Reputable journalist Fabrizio Romano has claimed that most players won’t wish to join Liverpool for fear of being replaced by the first-teamers they’re potentially covering for.
With Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez likely out of action for much of the rest of the season, the Reds have been linked to a host of defenders who could fill-in for the meantime.
“A lot of players now don’t want to join Liverpool [and] play 5, 6, 7 matches, then the big ones are coming back from their injuries and then [the new signings] are on the bench for one season or more,” the Italian journalist explained on the Here We Go podcast (via This Is Futbol). “So, at the moment, Liverpool are still with the same idea: ‘We can stay with this team. If we have an opportunity, OK. If we don’t, we stay with this one’.”
This does fall in line with Klopp’s prior reasoning on the matter of bringing in players for cover, with the 53-year-old pointing out that the inevitable return of those sidelined could lead to squad friction.
As far as we at the EOTK are concerned, it would be a massive gamble (to say the least) to go into the second-half of the season without appropriate defensive cover brought in.
That being said, we respect the fact that players may be unwilling to risk their careers as ‘cover’ for the likes of Van Dijk or Gomez, and that Klopp’s philosophy will likely veer him towards the option of relying on the squad – thinly stretched as it is.
Considering the German’s latest comments in his pre-Villa presser, however, the possibility of a winter signing is not totally in the realm of the impossible, should the right man be identified.
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I Find these arguments and so called concerns about squad friction upon return of injured Liverpool players absolute rubbish! First off from the get go we only had THREE center backs at start of season since Lovren was sold and not replaced. Hence there is absolutely space for ONE center back even if VVD and Gomez were not injured and into next year. Second, the third CB is Matip who can’t stay fit more than two games in a row. So essentially even w/o the unusual injuries to VVD and Gomez Pool has only about half a starter type CB. So what on earth would any quality CB coming in be ‘concerned’ about?? Not to mention that no one has such ‘concern’ at City, Chelsea and United where the squads includes always 2 equal value player per position.
Why should Pool have to always operate thread bare and one injury away from crisis? Having to play TWO midfielders as CB is not enough of a crisis to warrant all out effort to bring in at least ONE quality CB now??? Fab shouldn’t be playing there anyways! A midfield of Fab, Hendo, Thiago with Wijnuldum also always available and options in Jones, Keita or Ox are the key to Pools performance and dominance. Take Fab and now even Hendo out to play improvised CB and it’s all falling apart…
I think Fabrizio Romano is missing a point. We have 3 quality CB at the beginning plus 1 versatile DMC/CB/RB (world class DMC by the way) who plays CB almost like world class CB. Plus 1 decent CB in Nat & 1 Jnr CB in Rhys who Klopp believes is worthy enough to play (or forced to play) the position.
If Fabrizio did his homework, he could see that we had bought only 1 player after Klopp was appointed (or since Michael Edwards comes in as SD?) to play backup role or challenger role in Adrian (as far as I can remember this is only the one).
Others are those who have great potential and exciting prospects who the club thinks could challenge for the position. When we signed Wijnaldum I remember a lot of articles questioning the signing and plays down the potential of him breaking in and hold firm role for a midfield role.
Shaqiri, also was bought to challenge for the RW/RF role but we also bought him because he can play well in the attacking centre role.
So please see the bigger picture and the exact way of people doing things, Fabrizio here is just being a bit lazy to really understand the revolution that’s being going on at our club. The way LFC is run now is very different from other club the difference is humongous .
It is not really hard to see if you try is it not?