Crystal Palace (a) build up

[Exiled_red]

I think it was a soft one to be honest. Maybe just the views I've seen but it wasn't clear where there was contact with Mo's feet/legs to bring him down. I think we'd be pissed if zaha had won that one.

It's not huge contact or high impact granted, but he's stretching to ride one challenge (where there was contact with him and not the ball) and Sakho's next challenge pushes his leg out. It's a pen all day whether it's for or against us I don't really think you can complain. If he gets the ball it's probably a great tackle but he doesn't.

[Exiled_red]

With regards City, we can only influence 2 of their games a season, we need to just focus on our own games and not get carried away thinking about a tithe challenge. Let's just get as many points as we can and see where we end up.

[Kenneth]

It's not huge contact or high impact granted, but he's stretching to ride one challenge (where there was contact with him and not the ball) and Sakho's next challenge pushes his leg out. It's a pen all day whether it's for or against us I don't really think you can complain. If he gets the ball it's probably a great tackle but he doesn't.

Oh boy

[Charly]

Pretty much agree with all that.

Also thought Trent was miles off his best tonight - his delivery in the two games so far has been gash.

Yeah... his crossing has been wasteful. I always thought that crossing is the most difficult thing to master. Perhaps Salah or someone else needs to break wider so he has another option.

I feel Mane and Robbo have a much better understanding while breaking down the left.

Could just be the long season he just had as he was pretty good end of last year. Young player can be less consistant. As long as he keeps the ball well the rest if the time. If that had been Moreno, people would have been showering him with all sorts of abuse...

[red g]

Our worst performing players on the night (by their standards) were arguably those who are usually our most consistent - Trent, Robbo, Firmino and Salah.

On the City thing, it’ll be interesting to see what happens if we can keep the pressure on. Pressure is a funny thing. Last year they pissed it so never had to deal with it, but if they start to get the feeling they’re in a real battle, at a time when they’ll also no doubt be desperate to do well in the Champions League, it might get a bit more interesting...

they will probably canter through there next 5 games till they meet us, it might work in our favour as they may not even have had to get out of 2nd gear before they meet us. We have Spurs and Chelsea away before then, If we still can be within 3 points by the time we play them things could get very interesting

[brightred]

Was I hearing things or did Klopp give out ****e about the full backs?? Talked about 70%

Final ball from Trent was lacking. Robbo could have kept running on a few occassions.

In fairness was a good performance.

[Fosterbloke]

Pretty much agree with all that.

Also thought Trent was miles off his best tonight - his delivery in the two games so far has been gash.

His pass to Keita vs West Ham was sublime (yet Jorginho did a similar thing for Chelsea and initiated a media wankfest).

Also TAA's side passing from the wing was good, he doesn't need to cross it.

[Fosterbloke]

Last year they pissed it so never had to deal with it

They felt it in the Champions League!

[Assassin]

Was I hearing things or did Klopp give out ****e about the full backs?? Talked about 70%

Final ball from Trent was lacking. Robbo could have kept running on a few occassions.

In fairness was a good performance.

Their defending wasnt so bad but their offensive play was fairly dire.

Trent was wasteful, one or two telling crosses out of maybe 30 to 40 attempts

Robbo, not on the front foot enough and attacking. He favoured the sideways are backwards past most of the time

All in all, as a team we where not at our fluid best and allowed Palace into the game, especially in the second half. Hence the rave reviews for VVD and Gomez

At the end of the night a good result. Providing Palace do not suffer the injury crisis like they had last year, they will prove a handfull for most teams at home

[frank the tank]

Gomez could do what Trent has done and make it hard for a more experienced guy to get back in.

If Lovren doesn't make it back as soon as the internationale break is over, then Gomez might make that position his own. If his partnership with VVD goes through the Brighton and Leicester games without conceeding a goal, then it will be difficult to drop him surely?

[Fosterbloke]

I reckon Gomez will establish himself this season.

[The_weatherman]

What a great win, I was actually dreading this game. Gomez is looking surprisingly good, and really nice to see him, Alisson and VVD forming a real backbone to the side.

Thought Gini was good too, we could see some rotation against Brighton though, Clyne should maybe get a chance to show what he can do and I was hoping for Shaq to come on as I felt Bobby wasn't really doing much for the last 15 mis or so.

[Lecter]

Not quite fully clicking for us yet.

Firmino is not quite at the the races. Keita has been good, but I feel he has another gear or two, once he has settled. It must be difficult for a player that can do everything amazingly well to fit in as a cog. Benitez had a go at Gerrard for this too. I wonder if Klopp knows his best position. Was he bought to replace or complement Coutinho? Is he better playing slightly deeper and hitting those "hollywood" balls? I think it is going to be fun finding out. Definitely on another level to the rest of our midfield. My fear is some might see him as less sucessful numbers wise because of the role he is playing.

What is evident is there are no weak links in the chain this season, and its always nice to know we are not at our ceiling, with a manager who really knows how to develop players for the system he has belief in.

This is while sitting behind City's plus seven goal difference. The other teams must be think there is no way they can reach City unless they have a dip. But City know that they cant afford to **** up either because there is one other team riding their coat tails

Wherever we finish, it will be in ****ing style. I dont think we can finish above City... their squad has more depth which will suit them over a season. But they must feel our first 11 v theirs, we may even be better. We just need a couple of months for the newer players to bed in.

Agree with all that

Was interesting on MNF when they were looking at our form over the second part of last season and extrapolating it over this. They had us getting something like 94 points. That would win the league on most occasions but I wouldnt guarantee it against this City side

If we dont win the league would like us to get nearer City say 5 or 6 points or something. Would be a good season if we did that

Bit of a scrappy game yesterday, thought Van Dijk was head and shoulders our best player. Hats off to Gomez as hes done well the last couple of games despite my concerns

The forward line looked a bit off yesterday and to be honest have felt like havent quite clicked into top gear yet. Bobby looks well off the pace

Both fullbacks were below their usual levels yesterday and was interesting to see Klopp having a go at them

[The_weatherman]

Seems like Klopp was right to let Klavan go, with Gomez, Matip, Lovren and VVD we should be fine.

[Buzzo]

Agree with all that

Was interesting on MNF when they were looking at our form over the second part of last season and extrapolating it over this. They had us getting something like 94 points. That would win the league on most occasions but I wouldnt guarantee it against this City side

If we dont win the league would like us to get nearer City say 5 or 6 points or something. Would be a good season if we did that

Bit of a scrappy game yesterday, thought Van Dijk was head and shoulders our best player. Hats off to Gomez as hes done well the last couple of games despite my concerns

The forward line looked a bit off yesterday and to be honest have felt like havent quite clicked into top gear yet. Bobby looks well off the pace

Both fullbacks were below their usual levels yesterday and was interesting to see Klopp having a go at them

The great thing is even with lots of deficiencies in performance we still walked away with a 2-0 win, against a team who don’t lose many at home and look well organised under Roy.

Bodes well for challenges ahead.

First average game I’ve seen from Robbo in months.

Agree on the forward line, currently lacking the fluency of last season.

If we can get a couple of goals up on Sat it would be good to see the likes of Shaqiri and Sturridge given a bit more time. I imagine the guys on the bench are desperate to show what they can do.