25 Apr 2024 11:21:32
Good morning Ed's and my fellow Reds, one thing I have come to take note of is the fact that since that first leg against Atalanta at Anfield where we lost woefully, we have not been able to recover from that, due to the way they (Atalanta) outplayed us with their man marking tactics, Every other teams we have played since then have applied said tactics against us, and we have been unable to cope with it ( bar the Fulham game which I personally thought was a fluke result), this is where I think the problem stems from, what are your thoughts ladies and gentlemen.
Agree0
25 Apr 2024 11:18:50
I actually feel a surprising sense of calm and release today. Like you feel when something that has been causing you stress is removed.
The Utd match (league) made me frustrated and angry in a way I haven't felt watching Liverpool for years. I felt the writing was on the wall at the point but the Palace match really hammered it home. Last night was really just the final confirmation. I can move on now from the thought that we might have won another league title. Come back in August with excitement for the start of a new era.
Have a good summer, everyone.
Agree0
25 Apr 2024 09:42:22
that match last night was a very fair reflection of how we have played recently. It actually started in the second half of the cup match v Man Utd. We have been strolling round really arrogantly and stuck in this ultra slow "pass it round the back endlessly" football style. It just doesn't suit us at all. I like a bit of arrogance - but last night TAA was literally walking round from the first minute. It really sets the tone (which I think is one of the most important things in sport - not just footy) and invites the opposition to get stuck right in - which is exactly what happened last night. We were well beaten by a team with a better attitude and better players on the night. We have exceeded expectations this year . but having got into such a great position it is sickening that it has been self-inflicted that we have thrown things away. I love Klopp to bits but we actually look like we need some new ideas and way of playing. #YNWA.
Agree0
25 Apr 2024 09:38:46
Absolutely disappointed the lads who showed bite on the weekend and the desire that they should be starting just got benched for the players who need a kick up the arse.
When that lineup came out I thought we were done for.
Understand that Jota and Gakpo couldn't play, but Grav, Harvey, Endo and Quansah all should have started in my eyes.
Agree0
25 Apr 2024 07:32:52
Everyone can see that since Trent came back, we've been playing dreadfully worse than when we had a proper right-back who constantly held the width and could bomb forward with runs and crosses. My question is, can't Klopp see it, or is he so damn stubborn that he has to make it work with inverted full-backs?
Agree2
25 Apr 2024 08:44:13
I’m amazed / gobsmacked that no one at the pre and post game press conferences has asked him about it. Has any pundit analysed it? Carra?
25 Apr 2024 10:20:15
I think the only bright sparks this last 4-5 weeks have come from trent,1st 30mins against atlanta away in his 1st game back and his performance for 60mins against Fulham. In fairness mac done v well for a spell in that period and diaz last nite but other than that only positive confident play I've seen has been from trent.
25 Apr 2024 00:09:34
I don't know why anyone is shocked. Aside from the 5 games after klopp announced he was going we have been quite poor all season really.
Played some absolutely dire football sept to Dec tonight was the same as what we saw back then except Salah isn't there to bail us out.
One of the real horrible issues I can see is there are no real match winners in the team right now. Mac keeps getting moved backwards and he's the only person who I could call a match winner.
I don't even know why we need a DM. We did used to have a midfield of Hendo, milner and gini - none of whom are DMS or hard tackling but their collective press was good enough to not need a dedicated DM.
I also have to say I hope slot can get a tune out of szobpslai because since the international break he looks like he's forgotten what football is.
The bright spot is though that slot does like to play with technical midfiders who can pass their way through and I think szoboslai, Jones, mac and Elliot all fit that profile, even if some are out of form.
Agree1
25 Apr 2024 04:38:53
Did you forget about Fabinho or did you leave him out of the list of midfielders to suit your narrative? It was only after we got Fabinho that we won things. Imo, the strongest midfield we had during that time was Hendo, Fab, and Gini. Milner was more or a utility player than a starting midfield player.
Other than that one small point, I agree with the rest of your post. The slow, possession based football doesn't suit us at all.
24 Apr 2024 23:02:05
Fair to say this is a new low for Klopp.
Losing 2-0, with only 20+ minutes remaining, Klopp looks to his bench, sees Danns and Grav, elects to bring on Gomez and Tsimikas? You can not make it up. What was he thinking?
I thought playing a full strength team in a dead rubber match was bonkers, then, going under powered in the first leg of the same competition was by far his daftest moment. But, this might honestly take the cake. In a Merseyside derby, with our front 3 devoid of quality, we bring on numerous defenders and a DM?
And, don't get me started on the initial team selection. Jones in CM, after the performances he has put in recently. Macca, whose downturn in form, comes specifically when Klopp decides to rotate him with Endo at DM, rather than let him grab games by the horn and take command. Szobo, don't even know what to say about him. Gone from our best signing to worse signing this season, I don't know what is going on.
If Klopp wanted to make it so we would not miss him, he has achieved that aim. I've gone from feeling sad, missing Klopp who is still at the club, to wanting him out as soon as possible. These tactics, structure, trust in players underperforming has always been his Achilles heel and it has come to bite him right at the end.
There is so much for the next manager to do, I honestly don't think Klopp realized the work that needs doing. Salah needs to go, Nunez too. The experiment has failed, £85 million for a guy that misses sitter after sitter. Opposition fans genuinely laugh at him and look forward to seeing his next performance for the comedy reel. He strikes no fear in anyone, and us Liverpool fans are always prepared for his next miss.
The defence and offensive 3 need a complete overhaul, but there is no way FSG will allow for that without sales. For me: Salah, Nunez, Jota (Too injury prone) Jones, Konate (Too injury prone), and Tsimikas need to be sold. I would also consider selling Van Dijk, if he does not agree to a new contract, no more freebies. I was close to adding Diaz and Robbo, but that feels like far too many departures.
The fact that Liverpool decided to televise these last few months, in an Amazon documentary, is just the icing on the cake for what has been a whiplash of a season. From rising so high, to crashing down without any signs of fight or genuine care. Horrendous way to end. But reflective of Klopp this season, too tired and has accepted defeat.
{Ed025's Note - i agree that the choice of subs was awful MANGO, what the hell was he thinking mate?..
Agree1
24 Apr 2024 23:28:18
Need 3 goals? Send on Gomez and Tsimikas with 0 career Liverpool goals between them. Genius 😂.
{Ed025's Note - i could not believe that MK...unbelievable Jeff..
24 Apr 2024 23:31:09
As soon as I saw Mac at number 6 and Jones in midfield I felt we’d given Everton the upper hand. Jones has been shockingly bad recently and in no way deserves a start. Agree with you on outgoings, but I’m not massively confident that we’ll do the work needed or bring in the quality of players required given we’re still seriously interested in the likes of has beens like Leroy Sane. The squad needs a lot of work and some players need bringing down a peg or two (TAA, who was awful defensively tonight and offered nothing going forward, drifted inside far too often pretending to be a centre midfielder) .
25 Apr 2024 00:18:21
Very knee jerk Mango.
I admit we were poor tonight but all the talk of an overhaul is just ridiculous. We’ve managed to stay in a title race until the end of April with a brand new midfield, loads of injuries, playing kids for 3 months of the season and we’ve even had one of our player have his parents kidnapped for 2 months!
This team is on the up regardless of how this season finishes.
25 Apr 2024 00:21:37
He’s just lowering expectations before Slot comes in.
If the fans think the team is a total dumpster fire (like they played tonight) then fans will give Slot time to establish himself.
We’re playing a lot like we did when Bren was sacked.
Slow and ponderous on the ball, no movement and defensively frail.
He’s just lowering the bar for Slot 😉.
25 Apr 2024 00:28:43
What did we expect after 15 mins, we totally sht ourselves . not a bit of fight . quite embarrassing
. but not expected after the last few sht shows. the front 3 need to go . not a kneejerk reaction. people can gloss it up however they feel. but to me that was rubbish.
25 Apr 2024 06:50:35
I think unless Nunez wants to go i reckon he might get a chance with Slot but for me i would move him on, Salah a legend he's earned the right but time to cash in. Virg gave some kind of indication he's frustrated and maybe he might fancy a move, he came to win things and rates himself but maybe realises 2 or 3 years before major trophies come his way and might want it all now and decide to go. Konate no good, tsimikas no good, jones no good he kept beating his man and then turned back and looked for a simple pass. My fear is FSG and the coach role, they want full control over whos coming and whos going, Maybe they indicated this to Klopp maybe its one of the reasons behind the tiredness, tired of them dictating who they want rather than who he wants, its a bit like the manager apointment tbh, Slots not really first choice is he.