25 Jan 2024 07:58:44
I understand that people don’t like Lijnders and that the inverted full back malarkey was all his fault, at least until last week when we all started to agree it was working with Bradley on the right and Gomez on the left - but let’s put that aside and look at something else that he has stuffed up ….
Liverpool have played 33 competitive games with a record of W 23, D 7, and L 3. If Lijnders was responsible for most of what happened when we were playing poorly last year, does he deserve credit for our efforts this season? 5 points clear at the top of the league, in a final, in the knockout stages of a European cup and a ‘winnable game’ in the next round of the FA Cup?
25 Jan 2024 09:30:17
The dynamics aren’t clear. It may be that Klopp has had more of a directive over the tactics than perhaps last season. I think the influence of new players has certainly freshened things up, my only quibble is there are certain games in which we don’t always look convincing… for example grinding results e. g the Palace game. Ultimately you have to credit the tactics of all of the team.
25 Jan 2024 10:32:19
I dislike using cliches, but "the proof is in the pudding" is very apt here. It's a result oriented game. Just like any other sport or athletic endeavour. And if the results are good, which most of us will agree are very good thus far this year, then credit is very much due. Just like blame and derision was due for last year's performance. Now, I'm no insider of any kind, so I have no way of knowing who is responsible for what in the managing and coaching staff. But in the whole, Klopp and staff (Lijnders included) are due for credit.
I would even go as far as to say that the turn around has been phenomenal. Not once have I read the word "transition" for this team this year. It's just been a complete overhaul of the midfield and a perfect meshing of the old and the new in a minimal amount of time and fuss, and we hit the ground running. Other teams moan about transition times of a year to even three years and they're hovering somewhere in the top 10. We're on top and the league title is a serious possibility. The players are due first credit, but the managing and coaching staff should be given the credit they are due too.
25 Jan 2024 10:41:03
I’ll give him credit if we win the prem this season!
25 Jan 2024 11:26:21
The energy has been good all season - fresh legs have made all the difference.
The counterpressing is getting better game by game.
The fullback inversion is more selective now which seems to be better. Add to the fact that Ibou is fit and in form it means we compensate for any risks left by the system.
The forwards are linking up a bit better - although there is more to go here.
The way we have managed legs has worked out for us. We look fitter than other teams at this stage of the season.
The use of subs has been brilliant.
Virgil is otherwordly.
Whether we give Ljinders credit or not, I am sure he will not be shy to claim it in his next book.
25 Jan 2024 11:42:36
Got to grin at folks not wanting to give credit to a guy who's forgotten more about football than they will ever know.
Klopp must be the best manager ever to turn last season's results into a 4 trophy assault with a deadbeat of a coach, eh?
25 Jan 2024 11:43:10
Of course he deserves credit. He is absolutely having a good season.
At the same time I don't know how many teams go about crediting their assistant manager for stuff. But given the stick he has taken, it's fair to give him credit.
I said last season though that everything that happens is ultimately Klopp. The buck stops with him. I think all the sane posters were not saying to fire Klopp. He easily has credit in the bank for a poor season but he did not have his best last season. I will always give him most of the blame and more often than not most of credit because he is a genius.
But yes, I'm very sure pep is also doing very good things behind the scenes this season and it's showing on the pitch. Well done pep.
There's no awards for mid season so I do hope players/ staff themselves are not thinking about patting themselves on the back at this time. I'm well sure they aren't and fully focused.
25 Jan 2024 11:42:36
Got to grin at folks not wanting to give credit to a guy who's forgotten more about football than they will ever know.
Klopp must be the best manager ever to turn last season's results into a 4 trophy assault with a deadbeat of a coach, eh?
25 Jan 2024 11:43:10
Of course he deserves credit. He is absolutely having a good season.
At the same time I don't know how many teams go about crediting their assistant manager for stuff. But given the stick he has taken, it's fair to give him credit.
I said last season though that everything that happens is ultimately Klopp. The buck stops with him. I think all the sane posters were not saying to fire Klopp. He easily has credit in the bank for a poor season but he did not have his best last season. I will always give him most of the blame and more often than not most of credit because he is a genius.
But yes, I'm very sure pep is also doing very good things behind the scenes this season and it's showing on the pitch. Well done pep.
There's no awards for mid season so I do hope players/ staff themselves are not thinking about patting themselves on the back at this time. I'm well sure they aren't and fully focused.
25 Jan 2024 12:04:16
WDW3 for me personally, I have no problem with him as a person or as even a coach (cos clearly he is fully involved good or bad) or for the fact that he wrote a book or whatever. My issue is his blatant show of arrogance, ego and constant bigging up of himself in the public sphere. Seriously for someone who left LFC to be his own man at NAC Breda and failed royally, one would think after Klopp taking him back, he would remain humble, keep his work down and work his socks off to rebuild his rep. so as to get another managerial chance, should that be his wish, IMO.
Him doing all this stuff is of very poor taste to me personally and even if he really wanted to be a manager at LFC or wherever, going about tooting his own horn and saying that certain things going on well are due to solely his input (could be interpreted as saying w/ o him, there's no Klopp) and patting himself on the back does not sit right with me. Oh, and did he take the blame for the things that went wrong too in public? Not sure about that. IMO if you are acting that arrogant the same way BRodgers used to do then sorry, I do not want you as LFC manager and I stick by that. If he tones it down, maybe.
Now should we win the title, he will get credit of course, just like Kornmeyer and Kraveitz will BUT the diff. here is that while we all know what Linders sounds like, I have no idea what Kornmeyer and Kraveitz sound like and personally, I'm here for that.
25 Jan 2024 12:53:10
Who's in charge of contract negotiations?
In 11 months time Salah, Virg and Trent can all start negotiating free transfers away. All 3 can argue they are having great seasons and at the peak of their powers.
Yes 11 months is a long time but those 3 players hold all the cards effectively when it comes to negotiations or we have to sell for cheaper in the summer or lose on a free.
Crazy to think all 3 of their contracts end at the same time.
25 Jan 2024 14:58:01
I fail to see where arrogance has been shown ?♂️.
26 Jan 2024 00:34:58
that's a fair shout WW3.
When results aren't going our way, I am constantly amazed at how so many people have such intimate detail of how the management team operates to comment about who is to blame.
And then when things are going well, the insight becomes a little more murky lol
End of the day Klopp carries the responsibility. If his approach is to lead and empower his team and Klopp be the one to lead the culture then that's algood. ultimately the results dictate whether Klopp is doing that well or not. But to be fair, even when results aren't going well, it's more important to see how we bounce back rather than look to kick people to the curb or find other options.