08 Oct 2020 09:04:49
I read a response from ed001 the other day regarding vvd and gomez partnership. After reading it I come off thinking that can't be right vvd was the focus of the blame and I for one couldn't get my head around it, he the best cb in world football at the minute how can us as liverpool fans slate him. so I went back and looked at games so far this season.
Leeds: we looked a shambles defensively and the high line was exposed time and time again but put it down to first game syndrome
Chelsea: we looked pretty dominant and was a good 0-2 win against a potential title rival away with a clean sheet, so didn't really pay much attention after, but there was certain situations during game I feel Chelsea was one pass off or a composed head away from getting clean through.
Arsenal: probs our most dominant win of the season and probs since lockdown. We on top for nearly 93 mins and in all fairness Arsenal didn't come to have a go, they come to roll over.
Aston Villa: game was hopefully a bit of a freak, couple offsides could have went our way, couple deflected shots went in, trying not to make to many excuses as the loss was fully deserved but could have been a 1 or 2 goal defeat on the day. One thing that stuck with me on this game was when a player comes up against vvd they don't try take him on, normally pass it off. Not only did villa attack vvd they had the audacity to even press him, he was most definitely rattled this game.
Whilst I don't agree with ed001 reusing to acknowledge J. Gomez fault in these defensive performances this season i do think vvd seems to have dropped his levels or motivation thus far and hope he can reach the level that got people to stand up and recognise his as the best cb in world football.

{Ed001's Note - I am not refusing to acknowledge Gomez's part, I am saying that the senior man sets the line, so has to bear the brunt of the blame. In the reviews I have said he is playing badly as well, but he is being hindered by Virgil's refusal to drop off. My point is that people are slaughtering Gomez and completely ignoring Virgils part. If you are going to be fair, then Virgil has to accept the lion's share of the blame, just like he got the lion's share of the credit when things were going well.}

08 Oct 2020 11:17:34
100% Ed001. As the "leader" of the back line he calls the shots, on Sunday the high line was continually breached. As the "leader" and captain he should've told the other 3 that they were dropping 10-15 yards deeper. End of discussion. Price tag doesn't, or at least it shouldn't, give you a pass from being criticised.

{Ed001's Note - exactly, he was magnificent for a while, but that does not excuse you from criticism. You have to be judged on how you perform. I have grown to really love Virgil as a player, but there has been a noticeable drop off over the last few months, even before the lockdown. It is very worrying as it is a trend that has existed throughout his career and somehow Klopp needs to figure out how to get him over it and back to his incredible best.}

08 Oct 2020 11:56:18
Sun it was Kieta’s fault
Mon it was Gomez fault
Tue was our high defensive line fault
Wed it was because we can’t raise our game with no fans and it doesn’t affect other teams.
Thu it’s VVD’s fault 😂
By time we get to the Everton game in 10 days it would have been the tea ladies fault 😂.
Win as a team lose as a team. Since Feb we have had some very up and down performances and results. Apart from Salah, Mane and Robbo I think all the rest of the players are really struggling to get their consistency back as they seem to be so up and down. Hopefully the return of our Captain (if he comes through this international window) and Thiago and Mane give us a huge boost for Everton. Adrian is our biggest worry but at the opposite end Pickford will be Everton’s. Hopefully Bobby will have found his shooting boots by then as I think my Nan could score past Pickford if she was given a half chance.

08 Oct 2020 12:17:11
I'm not blaming any player JK23. Far from blaming any individual on Sunday I'd look at the collective. With the exception of Salah and Robbo on Sunday the rest of the team looked lethargic. Hopefully it was just one of them days.

08 Oct 2020 13:22:10
Ed001, I would like your thoughts on the high line with the absence of alisson in the line-up? Alisson is great with his feet and can read the game. Playing high with his ability to come off his line surly limits the space in behind the back 4. With Adrian in goal that is a recipe for disaster! He can't read the game and if he does come off his line who knows what he is going to do.

{Ed001's Note - you are being very harsh on Adrian and it worked well enough in his previous games that this was the first we lost in the Premier League with him in goal. You are clearly just a knee jerk reactionist posting a ridiculous overblown reaction to one game.}

08 Oct 2020 13:33:37
This is not one game. Yes he won games at the beginning of last year but we were hungry and head and shoulders above the teams we played during that run. He cost us the champions league last year and has looked Shakey everytime he has put on the gloves for Liverpool. I don't believe that is a knee jerk reaction. Do I blame him for the loss against villa? Absolutely not. We were terrible all over the park but if you can honestly say we're in good hands with him between the sticks I have to disagree.

{Ed001's Note - ok if you say so, you clearly know it all already, so why bother wasting my time?}

08 Oct 2020 13:50:33
I am just curious to your thoughts on the high line with Adrian.

08 Oct 2020 13:58:08
Meant to say I was curious*

Thanks for your time ed001.

08 Oct 2020 22:21:08
It's just a shock the van djike comes in for criticism. Which he tightly deserves. Forget holding the line, which he should be doing, the "best cb in the world" should do something when we've shipped 4 goals. He needs to get stuck in more. He's big, fast, skillful and strong. He's hard to go past, but he could be even better if he were more energetic.

He's fantastic though, and I wouldn't be surprised if we barely concede another goal all season. I can see a massive run of clean sheets and wins.

08 Oct 2020 22:40:58
VVD has a number of bad games and has had them of late BUT cos we won, he is untouched. Now we are getting more and more exposed and his poor play is showing more and more BUT again, let us blame the guy next to him cos that is the easy thing to do.

In this case, NONE of the back 4 bar Robbo, is playing well right now and if VVD is the capt of the defence and he is playing poorly, he is putting a bigger burden on the others esp. Gomez who now has to look after VVD's mistakes. If he is doing that, who is looking after Gomez when he makes a mistake or TAA when he makes mistakes?

All in all, the whole team were crap vs Villa and Adrian needs to be helped and the system may need to be tweaked a bit to accommodate him. But most importantly, our midfield need to get back to the high press cos that is what killed us the most vs Villa. Not the high line and repeating that will NEVER make it so, IMO.