If Liverpool were to compete in the main competitions this season (PL + UCL), we need a squad that can produce 5,000 quality minutes in each position, or 55,000 minutes in total. Now, let’s build a squad to do just that.
Goal Keeper
The GK position is the easiest. Alisson (3.5k) can easily produce a majority of that. Though Ali likes a fall injury, the hope is he plays the vast majority.
Right Back
Considering Conor comes back in December and plays 2k till the end of the season, Frimpong needs to play 3k, which, if managed well, he can do.
The issue is, he cannot be managed till December, and any injury before then puts us in a bad position. Araújo is a break-glass backup, but I would have loved to have someone from the academy to take up 20 mins here and there.
Centre Back
I’m not as worried about this position as people are, CBs usually need the least rotation. Leoni needs to come back well, but Virgil/Araújo/Jacquet/Leoni/Gomez is plenty.
Virgil, if fit, can play 4k easy. Araújo/Jacquet can take the other CB minutes, with Leoni and Gomez as backup.
Left Back
Least worrisome position. Kerkez and Tsimikas are a good duo. I think Tsimikas will play more than people think, with Frimpong bombing on the other wing.
Centre Midfield
Another position I’m not worried about with Trey Nyoni’s emergence, we need 3 very good + 1 floater, which are Dom, Ryan, Trey, and Macca. Curtis needs to go. Hope Stefan Bajčetić comes back to provide additional depth, but we are fine here.
If we sell Macca, then we need a replacement that can play No. 10 too(see below).
No. 10
To win anything this season, Wirtz needs to play 4,000 minutes. He’s critical, and we don’t have a ready-made replacement. The closest to playing that role is Hugo, and he’s off till the New Year. He also needs to work a lot harder to play that role when he’s back.
Dom should not be playing this. He’s too important in No. 8. Cody/Macca can play it a bit, but that’s a big drop in quality. This is one of my big worries till the new year.
Front 3
I’m gonna combine these as there are players who can play multiple positions, and we have multi-position players. That’s 15k mins between Isak, Muñoz, Cody, Rio, and 1/2 Hugo. It looks thin, to say the least.
Rio at this age should not be playing more than 2k mins. Let’s say he does this between LW and RW. I see Cody as primarily Isak backup in the first half. We need more quality than him to succeed. He should play 2.5k mins across LW/No. 9.
So we have 2k (Rio), 2.5k (Cody), 2.5k (Muñoz), 3.5k (Isak), and 1k (Hugo). That’s 11.5k mins. We need 3.5k at RW. This is the big issue.
If Barcola signs and plays 3.5k mins (LW), we need Muñoz/Rio to have at least one another to share the RW 5k mins. Rio and Muñoz cannot play 5k RW mins on their own. This can be a young one like Mbaye, for 2k mins but either way, we look weak there.
Iraola needs to platform LW, No. 9 and No. 10 with RW supporting this season. It can be done, 3 players can have plenty output, enough to win a big one? Remains to be seen.