RipCordless

A pop-culture consumer who keeps it, by design, in the shallow end of the pool.

Premier League

Coutinho Wants Transfer

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So it’s real, Philip Coutinho, the one we’ve come to know as the Little Brazilian Magician, has officially handed in a transfer request — right before the first game of the season against Watford but more importantly, a couple of days before the first-leg of the Champion’s League final qualifier with Hoffenheim. Just a shocking state of affairs.

In what began as an off-season of potential and hope, confirmed by news print speculation from the Liverpool Echo announcing this could be one of the biggest summer spending sprees in club history — we’re edging from improvement and closer to disappointment. This was the summer where Klopp would finally be able to stamp his identity upon the squad, while strengthening for the rigors of the impending Champion’s League. But we’ve done little to strengthen or deepen the squad (with quality). All those aspirations seem to be slipping away at a rather alarming pace but for those not keeping track, why don’t we remind ourselves of the hiccups.

We tried but thus far have failed to sign a rock solid center back named, Virgil Van Dijk — a position which is much needed. We tried and completely failed to sign a high-potential, box-to-box, midfield player named, Naby Keita — a position which needs quality. Due to the unique rigors of Klopp preseason prep, we have a handful of players suffering from injuries, including the much loved Adam Lallana who will be gone three to four months with a thigh tear. And the final straw, our best player, Philipe Coutinho, wants to leave Liverpool for Barcelona. (Honestly, who could blame him but goodness, the timing is horrific.)

For good measure, all of these troubling issues were highlighted during the first game of the Premier League season against Watford. In an uninspiring display, Liverpool took a long time to get up to speed in the game, only managing a 3–3 tie at the closing whistle. The defense looked suspect while the midfield could only be described as average.

Remove Coutinho from the squad and we’re looking like a team which could score plenty but struggle to keep a lead. That defensive frailty could be exposed especially in light of how the other top teams have strengthened during the summer. The likes of Morata, Lacazette, and Lukaku arriving at new clubs looking to cause mayhem in the opposition’s box.

I grow concerned. I thought Klopp would be the difference maker, the guy who could bring glory back to the club. His personality, demeanor, and excitement for the club are evident but if this summer transfer window closes with a whimper instead of a bang — while we lose the quality in Coutinho, then this could be a long and frustrating season.

Liverpool FC Primed for Interesting Summer

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The English (Barclay’s) Premier League season concluded and Liverpool FC, under the reformed leadership of Jürgen Klopp, managed a hit & miss eighth place.  Liverpool scored 60 points, two short of West Ham United, three short of Southampton and missed any action in Europe for the 2016/17 season — but as a dedicated supporter, I’m okay with that. Why? Because Klopp was essentially managing Brendan Rodgers team and trying to make the best of it. To expect too much too soon would be ridiculous and honestly is not reflected in Klopp’s managerial history.

The fastest way to provide a salve to the Europa Cup final loss to Sevilla would be to nail down a marquee signing sooner rather than later. Officially, the summer transfer window began on July 01, 2016 (lasting two months) but clubs, players, and agents were free to negotiate (and announce) before that date. The question Klopp is now pondering and presumably acting upon is who leaves and who joins the fray? History teaches us Klopp will move with alacrity and direct purpose, shifting players who do not suit his game while bringing in a host of potential replacements. After nosing around online, Klopp’s transfer pattern appears consistent may be leaned upon without fear of it falling apart under the burden of scrutiny.

While managing Dortmund, Klopp oversaw many transfer windows but one thing remains clear: he can work within a budget. In fact, between 2008/9 and 2013/14, Klopp never strayed beyond a plus/minus of £5m in any given transfer window, normally landing on the plus side. That is exceptional money and player management considering his record of success during that time. Furthermore, in the same period, the price paid for Klopp’s average player acquisition was rarely greater than $4m, pushing to the maximum of $20.63 with Mkhitaryan in 2013/14. Once more, excellent focus on value for money and development but what about the sheer number of people in and out the door.

There is no doubt Klopp pushes players in and out with almost alarming frequency. In Klopp’s 2008/09 season (his first with Dortmund), only including players who were paid for (i.e., not including loans or contracts expiration’s), he signed eight while he sold nine. That is a hefty change but, truth be told, I expect the same sort of shake-up with Liverpool’s formal transfer window. During the remaining years, the paid transfers were:

Season # Players IN/OUT Highest Price Paid… …Player Signed
2008/09 +8 / -9 £3.38m Subotic
2009/10 +7 / -5 £3.15m Hummels
2010/11 +6 / -6 £3.56m Lewandowski
2011/12 +4 / -6 £4.13m Gundogan
2012/13 +4 / -6 £12.83m Reus
2013/14 +4 / -8 £20.63m Mkhitaryan

Just glancing at the list, one can easily be impressed with the quality now associated with those names. Allow me to take a moment and list players Klopp turned into household names: Mats Hummels, Sven Bender, Robert Lewandowski, Lukasz Piszczek, Shinji Kagawa, Neven Subotic, Ilkay Gundogan, Marco Reus, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyant, and Henrikh Mkhitaryn. All of those players were either discovered, developed, or polished under the hand of Jurgen Klopp (and his assistant coaches). So where does that leave Liverpool FC for the 2016/17 season?

In good hands.

Thus far, Klopp has successfully signed Joel Matip (free transfer), Marko Grujic (free transfer), Loris Karius (£4.7m), and Saido Mane (£32.0m). All these changes have been considered exceptional business with the potential for high value returns by most pundits — well, all of that business except the surprising Saido Mane purchase. Klopp has expressed to the media he’s been following and admiring Mane for some time and in light of the rebuff by Mario Gotze, it appears likely Klopp is satisfied with his forward thinking players (though I would have loved a more high-profile signing). From where I sit, it appears the focus needs to be on the middle of the park. We need a rock solid center midfield, box-to-box kind of player for the team to revolve around. Hopefully that will come sooner rather than later.

From where I sit, I trust Klopp more than I ever trusted any manager in recent Liverpool club history. The future remains bright and we’re lucky to have Klopp at the helm.

Liverpool Faithful | Don’t Panic

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So Liverpool fall again to another club of mediocre pedigree. One could argue, in this topsy-turvy Premier League season nothing is as it should be. My beloved Liverpool FC had a chance to close in on the top-four with so many other teams failing to put together winning game-plans this weekend, especially Manchester United who fell to Norwich at the Field of Dreams (bouncing them from the top four) but it didn’t happen.

Liverpool found themselves down early after an unfortunately Bogdan mistake, while the second goal appeared to kill their spirit and despite encouragement from the sideline (and a full week of rest in prep for the game). The lads never pushed back. There were moments of brilliance but attempting to come back from a one- or two-goal deficit appears to be something the team currently has trouble with. The creativity to cut through a solid, disciplined 4-4-2 once they are down appears elusive but certainly something which can be remedied. So, before the collective base of supporters begins spewing crap and frustration, remember the following:

  1. Jürgen Klopp was brought in early in the season and is playing with Brendan Rodger’s players. It will take time for Klopp to stamp his system upon these and other players he will bring in.
  2. Klopp is attempting to change the culture of the players who have been through years of mediocrity (not including the almost season). Again, that will take time to effect real change in their mindset — the most important change needed.
  3. Klopp is also adjusting to the differences in the Premier League, a far cry from the Bundesliga.
  4. In my opinion, Klopp has zero pressure on him for results during the current season. Whatever happens (minus relegation) will be just fine for the board.

What does this all mean? Let me touch base on a couple of those points.

Klopp is playing with a group of high-potential players but they are yet to gel and fully adopt the Klopp system but he’s also faced with trying to improve the squad. The manager cannot come out to the media and say he needs this position or that player because it shakes the assurance of the player currently occupying that position — thus Klopp needs to be careful and weigh the potential changes against player confidence. Clearly, there is a need for some impact players in attack and midfield, the first and most important change being central defenders. As Klopp said himself, you can’t have your attacking players worried the defense will give up more goals because it stunts offensive creativity. Thus, if I’m a betting man, I believe Klopp will bring in a central defender or two who are ready for the intensity and physicality of the Premier League.

Klopp is on a different time-table than the supporters. Some are clambering for a league title (ridiculous) while most of hoping for top-four (maybe, time will tell). Truth be told, I would wager Klopp was given the assurance of the board and want more consistent results this season with the only bright line being, “Don’t get relegated,” for 2015/16. Once Klopp has a summer behind him, has been given plenty of time to see the strengths and weaknesses of his club, then the push begins with, “Nail down top-four,” in 2016/17. At the end of his first full season in charge, he will have a mature team, vetted and ready for the trials and tribulations of Champion’s League football in the 2017/18 season. From there, Liverpool becomes a team which causes problems for anyone. Yup, that’s how much confidence I have in this manager.

So, bottom line, I strongly urge a continued patience and belief in our team. This is a long-term project and we’re doing okay right now. One more thing: we lucky to have Klopp as our manager.

Liverpool Impressing During Summer Window

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[alert type=”default or success or info or warning or danger”]null[/alert]To say I’m thrilled at the beginning of the signing period for Liverpool this summer would be an understatement. With the high points being Milner, Firmino, and Clyne, I feel Brendan Rodgers has added much needed quality to some important positions. Milner is just a class act with energy, versatility, and professionalism. Firmino is a different kind of positive with a strong creative flair along with a hunger for goal. Finally, there is Clyne, widely regarded as the best right-back in English football, he provides much needed quality, focus, and intensity in a recently weak position. This is the sort of high level talent the Liverpool fan base have been wishing for and when combined with the technical expertise of Coutinho, the slippery Lallana, and the ever-present work ethic of Henderson, one finds reason to the optimistic for the coming season.

More good news came in the form of Raheem Sterling signing for Manchester City for the staggering price of £49 million. One wonders what Man City sees in this youngster because I’m left scratching my head. Yes, Sterling shows flashes of potential but he current skill base appears limited to running in a straight line very quickly and firing the laces through the ball now and again. On the opposite side of the coin, he tends to stumble over his own feet, has trouble finishing with any consistency, and clearly is extremely selfish. Not that we should be surprised by that last bit. While at QPR, Sterling chose Liverpool FC when several clubs came courting and his only interest was the most money and signed with Liverpool. True to form, he’s chased the money again and settled at Manchester City. Good for him. Glad he graced us with his presence but happy we cashed him in for £49 million. Best of luck, Raheem.

But even with the recent splash of cash, not all is rosy in the garden of Melwood and questions remain. The most pressing questions center around Rodgers and his sometimes questionable coaching style. Rumors abound he’s looking to sign Christian Benteke from Aston Villa for £32 million but the fan base is largely uninspired by the potential transfer. Though Benteke can score, he’s prone to injury and is a striker thrives on muscling his way to through the box instead of the subtle and precise movement of a Suarez close. From where I sit, I tend to follow the group perspective in saying Benteke does not fit the current attacking system but perhaps that opinion is born from the hangover of Luis Suarez. Liverpool saw amazing success with that player and perhaps the default position believes another player of similar style will guarantee similar Suarez-like results. However, perhaps the creative talents of a hard-hitting midfield will be enough to support a layoff and thumping striker who can finish. Truth be told, I don’t know what to think beyond believing £32 is far too much to spend for such a player but time will tell.

But questions remain. In buying Benteke for such a large price, one feels like Rodgers hasn’t learned from prior errors and is slipping into his old ways and that is a scary proposition. As things stand, Liverpool, though historically a high-end club, is not currently the destination for top-tier players. A sad but true fact. Players are more likely to move toward Manchester United, Manchester City, or Chelsea than Liverpool so in signing Benteke, perhaps this is the best Rodgers can muster as he searches for a striker with rock solid production numbers. Irrespective, things have still improved so my concern now rests with how exactly Rodgers will deploy these new tools. It is time for Rodgers and his new staff to find his best eleven and use them until he runs into the trouble. Last year saw numerous questionable substitution decisions which seemed ill advised. There was also his proclivity to change the formation a handful of times during a match – so often, in fact, the team became fragmented and unfocused. If he can avoid such madness, perhaps there is hope to avoid the mistake of last seasons.

Regardless of how the summer transfer window finishes (though I’d be jumping up and down if Liverpool could sign the scoring vonderkin from Lyon, Andrea Lacazette), there is no doubt Liverpool appear be better prepared to face the trials and tribulations of the 2015/16 Premier League season. Will top-four be the result? That remains to be seen but with Manchester City signing the likes of Memphis Depay, Bastian Schweinsteiger, and Morgan Scheiderlin, United look like one team prepared for the Liverpool assault.

Now What for Liverpool?

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I’m an unapologetic Liverpool Football Club fan. I’ve supported the club since who the hell knows when and ensure threads of Liverpool red weave themselves into my life. I know the players, watch every game, and scour the Internet for the latest sensationalized transfer rumor on which quality player will grace Anfield in red kit. So, when I wax enigmatic on the trials and tribulations of Liverpool, it isn’t from a position of happenstance or from contrived interest. No, I’m all in and them some and as I begin the digest the 2014/15 season, I’m left feeling disappointed for what could have been and wonder what the future will bring.

Let me start with Rodgers. Though I was initially a fan of his style and tactics, watching his fumbling management style has left me devoid of confidence. I no longer believe this is the coach to lead Liverpool forward. He simple makes mistakes far too often.

I’ve been left confused by in-game personnel decisions on a regular basis. (Why did he continually sub-off Coutinho or Lallana for weaker players?) His blunted use of tactical shenanigans has left me wondering what he’s playing at. (Why did he stick with a 4-2-3-1 for weeks with no result?) And his ill-advised transfer policies remain a complete mystery. Let me dwell on that last one for a moment. Liverpool are playing an up-tempo, creative, fast movement style. How the hell do Lambert and Balotelli fit into that format? It seemed for all the world, Rodgers had no formation in mind when he transferred in Can, Lovren, Markovic, Lallana, and company. He seemed more focused on depth than quality. Finally, After just losing Suarez, a prolific goal scorer, why didn’t he press for a high-quality replacement like Sanchez?

I feel as though players, other managers, and the press all consider Rodgers a joke. Without the amazing production of Suarez, Rodgers’ lack of football acumen has been exposed on a grand scale. Every time I see him in front of the media, he spits out awkward comments and ill-advised comparatives. (Countinho is Liverpool’s Messi?!)

This is where the Fenway Sport Group should step in. Are they content to allow this feeble figure head continued spending authority? Or are they going to take the team, the tradition, and history of Liverpool seriously? That is another question entirely and one not easily answered.

From where I sit, the Fenway Sports Group need to fire Rodgers (with one more week in the season, perhaps Christmas will come early) and hire an experienced, strong-willed coach who has a plan. And I believe that person is Jurgen Klopp. Sure, I could wax on about his hit and miss successes in the German Bundesliga but all you really need to do is take a gander at his current team of exceptional talent: Reus, Hummels, Aubemayang, Kagawa, Gundogan, Ramos, Subotic, Bender, Ginter, all call BVB home. Most of those players would be a solid upgrade over Liverpool’s current team sheet and let’s not forget most were brought in under Klopp’s reign. This guy knows talent and having that experience would go far in developing the current Liverpool side.

So, do the You’ll-Never-Walk-Alone faithful a favor: Fire Rodgers, hire Klopp – allow him one season to settle then expect progress. Because as thing stand, Rodgers is leading Liverpool into mediocrity and a litany of 6th place finishes.

Not good enough. We aren’t Newcastle, or Sunderland, or Aston Villa. This is supposed to be Liverpool. Where has the expectation of excellence gone?!