Thiago Alcantara

[Fredo]

We've consciously sacrificed some of our 'gegenpressing' heavy metal for control and calmer play this season. I still can't get my head round how we can control a game for long periods at the start of a game and then - for whatever reason, and it varies game to game - we flick a switch and can't put two passes together, don't close down quick enough and all drop five yards across the pitch... Baffling. It's not like we play with great intensity from the start anymore but for some reason, brain farts happen when we get sloppy and everyone joins in.

Long for the days when one player has a bit of a 'mare but everyone else is firing so it doesn't matter... Let's hope players find higher levels of control and consistency on Sunday pm.

Yep, we do switch off quite a lot. Maybe thinking the game is too easy, but this stuff cannot be allowed to happen against City or any other top level team.

[Mr Pink]

Case in point yesterday, got sloppy and we lost control of the game for 15 mins second half when we were in total control. Got pulled off after and replaced.

I think he got subbed because he got a yellow, think Naby was getting hooked prior to that.

Honestly I was surprised he even started yesterday, thought he’d be rested for Sunday- once I saw the team sheet I figured the plan must be to give him 60 min or so.. ok maybe the yellow accelerated the decision but I reckon Thiago was gonna come off sooner rather than later, to conserve him, for the city game.

Cost us a goal last night.

Was this your first time watching football?? The goal is all on Konate, even though he had a great game apart from that.

[Mark79]

Honestly I was surprised he even started yesterday, thought he’d be rested for Sunday- once I saw the team sheet I figured the plan must be to give him 60 min or so.. ok maybe the yellow accelerated the decision but I reckon Thiago was gonna come off sooner rather than later, to conserve him, for the city game.

Those were 3 planned substitutions on the hour. Thiago’s booking was by the by.

Plan will be to start Thiago and Henderson against City after splitting their minutes last night.

[Buzzo]

We've consciously sacrificed some of our 'gegenpressing' heavy metal for control and calmer play this season. I still can't get my head round how we can control a game for long periods at the start of a game and then - for whatever reason, and it varies game to game - we flick a switch and can't put two passes together, don't close down quick enough and all drop five yards across the pitch... Baffling. It's not like we play with great intensity from the start anymore but for some reason, brain farts happen when we get sloppy and everyone joins in.

Long for the days when one player has a bit of a 'mare but everyone else is firing so it doesn't matter... Let's hope players find higher levels of control and consistency on Sunday pm.

Yep, we do switch off quite a lot. Maybe thinking the game is too easy, but this stuff cannot be allowed to happen against City or any other top level team.

Its an away CL 1/4 final FFS. We arent going to control it for 90 mins and batter them 5-0.

Imagine how badly Benfica wanted to win last night? Imagine how badly they even wanted a draw?

What we do now, is we weather the storms. Aiming for an eventuality where we are all 100% pass success rate for the entire match is just not going to happen. Thiagos passing is at times risk vs reward, and his decision making is pretty much bang on (he plays we win). The same as Salahs, you could say he misses a lot of chances, the fact is, he gets in positions to score constantly.

When the other team have momentum, we have defensive resilience. We keep them out. That is a MASSIVE part of football and one the early iterations of this team just could not do.

[Fredo]

Its an away CL 1/4 final FFS. We arent going to control it for 90 mins and batter them 5-0.

Imagine how badly Benfica wanted to win last night? Imagine how badly they even wanted a draw?

What we do now, is we weather the storms. Aiming for an eventuality where we are all 100% pass success rate for the entire match is just not going to happen. Thiagos passing is at times risk vs reward, and his decision making is pretty much bang on (he plays we win). The same as Salahs, you could say he misses a lot of chances, the fact is, he gets in positions to score constantly.

When the other team have momentum, we have defensive resilience. We keep them out. That is a MASSIVE part of football and one the early iterations of this team just could not do.

I totally agree with you and you know that, but these situations are fine when we are the far better team, and more important when the gap is more or less the same.

Even Klopp thinks we need to improve on that level (control and consistency), which we have to a large extent, as now we don't play with intensity all the time and reserve our energy, which is excellent and what teams like City do all the time. My slight issue is the drops in games, sometimes.

[Buzzo]

I totally agree with you and you know that, but these situations are fine when we are the far better team, and more important when the gap is more or less the same.

Even Klopp thinks we need to improve on that level (control and consistency), which we have to a large extent, as now we don't play with intensity all the time and reserve our energy, which is excellent and what teams like City do all the time. My slight issue is the drops in games, sometimes.

I was wondering what had happened..!

I agree, we should always be looking to get better, I am sure they all are, that (as well as being the soundest bunch of lads ever assembled) seems to be the defining mentality. They cant afford to pat themselves on the back ever, but I think we can!

It could have been better performance last night in the way every game could, but another W in a tough away tie, without really breaking sweat is a massive result.

[red g]

Each game Thiago plays, he has a period when he becomes sloppy and gets pulled off generally. When he gets to a level of performance where nobody can touch him, he just tries silly things when we have the game in control. That’s what I meant.

I think we all get sloppy when we are pulled off.

[danperkins]

Would argue that generally over the course of the minutes he plays that he is far less sloppy on the ball than most of the team.

Think some of his "sloppy" moments stand out due to how close to flawless his passing usually is.

Can think of five or six players last night who gave away the ball more than he did and who also gave the ball away in a manner that allowed for a counter attack or for Benfica to regain position and reset their formation.

TAA was caught out of position a lot last night leading to Konate going into the RB slot a lot and getting caught between two worlds himself as a result. Robertson looked leggy at times and got turned a few times by their wide right attacker after making a lunge.

Mane's passing was not great and he lost the ball quite a bit, same with Salah.

Don't think Thiago tries silly things either. He just tries different things which sometimes do not come off, but we have been crying out for a bit more invention in the centre for ages so not going to complain now that we have a guy with the ability and confidence to attempt the unexpected in order to move the ball on before an opposition player can react to it. Sure it will not always come off but the alternative is to play the % and just recycle the ball over and over and allow the other team more time to get their shape back.


Our midfield last night played well, especially Thiago and Keita.

this. He is absolutely essential to setting the tone and finding passes that nobody else can do in our midfield. Any midfielder can do easy peasy sideways passes with no risk, we have too many of them as is. Thiago can do that for sure but he is always looking for that killer ball, has the ability to pull it off. He's an outstanding player, just need to keep him fit.

[RichC]

It shows how far we've come that there's fault being found with a 3-1 away win in the quarter finals of the Champions League!

[Irishnev]

Its an away CL 1/4 final FFS. We arent going to control it for 90 mins and batter them 5-0.

Imagine how badly Benfica wanted to win last night? Imagine how badly they even wanted a draw?

What we do now, is we weather the storms. Aiming for an eventuality where we are all 100% pass success rate for the entire match is just not going to happen. Thiagos passing is at times risk vs reward, and his decision making is pretty much bang on (he plays we win). The same as Salahs, you could say he misses a lot of chances, the fact is, he gets in positions to score constantly.

When the other team have momentum, we have defensive resilience. We keep them out. That is a MASSIVE part of football and one the early iterations of this team just could not do.

We’ve won 3-1 away in 1/4 final champions league first leg and we are annoyed…..this off the back of 10 wins in a row in the league, FA cup semi final next week and league cup in the bag

We’ll tell our grandkids about these times - halcyon days indeed……

[red g]

we have just won eight consecutive away matches in all competitions for the first time in our history.

Happy days

[Charly]

we have just won eight consecutive away matches in all competitions for the first time...

Not good enough, damn it!!!

[BigChief]

Not good enough, damn it!!!

City fans can count that on one hand. Definitely not good enough.

[Irishnev]

Superb today

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[Catrin]

If only he’d kicked someone then my bet builder would have returned £80