Our style of play

[Exiled_red]

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.

There in lies the problem, there is a severe step down in quality beyond the first 11, so if someone is off form, injured, or out for any other reason we a significantly weakened

If you consider a first 11 of:
Mignolet; Clyne, Matip, Lovren, Milner; Wijnaldum, Henderson, Lallana; Mane, Firmino, Coutinho

and a second 11 of:
Karius; TAA, Klavan, Gomez, Moreno; Can, Lucas, Grujic; Origi, Sturridge, Ings

Any outfield player you replace in that first 11 with one from the second 11 is a step down (the keepers are about the same), you could argue that the Sturridge of a couple of years ago would improve that side, but he isn't close to that player at the moment. Looking through that second 11 there is no-one in there that stands out as the star of that side or a player that you think really should be in the first team. There are some (hopefully) up and coming players TAA, Gomez, Grujic, Origi and you can probably add Can to the list who we hope would improve and would challenge for a first team place in future but the rest I don't really ever see establishing themselves as regulars (again in some cases e.g. Lucas, Sturridge and Moreno) unless something seriously changes.

In the summer (because I doubt we will sign anyone in this window) we need at least 4 players who are at that first team level one for each area of the pitch (fullback, CB, CM and a forward).

For the remainder of this season we need to get back to a high tempo game and get the movement back, the high tempo and movement gives us a better chance of catching players out of position, because the slow buildup we have at the moment just allows the packed defence to get organised. From a defensive point of view we need to get our defenders and at least one of the CM more aware about the potential to be hit on the break and take their positions accordingly, we need to ideally be in positions to stop them from happening or to be more cynical in using fouls to break up potential counter attacking plays before they become a major problem (i.e. in the opposition half).

[Big-Red-Ed]

This month's busy schedule provides a template for how the squad will have to be filled out with more quality options should we get CL next season. We are woefully short and need a big influx of top players in the summer. This is always a problem and can be unsettling.
We didn't do well enough last summer and we should have addressed it partly this window.
The question is why? Are the owners not backing the manager ? Can we not attract top players anymore? Maybe Klopp has overestimated the potential of the squad players and this month he will have learned a lot about the squad.

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[Charly]

My worry is that our players have run themselves into the ground, ans simply can no longer compete, especially the high pressing which our game relies on. Not sure what the answer to that is, if we are not signing anyone, but I dont see us greatly improving results until all ten of our outfield players can press again for a full 90 minutes.

[baitman]

we all seem to want the return of our pressing game but has it ever worked against teams that defend deep...

we have been found out and have no effective plan B

ok if its a team that want to attack, but the bus parking/counter attack is a game changer to counter our pressing that we have no answer for.

i think it was the second half against city where we dropped back and allowed them to have the ball and we then occasionally countered and they struggled to open us up.

[Doc_Piptorious]

My worry is that our players have run themselves into the ground, ans simply can no longer compete, especially the high pressing which our game relies on. Not sure what the answer to that is, if we are not signing anyone, but I dont see us greatly improving results until all ten of our outfield players can press again for a full 90 minutes.

If that is the case, then from after the upcoming Hull game we will be back to a week between games for the most part, so plenty of rest time for players

[Ams12]

How did southampton get tonked 5-0 by arsenal!? I kind saw they played a weakened team. What way did they play against arsenal? Sit back & counter or attack?

[gratziani]

We keep Allen and Ibe anyone think we are better off because they were the type of players that you need as squad fillers instead of our not ready youngsters ,

We gained great money for them but didn't replace either of them with more players for the first team. or just been unlucky with Grujic not getting game time because of injury ?

Long term watching us Firmino needs to be central it looks like so anyone coming in needs to be able to play wide either side like Mane with pace as the 4-3-3 seems set in stone.

With what we have at the moment , Mane , Firmi , Cout look like mainstays but the whole style of play dies out with a Mane in the side.

Hendo and Wijni been good at times but don't seem to have the impetus to speed games up or control them . So our six forward type players look good at times but when we come to change things bringing a Sturridge onto the pitch kills all our style again,

For the future we need a player that can play in any of the three forward playing positions and not be affected which position he is asked to play , any ideas on that player ?

[Kenneth]

Allen yes, Ibe no because he's ****e.

[Exiled_red]

I think that the problem we have had is that players have either been injured or haven't pushed on as we would have liked, also we should have signed a proper LB.

In midfield we have 3 from a 5 of Wijnaldum, Henderson, Lallana, Can and Grujic, Grujic hasn't played and Can hasn't pushed on as we'd hoped. If we had a proper LB Milner would be available to help out in these roles.

Similarly we pick 3 from Coutinho, Firmino, Mane, Sturridge, Origi and Ings. Ings has been ruled out for the season, Sturridge has been nowhere near what we had hoped, Coutinho has been out injured for a while and Mane has been at the ACN.

Defence is a slightly different story, we should have signed a couple of other players one a LB, and another CB it replace Sakho, and while we knew Moreno wasn't great I thought we might have seen him involved a bit more.

On paper at the start of the season I think the squad was mostly fine, perhaps just missing one or two players in defence, this season has found some of our players wanting, and I think that there are a few players who we might have though would be heavily involved could be playing for their future for the rest of the season.

[Charly]

As much as I agree with the sentiment about Milner, I think he has been our best player this season. I cant see another player coming in and being so conistantly good. And its our central defemce that cant seem to cope. As good as Milner is, can he play there...

... I know. The answer is probably better than Lovren.

[baitman]

after the chelsea game.
mane got into the box and looked dangerous but he maybe needs more time to fully recover from his african safari. with no decent alternative option he isnt going to get any recovery time so will be straight back in.

more worrying is the drop off in form of coutinho, firmino and to a lesser extent lallana. the curse of a new contract seems to hover over our players like the grim reaper.

[Danish_Pastry]

The Chelsea game also showed, that our back 8 are to weak technically to allow other to come against us. There were to many mis-placed passes and to often the ball was not really played towards a red shirt.

[Lecter]

How did southampton get tonked 5-0 by arsenal!? I kind saw they played a weakened team. What way did they play against arsenal? Sit back & counter or attack?

They tried same tactics as they did against us

[baitman]

They tried same tactics as they did against us

did southampton sit back. need to watch this game to see just how aresenal managed to play through them.
might be worth sending the link to Jurgen too

[Lecter]

did southampton sit back. need to watch this game to see just how aresenal managed to play through them.
might be worth sending the link to Jurgen too

I didnt watch it but I have a mate who is a Saints fan who goes home and away

He said Arsenal moved the ball much more quickly than us, he was very critical of our laborious sterile passing