vs Man City HOME

[kingfunk]

No team could cope with our injuries, but I'm confident most would make a better fist of it.

I agree this season is not purely down to injuries. Villa hammered is with VvD in the side. The whole team has been well below par this season. Like was said during the week, you will never improve whilst looking for excuses.

[Exiled_red]

Well that went well

Second half we were just **** defensively, to be fair City did the right thing of targeting our area of weakness the CBs, Henderson and Fabinho as well as they have performed in other games at CB they haven't really had to do that much defending and today they were caught out, defending those balls across the 6 yard box is something that they haven't really been able to deal with, that said the pissing about at the back really cost us the 2nd and 3rd goals came from not just clearing the ****ing ball, just kick it into the stand FFS. Alisson was at fault for at least two of those goals. League is 100% gone now, just get Kabak and Davies/Phillips at CB for the next game, Fabinho and Henderson in midfield and let Henderson talk the CBs through from there, that way we might at least be able to get a midfield that functions properly and with a suitable tempo, hopefully that will allow us to score some goals even if we are letting some in at the other end.

[Slinky Skills]

This time next year you won't have the energy to get so upset mate

That's true haha!

[danperkins]

Well that went well

Second half we were just **** defensively, to be fair City did the right thing of targeting our area of weakness the CBs, Henderson and Fabinho as well as they have performed in other games at CB they haven't really had to do that much defending and today they were caught out, defending those balls across the 6 yard box is something that they haven't really been able to deal with, that said the pissing about at the back really cost us the 2nd and 3rd goals came from not just clearing the ****ing ball, just kick it into the stand FFS. Alisson was at fault for at least two of those goals. League is 100% gone now, just get Kabak and Davies/Phillips at CB for the next game, Fabinho and Henderson in midfield and let Henderson talk the CBs through from there, that way we might at least be able to get a midfield that functions properly and with a suitable tempo, hopefully that will allow us to score some goals even if we are letting some in at the other end.

[Slinky Skills]

All stems from the back line... ripple effect through the whole team. Without recognised CBs, we lose two from midfield, which destabilises the middle of the park, we lose the quickness of counter attack, the drive to go forward, catching the opponent with pressing, the front three are completely isolated so come deeper for the ball, renders them less effective and we don’t create anywhere near the chances we used to. Sad really.

Kabak and Phillips for me against Leicester, push Hendo and Fab into midfield alongside Curtis or Thiago. Ali needs to give his head a wobble...

That's all true but ****ing hell, Klopp has bought two centre backs, stick them in ffs and get Fab and Hendo back where they were. I know Allison ****ed up but there's no way we'd have lost that game today by that much had we had two designated centre back playing in their proper positions.

[Exiled_red]

I agree this season is not purely down to injuries. Villa hammered is with VvD in the side. The whole team has been well below par this season. Like was said during the week, you will never improve whilst looking for excuses.

I was saying in the summer that there would be some kind of drop off after what we had achieved in the previous 2 seasons, we started to see it after we returned from the lockdown and we have continued at about the same level of form in the new season. I felt that after achieving what you have been trying to do for years a sense of accomplishment is inevitably going to lead to a drop off in form and despite all the comments about these being a good set of lads etc you don't know how they will react until it happens. Combine this with being the champions putting a bigger target on our backs, but the reality is that we need to keep things fresh and find new ways of motivating the players to keep playing at their previous level, and that hasn't happened.

The injuries have obviously had an effect, VVD was a massive loss, but I think we could probably have kept ourselves in the title race with Gomez and Matip, but their injuries and picking our midfield apart to compensate hasn't helped anything, we need to go back to being a unit and put the best side out that we can, I think at this point that has to be playing players in their natural positions even if that means bringing a couple of inexperienced players, what we have been doing in recent weeks clearly hasn't been working and we need to make some big changes.

[jonnygrunter]

Oh well! It’s only football and whilst we’ve been a bit **** since the first lockdown it don’t matter. We’ve won the ****ing premier league and champions league so **** it! Regroup and go again next year when the crowds are back! Come on the red men!

[Tribute]

That's all true but ****ing hell, Klopp has bought two centre backs, stick them in ffs and get Fab and Hendo back where they were. I know Allison ****ed up but there's no way we'd have lost that game today by that much had we had two designated centre back playing in their proper positions.

That was my point really, not like he has the luxury now of bedding them in, we need to pick up points. Leaking a few goals is fine if we’re much stronger and quicker going forward. Moving Hendo and Fab back into midfield should see a step change in that respect. Still need to be more clinical up top too...

[Roboklopp]

I was saying in the summer that there would be some kind of drop off after what we had achieved in the previous 2 seasons, we started to see it after we returned from the lockdown and we have continued at about the same level of form in the new season. I felt that after achieving what you have been trying to do for years a sense of accomplishment is inevitably going to lead to a drop off in form and despite all the comments about these being a good set of lads etc you don't know how they will react until it happens. Combine this with being the champions putting a bigger target on our backs, but the reality is that we need to keep things fresh and find new ways of motivating the players to keep playing at their previous level, and that hasn't happened.

The injuries have obviously had an effect, VVD was a massive loss, but I think we could probably have kept ourselves in the title race with Gomez and Matip, but their injuries and picking our midfield apart to compensate hasn't helped anything, we need to go back to being a unit and put the best side out that we can, I think at this point that has to be playing players in their natural positions even if that means bringing a couple of inexperienced players, what we have been doing in recent weeks clearly hasn't been working and we need to make some big changes.

Oh well! It’s only football and whilst we’ve been a bit **** since the first lockdown it don’t matter. We’ve won the ****ing premier league and champions league so **** it! Regroup and go again next year when the crowds are back! Come on the red men!

Both of these. I thought we’d drop off last season tbh. Such long high stakes high intensity seasons with such a small squad (or small number thereof regularly utilised).

We really should have strengthen more regularly and with more quality and now it’s costing us badly.

Hopefully we will make top 4, but do we have enough funds to plug the gaps and enable us to compete at elite level again? I’m not sure we do, even without covid .

[Kenneth]

I suspect not. Was fun while it lasted.

[Kenneth]

we need to go back to being a unit and put the best side out that we can, I think at this point that has to be playing players in their natural positions even if that means bringing a couple of inexperienced players, what we have been doing in recent weeks clearly hasn't been working and we need to make some big changes.

But what is our best midfield?

[Exiled_red]

But what is our best midfield?

Well I would say it has Henderson, Fabinho +1 in it, unclear at this point who the third, last season it would have been Wijnaldum, since Thiago came in you might expect it to be him, Jones has been in decent form too. Personally I would go with Henderson Fabinho and Thiago for the Leicester game and see how that goes, if we want a more attacking change bring Jones on.

[Slinky Skills]

That was my point really, not like he has the luxury now of bedding them in, we need to pick up points. Leaking a few goals is fine if we’re much stronger and quicker going forward. Moving Hendo and Fab back into midfield should see a step change in that respect. Still need to be more clinical up top too...

[RichC]

Season is a write off. Massive injury problems and the lack of
Fans have done for us and off the back of constant chopping and changing you can see a bit of confidence has been sucked out of the players.

It’s disappointing, and that’s an understatement but I’m hopefully that this is just a horrible freak of a season. Calls of Klopp being a coward and it’s the goalkeeper coaches fault just smack of people with incredibly short memories

[ronanm]

Were in it until the alisson wonderland double. Get the 2cbs in and move fab and hendo into midfield. Jota back. Aim for top 4 which we should get. Team are aging now and need freshening up.