Munoz was way more effective than Rio. Has some good pace and created some good pressure

hoosierAG said:

---

Take points on the road and especially in game 1 any way you can.

Need lots of help though going forward.

---

Literally the toughest place to play for Liverpool in the entire league. I'd rather go to Arsenal, United, and a rainy night in Stoke.

I think the Rio on the right experiment needs to go away.

We are better off putting him on the left and pushing Cody to a central striker role (and possibly bench Isak).

Rio is just a kid and he barely knows how to play the left wing, it'll be several years before he figures out how to play on the right.

I also think you probably need to start Munoz on the right. I would also think about starting Mac Allister over Gravenberch. Not that Grav was or is bad, but just because I think Mac is the better sit back passer and we need that right now. Szbo is not that player.

Last one; I thought Frimpong ended up having a solid game, especially when Munoz came on, and Araujo was really good too.

I told my wife (HUGE Liverpool fan) that our best 3 up front needs to be Rio on the left, Gakpo in the middle, and Munoz on the right in some sort of iteration.

As I said earlier, Rio is only 17 and with limited minutes overall. He switched midway through preseason to the right….the best would struggle with that. He is so much more comfortable and effective on the left…constantly wreaking havoc. If they aren't careful, I'll go as far saying they could really screw him up.

If I'm Liverpool I'm getting another winger through the door this week and I'm seriously considering getting another midfielder through the door whose skills are best at sitting behind the box and picking passes. I just do not think the Szbo Gravenberch midfield is going to work. They are entirely too like minded and find themselves upfield way too far. On the first goal, Gravenberch is carrying the ball and tries to make a pass into the Isak, and where is Dom? He's basically playing RW/RM running into the box. That just cannot happen imo. SOMEONE has to be back.

ETA: I don't think that's absolutely fixes us, but it helps.

hoosierAG said:

---

Araujo may need to start over VVD…

---

This needs to get more traction. I thought he was bad today and we need to seriously limit his minutes. That would also allow us to get a serious look at Araujo.

Monday Morning Musings:

- Alisson Becker 5/10
Positioning could have been better for Elanga's strike. But he's the best Liverpool GK in my lifetime and I'll trust his instincts over mine. Nothing he could have really done on the second. Otherwise, not much else for him to do.

- Milos Kerkez 5/10
I've seen Kerkez getting some hate online. Don't think there was much he could do on the first. Elanga is like top 5-10 fastest players in the league. Kerkez sprinted for like 60+ yard and he was never going to win that race (don't think many fullbacks would). IMO, VvD is more at fault for not closing down Osula sooner. If you know that winger is gonna beat your teammate for speed, you have to step up to make the tackle before the ball is played. Kerkez does offer some nice options going forward, but he's no Robbo in defending.

- Virgil van Dijk 4/10
Apart from failing to close down Osula on the first goal, I think VvD's defending on the second is more egregious. Again, not closing down Wissa is just asking for trouble. On the replay, you can see 2 or 3 times when he had the chance to make the tackle and he didn't. In his prime VvD could afford to give players a yard or two bc his defensive step was elite. It isn't anymore and he needs to use the high IQ he has gathered over his great career to pivot a bit the way he defends.

- Jeremy Jacquet 5/10
Had some good progressive moments. Nothing stands out as great, but nothing stands out has inherently terrible either.

- Jeremy Frimpong 5/10
Just the entire defense was kind of meh. He was being asked to do a lot with Rio ahead of him. Like others pointed out before me, his game improved was Munoz came into the game

- Ryan Gravenberch 6/10
SHOOOOT!!!
That first goal was a direct consequence of his failure to shoot when given the space at the edge of the box. I startled my kid, I yelled "Shoot!" so loud in real time. He is a great progressive carrier of the ball (Szoboszlai is just better) and they both can't be doing the same thing.

- Dominik Szoboszlai 7/10
Ice in his veins for the penalty. Unsavable into the top corner. Could not have been taken more perfectly. Needs to be more tactically aware that if Gravenberch is carrying the ball forward, he cannot sprint ahead into space. That should be Wirtz's job, he has to stay back to cover the space.

- Florian Wirtz 6/10
I continue to rate him highly and don't think he has played as bad as most people seem to think since his signing last summer. Just take two seconds to watch him when he's on the ball, it sticks to his feet. Defenders have a lot more pace than he is probably used to and he is still figuring out how to unlock low blocks (not against Newcastle but as a whole). I think he had a great look that was just topped by a better save from Hornicek. All that being said, I'd be intrigued to see what Szoboszlai can do in that no. 10 role.

- Rio Ngumoha 5/10
He turns 18 on Saturday. He's being asked to play on the right when his best position is on the left. I don't fault the kid at all for anything and I'm glad to see Iraola not shying away from giving him some minutes.

- Cody Gakpo 8/10
Probably our best player on the day. Did well in doing his only move where he feints left and cuts onto his right foot. Why defenders don't just show him the byline and live with the cross when they know all he wants to do his cut right is baffling to me. It's the only thing he knows how to do, but it was effective yesterday. He seems to be our only real attacking threat at the moment. Would be a mistake to sell him at this point.

- Aleksander Isak 5/10
Had 2 or 3 clear cut chances and sent them all over the bar. Could have had a great chance with a better cross from Kerkez, but he has to do more. He's trying to be like Haaland who only touches the ball 5 or 6 times a game but he just does not have the top speed or physicality to be as effective. He needs to be involved more and drop into the half spaces, like Kane does or Firmino used to do. Gosh, I miss Bobby.

- Victor Munoz 7/10
Offered something different when he came on. He is clearly more comfortable on the right than Rio. Did well to win the penalty. If he continues to play well and we fail to sign a winger, he could find himself playing a lot of minutes out wide for us this season.

- Alexis Mac Allister 6/10
Provided some stability into the midfield when he came on. If his fitness levels are deemed appropriate, I bet he starts on Saturday to be the deep-lying playmaker.

- Ronald Araujo 5/10
Did what he was supposed to do. I wonder if this is the partnership that Iraola wants to use.

- Lewis Koumas 5/10
Not enough touches on the ball to come to any sort of conclusion about him. I find it interesting that he was brought on while Trey Nyoni stayed on the bench.

- Andoni Iraola 6/10
He has his work cut out for him trying to fix some of the issues he inherited. Has not been backed in the transfer market as probably even he would have liked. Hopefully another midfielder is brought in to play the Curtis Jones role (or better yet, an actual CDM so that Macca/Grav can be the Jones role) and a winger (either flank at this point) to have some numbers.

Final Thoughts
We always have a hard time travelling to the northwest of England and playing at my favorite stadium not named Anfield, St. James Park. It was made even harder bc of the occasion (opening home game of the season) and the emotional but fitting Kevin Keegan tribute. If I was offered a point before kickoff, I would have taken it. Hosting Nottingham Forest this Saturday will be another challenge. They seem to have our number dialed up as of late, but I am hopeful that the Anfield faithful will be up for it. to give the players a boost. Overall, I think we all anticipate a tough and transitional season for us. A top 4 finish is about as realistic as it gets for us, imo. I back Iraola to have the tactical know how to get the best out of the squad he has been given. If nothing else, I hope he at least resurrects the hunger, energy, and fitness that Klopp had instilled. That would be a successful season in my eyes.

I also do not think Wirtz was that bad. My issue with Wirtz isn't really with him, it's with how we use him or how we do not. I think the first thought for anyone crossing midfield should be "where is Florian, give him the ball." He is without a doubt the best passer we have in this team, and he needs to get the ball quickly in the offensive zone in order to take advantage of those skills.

Right now I feel like he'll touch the ball after Gravenberch, Szbo or a winger/fullback have carried the ball WELL into the zone, which does us no good because by that time they carry it in and then Flo gets it, the spaces have been closed. And Szbo, Grav, Frimpong, and Kerkez are no where near good enough as passers to break down a block imo. Grav being the best out of that group at trying to create through progressive passing.

GET FLO THE BALL EARLY AND OFTEN. Then you need runners from the wings and fullbacks to put pressure on the back line and provide options.

I too still miss Bobby...

Fabrizio also just reported that Man City have entered discussions with Cody Gakpo. So that's Spurs and City now.

Part of what made Bobby, Mane and Diaz so great is that they worked just as hard, if not harder, on the defensive end. They created tons of turnovers which led directly to big chances. I was actually pretty happy with Wirtz in the first half. The PBP guys are always going to dog him whenever he doesn't score a hat trick because of the price, it's what they do. There was a noticeable difference between the attacking moves where he was involved vs those when he was not. When Wirtz is involved, passes and movement are directed toward the "danger area" inside the box. When he is not involved, more often than not, we pass it wide to the wing and cross to no one or recycle the ball back out. He also did his best to defend when Newcastle attempted to counterattack.

IMO, Rio is just not direct enough. Whether it's on the left or the right, he slows things down and plays a 1 man game. He is clearly talented and will likely be a great player, but he's not there yet. When Munoz came on, he attacked space and created chaos inside the box.

This season may look a lot like Klopp's first season and a half where we blow some teams out when the press and attackers are clicking, but we'll drop points due to sloppy defending and being too easy to counter against. Newcastle are elite in a single area, winger speed. Elanga and Harvey Barnes are two of the fastest players in Europe. Most of the game, we dealt with it just fine. Newcastle's second goal would have been prevented if a single midfielder attempted a tackle.

This is exactly what I was telling someone this weekend. This season has the markings of Klopp's first full season. We're going to pull our hair out many times, but it'll be a wild ride.

Also, we need a DM. None of our guys are it. Not even Macca. Kerkez and Frimpong are trending to complete disasters. They just are not at the levels we need them to be. I think we'll start seeing Araujo play RB at times. We need incomings big time...

Again, I very much agree about Wirtz. I don't even think it's close how we look when he's on the field versus off it in terms of the way the attack looks. He's so far and away the best, most creative passer we have in my opinion. We just need to be better using his skills.

Gakpo isn't great at making runs or a great runner, period. He's great with the ball already at his feet or off his head. Rio is 18. And Isak is just not it right now. Munoz was easily the best attacker on the field in that regard.

I really do not think Frimpong was that bad, especially once Munoz came on. I think he and Rio were a disaster mostly because Rio looked like a puppy that was dumped on the side of the road.

If all this suffering and learning ends with us being another juggernaut under Iraola like Klopp, I'm in.

I think the main issue with playing Rio on the right is that he doesn't have much skill with his left foot and he doesn't have a great deal of straight line speed. He is very quick and nimble with the ball, but he isn't going to push it past a defender and beat them for pace.

He thrives on the left, because there is real danger of him beating his man to the inside and getting off a good shot with his right foot. As a result, the defender will naturally give him space on his weaker side. In doing so, he can easily get to the endline (where there are no other defenders) and create issues with simple passes with his left foot.

Conversely, on the right, the defender just has to take away his strong foot down the wing. The classic way for a RW to beat this defense is just to blow past the defender with pace and reach the endline, but thats not in Rio's bag. As a result, Rio is forced back into the center of the pitch where he isn't a threat to shoot and there are loads of helpers to over power him.

I just don't think Rio is going to be capable of playing on the right anytime in the near future. He is going to have to get faster and/or better at using his left foot to shoot. Two things that take time and may never happen.

Frimpong, for all of his weaknesses, is fast enough to beat his man down the right side. Unfortunately, playing both Rio and Frimpong on the right clogs up that space rendering both of them completely useless.

Ben Jacobs reporting Brighton want 80 million for Minteh. Hahahahahahaha.

We submitted a bid for Ismailia Sarr from Palace. I like this path way more than others. Sarr is a really really solid player that can play this style, he's much cheaper, and he could effectively bridge us for 2/3/4 years until we want to truly invest in another 100+ million pound winger.

It's not going to happen but it's the right type of player imo.

Gonna have to overpay because LFC has absolutely no leverage.

I think big clubs are fooked period these days.

That deal is apparently dead in the water because Palace wont sell due to the limited time to find a replacement. Hughes really f-ed up this transfer window.

He really did screw this one up, however I also wonder just how hard it is to do business as a massive club these days knowing that they have more money than everyone else. They have absolutely no leverage in basically any situation. Not an excuse, but just wondering if that is why it seems like things are taking an eternity unless you are willing to pay a "big club tax" so to speak.

Sounds like Barcola is finally done. Still need more!

My theory on Barcola is that it's been done for weeks, but for some financial reason they haven't announced it.

https://instagr.am/p/DciXUNbxAjY

Barcola now in and reports that we will keep Gakpo unless he wants out and then we will sign someone else. Not sure where everyone plays, but also wondering if they may wait on the Rayan release clause to kick in during January window and make him the right winger of the future.

Some Lamine Camara links too which would be nice

Before I start my rant, I just want to be perfectly clear that I think Bradley Barcola is a great player and clearly makes us better. If he is good enough to start for the France National Team blessed beyond belief with talent, he is good enough for Liverpool Football Club. That being said, I have a few thoughts.

One, where is he going to play? We now have 1 right footed RW and 3 LW with Cody Gakpo now expected to stay. So the Salah sized hole on the right continues for now.

Two, that fee is ridiculous. 120M GBP! It makes him the second most expensive transfer in Liverpool history after the 125M that Liverpool spent on Alexander Isak. Our reputation of being the financially savvy and fiscally responsible club no longer exists. Our philosophy of finding undervalued assets in the transfer market and then turning them into world beaters is sadly gone. Barcola is our 3rd 100M+ signing in 12 months. Is he the type of player our squad needs? I would argue no. Imo, if you want to fit our most expensive midfield asset, Florian Wirtz, with our most technically gifted midfielder, Dominik Szoboszlai, you have to have an elite CDM. That's how I think you can make this puzzle work. I think Iraola has the right idea in the way he wanted to play at Newcastle. But Ryan Gravenberch is not the answer for us at CDM, a point we have all conceded on this forum at one point or another. Strengthening the defensive side of the midfield and finding a RW is where the smart money should have been.

Liverpool have done stuff like this for the last few years though. We were close to signing Jude Bellingham back in 2023 (who would have been the lynchpin of our midfield for the next decade) but we were scared of the 100M GBP price tag so we pulled out (plus, we had the allure of Real Madrid working against us), but then we turned around and offered 111M GBP for Moises Caicedo. He rejected us for Chelsea which is another story. Now don't get me wrong, Caicedo would be amazing to have in our team rn. But I am just trying to highlight the indecisiveness we have shown in the transfer market. Now this summer, we are in with a shout on Yan Diomande who would resolve our RW dilemma, but the nine figure transfer scares us away (which is somewhat understandable given he is 19 years old). But then we turn around and drop 120M on a 23 year old LW who is Kvaratskhelia's understudy.

Our attacking options purchased in the last year of Bradley Barcola, Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, and Hugo Ekitike total over 440M GBP....

I am a believer in Andoni Iraola right now. However, I have zero confidence in the people making transfer and personnel decisions at the club. The BAS in me is fearful that all the momentum and culture that Klopp spent nearly a decade building is now gone with our transfer decisions in the last few years.

Really great points! Most of which I fully agree with.

I fully support holding onto Cody Gakpo barring we get 85M for him. I just do not think this is the summer to be selling for us. We need some connective tissue, and Cody is the definition of that and a grown up. He's also a damn good player. Albeit he doesn't quite fit this system, but he's a good goal scorer and most of all he's an adult. We need those in spades. I do not care he's right footed or technically a LW. IMO he can play all across the front line, and that is why he is valuable, and I would have no problem telling Cody, Barcola, Munoz etc. to get comfy on the right. They'll figure it out if they want to play.

The fee is outrageous but that's the going rate these days. And that is why we have paid so much for our attack. It's just the nature of the beast. Hell Brighton want damn near 80M for Minteh. You're just not getting a guy who can truly step in and play at a big club for less than 65M.

Getting a midfielder who wants to sit behind the ball and pass is paramount now. Or at least being willing to play Trey Nyoni. You played a 17 year old Rio, why not Nyoni? One of the two idc, but I do not want Gravenberch and Szbo playing next to each other. I love both of them, genuinely, but they are both attacking 8's, and if you are going to play Wirtz as a shadow striker 10, then you cannot play two 8's that both want to carry the ball. And truth be told there are times where I think Grav should start over Szbo and Szbo over Grav. Imo, Szbo is not unseatable. He has his flaws, particularly tackling and defensive positioning. Anyways, I fully agree that adding a more defensive midfielder with legs is paramount.

Although Kerkez scares the crap out of me, and Frimpong has his defensive frailties, I know how Iraola wants them to be used and I think they fit that profile more than they do not. He wants them to fly down the touchline, provide width, and get the ball into the box. Or cut in. My biggest issue with both is actually mostly to do with their physical stature. They're both maximum 5'8".

I really wish we could have Klopp in some sort of Football Director leadership role. I miss the standard we had under his direction.

Just a note on the fee. That's the absolute max including achievable and unachievable add-ons. It's less than 90M GBP upfront with ~13-15M GBP in add-ons and another ~15M GBP in mostly unachievable add-ons. Still. A lot of money!

I've always heard we'd go Barcola on the right this year (if we don't sing a true RW). Could also see Gakpo go right. And we already have Munoz who can play there. We'll shall see. We are definitely not in a spot to be doing one in, one out.

Glad we got him, but we have too many parts that don't fit. As all have mentioned, our lack of DM is absolutely killing us and leaving our weak back 4 way more exposed. We have been talking DM for years now and still not addressed. Why couldn't we gotten someone like Sangare at Brentford? Our mids are all the same and all built to push forward. It's not tenable, and a good back 4 would struggle as well.

We are all saying basically the same thing and see all the issues/needs we have that aren't being properly addressed.

Jamie Carragher went off on Wirtz and Isak this week, like everyone else has. But like a lot of us have said, if they don't get it going in the next few months, that summer's signings (including Frimpong and Kerkez) will be the biggest bust in PL history and set the club back years. Again, it's still early, new mgr, injuries to Isak, etc and potential improvements to be had. Nothing to do but wait and see this year, but as of now, the last 3 years of transfers are not netting near what we need (especially for what was lost).

Also, I am still hopeful that Kerkez can get back to what he was under Iraola ...he was arguably the best LB in the league that year. I also hope C Bradley can recover and stay healthy (doubtful I know) as I really liked him and his style. There were a couple games he was the best player on the pitch.

Last thing, AG@Rice nailed the Rio situation above. He has to play on the left for the reasons he laid out. Gakpo too, he can not play on the right at all. I do think he could be effective and play in the middle, he has before some. At least he could spell Isak some until Ekitike is back...or replace him if Isak doesn't figure this out. Munoz needs to stay on the right, and honestly start now until/if Barcola is ready and better there. Othewise a combo/mixture of Rio/Barcola on the left, Isak/Gakpo in the middle and Munoz/Barcola on the right with Gakpo going to the left as well.

Bradley Barcola is a massive addition for this squad. For years, we've talked about needing an elite DM and dynamic pace up front to make our press truly lethal. With Barcola, we now have one of the most explosive wingers in Europe alongside another great athlete in Victor Muñoz. Add in change-of-pace options like Rio Ngumoha and Cody Gakpoplus Lewis Koumas as a versatile wildcardand our attacking profile looks much sharper. A left-footed winger would still be ideal, but barring a nightmare injury crisis, this group has more than enough to get the job done. Especially if Wirtz is unlocked.

If we pick up a DM with some legs I would honestly be pretty happy with the additions this summer. That would be Jacquet, Munoz, Barcola, Araujo, and a DM. Again I would love Pedro Porro or someone like that, but I just don't think that is happening.