Liverpool FC Team Talk, Gossip, Rumours 2024/25

For midfield at the moment, it feels like Klopp is shoe-horning in the best footballers, rather than necessarily the best positional options. Grav, Mac, and Szob are all brilliant footballers, but none of them are naturally defensively minded... so we look good going forward, but definitely lose the edge in defence.

I totally get making that decision against Luton, the attacking output should have been enough in theory to win the game regardless of defensive frailty, but imo the sooner Endo starts playing more, the better. He's looked excellent in his recent games too, so its not like he's struggling or something, offers something no-one else does while still actually being quite decent with progressive passes. I expected Mac to be 6 until around now, with Endo arriving long after pre-season was over, but it's around now we should start seeing more of him. Now, it was January before we regularly saw Fabinho, but in that case we at least had more viable safe options like Hendo and Milner to sit back.

The inverted Trent thing might actually have some benefit if Endo is sitting back, but with Mac there Trent is just getting in his way without adding anything, and leaving big holes for the opposition to exploit. As long as we have ballers in midfield, Trent needs to be wide.

Those days are long gone, we tried that last year and we were 10th after 24 rounds of the Premier League. Just like the best teams moved to playing with one striker instead of 2 and zonal marking (or a hybrid system) instead of man marking at corners. You may have pundits railing against it but when the best teams all try to copy the same system or new supposed fad it means the best minds in football are seeing the same solution to the same problem.

Now we could return to it to bring a new problem for teams if they have prepared for the inverted role for Trent, but I think we were worked out by teams last year with our high fullbacks. Maybe it is as simple as legs in the middle of the park, but at the moment we still do not have that.

I think Macallister is a brilliant footballer I’m just not sure what he’s contributing at the minute. He’s not playing very well where he is right now

If Luton scored that goal you'd have lads in here slaughtering TAA or Robbo.

Couldn't disagree more.

We were just terrible last season so wouldn't be using that as any sort of reason as to why we shouldn't have both FBs playing further forward.

Robbo had 11 assists last year and Trent had 10.

It all comes down to results in the end. If we keep winning with Trent as the inverted player then it will work. If we start losing then we need to change it. At the moment we still have only lost one match so far this season so while we have not been at 100% all the time, even when we won the league this was not the case. In fact City at the moment you could argue has not been brilliant so far or convincing in some of their matches, but they have done enough to win and that is all that matters.

I am still amazed that we have had to bed in a new midfield, all three starters in the middle yesterday was signed this summer and they have not even had a pre-season together to gel either with Gravenberch being signed so late. Add in injuries to Robertson and suspensions due to the red cards we have had, having 24 points at this stage of the season is not bad.

Just as a comparison, I know take it with a pinch of salt as the opposition is different year from year, this is how we stood after 11 matches in previous seasons -

18/19 - 27 points (went on a 9 match winning streak from game 12)

19/20 - 31 points (only dropped points a draw against United away and went on a 18 match wining streak after that draw - if anyone mentions City did not win the league because that was the Covid season remind them we almost had the league won before it was halted that year. That was an amazing season)

20/21 - 24 points (injuries were about to catch up to us as we lost all our fit CB's)

21/22 - 22 points (would go on to score 92 points)

22/23 - 13 points

We have set ourselves a good platform so far to have a good season. Will we challenge again? I don't know as it will depend more on what City does than what we do, but I am just glad to see the team get the results as we did in earlier seasons. Don't forget either that we weren't always convincing in those seasons and had matches where we were lucky to escape with 3 points.

I'd just love to see Endo as pure DMF, releasing Mac a little further and providing cover for Trent to bomb on wide.

Depending on how Endo does, it could mean more assists from Trent, Salah closer to goal, Mac operating further further.

Whatever about Trent's role throughout the season but if Gomez is your left back you absolutely need Trent wide on the right. Joe at LB is a non factor when we're in possession.

I'd say if anything, a little extra flamboyance and personality in dress sense tends to denote a bit of extra thoughtfulness... sure how many brilliant and eloquent artists looked absolutely insane in their dress sense. Think instinctively I'd always rather hear from someone who looks a bit mad than someone in a generic cookie-cutter 'uniform' that looks the same as everyone around them. (Though of course there’s no shortage of mad lookin’ idiots too - I guess the moral is, don’t judge a book by its cover 😅)

He’s a very interesting fella who’s always had a lot more going on than just football, so not too surprised to find he’s a good listen.

I don't believe match goers, whatever about some on boards.ie trying to get a rise, don't know what those chants mean.

From that angle it looks like he's trying to lift it into the roof of the net. Made a balls of it though.

Aw yea, we all know what he is trying to do, thinking hard and trying to be precise, it seems to be his kryptonite, time and space.

Spurs going down to 9 men. Ironic.

Big grin on me here watching spurs

I would prefer if the karma for Spurs after Liverpool game came against Liverpool rather than Chelsea 

And they'll probably miss them both for the Man City game. Possibly Maddison too.

The top 5/6 more condensed again.

Although... you do fear, as usual, that City will be tough to move from top spot now

Gained a point on both Arsenal & Spurs this weekend.

Any small positives!!

We are not going to be in a title race this year, the team hasn't had time to even build a decent understanding yet.

What we need is a good solid season and get back into the CL for next year.

Don't see why we should be writing ourselves off. *Maybe* City fly to 100 points again and win the league at a canter, but maybe not. If they slip up I want it to be us on their heels, and I think we're more than good enough for that.

In fairness to him he was very calm in one on one situations. Always seemed to score them.