PL 2021/22 Season

[Doc_Piptorious]

Was a good read. Particularly liked this (obvious) paragraph :

Have to say that I disagree somewhat with that paragraph. We have two high class forwards imo, with Jota being a possible third (if he continues his form into this season.


Bobby does not fall into that high class forward catagory at all for me anymore.

Sure we can hope that he sees a return to form this season and he adds some extra goals to his tally along with returning to his high level of linking play together, but until/unless he actually ups his form and plays to that level on a consistent basis along with increasing his goal/assist return compared to last season then he is not the high class forward the article described him as being.

Attack is where I do feel we need to add a little bit more depth.

We have Salah who is just a machine and you always feel that whether he has a good or bad game he is still going to have a chance of getting a goal.

Mane was poor by his own standards last season but still finished the season as a one in three goal scorer from the wing along with getting assists. So his poor season is on the level of what gets lauded for other wingers. Have to feel that he will give at least a similar if not better goal/assist reurn this season.

Jota had his season truncated by injury, however the signs are good that he will be a getter of goals for us this season and his movement and directness bode well.


Bobby is the weak link out of that quartet for me. In the past his lack of goals were more than compensated for by his all round play and his ability to link play and progress play by dropping deep. But that ability seemed to be on the wane a little bit in our title winning season and then really dropped off a cliff for large chunks of last season whilst his goal return from all comps has been decreasing season on season for the past four seasons.

When his link play and such is on top form then his lack of goals is no issue, but take away that link play and with a reduced goal tally, he starts to become less than essential and puts us in a position where an extra attacker as cover/competion would be needs as the drop off to the likes of origi & co is too sharp if we were to have an injury crisis up front to match what we had at the back last season.

[RedReet]

Have to say that I disagree somewhat with that paragraph. We have two high class forwards imo, with Jota being a possible third (if he continues his form into this season.


Bobby does not fall into that high class forward catagory at all for me anymore.

Sure we can hope that he sees a return to form this season and he adds some extra goals to his tally along with returning to his high level of linking play together, but until/unless he actually ups his form and plays to that level on a consistent basis along with increasing his goal/assist return compared to last season then he is not the high class forward the article described him as being.

Attack is where I do feel we need to add a little bit more depth.

We have Salah who is just a machine and you always feel that whether he has a good or bad game he is still going to have a chance of getting a goal.

Mane was poor by his own standards last season but still finished the season as a one in three goal scorer from the wing along with getting assists. So his poor season is on the level of what gets lauded for other wingers. Have to feel that he will give at least a similar if not better goal/assist reurn this season.

Jota had his season truncated by injury, however the signs are good that he will be a getter of goals for us this season and his movement and directness bode well.


Bobby is the weak link out of that quartet for me. In the past his lack of goals were more than compensated for by his all round play and his ability to link play and progress play by dropping deep. But that ability seemed to be on the wane a little bit in our title winning season and then really dropped off a cliff for large chunks of last season whilst his goal return from all comps has been decreasing season on season for the past four seasons.

When his link play and such is on top form then his lack of goals is no issue, but take away that link play and with a reduced goal tally, he starts to become less than essential and puts us in a position where an extra attacker as cover/competion would be needs as the drop off to the likes of origi & co is too sharp if we were to have an injury crisis up front to match what we had at the back last season.

Fair points, but I'm completely writing off last season as there was so much going on outside of football and you don't know how it affected people.

I also can't bring myself to criticise anyone in our title winning year. Up until Covid hit we were absolutely flawless and Bobby played a big part in that.

I've always argued that when judging Firmino's numbers, he should be compared to an AM rather than a CF. On numbers alone 9/7 and 9/8 for G/A past two years isn't terrible, it's a goal involvement every 2nd game. Should he me getting more? Definitely. If we win the league again, will it matter? Not for me.

Feel like it's a very childlike response from me and admittedly my interest in football died during Covid so I wasn't paying as much attention as usual. I still think Firmino is an outstanding footballer though and genuinely belive he'll raise his game with fans back in the stadium. If it wasn't for ACN, I'd be confident our attacking 4 would outscore all our rivals. Looking at us in preseason at looking at our favourable fixture list, I really expect us to fly out of the traps this year.

[Kenneth]

Behind Chelsea?

Lol

Behind the European champions, lol

[Doc_Piptorious]

Fair points, but I'm completely writing off last season as there was so much going on outside of football and you don't know how it affected people.

I also can't bring myself to criticise anyone in our title winning year. Up until Covid hit we were absolutely flawless and Bobby played a big part in that.

I've always argued that when judging Firmino's numbers, he should be compared to an AM rather than a CF. On numbers alone 9/7 and 9/8 for G/A past two years isn't terrible, it's a goal involvement every 2nd game. Should he me getting more? Definitely. If we win the league again, will it matter? Not for me.

Feel like it's a very childlike response from me and admittedly my interest in football died during Covid so I wasn't paying as much attention as usual. I still think Firmino is an outstanding footballer though and genuinely belive he'll raise his game with fans back in the stadium. If it wasn't for ACN, I'd be confident our attacking 4 would outscore all our rivals. Looking at us in preseason at looking at our favourable fixture list, I really expect us to fly out of the traps this year.

I hope he does raise his game this season as he is one of my favourite players to see smiling on the pitch and as I said if he all round game is on form then his goal and assist return matter a lot less as him on form creates space for others to do damage.

It is just that he has been going down on a lot of the underlying stats that he used to excel at for some time now. His pressing, his chance creation, his progressive passing, shot taking, shot conversion, even things like % ofshots on target have dropped a lot.

I still think we are a little short in the attacking third though. The drop off from our regulars to the potential back ups/challengers is too great imo. If one or more of our regulars get injured for a sustaoned period or suffer a sustained loss of form, then those that can come into to team do not really offer an awful lot more than the out of form players

[RedReet]

I hope he does raise his game this season as he is one of my favourite players to see smiling on the pitch and as I said if he all round game is on form then his goal and assist return matter a lot less as him on form creates space for others to do damage.

It is just that he has been going down on a lot of the underlying stats that he used to excel at for some time now. His pressing, his chance creation, his progressive passing, shot taking, shot conversion, even things like % ofshots on target have dropped a lot.

I still think we are a little short in the attacking third though. The drop off from our regulars to the potential back ups/challengers is too great imo. If one or more of our regulars get injured for a sustaoned period or suffer a sustained loss of form, then those that can come into to team do not really offer an awful lot more than the out of form players

Personally, I think we could scrape by until January, but when Shaq goes, I think we'll find a replacement. That's why I didn't think there is such a panic to get someone in and allow them a full preseason. We can sign them late in the window, ease them in gently and have them ready to step up when they are really needed after Christmas.

As for Bobby, we look like we will be playing a high press again which obviously suits him and there are plenty of unquantifiable factors I'm hoping will spur him on (genuine challenge from Jota, fans back, disappointment of last year & Copa, hopefully some normality outside of football).

He finished the season in decent form (scooped me a few hundred scoring that brace against United ) and looked sharp last night, so outside of my blind faith, there is some valid evidence to suggest that he could have a great season this year.

[Scratch]

We will see a much different Bobby (and Mane and others too) this season compared to last, cos circumstances are changed; there's a bigger gap between games, we have 4 fully fit (touch wood) forwards to rotate in and out when required, there's been a full, drawn out preseason to ramp up player fitness and, all being well, a fully functioning midfield behind the front three which will make a big difference by taking some workload away from the frontline.

[Rich]

We will see a much different Bobby (and Mane and others too) this season compared to last, cos circumstances are changed; there's a bigger gap between games, we have 4 fully fit (touch wood) forwards to rotate in and out when required, there's been a full, drawn out preseason to ramp up player fitness and, all being well, a fully functioning midfield behind the front three which will make a big difference by taking some workload away from the frontline.

...and the fans. I reckon both Mane and Firmino were impacted more than others from the lack of fans. Bobby F in particular is such an extravert on the pitch.

[Corndog]

Ahh, the glory days...

Brings back nightmares.

I honestly think the current squads second string would destroy some of the first teams we had in the darker times in the 90s, 00s and 10s

[RichC]

...and the fans. I reckon both Mane and Firmino were impacted more than others from the lack of fans. Bobby F in particular is such an extravert on the pitch.

Yup, the lack of fans certainly didn’t help some players whereas you get the feeling others it helped, the likes of Lingaard and Shaw having their best seasons without them being there.

[Tribute]

Yup, the lack of fans certainly didn’t help some players whereas you get the feeling others it helped, the likes of Lingaard and Shaw having their best seasons without them being there.

exactly this - we suffered most from fans not being in the stadiums, that was pretty clear to see - our players genuinely love hearing their songs and fans getting behind them at home...

Less so for the likes of United and City where the fanbase is pretty quiet, even given the larger numbers... Utd fans only ever seem to really get up for it when they play us or City... rarely anytime else.

I'm hoping our energy levels on the pitch are turbo-charged with a rocking Anfield... sorely missed last season in so many lo-tempo, low block games... we looked devoid of ideas and lacking the press. New season, new optimism...

[Kenneth]

The implication being that Klopp isn’t as good at motivating his players as the other managers and relies on the crowd?

[Scratch]

More that the atmosphere gets the players blood rushing and adds extra energy to tired legs, so going from a rocking, noisy stadium to a quite, echo chamber like stadium is an alien experience and takes a little from the players mentally. No amount of manager motivation can replace the fervour of a packed crowd.

Whereas City's players are used to playing in front of a lifeless crowd, so it wasn't much of a change for them.

[SB]

More that the atmosphere gets the players blood rushing and adds extra energy to tired legs, so going from a rocking, noisy stadium to a quite, echo chamber like stadium is an alien experience and takes a little from the players mentally. No amount of manager motivation can replace the fervour of a packed crowd.

Whereas City's players are used to playing in front of a lifeless crowd, so it wasn't much of a change for them.

So true

[fah-q]

Deleted

[Rigadon]

The ‘experts’ have had their say…

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/58141017