28 Oct 2025 16:40:22
We've been poor since the carabao cup final, after the loss Slot comes out and tells everyone how we got beat, and that's were the long balls started from, the guy literally tells everyone our weaknesses when we lose, this time he took it further and said we don't have an answer.
28 Oct 2025 17:02:16
3 seasons in a row we’ve Fell off around the carabao cup final time mate.
It’s just this season, we fell off in October ?.
28 Oct 2025 18:04:51
Long ball football isn’t new like.
28 Oct 2025 18:33:24
My personal feeling is that Joe Gomez at left back solves part of the problem. He can maintain the line better than Kerkez and he gives us more aerial strength. Helpful on defensive set pieces too, which we're not great at.
The other part of the problem is solved by playing Wirtz in the frontline rather than in midfield. Right now we're asking two midfielders to do too much and they can't cover the ground to press high and then get back to win second balls. Have a 6 who stays deeper and have real 8s in front of him.
The potential final problem is more debatable. But we can't play a high line if we can't press from the front, and right now Mo isn't pressing from the front - and I'm not sure whether he will, given his age. Does he continue to start games? I don't know. He's quality but we need more running. The premier league is too strong now to start carrying a passenger out of possession.
Gomez in. Wirtz or Chiesa right forward instead of Mo. Probably stop leaking so many goals and can better control games.
28 Oct 2025 18:35:02
You really think other teams don't analyze how teams beat us? You think they just listen to press conferences hoping the manager gives them the answer? Wow.
28 Oct 2025 19:44:13
Wait, did teams not play long balls against us last season when we strolled the league? If they did then how on earth did we deal with them on the way again, to winning the title at a canter?
Or did this phenomenon of long balls and long throws just start this season?
So many questions.
{Ed025's Note - you dealt with it Oli by having a resolute defence and a midfield that tracked back and protected it, now you have 2 cavalier full backs and sadly 2 under performing centre halves mate who dont have much cover from a slow and lethargic disjointed middle trio (slob being the exception)...thats my view anyway..
28 Oct 2025 21:16:50
Ed25, I wasn't even expecting an answer bur thanks for answering. For me, those things you mentioned are symptoms, not the core of the issue.
The build-up play is woeful from the off. We are a team that does not press, leaves a huge doughnut hole in the centre of midfield with the CB's exposed to counter attacks in transition. Yet we are surprised that Konate and VVD are not doing well whereas they are exposed to whatever the oppo. is going to do to us by exploiting the hole in midfield. Seriously, who plays with a giant hole in midfield? Who does that?
Also last season, Slot had a system where once we lost the ball, the press was on and if it wasn't, our guys would break their ankles getting back into a compact shape which made us hard to penetrate and break down. That was our identity. We had the second best defence with the most clean sheets last season. Suddenly we can't defend a long throw? I don't believe any of that.
Now, we play slow football with a slow build-up, with an empty midfield with no press when we lose the ball hence, our CB's are exposed cos the midfielders are ahead of the ball. Sure, some players aren't playing well BUT one can't rule out the bad situations they are being put in, can we? This is ALL on the manager.
So to me, these are the fundamental issues we have that are leading to poor output individually/ collectively across the pitch, IMO. Cheers, man.
28 Oct 2025 22:22:04
Ed respectfully disagree that we have 2 cavalier full backs. Kerkez is like a junkyard dog chained to the fence. We have cavalier mids I'd argue and that for me is our biggest issue. Gaping holes in the middle which is nonsensical.
{Ed025's Note - they are continually out of position for me RF and VVD and Konate then get dragged wide mate and it leaves the middle exposed, well thats how i see it anyway..
28 Oct 2025 22:47:17
I find it surprising that people are surprised that ours (and other teams) form dips towards the backend of the season. I’m surprised because people don’t seem to factor in that players - and we played with a very small squad last season) have been playing 2 or 3 games a week for 8 months (August- March) and that they might be a bit ‘puffed’ and may be carrying any number of niggly injuries.
Just thought I’d add this to the conversation.
29 Oct 2025 00:18:04
How do we press teams that play long balls?
If there is a hole in midfield- doughnut or other- does it really matter if the oppo is playing long balls?
Does conceding a goal from a long throw mean that we can't defend long throws?
29 Oct 2025 01:32:19
We don't have two cavalier fullbacks, what are you watching 25.
Kerkez plays narrow majority of the game as does Bradley.
{Ed025's Note - it was my way of saying crap without being rude Faith..
29 Oct 2025 09:00:50
Rigsby, if you press them high as soon as you lose the ball, then, they have no one to hit and even if they hit it long, our CB's can handle it cos they are in pressing mode as well.
Or the team can drop into a compact shell and track back while the defence drops to account for the long ball and if we win it, we have guys tracking back in midfield to contest the second/ third balls with ironically, NO doughnut hole in midfield. ALL of this was happening last season and also under Klopp. Suddenly, NONE of the above is happening right now (with a doughnut hole in midfield) . Wow, I wonder what the diff. is from last season to this season. I can't tell (eye roll) .
Btw if your manager keeps intimating that long balls is very difficult for his team to defend (something we can all see) and is conceding goals from them then YES, it means you cannot defend long balls/ throws. And here's your tip for the day: You simply can't defend against something UNTIL you prove that you can actually DEFEND against it.
29 Oct 2025 10:28:31
OliRedSpoton, what if we lose the ball and the opposition immediately knocks it long and concedes possession again?
Also, I've seen us defend long throws, my guy.
Your stream might go down when it happens but that's on you.
29 Oct 2025 11:01:26
Gomez solves a problem at either full back but the problems are Gomez isn’t really good enough and can’t play every 3 days. I’d stick him right back and let Bajcetic come in when needs be until January.
29 Oct 2025 11:17:29
West derby, players shouldn't be a bit 'puffed' it's a new season for god's sake. There's enough players to use, every other team manages. We are playing crap and need our midfield to put in a shift, macca is a passenger, if Dom can do it so can he, the midfield has a hole in it the size of the Mersey.
The two full backs might as well not be there, Salah needs to track back or be used as a sub, Ekitike needs to start, there needs to be more pressing and stop passing back to the goalkeeper all the time, turn and run at them and inject some urgency into the game.
29 Oct 2025 11:48:24
How do we play against long ball teams do exactly what the teams playing the long ball do sit back with all men behind the ball then catch them on the break simples! Well that's what happens to us isn't it! YNWA.
29 Oct 2025 14:00:24
Rigsby, then that is the back and forth of football and you stand up and fight to regain possession. Is football new to you or what cos what a dumb question to ask, seriously? Ever heard of second or third balls?
And clearly we haven't defended them well enuff if the manager keep intimating the opposite and keep conceding from them. Maybe your eyes get blurry when we actually concede from them from wherever it is you are sitting at Anfield. Prolly high in the rafters where the air gets into your eyes and can't see squat.
Don't know how a stream works, buddy. I have all the PL games on my cable box in addition to 2 LFC bars/ locals to watch any game I want, if I need the atmosphere. Cheers, man.
29 Oct 2025 09:08:26
Ed025's Note - they are continually out of position for me RF and VVD and Konate then get dragged wide mate and it leaves the middle exposed, well that's how i see it anyway.
Exactly, Ed. Kerkez is being asked to help in build up whereas he was not being asked to do that at B'mouth. hat's not Kerkez's fault. Now, Robbo can do that cos he had been doing it for the past few years and is better on the ball than Kerkez, IMO but Robbo can't be playing every week, can he?
Again, it is the manager trying to reinvent the wheel rather than put players in a position to excel based on their strengths. Playing Kerkez in a back 3 in buildup play (or inverting him) is killing him cos he can't do that as that is not who he is.
As I also mentioned in my reply to you, the CB's are exposed in transition cos we play a high line YET we don't press the ball when we lose it. I mean, what is Slot thinking will happen esp. if the midfield is empty? Like I said, players playing badly is the symptom, IMO. The underlying issues many of us are enumerating are the real causes. Fix the causes then, the symptoms disappear. Cheers, man.
{Ed025's Note - yeah Oli you dont seem to have the personnel to play how Slot wants them to (whatever that is), im not sure who has the final say on transfers mate but there seems to be a bit of confusion on that score..