Liverpool FC Team Talk, Gossip, Rumours 2024/25

The template for the current season was only two years before. 2020/21 was the season when the lack of investment in the defensive line after the signing of van Dijk in 2018 finally caught up with us. Klavan and Lovren had left without being replaced and left the manager without experienced players he trusted. To cope, Klopp fielded his best midfielders as central defenders and ripped the engine out of the team.

There was panic stations in the days before the January transfer window closed that season, much like we saw with the signing of Arthur in the transfer window last summer.

The results and performances this season are not unlike during that period. The late recovery in the 20/21 season coincided with Klopp getting the band back together in midfield for the final run of games.

Last summer, there were plenty of people on this forum who voiced the opinion that we were one serious injury in midfield away from the wheels coming off in the coming season. As it turned out, Fabinho's drop in form has had a similar effect, personally I think he has been carrying an issue all season.

We'd a good number of CB options for the 2020/2021 season. No one could have predicted VVD, then Joe and then Matip all out for huge spells.

We probably should have got someone in during the Jan window that wasn't the Preston lad or the Turkish lad tho.

When is this season going to be over ?

Nunez has 14 goals this season, would like to see him hit 20 ideally, it's a target with 9 games left.

As for 4th, Villa are the team on the rise, 33-1 for a top 4 finish is nice, Newcastle , Spurs, Brighton, Liverpool all shaky, Villa are solid, 22pts from a possible 24pts last 8 games.

The MacGravy (MacAllister & Gravenberch) Train is leaving the rumour mill station.

Hopefully the business will be done quickly.

A Roy Hodgson Crystal Palace beat Leeds at Elland Road last week 5-1.

If we can't win tonight..... 🤯🤬

Can he play as a 6?

Again, we'd three senior CBs and two understudies (one of whom performed very well).

It's really soothsayer stuff to say we should have envisaged all three senors would be out before November.

Same starting 11 as last week - Diaz on bench

We had 3 senior centre backs going into that season. Including Williams or Phillips as understudies is akin to including Bajcetic as a genuine midfield option at the start of this season when hardly anyone even knew he existed never mind if he could start as a centre mid in a team chasing the title, as we were at the start of this season believe it or not. It's disingenuous and you yourself know that we effectively had 3 centre backs for 2 slots AND you know that that is not enough but somehow you ended up on the other side of the argument and instead of simply admitting you are wrong you dig your heels in which is fair enough, alot of people do that including myself sometimes but you know you are wrong here so no point continuing the discussion I suppose....

Jota is a weird one for me cos when we signed him I was very underwhelmed. Then seeing him play for us again I was very underwhelmed but he was scoring every week so I just assumed I was wrong about him...now I'm worried that was a purple patch and now we are seeing his true abilities. I mean he isnt a paticularly good dribbler or passer or finisher imo. He is an excellent headerer of the ball for his size and had a knack of being in the right place at the right time to finish chances off but I've never really seen him as anything but a significant downgrade on any of our previous front 3.

Really no.

I'm perfectly willing to criticise for the lack of midfielders this season.

Im even willing to say we should have bought, if possible, a decent CB the winter in question.

But was going into the start of the 2020/2021 season with three CBs, an excellent understudy in Philips and Williams as a youth player, was that negligent?

No, that's too far. I've already stated no one could have expected wed have all three CBs out for the season so early but you are ignoring that and it speaks more to trying hard to identify a trend of underinvestment in the squad which would be more appropriately associated with our current midfield woes.

Loads of people here commented we weren't well enough provisioned in a centre area? Not really a shock is it.

Did they see Gomez, VVD and Matip being out for the season by Halloween?

There is no comparison with our CB sitch going into that season, where incredible misfortune was required for it to be an issue, and our midfield situation going into this one which didn't even need any injuries to be an issue.

Nah im not trying to prove anything. I'm not part of the original discussion so have no skin in the game. Just couldnt read what I read and say nothing. You thought Phillips was an excellent 4th choice centre back for us and how we play at the start of that season given Gomez and Matip get multiple injuries every single season since being with us. Ok Noodler...whatever you say!! Not a hope in hell I will ever believe that was your actual opinion at the time. I'm not even gonna bother saying show me the evidence that you claimed that at the time cos I know it simply doesnt exist. Enjoy the match mate!!!

That's great, toodles

There is not one player trying to play the ball forward and make a pass or create, bar Trent.

This is putrid and cowardly.

No effort to attack quickly and directly.

Jota having an absolute howler.

He's also way more conservative than I remember from his 2020/2021 cameos.

Edit: goal but will var rule

It's going to be ruled out.

Trent best player in red. A goal wasn't gonna come from any other source.