24 Dec 2025 07:46:42
Briefly caught a bit on Talkrubbish yesterday and Tony Cascarino made a point about tenacity.
His angle was the loss of Diaz, Jota, Darwin (and to a lesser extent Harvey) saw a massive drop in the aggressiveness of the press and the will to win the ball high up the pitch.
I accept tactics could also have played a factor but it struck me he had a point.
It’s fine to say Isak is an all round better player than Darwin, or Wirtz is more talented than Diogo, or Gakpo has a similar profile to Diaz - but, I think we lost an attitude this season where our previous players were scrappers.
And it looks to have been contagious, most of the current team look to have lost the willingness to do the dirty work, regardless of tactics.
24 Dec 2025 08:11:33
They do talk a lot of rubbish, but in amongst the chat they get a few things right as well and this is one of them. Diaz in particular was a grafter and pacy, Jota was good in the press too. Darwin worked pretty hard.
We’ve completely lost the coordination in the press this year, and the intensity. Isaks a finisher not a presser, not sure on Ekitike but he’s more of a finisher as well. I think style wise we’re just in major transition and haven’t got all of the pieces we need to be coherent. Without the press you need a more mobile midfield.
24 Dec 2025 08:19:18
The major problem with that is that Darwin spent the majority of his time on the bench, especially last season and even Jota too. So unless they were cheerleading from the sidelines ?♂️
Diaz, we do miss his tenacity and never give up mentality, we certainly are a laborious team now, like watching paint dry.
It doesn’t bother me if I miss parts of the game now or even all of it. It’s a god send in some ways actually.
24 Dec 2025 08:20:34
And I do wonder if an aggressive profile was more sought after in our transfer business under Jurgen…
I’ll say it time and again, talent will only get you so far without the boring traits of reliability, consistency and competitiveness
To be in any conversation in the English top flight you’ve got to run faster, jump higher, tackle harder - only then do you earn the right to show your talent.
24 Dec 2025 08:40:22
Darwin used to be great at breaking up opposition play and causing chaos.
Must have been a nightmare having to stop start to take that many free kicks in your own half from his off sides.
24 Dec 2025 09:01:51
Jota (when selected) was a nightmare for defenders
Remember plenty of times, especially against City, where his closing down and winning 50/ 50s were absolutely vital cos we were under siege. Opposition had no time to pick a pass with him and Diaz on it, and the midfield behind them was on it too. If they did break the press they got tackled/ fouled
The other side knew they had to get rid quick or lose the ball or get hurt
This Liverpool lineup seems to think it’s acceptable to run 30yds to close players down only to not put their foot in when they get there…I can’t see the point? It’d be better to stay in position in a low block.
24 Dec 2025 09:15:43
Copy and paste what JK said. If Nunez was the answer, the question must've been, "find me a forward who runs around like a headless chicken and doesn't understand the offside rule". Oh, "and downs tools in games when he isn't happy" (Villa away)
24 Dec 2025 09:32:32
Even if that was the case with Nunez, Jota and Diaz, not saying it is with 2 of them usually being subs, then the recruitment team and Slot are to blame for not replacing them if they wanted to continue in that style of play.
24 Dec 2025 09:37:59
Pompey agree there mate.
24 Dec 2025 10:09:10
Yea we replaced street fighters with ballerinas.
The ballerinas will find their edge tho.
24 Dec 2025 10:19:16
I think one of the biggest problems the new regime have is that they’re transitioning a team and squad to play a style the supporters don’t want.
We’ve all seen what great looks like under Jurgen, and whilst football always evolves it’s gone backwards recently and Arne is part of that movement. Under peak Jurgen the football was great to watch often, even when we weren’t winning trophies.
That’ll mean that unless we’re successful virtually every season the fans will just be disgruntled with what we’re seeing, they’re piecing together a jigsaw that no one really wants other than them (Arne and Hughes) .
I don’t think we’re going to see gegenpress again, certainly not for the next few years until this coaching fad has passed and until Isak and Ekitike are no longer with us. We’ve paid so much for them for their finishing not their pressing.
24 Dec 2025 10:30:33
Watching us now under slot is like watching paint dry so boring and predictable no wonder semenyo choose Man City over us we our injuries now and players not playing great I fear the worst and slot should of been sacked ages ago we definitely miss players like Diaz who would run all game SLOT OUT.
24 Dec 2025 10:43:47
Leave Darwin alone, he has gone onto great things since leaving us.
24 Dec 2025 12:32:20
Let's be real. How would Diaz fair in a team that plays and moves the ball slower than than at snail pace right now?
If you think he would struggle then, it is a good idea to let him go (in addition to him wanting to leave) cos clearly, he would struggle in such a wretched system. So would Darwin and Elliott, btw. Just my take.
24 Dec 2025 12:41:19
I loved Darwin and his enthusiasm. He’d chase lost causes and make things happen even if it was a free kick. This team is missing that fire in the belly.
24 Dec 2025 13:37:20
"Pressing" can be taught, can't it? Adam Lallana was no "presser" when he came to us and Klopp turned him into the fulcrum of the pressing, before Firmino took over. But if the coach is not into pressing, then it's all another story, right? ?.