20 Oct 2025 11:38:45
Ok so we're saying Slot is actively choosing to void the entire midfield (centre circle) when in possession? And this happens to be what Van Bronckhorst did at Rangers?
Well, that certainly explains a lot.
Slot is supposed to be smart and pragmatic guy. The sooner we drop this nonsense the better as the season could get away from us quickly.
20 Oct 2025 11:51:16
problem is that there are countless other times we do have players in the center circle. This is a red herring to me.
{Ed001's Note - only if the centre-backs are pushed up and there. There is a huge gap in the centre of midfield. Macca spent the entire game pushed onto their centre-backs.}
20 Oct 2025 12:04:43
Things can change rapidly in football, but they won’t if Slot keeps doing the same stupid things.
Just play the diamond and stop messing about. We’re losing anyway, every single game we look like were going to lose, just change it, try it Wednesday, and I have no doubt we’d be better than this Tripe.
20 Oct 2025 12:10:59
We recruited arguably the best available attacking players but we didn't pay much mind to their ability to press and be physical.
If we just take the changes as 1 to 1, having Wirtz instead of Dom at 10 is a huge downgrade in physicality. Having Isak as 9 instead of Darwin is a huge downgrade in physicality. Then losing Diaz is maybe the biggest downgrade in physicality, no matter if we compare him to Gapko, Rio or Hugo. Also older Salah is not as physical as the younger Salah, even though he never was a physicality monster.
Ohh, and let's not forget Robbo to Kerkez. Even as Kerkez tries to press and harsh from time to time, I haven't seen him tackling and following through like Robbo did in so many crucial games to make the opponent feel our presence.
Hugo is still the best in the new bunch in that department.
And I'm not only talking about pressing per-se. Playing as a central defender against Darwin is a nightmare as he keeps running behind, running through, crashing into defenders and contesting balls. As did Diaz.
This makes it "easy" to play against us. It is kinda having a stroll in the park, which Anfield should never be for anyone.
And it leaves a lot to do for our midfield in the tackling, pressing and just being there physically.
20 Oct 2025 13:08:25
I would say all of the players have brought in are more than capable of pressing. Even Mo if he is rotated.
20 Oct 2025 13:16:06
Q:Why doesn't Slot wear a hat.?
A: Because he uses it to pick the team.
{Ed025's Note - i like that Yuri..
20 Oct 2025 13:40:56
Slight smell of Brendan Rodgers, but i hope not.
20 Oct 2025 14:32:42
Slot has to know that he made a mistake yesterday, once Wirtz and Jones came on they showed us exactly what we were missing- midfielders in midfield linking the play, playing through United's non-existent midfield, getting in behind their 6 consistently.
United's entire tactic relies on hitting long balls to their physical forwards and hoping to win second balls up the field, deal with that and play through them and they have no answer. Every time we did do that, even in the first half, we created something. When they came out of their block and pressed us, we also tended to create something, but much of the time teams aren't going to try and do that. It's bizarre to me, the approach we had to the game, yes we created enough chances to win the game, but why do we have to stack the odds against ourselves before the first kick of the ball?
20 Oct 2025 14:34:08
I agree, Pelican.
20 Oct 2025 15:09:17
PatrikBurger. Liverpool completed 27 long balls during the game compared to 18 from Manchester United. How many times do you see VVD hit it long out wide like a QB? Slot. I mean alot.
20 Oct 2025 13:07:52
Ed, I guess this is another case of the Manager deferring to his assistant and seems blind to it's detrimental effects. Now where have I seen this before?
My fear here is that Slot is now dug in on this tactic and is now blinded to how it is affecting us YET he continuously being told in his managerial bubble that "Don't worry. Just stay the course" to the point of no return.
My other (big) fear is that Slot seems to be trying to prove a point rather than do what's best and once a manager starts doing that, they make it all about themselves. The facts that he put Macca next to Isak and benching a real no. 10 in Wirtz is mind boggling.
That's a bad sign, IMO.
{Ed001's Note - I don't think it is so much about deferring as bringing him in for his tactical ideas and way of playing. It is now up to Slot to figure out the bits that aren't working and adjust.}
20 Oct 2025 15:48:20
I’m happy to be wrong here, but there’s something about that long ball from VVD to Salah that I just can’t stand now. It used to be bonafide weapon, but this isn’t 2019, van Dijk’s passes aren’t as consistent, and Salah is just food for fast, powerful left-backs these days.
20 Oct 2025 17:06:05
Supasub, the difference is that our long balls were sometimes because we didn't have a better option, it's been happening with our build up a lot this year. United, meanwhile, have been playing that way for ages, they did the same thing against Sunderland and Brentford. As for Salah, I still think he's just out of form for some reason. He will be back to prove us wrong, he always does, and he always does better when there's something to prove anyway.
20 Oct 2025 17:09:10
Ah I misread your post. The long ball from Virgil out wide has been a part of our game since Klopp, as we all know. I was referring to the aimless lumps forward that we sometimes do, typically with Konate standing on the ball, wondering why there isn't a better option, and heaving it forward. For United, meanwhile, it looks like their primary offensive tactic.