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Career Klopp Out - Ashez In!

Ashez

By Ashez,
in Football Manager Mobile 2018

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Klopp Out - Ashez In!

Jurgen-Klopp-Liverpool-2.jpg

I was sat at home Sunday morning and an urge I haven't felt in a long time overcame me, to my surprise i reached for my tablet and loaded Football Manager Mobile 2018! Instead of questioning what witch craft brought this craving to my life I went with the flow, and before I knew it I was knee deep in the transfer window setting up a LFC squad!

This whole experience was rather unusual as I've hardly thought about FMM at all of late and even when I have i'm rarely Liverpool. Many fans love to play as the team they support but I've always found it a turn off in truth, even during the "average" years of Liverpool FC I rarely wanted to transform the squad into something better and more deserving of the clubs history. Once I've changed too many players that squad is no longer Liverpool and once I hit that point i'm usually done with the save as all my interest evaporates. I suppose my connection to Liverpool on any FMM version is to the players in that squad and not the banner at the top of the games screen. 

This means I found myself looking at a one season Liverpool save which for once I was excited to play, trust me this is a big deal lol. While Vibe has plenty of short one season challenges I could have implemented into this mini career I decided I just wanted to have fun and play the game, no thrills or targets as my aim was just to have fun. The thought of posting a for fun career on Vibe has never really crossed my mind, mainly because I never play them. In truth I can't remember the last save I had where my intentions were just to play the game as usually even when I'm messing around I'm at least looking at something be it a player, tactic, test or whatever else. 

So you might be asking yourself how did we end up here? You're reading an opening post after all! Well once I'd finished my transfers and built my tactic it hit me that i'd accidentally done things that I hope happen within the club come the summer window. My tactic was based on Liverpool's real life tactic and my targets were reasonable and mostly players linked to the club, so after all that I thought this journey could be a good one to share. 

In depth careers are nothing new but I'm intending this to be a slow and reasonably in depth season long career. My aims are to mix my real life and in game knowledge and views on the players, tactics, transfer targets and anything else that pops up to see what happens. Who knows you might learn something or even enjoy whatever ramblings I print on the page but I love talking about LFC and FMM so it's about time I brought the two together! 

I appreciate this isn't your typical opening post but I always like to spell out my intentions before I dive into the meat of the thread. With that in mind here are my current plans. 

Plans:
Part 1 - Out goings
Part 2 - In comings
Part 3 - New Squad Report
Part 4 - Tactics
Part 5 - Pre-season & August
Part 6 - September
and so on. 

For obvious reasons the main feast of this meal will be parts 1-4 as I see them being almost article type updates and after that I'll revert to more of a career style, don't worry though I've been sure to screen shot some discussion points along the way (I'm on October 1st and today I finished writing part 2 as they're big sections! I started writing part 1 on Sunday!)

With all that said and done this opening post comes to an end, hopefully you look forward to the updates coming in the near future. Credit to @samhardyfor the creative title and to @PriZe for getting me to think about FMM with a tasty discussion. 

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3 hours ago, PriZe said:

:O

Anyways will comeback to you on that discussion! :P

You best had!! 

2 hours ago, samhardy said:

1473318960218.gif

Hmmm. How many careers you had on 2018?

2 hours ago, PriZe said:

:laugh:

Don't encourage him!

2 hours ago, FuddledFox said:

Two posts in two days:O

I get shit for posting and for not posting of late :P

1 hour ago, mcandrew003 said:

Class mate, can't wait :)

Thank you, what a nice and respectable member of the community you are! Compared to these bullies! 

1 hour ago, Jens said:

You'll probably fail

I have no targets so I hope not! Haha

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2 hours ago, PriZe said:

I can see why

Because he's an inspiration? 

1 hour ago, Real_Random said:

 Good luck, this looks like a very interesting career to follow 

Thanks RR, the first update will be up tomorrow. 

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Klopp Out - Ashez In!
Part One
The Outgoings

Welcome to part one of my Liverpool career where I'll be focusing on the players I sold on this save. Looking at the current LFC squad it's easy to say this is my favourite crop of players since the Rafa Benitez days as God we've had some rough years! While I'm not entirely sure which squad I prefer out of the two I can say in confidence Klopp has at least got the squad back to a competitive level compared to the Dalglish, Hodgson and arguably Rodgers days. Our signings have been good of late and a clear plan is in effect compared to previous years where our signings contradicted each other like Rodgers signing Benteke while adding no wingers to the squad. 

I've always been one to support any player who wears the strip as long as he shows heart and passion so it's unlike me to out right hate any player with only two really coming to mind, thankfully however one of those players has managed to change my opinion on him while the other has finally been booted from the squad. It's true we've had our share of players who aren't good enough but most at least have tried so I suppose I'm a reasonable fan. While I want LFC to be successful I've never seen it as our given right like so many other fans, I'll take the rough with the smooth and if we one day manage to become successful again I'll be delighted but I've never expected or demanded us to be challenging every year. Maybe that's the wrong way to look at it but I'm a realist, we haven't got the funds or the appeal of other clubs and we were poorly run for such a long time I'm happy with baby steps as I can see the big picture. 

Klopp has often been questioned due to our lack of title challenge and silverware since he joined the club but what are his expectations? Personally I'm happy with a few seasons cementing ourselves as a top four side again, especially considering the level of opposition and how we're playing catch up. Don't get me wrong I do have a hunger for trophies but I believe they will come but to get the best players we need to be Champions League regulars which we haven't been for like a decade. It's also worth noting how different the conversation would be if Klopp won one or both of the cup finals we lost under his management. Top four isn't a trophy and it never will be but it's a vital stepping stone in the progression of the club. Klopp often has Rodgers stats used to bash him but if you look at our squad then and now it's clear to see how we've improved! However that's not to say we don't have areas we can improve or dead wood within the squad which these two updates will look at. (I'll be ignoring players out on loan IRL during this series).

£20 Million + Sales

Philippe Coutinho

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The obvious player to start with is the Brazilian superstar Phillippe Coutinho as he brought a nice chunk of change into the club. In truth my feelings on Coutinho's exit are extremely mixed as his departure hasn't bothered me as much as I'd expected, sure the pain has been lessened due to the form of the team but imo this loss is nowhere near as big as the departures of other key players like Alonso, Mascherano, Fernando Torres and Luis Suarez. When those players left we were losing one of our main players and all were replaced with utter garbage with the replacements being Aquilani, Andy Carroll and Mario Balotelli! While that might be a daft thing to say considering as yet we haven't replaced Coutinho I feel the impact is much less this time around as we have a squad that can do fine without him compared to the previous big departures. There is no hiding the fact that Coutinho is a great player and he did do amazing things for us (sitting down DDG in the Europa League was pure magic) but he was also a hindrance at times as playing him meant we weakened the midfield area or we diverted from our pacey attack with the Brazilian coming in for Mane. His qualities are undeniable and we will miss his creativity when we face teams who play a low block but I just don't see this sale as such a big deal, in truth the only departure which would have me seriously worried would be Bobby Firmino as he's such an unique talent and vital to how we play. 

Moving away from real life and onto FMM this sale was an easy one, for obvious reasons over the years I've liked Coutinho but on the game I've never managed to get anything out of him. Regardless of system, position, role or league I've always found the Brazilian frustratingly average within the game. He is by far the most disappointing player I've used in a long time but annoyingly I have seen other people get something out of him of a decent level, just for some reason I can't get him to click, so in FMM terms I'm not fussed he's no longer in the LFC squad. 

Daniel Sturridge

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The next big departure from Anfield was the Marmite striker Danny Sturridge as he well and truly divided the fan base as you either loved him or you hated him. Which camp do I fall into? Well it's safe to say I love the Englishman but I will admit due to injuries he failed to reach his potential. On his day there is no question about it that Sturridge is world class, he has the touch, the technical awareness, the pace, the power and the finishing ability of an elite player but heart breakingly he's made of glass. The main area of concern in the last year or so was that the striker appeared to have lost a yard of pace and while his game is much more than just being quick it was a noticeable issue which goes against our style of play of quick breaks and closing down. In real life his days at the club looked numbered once Klopp arrived but I was a fan who hoped we'd once again see the world class talent shine at Anfield and he had his moments like a cracking finish in the Europa League final but it was clear he wasn't a first choice option. Due to this I'm actually delighted he's left the club even if it is on loan as he's completely wasted on our bench and I just want him to try and have a decent end to his career. It's always depressing when you have a player of such talent hampered by injuries but I'll remember his time at the club fondly, it still boils my blood he never even had a song! All the best Danny boy!

Daniel Sturridge and myself don't have much history in game as he's usually my back up striker and due to his injury issues he's not one I'd sign for another club. Whenever I did use him he did do well and I would have kept him but as he's moved on in real life I decided to cash in. 

Emre Can

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Oh Emre you big beautiful beast of a man, how did we allow this situation to happen? For those of you unaware Can's contract is going to expire in the summer and everything points towards him moving to Juventus or Manchester City. See this is a "deal" that does seriously bother me as I'm a big fan of the Germany and to see him leave on a free is just unacceptable. We invested around £10m into the midfielder, we developed him for a number of years and now he's going to swan around at one of European football's big boys and it's so frustrating! Don't get me wrong I hold no ill feelings towards the player as it's his career but the club allowing this situation to happen is poor, I suppose he could still sign a new contract with us but outside of us winning the Champions League I don't see that happening. 

Again Can does somewhat split the fan base as he can be inconsistent and he can be sloppy in possession but he can also be a powerful midfielder who runs the show, like against Villarreal where he was simply unplayable or against Manchester City this year. Inconsistent players can be annoying but Can is still young with his prime ahead of him, I think many people forget how young he is as they all treat him as the finished article when he's not. I also don't think it helps that he's never managed to cement his position in the team as he jumps around covering the DMC position or one of our midfield roles, you could potentially say that shows his lack of talent but I'd point towards Henderson's injury problems as the key issue there as Can is our only natural cover at DMC. I'll be sad to see him go under these circumstances but I do believe he'll go on to have a very successful career wherever he ends up. 

I think anyone who has played FMM in the last five years or so knows what an absolute gem Emre Can is. He's been one of the best young midfielders on the game for a while and his stat spread is a key aspect of his appeal as he can play any role with relative ease, he's personally been my favourite BBM for a while as he often pops up in my careers. I'll be sad to see him leave the club but he's a player I'm sure I'll continue to use in the next few additions of FMM. The main reason I cashed in on Can was because I had CM targets in mind and as he appears to be leaving it made sense to start planning for life after the German. 

Nathaniel Clyne 

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Nathaniel Clyne is the first questionable sale I agreed to as it's hard to say if the Englishman has a future at the club. He's been out injured for the current season and in his place we've developed two quality up and coming wingbacks in Gomez and Trent. Personally I'm delighted he's now back in training as I feel the young lads do need some time away from the spot light but rumours have always suggested Klopp isn't a fan of Clyne and that we've actively been trying to sell him. I am a fan of Clyne as he can be a consistent and solid rightback but the issues around his final ball and delivery always pops up which makes me think we could see him moved on in the summer, especially as we've coped well this season without him. I doubt Gomez will move to CB next season so he can battle for the RB spot with Trent for a year or two and once they've both developed we can transition Gomez to CB with Trent making the RB spot his own, unless he moves back into midfield which could happen. 

In game Clyne is just your typical fullback and his stats show my point about his lack of attacking ability, in truth I'd have happily kept him in the squad but I wanted to use Gomez and Trent so I decided to move him on. 

£10-19 Million Sales

Lazar Markovic

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I'll be honest and say I feel incredibly sorry for Markovic as we've well and truly ruined his career and for his sake I hope he manages to save it. The Serbian joined the club surrounded by hype as we apparently beat Chelsea to his signature even if they wanted to wait another 12 months to do the deal. However due to poor management he never got a real chance to succeed under the lights at Anfield as Rodgers repeatedly played him at right back and you could see his confidence evaporating as he struggled to make any impact. Admittedly his attitude and desire has been questioned including by his new manager in Belgium but I feel Markovic was a casualty of the Rodgers vs the transfer committee battle that was going on behind the scenes. When Klopp came in I hoped Markovic would get his shot but it appears the damage has been done as we try and offload the costly £20m mistake. 

In game I've often been a fan of the lad as his stats develop nicely and since I play as Benfica a lot I am familiar with his qualities, the main reason I sold him was because he's clearly not part of our long term plans. 

Simon Mignolet

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When I said earlier there are few players I hate I mentioned that one of those players has finally been outed from the squad and that player is Simon Mignolet. In fairness it's not his fault I dislike him as I do believe he tries his best but unfortunately he's never been good enough for our club and it's baffling how it took so long to give him the boot. He was always going to struggle when he came in to replace Pepe Reina and at first I did think he could make the step up but if anything he's got worse. He can't control a box, he can't catch a ball, he's known for his shot stopping which is now a myth and he's just in general an average keeper who has made the most mistakes in the Premier League resulting in a goal. When Karius came in I was overjoyed that Mignolet was finally going to be dropped but due to Karius' struggles we've had to endure another half season of poor displays, in truth I believe we'd be a lot closer to City this season if we had a decent keeper between the sticks, just look what a difference it makes at Manchester United. 

As for Mignolet in game I don't have much to say as I've hardly used him, he's not a keeper I'd sign and anytime I've been Liverpool in recent years he's been the first player transfer listed. 

Congratulations you've got through the main portion of this update as I have little to say in the final three sections of this first update. 

£9m And Under Sales

Jon Flannagan

Flannagan had a decent run under Rodgers and he looked like he could be a handy player for us but a serious injury hampered him and he's not really recovered. Due to off the field issues I won't discuss I sold him instantly, I understand the club feel it's right to support and help the player but personally he should have been sacked. Yeah it's easy to say as he's not a main player for us but he has no future at the club and I expect he'll move on in the summer. 

In game however I'm a big fan of the fullback as I've used him countless times as he's a cheap and dependable option for many a club. 

Cameron Brannagan 

I remember Brannagan being hyped with real promise with the new Gerrard tag unfairly being handed to him but for whatever reason things didn't work out for him as we sold him in January. I can't say much more as he's a player I know little about unfortunately. 

Adam Bogdan

Signing Bogdan sums Rodgers up perfectly, what on earth was he thinking! Bogdan and Mignolet aren't far off the worst goalkeeping options in the Prem! Thank God Klopp sorted that mess out! 

Connor Randall 

The few times I've watched him he's been decent enough but I don't see him being up to the standard we need, especially considering Clyne, Trent and Gomez. 

Harry Wilson

Highly rated but again I've not seen much of him, he was sold purely due to poor stamina and because I had no need for him. 

Loans

Ben Woodburn

Woodburn looks a top top player and I'm somewhat surprised how little we've seen of him this season and that we rejected multiple loans for him. However he is young so I believe the club will do what's best for him and I'm hoping to seen him in the second leg verse Porto next week but time will tell. 

Oddly I've never used Woodburn in game but I've always seen and heard fantastic things, with @samhardy's latest career being a prefect example of what the Welshman can do. I loaned him mainly because I wouldn't be using him so why not. 

Ovie Ejaria

Ejaria is another player I know little about. When I've seen him play in the cups he's been decent enough but I don't see him knocking on the first team door anytime soon. Hopefully his loan at Sunderland will help him. 

Leaving Players Recap

Spoiler

 

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Players Who's Futures Are Uncertain

A bonus feature of this update will feature three players who's future I see as uncertain. I debated selling all three but for whatever reason they ended up staying within my squad for the coming season. 

Joel Matip

When Matip first joined the club he appeared to be the tall and powerful central defender we'd been crying out for, however of late he's seriously regressed and been seriously poor. He often looks not interested and half arsed which can be extremely frustrating to watch. In fairness I do see Matip as a solid third of fourth choice defender but I debated selling him because I believe one of him or Lovren could leave. VVD joined the club in January, we're rumoured to want another CB in the summer and then we have Joe Gomez who should end up central at some point. So I see our central defensive options being 1. VVD 2. New signing 3. Gomez 4. Lovren/Matip 5. Klavan. It turns out I didn't end up signing a new CB as I wasn't sure who was a realistic target so Matip got to keep his place for now. 

James Milner

Milner is an interesting case as I see merit in keeping him and in moving him on, it's fair to say his stint in Liverpool has been successful and he's done an impressive job. However he's one of our highest earns and at the end of his career playing a limited number of games, if we revamp our midfield come the summer I could see Milner either leaving or staying as cover but it depends how often he wants to play. I actively tried to sell him and a deal was agreed for him to go to Arsenal but it fell through in the end. 

Danny Ward

Ward is another young player that frustrates me as I have no idea why we blocked his loan move to Huddersfield where he'd have gotten Premier League experience. He's rotting on our bench instead of developing and there is absolutely no logic in this decision. I fully expect Ward to force through a move in the summer as we've wasted a year of his career and tbh I don't blame him, I just hope we don't regret it as the lad has talent. I ended up keeping him purely because I wasn't sure how I'd handle the keeper situation and I'll be honest and say I forgot about him. 

Conclusion

Sales wise i'm pretty happy with the business I achieved during this window, sure I lost a couple of important players but it was mostly the dead wood I moved on. The transfer kitty is now ready to burst as I go on a shopping spree to add quality and fill the gaps within my squad, be sure to catch my next update to see which players I deem worthy of wearing the famous Red. 

As always thank you for viewing and all comments and opinions are welcomed.

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Posted
2 hours ago, Acidsparxx said:

FOLLOWING....

Great write up bud, love it so far!

Thanks

2 hours ago, Titjes said:

Very enjoyable to read mate ;) 

Glad you enjoyed it 

2 hours ago, samhardy said:

Looks like a really detailed update mate!

Not reading it.

When I saw you commented i was like did he hell read that :P

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1 hour ago, Rob2017 said:

Love the write up. I’ve never actually managed Sturridge - is he as injury prone in the game as in real life?

He can be but I've also had saves where he's been pretty solid, tbh I haven't used him enough to say for sure. Maybe someone else has some input?

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Ive had careers where Sturridge has broken his toe walking onto the field (or at least it felt like it), others where he was injury prone but manageable. But nowadays i cant be bothered trying to keep him on the field when he can be sold for quite a nice sum so he is first on my transfer list and i hold my breath that he doesnt get injured before the sale goes through

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Posted

Great read even though its all about the dirty reds! :laugh:

Can really is the man for all seasons, or all midfield positions. Haven't managed to sign him this year so far.

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Mignolet the worst in the Prem? Sod off, lass. You don't know what you're talking about :D Whatever he is, he's still miles better than Karius. I'd be happy to accept Klopp's decision to be so respectless towards Migno if he had an alternative that was actually better. But Karius really isn't, this is just favoritism towards a countryman. So so sad.

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Posted

Interesting read. Here's hoping that your transfer ins aren't the usual suspects of Goretzka, german defenders, brazilian attackers and whatnot. 

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Hope selling Sturridge to Man Utd doesn't come back to bite you on the arse. Agree with you he is a great player on his day, that season with Saurez was simply incredible how they played together but injuries have ruined a potential great career at Liverpool and for England unfortunately.

This update just oozes with the passion you have for your club and I loved it. Look forward to seeing who you bring in as I'm sure they won't be your usual suspects. 

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