Title Race 18/19

[rodo]

i would love to see a midfield of fabinho shaq and keita against burnley

[Angryred]

We should give the defence and GK their dues, they’ve been beyond solid. They’ve been elite. 15 conceded in 29 is outstanding and the reason we’re pushing City so close.

I’d say it’s not really quite the same set of players plus a new Goalie though. As shown by the tweet further up, it’s a very different midfield too. A lot has been made about not replacing Phil and missing Ox, which is obviously true. But there’s also Emre Can too. We’d never have considered him our most attacking midfielder, yet stick him in this team and he’d be leading the way for goals and assists from midfield.

Think this is where Nabil Fekir would have come in...

[Buzzo]

Not often I'll say I agree with Chris Sutton.

It is "ludicrous" to suggest Liverpool are "bottling" the title race, says Premier League winner Chris Sutton.

Jurgen Klopp's side led by seven points from Manchester City going into their game on 3 January, but sit one point behind after Sunday's draw at Everton.

The Reds have never won the Premier League and have not won the English title since the 1989-90 season.

"To me the Liverpool fans seem to be bottling it, not the players and Klopp," said Sutton.

"Can't we just say that Liverpool and Manchester City are two great teams - it's a brilliant title race. This will go to the wire.

"When Manchester City lost earlier in the season to Palace and Leicester and Newcastle, did we say Manchester City are bottling it?"

The Reds have only lost one league game this season but have drawn four of their past six, including against rivals Manchester United and Everton.

"Is drawing at Manchester United bottling it?" Sutton, who won the title with Blackburn in 1995, told the Monday Night Club.

"Everton, their rivals, seemed to really up their game - their best moment of the season may be stopping Liverpool win a title.

"It's ludicrous to suggest that Liverpool are bottling it. They are absolutely not. The players are just focused on the next game."

]
'Squeaky bum' time?
Paul Ince, who spent two seasons at Liverpool between 1997 and 1999, says the club's 29-year wait for a league title is making the fans "quite nervous".

"The word 'bottle' is probably very harsh when it comes to Liverpool," he said.

"Liverpool fans don't know how to react at this moment in time because they've never been in this position, apart from when Brendan Rodgers was there and they slipped up.

"As a player nowadays it's a lot bigger, because of social media you can't get away from it. It's Liverpool, Liverpool, Liverpool... and every mistake they make, every result they don't get, people are going to start throwing criticism."

Ince says he experienced a similar situation when he was part of Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United side that won the club's first title for 26 years in 1993.

"At a club of that magnitude, you know the history, you know they've not won for 26 years and you know you're getting closer to it," he explained.

"Fergie would say don't read the papers, but you can't get away from it and the closer it gets towards the end of the season, it's only going to get bigger and bigger and bigger. You can't get away from it."

And Ince says Liverpool's star players need to "stand up and be counted" after top scorer Mohamed Salah missed two good chances against Everton and has netted just once in his past seven matches.

"Fans come up to you and keep reminding you. Subconsciously, you don't try to think about it but it's in your head," said the former England midfielder.

"This is your defining moment, this is where the big players have to stand up and be counted.

"That's why against Everton... Salah, if that had been Eric Cantona or Alan Shearer, they score that."


'Man City are happy leading'
Ian Wright, who won the Premier League with Arsenal in 1998, says it is unfair to say Liverpool are "bottling" the title race as they have progressed since Klopp took charge in 2015.

"They have got to a stage now where they are chasing down one of arguably the best teams the Premier League has seen," added Wright. "They are one point behind them with nine games to go.

"The biggest disappointment is how quickly they've almost written themselves off in the race. At the moment, they are in a little bit of a 'down' but they are still in it.

"Of course, City know what it's like to lead. City are happy, Pep Guardiola is happy leading. That's what they do."

And Wright says what the players need most is for the fans to stick with them.

"Just get in the stadium and make it a fortress again, frighten the away teams, that's what will help the players and that's what they need now," he said.

[Buzzo]

It's such a weird season.

Defence & Keeper - On the whole very solid. Both full backs massive attacking threats. Best centre back since Hansen. Best keeper since Brucie.

Midfield - workman like. Very little goal threat or creativity. In Fab we finally have a proper ball winner. Keita was finally showing promise and been bombed. Missed Ox but we expected the whole season.

Attack - as a 3 very poor. Sloppy, little cohesion, loose. All 3 have had good games but rarely at the same time. Mane is the pick for me but he will always be an inconsistent finisher, he's more instinctive. Bobby has been well off the pace for large parts of the season. Mo has posted decent numbers but his touch is awful and has been since August. It's like he's injured or has something massive on his mind distracting him. Gerrard had a similar season once.

I'll be honest I love our points total. I love the fact we rarely get beat. I don't love watching us. Barely count the games on one hand that have been fun to watch all season. Been ****e in Europe especially away. Worse than ****e at Red Star and Napoli. Out of both cups early, fair enough to save our legs. Not good in either game against City. Started to play looking for draws.

It's annoying because this same set of players minus the keeper played some brilliant football last year.

We've all been saying we will click soon but it's just glimpses. No we seem to have gone in reverse not helped by the winter weather apparently.

It just feels so Liverpool. Build your hopes up to get them savagely ripped away.

Fingers crossed the likes of Buzzo are right and We can make a decent fight of it.

Strange season.

Its not that 'we can make a decent fight of it' - we ARE making a decent fight of it.

Send out the positive vibes. Has to be more helpful than fretting.

I agree, it does feel 'so Liverpool'. But this will be what every team and set of supporters go through in winning a title. Last season was unusual in that City had it won by Christmas.

(We played well in the second game v City btw )

I'm optimistic.

We all should be.

[Rigadon]

I think it’s fair to say that Klopp is feeling pressure to win the PL this season, and this is reflected in the way we’re playing (just in the same way that Klopp can lift our play). The weight of expectation is different (higher and more intense) for a Liverpool manager. (T)His first PL title will be the hardest. His second, third and fourth will be easier.

[BigChief]

Ian Wright has been surprisingly supportive of us over the last few weeks/months. Even telling us to snap out of our self pity and throw everything at it. And he's right. Pun intended.

[RedReet]

I think it’s fair to say that Klopp is feeling pressure to win the PL this season, and this is reflected in the way we’re playing (just in the same way that Klopp can lift our play). The weight of expectation is different (higher and more intense) for a Liverpool manager. (T)His first PL title will be the hardest. His second, third and fourth will be easier.

Is it fair to say?

We drew 3 out of 5 earlier in the season when we drew with Chelsea, City and Arsenal. Plus we lost to Napoli in the middle of that run. Form not too dissimilar to now.

I get why the media and opposing fans want to pedal this bottling ****, they have plenty to gain from it, but I don't understand why our own fans are so keen to jump on the bandwagon.

No excuse for dropping points against West Ham and Leicester, but these things happen. Drawing to Bayern, United (a), Everton (a) is as much to do with them being difficult matches as it is to do with the pressure getting to us.

[labourRed]

Why is it ****. Sport is hard. And it's even harder to get over the finish line. Sport is littered with successful teams/players who struggle with pressure. Dart players arms tighten, snooker players cue action goes, football teams struggle against teams they'd normally roll over, golfers shank balls they've nailed down the driveway all week.

It's almost inevitable, you'd have to argue a very hard case about the players not feeling the pressure. Hell, some such as Virgil have even called out the fans' atmosphere and said it isn't helping.

No one is calling them bottlers, but to me it looks like they are playing with pressure and that's almost an inevitable consequence of going for a title, especially given our wait and history.

[Rigadon]

Why is it ****. Sport is hard. And it's even harder to get over the finish line. Sport is littered with successful teams/players who struggle with pressure. Dart players arms tighten, snooker players cue action goes, football teams struggle against teams they'd normally roll over, golfers shank balls they've nailed down the driveway all week.

It's almost inevitable, you'd have to argue a very hard case about the players not feeling the pressure. Hell, some such as Virgil have even called out the fans' atmosphere and said it isn't helping.

No one is calling them bottlers, but to me it looks like they are playing with pressure and that's almost an inevitable consequence of going for a title, especially given our wait and history.

most rational supporters would agree with you.

[RedReet]

Why is it ****. Sport is hard. And it's even harder to get over the finish line. Sport is littered with successful teams/players who struggle with pressure. Dart players arms tighten, snooker players cue action goes, football teams struggle against teams they'd normally roll over, golfers shank balls they've nailed down the driveway all week.

It's almost inevitable, you'd have to argue a very hard case about the players not feeling the pressure. Hell, some such as Virgil have even called out the fans' atmosphere and said it isn't helping.

No one is calling them bottlers, but to me it looks like they are playing with pressure and that's almost an inevitable consequence of going for a title, especially given our wait and history.

Of course pressure is playing a part, nobody is denying that. But just as big a factor is that these games were like cup finals for United and Everton and they weren't easy games. It's far too early to say that we've bottled the title (as many have) or that the pressure has got to us. There are plenty of other mitigating factors that contributed to these results, but some fans aren’t interested in explanations, would rather just say the pressure has got to us.

As I said in my previous post we went through a similar spell earlier in the season. IIRC the discussion then focused around our new style and formation. Some were arguing that the team were evolving because of this new found solidity, others were arguing that we were worse off for it, despite our league position. Earlier in the season, we were too conservative because Klopp hadn’t found the right balance, now we’re too conservative because Klopp’s bottled it, despite the fact we are playing very similar football. I wonder what’s changed…

[RedReet]

most rational supporters would agree with you.

I'm not disagreeing with him at all (bar the bottlers denial).

Unfortunately it had little to do with the point I was making though.

[Rigadon]

Of course pressure is playing a part, nobody is denying that. But just as big a factor is that these games were like cup finals for United and Everton and they weren't easy games. It's far too early to say that we've bottled the title (as many have) or that the pressure has got to us. There are plenty of other mitigating factors that contributed to these results, but some fans aren’t interested in explanations, would rather just say the pressure has got to us.

As I said in my previous post we went through a similar spell earlier in the season. IIRC the discussion then focused around our new style and formation. Some were arguing that the team were evolving because of this new found solidity, others were arguing that we were worse off for it, despite our league position. Earlier in the season, we were too conservative because Klopp hadn’t found the right balance, now we’re too conservative because Klopp’s bottled it, despite the fact we are playing very similar football. I wonder what’s changed…

Why do you keep on saying we’ve bottled it? Is the pressure getting to you?

[RedReet]

Why do you keep on saying we’ve bottled it? Is the pressure getting to you?

Bottled it is quicker to write than pressure got to us.

[danperkins]

Why is it ****. Sport is hard. And it's even harder to get over the finish line. Sport is littered with successful teams/players who struggle with pressure. Dart players arms tighten, snooker players cue action goes, football teams struggle against teams they'd normally roll over, golfers shank balls they've nailed down the driveway all week.

It's almost inevitable, you'd have to argue a very hard case about the players not feeling the pressure. Hell, some such as Virgil have even called out the fans' atmosphere and said it isn't helping.

No one is calling them bottlers, but to me it looks like they are playing with pressure and that's almost an inevitable consequence of going for a title, especially given our wait and history.

fantastic post

[Nicey]

Not often I'll say I agree with Chris Sutton.

Yep and it's so disappointing and so predictable, same people gave up on the team in our last 2 European cup wins.

It is what it is, equally, there are fans who are strapped in and enjoying the ride and up for the fight, it was always going to go down to the wire and there are just as many fans who are ready to try and push the team over the line.

The media are doing what they do ... opposition fans are terrified of Liverpool winning the lg so they are jumping on board

**** them all I say ... Lets put the pressure back on City with weekend


Get up for the game, get behind the team and lets hammer Burnley