Is Frimpong an upgrade on Trent? Nope. Is Kerkez and upgrade on Robertson? Nope. Is Ekitike and upgrade on Nunez? Maybe. Maybe not. You can't know until he actually starts playing, but if Nunez goes it doesn't automatically make them stronger.
Wirtz, absolutely. Upgrade because Klopp never really had a pure number 10 in the squad. But it also feels as though Wirtz is going to replace the creative output of Trent, which isn't the same as adding to Trent's creative output. None of this is to say Liverpool won't be a top side next season. But the assumption that every one of their signings is a proven top player isn't true.
When I look at our squad, what I see is a lot of players who have proven it over and over again and won titles, and a lot of young players with really high potential ceilings and the best coach in the world. Liverpool aren't going to walk the league next season. City are going to be an absolute menace because we've addressed 99% of our deficiencies since January and we should fly into the season.
I agree there is an awful lot of folks getting worked up over Liverpool’s spending. I’m more focussed on ourselves.
As far as I can see it, if we sort out our keeper situation and get a decent right back we’re in pretty good shape. I would be happier to see us figure out where we’re going in terms of centre half and midfield. In both cases we don’t really need additions unless there’s real movement.
I would have a slight concern that Pep’s loyalty to the likes of Stones, Akanji, Gundogan and Kovacic leaves with the same issues at times next season as last.
Love Stones but we can’t build a team around a guy that plays 15 matches a season.
Akanji was absolutely brilliant in the treble season, a real steal but recently every time he plays are defence looks ropey.
Gundogan’s football brain is incredible but his legs can’t keep up. He should be a finisher to close out matches and control tempo.
Kovacic did well towards the end of both last season and this but he’s never going to be a 6. His injury record isn’t great either.
During our awful winter of discontent last season we were over run in midfield time and again. Reijnders looks very good. Nico (x2) have decent potential. Bernardo will give his all as always. Rodri will take time to recover but when he does we’ll be a different prospect.
To me there’s a cognitive dissonance with Pep between wanting a small squad while remaining loyal to his trusted lieutenants and him wondering why we couldn’t compete in our bad run. Though Pep leaned heavily on the older guys in the run in which worked out, so no doubt he knows more than I do.
We may well start the season without Rodri as he builds up fitness. For me a world of difference in athleticism and physicality between a midfield pair of Reijnders and Nico compared to Gundogan and Bernardo.
