re: OFFICIAL LFC 16/17 Season Long Thread - Piss off, Gunners!!

Studge will get minutes this year. Cup games, sub appearances, and some PL starts (with Mane gone or with injuries, etc.).

Plus, games like Sunderland less than 48 hours before we play city - it will likely be a completely different starting XI (like our cap one cup 11)

He will get his chance to show that he can work into this system and learn to play in it. He may not ever be good at it. He may be option B in games its not working on or that we need a goal. But if he doesn't learn to work in it, he will NOT be first choice XI under Klopp. Its pretty much that simple. So he'll either learn, or I expect him to be sold (for his and our benefit) at some point.

I personally don't buy into the "lazy" narrative there is about him - work rate and effort aren't his problem. And I agree that his biggest issue is learning to move the way Klopp wants. Klopp has worked wonders on the training ground and I wouldn't bet against him getting Sturridge to move like he wants.

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Wouldn't be surprised to see Lalana move down to Mane's slot and see a midfield of Hendo/Can/Wij behind them.

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I hope not.. I think Lallana has succeeded due to his position change. I don't think anyone really saw that coming...

Anyway, we wont solve it all here.. I just think Studge still has a lot to give to this team, this season. If he's best served moving on in the summer, whether it be mutual or not, remains to be seen.

Klopp has proved time and time again that he isn't married to one specific formation.. Unless Studge pulls a Sakho... there are games and goals left in him!

Twitter keeps saying that we're going to make a move for Pulisic in January...id love to see him develop under Klopp!

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30+ million, I bet.

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The American homer in me says fricking do it and don't look back. Plus, Fenway (and all the other American owned European teams) must be salivating at the marketing prospects of bringing him in and watching his star rise. Of all the PL teams, I think he'd best fit our system. Only concern is that he may not get the playing time he does with Dortmund, but shite, they're attacking front is arguably the most formidable on the planet, and he still plays a ton for them - at freaking 18.

Just pulling this back onto the first page...but I've been thinking about our CBs and Hendo and wonder if anyone has differing or similar thoughts....

So, Hendo has really grown into his role. He gets a lot of flack for "backwards" passes, but his role requires a lot of passing with the CBs and also a lot of switching of the field - which by necessity are sometimes backwards. From a possession perspective, he's filling that role perfectly. Dictating play a lot of times, switching the field, fast passes over to space for players. A few through balls when the opportunity arises. He's also been even more vocal than I can remember, and his position gives him the ability to see all other 5 or so attacking players. I think on Cous goal this past weekend, watch him tell Can to stay back while he runs forward (after he pressed and helped create an errant pass that we then took possession over on). Not only does he recognize they have some numbers and space going. I think the "hate" he gets from other teams fans is pretty laughable at this point.

One of my concerns about Hendo in that role is his tendency to run to the ball rather than protecting the back four or the space. But from what it looks to me - Klopp expects him to do a bit of both and the way the CBs are playing, its working just fine.

Matip uses his frame and long limbs to tip, nudge and harass opposing players as they receive long passes. The number of times he's stuck a leg around the forward and tipped the ball to space so that Hendo can pick it up and cycle it forward is amazing.

I mean Watford, a team that loves sending longer balls forward for their big offensive players, started trying to play out of the back in the middle of the first half this weekend because their long balls resulting in immediate possession change to Liverpool and space to exploit. Of course, that worked just fine for us too.

Lucas won I believe 83% of his aerial duals this past weekend. Probably why he was in rather than Klavan. But Lucas anticipates so well - he doesn't have the limb length that Matip does, but he definitely does similar things - harasses, and basically makes it difficult for a forward to get and retain possession.

Now the liability here is that when a CB steps up (and there's no CDM protecting the space in front so a CB has to step up often) it leaves gaps along our back four and space for an opposing player to break the line and still be onside. We've given up quite a few goals that ways this year, and this past weekend Kariuis had to make a great 1 on 1 save because of it.

I think that's one reason that we don't give up many shots or shots on target (I believe we're top in the league or close to it in both?) - we are constantly buzzing and harassing and keeping them from playing the ball around. But when they do get a shot, a lot of times it goes in because having the space to shoot without a defender in means you've likely broken through the line pretty well and have the time and space to have a good go at the goal.

TLDR: the aggressive ways Klopp has hendo and the CBs playing is amazing. We don't give up many shots, however, when we do they are really good chances with a higher probability of going in.

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Tigerstark

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Well put

Klopp's really gone all in on the high press. Our whole team, especially the midfield, is set up to play the possession game, but to win the ball back high up and quickly after we lose it. We always seem to have some great spells where the gegenpress works like a charm.

You put it well about our CB's playing on the front foot though which will occasionally lead to gaps in our back line and spaces for runs in behind leading to some of our breakdowns. And also with Hendo being much better in the free-roaming clean up roll when we're controlling possession and winning it back quickly, as opposed to shielding the back four. See the goal allowed against Watford. Milner got beat, so Can went to help out. Lucas also went wide to help the byline (pretty poor positioning IMO) and Hendo also came to close down on the ball. In that situation, Hendo has to hold his position on the edge of the 18 for any kind of pass back to the middle. Hendo and Lucas both vacated the area leaving yards of open space for Janmaat to have an easy finish.

That's a pretty perfect example of us not giving up a ton of shots, but the shots that we do give up, are in high percentage areas. That will happen though when you have midfielders playing new positions and aren't used to that kind of bunker defending. Hopefully that gets cleaned up and we get more disciplined. But the gegenpress has been pretty on point so far.

I'm happy for Hendo, as well... I didn't really see him as a #6 (I always assumed it would be Can), but I can really see him growing into that in the next couple of seasons... I mean, he's already doing a good job, but will just get better at some of the small things that come with experience..

I really like Matip a lot... such a steal on a free transfer..

Lucas has looked okay at CB and his pace isn't as big of a liability there..

This is really to just get this thread out of the depths of hell (page 3)...

But I found this interesting, if we can pull these signings off, I'd be thrilled:

LINK

We're not getting Dahoud in January. If we get him in the summer, it will only be because he wants to leave Gladbach.