2023/24 Season

[Exiled_red]

I’m not sure if a lot of players are off form is true, they aren’t in top form but just sort of average in many cases. We could also do with getting the likes of Thiago, Jota and Robbo back soon just to have that top quality back in the squad.

Massive game next week for both teams. Also, if it’s a draw and Villa win they will be top at Xmas!

I would argue none of our forwards are on form Salah's goal against Palace was the only goal from our forwards in the last 5 PL games. Szoboszlai's form has dropped in the last few weeks, Jones isn't at the level he was at the start of the season and has fallen out of favour. Gravenberch and Endo are still settling in so difficult to say where they are. I would probably say only really TAA and Elliott are in any kind of good form of the midfielders and forwards available at the moment, and Elliott is only really effective from the bench.

Jota and McAllister are big misses as is Robertson. Thiago would be nice to have but I have more or less given up on seeing him in an LFC shirt again.

We really need a bit of a creative spark or someone who can get us an early goal and play the game at an appropriate tempo, the old Liverpool used to be able to start quick and put games to bed early on, this side really havedone that yet, We started quickly today, but the tempo dropped after about 10 mins.

[Kenneth]

Too many players who aren’t making any positive impact, especially those who we rely on, in the final third.

Diaz, Nunez, Gakpo all nowhere near delivering.

We’re getting too similar to the old days where, if Gerrard doesn’t step up with a decisive goal, we don’t win.

For Gerrard then, now read Salah

I was going to suggest that it’s like that except we don’t have a gerrard.

It’s this ****ing 4-3-3, it was a beautiful thing but the world has moved on, as did Salah and mane’s legs. Where is the number 8 running onto shots from the edge of the box like Gerard, or playing neat one/twos with the striker like gerrard, he’s stuck out wide trying to avoid tripping over Trent. Pissing around with Trent’s position isn’t going to cut it either, he’s not consistent enough to be a playmaker and he can’t be relied on to be in the right places on the pitch. Without the devastating wide play of a few years ago, we need our best footballer in the centre circle looking to make things happen, and that isn’t Endo.

[Buzzo]

I would argue none of our forwards are on form Salah's goal against Palace was the only goal from our forwards in the last 5 PL games. Szoboszlai's form has dropped in the last few weeks, Jones isn't at the level he was at the start of the season and has fallen out of favour. Gravenberch and Endo are still settling in so difficult to say where they are. I would probably say only really TAA and Elliott are in any kind of good form of the midfielders and forwards available at the moment, and Elliott is only really effective from the bench.

Jota and McAllister are big misses as is Robertson. Thiago would be nice to have but I have more or less given up on seeing him in an LFC shirt again.

We really need a bit of a creative spark or someone who can get us an early goal and play the game at an appropriate tempo, the old Liverpool used to be able to start quick and put games to bed early on, this side really havedone that yet, We started quickly today, but the tempo dropped after about 10 mins.

Actually just saw a stat, I think they have one Salah goal between them in 4 or 5 games - so yeah that’s poor form.

[Venton]

I'm not sure it's necessarily the players themselves. They just don't fit together as a team and don't connnect as they should. They are worse than the sum of their parts at the moment. That's on Klopp.

[Exiled_red]

I think we need to figure out how we want to play, have a set system and players know what is expected of them in each role as the midfield and forward lines seem like a free for all we swap players from one game to another and the system changes with them. For example swapping Gakpo for Nunez in the central forward position Nunez plays as a centre forward, Gakpo as a false 9 at times, expectations on everyone around them changes, same swapping Diaz for Jota or Gakpo, same in midfield

[frank the tank]

In reality, if Trents side foot was on target, or Konate found anywhere in the goal but straight at Onana...... or Virgil did the same with that header....... Or Darwin didn't ****in stop looking for a peno.......then we win the game - probably get a second goal because they come out of their own half - and we are all then on here having a virtual group wank for a few days.

The annoying thing is that i think they have given teams a blueprint on how to play against us. West Ham in the carabao might do something similar and they have better attacking players to hurt us (i presume kelleher plays wed night, if he played yesterday then i think United win the game so i actually think West Ham will have a very good chance of putting us out of the cup tbh)

But at least we will see what this group of players are made of. We got to the top of the league now we must see if the hunger is there

[BobTheCharmer]

West ham will do a hatchet job on us. A goal from a set piece and a counter attack.

[Buzzo]

In reality, if Trents side foot was on target, or Konate found anywhere in the goal but straight at Onana...... or Virgil did the same with that header....... Or Darwin didn't ****in stop looking for a peno.......then we win the game - probably get a second goal because they come out of their own half - and we are all then on here having a virtual group wank for a few days.

The annoying thing is that i think they have given teams a blueprint on how to play against us. West Ham in the carabao might do something similar and they have better attacking players to hurt us (i presume kelleher plays wed night, if he played yesterday then i think United win the game so i actually think West Ham will have a very good chance of putting us out of the cup tbh)

But at least we will see what this group of players are made of. We got to the top of the league now we must see if the hunger is there

Good summary

We had 34 shots yesterday, 8 on target, we continually made the wrong choice, but, at home, at Anfield its not usual that we dont convert one of them.

[Craig_H]

In reality, if Trents side foot was on target, or Konate found anywhere in the goal but straight at Onana...... or Virgil did the same with that header....... Or Darwin didn't ****in stop looking for a peno.......then we win the game - probably get a second goal because they come out of their own half - and we are all then on here having a virtual group wank for a few days.

The annoying thing is that i think they have given teams a blueprint on how to play against us. West Ham in the carabao might do something similar and they have better attacking players to hurt us (i presume kelleher plays wed night, if he played yesterday then i think United win the game so i actually think West Ham will have a very good chance of putting us out of the cup tbh)

But at least we will see what this group of players are made of. We got to the top of the league now we must see if the hunger is there

The problem is, one of the reasons that none of our “chances” hit the back of the net, is that they weren’t real or clear cut chances.

We had a chance at Sheff Utd where Nunez got in behind and one-on-one with the keeper. He didn’t score, of course. But how often do we create those situations?

How often does our full back or wide player get beyond the opposition full back, and cut it back or play it across the face or goal for an easy finish?

Most teams get a fair share of goals from these methods but I don’t think we do.

One of the aspects of this TAA hybrid role that I really dislike, is that it takes him away from getting into advanced wide areas.

Remember the season when him and Robbo got about 10-15 assists each?

We’re a million miles from that now.

If you had a few more of those overlaps and then playing the ball across the 6 yard box situations, even Darwin would be finishing those off.

[Doc_Piptorious]

The problem is, one of the reasons that none of our “chances” hit the back of the net, is that they weren’t real or clear cut chances.

We had a chance at Sheff Utd where Nunez got in behind and one-on-one with the keeper. He didn’t score, of course. But how often do we create those situations?

How often does our full back or wide player get beyond the opposition full back, and cut it back or play it across the face or goal for an easy finish?

Most teams get a fair share of goals from these methods but I don’t think we do.

One of the aspects of this TAA hybrid role that I really dislike, is that it takes him away from getting into advanced wide areas.

Remember the season when him and Robbo got about 10-15 assists each?

We’re a million miles from that now.

If you had a few more of those overlaps and then playing the ball across the 6 yard box situations, even Darwin would be finishing those off.

That is what thing that was glaring yesterday after Gomez went to RB.

We suddenly had width on that flank and crosses coming in, pretty good ones too.

That has been a recurring theme when Gomez has played RB this season. Decent crosses fizzed across goal, width out wide that provides the midfield with an option to spread/open the play and of course the chance to create overlaps and/or double up on the other team's full back.


Right now we have no width at all on the right. Salah is slower than he once was but he is still getting double marked in most games and without someone overlapping he is then easier to mark out of games, TAA provides a grand total of nothing in terms of crosses and any inclination to go wide or create overlaps, if Szobo tries to drift wide our no longer new box formation does not shift to close the space left behind.


Do think despite what look like obvious issues in our set up and with how unbalanced our team looks now some nine or so month into training with the box set up, that it is an indication of just how good a lot of our players are that we are still only a point off of the top despite looking as we are and despite us not really hitting any real run of cohesive play.


For me, it is the time to be looking to add players and rather than waiting for the summer, strike now and add whilst other teams are in a similar state of flux to us.

[Kenneth]

I not sure why salah’s position is so fixed. If anyone can do the Bobby thing then it’s Mo, especially now his pace is not a potent weapon out wide.

[BG1973]

Don't think salah could play the Bobbly role. Requires selfless play and willingness to get back.

To think he could, imo undervalues Bobby's skillset and just what a talent he was.

[rudedog]

The problem is, one of the reasons that none of our “chances” hit the back of the net, is that they weren’t real or clear cut chances.

We had a chance at Sheff Utd where Nunez got in behind and one-on-one with the keeper. He didn’t score, of course. But how often do we create those situations?

How often does our full back or wide player get beyond the opposition full back, and cut it back or play it across the face or goal for an easy finish?

Most teams get a fair share of goals from these methods but I don’t think we do.

One of the aspects of this TAA hybrid role that I really dislike, is that it takes him away from getting into advanced wide areas.

Remember the season when him and Robbo got about 10-15 assists each?

We’re a million miles from that now.

If you had a few more of those overlaps and then playing the ball across the 6 yard box situations, even Darwin would be finishing those off.

Pretty sure the reason we stopped playing with our full backs so high up the pitch was that it left us too open to counter attacks and opposition sides were quick to expose this.

It also put massive physical demands on the full backs as they were constantly running the full length of the pitch. The effects of this was clear to see in both Robbo and Trent's drop off in form.

[Irishnev]

Couldn’t find a suitable loan so we decided our Nat can act as cover for Matip…… obvious what will happen

[ame="https://twitter.com/jamespearcelfc/status/1736814703660380458"]https://twitter.com/jamespearcelfc/status/1736814703660380458[/ame]

[Kenneth]

If he goes on loan again he’ll come back with 6 months left on his contract in the summer. Annual salary of £3,360,000