The OFFICIAL Liverpool FC thread - Arne to Slot right in?

[thewobbler]

It was a freaky aberration.

Chelsea, Liverpool, City and United had all pretty much downed tools by Christmas, while every side Leicester faced post Christmas seemed unusually willing to succumb to the narrowest of defeats. A grand tally of 68 goals for the season was not the mark of the best team. More like the least worst.

[StPatsAbu]

It was a freaky aberration.

Chelsea, Liverpool, City and United had all pretty much downed tools by Christmas, while every side Leicester faced post Christmas seemed unusually willing to succumb to the narrowest of defeats. A grand tally of 68 goals for the season was not the mark of the best team. More like the least worst.

Lol. The only freaky aberration title was Liverpool's last year. Like the rest of the world every other club was focusing on the global the pandemic. LFC didn't care whose grandparents died so long as they got they broke their EPL duck. They even furloughed the lowest paid in the club to finance it.

[Armamike]

It was a freaky aberration.

Chelsea, Liverpool, City and United had all pretty much downed tools by Christmas, while every side Leicester faced post Christmas seemed unusually willing to succumb to the narrowest of defeats. A grand tally of 68 goals for the season was not the mark of the best team. More like the least worst.

Lol. The only freaky aberration title was Liverpool's last year. Like the rest of the world every other club was focusing on the global the pandemic. LFC didn't care whose grandparents died so long as they got they broke their EPL duck. They even furloughed the lowest paid in the club to finance it.

Get a life. You're trying way too hard.

[laoislad]

It was a freaky aberration.

Chelsea, Liverpool, City and United had all pretty much downed tools by Christmas, while every side Leicester faced post Christmas seemed unusually willing to succumb to the narrowest of defeats. A grand tally of 68 goals for the season was not the mark of the best team. More like the least worst.

Lol. The only freaky aberration title was Liverpool's last year. Like the rest of the world every other club was focusing on the global the pandemic. LFC didn't care whose grandparents died so long as they got they broke their EPL duck. They even furloughed the lowest paid in the club to finance it.

U ok hun? X x x

[J70]

Unbelievable how quickly they have fell, Klopp would be sacked at most other top clubs by now.

Says a lot about those clubs.

Not really, Leicester were left with no choice but to sack Ranieri after the miracle.

Never say never.

But it's clear something is broken behind the scenes. I don't know if Liverpool can afford to miss the UCL.

Raineri was nowhere near Klopp's level.

His league win was a freak. An aberration.

Klopp has more than earned the opportunity to work through this.

Let the press and rival fans froth away. He's going nowhere.

No it wasn't. The best team always wins the league. Some of the players in that title winning team would still get into every team in England. Vardy, Kante, Mahrez.....the achievement was even more special with Robert Huth, Danny Simpson and Wes Morgan at the back. Ranieri deserves total respect for that achievement.

The press need a target, Klopp is now right in their sights. Typical British Press....build you up to nail you.

I didn't say it wasn't worthy of respect or not a great accomplishment.

My point is he has won little else of note, and neither have those players, outside of one or two exceptions. Ranieri is middling journeyman at the top level of management. Which is fine. The vast majority of managers don't even make it to that level or have a decades-long career like Ranieri has in a cut-throat business.

Klopp is one of the greatest of his generation and will go down as a legendary manager at a club with several of them. He went to Liverpool with marching orders, based on his career and the club's history, to develop the team to challenge for the Premier League and Champions League trophies. Ranieri and Leicester had no such expectations.

The press can do what they want. Liverpool fans know what they have with Klopp. FSG do too. Hopefully Klopp himself will stay and get it back on the road.

[Estimator]

It was a freaky aberration.

Chelsea, Liverpool, City and United had all pretty much downed tools by Christmas, while every side Leicester faced post Christmas seemed unusually willing to succumb to the narrowest of defeats. A grand tally of 68 goals for the season was not the mark of the best team. More like the least worst.

Utd have won the PL twice with records of 67 goals and 68 goals. Arsenal won it with 68 goals.  Arsenal's invincibles only managed 5 more on 73. Jose's Chelsea sides (first time around) won it with 72. So Leicester's goal scoring tally is not really a freaky aberration. They lost 3 matches in 38 games won the league by 10pts.

[Denn Forever]

How long will it before there are rumblings of replacing Kloop with Stephen Gerrard?

[Armamike]

How long will it before there are rumblings of replacing Kloop with Stephen Gerrard?

Hopefully 10 years.

[Maroon Manc]

No chance Klopp getting sacked but it might be getting to the stage where he'd considering stepping down.

I can't see Liverpool giving the manager much to spend in the summer if there's no CL football which I assume is going to come as a total shock to the owners, doubt they can believe what's gone on.

[J70]

No chance Klopp getting sacked but it might be getting to the stage where he'd considering stepping down.

I can't see Liverpool giving the manager much to spend in the summer if there's no CL football which I assume is going to come as a total shock to the owners, doubt they can believe what's gone on.

They've overseen similar peaks and valleys with the Red Sox. All part of their "living within their means" approach to the respective clubs.

No one obviously counted on COVID and the resulting financial hit. Made no difference to the likes of City, PSG and Chelsea. But FSG have refused to bankroll expensive purchases, only a few hire-purchase deals for Jota and Thiago which will eventually be paid off (they wouldn't pay up for Werner, despite his desire to go there). And then the injuries stretched the squad to breaking point.

It will be interesting to see what their plans are come the summer. Are they going to dip into the equity and rebuild the squad to allow them to push again at the top? Wijnaldum on the way out the door on a free. The likes of Shaqiri, Origi and maybe even Oxlade-Chamberlain, along with various lads out on loan will be off-loaded too. If they don't refresh the squad, will Klopp then stay to see out his final two seasons?

The Anfield Road end of the stadium is up for reconstruction this year too. Will that affect available funds?

[GetOverTheBar]

FSG will sell Liverpool likely, their stock compared to when they bought has risen massively and would still represent a good deal for a buyer as they will get it cheaper than a Man Utd but still represent the same 'prestige'.

I doubt FSG will fund what needs to be done at Liverpool now, so many questions. So many problems it seems and everyone ready to take the hand when it comes to transfers. Covid has crippled clubs, American owners in general are reluctant to splash the cash like their counterparts from other parts of the world.

After the Newcastle debacle however I wonder if the Saudis would be tempted to get back on board. That is where the money and the interest always is.

[TabClear]

No chance Klopp getting sacked but it might be getting to the stage where he'd considering stepping down.

I can't see Liverpool giving the manager much to spend in the summer if there's no CL football which I assume is going to come as a total shock to the owners, doubt they can believe what's gone on.

They've overseen similar peaks and valleys with the Red Sox. All part of their "living within their means" approach to the respective clubs.

No one obviously counted on COVID and the resulting financial hit. Made no difference to the likes of City, PSG and Chelsea. But FSG have refused to bankroll expensive purchases, only a few hire-purchase deals for Jota and Thiago which will eventually be paid off (they wouldn't pay up for Werner, despite his desire to go there). And then the injuries stretched the squad to breaking point.

It will be interesting to see what their plans are come the summer. Are they going to dip into the equity and rebuild the squad to allow them to push again at the top? Wijnaldum on the way out the door on a free. The likes of Shaqiri, Origi and maybe even Oxlade-Chamberlain, along with various lads out on loan will be off-loaded too. If they don't refresh the squad, will Klopp then stay to see out his final two seasons?

The Anfield Road end of the stadium is up for reconstruction this year too. Will that affect available funds?

I would say the stadium redevelopment will happen as long as the funders get comfortable with teh Covid impact i.e. that full stadiums will happen again within a couple of years. from memory the revenue uplift should make it a no brainer from a business case perspective.

The squad overhaul is different, with the exception of the full backs/Gomez and to a lesser extent Allison a lot of the player value is at its peak (VVD/Mo/Mane/Bobby) and will only start to reduce as the players enter their thirties. Two of the clubs that could have bought them in RM/Barca are hurting even worse and its doubtful FSG would sanction an in country trade. I think they will have to offload at least one of Mo/Mane in the summer but aim to buy two Jota like replacements. Not necessarily forwards, probably one central midfielder and one forward in early twenties for about £40m hoping they will develop into those £80-£100m players. I dont think they could afford to do the  Havertz type deal i.e. £80m for unproven talent. Mbappe/Haaland are different, they will go for £120m plus. and LFC will not be able to compete financially.

Wilson and Koumetio and possibly a couple of others will come in as squad players to develop a la Jones but unfortunately a lack of UCL could hurt any recruitment badly. Look at United in some of those years when they missed out.  Some big decisions for FSG but the only thing I am sure of is that I want Klopp overseeing it.

[seafoid]

Man City would love to win the Champions League and then the Premiership. People have short memories

[GetOverTheBar]

Looks like Klopp is off to the German National team.

[quit yo jibbajabba]

Dont cry cos its over smile cos it happened. Or something like that

*jumps off bridge*