Liverpool FC Team Talk, Gossip, Rumours 2024/25

Agent Coulson · 03-09-2022 4:12pm

Really glad Matip is now back and he needs to go straight back in as a regular starter.

BillyHasMates · 03-09-2022 5:00pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119565309#Comment_119565309

Stats never tell the true story of a game. Most of the shots we take are not as a result of good chances created and wouldn't normally have a high conversion rate. In the other hand we tend to concede few shots but a much higher percentage of those tend to be good chances. We concede a goal from a higher percentage of shots / chances we concede than the other way around.

SlickRic · 03-09-2022 5:06pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119565108#Comment_119565108

I know it doesn't count today, but Hendo's decline has killed us because of the above.

He was superhuman for 2 years mopping up thar RCM role while also offering attacking options. His fall off a cliff requires others to compensate. Salah has never been generally further away from goal in his time with us.

Carvalho can't do it, and Milner can't do it.

The only adequate midfield 3 we currently have when fit is Fabinho, Thiago, Elliot.

steve_r · 03-09-2022 5:30pm

Was disappointed earlier (and still am) but I think there are some positives to take out of today. A clean sheet, with Allison and Gomez both playing very well. Didn't concede first either!

The attack is strange - I think it's a few factors:

Change of tactics sending Salah wider (presume this is to make space for Darwin but it doesn't appear to be working)
No Thiago meaning the quality of the build up play isn't as good.
I think Diaz is easier to defend against than Mane. Diaz wastes a lot of the ball and can look a bit headless at times. Whereas Mane would make central runs which led to either him scoring or leaving space for an overlap
Fullbacks being way less productive this year - both Robbo and Trent look well off it.

They'll get better - Nunez and Diaz will start to gel - Thiago will come back - keep the faith

Agent Coulson · 03-09-2022 5:41pm

Carvalho came off because of the late challenge by Onana just before half time.

A dead leg he will probably have to have a scan on it.

TitianGerm · 03-09-2022 5:47pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119565900#Comment_119565900

Robbo is barely pushing forward this season compared to previous.

~Rebel~ · 03-09-2022 5:58pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119565900#Comment_119565900

We still kept Mo wide even without Nunez for those 3 games though - and it also doesn't seem to make sense, as one of the benefits of Nunez is that he's a handful to mark, allowing for an inside-forward like Mo to have a bit more space on the edge of the box. The whole thing is just a bit baffling... both Mo and Diaz should be playing at least 5 meters narrower, and deeper, than where they are now. Generally when we've done stuff that hasn't worked, you can at least see the plan, but I can't make any sense of this one...

noodler · 03-09-2022 6:08pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119565032#Comment_119565032

I bite the hand off at this stage to get 75% of the transfer fee back so we can spend it more wisely.

I hope I'm wrong and it's early but who can really see this team winning six games or so on the bounce?

BillyHasMates · 03-09-2022 6:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119566046#Comment_119566046

This. Also both Salah and Diaz are not crossing very much and are not making attempts to dribble behind the defensive line because teams are sending 2 defenders out to prevent it. This is made easier since neither Robertson and especially Trent are overlapping much which would normally pull one of those defenders away from Salah and Diaz. It's leading both Diaz and Salah to have to go back out with the ball or try to make a run cutting in towards the middle. Diaz does it with the odd bit of success but Salah is having no joy because Trent and / or Elliot tend to be occupying that space. We are not moving defenders around. I just don't see what having our 2 wide attackers playing so wide is achieving especially since we have nobody in midfield driving forward. The poor deliveries from our fullbacks is obviously adding to it.

I also want to mention Salah in a positive light. He deserves huge credit for the sprinting back he did on the Maupay chance in the second half. He succeeded in blocking off that side of the goal and forced Maupay to aim his strike the other side where Allison was standing. Delighted to see a player make that sort of effort, if only some of our defenders and midfielders were able to show the same.

03-09-2022 6:22pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119566085#Comment_119566085

I can, when the injured players, particularly Thiago return from injury. Unfortunately I can also see us having wretched form again when the injuries pile up due to the number of games to be played per week as a result of the WC. It’s not going to be a good season by the looks of things so far.

happyoutscan · 03-09-2022 7:12pm

Did not see today's match because of a funeral, but here's my take on the season so far.

No one can touch City with Haaland being as good as he is, unless he suffers a serious injury. End of.
We'll manage top four.
Competing with City the last couple years has impacted this team, mentally and physically. They are drained. A couple players need a right shoe up the backside, but only a couple.
New tactics need tweaking.

Long way to go, I'd have been happy with top 4 at beginning of season.

rob316 · 03-09-2022 7:14pm

3 games and Nunez been written off 🤦

We are playing **** what do you expect? Haaland would struggle. Nearly scored a wonder goal today.

steve_r · 03-09-2022 7:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119566046#Comment_119566046

They talked about that on one of the Redmen tv pods - whether Klopp would change back the tactics with Nunez gone for the three games - which he didn’t.

I don’t understand the tactics either but maybe when it clicks it will make sense

happyoutscan · 03-09-2022 7:24pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119566381#Comment_119566381

Too much hysteria.

It's like a truly awful hen party gone wrong in here.

yourdeadwright · 03-09-2022 7:36pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119566451#Comment_119566451

I don't think anyone has called Nunez a flop?? So not sure where the hysteria is

A few poster including myself said at times he is absolutely awful at the basics, that is a true but im not writing him off,

Agent Coulson · 03-09-2022 7:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119566451#Comment_119566451

To be honest I find some of the hot takes funny.

I do get it for some of them during games however some of the hot takes during the time between games are hilarious.

Infoseeker1975 · 03-09-2022 7:43pm

Nunez nearly scored a contender for goal of the season, awful match to return to after a 3 match ban, he looks a player and will be a success.

Our right side is weak and we miss Mane on the other side, think he really helped make Robertson look good. Tsimikas deserves a lot more game time imho.

Arsenal are not winning the league, we are 5 point behind City after a really poor start with loads of injuries, there are 32 games left.

We have Matip back now which is a huge improvement on Gomez & the current form of VVD plus his distribution is excellent. Jota is back and Firmino was excellent when he came on so there are 5 up front to pick from. Thiago back training on Monday and a reasonable group in the CL where even if we loss away to Napoli should we get home wins v Ajax and Rangers then we are in a strong position.....it isn't too bad.

noodler · 03-09-2022 7:47pm

Tbf was me who said I'd take 75% of the transfer fee back now if I was offered rather than hope he comes good.

Obviously that wouldn't help us now though as we couldn't spend it.

happyoutscan · 03-09-2022 8:01pm

Apologies, my comment was not necessarily focusing on opinions on Nunez, more the absolute doom and gloom.

Agent Coulson · 03-09-2022 8:12pm

There was a bottle thrown at Klopp during the match,

SM01 · 03-09-2022 8:13pm

There HAS been loads of ridiculous hot-takes on Nunez, as well as a plethora of general doom-and-gloom comments. I mean, all ain't rosy in the garden by any means. The performance of the team has been sub-par, in the main due to injury, but partly tactical. Some of the end-is-nigh comments are silly though. And whatever happened to giving Nunez time to adapt to a new league/team/tactics and language? Not everyone clicks immediately.

Enzokk · 03-09-2022 8:23pm

We have been below par for our first 6 matches, had 5 midfielders out with injury at the same time and had to play with one teenager and one 20 year old with very little PL experience in the middle. We have played our two derbies away already during this spell and we are only 5 points behind City. This is City who is already a great team and they added the best ever striker in Haaland who will not stop scoring. The same City who will be unstoppable but drew against Villa, who is not going great at all.

The season starts in earnest now where every team involved in Europe will play twice a week until the World Cup. And the teams with better players will lose more to the World Cup and the further they go into the tournament, to worse it will be for them once they are back in the rush to finish the season when they return in December. So 30 year old De Bruyne who is not a stranger to injuries will be playing a lot of minutes if Belgium go far into the tournament.

So maybe those proclaiming the death of our season already would be wise to put it on the back burner. Let's be honest winning the league is very difficult without having to contend with the on steroids City. But this season is going to be unprecedented and nobody knows how it will be going in a couple months time. We could keep having injuries and be in a struggle for the top 4. Or we could be lucky and get our midfield back again up to strength and we start playing up to the level we know we can reach. I am an optimist, I hope we are having our injury crises early and it will get better from here. Other teams will need to deal with this as the season goes on.

03-09-2022 8:35pm

While I don’t identify with the doom-sayers, I probably have less in common with the “everything is fine, the season hasn’t started yet” brigade.

Fact is, the margin for winning the league has been razor thin the last few seasons and City have won 4 of the last 5. They look better this season, unfortunately we do not, so posters might be forgiven for thinking giving them a 5 point this early in the season, with some of our most influential players going to miss another few games, is less then ideal.

jones · 03-09-2022 8:38pm

Don't know what to think of this season it's been so odd. Have we gotten to a weird binary situation of if a fit Thiago plays then Liverpool play well but when he doesn't play we struggle? Seems to be the theme for most matches going back to the end of last season.

This has probably been mentioned but we really do not look fit at all. Probably a hangover from last season and an unusual preseason this year with the WC coming up.

Agent Coulson · 03-09-2022 8:43pm

The team needed to change its style after last season going 63 games playing most of it balls to the wall.

This season looks like Klopp wants to be more a position based team instead of high intensity one.

Thiago is key to that style of play.

That is why a player like Auther was signed so when Thiago is not playing they have a player who can do similar things.

Zak Flaps · 03-09-2022 8:52pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119565473#Comment_119565473

I didn't see the game but a few people here said Gomez was very good today.

Agent Coulson · 03-09-2022 8:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119566890#Comment_119566890

He was better than VVD.

Here is a "Hot Take" I'd drop VVD for a game or three to give him a kick in the ass.

brevity · 03-09-2022 9:01pm

It really weird how people seem to have turned on Nunez. Even when he had just signed people seemed to be nonplussed about him. I mean even Balotteli got a better reception.

03-09-2022 9:12pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119566943#Comment_119566943

Really don’t think Ballotelli got a better reception, everyone knew he was a nutter, but at least he has shown some quality in the PL with City so we knew he could play here. Turned out he was a complete waste of (some) money.

I think Nunez will do well, he could be the next piece of the jigsaw that is the evolution of our team. As Ali said during the week, teams have figured out how Liverpool played with raiding fullbacks. So now we need someone how can tap in/head in/blunder in goals when the ball is in the box. It’s going to take time, but he hasn’t had a great start, there is no denying that the sending off was hugely detrimental to his early settling in. He isn’t helped by the freakish quality Haaland is showing, whether we like it or not, the two top teams paying huge fees/wages for central strikers is going to draw comparisons, and some envy.

We just have to hope that he starts scoring otherwise Klopp is going to have to start thinking about picking Bobby/Jota ahead of him, then the doubts will really set in.

citytillidie · 03-09-2022 9:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119566690#Comment_119566690

Bottle and someone running into the pitch to confront the ref.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/62782297

ShamoBuc · 03-09-2022 9:23pm

No idea why people would be doubting Nunez already. I think he is going to bang in a lot of goals for us. He very nearly scored a cracker today.

Sslah has been fairly shite so far.

Trent has been fairly woeful.

Robbo doesn't look like his swashbuckling self either.

Henderson is in and out and also below par.

Tiago has been out injured.

The above players are the ones who should be getting quality ball to Nunez.

Add in a 3 game ban to further disrupt things and I cannot understand how some folks are nearly writing him off.

noodler · 03-09-2022 10:56pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119567057#Comment_119567057

It's alot of money tbf.

His touch seems terrible and I don't know how much acclimation can have to play with that.

He doesn't fit our style of play.

He is the reason he was banned three games.

Ok, im admittedly more worried about him than most but we can certainly admit cause for concern I'd have thought.

bdmc16 · 03-09-2022 11:28pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119567504#Comment_119567504

His take down and shot that Pickford put onto the bar was absolute quality so glimpses that his touch and composure are no where need as bad as some making out.

Today is a very tough game to back into the team for such a new signing . He needs a couple home games where he'll hopefully score a couple to settle his confidence.

Nunez is playing in a team that just way off the boil with no midfield support so very hard to judge him at all at this point. He isn't getting any remotely the type of De Bruyne service that Haaland has the privilege of.

antimatterx · 03-09-2022 11:57pm

Shame it wasn't a goal, but that Nunez strike reminded me of Torres vs Blackburn about 12 years ago.

BorneTobyWilde · 04-09-2022 12:16am

Nunez has 80, 57,and 39 minutes in a Liverpool shirt, this would be the quickest write-off ever. My only concern is that he's playing center in a front 3, and we're carrying on as usual, as if it's Mane up there. Nunez is asked to adapt to us, we're clearly not going to play to his strengths

Charlie19 · 04-09-2022 2:39am

Jesus this place is awful, a draw away to Everton is generally what we get but now it's the end of the world.

Ffs lads get a grip, we'll still be the closest Challenger to City.

04-09-2022 4:30am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119567925#Comment_119567925

Is the Everton result the only one you are aware of so far this season?

jones · 04-09-2022 7:31am

Have Liverpool ever played well in an early kick off game? Honestly I'm struggling to think of one where we did.

Riesen_Meal · 04-09-2022 8:54am

Pickford had a worldie yesterday, he was brilliant to keep a heap of shots out like he did...

Happy with a point and out of there with how thing's panned out...

This Klopp team always struggles with early kick offs for some reason, thought Trent was the biggest worry for me out there yesterday, he looks a shadow of himself at time's, then does something amazing, hard to know what's happening there...

Nunez will come good, not writing him off at all, but the system will need to adapt to him also...

Talisman · 04-09-2022 9:51am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119565014#Comment_119565014

Ramsay's supposed injury isn't unknown. He has a weakness in a group of muscles in his lower back, it's a common thing and part of the growing process that regular humans can live with but in elite level sports it can lead to long term issues. The club have identified the issue and efforts have made to sort it out now. Recurrent hamstring and groin injuries in young players is a symptom of the condition. In the past Liverpool have seen the likes of a young Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard experience such recurring injuries.

cmac2009 · 04-09-2022 10:00am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119567612#Comment_119567612

I read an article about him with some ex-coaches after he arrived. His first touch was definitely mentioned as a weakness of his, and I'm not sure at this stage how much he can improve on that, as you would expect it's something you've mastered very early on. I'm still in the unconvinced corner, but aware he's also playing in a woefully out of from team at the moment and he still needs more time to settle. Delighted if he proves me wrong.

facehugger99 · 04-09-2022 10:14am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119566563#Comment_119566563

Yeah, that would be my opinion. Considering the awful start to the season it's still in our hands to finish above City and the team that does that will win the League.

We've also have 2 of our toughest away fixtures out of the way nice and early in the season.

Plenty to be positive about. Performance yesterday was quite good IMO, if Pickford didn't have the game of his career, we win that match by at least 2 clear goals.

Anyone writing off Nunez at this stage is a clown who obviously doesn't actually watch or understand football.

Potential Underachiever · 04-09-2022 10:23am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119566553#Comment_119566553

Yeah, during the game some lad was saying to drop VVD because he apparently was strolling around trying to avoid being injured for the World Cup, hottest/dumbest take of them all, poster was clearly a mind reader.

Potential Underachiever · 04-09-2022 10:31am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119567925#Comment_119567925

A draw away to Everton in isolation is not terrible, the season has been awful in general so far.

You say get a grip and we will challenge City with such authority I almost believe you. I think we will be a million miles behind City and scraping a top 4 will be the best we can hope for. It appears you haven't seen the wood from the trees yet.

theoneeyedman · 04-09-2022 10:38am

With each passing week and game, the importance of Mane to how we play becomes more and more clear. There were many here who wanted him out of the side last year, and several of us who pointed out how critical he was to our style and effectiveness.

He tied so much together for to both with and without the ball, and we can't play the same style as we did before without him in the squad.

I'd trust the coaches to get it right and to rejig things, but it'll take time and time is something we don't have nowadays in this league. We may have to limp on and stay in touch with the top 4 until after the World Cup is what I think, and we'll make a run then to make the top 4.

Have to laugh at the plaudits given to Pickford after the game, apart from the Nunez tip onto the bar, none of the saves he made were brilliant, all were pretty standard I thought.

SlickRic · 04-09-2022 10:48am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119566804#Comment_119566804

I don't think City look better.

They have the best striker I may have ever seen. But they do not have quite the control in games that they normally would with the false 9.

mormank · 04-09-2022 12:20pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119568552#Comment_119568552

Agreed. We may have conceded first in 8 of our last 10 matches but haven't they gone 2 down in quite alot of their recent games. I don't the exact number but that is very out of character for them just like it is for us to concede first so often. I still think they will win the league but it would be very interesting to see how they would cope with the level of injuries we have had, they only have 16 or 17 first team players.

robwen · 04-09-2022 1:35pm

https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/clubs/7889--liverpool/squad/

No sign of Keita or Ox assume Elliott Jones etc are on the B list don't need to be registered

Agent Coulson · 04-09-2022 1:42pm

So Naby & Ox not expected back before the 2nd of Novemeber when the group stages end if they aren't even being named in the 25 man squad.

That's 8 weeks

martyos121 · 04-09-2022 1:50pm

Starting to wonder if Naby is really injured or if he’s just been frozen out of the squad. Klopp has form for it if a player pushes him too far, we all know that after Sakho. And Balotelli I don’t think was ever allowed to train with the squad in the brief spell he had with Klopp.

After the word came out that Naby wanted away, there could be more to that story.

Liverpool FC Team Talk, Gossip, Rumours 2024/25

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