Liverpool FC Team Talk, Gossip, Rumours 2024/25

9 wins from immortality for Jurgen

Arsenal have taken 4 points each from Liverpool and City this season, that has to be respected. I have probably a similar feeling to you that Arsenal are a bit fragile, maybe based on history, but they haven't really shown it this season. Considering they're a point ahead of City, to dismiss Arsenal seems a bit premature, imo. I remember being convinced after they beat us a few weeks ago, they'd lose their next game away to West Ham as that's kinda what I just expected them to do. They beat them 5-0. They're not going anywhere I think.

6 ahead of city no ?

the rules for VAR - I don’t have a good picture, but the Diaz lines looked to overlap, no?

city would need to beat Villa by 5 to go above us

I said it last year and looked like an idiot as they won 3 trophies, but I still don't think he has made them better. Their side that won 100 points and then 98 points in 2017-18 and 2018-19 I think were better than this and last year's teams. The issue they had, they ran into us in the Champions League in 17/18 and then Tottenham in 18/19 where they were unlucky with an tight offside in the last few minutes. In both those seasons had they won those matches they probably would have gone on to win the Champions League.

But much like my protestations that too much is made of winning a World Cup rugby compared to being a consistent winner for the years previously, you just point to the trophies and my argument falters. He still scares me when we have to play them as he is a brilliant player, but he has not made them a brilliant team as they were that before he joined them.

My one stat that goes for me, they scored 106 goals in 17/18, 95 in 18/19, 102 in 19/20, 83 in 20/21, 99 in 21/22 and those were the years before he joined them. They were never shy of scoring goals. Last year they scored 94 in the league and he scored 36 and only Foden scored more than 10 in the league as well. In 17/18 the had 4 players score more than 10 and David Silva scored 9 in the league, in 18/19 they had 3 players scoring more than 10 and in 19/20 they had 5 players scoring more than 10 goals in the Premier League. In 21/22 they had 3 players scoring more than 10 again, but you had Rodri scoring 7, Silva 8, Jesus 8, Gundogan 8 and Foden 9.

Basically a very good player joined a very good team and plays very well. But whether he has made them a better team is up for debate. By only looking at one trophy he has, they won the Champions League which they never did before. But other metrics shows it is not clear cut as they only reached 89 points last year to win the title and this is their lowest total since the Covid year when they won with 86 points and they are scoring less goals.

Either way, I am glad he fluffed some of the lines again today as we are now a loss ahead of City and it gives us some breathing room. I still don't think Arsenal will win out so if we match City's results we should be champions again. Easier said than done.

City have the easiest run in, followed by us and then Arsenal have to play away to chelsea, villa, spurs and utd i think.

City's hardest game is their next one away to Villa, i think they'll win all their other games handy enough.

If needs be we rest players in the Europa, but the league must be the priority,

Fulham are very good at home, 9 wins. That and the united away are my worries, I'm confident we win all remaining home games.

Had to laugh at this one when skimming through todays posts - we could only wish they'd drawn Diaz line through his boot, as that might've put him onside. Screwing us would've been the opposite - drawing his line further in front of his boot to make him look farther ahead than he was.

Anyway, great results today. We'll only know come the end of the season which result in Manchester truly suited us best, but on balance it's hard to argue against both teams dropping the max points possible between them.

Showings like today are what make Brighton and De Zerbi interesting. Their tactics have a bit of everything built into them, unlike most successful underdogs. They can break like lightning, but can also control the game when they need to. And to be putting in performances like this after losing last year's incredible midfield of Mac Allister and Caicedo, and Mitoma out with a long term injury, is pretty remarkable.

Still top, with Jota and Trent, to come back, woth Curtis and Ibou as well.

Ticking along nicely, we just need an even shake from lady luck, referees and fixtures. 2/3 are doing their best to fvck us, but that's Ok - we keep on going.

VVD for me. He's very close to being the PL POTY in my eyes.

You're forgetting the best keeper in the world there.

Which is huge credit to Caoimhin. 👍

Same. No matter who's been beside him, he looks unruffled. Imperious this season.

I'm not saying that we will win our next 9 games or even that it's likely.

But, I think we could.

Yea, all possible though. Villa is probably too big a club for Haaland though, but I'm sure someone will step up with goals for City to win.

City v Spurs likely for May 14th? that would be a tough week for them

Very important win today. Good to be on top of the table. Always one or two surprise results in a run in. Hopefully City and Arsenal make a mistake or two.

Probably that week alright.

LOL

Yea I copped that too, straight after I posted, that it would have help had the lines ran through his boot.

Great 3 points yesterday, against a good Brighton team. We need Jota, Trent and Jones back soon to help with rotation….so many games ahead.
We also need some players to up their game.
Salah was poor yesterday, apart from the goal of course. He loses the ball too much.
Diaz was good yesterday but he loses the ball far too much also. Makes dreadful decisions at times.
Darwin was anonymous yesterday as he was against United.
Szoboszlai was anonymous for the first half yesterday. Improved in the second half. He started off brilliantly for the first few games of the season, but then dropped a level. I don't think he's returned since to his early form. He's not playing like a £60 million player.
MacAllister was superb again.
I don't know what's wrong with Gakpo. He only played for 10 mins or so, but managed to display a lazy attitude in that time.

This was really a typical Liverpool performance against a good team. Brighton have had to learn to play in Europe and the Premier League and I think that has affected them. They have also suffered with injuries to key players and with them not having a deep squad like we do or City, any injury will hurt them. They are still 9th in the table and still dangerous as well. They also lost 2 important players in midfield before the season so I don't think we need to overlook how good of a job De Zerbi has done or how difficult they are to play against.

As for the Gakpo analysis, maybe it is just a preconceived view you have of him that is colouring your view. I think the whole team was nervous the last 10 minutes and were not thinking straight. We messed up another break where we had a 2 on 1 with Salah and Diaz, score that and we did not need to be nervous and Gakpo's style would not have looked out of place for the score line.

I think a lot of the negative views we have of players is not that much based on reality but what we want to think. Remember how Lucas Leiva was always lambasted for any small error where Gerrard would be excused when he made an error for what he brings to the team. Recent examples for me is that Keita was a waste of space but Thiago was class when both had a similar injury record. I think this year would have informed people's opinion about Thiago but if you compared them last year opinions were a lot more harsh towards Keita.

Football media is a self referencing spiral, so get used to it, it'll be the story for the next week or so

Plus, he's useless 😋

might not have scored it 🤷‍♂️

if my Aunt had balls she'd be my uncle