Galatasaray away Tuesday 10th March at 545 pm

[Exiled_red]

We do have options.

Down tbe right we can play

Salah
Dom (Jones, Wirtz or Nyoni replacing)
Rio
Ekitike (move Gakpo down the middle)
Frimpong

Wirtz
Gakpo

That 7 options from the players fit tonight.

We had the 10 outfield players who started plus Frimpong, Robbo, Jones and Gakpo from the bench who the manager trusts as senior options. Frimpong and Wirtz weren't fit to play 90mins, Gomez having played 90 mins will need resting for the next game. We'd all like to see Ngumoha play more but the reality is he's not going to play more than the last 20mins in PL or CL games. Nyoni isn't getting that.

You can list all the players who you think could play there but half of them aren't realistic scenarios: e.g. Ekitike is our only fit #9 if he's on the pitch you play him there, shifting him to the right and playing Gakpo though the middle is weakening the side by playing 2 players out of position. Sake with other options it's square pegs in round holes or trying tostrengthen one area by weakening amother.

Ok Frimpong, Wirtz and Dom are the realistic options, As I say I don't think Frimpong was fit to play 90, maybe 45-60mins, Wirtz is better from the left, if you move him to the right you need to find an option for the left which is likely Gakpo, but his form has been shocking too so you don't improve things (Yes people will call for Rio but the manager doesn't see him as a starting option). Dom could play there but he isn't really a wide player but he could do a job, that would mean playing Jones in midfield which I would be fine with, but I don't know what Jones has done to piss off Slot but it must be something judging by his lack of game time.

[Harv]

Total lack of grit and composure.

We are too soft, way too soft.

Even with Diaz and Nunez last year we’d be fast, snide and in their faces. We’re just not up for the fight or not physical enough to be in the fight.

Konate - an utterly shambolic performance. How we only conceded one goal is a robbery.

We're too Dutch. ****ing laid back, casual football thinking we're gods gift and the goals will come.

Cannot wait for this bald prick to get his marching orders

[DerKrampus]

Salah plays because it looks worse not playing someone on 400,000 A WEEK!

[Mr Pink]

i'm not agreeing or disagreeing, but you can see an argument for making sure he's available for the return leg whether he starts it or not.

So we implemented a self-imposed 1 match ban tonight, to avoid the risk of a 1 match ban next week??

I can understand not starting him, with that in mind (also I think the others are ahead of him), but when the midfield was crap, surely it would make sense to give jones 20-30 min, and tell him to be careful not to pick up a silly yellow.

I couldn’t believe that macallister lasted the whole 90 min- he was dreadful.

[The_weatherman]

Went for a run after the first half, my god this is some boring ****, I could see fairly soon that we were never going to score. Someone made the point that our training sessions under Slot are supposedly longer but on a lower tempo, to prevent injuries. I feel it shows in our games, you play like you train. Slow, devoid of urgency and it feels like the tactics/instructions are just too complicated, the pressing is ****, everything is a bit ****, recruitment, strategy and the fact that we've allowed Slot to take this team so far back.

Need to get him out ASAP.

[frank the tank]

So we implemented a self-imposed 1 match ban tonight, to avoid the risk of a 1 match ban next week??

I can understand not starting him, with that in mind (also I think the others are ahead of him), but when the midfield was crap, surely it would make sense to give jones 20-30 min, and tell him to be careful not to pick up a silly yellow.

I couldn’t believe that macallister lasted the whole 90 min- he was dreadful.

Imo the midfield has been the biggest issue this season. The main autopsy of the season will point out the form of Salah falling off a cliff, the right back injuries and Leoni, the fact that our 125m striker hasnt been available and the fact that we didnt replace Luis Diaz..........and that Slot seems reluctant to give Rio more minutes (correctly imo).......but for me the central midfield has been the biggest cluster**** that has had the biggest impact.

The form of MacAllister has been ****in unacceptable. There seems to be some rhetoric that there is something wrong with him. Well take him out then. But he can't seem to. Either that is because Jones is just not good enough or Slot thinks Mac can change his form quickly. And anytime Jones has played, he hasnt exactly made a difference either to be fair to Slot. Gravenberch has been a shadow of what he was last year and some of that might be tactical because he has been asked to play.further up the pitch. But even on the ball he hasnt been good. Szoboslai has played well - really well earlier in the season - but he has also played a load at right back......which is ****in crazy when you consider how ****e others have been in midfield. And there has been ****in nothing beyond that. Endo has been injured but that hasnt really mattered because Slot wont play him anyway and there has been **** all beyond that. There is a strong argument that we should sell 3 midfielders and buy 5 in the summer. They have offered zero protection to our defense and even if we buy the a defender and 2 attacking players like has been suggested, it will make **** all difference when out midfield is as open as Bonnie ****in Blue. The amount of times this season where 2 passes and the opposition are running at our defence has been ****in ridiculous. Crying out for a double pivot with what he has available. And what is also interesting is that we haven't seemed to be linked to any midfielders whatsoever. Last summer or in Jan.

Maybe macallister will come back to his best next season but we still need a minimum of 2.good midfielders imo.

[The_weatherman]

Imo the midfield has been the biggest issue this season. The main autopsy of the season will point out the form of Salah falling off a cliff, the right back injuries and Leoni, the fact that our 125m striker hasnt been available and the fact that we didnt replace Luis Diaz..........and that Slot seems reluctant to give Rio more minutes (correctly imo).......but for me the central midfield has been the biggest cluster**** that has had the biggest impact.

The form of MacAllister has been ****in unacceptable. There seems to be some rhetoric that there is something wrong with him. Well take him out then. But he can't seem to. Either that is because Jones is just not good enough or Slot thinks Mac can change his form quickly. And anytime Jones has played, he hasnt exactly made a difference either to be fair to Slot. Gravenberch has been a shadow of what he was last year and some of that might be tactical because he has been asked to play.further up the pitch. But even on the ball he hasnt been good. Szoboslai has played well - really well earlier in the season - but he has also played a load at right back......which is ****in crazy when you consider how ****e others have been in midfield. And there has been ****in nothing beyond that. Endo has been injured but that hasnt really mattered because Slot wont play him anyway and there has been **** all beyond that. There is a strong argument that we should sell 3 midfielders and buy 5 in the summer. They have offered zero protection to our defense and even if we buy the a defender and 2 attacking players like has been suggested, it will make **** all difference when out midfield is as open as Bonnie ****in Blue. The amount of times this season where 2 passes and the opposition are running at our defence has been ****in ridiculous. Crying out for a double pivot with what he has available. And what is also interesting is that we haven't seemed to be linked to any midfielders whatsoever. Last summer or in Jan.

Maybe macallister will come back to his best next season but we still need a minimum of 2.good midfielders imo.

Agree, in every team, the midfield is the key component IMO, ours is dysfunctional, the whole team is really but I think that's due to the midfield.

I think we need to go back to a midfield three with a designated six, Grav and Szobo can play as 8's, but that leaves Wirtz on the left really.

[Doc_Piptorious]

Imo the midfield has been the biggest issue this season. The main autopsy of the season will point out the form of Salah falling off a cliff, the right back injuries and Leoni, the fact that our 125m striker hasnt been available and the fact that we didnt replace Luis Diaz..........and that Slot seems reluctant to give Rio more minutes (correctly imo).......but for me the central midfield has been the biggest cluster**** that has had the biggest impact.

The form of MacAllister has been ****in unacceptable. There seems to be some rhetoric that there is something wrong with him. Well take him out then. But he can't seem to. Either that is because Jones is just not acceptable either. And anytime Jones has played, he hasnt exactly made a difference either. Gravenberch has been a shadow of what he was last year and some of that might be tactical because he has been asked to play.further up the pitch. But even on the ball he hasnt been good. Szoboslai has played well - really well earlier in the season - but he has also played a load at right back......which is ****in crazy when you consider how ****e others have been in midfield. And there has been ****in nothing beyond that. Endo has been injured but that hasnt really mattered because Slot wont play him anyway and there has been **** all beyond that. There is a strong argument that we should sell 3 midfielders and buy 5 in the summer. They have offered zero protection to our defense and even if we buy the a defender and 2 attacking players like has been suggested, it will make **** all difference when out midfield is as open as Bonnie ****in Blue. The amount of times this season where 2 passes and the opposition are running at our defence has been ****in ridiculous. Crying out for a double pivot with what he has available. And what is also interesting is that we haven't seemed to be linked to any midfielders whatsoever. Last summer or in Jan.

Maybe macallister will come back to his best next season but we still need a minimum of 2.good midfielders imo.

For me MacAllister staying in starting line ups is as baffling as Salah staying in them.

Think him starting is a big part of Gravenberch not being as good as last season too as MacAllister is being bypassed so easily that Gravenberch is just overwhelmed by numbers and easy to pass around.

Think when Jones does get on the pitch at the same time as Gravenberch that the latter looks a lot better because Jones will do his share of the workload and is not as easy to play through/past as MacAllister.


We have been linked to a few midfielders though. Wharton (no thanks, younger than MacAllister and no better defensively imo), Anderson, Gomes (the Wolves one), Stiller (of the House Nose).

Stiller and Wharton I would not like to see us get as both seem to need a more physical guy besiude them in order to have time to play make. Stiller is a bit more mobile and physical than Wharton imo but think we need to be replacing MacAllister with someone that has outstanding physical qualities along with being able to play or carry the ball well or someone with good physical qualities and that is very good on/with the ball.



Anderson seems an absolute machine in terms of recovering the ball and applying pressure and at the same time is then good at getting the ball to a teammate after winning it. He also looks like he just dies not run around aimlessly but goes to where he is most needed more often than not without leaving gaps.



Gomes looks good. Seems to work his arse off, breaks up play, gets stuck in and plays quick safe balls that get his team moving forward rather than going long with hail mary type passes. Looks perfect for a pressing midfield too ( though we do not have one of those).

Only problem I see with Anderson and especially Gomes is either would give us high energy, great pressing and ball winning but still leave short someone that is good at progressing the ball in the middle.

Gravenberch is a very good ball carrier, Szobo is more a ball carrier too and MacAllister currently does nothing well.

We have nobody that can both win the ball and then speed or slow down the game as needed with his passing.


Though if given the choice of just having that high energy ball winner play disrupter that plays it safe with his passes over the poor at everything MacAllister, then the choice is an easy one imo.

Just dropping either of Anderson or Gomes into our midfield would straight away give us less of a soft centre and give us someone that battles non stop and that hunts players down. That alone would remove a bit of the extra time teams seem to have to play through our midfield and also might allow our third midfielder a little more freedom to join with the three attackers.

[Exiled_red]

So we implemented a self-imposed 1 match ban tonight, to avoid the risk of a 1 match ban next week??

I can understand not starting him, with that in mind (also I think the others are ahead of him), but when the midfield was crap, surely it would make sense to give jones 20-30 min, and tell him to be careful not to pick up a silly yellow.

I couldn’t believe that macallister lasted the whole 90 min- he was dreadful.

I could maybe understand that if the cards were reset after this round, but they only reset after the quarter finals.

[Exiled_red]

Imo the midfield has been the biggest issue this season. The main autopsy of the season will point out the form of Salah falling off a cliff, the right back injuries and Leoni, the fact that our 125m striker hasnt been available and the fact that we didnt replace Luis Diaz..........and that Slot seems reluctant to give Rio more minutes (correctly imo).......but for me the central midfield has been the biggest cluster**** that has had the biggest impact.

The form of MacAllister has been ****in unacceptable. There seems to be some rhetoric that there is something wrong with him. Well take him out then. But he can't seem to. Either that is because Jones is just not good enough or Slot thinks Mac can change his form quickly. And anytime Jones has played, he hasnt exactly made a difference either to be fair to Slot. Gravenberch has been a shadow of what he was last year and some of that might be tactical because he has been asked to play.further up the pitch. But even on the ball he hasnt been good. Szoboslai has played well - really well earlier in the season - but he has also played a load at right back......which is ****in crazy when you consider how ****e others have been in midfield. And there has been ****in nothing beyond that. Endo has been injured but that hasnt really mattered because Slot wont play him anyway and there has been **** all beyond that. There is a strong argument that we should sell 3 midfielders and buy 5 in the summer. They have offered zero protection to our defense and even if we buy the a defender and 2 attacking players like has been suggested, it will make **** all difference when out midfield is as open as Bonnie ****in Blue. The amount of times this season where 2 passes and the opposition are running at our defence has been ****in ridiculous. Crying out for a double pivot with what he has available. And what is also interesting is that we haven't seemed to be linked to any midfielders whatsoever. Last summer or in Jan.

Maybe macallister will come back to his best next season but we still need a minimum of 2.good midfielders imo.

I think Slot believes that he can play people into form I think he has been doing it all season with MacAllister, probably Gapko and Salah too, and Isak before his injury.

I think Jones suffers from not really having long runs of games he only really had a run in December where we had a decent run of results and I thought he played pretty well for much of it, since then he has only started 3 or 4 games

[danperkins]

Imo the midfield has been the biggest issue this season. The main autopsy of the season will point out the form of Salah falling off a cliff, the right back injuries and Leoni, the fact that our 125m striker hasnt been available and the fact that we didnt replace Luis Diaz..........and that Slot seems reluctant to give Rio more minutes (correctly imo).......but for me the central midfield has been the biggest cluster**** that has had the biggest impact.

The form of MacAllister has been ****in unacceptable. There seems to be some rhetoric that there is something wrong with him. Well take him out then. But he can't seem to. Either that is because Jones is just not good enough or Slot thinks Mac can change his form quickly. And anytime Jones has played, he hasnt exactly made a difference either to be fair to Slot. Gravenberch has been a shadow of what he was last year and some of that might be tactical because he has been asked to play.further up the pitch. But even on the ball he hasnt been good. Szoboslai has played well - really well earlier in the season - but he has also played a load at right back......which is ****in crazy when you consider how ****e others have been in midfield. And there has been ****in nothing beyond that. Endo has been injured but that hasnt really mattered because Slot wont play him anyway and there has been **** all beyond that. There is a strong argument that we should sell 3 midfielders and buy 5 in the summer. They have offered zero protection to our defense and even if we buy the a defender and 2 attacking players like has been suggested, it will make **** all difference when out midfield is as open as Bonnie ****in Blue. The amount of times this season where 2 passes and the opposition are running at our defence has been ****in ridiculous. Crying out for a double pivot with what he has available. And what is also interesting is that we haven't seemed to be linked to any midfielders whatsoever. Last summer or in Jan.

Maybe macallister will come back to his best next season but we still need a minimum of 2.good midfielders imo.

[Buzzo]

Watching us sometimes it’s hard to know if loss of form is down to genuine player fatigue, or coaching. There are elements of our performances that look chaotic and unstructured and it’s genuinely difficult to believe so many players can lose form to such a level all at the same time.

The mitigation; it’s not difficult to believe that the achievements of last season have lead to a bit of a drop off. It was a monumental achievement and doing it again will always be hard. Some of the signs were there, Arne and the boys going off on a jolly before the season was done. That never sat well with me.

And then obviously Jota. An unquantifiable event. Who knows.

But the things that stand out for me are cohesion, mental toughness, playing patterns, style. We’ve only seen it fleetingly. Against Arsenal home and away, Madrid… hard to think of many other performances but it does seem to be in there. We just cannot tap into it.

It’s a coaches job to unlock this and that’s where I have my doubts about Slot. He does not seem to carry the fire we need to get us out of a negative state. That’s within games and in general.

[frank the tank]

I know lfc have left the likes of Gini, Bobby and even Trent run their contracts down.....but surely doing that with the head coach isn't possible because of the uncertainty with any signings etc....

So the fact that he has one year left on his deal mean that lfc have to act in my opinion- either extend or sack.

The fact that Alonso is free makes this a straight forward one imo. Especially the fact that he is doing nothing now. I reckon AS will be gone as soon as our season is over and XA will then be in place to have a full summer to prep.

If this is the case, then Arne will already know - as he will be not having the same planning discussions as last year.

[Slinky Skills]

I'd like Alonso here as he knows the club well, was adored as a player and he wouldn't have a bunch of egotistical cunts to manage like he did at Madrid (apart from Salah maybe).

My only concern is everyone says his style of football is bland and not too dissimilar to how Slot gets us playing.

I don't know much about any other managers that are available apart from Enrique who's team play some good stuff, and he won't tolerate bollocks from the players. I really like Emery as well but people seem to think he would struggle to manage a club of our size with massive expectations.

I doubt we'd get Flick and I don't know much about Nagelssman either.

[Yozza]

No away fans allowed in the home leg - does the stand remain empty (at a financial loss to us) or will we sell the seats to our fans?