Liverpool VS Hoffenheim 2nd leg match thread

[baitman]

Much better but not surprising. You could see Hendo and Wijnaldum in particular were playing to 60% of their potential at best. It was only a matter of time before the fitness and sharpness kicked in. Looking forward to the Arsenal game now.

One point though, that Lecter has correctly observed in the past. Last night when the game became comfortable our midfielders starting taking it like a training session. Holding on to the ball a split second (and in Wijnaldum's case 5 or 6 seconds) too long. Defenders also started making training ground passes not worried about the outcome - Lovren, Matip and TAA in particular from the back. All either did end up or should have ended up punishing us. We wouldn't have lost but that's not the point.

This sounds like nitpicking but we've done it so often last season, many times resulting in drawing games we should have won, that it is worrying that we haven't moved past it. To be fair Klopp gave them all a kick up the arse near the end of the first half and we sorted our heads out but hopefully we can cut it out this season. This I believe is the difference between conceding two goals a game and conceding none.

you are spot on with your nitpicking.
its a fine line between success and failure and hoffenheim were very close to making us pay on a number of occasions despite our great play at times.
we need to be more clinical in the final third and less slack at the back. better teams will not give us the space or time in by their goal and will be more ruthless around our goal.
we are in the CL group stages now... getting there is good, but the true test is progressing to the knockout stages.

[RichC]

you are spot on with your nitpicking.
its a fine line between success and failure and hoffenheim were very close to making us pay on a number of occasions despite our great play at times.
we need to be more clinical in the final third and less slack at the back. better teams will not give us the space or time in by their goal and will be more ruthless around our goal.
we are in the CL group stages now... getting there is good, but the true test is progressing to the knockout stages.

We've scored six goals in two games against this lot, more clinical

[baitman]

We've scored six goals in two games against this lot, more clinical

yeh, more clinical. just read what you want

[Shaggy]

[BigChief]

His knees completely wrecked the turf on the replays.

[Maxiedge]

Absolutely chuffed obviously, but **** me we've got problems at the back.

I don't know how I feel about watching Liverpool these days. We are electric in attack but just keep on giving them chances to score. That's the point really, we really do play the percentage game whereby it seems the risk of conceding is part of the game plan.

I know we've been through this a hundred time but surely we've come to a fork in the road where we can't keep on playing like this with the personnel we have. Sign 2 CBs (one to partner Matip, other back-up), and a keeper that are not error prone. That's the only way we can play on these margins.

[Rigadon]

https://twitter.com/JOE_co_uk/status/900456499151024128

Fantastisch. Das ist super.

[Shaggy]

Good this

[ame]https://twitter.com/ThatGooner/status/900504468487380992[/ame]

https://streamable.com/utq47

[Harv]

That 10yr old Doogie Howser manager of theirs is a total prick. Giving us absolutely no credit whatsoever

Get back of footy manager you little smart arse, need to sort your tactics out before you play with the big boys.

[red g]

what did he say@?

[Slinky Skills]

Absolutely chuffed obviously, but **** me we've got problems at the back.

I don't know how I feel about watching Liverpool these days. We are electric in attack but just keep on giving them chances to score. That's the point really, we really do play the percentage game whereby it seems the risk of conceding is part of the game plan.

I know we've been through this a hundred time but surely we've come to a fork in the road where we can't keep on playing like this with the personnel we have. Sign 2 CBs (one to partner Matip, other back-up), and a keeper that are not error prone. That's the only way we can play on these margins.

Completely agree and we won't win **** until it's addressed.

[Maxiedge]

Completely agree and we won't win **** until it's addressed.

[Abro100]

IVERPOOL -- Hoffenheim manager Julian Nagelmann was highly critical of his side after the 4-2 defeat to Liverpool on Wednesday night, saying his team played "like headless chickens" at Anfield.

The Bundesliga side were comprehensively beaten 6-3 on aggregate by Jurgen Klopp's team in their two-legged Champions League playoff.

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Hoffenheim found themselves 3-0 down just 21 minutes into the second leg, and their 30-year-old manager criticised the way his players began the match.

Speaking at his postmatch news conference, Nagelsmann said: "The tactical structure of our game was not the cause for what happened, it was more to do with that we didn't implement the game plan we had discussed.

"We didn't start the match well at all. We were running around like headless chickens and didn't implement that order we were going to use.

"Liverpool played just the way they did in the first leg. They scored the exact same goals they score in the Premier League. The difference was that we played well in the first leg and today we weren't playing well.

Julian Nagelsmann looks on during Hoffenheim's Champions League loss to Liverpool on Wednesday.*Getty Images

"Maybe the team was a bit too emotional. The additional factor is maybe that in the first 30 minutes, there were two or three players who seemed to not be on the pitch.

"It was not all down to Liverpool's quality, it was also down to the way we didn't play the game we should have. My job is to analyse everything and that's what I'm going to do."

http://www.espn.co.uk/football/tsg-hoffenheim/story/3187103/hoffenheim-boss-says-team-were-like-headless-chickens-vs-liverpool

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[Abro100]

Nice of him to not accept any of the blame there. They lost as they had a line too high and they tried to attack. They needed to sit back and counter. Plus we are just better than them. But I have seen far better performances at anfield from far worse sides than them.

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[Buzzo]

That 10yr old Doogie Howser manager of theirs is a total prick. Giving us absolutely no credit whatsoever

Get back of footy manager you little smart arse, need to sort your tactics out before you play with the big boys.