16 Aug 2022 08:35:29
I’m not sure how we can make back 4 points over the next 36 games. No one has ever come back from so far behind Man City before.
16 Aug 2022 09:03:07
If we had dropped 4 points but deserved them 4 points from the last 2 games then I would be feeling so much better with 108 points to play for. My worry is that we didn’t really deserve to win either game.
With my LFC cap off I think Fulham actually deserved the 3 points more than us and whilst we were the better team last night (we still weren’t very good) Palace still had the better chances against us having more half chances.
We are more than capable of shifting gear and ripping up this league but the way injuries are already going it has the “everything seems to be against us” feeling that the 20/ 21 season had.
Let’s not forget we were hammered by Villa before the injuries racked up and we just didn’t look our free flowing intense self from West Brom in Dec to around Apr time. Which looks very similar from our opening 2 games.
This isn’t a negative post this is just my opinion. I’d be interested to see how posters can put a positive spin on our opening 2 fixtures without talking about possibilities for the future.
It’s all well and good saying we’ll come good but surely Klopp and the players now realise that actions speak louder than words.
16 Aug 2022 09:18:00
JK - do you think Klopp and the players believed their words speak louder than their actions?
I don’t even know why we have to consider putting a positive spin on things as a bad thing. The reality is that we have 2 points, so then the attitude you adopt really speaks to your charachter and approach to moving forward.
16 Aug 2022 09:24:40
City will extend the gap.
No one said catching them can't be done. It just isn't likely on this showing.
16 Aug 2022 09:34:40
Fulham - we should have lost. We didn’t. That’s positive whichever way you try to spin it. That’s one point more than we deserved.
Palace - completely different game to Fulham. Palace hit us on the break in a game upto then we had completely dominated and played some lovely football. We’ve created more than enough to win the game and there where some genuinely pleasing performances. Harvey, Diaz and Gomez in particular. Also - it would have been extremely easy to feel sorry for yourself after the red card given we where already behind. They didn’t, got themselves back in it and largely dominated the ball again with 10 men.
So is it a good start - no. It’s disappointing but it could have been worse though.
You also have to put in context of the injuries. No offence but I hardly think any of us had Nat to be playing two games into the season.
The big issue at the moment is this run we are on of conceding first. That needs to stop.
16 Aug 2022 09:44:06
I had hoped we'd see a tweak in our system over pre-season but it looks like we're going with the one from last season, which, in my opinion is predictable and has glaring weaknesses.
They have a week to continue to work on it.
16 Aug 2022 09:44:46
Faith I’m sure Klopp and the players do mate. Last week Klopp said we lacked desire and commitment which for me the words backed up the actions of the players.
Last night Klopp said we were brilliant. Some might believe the players actions backed those comments up some might not.
In the CL final the positive spin was we were the better team we just didn’t score. When on the grand scheme of things words mean very little compared to actions.
16 Aug 2022 10:08:15
Why does everyone keep looking at the title? I’ll be happy getting a Win first and go from there. We looked shot in pre season bar the City game, Fulham out ran us, clueless against palace. And now it’s Old Trafford. Trophy’s are way off yet boys.
16 Aug 2022 10:26:49
As much as everyone keeps saying about needing a MF, I am more concerned by the fact we again had over 20 shots (24) yet only 4 were on target. This isn't a new thing either. the cup finals we played in last season, we just couldn't put chances away and we were lucky with 2 pen shootouts in the domestic cup competitions.
Goals win games, and we seem to have a real issue converting chances when it matters.
16 Aug 2022 10:36:40
Sorry JK, I’m really not sure where you’re going with this. In the end does it even matter what the players say? They have to say something in the media and are balancing far more than we are typing on our phones. I give them the benefit of the doubt no matter what they say tbh, even when Klopp bemoans the wind haha just don’t think it matters that much in the bigger scheme of things. You sound like a realist to me, so perhaps the positive psychology is going to appear weak for you!
16 Aug 2022 10:58:56
Challenge accepted JK.
We don't have to watch them again (unless your ed001 for reviews), that's about as good as I have got.
Oh and I was impressed by Eliott yesterday and Diaz once Nunez got himself a mid season break.
The problem is, this is exactly how the league should be, with even the best teams capable of the odd slip. However, we and city recently have set the standards so high that very few points can be dropped and we have used 2 of our 8/ 9 lives (based on 19 points being the average dropped by a league winner) so early that it now appears we have a mountain to climb.
But, the season is a long road and anything can happen. I. e. city could lose de-bruyne for an extended period of time which would be a huge loss even with their squad depth.
All I would say is our next few games are definitely must win starting with the old enemy on Monday.
16 Aug 2022 11:05:51
Faith my original point of talk was reference us as fans. Meaning it’s only so long we can say things will get better. I only then mentioned Klopp and players in reply to you mentioning them.
Wyred ??.
16 Aug 2022 11:16:21
stuie_boy - the stats don't tell us everything. Many of our chances are often less than half chances.
Yes, we can be more clinical but the chances are usually as a result of a forward fashioning a chance out of nothing or capitalising on loose balls.
We lack patience in our attacking play, exemplified by Trent looking to create an assist with every touch and us constantly spamming floated crosses into the box.
Our system is starting to become predictable. The opposition knows that our goal threat comes from our 3 forwards and therefore they match them up with 3 centre-backs. Usually we could overcome that if the forwards had good link up with each other, but unfortunately they are like strangers nowadays (ps this is an issue that I called out last season even with Bobby, Sadio and Mo starting) .
The job of the opposition midfielders is to focus entirely on nullifying our fullbacks, who are our playmakers.
So the move breaks down and the opposition counters. Historically, our no8s would counter-press this and pin the opposition in but this is no longer happening either.
That leaves Fabinho stranded covering 33% of the pitch and inevitably opposition runners are running at our back line with more frequency.
Don't get me started on our set-piece impotence.
Klopp and Lijnders have much work to do on the training pitch.
16 Aug 2022 11:42:25
Pelican, completely agree RE the stats, but the numbers are also alarmingly consistent. We tend to dominate possession in most matches so that will likely give us greater opportunity to attack, you can't score without the ball. Bur=t regardless of how you read the stats on what the chances were, we do have a pretty bad conversion rate. Salah seems off the boil, though still early admittedly, but I think a lot of people were hoping for him to start as he usually does now the contract is sorted.
As mentioned previously, the two cups we won last season came down to pens, which is a lottery, we could easily have ended the season with nothing because we could not kill games off and take our chances.
16 Aug 2022 11:32:12
You are all talking like City will end up with a P 38 W 38 D 0 L 0 record. They will drop points. And as for the question of how do we make 4 points up on them, beat them twice. Simple.
16 Aug 2022 11:45:36
JL - you said “ surely Klopp and the players now realise that actions speak louder than words”. Was responding to that.
16 Aug 2022 12:00:13
I'd like to know what we do in training, if anything, to improve the link up between the forwards. The games suggest very little.
And whatever prep we are doing on set-pieces are not yielding success. We had a period last season whereby our outswinging corners were yielding goals but the opposition clocked onto that pretty soon.
Re the midfield issue - that's neglect.
16 Aug 2022 12:04:30
Faith as I said mate I didn’t articulate my original comment very well.
16 Aug 2022 12:08:44
Fly - midfield has been neglected? 8 players there, mix of young and old. What’s the neglect?
16 Aug 2022 12:43:12
Faithinworks - have you been in a coma for the last two years? The midfield mix is not right and the availability/ reliability is an issue we have done nothing about in at least 2 years.
16 Aug 2022 13:53:37
Midfeilder is massively neglected, we should just rip up Ox and Keitas contracts as they are not good enough or reliable enough then we shouldn't have to bee start a 36 year old in midfield with the players we have. Id also say its time to move Henderson out of the starting line up and keep him as a club captain as he really isn't good enough for what we need right now.
16 Aug 2022 17:51:16
We last yr we scored 19 set piece goals 2nd only to city on 21.
We ain't that bad.