for potential in our youth system, Pelosi is a great talent.
I know RO has his soft spot for him but he is a good player .

Spoiler:

Pelosi is boss. He was so close to being called up for the first team when he got injured.

He was added to the actual Liverpool senior roster for the Europa League just before his leg break... so he certainly impressed SOMEONE.

Where is he expected to play? Transfermarkt shows LW as his primary position.

Pelosi is a midfielder very similar to Can actually. He's given his best displays in a B2B or deep CM role but can also play all along the left side competently so has been used to cover both LB and LM with some degree of success. If I had to guess, I'd say his long term future is as a CM but it remains to be seen if he still has his mobility and passing range after that long injury lay-off.

Getting put on a squad list is nice, but Jack Robinson once played as a 16 year old for the first team and now he's signed for QPR. Like I said before, I've never been overly impressed with Pelosi I just think we have better prospects in the system and our young players in the first team already are just better.

Pelosi reminds me of Ramsey before he started scoring so much. When Ramsey was just a prospect he was very similar to how Pelosi is now.

RedOranje wrote:Pelosi is a midfielder very similar to Can actually. He's given his best displays in a B2B or deep CM role but can also play all along the left side competently so has been used to cover both LB and LM with some degree of success. If I had to guess, I'd say his long term future is as a CM but it remains to be seen if he still has his mobility and passing range after that long injury lay-off.

Hope he stays fit and recovers his confidence. Seem like a very good cover in the case Lucas/Gerrard leaves/retires.

---

Suarez is also in Liverpool today.

So I've been thinking on this for a bit now, but the more I dwell on it the more I start to feel it might be time. I would like to see how Gerrard plays over the next 5 - 6 games, but if his form holds (he really just looks worn to me) it's important, I think, to start looking for a replacement to play that single holder. I know that Allen could do it just fine, but he's better in that pressing CM role he currently occupies.

If it were up to me we'd be looking at Johannes Geis and Morgan Schneiderlin (steal him from under the Spurs FFS), but what do you guys think? Lucas can't be long for Liverpool anymore, and Rossiter is still too young. It's not likely, to me anyway, that Gerrard will be a starter for us past this season if he doesn't step it up a bit more as painful as that is.

^ Either Allen or Lucas need to be rotated with Gerrard. Hopefully Lucas. He can play that DLP role fine (his passing is not as good as Gerrard's but he is good at it none the less) and will actually be able to shield the back four at the same time.

My first preference will be Lucas. Can would be also fine, sadly it is his first season. We can experiment him in THE position in cup games. So as of now my preference will be
Lucas
Allen
Can

I haven't noticed anything unexpected in Gerrard's performances in the first games of the season. I'm 90% sure he'll play as much as possible this season, too, and I'm fine with that.