07 Apr 2025 08:29:08
Whilst we look as though we may bag our 30th top-flight title, a display like the first half yesterday will see us limping over the line.
I honestly thought the style of possession Slot employed would leave us fresher at the back end of the season, but we look just as done in as we did sometimes under Klopp.
Yesterdays 1st half was a classic example - we had little to no movement from any of the front 3, no movement in midfield (tbf for some reason we were playing Szob as a second CF) and we had the life pressed out of us by Fulham.
My biggest disappointment is the reaction (or lack of it) from senior players. In essence I'd say Salah, Virgil and Robbo should be getting round players and helping them get through.
07 Apr 2025 09:19:15
Paisley1979 respectfully, I slightly disagree. At least for yesterday in isolation, the style of play was not the problem. When ou have every defensinve player making and individual mistake that nobody that knows anything about football can honestly understand then, the style of play is not the problem. A severe lack of focus individually is the problem. I mean, a defender doing a Cruyff turn in his own 6 yard box with the oppo. player 2 feet away just tells you the type of (lack of) focus we are talking about here.
As for the slow possession leaving us fresher, that can only be a good thing in the short term. In the long term, it will only be a problem if you are NOT willing to rotate the squad smartly and partly, that was Klopp's doing as well. Slot refuses to rotate even now near the end of the season with the title almost in the bag. You cannot keep going to the well with the same players each game over a 2/ 3 month stretch and expect not to pay the price. That is insanity and there is no other word to call that. Slot needs to change, end of.
07 Apr 2025 09:23:00
Slot insists that this is nothing to do with physical exhaustion, whilst under Jurgen it was.
For me this is psychological. The pressure is on, the weight of expectation for the first PROPER title win in 35 years, the one to equal Manures count is a heavy burden.
Slot needs to rotate to show ailing players that they are not always guaranteed a place.
Endo and Fede will bring some urgency.
07 Apr 2025 09:33:00
I'm guessing anyone who knows anything about football must have missed Klopp making up to 8 changes a week in the Europa last season and significant changes in both domestic cups yet we still ran out of steam.
In fairness looking around at the other teams in the league it appears that most teams are running on empty at the moment.
07 Apr 2025 09:42:05
I don't think that we were lacking freshness in the first half. Otherwise the second half would've been even worse, but it wasn't. We peppered their goal and dominated the ball and the territory.
The first half performance smacked of arrogance and unprofessionalism in my opinion. The Arsenal result going in our favour, I think made too many of our players go into that game thinking the job was done and the title race was over. We were lazy and complacent against a good Fulham team.
We should've had a penalty against us before we scored when Konate tried Cruyff turning 6 yards out and Kelleher completely cleaned out Pereira. Then we scored a screamer against the run of play.
To not then step it up and control the game was criminal. Their 1st goal Robbo made no effort to stop the cross, Konate was too busy moaning at Jones to pay attention and head it clear, then Jones took his eye off the ball, then Virgil was asleep for them to volley in. That one passage of play just summed up our first half performance.
Their 2nd is just all Robbo. Plays a blind pass across the box, then closed his eyes for a header to give it straight back to them, then turned his back on a shot which nicked him and beat Kelleher. He should've been subbed off immediately for that. Totally unacceptable behaviour to show such a lack of heart and bravery after giving the ball away. He should've been prepared to take that shot in the face after gifting them the ball 25 yards out then 15 yards out in the space of 5 seconds.
Their 3rd goal is just embarrassing for Virgil. He's allowed himself to be bodied by a guy nowhere near his size. A few years ago he might've had the pace to get back goal side but now he's lost that recovery speed he just has to be stronger there. It was pathetic to be quite honest.
I was pleased we came out with a bit of fury in the 2nd half and the introductions of Diaz, Elliott, Chiesa and Bradley changed the game for sure. They all showed the fight and intensity that was missing from the players who started the game. It ended up lifting the team and then the starters also got stuck in more. We were unlucky not to get a draw in the end with Leno saving well from Chiesa and Elliott hitting the bar. Those 4 players should start the next game purely for showing the right attitude. I was disappointed in Nunez though who came on then effectively hid and bottled 50/ 50's.
07 Apr 2025 10:03:03
Don't forget JK, our drop in form last season was to do with Jurgen's announcement of his departure, even though it took about 3 months for that to sink in.
07 Apr 2025 10:06:49
Slot is not rotating because he doesn’t trust some of the players. What part of this are you not getting @Oli. Why are you reluctant to go against the board for not giving him the player he wants instead? For once?
07 Apr 2025 10:06:52
I might be insane but I'm going to trust Slot to do what he's been doing all season and hope it's enough to get us over the line.
Yeah, he lost us the League Cup final and got us knocked out of the CL by one of the strongest sides in it but we are still well clear at the top of the PL. He has his faults and maybe he should listen to us and rotate the team more like he did against Plymouth Argyle when he got us knocked out of the FA Cup.
{Ed001's Note - now you are just being stupid. No one wants a team like that one to face Plymouth, no one wanted it in that game either. Pointless discussing this as you just get idiotic and make nonsense hyperbolic statements. It is childish. Super fans refusing to accept any other opinion than Slots are just wasting everyone's time on a discussion forum.}
07 Apr 2025 10:33:27
Ah a Rigsby classic. Remember when he denied the midfield's legs had fallen off. It just couldn't be true, nor remedied in the market.
07 Apr 2025 10:37:23
Err, @Amitabh Bachhan. I have no idea who you are (prolly Harry) BUT if you think you are going to draw me into some "FSG In v FSG" out nonsense you are off your rocker. You best go try that out with those who seem to care about such feckless straw man debates. You're barking up the WRONG tree here, bro.
07 Apr 2025 10:35:08
Mic Drop!
If you don't mind Ed01, Im keeping this response for future reference.
07 Apr 2025 10:49:39
Its very difficult for Slot or any manager because they're damned if they do and damned if they don't.
I definitely agree with the narrative that he should have been using his bench more this season and rotating players as there is no requirement for players to have to play 90 mins every week.
This season when he has chosen to rotate from the start its bitten us in the arse.
The side we sent to Plymouth should have still won that game but didn't.
The rotated side we put out against PSV actually meant they leapfrogged PSG in the league and then we drew them. If we didn't lose that game that night then our last 16 opponents would have been Benfica or PSV.
And then the lesser one is Slot deciding to Rotate Kelleher for Allison in a cup final for what would be his first start in 6 weeks was a crazy decision.
Its quite clear that players are out of form currently starting week in week out so now is the time to allow others to step up.
I'm just not sure if Nunez Chiesa, Elliot and Endo are the answers or fix though but i'm guessing time will tell.
07 Apr 2025 11:07:41
I remember back to Klopp's first season and a half, they were riddled with individual errors and also some crazy unlucky deflected goals.
07 Apr 2025 11:23:09
I think we can definitely say that Nunez isn't the answer to anything, JK. Unless the question is "pound for pound who is Liverpool's biggest waste of money? "
I'm not a fan of Elliott's, but even I have come round to the fact he should be given a chance starting, possibly in place of Szoboszlai. Though, if that happens, you then lose legs in midfield, because Elliott doesn't have legs. Well, he does, but they are very short.
I don't think we have a player who at some point I haven't slagged off this season. I keep pinching myself at how we are on the brink of bringing home number 20, given how tired and useless our players are or have been.
On a serious note (well as serious as I can be, because it is only football and not a contagious disease), we are crying out for a ball winning, box to box player, with an engine, someone like Baleba, from what I've seen of him. I'm not sure Slot sees things in the same way, I hope he does, but if he doesn't I'm open to sitting down with him to have a frank and open discussion.
07 Apr 2025 11:32:19
30th top flight title? I presume you mean 20th. If not I am really confused.
07 Apr 2025 11:34:27
Oli can we draw you into a debate on ticket prices, tv subscription prices or even kit costs?
Even though you don't pay any of them you're opinion is always valid.
07 Apr 2025 12:35:47
And can you stop following me around like a helpless puppy or stage 9 clinger, responding to my comments that have NOTHING to do with you?
07 Apr 2025 12:04:02
Don't speak sense Ed1, Hughes can't understand it mate.
07 Apr 2025 12:46:03
hahaha I’m guessing that’s a no then.
Perhaps we’ll ask Shappy he doesn’t watch or go to LFC games either.
07 Apr 2025 12:53:05
I was about to say that I don't pay any of them either JK, until I realised that I at least pay for TV subscription services. So hopefully that means my opinion is still valid too ;)
But both Harry/ Amitabh and Oli are kinda right. The recruitment team is to blame for not bringing in any players who seemingly Slot wants the past two transfer windows and Slot is also to blame for not utilising the tools he has at his disposal fully as well. Elliott, Endo, Chiesa and to a lesser extent Bradley, always showed a lot of heart and energy each time they play. Even if they are not at a level that is satisfactory to Slot, that does at least count for something and they should have had more minutes to give the main team a rest here and there.
07 Apr 2025 13:11:42
Drac crack on mate you don’t talk down to people or get on your soap box acting superior.
Before half the site get offended by my comment just to clarify it’s 100% aimed at Oli the w##ly and if anyone wants to take it personal to themselves then by all means do.
07 Apr 2025 14:34:53
Funnily enough, my opinions are different to Slot's. I think at least two of our midfielders should be able to get stuck in. Under Slot we don't have that. He seems to prefer more technical players.
That might change and I hope it does but there's not a lot I can do about it.
Slot's selections this season have served us well though. I'm trusting him to get the job done, what's wrong with that? What's the alternative?
If Slot had rotated more in League games we could still be in the other cup competitions but that would be purely conjecture. The fact is fans think he should have rotated more and continually picks a soft midfield (that is my opinion) but we are eleven points clear in the League.
When was that Pelican? Can you elaborate, please, mate?
07 Apr 2025 15:04:20
It's funny to see you back digging yourself a hole almost everytime you post you great big sausage. What's funnier is you just don't get it ?. Love it, we need comedy after a loss, keep it up Rigsby. Let me guess, you have a question?
JK, always good to see yourself and Oli getting along mate ??.
07 Apr 2025 15:27:28
Rigsby, for what it's worth, I agree with your last post.
07 Apr 2025 15:31:49
Salah it’s always good to have banter with rival club fans mate.
07 Apr 2025 18:01:38
I know I'm funny but what tickled you most about my last post (not the Last Post), Salah?
Are we not eleven points clear, out of the other cups and I don't really want to see at least midfielders that can tackle?
Admittedly it wasn't up there with your chicken shawarma story or City smashing the January transfer window but I was being serious.
For a change ?.
At least you're not still hoping for Nunez to go on that scoring run, are you?