Liverpool 2020-2021: John Henry Walks Alone

67YAZ

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 1, 2000
8,729
Not real LFC content, but I had to share.

I think a lot of folks know that we lost a baby in 2018. Our rainbow baby daughter was born last week. My wife is the LFC driver in our family. She adopted the Never Give Up from the Barca return leg as her personal motivator to push through fertility issues and finally complete our family. We had a professional photographer here this morning and she had to do some pictures in one of her many motivational shirts.

This isn’t the professional picture, obviously, but after all we’ve been through this just rips me in half.

View attachment 34141
Congrats. Really wonderful news in a year so barren of it.

Do they sell Alisson onesies?
 

Pesky Pole

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2001
2,464
Phoenixville, PA
Not real LFC content, but I had to share.

I think a lot of folks know that we lost a baby in 2018. Our rainbow baby daughter was born last week. My wife is the LFC driver in our family. She adopted the Never Give Up from the Barca return leg as her personal motivator to push through fertility issues and finally complete our family. We had a professional photographer here this morning and she had to do some pictures in one of her many motivational shirts.

This isn’t the professional picture, obviously, but after all we’ve been through this just rips me in half.

View attachment 34141
Congratulations man. That’s a great picture.

Did you go with Jordan, Mo-reen or Roberta?
 

Mighty Joe Young

The North remembers
SoSH Member
Sep 14, 2002
8,401
Halifax, Nova Scotia , Canada
Congrats @SocrManiac as well .. great pic!

Interesting choice of words from Klopp in his presser today referencing the Thiago rumours .. basically saying he can’t make the rumours go away .. well , of course he could .. simply by saying “ we are not signing Thiago” .. which he most certainly didn’t say.

I think it’s happening
 

nolasoxfan

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 11, 2004
6,930
Displaced
Not real LFC content, but I had to share.

I think a lot of folks know that we lost a baby in 2018. Our rainbow baby daughter was born last week. My wife is the LFC driver in our family. She adopted the Never Give Up from the Barca return leg as her personal motivator to push through fertility issues and finally complete our family. We had a professional photographer here this morning and she had to do some pictures in one of her many motivational shirts.

This isn’t the professional picture, obviously, but after all we’ve been through this just rips me in half.

View attachment 34141
Congratulations(!) and thank you for providing inspiration.
 

5050HindSight

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
1,390
Upstate NY
Not real LFC content, but I had to share.

I think a lot of folks know that we lost a baby in 2018. Our rainbow baby daughter was born last week. My wife is the LFC driver in our family. She adopted the Never Give Up from the Barca return leg as her personal motivator to push through fertility issues and finally complete our family. We had a professional photographer here this morning and she had to do some pictures in one of her many motivational shirts.

This isn’t the professional picture, obviously, but after all we’ve been through this just rips me in half.
Awesome, such wonderful news. And Phoebe is a fantastic name! I just posted this message on facebook the other day: "Something positive for 2020... it was the year I discovered that Phoebe Bridgers and Phoebe Waller-Bridge are two different, amazing, talented people." Which proves the old adage that good things come in threes.
 

coremiller

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
5,846
Not real LFC content, but I had to share.

I think a lot of folks know that we lost a baby in 2018. Our rainbow baby daughter was born last week. My wife is the LFC driver in our family. She adopted the Never Give Up from the Barca return leg as her personal motivator to push through fertility issues and finally complete our family. We had a professional photographer here this morning and she had to do some pictures in one of her many motivational shirts.

This isn’t the professional picture, obviously, but after all we’ve been through this just rips me in half.

View attachment 34141
Congratulations! What a beautiful photo.
 

SocrManiac

Tommy Seebach’s mustache
SoSH Member
Apr 15, 2006
8,632
Somers, CT
Thanks, everybody. Didn’t mean to hijack.

I meant to provide this context in the original post, but, you know. No sleep.

 

Mighty Joe Young

The North remembers
SoSH Member
Sep 14, 2002
8,401
Halifax, Nova Scotia , Canada
So .. the long rumoured deal for Thiago Alcantara has finally happened

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/liverpool-thiago-transfer-news-fsg-18948582
So .. there’s been no news on outgoings but one assumes Edwards has lined up deals for some of the midfield overflow.

So what’s Klopp’s go to midfield now? Have to think Alcantara replaces Wijnaldum ..

My personal choice would be Fabinho and Thiago in a double pivot and Keita as the advanced midfielder. Kind of a 4-2-1-3

I suspect Klopp will mix and match depending on the opposition .. the above formation against the bus parkers In particular.

Against the likes of City I think it would be Fabinho / Alcantara / Henderson.

There were a couple of stories over the weekend that Wijnaldum was happy to stick around .. but no news of a new contract. As well, reports from Spain seems to indicate Barcelona can’t afford to buy anybody unless they sell first.

They may be looking at Emery Can Redux.
 

67YAZ

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 1, 2000
8,729
Ever since the VVD fuck up, LFC have handled their transfer business very well.

Given the injury history of the midfield - Henderson, Ox, Kieta - the extra competition could be very valuable.

now how about another CB?
 

SocrManiac

Tommy Seebach’s mustache
SoSH Member
Apr 15, 2006
8,632
Somers, CT
First, the deal itself is incredible. Thiago’s contract situation made it possible to pry him away for a relatively paltry fee (paid in installments!).

It’s one player, but it does a lot to provide rotation during periods of fixture congestion (which is essentially all the time). Every midfield trio will provide a slightly different look, but they all work within the system. I love Thiago’s ability to unlock the bus from the midfield, something the side has long relied on a moment of brilliance from the front three (or a ranging cross from TAA and Robertson) to accomplish.

Imagine the preparation nightmare other sides will have. If Liverpool roll Henderson/Keita/Thiago, they’re conceding a counter threat in exchange for a heavy attack bias. Thiago/Henderson/Fabinho will be like playing against 12 as long as Henderson’s motor holds up and he can make it box to box. Need a goal at halftime? Ox, Keita, Gini can all come off the bench to spark.

I’d love to see another CB, but also another midfield enforcer or defensively oriented body to spell Fabinho. Real box to box guys will be too rare and expensive, especially this close to the window closing.

This is exciting shit.
 

Clears Cleaver

Lil' Bill
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2001
11,370
Ever since the VVD fuck up, LFC have handled their transfer business very well.

Given the injury history of the midfield - Henderson, Ox, Kieta - the extra competition could be very valuable.

now how about another CB?
honestly, I think this will allow them to play Fabhino at CB some or allow Henderson to play CDM more.
 

Clears Cleaver

Lil' Bill
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2001
11,370
First, the deal itself is incredible. Thiago’s contract situation made it possible to pry him away for a relatively paltry fee (paid in installments!).

It’s one player, but it does a lot to provide rotation during periods of fixture congestion (which is essentially all the time). Every midfield trio will provide a slightly different look, but they all work within the system. I love Thiago’s ability to unlock the bus from the midfield, something the side has long relied on a moment of brilliance from the front three (or a ranging cross from TAA and Robertson) to accomplish.

Imagine the preparation nightmare other sides will have. If Liverpool roll Henderson/Keita/Thiago, they’re conceding a counter threat in exchange for a heavy attack bias. Thiago/Henderson/Fabinho will be like playing against 12 as long as Henderson’s motor holds up and he can make it box to box. Need a goal at halftime? Ox, Keita, Gini can all come off the bench to spark.

I’d love to see another CB, but also another midfield enforcer or defensively oriented body to spell Fabinho. Real box to box guys will be too rare and expensive, especially this close to the window closing.

This is exciting shit.
all of this. all of it. I think many underestimate how good this guy is and hw well he fits into the system
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 2, 2006
22,345
Philadelphia
I love the move for Thiago, especially for the cost. Yes, he is relatively old and has a bad injury history, but he's a special player who will give the side a different dimension in terms of creativity and control in the middle of the park. Liverpool are nearing the end of a cycle with many star players now aging out of their primes, they've probably got 1-2 more years of great shots at the league and CL before significant squad turnover needs to happen, and flags fly forever so maximizing competitiveness within that window makes a lot of sense.
 

SoxFanInPdx

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
3,246
Portland, OR
Exciting signing and I was starting to doubt it would happen the last few weeks. He was the best player on the pitch by far in my eyes in the CL Final. He's at his peak now or at least some really excellent 3-4 years at his current peak. A ton of flexibility for Klopp. Really excited to see the dimension he brings and for that fee? All in!
 

67YAZ

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 1, 2000
8,729
Now that the Thiago transfer is ancient history, on to the next rumor saga - Ismaila Sarr.

I am a big Sarr fan, so I am hopeful this will come together - though it probably has to be funded by sales of Wilson, Grujic, and Karius. In any case, Sarr would be an exciting addition since he's only 22 and could rotate in to cover for both Salah and Mane while adjusting to Klopp's system. The player Sarr most reminds me of is Zaha at the same age - strong, direct, always willing to take on a defender but lacking that little extra quality to make him consistently great. Of course, Zaha developed those qualities. We'll see if Sarr does, too.

Sarr broke into the first team at Metz at 18, played ok, and then quickly moved to Rennes where he tallied 17 goals and 11 assists in 63 matches. But it was the 2018 World Cup where he really stood out, with 3 starts and going the full 90 each time, more than holding his own at age 19 in a tough group (Colombia, Poland, & Japan).

That put him on the radar for bigger clubs and brought him to Watford for a club-record £30m last summer. He started very slow with sub appearances and poor matches before joining the starting XI full time in late-November. He scored against Southampton on Nov 30 and it was off the races for a great run of form, culminating in those 2 goals that shattered Liverpool's winning streak at the end of February. He scored 5 in a 14 match span after becoming a regular starter, playing on the right in a front 3.

But then he was a dud on the restart. I don't know what happened. Watford was battling for survival, and Sarr was very up and down match to match. I haven't seen a good explanation for why.

Obviously, Watford would prefer to sell Troy Deeney and remove his sizable wages in order to keep their younger, lower-salaried players like Sarr. So he won't come cheap. The £40m figure floated in the rumors make sense from Watford's perspective. But one advantage Liverpool has is that Sarr idolizes Mane - his national team captain and role model. A phone call from Mane could shift the whole dynamic.
 

Auger34

used to be tbb
SoSH Member
Apr 23, 2010
9,271
Now that the Thiago transfer is ancient history, on to the next rumor saga - Ismaila Sarr.

I am a big Sarr fan, so I am hopeful this will come together - though it probably has to be funded by sales of Wilson, Grujic, and Karius. In any case, Sarr would be an exciting addition since he's only 22 and could rotate in to cover for both Salah and Mane while adjusting to Klopp's system. The player Sarr most reminds me of is Zaha at the same age - strong, direct, always willing to take on a defender but lacking that little extra quality to make him consistently great. Of course, Zaha developed those qualities. We'll see if Sarr does, too.

Sarr broke into the first team at Metz at 18, played ok, and then quickly moved to Rennes where he tallied 17 goals and 11 assists in 63 matches. But it was the 2018 World Cup where he really stood out, with 3 starts and going the full 90 each time, more than holding his own at age 19 in a tough group (Colombia, Poland, & Japan).

That put him on the radar for bigger clubs and brought him to Watford for a club-record £30m last summer. He started very slow with sub appearances and poor matches before joining the starting XI full time in late-November. He scored against Southampton on Nov 30 and it was off the races for a great run of form, culminating in those 2 goals that shattered Liverpool's winning streak at the end of February. He scored 5 in a 14 match span after becoming a regular starter, playing on the right in a front 3.

But then he was a dud on the restart. I don't know what happened. Watford was battling for survival, and Sarr was very up and down match to match. I haven't seen a good explanation for why.

Obviously, Watford would prefer to sell Troy Deeney and remove his sizable wages in order to keep their younger, lower-salaried players like Sarr. So he won't come cheap. The £40m figure floated in the rumors make sense from Watford's perspective. But one advantage Liverpool has is that Sarr idolizes Mane - his national team captain and role model. A phone call from Mane could shift the whole dynamic.
The latest rumors have Liverpool selling Hoever to Wolves and are interested in getting Diogo Jota back...
 

PedroSpecialK

Comes at you like a tornado of hair and the NHL sa
SoSH Member
Dec 12, 2004
27,164
Cambridge, MA
Rumored fee of £10m for Hoever is outstanding business given he was signed for £90k two years ago. Jota for £35m seems steep, but similar to Alcantara I'm sure that's paid out in installments.

Other outgoing rumors include Harry Wilson to Leeds for £12-15m, with Grujic / Origi / Shaqiri as other potential outgoings and a Brewster loan or sale to be determined.
 

Auger34

used to be tbb
SoSH Member
Apr 23, 2010
9,271
Rumored fee of £10m for Hoever is outstanding business given he was signed for £90k two years ago. Jota for £35m seems steep, but similar to Alcantara I'm sure that's paid out in installments.

Other outgoing rumors include Harry Wilson to Leeds for £12-15m, with Grujic / Origi / Shaqiri as other potential outgoings and a Brewster loan or sale to be determined.
Do you think there are any moves left to be made or are these sales to fund the moves previously made?I’ve seen a few Liverpool fan accounts asking for another CB..
 

67YAZ

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 1, 2000
8,729
Rumored fee of £10m for Hoever is outstanding business given he was signed for £90k two years ago. Jota for £35m seems steep, but similar to Alcantara I'm sure that's paid out in installments.

Other outgoing rumors include Harry Wilson to Leeds for £12-15m, with Grujic / Origi / Shaqiri as other potential outgoings and a Brewster loan or sale to be determined.
So glad I could jinx the Sarr move.
 

Mighty Joe Young

The North remembers
SoSH Member
Sep 14, 2002
8,401
Halifax, Nova Scotia , Canada
Diego Jota from Wolves for £45m to be payed in yearly instalments. Similar to the Thiago deal in that the initial payment is only £5m in Thiago‘s case.

To those wondering why they could afford Jota and not Werner .. the spin (and probably the truth) is that Werner’s buyout required the whole amount upfront .. not to mention the £200,000 a week .. surely Jota’s salary will be far lower.
 

67YAZ

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 1, 2000
8,729
Hoever going to Wolves for £9m base fee and add-ons possibly bringing things up to £13.5m plus a 15% sell-on fee. This makes sense in that Hoever sees himself as RB, but Klopp saw him as a CB. Moreover, Hoever publicly set a playing time goal for himself a few weeks back - get 10 EPL starts or, if loaned out, get 30 starts. Given Wolves just lost Doherty, there's an opening for Hoever to meet his goal. Good luck, hope he comes a £100m player.

Edit: Wolves on the verge of signing Nèlson Semedo. That’s life in big leagues, kid.
 
Last edited:

Mighty Joe Young

The North remembers
SoSH Member
Sep 14, 2002
8,401
Halifax, Nova Scotia , Canada
So .. A few thoughts on the Chelsea game ..

-Thiago appears to be as advertised .. class personified. He was playing as a six today and looked completely comfortable there.( I think he set the record for most completed passes in a half). Henderson had an excellent half and Thiago was actually an upgrade.

- Fabinho was great as a CB ..

- Nice to see Mane get off the mark ..

- crap game from Wijnaldum .. you have to wonder if he sees his minutes diminishing in a contract year.
 

lostjumper

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 27, 2009
1,277
Concord, NH
Gomez and Matip have both been shaky at times. Fabinho was utter class as a CB I thought(though someone who knows better may be able to correct me on that?) Paired with VVD, he offers speed and elite passing out of the back 4. I wonder if it's something we could see him playing more often, even when Gomez and Matip return to fitness.
 

SocrManiac

Tommy Seebach’s mustache
SoSH Member
Apr 15, 2006
8,632
Somers, CT
Gomez and Matip have both been shaky at times. Fabinho was utter class as a CB I thought(though someone who knows better may be able to correct me on that?) Paired with VVD, he offers speed and elite passing out of the back 4. I wonder if it's something we could see him playing more often, even when Gomez and Matip return to fitness.
Let’s wait for better opposition!;)

Fabinho is a great enforcer as a CDM. I’m concerned his tendencies will concede penalties as a full time CB. As a fill-in, he’s fine, but I think there’s risk and a limitation of his distribution lying that deep.
 

67YAZ

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 1, 2000
8,729
Gomez and Matip have both been shaky at times. Fabinho was utter class as a CB I thought(though someone who knows better may be able to correct me on that?) Paired with VVD, he offers speed and elite passing out of the back 4. I wonder if it's something we could see him playing more often, even when Gomez and Matip return to fitness.
I don’t have a lot of concerns about Gomez or Matip next to VVD. Good attacking teams put CBs in difficult positions regularly and demand lightening fast coordinated decisions; VVD is brilliant at anticipating these and directing the rest of the back line accordingly. There are occasional mistakes because Gomez and Matip are mere humans, but they do an excellent job taking direction from VVD.

Most opponents try to get the non-VVD CB one-on-one out wide on the counter. Fabinho is very comfortable in those situations from his years at RB and DM. He’s better isolated in space than Gomez and Matip. But he’s a bit lesser in some of the standard CB responsibilities line maintaining the line, winning in the air, and reading the game from a deeper position.

Fabinho is a fine emergency option. A true CB would be a better option for a club with huge goals and a congested schedule.
 

SocrManiac

Tommy Seebach’s mustache
SoSH Member
Apr 15, 2006
8,632
Somers, CT
The one overwhelming thing about the Carabao Cup tie with Lincoln is that Minamino is a lost cause. He can’t connect passes against even these guys. He’s got a nice ability to dribble the ball but that’s it. He’s just awful in vision and execution. Might be part of the decision to grab Jota.
 

Carbo Loading

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 8, 2002
824
Vancouver, WA
The one overwhelming thing about the Carabao Cup tie with Lincoln is that Minamino is a lost cause. He can’t connect passes against even these guys. He’s got a nice ability to dribble the ball but that’s it. He’s just awful in vision and execution. Might be part of the decision to grab Jota.
I didn't see the game but the Liverpool Offside write up of the game said this about Minamino's game:

Takumi Minamino: After being eased into the team following his January transfer this year, the former RB Salzburg man has really begun coming into his own in Red. Following on from his goal in the Community Shield, Minamino scored two and set up one against the Imps, and was a constant source of trouble for the hosts, drifting into the half-space and knitting play together in a remarkable Roberto Firmino impersonation.

They seemed to be pretty happy with his game today.
 

SocrManiac

Tommy Seebach’s mustache
SoSH Member
Apr 15, 2006
8,632
Somers, CT
I don’t see it. I’m watching a guy that passes behind teammates on the break, hitting the ball into runs that teammates aren’t (and shouldn’t) be making, and puts his head down and takes low percentage shots from outside of the box that are easily blocked.
 

PedroSpecialK

Comes at you like a tornado of hair and the NHL sa
SoSH Member
Dec 12, 2004
27,164
Cambridge, MA
I thought he and Curtis Jones were the best players on the field - probably says something about the opposition, but it was encouraging. Minamino was playing with an aggression yesterday that wasn’t seen since he transferred over from RB Salzburg, hopefully his progress and minutes are not derailed by the addition of Jota.
 

67YAZ

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 1, 2000
8,729
I know SocrManiac is skeptical, but I’m hopeful that Minamino will understand the system and play more freely this year. The jump from Austria to the EPL is huge, and trying to integrate midseason is also tough. And for the fee he was brought in on, Minamino doesn’t need to be more than a squad player to deliver on expectations.

In terms of his role vs Jota, I think Jota will be the top rotation option on the wings and Minamino is the backup for the Firmino-False-Nine role and a deeper backup option for Salah.
 

SocrManiac

Tommy Seebach’s mustache
SoSH Member
Apr 15, 2006
8,632
Somers, CT
Don’t want to hijack the thread again, but here’s the finished product.

The purple butterfly represents our lost daughter in our lives.

34560
 

67YAZ

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 1, 2000
8,729
Best hijack around. Congrats again! Soak in every moment, it goes so damn fast.
 

67YAZ

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 1, 2000
8,729
Brewster to Sheffield United for £18m, another £5m in potential add ons, a 15% sell on clause, and a 3 year buy-back option.

Between this deal and Solanke’s, LFC have done some nice business flopping young prospects. But will it bite them in the butt? Will the next English starlet want to sign knowing a transfer out is very possible?