Our style of play

[Kenneth]

I don’t think there are any circumstances when klopp changes from a 4-4-3 tbh.

[danperkins]

I don't think we have the legs in the team to play the style we want at this moment. The midfield are getting destroyed in almost every game and the backline aren't getting the protection they need nor are they covering themselves in glory either. There is an easy way to play against us and every team is doing exactly the same things. Let us have possession, let our fullbacks have the ball, pack the box, clear the inevitable low percentage cross and then break with pace. Apart from the Bournemouth game, every team we have played have done this.

[baitman]

I don’t think there are any circumstances when klopp changes from a 4-4-3 tbh.

Yes, he is sticking to his philosophy, but we don't have the players available (or on form) for him to continue to bury his head in the sand.

[Corndog]

The formation is irrelevant to the cause of the slump imo.

It’s more how good the pressing is and also how the team moves in transition and attack when they are camped for large periods in the opponents final third against a low block.

There’s not enough quick one touch play around the box for my liking but to be fair it is incredibly difficult to do that with 9-10 men around you crammed in compact around the box.

Need more early crosses rather than when they’re back and set already.

[Fierce]

I don't think we have the legs in the team to play the style we want at this moment. The midfield are getting destroyed in almost every game and the backline aren't getting the protection they need nor are they covering themselves in glory either. There is an easy way to play against us and every team is doing exactly the same things. Let us have possession, let our fullbacks have the ball, pack the box, clear the inevitable low percentage cross and then break with pace. Apart from the Bournemouth game, every team we have played have done this.

But Mane (striker) aside, this team is the same as it was last season? The summer can't have completely ruined the same players that came close to winning 4 trophies last season

Appreciate that we looked knackered towards the end of a draining season, but still. These are elite athletes

There is something wrong this season, and it can't possibly be that our players have suddenly turned ****

[danperkins]

But Mane (striker) aside, this team is the same as it was last season? The summer can't have completely ruined the same players that came close to winning 4 trophies last season

Appreciate that we looked knackered towards the end of a draining season, but still. These are elite athletes

There is something wrong this season, and it can't possibly be that our players have suddenly turned ****

Putting aside injuries which is a combination of back luck and naivety hanging on to crocks in the squad, Mane was a huge part of the fabric of who we are as a team. Nunez coming into was huge was we are not used to playing to an out and out striker so I would imagine in pre season training the lads were trying to adapt to a different way of playing too. Robbo doesn't seem to have that connection with Diaz as he did with Mane either but unlike Trent he is working hard .. just way of form unfortunately.

So the system has been tweaked, the personal slightly changed & the midfield are another year older and another year slower. In saying all that, I completely agree with you something is not quite right, it's ****ing bizarre the drop off across the board. You can forgive a player being out of form, even more so when you know they are quality players that are just going through a bad patch, it happens to every player. What you cannot forgive is laziness and lack of desire, that should be the very least a player should be giving. I don't buy the "looking knackered" stuff either, they had time rest to get over last season's craziness. You just have to look at Trent, Fab and VVD this season, just bad attitude whether it's arrogance, laziness or just plain complacency i'm not sure but it's obvious something is not right.

IMO it all boils down to he midfield. Without Thiago they do not recycle the ball quick enough to the forwards, everything is slow and predictable and goes to the fullbacks who are putting in aimless low percentage crosses, it is infuriating. I would love to know just how many crosses from Trent & Robbo hit the first man. The midfield is also doing nothing to help the defence out & when you have fullbacks who you rely on for production and getting high up the pitch, you have to have a midfield that covers the spaces for them. Klopp & Robbo said as much last night after the game about not being compact. Opposition teams are more than happy for us to do this as they just pack the box and break after the clearance into endless space. There is just no legs in there, such a lack of pace and physicality in the midfield too, it's often been described as our engine room and we are getting outrun, outmuscled, outpaced and out fought in there. It is not the LFC any of us are accustomed to.

[Mark79]

Putting aside injuries which is a combination of back luck and naivety hanging on to crocks in the squad, Mane was a huge part of the fabric of who we are as a team. Nunez coming into was huge was we are not used to playing to an out and out striker so I would imagine in pre season training the lads were trying to adapt to a different way of playing too. Robbo doesn't seem to have that connection with Diaz as he did with Mane either but unlike Trent he is working hard .. just way of form unfortunately.

So the system has been tweaked, the personal slightly changed & the midfield are another year older and another year slower. In saying all that, I completely agree with you something is not quite right, it's ****ing bizarre the drop off across the board. You can forgive a player being out of form, even more so when you know they are quality players that are just going through a bad patch, it happens to every player. What you cannot forgive is laziness and lack of desire, that should be the very least a player should be giving. I don't buy the "looking knackered" stuff either, they had time rest to get over last season's craziness. You just have to look at Trent, Fab and VVD this season, just bad attitude whether it's arrogance, laziness or just plain complacency i'm not sure but it's obvious something is not right.

IMO it all boils down to he midfield. Without Thiago they do not recycle the ball quick enough to the forwards, everything is slow and predictable and goes to the fullbacks who are putting in aimless low percentage crosses, it is infuriating. I would love to know just how many crosses from Trent & Robbo hit the first man. The midfield is also doing nothing to help the defence out & when you have fullbacks who you rely on for production and getting high up the pitch, you have to have a midfield that covers the spaces for them. Klopp & Robbo said as much last night after the game about not being compact. Opposition teams are more than happy for us to do this as they just pack the box and break after the clearance into endless space. There is just no legs in there, such a lack of pace and physicality in the midfield too, it's often been described as our engine room and we are getting outrun, outmuscled, outpaced and out fought in there. It is not the LFC any of us are accustomed to.

Should a few weeks break be enough to recover from what these players have been doing for the last few years?

The seasons almost roll straight from one in to another when you add in internationals. The post-seasons have been increasingly shortened because of Covid rescheduling or World Cups.

Then for much of the season the players are going form one game to next with next to no recovery in between. This all takes it toll.

I think burn out is much more likely than this group of players suddenly collectively deciding that they can’t be arsed.

[RedReet]

Should a few weeks break be enough to recover from what these players have been doing for the last few years?

The seasons almost roll straight from one in to another when you add in internationals. The post-seasons have been increasingly shortened because of Covid rescheduling or World Cups.

Then for much of the season the players are going form one game to next with next to no recovery in between. This all takes it toll.

I think burn out is much more likely than this group of players suddenly collectively deciding that they can’t be arsed.

It's absurd to suggest that a team built on mentality and personality, as much as ability would all collectively decide to become a bunch of primadonas overnight and stop giving a ****.

Even Trent was doing additional training last preseason to improve his awareness. Now after a domestic cup double, he's decided that's enough for him? Clearly something not right and it does appear like he's not trying in certain defensive situations, but there is no way it's as simple as that.

[The_weatherman]

Burnout sounds likely, probably incredibly difficult to play so well year and year out ad usually end up in second place. But this is where Klopp and the bosses needed to recruit to freshen things up.

[S-RED]

I think we broke them in preseason, trying to counter for the crazy season ahead for the majority of players.

Its a fitness thing, just a small drop off in intensity screws our game plan, as we can all see.

We overworked them by the looks at it, so we will have to suck it up for a few months now, as there is no freshness within the squad to bring in

[Rigadon]

We looked knackered at the end of last season - from about March(?). I’m amazed we did so well to hold on in the league, win the FA Cup and reach the CL final (but ultimately fail because of fatigue).

Our success is built on a core squad of very good players (14 or 15) giving almost 100% every game. It’s just not sustainable without 2 or 3 top class players being brought in every summer to freshen up the squad (taking into consideration players also leaving).

Way too much football, Covid, short summer break, ageing players are all contributing factors to fatigue, injuries and loss of form.

The Queen’s death (RIP your Maj) might provide some well earned rest to the squad.

[Paul12]

I think we broke them in preseason...

...we will have to suck it up for a few months now, as there is no freshness within the squad to bring in

I agree with the first point. Ironically, the world cup break (for some) should enable some freshness to be gained, and the injured players coming back should be fresh too.

[Doc_Piptorious]

I think we broke them in preseason, trying to counter for the crazy season ahead for the majority of players.

Its a fitness thing, just a small drop off in intensity screws our game plan, as we can all see.

We overworked them by the looks at it, so we will have to suck it up for a few months now, as there is no freshness within the squad to bring in

Was said before pre season started, but having a preseason with more travel time than game time was a bad idea.

I get they want to appeal to a global fanbase and reap in revenue, but
just pick one country each pre seaon if that is the case.

Five preseason games in five countries was stupid before it happened and is still stupid, and the fact some of the countries were close to one another changes nowt.

The preseason being broken up further with the charity shield being stuck in between two friendlies fuether added to the sense of poor planning.

Easy to say now, but given we knew the season was starting earlier than normal and was going to be a far more condensed season, especially the first half of it, than any prior season, then having a local or one country pre season with the minimal amount of travel and the maximum amount of prep time is what should have happened.

[Fierce]

These are elite athletes FFS

They can't be tired

[Mark79]

Being an elite athlete doesn’t mean you have unlimited capacity for physical endurance.

Footballers are already pushing the limits. There’s so little recovery time now between games and seasons. It’s almost non stop.