Preseason Friendlies

[Irishnev]

Second game in a row Trent has started in midfield.

How did he go?

He’s not a DM - he controlled possession but he needs a ball winner beside him. Bradley tried to invert but wasn’t great, second half Tsimikas did it from the other side and again not great. McConnell was holding in midfield second half but he looked knackered

If we are going to persist with this formation a specialist DM and a defensive LCB is needed

[SB]

it was unlucky too, can’t really fault nunez for that one. What I loved about his 2 goals was how composed he was for both. I feel like last season he’d have just smashed both them at the keeper. Obviously it’s not the same pressure in preseason, but hopefully a sign of things to come this season.

Yep looked much more composed.

I didnt see it... but to sum up:

1. We need a replacement for Adrian yes we do
2. We need a reaplcement for Gomez no we don’t , he did well
3. We need some DMs yes we certainly do
4. Nunez is still great at missing sitters. it was a great save so I disagree

[SB]

Darwin Nunez - 8

A great cameo, where he displayed how threatening a forward he can be. Nunez took his first goal well, keeping his composure to round the keeper and pass into an empty net. For his second he ran onto a looped Salah pass, cut back inside the defender and slotted the ball into the bottom corner.

Nunez then provided an assist for his Egyptian team-mate, and was denied a hat-trick at the death, after the keeper made an exceptional save from the 24-year-old's header.

https://www.sportbible.com/football/football-news/liverpool/liverpool-ratings-furth-darwin-nunez-luis-diaz-doak-967108-20230724

[Fosterbloke]

It was an exceptional save, Nunez did everything right and 8/10 times, he'd be sitting on a hattrick and the winning goal.

I thought we controlled the first half really well and it wasn't until our first choice defensive pairing and Mac Allister went off that we lost our solidity and control. On the flip side, our offensive side went up several levels. For me the best team right now is -

Diaz --- Nunez --- Salah

Jones --- Mac Allister --- Szoboszlai

Robertson -- VVD -- Konate -- TAA

----------- Alisson

[SB]

An interesting summary of Conor Bradley’s performance

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/liverpool-legends-believe-conor-bradley-ready-for-premier-league-football-under-klopps-new-system/a2026978262.html

[SB]

It was an exceptional save, Nunez did everything right and 8/10 times, he'd be sitting on a hattrick and the winning goal.

I thought we controlled the first half really well and it wasn't until our first choice defensive pairing and Mac Allister went off that we lost our solidity and control. On the flip side, our offensive side went up several levels. For me the best team right now is -

Diaz --- Nunez --- Salah

Jones --- Mac Allister --- Szoboszlai

Robertson -- VVD -- Konate -- TAA

----------- Alisson

A nice problem to have & hard on both Cody & Jota to miss out

[danperkins]

Fofana did his ACL in pre season Dan - two huge injuries so young

Yup, looked talented too. Chelsea had rotten look with their defence last season and didn't have a striker. We'll see whether last season splurge starts to pay off this season and whether they can get Caicedo.

Personally I think they'll be much better than last season. How could they not.

[danperkins]

You are just more pessimistic than I am with regards Liverpool I think and more optimistic than I am with regards to Chelsea.


I think they will finish below us again this season and that they will not finish in a CL spot.

Right now I think we will come 3rd next season, but if we bring in some more quality between now and the end of August I could see us coming second or maybe even bothering City to the final weekend of the season again until either they or us break.


Chelsea for me are a lot further off the pace than we are, and I think that come January or February we will be in a CL spot and they will be locked in a battle for a Europa league spot with Villa, Spurs and maybe Brentford. Brighton I have a feeling are going to fall away this season. Not to a relegation battle slot but more to a somewhere between 9th and 11th type finish.

I'm not pessimistic with us and optimistic with them. I'm realistic with ours and their transition, I never said they'd get the champs league, I said they'll be in the mix, there and there abouts for the champs league places like us but that it's a tougher ask this season, as teams that finished above us have improved and we might have Chelsea pushing too.

There is no way they'll be as bad this season imo.

[Charly]

I doubt Klopp will drop Gakpo for Nunez

[Corndog]

I think we could occasionally see Gakpo as the most advanced CM against bus parkers this season, in which case either Nunez or Jota up top

[Corndog]

He’s not a DM - he controlled possession but he needs a ball winner beside him. Bradley tried to invert but wasn’t great, second half Tsimikas did it from the other side and again not great. McConnell was holding in midfield second half but he looked knackered

If we are going to persist with this formation a specialist DM and a defensive LCB is needed

I would have liked to have seen Fabinho beside him with mac allister or szobo ahead of them.

It’s a good point though, Alonso and Pirlo had the likes of Mascherano, Lahm and Gattuso next to them for periods in their career where they played their best football.

[danperkins]

He’s not a DM - he controlled possession but he needs a ball winner beside him. Bradley tried to invert but wasn’t great, second half Tsimikas did it from the other side and again not great. McConnell was holding in midfield second half but he looked knackered

If we are going to persist with this formation a specialist DM and a defensive LCB is needed

[Buzzo]

It was an exceptional save, Nunez did everything right and 8/10 times, he'd be sitting on a hattrick and the winning goal.

I thought we controlled the first half really well and it wasn't until our first choice defensive pairing and Mac Allister went off that we lost our solidity and control. On the flip side, our offensive side went up several levels. For me the best team right now is -

Diaz --- Nunez --- Salah

Jones --- Mac Allister --- Szoboszlai

Robertson -- VVD -- Konate -- TAA

----------- Alisson

I think Gakpo is one of the first names on the team sheet right now.

[Doc_Piptorious]

He’s not a DM - he controlled possession but he needs a ball winner beside him. Bradley tried to invert but wasn’t great, second half Tsimikas did it from the other side and again not great. McConnell was holding in midfield second half but he looked knackered

If we are going to persist with this formation a specialist DM and a defensive LCB is needed

Yep, we very much need to change the team to accommodate him in the role as he is not suited to being a midfielder that will get through a lot of the work side of things in the centre.

I am still not sure he is such an outstanding talent in the middle that we need to change our formation and need to add two more players just to cover for him.

KDB at City does all the play maker stuff and puts in a shift as a proper CM when City do not have the ball.


The risk we run with having to accommodate TAA imo is that when he is off form or injured we then have to tweak the team again to get some balance again.


Also think we look quite unbalanced with him in the centre and whilst our attacking ability is freed up a bit more, as seen in the latter quarter of last season and in preseason, we are far from solid when pressed as TAA in not the best in the centre against a press and we are still seeing gaps between the DM and RB channels that leaves the CBs exposed a tad imo.

Think I would prefer to see a DM who can progress play come in and TAA go back to being a play making RB and also have a LCB that can cover LB come in.

We need both those positions filled regardless of whether TAA stays in the middle or goes back to RB anyway imo.

[Doc_Piptorious]

I think Gakpo is one of the first names on the team sheet right now.

Hard to disagree with that as he had a great season last season, and what he looks like at times for us is a version of Firmino albeit a generally more clinical version (though Firmino's conversion rate last season was silly but ya get what I mean )