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5 more questions Liverpool fans are asking – from Trent’s position to FSG’s summer plans

With top four still very much in the balance and mixed messages in the transfer market, Liverpool supporters have still got plenty to talk about.

No matter how many games Liverpool have got coming up, there will always be discussion points involving the Reds.

The ownership of the club continues to be a divisive topic and the side’s unsteady form provides ample opportunity for opinions on what could be done differently.

Liverpool remain in the hunt for a Champions League place next season but will face competition from Tottenham, Newcastle and Brighton for what is likely to be the final spot.

Twelve games separate the Reds and their European fate for 2023/24, and supporters are already looking beyond that for signs of movement in summer both on the field and in the boardroom.

In February, we looked at five of the big questions fans were asking – here are five more.

 

Would Trent be better off in midfield?

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Tuesday, February 21, 2023: Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold applauds the supporters after the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 1st Leg game between Liverpool FC and Real Madrid at Anfield. Madrid won 5-2. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

The combination of a difficult season for the individual and a shortage of quality in midfield has led many to leap to the conclusion that Trent Alexander-Arnold may have a future in the middle of the park.

It is a debate which has persisted since the day the right-back broke into the first team.

Plenty have pictured Alexander-Arnold as the heir to Steven Gerrard‘s throne, but it has gathered more pace in recent months as fans have sought answers to Liverpool’s ongoing problems.

There is little doubt in the 24-year-old’s ability, as perhaps the most talented academy graduate since Gerrard himself.

His long-term role within the squad, however, has always been a discussion point and it might not cease until a permanent move is made.

The truth is that nobody knows whether Jurgen Klopp sees any potential in shifting his right-back into midfield, but the likelihood is that if it was something he was considering for the near future we would have already seen it by now.

It arguably moves a problem from one area of the pitch to another, with Liverpool already short of options in the right-back area and Calvin Ramsay yet to make an impact at first-team level.

A permanent move next season would rectify the need for one of the multiple midfielders Liverpool require in the summer, but possibly leave the Reds needing multiple right-back reinforcements instead.

 

Should Milner get a new contract?

James Milner (left) was substituted by Jurgen Klopp due to the effects of concussion in Liverpool’s win over Napoli (Nick Potts/PA)

Despite being a key figure on and off the field in the most successful period in the club’s modern history, any potential announcement of a new deal for James Milner would receive a mixed reception among fans.

The 37-year-old is out of contract in the summer and had looked set to end his eight-year stay with the club.

Recent noise in the media and hints from the player himself have instead suggested that the manager might look to extend Milner’s Liverpool career for another season.

Milner is unquestionably a huge influence around the club and a perfect role model for the younger players, and the midfielder looks increasingly likely to take up a coaching role when he eventually hangs up his boots.

Liverpool would be foolish not to explore the option of allowing Milner to start his coaching journey with the club.

However, should it involve another year in a red shirt it may be viewed by some as an unnecessary display of sentiment.

 

Where is the new club doctor?

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Tuesday, November 1, 2022: Liverpool's James Milner goes down with an injury during the UEFA Champions League Group A matchday 6 game between Liverpool FC and SSC Napoli at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Liverpool’s busy injury list has prompted many supporters to question the club’s ability to protect its players.

The ongoing problems have also given some fans reason to question the situation regarding the new club doctor, which remains unclear.

The club appointed new doctor Jonathan Power back in November after an extensive search, and he was said to present at Liverpool’s training camp in Dubai shortly after.

The plan, according to reports, had been for Power to start working with the team in early 2023, but there is little evidence of what that has entailed so far.

Sports physician Sarah Lindsay and head of academy medical Bevin McCartan, who have shared the role since Jim Moxon left in the summer, are still alternating in the dugout on matchdays.

Fans will be hoping for some clarity in this area in the coming months as injuries continue to hamper the side throughout this campaign.

 

Can FSG afford this summer’s rebuild?

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Friday, April 26, 2019: Liverpool's owner John W. Henry during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Huddersfield Town AFC at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Just shy of a third of Liverpool’s Premier League season remains, but elimination from the other three major competitions has meant attention has already turned to the summer.

The ongoing conversation surrounding the midfield feels never-ending, but recent comments from Liverpool’s principal owner John W. Henry vowed a responsible approach to spending in the summer.

FSG’s model has received huge criticism in the past, and lots of supporters were uncomfortable with the wording of that particular comment.

Liverpool are likely to need at least two, even three, new midfielders this summer, particularly given that a number of the current crop are set to depart for free.

Defensive frailties have also triggered calls for new options at centre-back and right-back, too, with links to various defenders gathering pace in recent months.

It remains to be seen whether the club are able to afford the surgery required – or if it hinges on external investment – but the body of work needed means that it is highly unlikely all fans will be completely satisfied.

 

How will the forward line look with Diaz back?

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Tuesday, March 14, 2023: Liverpool's Luis Diaz trains on his own before the training session at the AXA Training Centre ahead of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 2nd Leg game between Liverpool FC and Real Madrid CF. (Pic by Jessica Hornby/Propaganda)

It is hoped that Luis Diaz will be back to full fitness following the international break, and fans will be keen to see where the Colombian will fit in.

Darwin Nunez has occupied the vacant slot on the left side of the Reds’ front three in Diaz’s absence, and Cody Gakpo‘s promising rise through the middle has given the manager plenty to think about when he has his full quota.

Diaz was one of Liverpool’s shining lights prior to the knee injury he picked up in October, and he will be hoping to break back into the side to continue where he left off

It leaves Klopp with six established forwards to choose from, along with 17-year-old Ben Doak, and it gives supporters plenty to be excited about as far as the forward line is concerned.