02 Oct 2025 10:54:54
Interesting fact - in first 5 games of the new season Liverpool has average possession of 64%. Last season average possession was 57.7%.
vs. Bournemouth 62%
vs. Newcastle (man up in second half) 63%
vs. Arsenal 53%
vs. Burnley 81%
vs. Everton 57%
vs. Crystal Palace 72%.
{Ed025's Note - but possession means very little E of F unless its in a divorce, the fact is that passing the ball sideways, backwards and to the keeper is just boring mate..
02 Oct 2025 12:35:17
The problem is, when you are a possession based team, you squeeze up high naturally. So when you lose the ball, the press needs to be quick and aggressive to prevent a counter attack. Our press is lacking. Salah doesn't press well at all, neither does Isak and Gakpo has been lazy. Dom has been playing RB despite being one of our best pressers.
Chiesa, Wirtz, Dom and Ekitike all press very well so they need to start together in the midfield/ attack and they've got to be aggressive and press in a pack, not individually. Maybe we can carry one of Salah or Isak but both at the same time makes us weak in the press. Maybe Diaz/ Nunez's work rate from the front was more important than we realised.
02 Oct 2025 12:40:18
I do not agree in principle Ed025. It means very much. It does not guarantee anything, but you are statistically less likely to divorce if you have it. To me Liverpools big increase in possession means two things: Slot is changing his tactical approach to a more controlling one, and teams are willing to just play more reactive against Liverpool. First is not working out that well for now and Liverpool look vulnerable especially to sudden changes of low block and medium press. As for passing the ball around, yes it is boring, but it is boring because of the opposing team mate. Why don't they just try to get the ball, score and win the game? Why are they sitting for 90+ minutes in their own third? Newcastle tried and attacked with 10 men and scored 2 goals. Bournemouth tried and attacked and scored 2 goals.
{Ed025's Note - people seem to think that the team with the most possession is the better team EOF but thats just not the case mate, its what you do with that possession that really counts, passing it around at the back gets you nothing its in the final third where it counts..
02 Oct 2025 13:14:59
I am with ED 025 on this possession just means that you get the chance to make more sidewards/ backwards passes which count for nothing.
Scoring goals is what counts and preventing the other team from scoring.
Thats how you win matches.
Any how hopefully we can pull out of our mini slump against Chelsea at the weekend.
02 Oct 2025 13:57:53
Agree to disagree Ed025. Passing it around the back is what gets you into the final third when the opposition is just sitting there.
{Ed025's Note - if its constructive passing i would agree EOF, the fact is its all boring sideways and backward passing mate, when your keeper touches it more than your midfield it is not very easy on the eye..
02 Oct 2025 14:04:40
Spot on, Ed25. I do not care about possession cos you can have majority of the possession esp. if the oppo. is letting you have the ball as a tactic in a bid to hurt you as soon as you lose it.
Jose did this. Tuchel did this. Even Ancelotti did this vs us in the CL. Even Klopp, one of if not, the most attack-minded coach in the last decade did this at times esp. vs City early in his tenure. And vs Spurs in the CL final.
Klopp would let City have the ball and then as soon as they got to us we would press then high, win the ball and off we went with speed and precision hence, the batterings they used to receive from us early on. Teams are letting us have the ball cos they dare us to break them down and when we are careless with the ball, we lose it and they pounce. That is a tactic, and not the flex people may think it is.
02 Oct 2025 14:53:28
Hypothetically LFC could have 100 per cent possession in any game and still get beat? (LFC scores an own goal for the opponent) .
Hypothetically LFC can have 100 per cent possession and still not win the game! (LFC fails to score with that possession) so drawing the game.
While a higher possession percentage rate can indicate dominance in a game, it does not guarantee a win as it is actually what you do with your possession that counts such as making meaningful chances to score a goal.
As Shankly often quoted the ball never gets tired, hence the term Pass and Move (keep possession) .
Brian Clough's team talks always involved putting a towel on the floor and a football on top of the towel and before his players went out to play in the game, he pointed out to all of them and said "the ball is your friend"!
The ball is the most important thing in a game of football, he was emphasising. The person he most liked in life and football was Bill Shankly, hence copying LFCs methods to the letter, whisky nose copied Paisley to the letter also.
There are rumours Ed025 that LFC copied Evertons "School of Science" from the Dixie Dean era, you can of course comment on that era first hand being a "Goaldie oldy"! also don't forget "favours begin at home" starting at two o'clock this Sunday.
Mind you i have heard the "Bramley ROAR" is more the "Bramley SNORE" aka passing it around the back all day? i hope we never do that! (LMAO)
{Ed025's Note - "the School of Science" will never be repeated Bond, and certainly not by this Liverpool side, some have come close like the 70's Brazil team but we are talking total football mate, and that may be coming back soon at a Bramley Moore stadium near you.. :)
02 Oct 2025 17:58:51
OliRed, where did we let City have the ball if we would press them high?
02 Oct 2025 18:02:41
Ed025 you mean the Hill-dick-in-son stadium don't ya . Bramley Moore sold its soul to the highest bidder ?.
{Ed025's Note - it will always be BMD to me Strom, just like Anfield will always be Everton,s old stadium mate.. :)
02 Oct 2025 18:32:31
I get fed up with Ed's 25 jaundiced view. Anyone else?
{Ed025's Note - the truth is sometimes hard to take Wirralean and my knowledge can be a curse at times mate, but i have this penchant to educate those who cant see the wood for the trees.. :)
02 Oct 2025 19:14:58
Possession means nothing. The bigger issue is that with the "36%" possession we're giving up, we can't keep a clean sheet and Ali has prevented a lot more than we've conceded. Arguably our best player this season and now he's out.
02 Oct 2025 21:52:28
@25, my solicitor always used to say that possession was nine tenths of the law.
{Ed025's Note - are you sure that wasn,t your parole officer WDW.. :)
03 Oct 2025 07:43:34
Could well have been mate ?.
03 Oct 2025 09:59:04
Rigsby, Youtube is your friend.
03 Oct 2025 10:45:33
Thanks, OliRed ?.