Southampton vs Liverpool - Premier League (20/21 - Game 17)

[wiw]

Seems the issue is away from home. 1 win in 15 games is not good enough. Not too sure why it’s the case maybe the fact we’re champions and teams are desperate to beat us and we’re not 100% all the time.

I do think the lack of home crowds is hindering us a bit - no pressure from the stand to attack.

Tinfoil hat moment.

But since project restart it feels like players are allowed to swing off our lads necks but we can't go within a yard of them

It feels like that because it is like that Getting silly now. You can see how pissed off our players are with it.

[Irishnev]

Since Matip went off mid game vs Weat Brom we’ve been out of sorts. Maybe it’s the lack of continuity and the changing of personnel that is not helping the confidence and the decision making. Don’t think it’s an easy thing to pinpoint. Only way is to try and play your way out of it and try to relax a bit in games I guess.

We’ve let ourselves in a situation when the players think they need to force it now, as potentially we could be second by the time United come to us. If we’re not careful, that point gap could be 6 points soon.

[ame="https://twitter.com/basstunedtored/status/1346229877658312707"]https://twitter.com/basstunedtored/status/1346229877658312707[/ame]

[BigChief]

Tomkins seems to think the PL is gone. I can't help feel I agree with him.

[wiw]

We're still top! Behave

Not even half way through the season. I hope to **** the players and coaching staff don't take the same attitude.

[greenturnip]

The problem is that our patched up central defence will probably be more exposed against the elite European teams. The EPL is far from gone anyway. Bejaysus - we're not half-way yet! And we're in the mix (top, actually). We need to stay in touch, improve and get some belief back. I'm sure we will.

[spud_gun]

Woah, we're half way there
Woah, livin' on a prayer

[calvoboy]

With our defensive crisis, the "2" in midfield is protecting the back four more - it's really noticeable that we're not getting the same numbers forward in general play. This means we are reliant on the front three firing and/or creativity from the third midfielder to break teams down. But the front three are obviouusly misfiring (Palace apart) just when we need them to be on form, and we've had loads of issues in midfield too with Ox and Thiago just coming back, Curtis being young and inconsistent, and Keita being made of glass-flavoured crisps. On top of which Jota got injured.

It's a perfect storm. We just need to hang in there until we get something resembling a squad fit again.

In that context it's pretty amazing that we are still top. The next three fixtures are huge though.

[Pablo]

We're still top! Behave

Not even half way through the season. I hope to **** the players and coaching staff don't take the same attitude.

Yep agree completely.

I'm seeing lots of defeatist attitudes on here and Twitter etc, which is inexcusable IMO. The team deserve better than that.

We're still favourites for the title IMO. We're in a rough patch in an unprecedented, unpredictable season. Even with that we're still top and right in it.

Others will have a rough patch too. I still think we're the strongest team in the competition and I think some of our fans need to stop being so negative about everything.

[greenturnip]

I think Thiago, Ox and Shaq are all justifiably rusty - it will take time for them to get rhythm. Perhaps they should play against Villa?

[Paul12]

The way we play has got very lazy. Once upon a time our creativeness went through the midfield, with clever passing and clever runs. Over time though our central midfielders have turned - probably in response to teams packing the central area - into hod carriers moving the ball from side to side (for the fullbacks to do the creating) or launching the ball long from deep positions. As a result, the strikers have become used to being customers of long balls and balls from outwide and tend not to play together. The Ox and Naby were bought to change that, because they are midfielders that attack the penalty area - Shaq ditto. And Thiago is also an attempt to change that. Change is needed because teams are packing the wings too, but at the moment fitness issues involving all three of them mean we are stuck playing a type of football that has been found out. Maybe we need to try Trent in midfield and see if his booming shooting and general box-to-box approach might cause the sort of havoc needed to unsettling teams with 10 men buses.

[frank the tank]

it is a pity that there is another lockdown because a lot of the squad could probably do with a week or so in the sun.

For me, a few points:
- We just look a bit knackered. I think treating the FA Cup as if it was the carabao cup wouldn't be a bad idea. Give most of the team the day off. I'm thinking a back four of something like Williams, Williams, Phillips and Milner. Midfield of Clarkson, Jones and Ox. Top 3 of Mini, Origi and Shaq. We genuinely don't have the squad to go for the FA Cup as well this season.

- I think a lot of this is on Jurgen. I still can't get my head around the team selection against Mjidgylland (or whatever they are called). Jota's injury obviously has had a big impact but the dropped points v Fulham a few days later has also screwed us. People will point to the fact that we spanked Palace 7-0 after that - but it's not a binary thing. The travel, game, recover, prep cycle catches up with the players. It has obviously caught up with us now.

- I think we will obviously be up for the United game. But they are dangerous on the break and will hurt us if we are not 100% on our game.

- We do need a defender now. I think that last nights selection has shown that Klopp doesn't rate Williams or Phillips. Our 3 senior center backs are all injured. I know Klopp has gone on before about how signing the wrong player can lead to problems getting rid of them later. That is all well and good but the club have to go for it. We have 3 center backs, they are all injured and one can't play 2 games in a week even when he is fit.

[frank the tank]

The way we play has got very lazy. Once upon a time our creativeness went through the midfield, with clever passing and clever runs. Over time though our central midfielders have turned - probably in response to teams packing the central area - into hod carriers moving the ball from side to side (for the fullbacks to do the creating) or launching the ball long from deep positions. As a result, the strikers have become used to being customers of long balls and balls from outwide and tend not to play together. The Ox and Naby were bought to change that, because they are midfielders that attack the penalty area - Shaq ditto. And Thiago is also an attempt to change that. Change is needed because teams are packing the wings too, but at the moment fitness issues involving all three of them mean we are stuck playing a type of football that has been found out. Maybe we need to try Trent in midfield and see if his booming shooting and general box-to-box approach might cause the sort of havoc needed to unsettling teams with 10 men buses.

Trents form has gone to ****. Not sure putting him into a new position is a good idea.

Our team has spent 2 and a half years really really on the ball. Plus a few of them seem a bit knackered. Plus we have been very unlucky with injuries this season.

We need to just stick together now.

Big pity that Anfield will be empty for the United game.

[Kenneth]

We played the first team in a dead rubber recently. we have options in attack on the bench but rigidly stick to our regular front 3. If fatigue is an issue we certainly aren't mitigating it.

[~LFCHistory~]

The way we play has got very lazy. Once upon a time our creativeness went through the midfield, with clever passing and clever runs. Over time though our central midfielders have turned - probably in response to teams packing the central area - into hod carriers moving the ball from side to side (for the fullbacks to do the creating) or launching the ball long from deep positions. As a result, the strikers have become used to being customers of long balls and balls from outwide and tend not to play together. The Ox and Naby were bought to change that, because they are midfielders that attack the penalty area - Shaq ditto. And Thiago is also an attempt to change that. Change is needed because teams are packing the wings too, but at the moment fitness issues involving all three of them mean we are stuck playing a type of football that has been found out. Maybe we need to try Trent in midfield and see if his booming shooting and general box-to-box approach might cause the sort of havoc needed to unsettling teams with 10 men buses.

Agree, the front 3 of Mane, Salah and Firmino is beginning to feel a bit stale and predictable, think opposition managers have figured out how to nullify them. Wouldn't be a huge problem if we had midfielders that scored goals but we don't, if the front 3 are off form then we can't score or create.
Thiago looks World class so far and Jota will be huge plus when he's back but there's major issues at the front and back of our line, good thing we have Klopp as our manager, if anyone can turn this around he can.

[Fredo]

Tomkins seems to think the PL is gone. I can't help feel I agree with him.

That's ridiculous. If we were 10 points behind City at this stage I would agree, but we're still top and still require these teams to play and win these games in hand, then we've got to play them etc.