20 Sep 2017 08:18:15
Hi eds wondering when it's time to start talking the system being the problem. One notable issue seems to be that we are employing three similar box to box style players in midfield and trying for a co-ordinated high press in defense, but unfortunately we are looking anything but co-ordinated in defence and a bit toothless in attack.

Should we be considering mixing it up a bit more and playing a clear deep defensive midfielder (Can), a box to box (Gini or Hendo) and an attacking no.10 (Coutinho or Lallana)? Or perhaps go with a two man midfield sitting deep and more of a 4-2-3-1. I'd really like to see us giving up on the high press if we don't win it back immediately on losing possession and going with more of a 4-1-4-1 shape like we used to defend? I can't help but think limiting the space between our midfield and back 4 could only do us good vs. what we have now, which is looking a bit like disorganised chaos, and with Coutinho, Mane, Salah, Firmino in the side I'm pretty sure we will still score plenty of goals. in fact you might argue we will do better for dropping deeper in defence leaving them more space to run into when we win it back?

The current run reminds me a bit of January last season, and it's noteworthy when we went through a similar dry patch upfront, we changed to a more defensive setup, ground out results through conceding far less, and it seemed to help rebuild the confidence of the whole team again to put together a good run towards the end of the season.

I for one wouldn't mind us being more pragmatic, specifically away from home, and hopefully grinding out a few more 1-0's until we can settle into something that looks a bit more like a team before stepping it up a gear again.

Interesting in your perspectives, eds and reds.

{Ed001's Note - Klopp wants a deeper mid with Coutinho or Lallana in front, but we have been unable to play that due to Lallana's injury and Coutinho's sulking. We have got stuck with a midfield not of his choosing. Or rather, not his first choice.}

1.) 20 Sep 2017
20 Sep 2017 08:38:31
Thanks for the info, Ed. Great to know.

2.) 20 Sep 2017
20 Sep 2017 08:40:11
Who is the DM that Jurgen wants to play with? Lallana and Coutinho in advance so who is the DM? Hendo? Wijnaldum? Can? They don't have the discipline or the positional awareness I'm afraid.

We need a player like Mascherano or Didi and there does not seem to be anyone in the squad or Keita like that.
Those goals last night would not have happened with Mascherano sitting in front of the defenders. He would moo up the second ball from the corner and mop up the ball before Slimami turns with the ball. He would not be in front of the ball, he would always be between the ball and the defenders.

{Ed001's Note - Mascherano had no positional awareness or discipline. Mash never once sat in front of defenders, that was the problem with him. He was rash and would go walkabout in games but people loved him because he sprinted back, when it was his own fault for being so badly positioned that he had to throw himself into rash needless tackles.}

3.) 20 Sep 2017
20 Sep 2017 08:59:46
Ok, that's fair enough, but Didi had those qualities and Masch would, more often than not, get back and make the challenge.

{Ed001's Note - Hamann I agree on, and Alonso. I do agree we are missing one of those, but there are not exactly a lot of them about. The only reason Stewart was kept on was because we couldn't find one to recruit so Klopp had a look to see if he could make standard. Unfortunately we also lost Lucas, which was not Klopp's choice but he understood Lucas's long service and that the lad deserved to make the choice for himself.}

4.) 20 Sep 2017
20 Sep 2017 09:00:25
i think asking keita to sit as a DM would be a waste of his talents. just my opinion on the Keita portion Ron.

5.) 20 Sep 2017
20 Sep 2017 09:18:28
Why did we offload Lucas if you were never going to bring an upgrade over him? What a dumb move that is proving now to be! I can't believe I am saying this!

You play any kind of system, you need good midfielders especially in that deeper role one that protect a piss poor defense who intends to play high line! It's no rocket science!

{Ed001's Note - because Lucas had a great offer of regular football and a fresh start. It is call gratitude giving someone like Lucas, who has served the club with all his heart despite being the target of boo boys, the choice.}

6.) 20 Sep 2017
20 Sep 2017 09:29:43
Keita should be the one to play ahead of the holding player, IMO. As that will make great use of his talents.

7.) 20 Sep 2017
20 Sep 2017 09:31:17
And he is doing brilliant for Lazio. We should have upgraded that position in the summer!

{Ed001's Note - with who? If there had been someone we would have gone and bought them, or at least tried. This is the problem, there just aren't a huge pool of ready players available for the positions we are short in.}

8.) 20 Sep 2017
20 Sep 2017 09:43:02
Great post SGred.

9.) 20 Sep 2017
20 Sep 2017 10:33:32
Cheers MK - think people get a little carried away by individual results sometimes, we have good players but we seem to expose ourselves too often I feel.

We don't need to create 80 chances over 3 games to be effective, it's stopping the two goals a game that's key to rebuilding confidence and that has a lot to do with how open we leave ourselves sometimes.

10.) 20 Sep 2017
20 Sep 2017 10:33:53
Ed 001 Matic Ndidi Bayako.

{Ed001's Note - Matic wanted to go to United, Bakayoko wanted Chelsea and Ndidi was not for sale. Oh and Bakayoko and Ndidi are not holding midfielders either. Both are very similar to what we have, in terms of the way they play defence. They both want to get up and down the pitch, not sit and protect.}

11.) 21 Sep 2017
21 Sep 2017 10:53:13
What exactly is Coutinho sulking about? Doesn't Coutinho like playing in the front of a midfield three?