26 Jun 2020 23:03:43
Good threads below asking how far off we are?
In order to compete next season we need to win about another 24 points and hope liverpool drop more points than this season.
I don't expect liverpool to replicate their form completely but don't envisage them collapsing.
Winning 24 points more next season will be a tough ask.
Sancho would be a huge difference maker. A creator and taker of chances.
Will we need to replace pogba? If not its one less problem for the recruitment team.
If not then a cb and dm of really high quality would be my preference although ed002 has said dm is not seen as priority and adding creative depth in the form of grealish is the priority.
24 points is a tough ask and may not be enough to win but it wiuld be enough to be in there competing.

1.) 27 Jun 2020
27 Jun 2020 00:33:15
Ken, liverpool have performed to this level for 2 seasons in a row, they don't look like a team "sussed out"


We are years away from liverpool and even city.

The fact they can go on and achieve 107 points is just ridiculous and tbh I hope they do.

2.) 27 Jun 2020
27 Jun 2020 00:52:44
Bolger I don’t we’re years away from either. City have a weak defence, Liverpool have a very small squad. Both teams are only ever 1 or 2 injuries away from really struggling, at least compared to the standard they reached in the 18/ 19 season when they both performed at their best, as emphasised by how City struggled without Laporte this season. I suspect Liverpool would’ve suffered similarly without Van Dijk. City will also have to replace Fernandinho and Aguero pretty soon, as well as Sane, to be as strong as they were last season, and Liverpool will have to replace many major players within the next 4 years, as Mane, Firmino, Salah, Van Dijk are all 28 or 29 so haven’t got that long left at the top. If Liverpool don’t win the league again next season I can see it being a while before they win it again. Obviously they will still be very good for a few years to come, and I don’t think Mane, Firmino, Salah, or Van Dijk will decline much in the next couple seasons, but they need some serious investment in the 2 or 3 seasons to remain at the very top.

{Ed0666's Note - Out of interest Gilly what’s the logic behind you’re notion that if we don’t win the league again next season we won’t win it for a while?

And aren’t most teams 1 or 2 injuries away from really struggling? Take Bruno out of you’re team and you guys are average at best.. Take two world class players like Mane & Salah out of our team.....And we beat Barcelona 4-0.

You’re making wild assumptions to prove you’re narrative. What’s to say we don’t sign two excellent players who will cover for injuries and will take us to the next level?

3.) 27 Jun 2020
27 Jun 2020 01:15:31
We have the fifth best goal record, fifth best defence, we're fifth for a lot of stats. One or two players won't lift us into the contender brackets.

Would we be in a different situation if we had Smalling instead of Maguire all season? Hard to say.

If we had of signed Bruno in August I think we're comfortably sitting 3rd but we'd still be way off the top.

We need to be ruthless with this squad. No not signing a striker because Greenwood has bags of potential. No not signing a midfielder because McTominay is doing ok. We could honestly do upgrading our centre backs, central midfielders, right wing and striker.

Martial is doing great but he can't disappaer for 3 games now. Next year we won't be near the title winners but we should be ready to pounce 21/ 22 season when hopefully the wheels come off the Liverpool project and Pep has burnt out City.

4.) 27 Jun 2020
27 Jun 2020 01:43:51
Bolger,

You hope they do? Interesting.

I think Ken is probably basing them losing a few more points on the fact they have had a few games this season where they have won by 1 that on another day might not have happened, they have been lucky with injuries (to key players, I know they have had a few others but TAA, VVD, Robertson, Salah, Mane and Firmino have stayed fit the majority of the season and they are ridiculously good with these 6 in the team at the same time) and also that sometimes it can be difficult to keep the same intensity once you have won one, that was the obsession.

24 more points for us would be a difficult task but we have shown we can go on great runs of form and look a better team with Bruno. We maybe need 2 or 3 more signings of the calibre of Bruno and then who knows.

5.) 27 Jun 2020
27 Jun 2020 04:28:20
2 extra players and a bit if luck with injuries.

{Ed0666's Note - At least two world class players, luck with injuries, and a manager who has a clue what he’s doing

6.) 27 Jun 2020
27 Jun 2020 07:14:56
Our biggest problems right now are consistency and squad depth. In terms of our first team, we’re probably only a RW away from having one of the strongest starting 11’s in the world and our performances against ‘big’ clubs over the past few seasons is pretty indicative of this. I also worry that Ole might not be tactically astute enough to lead us back to the top in terms of his in-game management and the way that he sets up against smaller teams, but I think the jury’s still out on that one and it’s not necessarily something that he couldn’t learn and improve on if given enough time.

7.) 27 Jun 2020
27 Jun 2020 08:28:35
Personally, United should be aiming to become regulars in the top 4 before thinking of titles. It’s a very competitive league with some wonderful managers even managing teams lower down than United (Ancelotti at Everton) let alone the likes of Guardiola and Klopp; so, perhaps a target of building towards challenging for the league in three more seasons would seem sensible.

{Ed047's Note - is this the Arsenal page of years gone by, sure sounds like it. 🤦‍♂️🤣

8.) 27 Jun 2020
27 Jun 2020 08:42:43
Ha ha, true! Although my Arsenal friends are even more concerned about their club than I am about United. We have to prove we are good not talk about the Fergie years. United need to getting in top 4 to attract better players and be hearing that CL music again on match nights. Then if we can we push again for the title. It took Klopp 4 seasons/ years.

{Ed047's Note - Well in the mean time you do have the bonus of 4th place being a trophy! 😉🤣👍🏼

9.) 27 Jun 2020
27 Jun 2020 08:52:57
Sadly, it would feel like one!

{Ed047's Note - always look on the bright side mate, at least you’re not an Arsenal supporter! 🤷‍♂️🤣

10.) 27 Jun 2020
27 Jun 2020 09:30:23
How far off are we? Good question, the answer a long way with only a Leicester sized chance of winning the league.

Top down is an issue

1. We need owners whose sole aim is to make the team great and the club at the top. They need to stop reducing our options by taking money out even if they are allowed to do it. They need to set the direction, get advice and put in place a board that will structure the club properly.
2. Structure the club, a Director of Football reporting to the board not to Woodward must be brought in ASAP. Woodward back to finances or out if he doesn’t accept it.
3. The Director of Football needs to be someone who knows and understands football suitable for the level of club we are, NOT someone who will work unquestioningly with Ole, not a yes person.
4. The Director of Football needs to immediately review the management. We must have a professional believable Manager, one that befits the position. That must happen immediately at the end of the season.
5. The DOF needs to review all football matters, the football plan, the objectives, the top to bottom of the club sides.
6. Appoint a Manager who knows what they are doing.
7. Start to review the playing staff in line with the plan.

If we did that this summer then maybe in 2022 we might compete. The idea that adding a player will make us challenge is missing why City and Liverpool are streets ahead. They have done the above already, years ago, whilst we still try to reincarnate SAF and add noodle partners.

Otherwise we have a Leicester sized chance in the coming years.

11.) 27 Jun 2020
27 Jun 2020 11:39:28
Only way we win this league is if we don't lose a game. We win 35/ 38 games and draw the other 3. Even then it will be close.

We do NOT have the team or the manager for this it is as simple as that. Anyone thinking we have a chance with Ole Solskjaer as the manager need to reevaluate their life.

12.) 27 Jun 2020
27 Jun 2020 11:56:10
@DanJames, think that’s a bit harsh fella. Solksjaer is doing his best and currently the ‘mood’ in the camp appears positive and we are on a good run and IMO are a better team to watch. However, winning the league is incredibly difficult given the quality and money swirling around. Perhaps United can strengthen in the economic downturn to make up some ground but as I said earlier, let’s focus on CL qualification and the two cups now and then add one or two players of quality to go again next season.

13.) 27 Jun 2020
27 Jun 2020 13:04:22
I’d take Wenger any day. World class act - look at the state of Arsenal without him.

{Ed047's Note - that’s bravery on another level Eric!

14.) 27 Jun 2020
27 Jun 2020 15:11:14
What good is CL qualification when we don't have the ambition to win it? You can see that with the mediocre signings and the mediocre manager.

15.) 27 Jun 2020
27 Jun 2020 14:49:21
Ed0666, when I said if Liverpool don’t win the league next year, they wouldn’t win it again for a while, it was merely a prediction. They are a fantastic team, but they have a small squad, and Mane, Firmino, Salah, and Van Dijk are all 28 or 29, so I doubt they’ve got that many years left at the very top. I think Liverpool need some serious investment over the next 2/ 3 years to stay at the top, and if their lack of pursuit of Werner at a bargain price is anything to go by, then I wonder if maybe the money or the willingness to invest the money simply isn’t there. Realistically Liverpool need about 5/ 6 squad players with the potential to develop into first team players.

They’ve been very lucky with injuries this season and last season, whereas United were without Pogba almost all season, and Martial and Rashford both missed large chunks of the campaign. If Bruno was injured we would suffer for it, but if Pogba was fit then I don’t think it would make a huge difference. So whilst most teams are only ever 1 or 2 injuries away from really struggling, as proven by City this year, I think given Liverpool have such a small squad, and such a weak bench, they are perhaps more at risk. I appreciate you beat Barcelona without two of your star forwards, but that was a one off game, would you be able to win week in week out without them if they were injured for 2 or 3 months?

{Ed0666's Note - mate I just wrote a response which took me 30 mins and I’m gutted I somehow deleted it by mistake and I can’t spare another 30 mins to respond again.

Basically the gist of my reply was I’m right you’re wrong no only joking. I appreciate you’re opinions but LFC isn’t built on glass foundations anymore the days of Moore’s, Gillette & Hicks is a bygone era. We have a clear identity and structures in place for the present and future. For every Salah, Mane and Firmino that leaves there is an Elliot, Jones and minamino to replace them. Yes these guys may seem underwhelming to you now but so did Salah, Robertson, Henderson, Gomez, Matip, Gini to most Liverpool fans when we signed them and they didn’t turn out to badly did they? Klopp has the Midas touch the only worry I have over the next few years is keeping Norbert and Ulla enthused and happy on merseyside.

Regarding injuries the best keeper in the world missed 11 games and one of the best defensive midfielders on the planet missed around 13 that’s a lot of game time and we still coped. What if De Gea missed 11 games for United how would you cope without him? Oh wait maybe that’s not the best argument on my part.....lol.

16.) 27 Jun 2020
27 Jun 2020 18:13:33
Don't worry yourself about Liverpool Gilly, you should focus on your Europa League Dog fight with Wolves :) AJH is spot on with his assessment above.

17.) 28 Jun 2020
28 Jun 2020 05:59:05
You heard the man Gilly. Don't worry about Liverpool. What is to be will be. What's due to Caesar give to Caesar and we all know what happened to Caesar.

18.) 29 Jun 2020
29 Jun 2020 18:39:05
Klopp has an unbelievable record with building teams and developing players, and that will undoubtedly stand you in good stead. Perhaps I’m simply being negative regarding how Liverpool will fare over the next few years, and equally positive regarding United, because I’m a United fan, and we all struggle to be completely impartial when it comes to our teams and our rivals.

Granted, Nico Williams, Curtis Jones, and Harvey Elliott all look like serious talents, but for every Raheem Sterling there are usually several Jordan Ibes and Sheyi Ojos, although I suspect no Liverpool fan actually believed they were more talented. Liverpool clearly have an unbelievable first team, but with Clyne and Lallana leaving, and Lovren and Shaqiri likely also leaving, but they probably need another centre mid, centre back, left back, and a versatile forward in order to strengthen their squad to continue to compete on all fronts, and that’s going to require some serious investment.

Essentially, I don’t see Liverpool declining to the extent that United declined after Ferguson left, at least not as long as Klopp remains in charge. But I think they will struggle to maintain their current level, but almost certainly won’t fall out of the top 4 in the next 5 years. I recently made a bet with a Liverpool mate, that if they don’t win the league next year, they won’t win any of the next 5. Klopp has now proven twice that he can build a team, but he failed to guide Dortmund through the transition of losing Lewandowski, Gundogan, and Hummels, and it will be interesting to see if he can build a team to succeed beyond this current team.