18 Jan 2021 07:58:27
I think the best thing that can happen is getting jota and Matip back, that freed up hendo to play in midfield with Thiago. That will change the team a lot. I don't want this to sound like a slagging off thing as it's not but firmino has always done best again teams that come to play when's there's space between the lines. If every team is going to play low blocks then I'm sorry but it's just not going to work is it. Need to get jota back and through the middle.
18 Jan 2021 08:23:20
It will be great to have them back but the past is proof the matip will only last 2 games then injured again.
18 Jan 2021 08:56:35
True I also think klopp is so scared of losing that we are forgetting how to win. Hendo needs to be back in the middle and give one of the lads a run at the back and just play how we can. If we lose a game so be it but 2 wins and a loss is better than one win and 2 draws.
18 Jan 2021 09:02:39
Might be an unpopular opinion but I don’t think it’s as cut and dry as all things will be rosy once Hendo and Fab are back in midfield. That’s not me saying I don’t want them there as I 100% do. But Hendo played there against Wba, Fulham and Newcastle and we were just as toothless in the final third. Hendo and Fab in the middle help us dominate games, possession and turning the ball over. But against Wba, Newcastle, Fulham, Southampton and Utd we probably had over 70% possession and lots of attempts (despite 95% of them being poor attempts) so it’s not like we are missing them for turning the possession over and dominating possession and neither hit double figures with assists or goals. Unfortunately it looks like Fab is there for the season and I think Hendo will move back to midfield from Thu. The key one for me is getting Jota back as we look like a far more threatening team when he plays. We looked a far more threatening team when Mini played against Palace but I’ve got just about as much chance of getting a run in the team as he has. For reasons I don’t think anyone knows. Unfortunately managers live and die by their decisions and I can imagine Klopp really regrets using Jota in a meaningless game in Denmark. The good thing is we are only at the half way point so the season is far from over. If we can keep Matip fit (🤞) and get Jota back then things will Improve. My main point is I’d say getting Jota back up top is more important than moving Fab into midfield at this point.
18 Jan 2021 09:07:50
We can’t rely on matip his fitness and injuries are a joke it’s like Groundhog Day on here now we all know the problems and how to fix them but it’s not happening!
And the team are suffering the consequences.
18 Jan 2021 09:35:14
Just looked now and out of our squad of 26 players only 10 players have scored this season. 6 of those have only scored once. Out of the 10 we are currently missing 3 of them through injury Vvd, Matip and Jota. And another Minamino can’t get onto the pitch. So apart from the current front 3 goals are unlikely from anywhere else on a consistent basis.
18 Jan 2021 10:14:11
I think our problems lie more on a mentl and psychological level. On MOTD last night, they showed phases where in the first half, we won the ball high with Utd's defence all over the place BUT as Alan Shearer said, the wrong decisions were being made. Bobbie was the biggest culprit here. So was Shaq and Salah. Our defenc like it or not, is statistic.
18 Jan 2021 10:17:56
The whole team has lost confidence due to the loss of Van Dijk and to a lesser extent Gomez and now Matip. The rest of the team could play with freedom, safe in the knowledge that if they did lose possession, the opposition found Van Dijk virtually impossible to beat. That aura of invincibility has now gone and teams fancy their chances more.
I am hopeful that with Matip in a settled back 4 the rest of the team will improve, especially now the truly world class Alcantra is playing too.
While I do not agree with jk23 about Hendo, I do agree that Jota would definitely add a different attacking option for us. I also agree about Minamino, that lads confidence must be destroyed by now, does really well against Palace and his reward for that is to be dropped ever since. Ed01 has said Mina is struggling to integrate with the squad and maybe that is the reason he rarely plays.
Salah and Mane are world class and have simply hit a bad patch, guaranteed goals/ assists soon enough.
18 Jan 2021 10:20:31
Sorry, Sent the post too soon. I will retry. IMO, our problems lie more on a confidence level and maybe injuries elsewhere have caused that.
On MOTD last night, they showed in the first half how we brilliantly won the ball back high off the press (it worked a treat in the fist half btw) and the gaps were open in the Utd defence. What happened? Lack of confidence which led to poor decision making. Bobbie was the main culprit here. Same for Shaq and Salah. Trying to score from impossible positions instead of playing someone in. That
When you see these happen and you also see no desire to make those darting runs into the spaces cos no one is sure whether the pass will come, the openings disappear. Our defence is one of the best in the league since VVD and Gomez got injured statistically BUT I see how their absence, affects our attack as the FB's cannot get forward as much as they do w/ o looking over their shoulder. BUT I think if we can get some confidence back up top, we can improve. I think a guy like Minamino should start next game cos he can bring that fearlessness, hunger and desire with a point to prove, to get into these gaps that open up. We need a spark and we need it fast.
18 Jan 2021 10:47:39
Greenflash which part on Hendo do you not agree about mate?
18 Jan 2021 10:50:49
The problem is that we won't see Jota back for several weeks yet. Unless things have changed recently the last thing I heard is he is still in a leg brace.
The problem is the massive upheaval throughout the defence and midfield. For instance take Utd's 2 best centre backs out for the season and play Pogba and Fernandes in the back 4 and see where they would be - it certainly wouldn't be at the top.
Anyone who has played the game in the local parks knows if your best players are out or playing out of position it affects the whole team.
I think we accept what we get this season - if anything - and look forward to next season.
It doesn't look like we will retain our title, and we will probably be out of the FA Cup at the weekend, so CL is the target, but also unlikely I think.
No matter what, I love supporting this team and will never waver in that respect.
18 Jan 2021 11:22:11
I love how I've seen people blame firmino finishing and say he should be left out for Jota but the simple truth is firmino has never been a great finisher and his game isn't really about that. In addition he only got to have bad shots because was in the right place at the right time, just had the wrong finish. Why aren't Salah and mane getting in those positions?
For the past few games mane has been invisible (villa doesn't count) and Salah has spent the entire games dribbling into dispossession.
Firmino might be bad at shooting but he's doing a far better job at getting into shooting positions than mane and Salah right now.
18 Jan 2021 12:26:02
JK23, I refer to you saying that Hendo was in midfield when we played West Brom and Newcastle in at least 2 posts, which seemed to infer that Hendo position in the team was making no difference to the results, maybe I misunderstood what you meant.
However, I stand by what I say, the injuries in defence have negatively impacted the team throughout. Matip and Fab in defence with Hendo and Alcantra in midfield will bring the confidence back to the team, with players in their correct positions.
Trent and Robbo and the front 3 have all lost confidence but it will return, I don't worry about Mane and Salah as world class players won't be kept quiet for long.
I know some posters say that we still have a great defence but the loss of Van Dijk has been devastating for the whole team because he seemed almost invincible in defence.
18 Jan 2021 12:50:03
Greenflash no worries mate. As I’ve said I want to see Hendo back in midfield just as much as you. I’m just not buying once he’s back there we will be winning again just because of that. In the last 15 games Hendo has played midfield for 13 of them. We’ve won 6. And 1 of those were against Villa under 12’s. This isn’t a dig at Hendo but just clearly saying the problems we are going through far outweighs 1 player out of position for 2 games.
18 Jan 2021 15:09:30
JK23, it is not 1 player out of position, it is 3 central defenders out injured and 2 of our starting midfielders moved in to defence to plug the gap. That means huge adjustments for our outfield players which causes disruption throughout.