You lot are top of the league right now and I don't think anyone can deny you haven't had a great start to the season or that you have been the best team. The well documented tricky start you had, the great results you got in those games, the manager's energy and ideas being bought into by the players, the good football etc....
However would you say it's more about the team ethic and manager's style rather than individual brilliance? What i mean by that is....do you see yourselves as a team with a truly world class player in its side (or more) ?
Hardly anyone from the BBC, SKY n BT had Liverpool down for the title. Many didn't even back you for top 4 and so far you're proving the doubters very wrong. Long way to go of course and things can change but right now it would be very foolish to suggest you won't get top 4. I think you will.
I don't see any truly world class world beaters in your team. I suppose Coutinho is the closest to it but he does blow hot and cold an awful lot. However I do see the best team currently. And the team doing exactly what the manager wants and also working the hardest for him.
Would it be fair to say you're potentially an excellent team without individual world beaters? Is that fair?
Would it be fair to say...........
posted on 6/11/16
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posted on 6/11/16
Our front three are in scintillating form and whilst they may not be world class, they're not far off. Add in Lallanas complete change of form adding end product to his game we will take some stopping. 4 horse race for me though.
Klopp is doing wonders without any individual world class player but Couts form is as good as anybodys
posted on 6/11/16
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posted on 6/11/16
comment by Ttliv87 (U11882)
posted 12 minutes ago
Now that Coutinho has found consistency I think he's world class.
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Not just yet. If he does what Hazard did two years ago and leads you to the title or very close then I think it's fair to say then.
10 games into a season isn't really enough. He's got to do it over a full season which he has never done yet.
We've only got the one at our club and its our keeper.
posted on 6/11/16
no world class players yet but come end of the season we could have a couple
posted on 6/11/16
I would say we have world class potential in the team. Coutinho is knocking on the door and Firminho has just about the best first touch in the league. How many ready built world class players are there in the league? I can think of one, Aguero. Others knocking on the door? Ozil, Sanchez, Hazard, De Gea, De Bruyne, Silva, Pogba. It's all about how you define world class and everyone will have different metrics.
As you correctly pointed out, we are a team without world class players presently but we aren't alone. I think what you're getting at is basically how many of Liverpool's players would get into other teams in the league. On paper, not many but then games aren't won on paper. I think the only team who would potential leave Coutinho out is Man City. Clyne and Sturridge are good shouts for walking into most teams.
Look at a player like Firminho. He's so unassuming that he's basically flown under the radar but he's blessed with so much ability and energy that he quietly goes about his business without opposition fans really recongising his quality until recently. The media highlight on players plays a big part in this, in waltzes Pogba on big money and everything he does is highlighted but he's not even at Firminhos level atm.
A player is only as good as he is confident. You can take the Real Madrid approach to signings and have a team of world class players on paper but it means nothing without the right environment for their talents to come to the fore. It also works the other way. A great environment, such as the one currently at Liverpool, allows players to exceed expecations. The truth is somewhere in the middle. With quality players and excellent management you can achieve anything.
Long post but overall I would say Liverpool's players, more than any in the league, are looked down upon. When you stop living football through the media and analyse the technical abilities and output of the players on an individual basis you will discover that Liverpool have some very good footballers.
posted on 6/11/16
op..tbh, i really couldnt care less. We had Alonso, Torres, Suarez Masch etc, none were world class when they joined, we were mocked for saying they were quality.
Surprisingly when they left they were suddenly world class.
We win, we win well..3 points move on
posted on 6/11/16
I do wonder how long Coutinho will have to play well for in order to lose the inconsistent tag.
For me it's simple with Coutinho, surround him with good players and good movement - he's excellent. When it's not there then he tries to do too much on his own.
Our last decent season he was great but he had Suarez, Sturridge and Sterling around him. Then Suarez left, Sturridge was just injured and Sterling could be bothered and then left - Coutinho was much less effective. The we brought Balotelli and Benteke, less said the better.
Surrounded by movement again this year he's looking really good. I think he's a player that needs quality around him to shine. And right now, he's shining pretty brightly.
posted on 7/11/16
This obsession with a team needing 'world class' players to be successful is a modern phenomenon and incorrect.
It's always been about the team.
Leicester haven't got any world class players. Vardy and Mahrez were good but neither are near world class.
Klopp's just doing the same as he did at Dortmund. How many of his stars from that team have gone elsewhere and looked better? Only Lewandowski probably, though plenty of others have moved on.
Also our players were underrated. They may not be world class but we always had a lot of good players. They were just being badly managed so weren't playing at their best.
Now they are doing so they are all showing their quality, but even now you get idiots saying players like Henderson or Firmino are average or mediocre.
Henderson is smashing the crap out of every midfield stat this season, Firmino has been in the top 3 PL players in 2016.
We have a lot of good players, being well managed = better results.
Coutinho is possibly getting near world class level now, but even he is underrated with this inconsistent myth tagged to him despite the fact he's been consistent for well over a year now.
posted on 8/11/16
I think we have more players of higher quality than previous seasons.
You could argue that the likes of Firminho, Coutinho and several others wouldn't look out of place in a Barca/Real/Bayern side. This doesn't make them world class - they wouldn't make a 'Best XI' , for example.
Previously we had Suarez doing most of the damage but the majority of the surrounding team was sub-par. At the moment we have quality distributed throughout the side, rather than it being so heavily weighted on one or two players.