Title Race 18/19

[Phoenix07]

Were winning this on the last day with a goal in the 97th minute. Dont worry.

City have already done that with Aguero, so I don't think the universe will conspire like that for us.

Might need Coady to knock in an own goal for us to win the league against Wolves, and then Edwards to recommend him to Klopp.

[Leyton388]

It's just a shame city have been allowed to cheat their way to the top. Any other time we would be well ahead but with city being allowed to buy players like it's champ manager it just ruins the game.

[frank the tank]

no point in complaining about that.

We are still in this. It is up to us to stay still in it too though. In reality, if we win our next 8 games, then we will still be in it. It would be very frustrating to drop another 5 or 6 points in the remaining 9 games - and then lose the title by 2 or 3 points!

A top team responds to adversity. That is what we need to do now. People will say "the pressure is all on them now" - but in reality, there is pressure on us to win every game regardless of the situation.

Here are some Rafa-style FACTs though:
- We have lost one game in the league all season. One game in 29. ****in hell.
- We have conceded 15 goals in those 29 games. Again - how ****in mental is that. Especially when you consider that the defence was our soft belly and that we conceded 3 goals in that crazy Palace home game.
- Our midfield don't score enough goals.
- Our bench got us a draw against Chelsea away and a win against Everton at home.3 points - that is all.

So although we are flying in one sense, there is significant improvement to be had as well. That suggests to me that we can still win the league this year - but will definitely improve going forward.

I think the title this season would just propel this team onto great things.

I am hoping that the benefits of the mid-season break that Klopp was able to give his team is felt in the next 8 weeks or so.

[Fosterbloke]

Didn't Shaqiri come off the bench to score twice against Utd?

[Mark79]

Didn't Shaqiri come off the bench to score twice against Utd?

He did, yes.

[danperkins]

I would rather lose out on the league going for it big time and losing the odd game than lose it drawing with ****e who should be being blown away

yeah I would agree with that

[Tribute]

It's pretty straightforward, we need Utd, Spurs or someone to take points off City and we need to find our feet in front of goal again... and switch out the workmanlike Hendo/Gini/Fab midfield for Shaq or Keita to create more chances for the front three...

Salah needs to find his shooting boots and Mane needs to be able to read passes again

[danperkins]

I hate having to rely on City to slip up when we were in such a strong position.

As regards 2019's form, I think we are missing that link in the midfield, someone who can provide that killer ball to the forwards and push us up the pitch so the lads don't have to keep tracking back to get the ball. Shaq was doing that for a while but for some reason it seems now Klopp isn't playing him, even Lallana & Origi are getting the shout ahead of him. Maybe he doesn't trust him but he looked the part earlier in the season when he was getting a run of games.

He hasn't played 90 mins in the league at all in 2019. We need an option like him or better against stubborn sides who seem to have found us out. There has to be a plan B and C, I think more than likely we are going to have to win at least 8 out of the 9 games left and with some difficult fixtures in there... that's the task we've handed ourselves now are this bad period.

We are up against it now and I suppose we will find out do we deserve it or not.

[Nicey]

Sensible
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWVjSbcqY2I"]Everton 0 Liverpool 0: Reaction | Talking Reds - YouTube[/ame]

[danperkins]

Sensible
Everton 0 Liverpool 0: Reaction | Talking Reds - YouTube

Sensible!? Did they even discuss the match

[~LFCHistory~]

Burnley would be ecstatic with a point Anfield; I can't see them taking too many risks while the scores are level.

True, Burnley will be defensive but I doubt they'll have the high intensity pressing Everton had which clearly affected us.

[Red_Polo]

Not sure Klopp agrees with that;

https://twitter.com/brfootball/statu...41264542961664

Klopp's response to this question is a defensive emotional response rather than a logical one. Suggesting taking more risks may be beneficial is not suggesting anything is easy or anyone is not trying to win. It's suggesting that every team makes a risk-benefit assessment of where the optimal equilibrium is between the partly competing interests of protecting the goal and breaching the opposition's goal, and reasonably querying whether shifting towards a more attack-minded approach would yield more points given it's 1 for a draw and 3 for a win.

[frank the tank]

I didn't see Klopps interview - just read the transcript.....

However, during the game I did think that Milner and Lallana were going to do **** all for us when I saw them being introduced.....

Keita and Shaqiri would have been the two I would have brought on.

[greenturnip]

I think Klopp was a little concerned we might lose one point....All these points from draws might be useful....

[Nicey]

Personally, I think if we can win our next two games, Burnley Home and Fulham Away, its very much on, back in 1st 5 points clear, they have a very tough April run in.

I think people need to keep the head .. realize every single game is tough and it could go down to the last 10 minutes of the season... that's how City won their first title, regardless of how well or how badly you thought the team has played we have only one choice is to get right behind them and enjoy the ride