Liverpool FC Team Talk, Gossip, Rumours 2020/2021

ankles

Hope you don't mind, United fan dropping in. Strange league, United have no form really either and are eking out results despite a completely non-functioning forward line. Liverpool have had a couple of injuries but it's a form thing really. Ultimately Pool are still the better team but it's a **** season and I'd say Covid is hitting all sorts of people, more than we know I'd say. In all honesty it's wide open for City. But a limping contest this season. Anyway good to be back in proper competition with ye, it's been a while

Girly Gal

The only consolation is that at least it wasn't United, City or Everton that ended our unbeaten home league record. The league is well gone now, tbf I felt it was gone even before tonight's match.
It's hard to know what has happened since the Palace game, but, everything since has been so lacklustre and lethargic even though we've probably had the easiest schedule of any team in the last month.
All they can do now is reset the targets for the remainder of the season, concentrate on CL and FA cup. I think we need a good performance against United at the weekend and if we could get a win even by penalties it would be a great morale booster and could help turn our season around, a bad loss could shatter what little confidence the team have. Just need to stay in contention for top 4 over the next few weeks and hopefully our form will turn around in time to secure top 4 and the latter stages of CL and FA cup.

Kristopherus

Shanee. wrote: »

Win the next 19 and we retain the title. Easy

Fat chance of that happening,based on tonight's performance. Though, having said that, if they do what they should in a decent number of games, they might very well retain title.

Shanee.

Kristopherus wrote: »

Fat chance of that happening,based on tonight's performance. Though, having said that, if they do what they should in a decent number of games, they might very well retain title.

One can only hope. Halfway there, if we turn things around who knows what can happen - this season will go down as the most bizzare in history

Osmosis Jones

Wouldn't normally make a whole post criticising one player but Mane hasn't looked himself for a while now, he killed so many attacks tonight. Every time he gets the ball he just freezes, including when the pass to him has come on the back of 3 or 4 quick ones in a free flowing move.

Muahahaha

Id be confident enough we will turn things around but lots of work needed on the training ground and by the time it pays off it will be too late for a title challenge, in fact after tonight it already is really because City have got themselves together and have a string of easy fixtures.

Would really like to know if Trents drop off is anything to do with him getting covid, the two events seem linked in some way. Not all people recover immediately or fully from it.

Negative_G

Really missed Henderson's 'energy' and range of passing tonight. Could have been a game changer.

bdmc5

ankles wrote: »

Hope you don't mind, United fan dropping in. Strange league, United have no form really either and are eking out results despite a completely non-functioning forward line. Liverpool have had a couple of injuries but it's a form thing really. Ultimately Pool are still the better team but it's a **** season and I'd say Covid is hitting all sorts of people, more than we know I'd say. In all honesty it's wide open for City. But a limping contest this season. Anyway good to be back in proper competition with ye, it's been a while

Liverpool have to deal with a more than a couple of injuries. All 3 senior defenders have missed the majority of season, 2 of those down for whole lot of it. Add in Thiago missing 15 games , Keiita , Trent ,Jota. I could go on. It’s has a catastrophic impact on the team.

We playing midfielders in defence and have absolutely no rhythm. You put a talisman like VVD back into the team and Fabinho and Henderson back in midfield with Thiago supporting Jota , Salah and Mane who were red hot and it’s a different proposition.

Imagine Fernandes, Bailly, Linderof and Maguire out for most of season to date. On the other hand klopp sold lovern without a replacement and still no CB now in this window which could cost us CL football if we don’t address it . I don’t think Liverpool will be the a team you have to worry about for league at this rate but Man City who themselves are without their 2 most important players so huge opportunity for united

Muahahaha

Osmosis Jones wrote: »

Wouldn't normally make a whole post criticising one player but Mane hasn't looked himself for a while now, he killed so many attacks tonight. Every time he gets the ball he just freezes, including when the pass to him has come on the back of 3 or 4 quick ones in a free flowing move.

He's definitely out of sorts lately. One of his greatest tricks is to nutmeg a defender and get around him to burst into the box, he is arguably the best in the league at doing this but he just cant seem to pull it off lately. Meanwhile Salah seems to keep running the ball into the heels of defenders while trying to run through them and the attack breaks down.

Confidence is a strange thing in football, when players dont have it they seem to make even worse decisions in an effort to make up for previous poor ones, its a downward spiraling circle. We just need a scabby 1-0 to begin the journey back to some shade of confidence within the team.

BorneTobyWilde

It's just form, don't need rebuilding. The team at the top is rotating every 6 games, if we found form in last 6 games of season we'd probably win it. Could be a blessing this. Spurs were leading the way few games back, then us, then Leicester, then City, then United.
Very much a 3 Mile Chase over many fences. We haven't fallen yet.

Trey13

United fan (I come in peace). From the outside looking in I think the age profile of the team does look quite old. Salah Bobby Mane all late 20s and a lot of football under the belt over the last 3 years or so. Then you’ve got Wijnaldum, Henderson, Thiago all in their 30s. Even bit part Milner looks like he’s lost his legs.

You’ve been very unlucky with injuries but I think there are greater concerns that form there.

Football is a strange game. Liverpool have been the best team in Europe over the last 3 years and all of a sudden that level has evaporated. One European cup and one league title is a good return for this team though.

dogbert27

Burnley. I fxxxxng hate playing Burnley.

The draw with them last July stopped the chance to break the 100 points and now they end the 4 year unbeaten run at Anfield.

As much as people are blaming the CB situation it's the form of the front three that is our problem. Osmosis did a great highlight of Mane.

He looks a shadow of the player playing with swagger to his game.

I'm giving up on expecting a reaction from the team right now as It hasn't happened since the Fulham game which should have been the wake up call to something not being right.

ThunbergsAreGo

Ottoman_1000 wrote: »

lads it was 100% a peno....if we were denied one like that there would be blue murder cried!!!

With the ball gone and not under control?

Like when Mane was taken out in the process of putting it over the bar 10 mins earlier?

Bill Ponderosa

ThunbergsAreGo wrote: »

With the ball gone and not under control?

Like when Mane was taken out in the process of putting it over the bar 10 mins earlier?

Nah it was a definite peno, just a rush of blood to the head from Alisson, you come off your line like that you have to win the ball, simples.

ThunbergsAreGo

Bill Ponderosa wrote: »

Nah it was a definite peno, just a rush of blood to the head from Alisson, you come off your line like that you have to win the ball, simples.

As a glutton for punishment, I just watched it back, where exactly is the contact?

You think there is contact from certain angles but then the next angle shows there wasnt etc.

Cyrus

ThunbergsAreGo wrote: »

As a glutton for punishment, I just watched it back, where exactly is the contact?

You think there is contact from certain angles but then the next angle shows there wasnt etc.

Was var involved? I didn’t see much contact on the replays so was expecting a var review .

SlickRic

I've thought about the team more after this setback than I have probably any other recently. It was that stark a result and performance.

City hammer these 5-0 every season at home. They're not a good team. They're awkward, big and direct. That's literally it. And they don't pretend to be anything else.

There is obviously something very wrong right now. But I do believe we have been at the end of a mental set of circumstances, and we simply haven't been able to overcome it. This is not an excuse. We should be better. But it is the reason, I believe, for this inexplicable slump in form.

Losing VVD and Gomez for an almost unfair amount of time. VVD for that tackle.

Klopp's football demands emotion. We miss the fans. I know other teams miss fans, but we have to call it as it is. A lot of this team's mojo comes from the emotion it has generated.

Our 2 signings, bought to rejuvenate the squad, have had unfortunate seasons. Thiago didn't play for months because of that infamous derby. And now he's having to try and lift a team that is out of form, and where he can't even play alongside our normal midfield because of our lack of personnel in defence. Jota has been great, but has now been injured for months.

Trent, arguably our most creative outlet, is playing like a pub player all of a sudden. Honestly. His head is gone. For a genius passer on his day, some of his execution has destroyed us.

All of our front 3 out of form at once, which has never happened.

It's all adversity that we just haven't overcome.

theoneeyedman

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

It's just form, don't need rebuilding. The team at the top is rotating every 6 games, if we found form in last 6 games of season we'd probably win it. Could be a blessing this. Spurs were leading the way few games back, then us, then Leicester, then City, then United.
Very much a 3 Mile Chase over many fences. We haven't fallen yet.

Stumbled but not fallen.

4 points behind a City team coming into form isn't good. Personally, I don't think we'll pass them given our form, but we'll catch and pass United, mark my words.

SlickRic

Bill Ponderosa wrote: »

Nah it was a definite peno, just a rush of blood to the head from Alisson, you come off your line like that you have to win the ball, simples.

Barnes wasn't touched.

That penalty will always be given to any team, because it just looks like a penalty in every way. They're so close, and Alisson is diving out. It just looks a penalty.

But Alisson genuinely never tripped him.

It's only obvious when you see the close up replays.

yourdeadwright

theoneeyedman wrote: »

Stumbled but not fallen.

4 points behind a City team coming into form isn't good. Personally, I don't think we'll pass them given our form, but we'll catch and pass United, mark my words.

We will finish 10 or more points behind United
Living in cukcoo lans if u think well go past them now

SlickRic

theoneeyedman wrote: »

Stumbled but not fallen.

4 points behind a City team coming into form isn't good. Personally, I don't think we'll pass them given our form, but we'll catch and pass United, mark my words.

Not convinced we'll pass Utd.

Confidence is everything, and they have an awful lot of it.

The White Wolf

Say whatever about our centre back situation and how it's costing us men in midfield, but the same team hammered Palace just over a month ago. I mean what the **** has happened to them in that period. It's not as simple as our injury crisis anymore.

ThunbergsAreGo

SlickRic wrote: »

Barnes wasn't touched.

That penalty will always be given to any team, because it just looks like a penalty in every way. They're so close, and Alisson is diving out. It just looks a penalty.

But Alisson genuinely never tripped him.

It's only obvious when you see the close up replays.

Which should be why VAR catches it. Its a shambles of a system.

SlickRic

The White Wolf wrote: »

Say whatever about our centre back situation and how it's costing us men in midfield, but the same team hammered Palace just over a month ago. I mean what the **** has happened to them in that period. It's not as simple as our injury crisis anymore.

Palace was a red herring.

They were shít, and everything we hit went in.

The White Wolf

SlickRic wrote: »

Palace was a red herring.

They were shít, and everything we hit went in.

Careful now Ric it almost sounds as if you're saying this is our real form now and dismissing Leicester and Spurs was the anomaly. :pac:

We're struggling against the sh1t teams more than ever, that's what it comes down to and that's what Klopp has to solve.

SlickRic

The White Wolf wrote: »

Careful now Ric it almost sounds as if you're saying this is our real form now and dismissing Leicester and Spurs was the anomaly. :pac:

We're struggling against the sh1t teams more than ever, that's what it comes down to and that's what Klopp has to solve.

No, we played well in all those games.

When I say Palace was a red herring, I mean the scoreline and clinical nature of the victory was the red herring. That free scoring version of us hasn't really been around for a while. Sure, it isn't how we won the League.

yourdeadwright

Just on there penalty it was always going to be given but if you look at the incident it was no diffferent to the shot Mane hit wide when it was pulled back and then the defender clattered him after

Barnes touched the ball and it went high and wide and then fell over Alisson

awec

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

It's just form, don't need rebuilding. The team at the top is rotating every 6 games, if we found form in last 6 games of season we'd probably win it. Could be a blessing this. Spurs were leading the way few games back, then us, then Leicester, then City, then United.
Very much a 3 Mile Chase over many fences. We haven't fallen yet.

Forgive me for saying it BorneTonyWilde, but you are deluded.

We won’t be in the mix with 6 games to go. We’re fighting for top 4 now.

We’re going to lose more games in the next month.

kingshankly

Anyone thinking this Liverpool team are in a title challenge are deluded I would say top 4 will be tight but hopefully it won’t take a huge points haul to make too 4

willabur

anyone else getting Klopp at dortmund towards the end vibe i.e. an inexplicable fall off the edge of a cliff turn in form

Harry Palmr

Maybe this squad is now beyond it's peak and is on the way down.

They've been foot to the floor without a (planned) break since this team's core was assembled. And when you've won everything that you really wanted to its hard to keep finding more.

Problem with decline is spotting it early. Maybe the rot has set in for a combination of reasons and that it'll be vital to shift a few bodies this summer -

Core players - Gini is off. One of the front three probably is.
Subs - Ox-Cham, Milner, Shaqiri, Origi

So that could be 6 players without looking too deeply!

Ikozma

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Maybe this squad is now beyond it's peak and is on the way down.

They've been foot to the floor without a (planned) break since this team's core was assembled. And when you've won everything that you really wanted to its hard to keep finding more.

Problem with decline is spotting it early. Maybe the rot has set in for a combination of reasons and that it'll be vital to shift a few bodies this summer -

Core players - Gini is off. One of the front three probably is.
Subs - Ox-Cham, Milner, Shaqiri, Origi

So that could be 6 players without looking too deeply!

Yep I'd agree with this
This group of players gave us great times but I feel it's hit its peak and is clearly on the decline
Time to freshen things up i think

yourdeadwright

People need to chill out ,
Questing the manger is bizzare ,

We are in really poor form and that may continue for a while but its because of injury/covid
There is no long term problems here,

We are still dominating games we just ,missing the final ball and finish,
if Jota was fir or we had better back up than Origig and Taki we would be fine ,

It'll be a struggle this season but long term I wouldn't be concerned,

yourdeadwright

I wonder what we do for United the weekend,

I see Tsimikas , Neco , Milner, Jones,Taki, Salah & Firmino all starting after that iv no idea,

Cyrus

yourdeadwright wrote: »

People need to chill out ,
Questing the manger is bizzare ,

We are in really poor form and that may continue for a while but its because of injury/covid
There is no long term problems here,

We are still dominating games we just ,missing the final ball and finish,
if Jota was fir or we had better back up than Origig and Taki we would be fine ,

It'll be a struggle this season but long term I wouldn't be concerned,

we arent really dominating games though, we are dominating possession which teams are happy to let us do as we are now incapable of doing anything meaningful with it.

the whole system has gone to pot since VVD and Gomez got injured, until they are back we wont be back at it, so this season, barring a cup run, is going to be a write off.

awec

yourdeadwright wrote: »

I wonder what we do for United the weekend,

I see Tsimikas , Neco , Milner, Jones,Taki, Salah & Firmino all starting after that iv no idea,

I was convinced before that we'd play a heavily rotated side, but I'm not so sure now. We are so desperate for a win of any kind to get some confidence back that maybe he'll go stronger than expected.

Kimbot

We need Jota back ASAP to put pressure on the front 3.

rob316

Osmosis Jones wrote: »

Wouldn't normally make a whole post criticising one player but Mane hasn't looked himself for a while now, he killed so many attacks tonight. Every time he gets the ball he just freezes, including when the pass to him has come on the back of 3 or 4 quick ones in a free flowing move.

Really poor decision making, robertson makes the overlapping run as he always does, and you can see a load of space opened up in front for Mane, he always drove into that space.

Robertson for me is the only attacking player not out of sorts, he's still delivering good crosses and makes the runs but its a bunch of statues in the box or no one there.

dogbert27

I think one the reasons why our away form is bad too is that opposition teams can sit back with everyone behind the ball making it hard for us to breakdown for 90 minutes without their own fans getting frustrated and pressuring them to attack.

It does go to show that fans at the ground do influence how things happen on the field.

MD1990

think this may explain partly our form.

Is it sustainable to keep outsprinting teams to this extent.

Im not sure.
Our attacking play is so boring now to watch. Winning the ball high seems to be our main attacking play but not seen much of it this season.

Fitz*

willabur wrote: »

anyone else getting Klopp at dortmund towards the end vibe i.e. an inexplicable fall off the edge of a cliff turn in form

Dortmund had horrible injury problems that season. Important players were either missing large chunks of games, or picking up lots of injuries. They had just lost Lewandowski that summer to Bayern Munich also, with Gotze going the summer previous.

Most of the team that had won 2 leagues, cups and got to the CL final was now missing for a lot of that season.

Hummels had a few niggly injuries in the first half of the season missing a good portion of games.
Subotic done his cruciate and missed most of the season.
Shmelzer was picking up niggling injuries at the start of the season and struggled for fitness and form.
Piszczek also picked up a big injury missing months.

Sahin had 2 big knee injuries and missed months at a time. Only started 6 league games.
Gundogan was still injured with his horrible back injury and missed a couple months. Then had to try get back up to match fitness.
Blaszczykowski missed months with a ACL started 6 league games.
Groskreutz also missed months with a bad injury.
Marco Reus picked up multiple injurie and missed half of their games.

Klopp eventually turned it around and they qualified for Europe the next season, after being bottom of the table in February. Got to the final of the cup too, but lost.

Harry Palmr

rob316 wrote: »

Really poor decision making, robertson makes the overlapping run as he always does, and you can see a load of space opened up in front for Mane, he always drove into that space.

Robertson for me is the only attacking player not out of sorts, he's still delivering good crosses and makes the runs but its a bunch of statues in the box or no one there.

Mane has become a back to goal player in a matter of weeks. As said last night he no longer fronts up a defender and jinks past him, he no longer makes the run inside/outside defender to clear space for Robbo and as above not "seeing" Robbo overlaps. When not willing to take the ball into high risk/reward areas and opting for safer options it must be confidence.

Ikozma

Bring Ian rush back in as a forwards coach

Harry Palmr

Harry Palmr wrote: »

............. -

Core players - Gini is off. One of the front three probably is.
Subs - Ox-Cham, Milner, Shaqiri, Origi

So that could be 6 players without looking too deeply!

We need additional CBs ...... Matip can't be relied on and realistically Gomez has horrendous luck in picking up serious injuries. That might take it's toll even if he doesn't pick up anymore.

I'd be surprised if any of the front 3 leave, it might happen but I doubt it.

Ox is a waste of squad space but he no doubt likes his wages so might not leave .... Milner yes.

We won't see 6 to 8 new players come in for 2021/2022 season. No way.

fyfe79

Is it time to move Fabinho back into midfield for good? I think we're missing him too much there.

Unless we sign a stop-gap CB this window (Sokratis?), then that would mean playing Matip with Philips/Williams, and then the 2 young lads together whenever Matip is unavailable.

It would mean that we're weak at CB but the current system is obviously not working anymore - our midfield is disrupted as well as our defence. By putting Fab back in midfield we're correcting the problems there at least. Instead of 0-0 draws or 1-0 defeats we might see 2-2 draws or 3-2 wins. A bit of a return to balls-out attacking football again, which Fab in midfield would massively help with.

The White Wolf

Walked into the shop there and 3 United fans in the midst of giving it loads. Day off ruined. :P

yourdeadwright

Origi miss was just such a kick in the teeth for us ,

awec

Augeo wrote: »

We need additional CBs ...... Matip can't be relied on and realistically Gomez has horrendous luck in picking up serious injuries. That might take it's toll even if he doesn't pick up anymore.

I'd be surprised if any of the front 3 leave, it might happen but I doubt it.

Ox is a waste of squad space but he no doubt likes his wages so might not leave .... Milner yes.

We won't see 6 to 8 new players come in for 2021/2022 season. No way.

A CB who can also play RB, and a forward who can take either Salah or Mane's place.

It's insanely competitive for top4...... 19 games played we're 4th, 4 points off Leicester who are 3rd.

Spurs are a point below us but a game in hand, Everton are 2 points below us but have two games in hand :eek:

West Ham have the same pts as Everton.

2 pts above West Ham after 19 games is sh1t tbh ........

facehugger99

Osmosis Jones wrote: »

Wouldn't normally make a whole post criticising one player but Mane hasn't looked himself for a while now, he killed so many attacks tonight. Every time he gets the ball he just freezes, including when the pass to him has come on the back of 3 or 4 quick ones in a free flowing move.

I noticed this last night and it was infuriating.

It's like he was constantly and deliberately giving the Burnley defense time to get themselves into a proper shape.

Usually when one of the front 3 has lost form, the other 2 have stepped up. We've never seen the 3 of them go off the boil like this for so long before. We look like we can't buy a goal at the moment.