Our style of play

[Fredo]

Not really. We sliced them apart on three occasions but we just couldn't score.

[Irishnev]

[ame="https://twitter.com/daveockop/status/803595691243302912"]https://twitter.com/daveockop/status/803595691243302912[/ame]

[redmike65]

That is so unlikely it must be true

[baitman]

I want to caveat this post by saying I like Klopp, I like the system and ideas he has brought

Early in the season we pressed high up the pitch with intensity and this was matched when we won the ball by quick passing and PACE in our attacks

The way to negate the high press is sit deep and knock the ball long and pick up the 2nd balls and teams have been doing this

The problem as I see it now is that firstly we arent pressing anywhere near as much and secondly the passing is slow and methodical (plodding) its side to side and concentrated in the middle of the pitch. The only time we have looked anywhere near dangerous is when we have moved the ball quickly and to the wide areas

Currently teams can sit deep and not even have to worry about the press, so they have no real reason to play it long, they can just play through us. To me letting players run 40-50 yards through your team once in a season can be classed as a mistake to let it happen 3 or 4 times in the last couple of weeks is unforgivable

I've said for sometime we need a dedicated holding / defensive midfielder firstly to combat teams lumping it and trying to pick up 2nd balls and secondly and probably more importantly to stop teams running 50 yards unchallenged!!!

I think early part of the season a lot of fans got carried away, I personally was expecting a dip in form and results but the drop off has been stark

We look like the Rodgers team of his last 18 months in charge, not pressing and with a sluggish and slow possession based game that goes nowhere

I've heard a lot of talk recently about how difficult it is to get through teams who sit deep etc...and it is difficult but a lot of our current malaise is down to us rather than our oppositions tactical genius

We have to have more energy and tempo to our play without that it doesnt matter what tactics are employed against us we will struggle

spot on mate.

there is no pressing from us for one reason, we have no one to press against..
teams are happy for us to have the ball so we already have it so our pressing game becomes almost redundant.
teams dont come to beat us. they basically allow us to overcommit and play in their half then we are suckers for a quick couple of passes and a break away down the pitch.
they are not beating us, we are failing to beat them and allowing ourselves to be sucker punched. they are giving us the space and we readily vacate the last half of the pitch. we are falling into the same trap time after time...
we are almost gifting goals cos we are wide open and cannot close down these fast break aways.
we are mostly fannying around with the 70% possession and getting little penetration. yeh, but stats say we had 'X' number of shots on goal blah blah, but they are often blocked by defenders, straight at the keeper or feeble efforts borne out of frustration. stats are ****e, they help justify a poor performance with no end product.

klopp needs to re-examine or methods and become more versatile because teams have 'come not to play'
our players are too content to pass it around hoping for teams to come and get it, but they have learnt to be patient and wait for us to lose it and they grab the loose ball.

as soon as they gain possession they have guys bombing off into the space vacated by our full backs to easily pick up the ball unchallenged. by the time the centre back comes across [leaving big spaces unmanned] va second runner then comes from the other wing or through the middle and is ready for the pass and is then one on one with the keeper... we are suckers for it.

things are becoming very congested at the other end of the pitch and we are very unlikely to often get a chance to split their defence with a killer pass from 10-20 yards outside the opposition goal area...

we need our midfield to be able to play to teammates who are moving between the lines, runners moving for a 1-2 return pass, others coming in from the other side so a ball can be played across the goal mouth from close in. we are not going to get it wide and launch it into the box. we need it to be closer to goal and cut back for one of our midgets to get a toe on it.

[Lecter]

spot on mate.

there is no pressing from us for one reason, we have no one to press against..
teams are happy for us to have the ball so we already have it so our pressing game becomes almost redundant.
teams dont come to beat us. they basically allow us to overcommit and play in their half then we are suckers for a quick couple of passes and a break away down the pitch.
they are not beating us, we are failing to beat them and allowing ourselves to be sucker punched. they are giving us the space and we readily vacate the last half of the pitch. we are falling into the same trap time after time...
we are almost gifting goals cos we are wide open and cannot close down these fast break aways.
we are mostly fannying around with the 70% possession and getting little penetration. yeh, but stats say we had 'X' number of shots on goal blah blah, but they are often blocked by defenders, straight at the keeper or feeble efforts borne out of frustration. stats are ****e, they help justify a poor performance with no end product.

klopp needs to re-examine or methods and become more versatile because teams have 'come not to play'
our players are too content to pass it around hoping for teams to come and get it, but they have learnt to be patient and wait for us to lose it and they grab the loose ball.

as soon as they gain possession they have guys bombing off into the space vacated by our full backs to easily pick up the ball unchallenged. by the time the centre back comes across [leaving big spaces unmanned] va second runner then comes from the other wing or through the middle and is ready for the pass and is then one on one with the keeper... we are suckers for it.

things are becoming very congested at the other end of the pitch and we are very unlikely to often get a chance to split their defence with a killer pass from 10-20 yards outside the opposition goal area...

we need our midfield to be able to play to teammates who are moving between the lines, runners moving for a 1-2 return pass, others coming in from the other side so a ball can be played across the goal mouth from close in. we are not going to get it wide and launch it into the box. we need it to be closer to goal and cut back for one of our midgets to get a toe on it.

Yes teams are allowing us to have the ball to avoid counter pressing but there will always be some moments when teams opposition have possession

We havent pressed enough even then imo

Its not even as though they are vacating space left by the fullbacks as you suggest

In the last 2 games Leroy Fer and one of their lads last night have run 40-50 yards through the centre of the pitch unchallenged

[PTP]

I could have posted this in a number of threads but the style of play thread prob suits it best

Dreadful dreadful form....1 win from 7, a poor 1-0 against Plymouth in the bottom division

Team has been completely found out....with no Mane we have zero pace or threat. Annoyingly though every ****ing one of us saw that coming and nothing was put in place to cover it, be it a signing or a change of tactic

We have such a small squad that one or two players missing completely ****s us

The midfield is a ****ing mess....it's just all over the shop

We look completely shot. Top four is in real danger and that's not an over reaction...this side is in danger of folding

Again it's so frustratin because signs where there! We done such hard work start of the season...we started to struggle a bit...the window was coming...we had to strengthen, we had to try something and we are getting to stage now where all the hard work has been undone

Team looks shattered and we don't have enough quality to change it

[BigChief]

You're right that every one saw Mane's pace required replacing. I said that we have to sign Adama Traore on 1st Jan for however ridiculous a fee or we'd pay for it. This is not now hindsight.

Sure people think he's a bit **** but he couldn't be worse than Ibe and would keep marauding fcking fullbacks back for a start. An expensive temporary solution to a problem with our style of play but not one we couldn't afford ffs.

[marcus50bucks]

You're right that every one saw Mane's pace required replacing. I said that we have to sign Adama Traore on 1st Jan for however ridiculous a fee or we'd pay for it. This is not now hindsight.

Sure people think he's a bit **** but he couldn't be worse than Ibe and would keep marauding fcking fullbacks back for a start. An expensive temporary solution to a problem with our style of play but not one we couldn't afford ffs.

Under Fifa rules you cannot play for 3 different clubs in the same season. He played one game for Villa this season before joining Boro.

[brightred]

You're right that every one saw Mane's pace required replacing. I said that we have to sign Adama Traore on 1st Jan for however ridiculous a fee or we'd pay for it. This is not now hindsight.

Sure people think he's a bit **** but he couldn't be worse than Ibe and would keep marauding fcking fullbacks back for a start. An expensive temporary solution to a problem with our style of play but not one we couldn't afford ffs.

From what I've seen of Traore he's far fro ****. Very direct and equally important, very fast.

I'd be very happy to sign him.

[labourRed]

I could have posted this in a number of threads but the style of play thread prob suits it best

Dreadful dreadful form....1 win from 7, a poor 1-0 against Plymouth in the bottom division

Team has been completely found out....with no Mane we have zero pace or threat. Annoyingly though every ****ing one of us saw that coming and nothing was put in place to cover it, be it a signing or a change of tactic

We have such a small squad that one or two players missing completely ****s us

The midfield is a ****ing mess....it's just all over the shop

We look completely shot. Top four is in real danger and that's not an over reaction...this side is in danger of folding

Again it's so frustratin because signs where there! We done such hard work start of the season...we started to struggle a bit...the window was coming...we had to strengthen, we had to try something and we are getting to stage now where all the hard work has been undone

Team looks shattered and we don't have enough quality to change it

Yup, it's odd. The management must know the problems... I'm surprised nothing could have been done in January but i appreciate it's not too easy.


Here's something from Shane Long:

“Keeping a clean sheet against Liverpool is no mean feat,” Long said. “I think it came from the whole team trying to force them out wide and not letting them make passes through the middle to get one-on-ones with the keeper.”


- we've all said it. I mean who would you want attacking? Coutinho, Firmino or Milner and Clyne.

And yes, i think i posted the same thing early in the season... that while i like all our midfielders, Can, Henderson and Winjaldum do not work together and never will.

Anyway, i'm not going further... but i concur that our season is in danger of unraveling rather spectacularly and i'm too old for knee-jerking. The only caveat with a few cup games and a free hit with Chelsea we have a bit of time to play our way back into form. We're hopelessley short on squad numbers and a few injuries late in the season could damage us again regardless of how we're playing...

We'll need some luck to finish in the top four.

[BigChief]

We need one game a week for the rest of the season is what we need. And Mane back obviously. Agree with your points above, just let Milner and Clyne have the ball and LFC won't be any danger. Football tactics 101.

[Vermilion]

I could have posted this in a number of threads but the style of play thread prob suits it best

Dreadful dreadful form....1 win from 7, a poor 1-0 against Plymouth in the bottom division

Team has been completely found out....with no Mane we have zero pace or threat. Annoyingly though every ****ing one of us saw that coming and nothing was put in place to cover it, be it a signing or a change of tactic

We have such a small squad that one or two players missing completely ****s us

The midfield is a ****ing mess....it's just all over the shop

We look completely shot. Top four is in real danger and that's not an over reaction...this side is in danger of folding

Again it's so frustratin because signs where there! We done such hard work start of the season...we started to struggle a bit...the window was coming...we had to strengthen, we had to try something and we are getting to stage now where all the hard work has been undone

Team looks shattered and we don't have enough quality to change it

Feels like we still haven't moved on from the time when we all moaned about needing a new stadium to compete, and that's a long long time ago.

Understand that the goal posts have somewhat moved since then with other clubs being bought and owned by people that take them to another level again.

Still frustrating though.

[PTP]

Feels like we still haven't moved on from the time when we all moaned about needing a new stadium to compete, and that's a long long time ago.

Understand that the goal posts have somewhat moved since then with other clubs being bought and owned by people that take them to another level again.

Still frustrating though.

aye - it always feels the same with us - we're there or there abouts but just don't quite that extra yard to kick on

I've used this before but it sums Liverpool up perfectly for me -

years ago I worked for a company and it was a new UK office, I joined at the start...the initial business plan was to have 7 sales managers. The MD only hired 4/5 at a time. Our sales target was say £2m - every year we'd get to about £1.9m - everyone had worked to the bone, stressed to ****, given our all but we just didn't quite get there...however it was close enough for everyone to go "ah well, not bad effort, always next year"

sound familiar?

I always used to argue with the MD, if we get the right 2/3 extra sales staff that we initially agreed we wanted/needed then the chances are we'd not only achieve the £2m target, we'd smash it and we'd do so with a little less pressure on us all

And for god knows how long, I've felt the same about Liverpool. I felt it at the start of this season....we always seem to be two/three sometimes more, players away from having a squad that makes you think Yup, this team can defo go on and challenge consistently

[Fredo]

Klopp won't change our style of play. We don't need to.

I think what has happened lately is that we've been less clinical but as long as we keep our patience and our heads, we'll be fine.

[baitman]

with all of our best players available AND all playing to 100% of their game we are a great force.

the issue is if some are below par or we bring other players in then we struggle.

none of our players are "match winners" on their own, they are smaller pieces of a bigger machine.
too many powder puff lightweight players who can easily be brushed off the ball against more physical sides.

our midfield is transparent and lately they have been played through like they were made from a fine mist, not even getting close enough to the opposition to get them mildly moist, never mind damp.