Liverpool fans could be forgiven for wondering whether a transfer update coming from one Sky Sports reporter on Monday was said with the intention of winding them up.
The Reds’ defensive options for the latter part of their U.S. tour were already heavily curtailed by injuries and unavailability before Jeremie Frimpong went off during the 4-2 defeat to Leeds on Sunday night.
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Andoni Iraola subsequently clarified (via liverpoolfc.com) that the Dutchman’s substitution was due to ‘overload’ rather than a fresh injury, but with Joe Gomez, Jeremy Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni already sidelined, another fitness issue at the back was the last thing the LFC head coach needed.
The clamour for defensive additions at Liverpool has increased amid the growing spate of absentees, but one reporter has indicated that fans shouldn’t hold their breath for reinforcements at the back.
Sky reporter issues shocking Liverpool transfer claim
Speaking on Sky Sports News when asked if a new defender will be brought in this month, Mark McAdam said (via Anfield Agenda): “No is the answer we are being told. My understanding is that Liverpool will not go into the market to sign a player for the next four to six weeks.
“They’re just gonna have to ride through the storm and then wait for their players to come back, and then they will be at full strength at the back.”
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What are the Liverpool hierarchy playing at?
Iraola has already been quite vocal about the need for a deeper squad at Anfield (and seemed to reinforce that message after the Leeds game), so it’d be criminal for FSG to leave him short-changed in that regard while they have the opportunity to do something about it.
It’s not as though the current defensive shortage should come as a shock to the hierarchy – Virgil van Dijk was always likely to miss a chunk of pre-season due to the World Cup, Leoni has been out for nearly a year, Jacquet has been nursing a shoulder problem for several months, Gomez and Frimpong have had multiple injury issues, and Conor Bradley will remain out for some time.
The pursuit of Bradley Barcola continues apace, but Richard Hughes shouldn’t be putting all of his eggs into a single basket. Liverpool need reinforcements in multiple positions, not just in attack, and they have four weeks to get it sorted or run the risk of a severely depleted squad in the autumn.
If indeed FSG are pinning their hopes on most of the Reds’ injured defenders returning to action by the end of this month, that’d be astounding naivety on their part, especially when direct rivals are actually being proactive and strengthening their ranks.
If Iraola isn’t provided with a sufficiently deep squad by the time the transfer window shuts, how can he be expected to then deliver the kind of success that LFC fans crave? As it stands, the head coach is being badly let down by those in the Anfield boardroom.
We need a defence midfield and central defence
We are dealing with Scrooge with FSG!
Forgotten about last summer already???
If you decide to change the manager then you must back up the new manager. Look at spurs they have fully backed Roberto de zerbi. Tonali, Fernandes, van hecke, Robertson, Marcos sensei. They’ve spent 237 million and they haven’t finished yet.
Who’s going to play at right back, szoboszlai.
Who’s going to play at centre back gravenberch.
As Steve nicol said a few hours ago it’s a complete mess.
Liverpool have no chance of challenging for anything this season. Iraola should have stayed at Bournemouth he’s been thrown under the bus by charlatan owners FSG.
The current central defence is the worst and weakest I’ve ever seen in 50 years as a Liverpool fan. Conceded 77 goals last season, it will be more this season
Gomez not fit for purpose
Leoni never played a premier league game injured
Jacquet never played a premier league game injured
Van dijk way past his best at 35
Kind of sums up charlatan owners FSG.
Come on FSG, we need reinforcements! Don’t just go gir Barcola, hes too expensive and PSG are just playing hard-to-get. Sign Rayan instead, snd give us some more defensive cover. Give Iraola what he needs so we can have a successful season!!
So the Argument from Hughes and FSG is to ride the storm, wait until everyone is fit and hope by then we are not 20 points behind Arsenal with the premier league over before December.
Joe Gomez played just 7 minutes in a pre season friendly and got injured.
Leoni is just 19 he hasn’t played since last September when he had one of the most serious injuries you can get. He tore his anterior cruciate ligament . He’s never played a premier league game, which is fast and physical, you can’t rush him back straight into games.
Will he even be ready to play, not 90 minutes he won’t, not for months.
Jeremy jacquet suffered a serious shoulder injury last February he only played 23 games last season. He has potential but will need time to adapt to the premier league. He recently got injured again in training.
Van dijk is now 35, you cannot expect him to play every minute in every game and hope and prey he won’t get injured. If he does get a bad injury we might have to play two midfielders as central defence. Then the shite storm will hit us.
Hughes and FSG should have brought in Marc guehi last summer, we could have had him for 30 million.
He would have been the ready made replacement for van dijk. We are still paying the price for mismanagement from Richard Hughes and charlatan owners FSG.
All this without mentioning the problems at full backs.
When we ride out the self inflicted storm by FSG and Hughes you do wonder where we will be?
Nowhere near the top of the premier league , and out of all the cups very early that’s for sure.