Do we need a new midfielder this summer?

Some of you would have already seen it on twitter but Arsene Wenger (very eloquently) made an interesting point on beIN sports during the aftermath of our Champions League Final victory. He noted that if there is an area we can improve on it is the technical quality and reading twitter/other forums many have pointed towards the midfield as an area where that improvement on a technical level can be made. But Arsene did counter this by saying that sometimes in search of technical brilliance you potentially undo/overlook the emotional and attitudinal qualities that he says has made us European champions.

Now if you look at our midfield options going into pre season we have:

Gini
Milner
Hendo
Keita
Fabinho
Chamberlain
Shaqiri
Lallana (still unsure whether he will definitely be here next season)

Strong options I'm sure you'd agree. But can we improve on that? For me, I see a group of midfielders that are technically very good but even better in terms of physicality, work rate and most of all, attitude. In terms of technique for sure we can improve but what is it that we have to improve upon if you believe that our midfield can be improved upon? And, if a new midfielder did come into the team what would his role be and what would his qualities be?

Some of you would have already seen it on twitter but Arsene Wenger (very eloquently) made an interesting point on beIN sports during the aftermath of our Champions League Final victory. He noted that if there is an area we can improve on it is the technical quality and reading twitter/other forums many have pointed towards the midfield as an area where that improvement on a technical level can be made. But Arsene did counter this by saying that sometimes in search of technical brilliance you potentially undo/overlook the emotional and attitudinal qualities that he says has made us European champions.

Now if you look at our midfield options going into pre season we have:

Gini
Milner
Hendo
Keita
Fabinho
Chamberlain
Shaqiri
Lallana (still unsure whether he will definitely be here next season)

Strong options I'm sure you'd agree. But can we improve on that? For me, I see a group of midfielders that are technically very good but even better in terms of physicality, work rate and most of all, attitude. In terms of technique for sure we can improve but what is it that we have to improve upon if you believe that our midfield can be improved upon? And, if a new midfielder did come into the team what would his role be and what would his qualities be?

Good questions and thread.

I would argue we don't need a new player, because the quality that perhaps was least evident in our midfield this season (and I'm talking very small margins), is the skillful, slasher, creative type. But both of those can come from a fit and settled Naby Keita and a fit Alex Oxlaide-Chamberlain . It reminds that we performed as highly as we did without a major contribution from either of these players (especially Alex). Get them back and on song and we can be even better.

No we need replacements for Daniel and Moreno. We have OX and Naby who will add a lot to our midfield next season

no we dont. simples.

No not a priority. We have a excellent captain and all round midfielders.

When Wenger talks of that technical brilliance player, I think he is more referring to a playmaker type, isn't he? Someone like Coutinho, Isco, B.Silva, D.Silva, Messi, J.Rodriguez etc? I actually think we have that type of player in Shaqiri. Shaqiri may not be as good as your Silva's, Eriksen and Messi, Coutinho and Isco, but his left foot is sure as hell as good, if not better as their main foot. He certainly has the ability.

As for our midfield, I think it's a perfectly balanced group. We have a strong mixture of technical and industrious group of midfielders. Where Hendo and Milner are more your industrious players, we then have players like Keita, Lallana, Ox and Wijnaldum who are technically strong but have that industrious edge to them.

I don't think we need to add anymore to our midfielder area, especially knowing Lallana and Milner are 99% staying with Keita in his second season and the return of Ox. However, I do think we can upgrade, but definitely not needed.

If we do decide on upgrading, I would love to see us linked to the likes of, Rabiot, Saul, Ndombele or Aouar for the MC role, and for the playmaking one, Maddison or Fekir would be great!

When Wenger talks of that technical brilliance player, I think he is more referring to a playmaker type, isn't he? Someone like Coutinho, Isco, B.Silva, D.Silva, Messi, J.Rodriguez etc? I actually think we have that type of player in Shaqiri. Shaqiri may not be as good as your Silva's, Eriksen and Messi, Coutinho and Isco, but his left foot is sure as hell as good, if not better as their main foot. He certainly has the ability.

As for our midfield, I think it's a perfectly balanced group. We have a strong mixture of technical and industrious group of midfielders. Where Hendo and Milner are more your industrious players, we then have players like Keita, Lallana, Ox and Wijnaldum who are technically strong but have that industrious edge to them.

I don't think we need to add anymore to our midfielder area, especially knowing Lallana and Milner are 99% staying with Keita in his second season and the return of Ox. However, I do think we can upgrade, but definitely not needed.

If we do decide on upgrading, I would love to see us linked to the likes of, Rabiot, Saul, Ndombele or Aouar for the MC role, and for the playmaking one, Maddison or Fekir would be great!

If we signed Fekir, who would be our first choice midfield three?

If we signed Fekir, who would be our first choice midfield three?

I see Fekir more an attacking midfielder/forward than attacking midfielder/midfielder, therefore I see him rotating with Firmino and Salah more than a midfielder player. I think he would offer more creativity to unlock low block teams than Firmino if played as a false 9, he also has a mean accurate left foot!

We can never have enough good players and although on first look we don't need another midfielder I still think we miss a real playmaker.

Whether you think that is a midfielder or a forward I'd like to see us sign someone like a Fekir.

Yes

If the right player comes along then get him.

Young talent like Kai Havertz would be ideal to bring in if we could just because he’s so good.

No, not unless we lose someone

We should always strive to improve

We should always strive to improve

Who should we replace then?

Milner won't be able to complete a season as tough as this season he will play but will start to struggle

you mean like a versatile midfielder / winger? with premier league experience? can play behind the front 3 in center midfield or on the wing?

possibly Brazilian?

I dont think we need any more. It was a real strength of ours as it was last season. Add into the equation Keita will improve for the run and Ox will be ready to roll next season after a full pre season too. Those 2 things alone should see us improve the midfield that was already strong.

Grujic is also a wildcard entry if he is wanted here by Klopp next season.

I’d say we are still lacking that replacement for Coutinho so if a player like Fekir or Fernandes came in then I think we would benefit because we could do with more productivity in attack from the midfield but I wouldn’t say we need a midfielder as a priority. Certainly don’t need one in a similar mould to what we already have.

Isco will probably be on the market who would turn him down as a LFC player?

Yes we most certainly do, the secret of a winning side imo is to strengthen when possible and if the right bloke is available,  but he has to fit in like a hand to a glove,

Lots of clickbait surrounding Coutinho atm and although I wouldn't say no to his return i think though that that ship has sailed,
A player that sticks out for me is Ruben Neves from Wolves,  he's already a top player but imagine what working with  Klopp would do for his career,
Now yes, we do have a abundance of midfielders, however, Millies legs can't last forever no matter how much Ribena he has,  Lallana is to injury prone and i think he'll be gone before August anyway, 
Its quality we need to add to our ranks,  yes Hendo, Gini, Naby, Ox et al tick all the boxes but we still need to have like or like replacement's,
Ruben Neves is a player I believe would thrive and give Jürgen a few selection headaches next season, he's quality and fits the bill for me.


YNWA

Yes we most certainly do, the secret of a winning side imo is to strengthen when possible and if the right bloke is available,  but he has to fit in like a hand to a glove,

Lots of clickbait surrounding Coutinho atm and although I wouldn't say no to his return i think though that that ship has sailed,
A player that sticks out for me is Ruben Neves from Wolves,  he's already a top player but imagine what working with  Klopp would do for his career,
Now yes, we do have a abundance of midfielders, however, Millies legs can't last forever no matter how much Ribena he has,  Lallana is to injury prone and i think he'll be gone before August anyway, 
Its quality we need to add to our ranks,  yes Hendo, Gini, Naby, Ox et al tick all the boxes but we still need to have like or like replacement's,
Ruben Neves is a player I believe would thrive and give Jürgen a few selection headaches next season, he's quality and fits the bill for me.


YNWA

Neves is a DM so if he is happy to play understudy to Fab why not.

Pretty well set with Keita finding his feet and AOC back aren't we?

I think it will be a lot to do with what formation we're going to go with mext season. If we start with 4 2 3 1, like we did last season, then the rumours for Bruno Fernández are justified. Problem is can Bobby play as that out and out striker. Bobby does like to drop deep and pick up the ball, he's a workhorse when he plays that false 9 in a 4 3 3 so is he suited to that 9 position. Of course Salah can play 9 with a new 10 behind and we'll have Ox next season who can play on the right. It will be a lot tougher next season and the need to rotate will be there again and there will be a lot more pressure on us to perform as we did this season with all (except the plastics) the top 6 improving their squads. So do we need another midfielder, maybe.

Gini
Milner
Hendo
Keita
Fabinho
Chamberlain
Shaqiri
Lallana (still unsure whether he will definitely be here next season)

Rumors we are after Pepe, and that looks like a signing to add depth in terms of quality and numbers, probably a replacement for Wilson. I would class him as a front-3 signing.

Now, if we decide to move on Lallana, the rumored 'lesser' fee for Fekir would be definitely worth the gamble, and with a good stock of midfielders, he would be rotated and not stretched in terms of playing time, like our front-3 for the last 2 seasons.

Have said this before, our build-up play last season was primarily through the full backs, a direct consequence of our mids playing compact and protecting the defense. If there is one area where we could improve, it would be playing through the middle a lot more and thats the reference that Arsene makes. Technically gifted, crafty #10 to dissect opposition midfield and defense, and Fekir would be immense in that regard. And one of the reasons we sought Fekir last summer was his ability to press from the front, in that false 9 position that Bobby has mastered.

Considering all that, think we'll line up in combinations of

4-3-3:

Mane/Origi - Bobby/Fekir - Mo/Pepe
Naby/Milly - Fab/Gini - Ox/Hendo

4-2-3-1:

Mo/Origi
Mane/Naby - Fekir/Bobby - Pepe/Shaq
Fab/Gini - Hendo/Ox

4-2-2-2:

Mo/Mane
             Bobby/Fekir
Naby/Milly                    Pepe/Shaq
        Gini/Fab     Hendo/Ox

Remains to be seen if we would bring in both Pepe ANNNNDD Fekir. I hope we do cos we should be gunning for all trophies without a hint of weakness in our fielding 11, no matter the cup or the opponent.

Hahhaha put on FB replying to someone that it's a shame Hazzard has left The Premier League, he could have joined us for 200 million pounds. Someone put and where do you think you could fit him in our side?

I said On our Bench!!!!

Having Keita and Ox will improve us but I think we should replace Lallana, I doubt he can challenge for a starting position and e a reliable player from the bench. However, he said himself, he plans to stay. If possible I think we should make Van Dijk vice-captain so that Milner becomes our cover for LB and we give Grujic a chance in midfield...

Other than adding depth theres not a lot more to do with this team. Moreno and Sturridge leaving I'd say we'd be looking to replace them with better.

We could spend 80 million to do that or 8 million, but I'm not sure that who ever we buy will get a starting spot in this team.

Where is the weakness really? I dont see one. The weakness is purely depth, at left back and in the forward line. Even then Brewster and Origi may well be capable deputies to be fair.

Thats not to say we shouldn't do it. It's a great position to be in to have a settled side that doesn't need much doing to it, yet adding further depth anyway. It can only be a good thing and that's what City have done for years.

Other than adding depth theres not a lot more to do with this team. Moreno and Sturridge leaving I'd say we'd be looking to replace them with better.

We could spend 80 million to do that or 8 million, but I'm not sure that who ever we buy will get a starting spot in this team.

Where is the weakness really? I dont see one. The weakness is purely depth, at left back and in the forward line. Even then Brewster and Origi may well be capable deputies to be fair.

Thats not to say we shouldn't do it. It's a great position to be in to have a settled side that doesn't need much doing to it, yet adding further depth anyway. It can only be a good thing and that's what City have done for years.

Yea we will be fine even if we sign no one this summer.

I would like to improve our bench a little though and replace Mignolet and Lallana with better squad players.

Other than that we need cover at LB for Andy.

I wouldn't be opposed to us selling Lovren and signing de Ligt but not overly fussed either way.

Do we NEED a new midfielder this summer? absolutely not.

We have Gini, Hendo, Fab, Keita and Ox all of whom could be starters and will have to battle it out for 3 spots with Lallana, Milner and Shaq as cover. That is top quality depth, though Lallana and Milner will need replacement in the next 1-2 years.

What i would want is a quality addition to the front 3, to cover/challenge for a spot.

Good thread this. It’s a tricky one. If you look at our starting line-up you’d have to say the midfield is the weakest when compared to our back four or our front three. However, with a fully fit Ox and Keita we have got a bit of everything. We still (for me) lack that Modric type of player who can run a game with his passing as well as possessing the skill to beat a player and break lines but hopefully Keita can provide some of this.

Sorry can’t temember who said it but replacing Studge with a top quality forward who can plays across the front three and another left back for Moreno would be my priorities.

I don't think it's a priority, if someone class is available, you jump I think (Isco?).

But we have basically 2 midfielders for every position it seems so I'm good with spending our money elsewhere unless a great opportunity comes our way.

The biggest thing when looking to make a signing for Liverpool isnt whether we spend £18 or £80 million,its the guy has to fit,he has to blend,its a happy bunch down Anfield way last thing we need is a billy big baws and a nippy agent, Im pretty sure we look very carefully into a players characteristic before we offer terms, due diligence and all that , I would however like a Silva, Modric, Fekir,Isco,type player ,but we best leave it to Jürgen he knows what he needs.

Some of you would have already seen it on twitter but Arsene Wenger (very eloquently) made an interesting point on beIN sports during the aftermath of our Champions League Final victory. He noted that if there is an area we can improve on it is the technical quality and reading twitter/other forums many have pointed towards the midfield as an area where that improvement on a technical level can be made. But Arsene did counter this by saying that sometimes in search of technical brilliance you potentially undo/overlook the emotional and attitudinal qualities that he says has made us European champions.

Now if you look at our midfield options going into pre season we have:

Gini
Milner
Hendo
Keita
Fabinho
Chamberlain
Shaqiri
Lallana (still unsure whether he will definitely be here next season)

Strong options I'm sure you'd agree. But can we improve on that? For me, I see a group of midfielders that are technically very good but even better in terms of physicality, work rate and most of all, attitude. In terms of technique for sure we can improve but what is it that we have to improve upon if you believe that our midfield can be improved upon? And, if a new midfielder did come into the team what would his role be and what would his qualities be?

Realistically, we have Fab, Hendo, Gini and Keita capable of being regular starters. Ox will be a massive test to see if he can get back to what he was, Milner and Shaq are good options off the bench and I think Lallana will leave. So we need a bit more quality and depth.

Also, we were incredibly lucky with injuries to the front 3 last season (until Bobby's late injury ofc). Someone to rotate with those three, or even play behind them ahead of a two sitting midfield team in some games would work. Hence I agree with those who say we need an attackign mid / playmaker type who can play as support for striker or as an attacking mid ahead of a sitting two holding midfielders.

Some people are asking the question on who would start in mid. Well the answer would be that we need to be able to rotate players. For me, the only sure starter there at the moment is Fab. The rest can all rotate, so why not add more quality? What we desperately missed last year is a creative player who can break down stubborn defenses and get a few goals from outside the box.

It's going to be an even tougher season because we will be a target now and in the modern game with so much fixture pile up, we need more quality in depth and ability to rest the top players.

Realistically, we have Fab, Hendo, Gini and Keita capable of being regular starters. Ox will be a massive test to see if he can get back to what he was, Milner and Shaq are good options off the bench and I think Lallana will leave. So we need a bit more quality and depth.

Also, we were incredibly lucky with injuries to the front 3 last season (until Bobby's late injury ofc). Someone to rotate with those three, or even play behind them ahead of a two sitting midfield team in some games would work. Hence I agree with those who say we need an attackign mid / playmaker type who can play as support for striker or as an attacking mid ahead of a sitting two holding midfielders.

Some people are asking the question on who would start in mid. Well the answer would be that we need to be able to rotate players. For me, the only sure starter there at the moment is Fab. The rest can all rotate, so why not add more quality? What we desperately missed last year is a creative player who can break down stubborn defenses and get a few goals from outside the box.

It's going to be an even tougher season because we will be a target now and in the modern game with so much fixture pile up, we need more quality in depth and ability to rest the top players.

I appreciate the value of rotation. In my case I asked about who would start IF we signed Fekir. It would leave one of Gini, Hendo or Keita on the bench (understanding a mid in rotation could still start 40 games in the coming season, even with strict rotation).

You make an excellent point about Ox. We all hope for the best for him, but there is a big question nark on him for the new season.

I have said No we don't but if there was a Young 24 year old Steven Gerrard knocking about then clearly that's different but anyone coming into a side that are European Champions and having collected 97 points in the EPL is going to have to be special

Let do it.

I think we do, we've got Ox which is basically a new player, I'd like a attacker Klopp doesn't go for centre forwards so a attacking midfielder/winger. Someone else mentioned it but I'd go in with a one off offer £60m for Coutinho on the wage  he left on pretty much, Barca would have to settle the difference. Probably wouldn't happen but if they want rid?

Cracking article in the Echo here with regards to our midfield and the various options we now have in the middles of the park. We used to sing we had the best midfield in the world when we had Xabi, Mascherano, Gerrard plus Sissoko and Lucas in reserve. I’m not sure we’re at that level but it’s the best it’s been since those days.

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/liverpool-midfield-tactics-premier-league-16655476

Cracking article in the Echo here with regards to our midfield and the various options we now have in the middles of the park. We used to sing we had the best midfield in the world when we had Xabi, Mascherano, Gerrard plus Sissoko and Lucas in reserve. I’m not sure we’re at that level but it’s the best it’s been since those days.

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/liverpool-midfield-tactics-premier-league-16655476

Amazing the so many of them are happy to sit in the bench 😉

Cracking article in the Echo here with regards to our midfield and the various options we now have in the middles of the park. We used to sing we had the best midfield in the world when we had Xabi, Mascherano, Gerrard plus Sissoko and Lucas in reserve. I’m not sure we’re at that level but it’s the best it’s been since those days.

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/liverpool-midfield-tactics-premier-league-16655476

Amazing that so many of them are happy to sit in the bench 😉