Liverpool FC Team Talk, Gossip, Rumours 2024/25

Musiala might be a better target than Bellingham

Only watched the 1st half today, er were going well at the break. A good result, in the context of its better to win these games than it is to lose them, but apart from that it's largely meaningless.

Good to get Darwin off the mark, in a manner of speaking anyway, and if Haaland missing chances piles a bit of pressure on his shoulders then all the better.

Overall though, not an important game in itself.

Looks really excellent alright, though maybe more of an attacking midfielder... Bellingham feels like a potential Henderson replacement, so maybe a better fit. Also, it always seems fierce bloody hard to get German's out of Bayern (though admittedly he did spend some years in english academies before moving back).

Explain please. Kelleher is a good keeper.

Missed the second half,any chance of throwing up a highlights reel of Nunez cameo role this evening?

I know there has been a lot of comment how our rivalry with City the past few years has been a friendly rivalry. I think this is down to the managers as they will not join in the antics like Mourinho did, or they will not attempt mind games like Ferguson and Wenger did back in the day. But I think there is a genuine dislike between the players of the 2 clubs. That is why any match between the teams, even a glorified friendly, will have some spice in it.

Also, what were the City players moaning about with the handball? They were all surrounding the referee and pointing up the field for some reason.

I assume they were whinging about Matip's clearance earlier which hit his hand after he had stooped down to head it. That was never a penalty as it came off his head first and hit his arm which was planted on the ground. Man City do love a handball shout while thinking they're allowed handle the ball as they please.

My biggest take from yesterday was of City

I think there going to look very different this year, Haaland really changes how they play more so then when Bobby doesn't play for us,

I think Sterling & Jesus will be big misses, they seems to lack intensity in there attack, I know its pre-season and early for them but Grealish & Marhez aren't as direct, they tend to take more touches than the two they have lost, City's quick one & two touch passing around the box is what kills teams,

City's defence has been brilliant but i don't think they have brilliant defenders ,its more of case of them keeping the ball so well they have very little defending to do but if they give up more control in games by Haallnd not being there extra midfielder that may be exposed more,

They will still beat the majority of side in the league with ease & Haalan will score loads of goals but i think they may drop more points this season than they have previously ,

Martin Tyler loves to take a Xanax just before a Liverpool match. Just so he doesn’t get too excited.

You can see why last summer Pep wanted Kane , he'd have got him his goals & his ability to drop deep would have helped retain the ball,

He will obviously still be a massive problem & get goals, He should have had two yesterday but was interesting that bar his 2 chances City didn't create anything really, ( there goal & Haaland last chance are down to the keeper, )

Lots of commentary in advance of Haaland signing questioning his suitability to a Pep team. Yesterday played out exactly as had been mooted. Will be a fascinating season if City struggle to find a way to get max value from their heralded signing. How far do they stray from their systems to accommodate him? At what stage do they even start trying, or do they only try to bend Haaland to their style. Can't wait for the season to start, first time in a couple of years that City are potentially weaker this year than before.

The ref had to take ederson out of his face, obviously man City are trained in what to do when they concede a penalty.

Goals are harder to come by in PL, and Haaland hasn't even come close to a golden boot in Bundesliga, hasn't even made top 2. He did have a great publicist, though, all hype and no substance, we'll see in time though. What he does do regularly is miss a lot of games, 33 games in last 3 season, 16 last season alone. Jury is still out for me, we'll see .

Haaland will definitely improve City, without a shadow of a doubt. He'll be a colossus for them once he familiarizes himself with the team style and the league.

Proper full throttle game, no mercy whatsoever. It mattered in the moment, only the Charity Shield but City were bitter afterwards, nice.

He needs to play one pass more at times, he tends to have ball in great area, them he will move ball, try to make space and shoot, with men in front of him,. Mane was more likely to make a little pass, move around those men into space, then score or shoot freely, when it comes off, which is did countless times... that's what Firmino is for, that final little link up.

I wouldn't mind seeing him on the right occasionally.

I was concerned about the end product last season even though he is very dynamic.

Anyway, we shall see. If people around him are clinical, maybe his dynamism will be enough

I think Nunez will bed in with us quicker due to the fact we are a lot more direct than City,

City as we know are built around that extra pass or two and players popping and overloading teams, due to how flexible the are,

Our full backs & even CB ping long passes for quick counters where ever possible

I think that he will become more refined as he beds into the group. When Mane first arrived there a lot of running down blind alleys in his game, his saving grace was his lightning pace and reaction times. Coutinho and Firmino had their own level of understanding and Mane wasn't part of it. The link up play with Firmino and Salah was established in his second season and that's when he became a 20+ goals a season player.

As I’ve said here before, Diaz is genuinely elite in defence. Not in the way he could play at left back, but he’s as good a defensive winger as you’ll see in modern football. He could probably do a job at wingback if we played such a system, but that’s not likely to happen under Klopp.

Milner goes again lol

Chat that Bernardo Silva is off too. That City squad is already undergoing a fair bit of churn in vital areas, him leaving would be another hugely influential player out the door, I hope it happens. He's a great player.

Our relative squad continuity could be vital this season.