Liverpool v Real Madrid

[Buzzo]

On the plus side, You and I are probably in with a shot of getting a game as the next CB pairing.

Two 6'3 lads who will just try to kick at things. I'm probably going to try and bring a folding metal chair on with me.

Rest of the team best get used to the idea of playing with a really really deep back line though.

Yep, I am also doing zero running. I will put that out there straight away.

[danperkins]

Hmmmm - not sure I agree with all of that. I fully agree with the aspect of Madrid and their toughness/experience etc but where was our nous - surely a 3/2 loss where away goals don’t matter wasn’t the end of the world. We showed tactical naivety by bring so gung ho and not staying compact

The most infuriating thing was we didn’t fight them - they tip tapped the ball around with the away fans singing Ole. Kick one of them ****ers into the stands and take a booking. We are soft - we used to grind teams down, over power them, overwhelm them but last night we rolled on our belly and gave up.

The games vs the supposed **** sides are flat so the players aren’t as invested perhaps. This was Liverpool vs Madrid in the CL at Anfield under lights - crowd pumped and we folded like s pack of cards

KICK THE ****ERS INTO THE STANDS

[Irishnev]

You aren't allowed to criticise Darwin - Harv will go mental.



Not saying its Darwin as he seemed to be marking - but someone, surely, had to go to the ball?

Bobby always defended the middle zone and was great at headed clearances - Darwin is big and strong yet his defensive heading instincts seem poor….. he lost Schar vs Newcastle + more. Gakpo is even bigger yet I’ve not seen him win any header

[Charly]

They scored 5 goals from only six shots on target, that must some kind of record?

Shows you the gap in quality where it counts

[Doc_Piptorious]

Yep, I am also doing zero running. I will put that out there straight away.

We stay deep enough and they have to run to us

[Doc_Piptorious]

Bobby always defended the middle zone and was great at headed clearances - Darwin is big and strong yet his defensive heading instincts seem poor….. he lost Schar vs Newcastle + more. Gakpo is even bigger yet I’ve not seen him win any header

Darwin did plenty of chasing back on the left flank. Criticizing attacking players for not being good at defending set plays seems to be letting the actual defensive players off the hook for not doing their job.

[Mark79]

Not really, can hardly expect the defensive players to pick up everyone involved in a set play.

[little dave hedgehog]

and it's zonal marking. you have to stick to your zone, it's natural for the guy whose zone the ball is headed in from should take the blame, whether or not you think he SHOULD have been there.

[Irishnev]

Darwin did plenty of chasing back on the left flank. Criticizing attacking players for not being good at defending set plays seems to be letting the actual defensive players off the hook for not doing their job.

He did and I’m not “picking on him” but if you are in the middle zine then you are one if the free men to attack the ball. I just said Bobby was v good at it whereas Darwin dies t seem as switched on and for such an aggressive guy he doesn’t use it defending set pieces. Klopp shouldn’t put him there if he can’t do it

Not really, can hardly expect the defensive players to pick up everyone involved in a set play.

Not sure I agree - like Jaco’s point in desire being a prerequisite then I think following instructions and being diligent should be the same regardless of what position you play

[Mark79]

He did and I’m not “picking on him” but if you are in the middle zine then you are one if the free men to attack the ball. I just said Bobby was v good at it whereas Darwin dies t seem as switched on and for such an aggressive guy he doesn’t use it defending set pieces. Klopp shouldn’t put him there if he can’t do it



Not sure I agree - like Jaco’s point in desire being a prerequisite then I think following instructions and being diligent should be the same regardless of what position you play

I think you’ve misread what I’m saying then, since I’m agreeing with you and disagreeing with Jaco!

Defending is a team job, particularly at set pieces. It’s not the responsibility of the defensive players alone.

[Irishnev]

I think you’ve misread what I’m saying then, since I’m agreeing with you and disagreeing with Jaco!

Defending is a team job, particularly at set pieces. It’s not the responsibility of the defensive players alone.

Oops - carry on then……. Jaco is clearly wrong

[vlahka]

Pjillips would have stopped that corner ball no sweat. Because thats what he does.

[Norbs]

The corner one irks the he'll out of me, he just went totally unchallenged

[badpiggy]

Listening to a podcast about the game last night and they made what I thought was a very good point about the 3rd goal - why the **** did we set up defensively like it was a corner? We should have narrowed Modric's options by having a two man wall and not making the weird assumption that a close range free was going to be either whipped or floated in high and that we defend zonally. So systems failure rather than Gomez or whoever failure.

[badpiggy]

They were also making the point that the longer this goes on, the more it's on the manager. Because Klopp is now in a position where his actions - or lack of action - is all about defending his ideology and proving that it's right rather than being pragmatic and trying something different. We no longer have the midfield to do what a a Klopp team is supposed to do so therefore it's up to the manager to change the system to get the best out of the players we do have.