Naby Keita

[RedReet]

So will Thiago be available for the Utd game

The Anfield one if we're lucky.

[Angryred]

So will Thiago be available for the Utd game

[Buzzo]

I said earlier I think the entire midfield was poor, Hendo hasn't been on it for a while for me and last night the 3 in midfield looked out of shape on a number of occasions and much like at the back it's about getting the right partnerships working, the 3 last night to me just felt disjointed.

We look much better when we have Fab sitting, I like Naby and he does offer things that most of our other midfielders don't the issue I guess is finding that balance to allow him to do that.

I'd be surprised if we looked to move him on.

Yeah I think the blend of the three is so crucial.

With Sadio and Salah not asked to defend at all it puts a lot of pressure on the three in midfield.

Klopp knows what he wants to see. He seems to almost have an algorithm and when you see him chucking out phrases like ‘the spaces between the defenders was all wrong’ you know he knows what has happened.

[labourRed]

Naby was poor. So was Milner. So was Henderson.

As usually, only Keita’s thread gets lit up.

The midfield has been poor for a number of games recently. Particularly Brentford and City.
And our favourite scapegoat didn’t play a minute in either of those.

Not a single post in the Henderson thread after his Brentford showing. Eventually some reaction after City, but much of it discussion over his role rather than the outright blame and writing off you get in here.

I understand the likes of Henderson and Milner get much more good will, rightly or wrongly.
But it’s like ducking clockwork in here and the match threads, and often it doesn’t even take an actual bad performance like last night.

Gee, i don't think scapegoating is right here.

During the first half in the match thread i think the whole midfield got it. But yeah, on balance Keita was probably the worst of the lot.

Everyone called for Fabinho in the second half. I even suggested it might be at the expense of Milner and go to a double pivot with Hendo and Fabinho, the thinking that Keita could provide some thrust from midfield. And well Milner always has a yellow in him.

As it turned out Keita was hooked for Fabinho and Hendo pushed slighltly forward and with the sending off Ox was also called on later on.

But yeah, the midfield will be improved greatly by Thiago coming back and Fabinho staying fit.

[Irishnev]

Yep I agree. Henderson has been miles off it this season. It's a concern. We badly need Fabinho alongside Thiago imo, and whoever for the third slot.

Elliot

[RichC]

I said earlier I think the entire midfield was poor, Hendo hasn't been on it for a while for me and last night the 3 in midfield looked out of shape on a number of occasions and much like at the back it's about getting the right partnerships working, the 3 last night to me just felt disjointed.

We look much better when we have Fab sitting, I like Naby and he does offer things that most of our other midfielders don't the issue I guess is finding that balance to allow him to do that.

I'd be surprised if we looked to move him on.

[Mark79]

Playing Midfield for us is a totally thankless task.

We win and the forwards get the credit. We keep a clean sheet and the defence and keeper gets the credit.

Our midfielders, particularly 6 and 8 rarely get credit. Thats not to say that Hendo and Milner have been great, Hendo in particular needs to rediscover hs levels, but - we are unbeaten in 20 odd games and scoring 3 goals per game, so something is working.

Overall, yes definitely. But we are conceding a lot of goals and chances lately and much of it seems to be stemming from off the ball issues in midfield.

It’s a concern because we were looking so good in that respect in the first 3 or 4 games at least, but losing Thiago and even young Harvey has caused us some problems. We’re missing Gini too, at least when Thiago isn’t available.

[Doc_Piptorious]

Playing Midfield for us is a totally thankless task.

We win and the forwards get the credit. We keep a clean sheet and the defence and keeper gets the credit.

Our midfielders, particularly 6 and 8 rarely get credit. Thats not to say that Hendo and Milner have been great, Hendo in particular needs to rediscover hs levels, but - we are unbeaten in 20 odd games and scoring 3 goals per game, so something is working.

Nail on the head.

[Buzzo]

Playing Midfield for us is a totally thankless task.

We win and the forwards get the credit. We keep a clean sheet and the defence and keeper gets the credit.

Our midfielders, particularly 6 and 8 rarely get credit. Thats not to say that Hendo and Milner have been great, Hendo in particular needs to rediscover hs levels, but - we are unbeaten in 20 odd games and scoring 3 goals per game, so something is working.

[fabinho]

Naby was poor. So was Milner. So was Henderson.

As usually, only Keita’s thread gets lit up.

The midfield has been poor for a number of games recently. Particularly Brentford and City.
And our favourite scapegoat didn’t play a minute in either of those.

Not a single post in the Henderson thread after his Brentford showing. Eventually some reaction after City, but much of it discussion over his role rather than the outright blame and writing off you get in here.

I understand the likes of Henderson and Milner get much more good will, rightly or wrongly.
But it’s like ducking clockwork in here and the match threads, and often it doesn’t even take an actual bad performance like last night.

Milner and Henderson have proven themselves though, and nobody thinks they're the future. I would've let Henderson go in the summer too, so its not Nabby being picked on, he's just a very average player.

[Shaggy]

Yep I agree. Henderson has been miles off it this season. It's a concern. We badly need Fabinho alongside Thiago imo, and whoever for the third slot.

[Mark79]

Naby was poor. So was Milner. So was Henderson.

As usually, only Keita’s thread gets lit up.

The midfield has been poor for a number of games recently. Particularly Brentford and City.
And our favourite scapegoat didn’t play a minute in either of those.

Not a single post in the Henderson thread after his Brentford showing. Eventually some reaction after City, but much of it discussion over his role rather than the outright blame and writing off you get in here.

I understand the likes of Henderson and Milner get much more good will, rightly or wrongly.
But it’s like ducking clockwork in here and the match threads, and often it doesn’t even take an actual bad performance like last night.

[Assassin]

The irony being that when he does play well, close down spaces, recover and recycle possession, they peddle the **** that he was invisible or anonymous, presumably because he isn't rifling volleys into the top corner.

[SB]

Disagree. That goal was in part his fault, but definitely not just on him. We had multiple chances of preventing it.

He offers a genuine goal threat from midfield. We lack that so that's important.

He's very good at pressing high up the pitch. He wins us back a lot of possession.

He's a good passer and capable of some great through balls. He does a lot of good one touch stuff too.

I think he's become a bit of an escaped goat, and is a slightly misunderstood player IMO.

Fitness record aside, I think he's going to be a big player for us this season.

Gets off lightly? He gets abuse every game, regardless of how he plays. We have a 100% win rate with him in the team this year, so he clearly is good enough.

There was loads of issues with the goal, Naby got done but why did Griezman have so much time and space to get the shot off?

Also, the goal shouldn’t have even stood, Pepe was offside and stopped Mapit from clearing off the line.

Haven’t been on here for a while and still some of the same ****. Naby was fine last night, scored a great goal and was generally good. For their goal It was great plu and no great fault on his own. Our defensive organisation was in tatters at time second half after coasting to a 2 nil lead.

Agree with all of you guys. We just have to have a scape goat to blame even when we win

[SB]

That goal was absolutely down to his terrible defending.

I don't think it is knee jerk to say that he's unfortunately just not good enough to be a consistent starter at Liverpool when you consider his whole time at the club to date.

When I think of some of the other stuff that has been said by fans about players past and present, I think he actually gets off relatively easy.

Maybe because of the price tag or his ability to go on mazey dribbling runs.

No way can you pin blame solely on him for that goal. No way brother