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Liverpool 3.0! How Wirtz Fits into the Slot Machine.
18 Plays5 days ago
The Daily Liverpool podcast is back after a post-season hiatus. Jesse Sarwar is joined by Louie Easton and Irby White to discuss Liverpool's record signing Florian Wirtz.
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Transcript
Return of the Daily Liverpool Podcast
00:00:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome to the return of the Daily Liverpool podcast brought to you by the Global Sports Podcast Network. I'm Jesse Sarwar. After an extended hiatus after the end of the Premier League season, it's great to be back.
00:00:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
And, know, great to be back as champions as we look ahead to all the incomings and outgoings in this closed season and the build up to August and the season.
00:00:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
twenty six season And look, you know, if if we thought we had lots to discuss the Premier League title win, mean, this closed season has seen the club absolutely fly out of the traps, which, look, as a Liverpool supporter, it kind of leaves you a bit kind of speechless because this isn't how we normally operate. But, so you know, look, it's really welcomed.
Celebrating Liverpool's Victory
00:01:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
I've got Louis Easton with us and Erby White. Louis, how's it going?
00:01:11
Louie Easton
Great. I'm still amazed that I had the opportunity to see the trophy lift in person and, of course, the parade the day later. It was an incredible weekend, but it's been even better since then with the announcement of Virts, in my opinion.
00:01:29
Louie Easton
i mean, not obviously we'll get into it more, but I mean, it's just such a monumental moment and such a great couple of months to be a Liverpool fan.
00:01:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
And Irby, Irby, how's it going? And obviously, you know, you've got the perspective from the other side of the pond, if you like, you know, as ah as a Liverpool fan, Premier League title winners. know, how how did that feel?
00:01:51
Irby White
It felt great. And, you know, it's only been, what, three, four weeks since then. And, you know, we've already made two signings, about to be third in Kerkhez. So, i mean, it's just like I thought I needed a little bit of a break, but now i'm I'm ready to go. You know, I can't wait to see this new team in action.
00:02:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it's true. I mean, it just, it feels longer than kind of three weeks, three or four weeks, doesn't it?
00:02:09
Irby White
It does. I was thinking the same thing.
00:02:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
It seems like a long time since last game of the season. But, you know, look, these seasons just come around, you know, so quickly.
00:02:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm actually almost kind of glad that we're not in the Club World Cup.
International Competitions' Impact in the U.S.
00:02:25
Louie Easton
yeah
00:02:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
So, Irby, as obviously it's it's out there in in America, what's the you know what's what's the kind of feeling about this competition out there? is you know what What's the kind of general feeling?
00:02:37
Irby White
To be honest, no one has really kind of in my inner circle of people I play with or coach with or just people that you know love the game. It's not really you know talked about here. you know i'm I'm focusing on my coaching and my playing, and it just it kind of gets brought up every now and then.
00:02:55
Irby White
you know Someone brought a up you know Real Madrid and Trent the other day and his performance in occasionals.
00:03:01
Louie Easton
Yeah.
00:03:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
who' who's Who's Trent? who's that?
00:03:03
Irby White
Yeah. And occasional someone's talking about Man City and how how this will affect their season. But I mean, I haven't even watched the game yet. You know, I've accessed to all the games and I've been a little busy, but I'm also just not quite as interested like what what you said with us not being involved.
00:03:20
Irby White
I think that's probably a good thing. I think we can discuss that later down the line. But it's it's and there hasn't been a lot of hope of traction or attention, you know, from kind of our media.
00:03:30
Louie Easton
yeah
00:03:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's interesting, isn't it, Louis? Right. and That's interesting, Louis, because i and I know that I think maybe in Europe, I don't know, but certainly I i know in the UK, there's a lot of kind of, you know, skepticism or indifference to to these kind of competitions.
00:03:46
Louie Easton
Yeah, I mean, look, yeah.
00:03:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
But it's interesting to see that even in the US, maybe it hasn't really quite taken hold.
00:03:56
Louie Easton
it's It's interesting to me because, you know, with these huge clubs, you know, vying for the £100 million prize part, which is ultimately what this is all about, it still interests me seeing, you know, these Brazilian sides doing really well and Argentine sides, you know, Flamengo beating Chelsea 3-1.
00:04:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's what it's about. Yeah.
00:04:20
Louie Easton
was amazing but I love seeing as a half South African myself I love seeing the Mamelodi Sundowns playing against Borussia Dortmund you know, that was a brilliant match, 4-3. And there were a couple of brilliant matches earlier on at the beginning of this competition where the goalkeepers were just having the time of their lives. So from a football perspective, I think it's good.
00:04:45
Louie Easton
But when it's other times, when it's less good, for example, Bayern Munich beating Auckland City 10-0, it's not that interesting.
00:04:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:04:56
Louie Easton
And now ultimately, we all know that It's just going to be the European sides in the last four. That ah ah is, that's my feeling of it anyway. Maybe one of the brazil Brazilians was deacon there, but you know, I'm not, I'm not that interested. i prefer watching the champions league and whatnot. sir
00:05:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. and look, i you know I think as a as Liverpool supporters, i don't know if it would be different if we, as Irby said, you know if if we were involved, I guess you would feel more invested just by virtue of the fact that they they're there. But so I think that it could be a blessing in disguise. But, you know, you know we we'll discuss that later.
Florian Verts' Landmark Signing
00:05:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let's start off then with Florian Verts, you know, who's come in This is the big signing of the summer for Liverpool.
00:05:44
Louie Easton
Yep.
00:05:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
know, arguably the biggest signing in across the Premier League and maybe, you know, maybe in world football this summer. It's £100 million, pounds I think, as a guaranteed upfront payment.
00:06:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
And think it's about £16.5 million in add-ons, which from from the looks of it, it's are very, very kind of realistic add-ons, if not guaranteed add-ons.
00:06:08
Louie Easton
ye
00:06:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I always think that add-ons are, you know, I thought i think they're okay because, you know, that there's an incentive for all parties to kind of reach those add-ons. And if if those add-ons are achieved, then you know that you've done well, the player has done well, the club has likely won silverware as well.
00:06:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
So, I mean, Irby, what why do you think Liverpool have gone so big and so quickly for this player?
00:06:43
Irby White
It's funny you asked her say that just because we're not typically a club that goes out and spends this kind of money. I mean, before Darwin, it was Virgil and Allison. I mean, we've never we we every I feel like every year we get linked to this war chest that we have that we're finally going to spend $100 million on a player, and we've never seen it until this year.
00:06:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
00:07:05
Irby White
I think everyone, you know, we're all, I'm a big Premier League fan, but There's clubs and there's players when they're playing in the Bundesliga in Serie A that have kind of the attention that Florian Wirtz has that you just have to sometimes stop and watch.
00:07:19
Irby White
And, you know, I kind of wondered over the last two years, it kind of felt like a bit like the Declan Rice thing.
00:07:20
Louie Easton
Yep.
00:07:24
Irby White
Like, is he finally going to make the move? Is he finally going to make the move to a club? And I think, you know, after he won the the league with Leverkusen, I guess he wanted to play in the Champions League. This felt like the right time for him to move, as he said.
00:07:37
Irby White
And the fact that we went and got him over a Madrid, a PSG, a Bayern, it's a sign of intent. I've been talking to some friends. I don't think we're just going to defend the Premier League title. I think we're just going to straight up go and attack it. I think Slott has it in his mind. He hasn't said it publicly, but I think he wants to defend be the top team. I think he wants to knock Manchester United off and just say, we're back. Number 21 is ours and build from there.
00:08:03
Irby White
I think it's a sign of him wanting to build a squad, wanting to build a team that's going to dominate for a decade. you know Whether we can go and win six, seven titles in 10 years, that'd be an astronomical feat to reach.
00:08:11
Louie Easton
Yeah.
00:08:16
Irby White
But I think that he kind of has that intention of saying, we're going to be the best team, not only in England and Europe, And this is just one of a few signings that we're going to do for the next four or five years.
00:08:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:08:28
Louie Easton
I think what it is as well is the fact that we also haven't spent that much money in a long time. Obviously, there was the whole complaints from last summer where we only signed Chiesa and, you know, it turned out to not be the worst decision in the world considering what we won last year.
00:08:44
Louie Easton
But I think it's probably the right time now to be spending this amount of money because we've allowed ourselves to reinvest. so And I think this is also going to be a big selling summer as well as a buying summer to sort of balance it out.
00:08:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:08:59
Louie Easton
I think this is very, very good business from Liverpool. And, you know, what a star Florian Verts will be.
00:09:03
Irby White
Thank you.
00:09:06
Louie Easton
i mean, if I don't know how much you've seen of him, but from what I've seen, this is one of the best midfielders in the world.
00:09:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, and i think I think Irby touched on quite a few points there, which which I think are really interesting. You mentioned some of the clubs that you know would have been in for him, the likes of Real Madrid, PSG. I think most significantly, though, I think for us, but also for Bayern Munich, they do not lose out on young German talent.
00:09:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
that It just does not happen. When you've got a rising star, particularly if they're German, Bayern Munich will sign that player.
00:09:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
And just think that the fact that Virts at 22 years old and, you know, he's seen as ah ah as a generational talent, the fact that he turned Bayern Munich down, i think one speaks obviously about the strength of the Premier League as a whole.
00:10:01
Louie Easton
yeah
00:10:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
But I think it just speaks to where Liverpool are at the moment. you know that you know and And obviously this is partly a remnant of the Klopp years as well. And this was one of the great things that Klopp, and look, to give them their dues as well, you know FSG, you know we can't be kind of, well, fish we blame FSG for this, but Klopp was just a fluke.
00:10:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
These guys brought Klopp in. and And so the the remnant of that is that Both Klopp and FSG put Liverpool back on the map.
00:10:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
They put them up as a serious contender, not just in England, but across Europe, especially after the after the Champions League win. and And, you know, people forget, you know, there's three Champions League finals in, I think, something like five years, which is just incredible.
00:10:53
Louie Easton
Yeah.
00:10:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
And so obviously now that Slott has come in and and he's won the Premier League, it's just kind of cemented Liverpool's position. And so I think that's really significant for the Premier League and for Europe as a whole that Virts chose Liverpool ahead of Bayern Munich.
00:11:14
Louie Easton
yeah
00:11:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
and And coming to what you just said, Louis, know, FSG, look, the club kept their powder relatively dry. You know, last season, it's been it's been fairly kind of frugal spending.
00:11:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
And, you know, they were criticised quite heavily for not backing Slott when he first came in with funds. I think that's now been vindicated now. and i and And I think it's really interesting that Slott, instead of rebuilding straight after Klopp, he wins the the league with Klopp's team.
00:11:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
And now the rebuild starts and, you know, you rebuild from a position of strength, which I think FSG maybe failed to do the last time he won the league under Klopp. So, Erby, are we looking at, I mean, I remember Klopp saying Liverpool 2.0.
00:12:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Is this Liverpool 3.0 now under slot?
00:12:08
Louie Easton
Heh heh heh.
Comparing Manager Slott to Liverpool Legends
00:12:09
Irby White
I hope so. every Every person I've talked to, and I kind of talk about it, just for my generation, maybe for for you guys, Klopp was kind of... He's our Shankly, and then it slot the Paisley.
00:12:20
Irby White
And is this going to be the start of, I hope, a 20, 30-year kind of...
00:12:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:12:26
Irby White
Dominance is a hard thing to say, but just 20 years of just natural progression from one manager to another, one team to another, just teams that we idolize. But I think we're maybe... Are we starting to see the...
00:12:39
Irby White
the blueprint and the 10, 15 year plan that FSG had, you know, we, we've all kind of had our impatient moments with ownership. You know, i would I would say in the, in the mid 2010s, we would get you know frustrated under the Rogers and that era that we're not backing the squad after, you know, challenging for the league in 2014 and then selling Suarez backing him up and going and get players. I think now, like you said, we've gone and won the league and,
00:13:06
Irby White
with Klopp's team, Klopp's players, giving the manager time to assess what he has and say, this player's good enough, this player's not good enough.
00:13:17
Irby White
And I think he wants to build a team, like you just said, build a club that's going to dominate and just be contender in Europe and in the league for 10, 15 years. you know i He doesn't come across as you know that kind of guy where he's just going to be super arrogant and come out and say that kind of stuff. But I think in the back of his, he's clever.
00:13:36
Irby White
He's very clever and cheeky in the fact that how he, what he speaks and the way he goes about it every day. I think he has that in his mind of just and the confidence in himself to, to I'm going to build this club back into what it was, you know, in the early, you know, seventies and eighties.
00:13:53
Irby White
And I think, you know, he wants to more than just once. I think he's got the ability to, What am I trying to say here?
00:14:04
Irby White
He's got just that confidence in himself that he knows that this is this is an era where we can be, you know, Liverpool 3.0, like what you said.
00:14:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. and And I think that's, I think, you know, the Shanky comparisons are, know, but but obviously very common under Klopp and rightly so. And so it was inevitable that when Slott came in, it was like, oh, is this going to be Paisley?
00:14:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
And just the more you look at the situation, the more you look at how Slott has done in his first season, You know, it's it's on the cards. It's on the cards that Slott could be our Paisley.
00:14:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
and And if he is even half as successful as Bob Paisley, this era is going to be absolutely phenomenal.
00:14:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I think... Absolutely.
00:14:50
Irby White
We've got another icon, yeah.
00:14:52
Louie Easton
Yeah.
00:14:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
and And I think that with one of the other things that the Wurtz um also showed Louis was, you know, Man City were in the running.
00:15:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know, don't don't believe what they say. They were in the running. They wanted Wurtz. But apparently it hinged on a conversation with Guardiola and a conversation with Arnest Slott.
00:15:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
And apparently Wurtz was not convinced that Guardiola was going to be there long-term.
00:15:27
Louie Easton
Yeah.
00:15:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I'm just thinking, Louis, is, you know, is, is that another indicator that slot and Liverpool could really, you know, really put the accelerator down?
00:15:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
And, you know, if, if Pep does move on in a season or two, and this is a real opportunity for the club.
00:15:46
Louie Easton
I think absolutely you've got it spot on there. And it's amazing that we managed to sway Wurz over from Manchester City and Bayern Munich. Because if you think about it, both of those two teams have had a player in Wurz's position that has left this summer.
00:16:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah.
00:16:02
Louie Easton
Kevin De Bruyne from Manchester City, Thomas Muller from Bayern Munich. So they both have every reason to want to go for a player in versus position. But it's Liverpool that <unk> so my it's almost greedy.
00:16:15
Louie Easton
But if you think about it, we never actually replaced Coutinho because we never had that attacking midfielder who could open a defence.
00:16:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:16:23
Louie Easton
So... The fact that we've now got that and we're also looking at maybe bringing in a striker and a centre-back, not to mention we've already got Kerkhez and Frimpong as our full-backs, then this is seriously, as you were referring to, this this is us now putting out a statement saying we want to dominate, we want to be...
00:16:38
Irby White
but
00:16:45
Louie Easton
this new era ah ah and i i think that that's just what fsg have been planning they've been holding out waiting for the right moment in order to transition our squad forward and i mean i'm i'm still interested to see who will come in as that striker if anyone at this point maybe we'll just hold on to a jotter or maybe we'll play florian vert as a false nine
00:17:02
Irby White
Thank
00:17:10
Louie Easton
But whatever it is, I'm so excited. and I think most Liverpool fans have that feeling at the moment.
00:17:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:17:16
Louie Easton
and
00:17:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, absolutely. And it's worth mentioning Jurgen Klopp again. I mean, what must he be thinking with all this money being spent, Irby? you know And I think that i think that FSG, and I don't mean this as a slight on Jurgen Klopp, but i I think that what happened with Klopp In terms of his influence over signings, is that his stature became so big, and you know rightly so with what he achieved, that almost naturally the the kind of FSG model of recruitment kind of became diluted and and maybe Klopp...
00:17:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
had too much influence over the signings.
00:17:57
Louie Easton
Hmm.
00:17:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know, obviously Darwin Nunes is as maybe seen as the kind of poster boy of that kind of maybe, you clock failure in terms of of of signing.
00:18:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
And now that slot has come in, I think now you see, you know, you see the return of Michael Edwards, you see Richard Hughes kind of returning to that approach to recruitment that proved so successful the first time around.
00:18:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I'm not just talking about Verts, but, you know, you you know picking up players like Frimpong for under 30 million pounds, you know, but then not afraid to go for the big...
00:18:30
Louie Easton
and the sale of concert as well.
00:18:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
signings when warranted. So I think that's probably another dynamic as well in terms of the the the whole recruitment policy where I think that Slott now is, you know, he's now part of that kind of recruitment team as opposed to, I want this player, you know, go and get him.
00:18:55
Irby White
But I don't want to see that change because, you know, like you said, under Klopp, he started to have a little bit too much influence, especially after Michael Edwards left.
00:19:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:19:04
Irby White
And we saw, you know, with the signings of Mane and Salah and Allison and Van Dyke, of just like home run after home run.
00:19:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:19:12
Irby White
And then once Edwards left, like you said, some of those signings, you know, we we we had some good signings, some bad signings under Klopp, but
00:19:19
Louie Easton
and Klopp had to be convinced for Salah as well. He wanted Julian Brandt.
00:19:22
Irby White
Yeah, yeah. He won Julian Brown.
00:19:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:19:24
Irby White
Exactly. And so, and you also, one thing that you said there, just maybe remember that press conference that he had, was it last year his last season or the season before where you could tell he was, the end maybe was coming, the signs were coming when he was like, there's only three to five clubs in the world that can spend x amount of money.
00:19:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:19:43
Irby White
if you remember that. And so how is he feeling? I'm not too sure. I saw some quotes today that he commented on the vert signing that he said it was just absolutely like, it's huge for the club.
00:19:53
Louie Easton
yeah
00:19:55
Irby White
And so, but I don't know how he's feeling. Is he feeling a bit, maybe not neglected or anything like that?
00:20:01
Louie Easton
I think he supports I think he supports it he doesn't strike me as a bitter yeah
00:20:01
Irby White
Is he frustrated? I exactly, I think he supports the club and I, I don't think there's any, I don't think there's any ill feeling towards the club or Edwards. Now um do, I, just like a general question.
00:20:13
Irby White
I'm curious and I bet there is something out there that maybe will come to light one day that happened between Edwards and Klopp that I'd be interested maybe to see in 10, 15 years down the road.
00:20:21
Louie Easton
yeah
00:20:23
Irby White
But like you said, like Louie, you just said, I think he supports the club and I think he wants nothing but good things for us.
00:20:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:20:31
Irby White
But I don't want things to change now that you said we've signed for Impong.
00:20:35
Louie Easton
Yeah.
00:20:37
Irby White
We just got the Kerkes green lights We've signed Verts. We're linked to, you know, ESAC and all these other players. We're were basically linked and going after the top players in every position
How Will Verts Reshape Liverpool's Strategy?
00:20:48
Louie Easton
yeah
00:20:49
Irby White
that are available or at least, you know, on the market this summer.
00:20:52
Irby White
And that's, you know, usually sometimes clubs can only get one or two of those. And i mean, I feel like we've gotten the best left back, right back, and certainly 10 available in the market.
00:21:03
Irby White
And it just makes me wonder what else can we achieve this summer? And I feel like there's also a player that we have not been linked to yet.
00:21:07
Louie Easton
Yeah.
00:21:10
Irby White
that could come in. Yeah.
00:21:11
Louie Easton
Hmm.
00:21:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
and Interesting.
00:21:12
Louie Easton
Hopefully Hato.
00:21:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, hopefully.
00:21:14
Irby White
yeah
00:21:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
We're going to go to a very, very quick break. when we come back, we're going to dive a little bit more deeply into how Verts fits into the team tactically, what kind of tactical approach Liverpool might take next season with Florian Verts coming into the team.
00:21:17
Irby White
but
00:21:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
We'll be right back.
00:21:59
Louie Easton
Thank you.
00:22:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right, ah Florian Wirtz is a young player, he's 22, but he's he's experienced. I think that's one of the things that I think is really attractive for both Arnie Slott and FSG. I think he ticks a lot of boxes in terms of his age profile.
00:23:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
But he's not just a young player. He's a young player that's racked up something like 140 appearances by Leverkusen, 35 goals.
00:23:18
Louie Easton
Yeah. Yeah.
00:23:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Obviously, he's won the Bundesliga with Leverkusen under Alonso. And so, you know, you've you've got a young player, but, you know, he he does have experience.
00:23:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
So think it gives you a better base to...
00:23:33
Louie Easton
yeah
00:23:35
Irby White
Thank you.
00:23:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
build from it a more secure base to build from as opposed to, let's say, a young player who's talented, but doesn't have really the experience. And, you we've seen lots of young players, know, they've had all the talent in the world, but they fall by the by the wayside. And, you know, he won the league.
00:23:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
you you know with a team that wasn't dominating that country. So you know he didn't win it with Bayern Munich. So I think it's significant, if I can get the word right, in the sense that I think it shows a degree of...
00:24:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
maturity on his part and, you know, an ability to handle pressure.
00:24:11
Louie Easton
Yep.
00:24:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know, is a German international, 31 appearances. So Irby, in terms of like the tactical makeup, we've already mentioned that previous iterations of Liverpool teams, particularly under Klopp, the midfield were really kind of You know, they were workhorses.
00:24:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
They were, you know, running machines.
New Signings Enhance Tactical Flexibility
00:24:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
They were destroyers. And, you know, the the kind of creativity came from maybe Trent at right back. You know, you had like the Firmino maybe dropping in, know, from a kind of force nine position.
00:24:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
And we we haven't really had this kind of, I must look at Wietz as a kind of a cross between like a David Silva and a Kevin De Bruyne.
00:24:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know, he's he's he's that kind of, with more pace, right?
00:24:59
Irby White
with more pace.
00:25:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
and Or maybe, and you know, Louis mentioned Coutinho.
00:25:05
Irby White
Yeah.
00:25:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Ironic that we we kind of we transformed the team after Coutinho left.
00:25:05
Louie Easton
Yeah.
00:25:10
Louie Easton
yeah
00:25:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
And now we're getting maybe a Coutinho-type player. So how does this kind of impact the midfield? How will that look next season? And and tactically, what does that mean for Liverpool?
00:25:24
Irby White
want to go back and make the point about what you said about want him him being young and the the big matches he's already played in. He's already played in a Europa League final as well. You said he won the league. He already played in the final of the DFB Pokal.
00:25:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:25:37
Irby White
And he started and played almost every game last year in the Euros, if I'm correct. So he's got that experience under his belt at 22. So to come into the Premier League and Champions League experience this year, so to come into the Premier League 22, I don't know if the pressure – I don't think – the pressure of the price tag will get to him. I i just kind of wanted to get that in there.
00:25:57
Irby White
Tactically, how are we going play? i had this discussion with some friends. Someone's going to have to miss out. You feel of the McAllister, Gravenberg, Sabosly trio.
00:26:08
Irby White
And if, you know, if that's the case, naturally from the start, you would have to say it's, it's Dom.
00:26:16
Louie Easton
Mm-hmm.
00:26:17
Irby White
And to me, there's, kind of what I said about slot building a, just building, and rebuilding the squad. I think he wants to have a squad that's capable of being versatile and being able to do multiple things. And so I think there are times we're going to, we're going to see last year's midfield three and verts at times, whether that's, I don't know, a four, four, two, where the verts and salt is liar, the nines maybe, and try to create you know, a four in the buildup.
00:26:48
Irby White
There's, I think the possibilities of this signing are endless. You know, I think naturally from the start, we will see Verts kind of in that more creative role that Dom was in playing behind a striker.
00:27:01
Irby White
But I think tactically in the things that we can do with the squad he's building and with what we have so far with the three signings, two signings, it it's still gives me a lot of hope and excitement of just what we can achieve. You know, I've drawn up just me being a coach. I'm like, how are we going to play? And just, it makes me excited to, to see what he's going to do. Are we going to change? Are we going to do more of the same? And it's just,
00:27:27
Irby White
Swap one in for another. i don't know. I'm interested to see what you guys think. You know, if he's going put all four of them in, or if he's going to have to just be ruthless and tell, so the slide, Hey, fight for your place, like earn it back or make me, you know, change the system for you.
00:27:40
Louie Easton
Yeah.
00:27:43
Louie Easton
I think that
00:27:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
think that um I think that what we could see, because I think one of the one of the things that... I think impacted us, particularly in that kind of second half of the season was I think our midfield, yeah they they were really overworked.
00:28:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think, you know, Gravenberg, McAllister, Sir Boslite, they very rarely got rotated. And, you know, you kind of saw a little bit of a dip for Gravenberg kind of, you know, second midway through the season.
00:28:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, Sir Bosley, you know, again, he's a running machine.
00:28:19
Irby White
machine.
00:28:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
He is a, yeah, he is like a Klopp signing, right?
00:28:21
Louie Easton
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
00:28:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's a peak Klopp midfield signing.
00:28:24
Irby White
Yeah.
00:28:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I'm just thinking maybe we might see, don't know what you think about this, Louis, more of a rotate in terms of, you know, Sir Bosley, you know, rotating with Verts, maybe Sir Bosley even rotating with that double pivot.
00:28:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. you know And saying, look, Gravenberg, you take a rest in this game. you know If we're playing, i don't know, if we're playing one of the newly promoted teams at home, you know is it going to be a massive risk to have Sir Bosley and McAllister in that double pi pivot and Virts?
00:29:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't know, what what do you think?
00:29:00
Louie Easton
think I think it wouldn't be a traditional double pivot if Sovoslai is there. I think he'd be allowed a lot of freedom to sort of roam up the pitch. Maybe it could almost be like a sort of old Klopp formation of the 4-3-3. McAllister is the holding midfielder.
00:29:20
Louie Easton
Wurtz on the left and Soboslai on the right, because that's what they naturally sort of do anyway.
00:29:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right. Yeah.
00:29:24
Louie Easton
I mean, Wurtz finds himself in any situation in that front line. He's comfortable. And he also is absolutely lethal on a counterattack because he has the quick turn to get away from a defender and he just sprints towards the opposing box and gets a shot away.
00:29:44
Louie Easton
But I just, I don't think... you can really gamble with Verts in other positions other than the number 10. Maybe, maybe as a false nine, but I just think he needs to be just behind the for the forward line, regardless if whether that's coming back from in the Firmino position or whether that's being where Soboslai has been all last season. Because if you look at the stats, he's got 12 assists last season,
00:30:14
Louie Easton
That's joint fourth in Europe's top five leagues. The only one higher than him in the Bundesliga is Michael Alise. And he's actually joint fourth with, you guessed it, Jacob Murphy from Newcastle.
00:30:28
Louie Easton
That's an interesting stat for you right there.
00:30:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:30:30
Louie Easton
But i just I just think he has to play in his best position because he's proven there.
00:30:34
Irby White
Yeah.
00:30:36
Louie Easton
And I don't think 116.5 million, that's the sort of money you could be gambling. I just think we need to play him to his strengths. And i think his strengths do benefit this Liverpool side that lacks that sort of creative ability from midfield.
00:30:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, no, i I agree. And I think that I just feel, though, that next season, I just think that Slott is going to be, think it's quite tactically flexible.
00:30:58
Irby White
Thanks.
00:31:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think that he wants to keep the opposition guessing.
00:31:10
Louie Easton
Yeah.
00:31:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think that, you know, we've we've won the league and, you know, we won it in yeah convincingly.
00:31:10
Louie Easton
Yeah.
00:31:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
But i don't I think that Slott is the kind of manager that doesn't kind of rest on his laurels and thinks, okay, we want it this way, you know, just more of the same. I do think that there's going to be some more tactical flexibility.
00:31:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
And, you know, we've seen that maybe in some of the other signings like Frimpong.
00:31:30
Louie Easton
yeah
00:31:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, Frimpong is a very, very attacking right-sided player.
00:31:33
Louie Easton
yeah
00:31:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
He may not just play as a traditional right-back.
00:31:40
Louie Easton
Yeah, he plays on the right wing for the Netherlands as well.
00:31:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, exactly.
00:31:44
Louie Easton
And it will be so interesting to see what happens when AFCON comes around, because we were so we were so heavily reliant on Salah for everything.
00:31:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
so
00:31:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Exactly, yeah.
00:31:49
Irby White
yeah
00:31:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. I think the biggest game that Salah misses is Arsenal. that's... salar misses is arsenal
00:31:59
Louie Easton
Oh, that's a horrible one.
00:32:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know so that's yeah think
00:32:01
Irby White
I did see something though. If we get to the Carabao Cup semi-final, that game has to get rescheduled.
00:32:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, maybe. yeah I just think that, you know, we we just need to, don't know, even if it's between us, we need to fly to Egypt during AFCON, you know, get in as as as the cook and, you know, just kind of some kind of food poisoning thing, outbreak for the Egyptian national team, early doors.
Podcast Conclusion and Listener Invitation
00:32:25
Louie Easton
Other than salad.
00:32:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
They go out quickly and say, look, Mo, come on, come home. You know, so ah no no offence to our Egyptian listeners. Okay. we We want you to, we want you to do well. ah ah Okay. But this is a Liverpool podcast.
00:32:35
Louie Easton
We're very... There's a huge conflict of interest.
00:32:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:32:37
Irby White
And from someone who just got back from food poisoning, I would not wish that upon anybody.
00:32:42
Louie Easton
yeah
00:32:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, that is that's all for today. you've You've been listening to the Daily Liverpool podcast brought to you by the Global Sports Podcast Network.
00:32:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Please support the show by following us wherever you get your podcasts. From myself, from Louis and Irby, thank you for listening. Until next time, thank you.