Why do SSN have Dominic Cork covering Stokes transfers?
Given our priorities before the window opened were a defensive midfielder and a defender I'll not be overly impressed if that's our lot.
Salah will no doubt improve us but we're not getting Keita until next summer and I wasn't a great fan of Ox at Arsenal so we've not really improved the squad a great deal imo.
I know what you're saying but I don't agree with all of that.
From a first 11 point of view the one glaring weakness was at CB. I don't believe Klopp ever wanted a defensive midfielder - Keita wasn't being signed as that (although would have provided cover there), he will/would have played in one of the other 2 midfield roles had he arrived.
Our season didn't hit the rocks because of our defence (it was rubbish when we were playing well) or because of Henderson in the holding role. Our form fell off the cliff when our threadbare squad got stretched because of injuries to our front 6. Look at our front 6 from last season:
-----------Henderson
----Wijnaldum----Lallana
Mane------Firmino----Coutinho
The only cover for Wijnaldum and Lallana was Can, who was also the main cover/competition for Henderson in the holding role. Henderson missed a few months through injury leaving us with no cover at all for Lallana & Wijnaldum. We had no cover for either Mane or Coutinho so as soon as one of those were out of the side we had to move Firmino out wide (where he's not nearly as effective) and bring Origi/Sturridge in.
The lack of a CB arriving is obviously disappointing and as much as I understand why he hasn't, I wish Klopp was a bit more flexible - surely there was an available CB out there that at the very least would be an improvement on Klavan. Improving the depth of our midfield and attacking options was equally as important though, for me at least. Providing Coutinho stays, our options in our front 5 roles look so much better. Signing Salah doesn't just give us another option in our front 3 but he also indirectly gives us more options in midfield (if Salah plays wide then Coutinho can play deeper) and it's the same with Ox, he'll give us more cover in the Wij/Lallana roles but also can play wide if needed. I know Klopp drove supporters mental when he mentioned it but Milner no longer being our first choice LB* means he's now a midfield option again.
Ideally we'd have more cover in the holding midfield role but at least being well stocked in the other 2 roles means that worst case we've got Can and Henderson there rather than them also being needed in the advanced roles. It was interesting when he came on vs Hoffenheim that Milner played in the holding role and Henderson moved forward - I guess he's our third choice there.
*We were lucky last season that Milner and Clyne stayed fairly injury free because we were as short at fullback as anywhere on the pitch. With the emergence of TAA, Gomez being fit again and the signing of Robertson, we now actually look well stocked there.
It's not been the perfect window but it's not been terrible either. The 4 signings (+ Gomez & TAA) not only have improved the depth of our squad in the areas we were short last season but it's much more balanced now.
I'm still not hearing anything though 