06 Jul 2018 15:18:10
Our first two games in September now announced to be 12.30pm ko. Klopp has a notoriously bad record for games at that time.

Lots of teams argue about the sequence of games but eventually everyone has to play 38 games. What doesn’t even out are the early kick off games.

Can Liverpool not make a request to tv companies to limit the number of early starts?

1.) 06 Jul 2018
06 Jul 2018 15:52:17
Does he have a notoriously bad record on 12:30 starts? What is his record?

2.) 06 Jul 2018
06 Jul 2018 15:57:19
If we’re going to win the league we need to be winning games that start at various times, not just 3pm and Sunday fixtures!

A highly paid team of professional footballers should be able to perform at their best no matter the kickoff time!

Time to stop moaning about daft things like this and get on with it!

3.) 06 Jul 2018
06 Jul 2018 16:24:37
On this topic, Ed01 has said that a lot of teams suffer from playing early games as well so it is a feature and not a bug. Having said that, we have to improve and fast cos the schedule will NEVER change just to suit any team or any manager. Klopp will have to get creative here to get the boys juiced up for such games.

{Ed002's Note - So what you are saying is that a lot of teams lose early KOs? Would that be more than half of them?}

4.) 06 Jul 2018
06 Jul 2018 16:33:38
Kramer

We won 1 out of 8 Saturday lunchtime kick off games last season

I’m not saying that as professionals they shouldn’t adapt but if a lunchtime kick off works out to be a leveller between a better and slightly lesser team then it is a disadvantage for one club to play more games at that time.

5.) 06 Jul 2018
06 Jul 2018 16:37:28
Klopp's Premier League record in 12:30 kick-offs with Liverpool is - 12 games, 3 wins, 6 draws, 3 defeats - 16 goals scored, 19 conceded.

So no, not the best. Certainly something that has to improve if we're to challenge higher up the table.

6.) 06 Jul 2018
06 Jul 2018 16:51:19
Suck it up and stop finding excuses for losses i say. Every team we play at midday has the same disadvantage for that game so its an even playing field.

7.) 06 Jul 2018
06 Jul 2018 16:52:18
Ed02, all I am saying is what Ed01 said as in, other teams suffer from getting fired up for early games, which is what is bugging us at the moment. That is all.

{Ed002's Note - So my question is, does your use of "lots" means that more than half suffer this problem and lose?}

8.) 06 Jul 2018
06 Jul 2018 17:07:00
RedLorry, exactly my thoughts too. We just have to get on with it like the next team, no excuses. I wouldn't care if we played at 7am, they're professional footballers who shouldn't have a problem no matter what time the game is. With the team we now have I honestly don't see it been a problem.

9.) 06 Jul 2018
06 Jul 2018 17:11:22
Put the fishing rod away, Mr Ed002!

I believe the bit missing from BRover's post is that lots of top 6 teams have struggled disproportionately with lunchtime kick offs.

I would imagine that the maximum percentage of losses across all teams who kick off at 12.30 is extremely unlikely to be more than 50% ;-)

It would be interesting to look at, for example, average points scored by the top 6 teams in lunchtime kick offs vs overall, and that may just prove Ed001's assertion that most of the top teams struggle with lunchtime kick offs.

{Ed002's Note - Feel free to gather the stats.}

10.) 06 Jul 2018
06 Jul 2018 17:56:07
So the fixture compiler is conspiring against Liverpool already, we are going to be 6 points down after 2 games, it is an outrage. Our only hope is that the opposition are equally inept in the early games, so we can salvage 2 draws.

11.) 06 Jul 2018
06 Jul 2018 18:26:45
78.3% of teams lose their 12:30 kick offs, but in fairness 86.1% win a later 5:30 kick off on Saturdays. This rises to a whopping 96.6% win rate for an 8pm Monday night kick off. Source: FKFB opta index.

12.) 06 Jul 2018
06 Jul 2018 18:38:05
How can 78% of teams lose 12 30 games? There are 2 teams on the pitch.

13.) 06 Jul 2018
06 Jul 2018 18:10:12
Guys, you do realise the team we are playing are also playing at Saturday lunchtime? Not like they stroll up at 3pm and were already knackered!

14.) 06 Jul 2018
06 Jul 2018 18:12:32
Exactly ed02. It's 12.30 for both teams. If you're the better team you should (not always) win.

{Ed002's Note - You are forgetting the conspiracy against Liverpool.}

15.) 07 Jul 2018
07 Jul 2018 15:13:08
Like how klopp and Co figured out an effective strategy to manage the Dec-Jan period, I hope they do the same for the early kickoffs. Also, I haven't looked, but I remember during the season that we weren't coping well with the early kickoffs that either came after the international break or CL tie. So just stuff for us to figure out!