Hoffenheim (A): Post Match

[Roboklopp]

Its like playing Russian roulette with Lovren, Moreno & Mignolet together

Each time the opposition attacks one of them will blow their brains out and gift the opposition a chance

[danperkins]

I would 100% play Clyne at LB and Trent at RB. Sure Clyne can't cross the ball from the RB position anyways, his delivery is ****e. At least with him at LB we will have a solid defender there, that still has a good engine and will get high up the pitch. Means Mane can concentrate on the attacking side of his game instead of worrying about Moreno screwing up.

The Lovren/Moreno partnership & the Hendo/Can/Wini partnership is all wrong, but for very different reasons.

[Shaggy]

I would 100% play Clyne at LB and Trent at RB. Sure Clyne can't cross the ball from the RB position anyways, his delivery is ****e. At least with him at LB we will have a solid defender there, that still has a good engine and will get high up the pitch. Means Mane can concentrate on the attacking side of his game instead of worrying about Moreno screwing up.

The Lovren/Moreno partnership & the Hendo/Can/Wini partnership is all wrong, but for very different reasons.

Tend to agree re Clyne at LB, even though I'm a bit sick of having a right footer in that position...which is why I'd been receptive to Moreno coming back in.

[danperkins]

Just thinking about last nights game. When you take the game in isolation, it was a ridiculously open game, both midfields were poor (apart from Can) and match could have been 3 all. We beat a team that have 2 best defence in Germany, scored more from set pieces than anybody in Germany & hadn't been beaten at home in 15 months. When you at it as a stand alone game, it is a great result and **** the performance.

Unfortunately this type of performance is not an isolated performance. The same errors and frailties keep popping up in every game. These obvious issues haven't been address in quite a long time & we keep getting punished for them time and time again.

I"m not panicking just yet, we still have time to make moves in the window but "if" we don't and the squad is the way it is not come the time the window shuts ... I really don't see us doing anything this season.

[Buzzo]

Midfield wise we have suffered the triple whammy of:

1. Not signing Keita
2. Lallana getting injured
3. Coutinho wanting to leave

I think the Can/Gini/Jordan midfield is one of necessity. Throw in Milner and you've got 4 samey Centre mids.

Reinforcement required which is surely not news to Klopp.

[danperkins]

Tend to agree re Clyne at LB, even though I'm a bit sick of having a right footer in that position...which is why I'd been receptive to Moreno coming back in.

yeah it is not ideal having a root footer there but regardless if he is poor going forward, the guy is a solid defender. He will still get up that line and has a great engine to help Mane.

Not quite sure how long he will be out injured though, so doesn't really solve our current problems. In the mean time IMO I would stick Milner there, I know that's not a popular opinion but whatever gets Moreno out of the team is good by me.

[Doc_Piptorious]

Can needs a bit more time to reach form. He was back late this summer. Henderson also needs some time to get back in form. But those three are too similar to play together. Two of them together with a more attacking midfielder with quick feet is the best combination.

True, but the same was being said last season and also the season before.

We seem to either start or finish every season for the past three with talks of how Henderson and/or Can need time to find their form and our lack of quality in depth in the centre means we have to play out of form/unfit players game after game in the hope they spark back into consistent form.

[Irishnev]

I thought Wiljnaldum was utter bilge last night

Grujic was far more effective in the short time he was on

I read a stat that Gini had 22 touches (less than Mig) and list the ball -12 times!

[danperkins]

Wini was hideous last night and against Watford. Hendo looked slow and weak. Can did well IMO. I honestly thought their midfield was piss poor & if ours was up to scratch, we would have blitzed them.

[fidget]

I'd start with the same team but drop Henderson for Milner.

[BrooklynRed]

One of the things that happened in both games is the way Hendo and Wijnaldum "press" the ball when it starts going the other way. First, they both overrun the ball/ player and rarely make an actual tackle in the middle of the park. In fact, I can't remember either of them actually getting on the ground and making a tackle that changes possession or breaks up play. Also, they are often "pressing" in the opposition's half, pushing up to press. Of course this is leaving acres of space behind them for the opposition to counter and play the ball, which has been exploited a ton. Strangely, neither of them is taking up an attacking position either going toward goal. They drift and pull the opposition, but they don't get into attacking positions, especially Wijnaldum, if you accept that Hendo is there to change the point of attack by spraying the ball from one flank to the other. We literally have no playmaking in the middle third of the pitch. The only exception has been Can's rare forward moves, including his sweet touch on to Mané at the weekend.

Obviously need a 10 to get between two of Henderson/Wijnadlum/Can and the forward three, and to drop 2 of Henderson/Wijnadlum/Can back and have them alternate holding the space in front of the back four and pressing. If we don't have one, Firmino has to come deeper and pick up the ball in the middle of the pitch, which he tried to do somewhat. Firmino is doing a decent job of pressing, but then here come our deeper midfielders forward to press and we are wide open.

I would murder someone for Kante right now.

[peekay]

Its like playing Russian roulette with Lovren, Moreno & Mignolet together

Each time the opposition attacks one of them will blow their brains out and gift the opposition a chance

[little dave hedgehog]

Wini was hideous last night and against Watford.

wini was poo

[wiw]

Moreno seems to have escaped much criticism but I thought he was his usual kamikaze self and (as BT demonstrated) was effectively culpable for their pen' since he was massively out of position in the Hoff' penalty box.

Lovren wasn't great but as above, what chance has he got with Moreno next to him and no proper holding midfielders: Someone on the radio yesterday made the point about him being pretty tidy at Southamton but he was helped enormously having Wanyama in front. Then Wanyama moves to Spurs and they look mega solid at the back.

Surely it should be on JK's radar that a decent DM might be the way forward especially in CL games?

I can't even imagine how annoying it is playing next to Moreno. I mean for the penalty build up that you mentioned, Lovren must have looked around, wondered where the **** Moreno is, looked up and seen him legging it around in the box and thought FFS Henderson wasn't quick enough shuffling over, and (as Lovren, Moreno in particular seemed to) lost the header and we were in all sorts of bother. I really don't think Klopp is ever going to sign a proper DM, in fact was he not asked that direct question a couple of months ago and he said no?

[wiw]

Can looks like a serious midfielder to me now. He can frustrate but he's starting to play and act like a proper player. I don't think he would look out of place in a better side at all. Really need him to sign that contract