Speaking exclusively with BOYLE Sports , Liverpool icon John Aldridge has given his perspective on Liverpool's Champions League goals and whether they need to qualify for next year's competition.
Elsewhere , John assessed his former club's defensive issues including their issue at RB but also whether Konaté and tipped fellow compatriot Nathan Collins as someone who could make the move to Anfield in the summer and if gave his honest thoughts on their FA Cup chances this season.
Champions League
Galatasaray vs Liverpool
Liverpool have got to make sure they get away from tomorrow night unscathed. Their fans can't come to Anfield . So that's going to be a factor against them, just like it's going to be for our players tomorrow night. It's going to be ridiculous. They're a good team. They're a dangerous team. And you just got to stand up and be counted. I played in the early 90s with Ireland , and in Istanbul , Christ, they were nuts. They were absolutely nuts.
We got there an hour and a half before the game, it was rammed, and I couldn't believe it. And we won 3-1. We just dug in, got around each other, didn't get bullied, didn't get enticed, and we won the game. That's what the players have got to do, not panic on the ball and make silly mistakes, but stand up and be counted.
Do Liverpool Need Champions League?
This season is really not ideal when you consider what we did last season. We've gone backwards in many ways, with too many signings coming in. To be quite honest, you wouldn't have envisioned us being in this position. We thought we'd be going for the title with Arsenal and Man City. I'm old-fashioned, I'm a dinosaur, and people like me mostly love the FA Cup. So I'd love to see us go on and win it. But in the modern day, it's not about that; it's about the Champions League and the money that comes in.
So, for the club, and to move forward, it's mad to say, but the most important thing is to get into the Champions League. For me, though Liverpool are built on trophies, but that’s just the way it is. To move on, it's all about finances and getting the money in. We need four players in the summer, at least three or four, and a couple of players to move on.
Having said that, if we are playing Thursday night football, that could be quite difficult to entice big names in. The way we're playing, and the way we've let games slip out of our grasp ridiculously. We shouldn't be in the position we're in.
Liverpool's Defence
Ibrahima Konate
With Ibrahima Konate’s contract, it’s gone too far now. This team behind him are playing the game. He doesn't want a contract with Liverpool , so that doesn't look good. Things happen in football, and to be clear, he's been quiet for most of the season. He had a loss in the family, which may have weighed on him. He's done a hell of a lot better of late, but it's quite timely for him and his team to get a move.
A free transfer. It's much more lucrative for the people on his team for him to move on a free transfer than to sign a new contract at Liverpool . So you know where it's going. Giovanni Leoni looked the business, but he got that really bad injury. Jeremy Jacquet , I've not really seen enough of. Virgil van Dijk can hold it together for another year, but it means we will need another one.
Joe Gomez can play across the back four, but for me, the way things are, the centre-half position is a little bit unstable. Obviously, the whole midfield is essential for me to take the pressure off the back four as well. We do call on the pressure a lot because we haven't got that one player, and those that are near us, who can sit and help and defend and set the back up. That, for me, and if more goes, that stands out like a sore thumb.
Collins or van de Ven To Liverpool?
If Tottenham were to go down, I'm pretty sure that Liverpool would be in a better situation if they went for Micky van de Ven. I actually think he's done well for Tottenham . A lot of people disagree with me, but I think he's alright. “ Nathan Collins , what you see is what you get. He's just a defender; he's a typical type of defender. Sometimes you don't want the fancy, fancy footballers. You need someone who can just put his head on the ball from a corner, a set play, or get rid of it and head the ball 30 yards like you used to do. That would be an interesting signing.
The RB Issue
The injury to Conor Bradley was a blow because we thought he was good enough to take over from what we had before with Trent . He offers something different, going forward a little bit. Trent's range of passing is obvious, but he's a good player, a really good player; he gives you everything, great in tackles and a good defender.
I'm just hoping his usefulness isn't being hampered by being injured all the time. Like Joe Gomez , the problem is injuries to him and Joe, because you'd like to be able to play Jeremie Frimpong further forward. We haven't had that defensive solidity from the full-backs. Frimpong has also been injured. So, all three of them have been injured for most of the season, which impacts our defence.
There's no continuity for the centre-backs to work with the full-backs if that makes sense. It's been hard for the manager to have a significantly solid defence. Trent was never injured, or very rarely injured. I’ve seen links to Reece James, who is a great player, but again, it’s the injuries.
FA Cup
Can Liverpool Win The FA Cup?
Things have moved away from the FA Cup; it’s all about the Champions League , and when you're playing game after game, Arne Slot has to change his team around. You’ve got to put a team out that can go on and win the quarter-final. It's the same for Manchester City and Arsenal , but to some degree it's easier for them because they've got a fitter squad and perhaps maybe a slightly better squad.
As long as you get a home draw, you’d back Liverpool . But Arne Slot has to manage his team carefully. You've got to go full out to win it. It's close to our hearts.
Bet on Football Odds at BOYLE Sports
*Prices are subject to fluctuation
Remember, Always Gamble Responsibly
