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      Improving Midfield - how will it set up?

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      PurpleMonkey
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      Re: Improving Midfield - how will it set up?
      Reply #46: Aug 07, 2018 10:52:00 am
      I would be surprised if Fabinho and Keita start against West Ham, don't think it's wise to have 2 debuting players in midfield in this league.

      Hendo won't be fit so I would imagine the midfield will be Keita, Milner and Gini for the first game.

      Yeah, I think you could be right. We will probably know more by the end of tonight.
      PurpleMonkey
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      Re: Improving Midfield - how will it set up?
      Reply #47: Aug 14, 2018 12:43:29 pm
      Has signing Naby Keita, Xherdan Shaqiri and Fabinho made Liverpool’s midfield any better or is it a Jürgen Klopp trick?
      When every player expected to be available for Liverpool this season is fit and free of suspension, JĂźrgen Klopp has three midfields to choose from.

      There is the one that started on Sunday that included Naby Keita, James Milner and Georginio Wijnaldum. There is another that featured on the bench: Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana and Fabinho. Klopp believes Xherdan Shaqiri can play as a No 8, so there is him, Curtis Jones and Marko Grujic to consider, though Grujic might leave on loan to a foreign club in the next few weeks. Inside the club, it is also believed that Trent Alexander-Arnold will evolve from full-back and into midfield. By the time he plays there, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is expected to have returned from injury.

      It might seem like Klopp’s options have never been richer but it is a credit to his management and the progression made under him that he has probably only made it seem that way. This time last year, he was recruiting Oxlade-Chamberlain to go with Emre Can and Philippe Coutinho – both of whom have since left for Juventus and Barcelona.

      Effectively, then, a combination of Keita and Shaqiri have been signed to make up for the loss of Coutinho, Fabinho has replaced Can, and Lallana – who was injured for most of the last campaign – makes up for the loss of Oxlade-Chamberlain.

      It is fair to conclude that Liverpool’s chances of beating Real Madrid in May’s Champions League final would have increased with Coutinho’s presence, so maybe Liverpool did end up missing him when it really mattered but by then – such had been the team’s unlikely achievements – his absence did not feature much in cold analysis.

      Klopp and Liverpool have, however, since been criticised for not pursuing other targets after a deal for Nabil Fekir collapsed. Yet Klopp had recognised last summer that Coutinho would more than likely leave and this explains why he was willing to pay a premium to get Keita so far in advance of his arrival.

      It is possible that Klopp could have signed Fekir and Shaqiri in the same week back at the start of June but when it became clear that Fekir was not happening, he remained calm having done his research on Shaqiri.

      Andreas Kornmayer, Liverpool’s head of fitness, had previously worked at Bayern Munich for fifteen years and for two and a half of those years, Shaqiri was there too. While Liverpool’s scouting department assessed that Shaqiri deserved better recognition for the decisiveness of his passing before concluding that his explosive shooting ability will see him score the sort of goals Liverpool will need from distance when opposition defences sit deep, Kornmayer offered reassurances about the player’s character. In signing Shaqiri, Klopp realised he was getting someone whose personality and ability would ensure his heralded front three don’t ease up while also giving added flexibility to his midfield.

      In the midst of this, it was suggested by Turkish media outlets that Wijnaldum might be sold to Fenerbahce, a club that had just appointed Phillip Cocu as manager – someone who coached Wijnaldum at PSV Eindhoven where they won the Eredivisie together.

      Wijnaldum, though, is valued by Klopp more than many might think. While Keita and Milner were widely credited for outstanding performances in the crushing victory over West Ham, the first player Klopp embraced at the final whistle was Wijnaldum. The Dutchman is a respected figure at Anfield – not only for his versatility and consistency but his intelligence. As the players later filtered through the main stand’s mixed zone, waiting in the corner was Kenny Dalglish with two of his grandchildren. Dalglish would engage with Wijnaldum for ten minutes, sharing stories and jokes, before the pair hugged and said their goodbyes.

      “I don’t know who put it in the media but it wasn’t me,” Wijnaldum responded when it was suggested to him that it would be a strange time to leave Liverpool considering the possibilities. “I laugh about it. I also read that I asked the club if I could leave. I never had a conversation with the club.

      “People from the outside just see Liverpool is buying players, so players who are already here are going to leave. Liverpool will always buy good players, even if they already have good players. That's normal. I think it has to be normal for a club like Liverpool because that means you're a big club.”

      Wijnaldum was reminded about the number of options Klopp currently has before the pressures and the strain of the campaign kick in, impacting upon numbers. One of the key differences between this season and last is that Klopp is unlikely to lose any players in January – particularly one as influential as Coutinho.

      “I always want to play,” Wijnaldum said. “I think that kind of competition you have to get it in a team like Liverpool. I think Manchester City and Chelsea, with the new signings that they've made, have it also. I think each position there is competition and it's good at Liverpool. Back in the day it was not different.”

      Wijnaldum would speak about the talents of Keita before considering what Liverpool might achieve.

      “He [Keita] has a lot of qualities. He can provide assists, he can score goals. He showed it in Germany. He can keep the ball and give us - I don't want to say time to rest - time to keep the ball as a team. I think he can regain the ball, his counter-pressing is good. I think he's a good signing for us.

      “We feel that we can do something special. We felt it last year also. But feeling is one thing, doing it is the second one. If City's going to play like they did last season then it will be really hard because they only lost two games and a few draws. If you want to compete with them you can barely drop points. That's really difficult but something we look forward to. So we will go for it.”

      https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/liverpool-news-naby-keita-fabinho-xherdan-shaqiri-midfield-any-better-JĂźrgen-klopp-a8489441.html

      ozi_wozzy
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      Re: Improving Midfield - how will it set up?
      Reply #48: Aug 14, 2018 01:14:35 pm
      Reckon first choice will be fabinho keita and lallana

      I'm hoping it'll be Keita, Milner, Fabinho.

      Ox coming back will make it more interesting. Rotate Hendo, Gini and Shakiri.
      PGlynn91
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      Re: Improving Midfield - how will it set up?
      Reply #49: Aug 14, 2018 01:50:23 pm
      I see Keita playing most games this season with everyone else battling for the two other spots but won't be surprised to see him part of the front three on the left if one of Salah, Bobby or Mane is hurt.

      I really like all our midfield options with Fabinho (new signing) and Lallana (injuries) having the most to prove this season.
      FATKOPITE10
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      Re: Improving Midfield - how will it set up?
      Reply #50: Aug 14, 2018 05:51:51 pm
      I'm hoping it'll be Keita, Milner, Fabinho.

      Ox coming back will make it more interesting. Rotate Hendo, Gini and Shakiri.

      Changed my mind since then, reckon we will see a fair bit of rotation with naby as the main exception as mentioned elsewhere
      Swab
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      Re: Improving Midfield - how will it set up?
      Reply #51: Aug 14, 2018 05:54:37 pm
      Changed my mind since then, reckon we will see a fair bit of rotation with naby as the main exception as mentioned elsewhere

      I've been watching a few of Klopp's interviews and pressers, and he's very into a lot of rotation this season, mentioning it quite a lot.
      PurpleMonkey
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      Re: Improving Midfield - how will it set up?
      Reply #52: Aug 14, 2018 05:56:42 pm
      Keita vs West Ham
          88% Pass Success
          68 Total Passes
          1 Key Pass
          81 Touches
          2/3 Dribbles Completed
          1 Tackle
          1 Aerial Duel won
          1 Interception



      https://www.reddit.com/r/LiverpoolFC/comments/974xm6/discussion_and_analysis_naby_keitas_first_game_as/
      PurpleMonkey
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      Re: Improving Midfield - how will it set up?
      Reply #53: Aug 14, 2018 05:59:57 pm
      I've been watching a few of Klopp's interviews and pressers, and he's very into a lot of rotation this season, mentioning it quite a lot.

      This is how I would like us to rotate, Keita/Lallana, Wijnaldum/Fabinho & Milner/Hendo. This way, we should keep the same balance as what we saw vs West Ham.
      Swab
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      Re: Improving Midfield - how will it set up?
      Reply #54: Aug 14, 2018 06:08:26 pm
      This is how I would like us to rotate, Keita/Lallana, Wijnaldum/Fabinho & Milner/Hendo. This way, we should keep the same balance as what we saw vs West Ham.

      Having watched it again, I really don't want to take the shine off a good win, but I have to say that West Ham midfield were absolutely woeful.
      4 of the 5 spent most of the game completely out of position, and our midfield 3 had a ridiculous amount of time and space.

      We can only beat what's in front of us, but we'll face far sterner tests from less expensive teams this season.
      Magillionare
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      Re: Improving Midfield - how will it set up?
      Reply #55: Aug 14, 2018 06:11:55 pm
      I've been watching a few of Klopp's interviews and pressers, and he's very into a lot of rotation this season, mentioning it quite a lot.

      Especially until Christmas as we learned the hard way 2 years ago that we need to roatate then
      ozi_wozzy
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      Re: Improving Midfield - how will it set up?
      Reply #56: Aug 15, 2018 09:23:24 am
      Having watched it again, I really don't want to take the shine off a good win, but I have to say that West Ham midfield were absolutely woeful.
      4 of the 5 spent most of the game completely out of position, and our midfield 3 had a ridiculous amount of time and space.

      We can only beat what's in front of us, but we'll face far sterner tests from less expensive teams this season.

      Yep, they were genuinely woeful. It was encouraging that we were so dominant in every area of the pitch though. Previous years would have had me still worrying about giving away a silly goal through a defensive mistake or unnecessary set piece. Not this time though, we really were completely in control. It's comforting to see.

      Bigger tests indeed to come, will be interesting to see if Keita can handle tougher midfield tests. Pre-season and first game - early signs are very very good. Our best chance of winning the league since that Rafa season imo.
      heimdall
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      Re: Improving Midfield - how will it set up?
      Reply #57: Aug 15, 2018 11:15:58 am
      This is how I would like us to rotate, Keita/Lallana, Wijnaldum/Fabinho & Milner/Hendo. This way, we should keep the same balance as what we saw vs West Ham.

      I'd like our core midfield to be Fabinho as #6, Keita as #8 and Shaquiri as #10.

      We have plenty of options in all positions though and that is so good and I think the one key thing which will make a difference for this season.
      Swab
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      Re: Improving Midfield - how will it set up?
      Reply #58: Aug 15, 2018 01:31:36 pm
      Yep, they were genuinely woeful. It was encouraging that we were so dominant in every area of the pitch though. Previous years would have had me still worrying about giving away a silly goal through a defensive mistake or unnecessary set piece. Not this time though, we really were completely in control. It's comforting to see.

      Bigger tests indeed to come, will be interesting to see if Keita can handle tougher midfield tests. Pre-season and first game - early signs are very very good. Our best chance of winning the league since that Rafa season imo.

      Again, I don't want to take the shine off a good performance for anyone, but we were dominant because West Ham were so awful.
      They were completely disjointed, clueless, and looked like 11 strangers on the pitch.
      I suppose that's what you get for giving a debut to 5 different players.

      As far as winning the league goes, I tend to assess how we're doing after a dozen games or so.
      We have a fairly solid squad, a great forward line and a couple of wild cards in Keita and Shaqiri who can make things happen, but as with all teams who win the league, we'll need a bit of luck along the way.
      alex1995
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      Re: Improving Midfield - how will it set up?
      Reply #59: Aug 15, 2018 01:49:36 pm
      Keita starts for sure. Then I guess Fabinho and Hendo will rotate. As for the no. 10 spot or most attacking midfielder, I guess it will depend on the game.
      It seems that Shaqiri can cause the most troubles from midfield; Milner is Milner and will ahve an impact wherever he plays; Lallana I think will be on the bench most of the time but if he finds his former form back, great!; Wijnaldum is a very good squad player to have, it's a shame that he does not score or assist enough.
      skamp
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      Re: Improving Midfield - how will it set up?
      Reply #60: Aug 15, 2018 01:58:17 pm
      Having watched it again, I really don't want to take the shine off a good win, but I have to say that West Ham midfield were absolutely woeful.
      4 of the 5 spent most of the game completely out of position, and our midfield 3 had a ridiculous amount of time and space.

      We can only beat what's in front of us, but we'll face far sterner tests from less expensive teams this season.
      100% this.  I said to my son at half-time that we could pretty much score however many we wanted, they were so bad!
      Swab
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      Re: Improving Midfield - how will it set up?
      Reply #61: Aug 15, 2018 02:08:13 pm
      100% this.  I said to my son at half-time that we could pretty much score however many we wanted, they were so bad!

      Their midfield were, quite literally, all over the place.

      Watching it again, seeing Noble shouting, pointing and trying to organise the other midfielders as they seemingly did their own thing, was so funny I almost felt sorry for the fella (almost), especially when we just ran into the huge spaces they were leaving.
      heimdall
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      Re: Improving Midfield - how will it set up?
      Reply #62: Aug 15, 2018 02:28:17 pm
      Again, I don't want to take the shine off a good performance for anyone, but we were dominant because West Ham were so awful.
      They were completely disjointed, clueless, and looked like 11 strangers on the pitch.
      I suppose that's what you get for giving a debut to 5 different players.

      As far as winning the league goes, I tend to assess how we're doing after a dozen games or so.
      We have a fairly solid squad, a great forward line and a couple of wild cards in Keita and Shaqiri who can make things happen, but as with all teams who win the league, we'll need a bit of luck along the way.

      Fair enough but you could say exactly the same about Arsenal, yet they created a fair few chances against Citeh.
      The Real Donavan Ried
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      Re: Improving Midfield - how will it set up?
      Reply #63: Aug 15, 2018 03:28:59 pm
      I think Henderson, Keita and Fabinho are likely to be the favoured trio, followed by Milner, Wijnaldum and Lallana, in that order.

      It is such a shame about the Ox because he was arguably our best midfielder last year and only Keita can really fulfil that role IMO. Still, if Keita is fit and keeps his head then with our attacking trio + Shaqiri, we should scare the life out of most defences.

      It’s a lucky side that ever has just the right amount of options at any given time.
      The way Keita, Gini and Milner performed vs West ham are you sure that it will be Henderson and Lallana ahead of Gini and Milner..?? all were colossus and although he only came on for a cameo Henderson did little to make me believe that he (barring injury or rotation) starts a head of Gini, and Milner, even Fabinho will have his work cut out to get a regular start
      Breeding-Reds-In-The-434
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      Re: Improving Midfield - how will it set up?
      Reply #64: Aug 15, 2018 06:42:09 pm
      The way Keita, Gini and Milner performed vs West ham are you sure that it will be Henderson and Lallana ahead of Gini and Milner..?? all were colossus and although he only came on for a cameo Henderson did little to make me believe that he (barring injury or rotation) starts a head of Gini, and Milner, even Fabinho will have his work cut out to get a regular start

      Dude, Gini looks good at the six. He isn’t going to score goals, how he was ever a winger is beyond me. However, his hold up play and willingness to run guys off the ball was above par. Hell, he looked decent at CB last year. If he is willing to accept this new role Hendo may be giving up the Captian’s band and Fabinho will have his work cut out for him aswell.
      lreland
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      Re: Improving Midfield - how will it set up?
      Reply #65: Aug 15, 2018 06:59:25 pm
      i think we played so much better and fast without henderson and adam in midfield,henderson think better play against top 4 teams but teams park bus he not
      harrydunn08
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      Re: Improving Midfield - how will it set up?
      Reply #66: Aug 16, 2018 07:54:02 pm
      Dude, Gini looks good at the six. He isn’t going to score goals, how he was ever a winger is beyond me. However, his hold up play and willingness to run guys off the ball was above par. Hell, he looked decent at CB last year. If he is willing to accept this new role Hendo may be giving up the Captian’s band and Fabinho will have his work cut out for him aswell.

      I mentioned a while ago that I thought Gini's best position would be the #6 role.  He has always struck me as a player who could do a job like what Makelele used to do.  Hopefully we get to see him play that position more often as I think he could really thrive in a more defensive minded role. 
      PurpleMonkey
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      Re: Improving Midfield - how will it set up?
      Reply #67: Aug 17, 2018 11:02:56 am
      I mentioned a while ago that I thought Gini's best position would be the #6 role.  He has always struck me as a player who could do a job like what Makelele used to do.  Hopefully we get to see him play that position more often as I think he could really thrive in a more defensive minded role. 

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PuFCUkek6Q

      Only his 4th game playing as our 6 too.
      LondonRed83
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      Re: Improving Midfield - how will it set up?
      Reply #68: Aug 17, 2018 11:48:44 am

      Done a great job every time too. He’s my pick for the role full time

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