Welcome To Liverpool FC, Jurgen Klopp!

I pointed out your run simply because it's you I'm discussing it with and you're a fan of a team that had a shocking run but recovered and seem to have sorted yourselves out in terms of how the manager wants you to play. I was interested to see if you all went ballistic or rode it through. Why should we be expected to do any different?

It's arguable who had the higher expectations this season because in general we always have high expectations for ourselves, not in comparison to anyone else. This season your lot had a much higher expectation than last season so how we can reasonably compare our expectations against one another for this season I don't know how you would do that. I'm not interested in turning it into the evergreen money comparison argument though

Just to add our expectations have zero to do with 'fiscal reality' - go back as far as you like and tell me that we've never had sky high expectations, it's why we get the next year is our year tag.

 

JB you are also right in that the teams below LFC are still there cos their own form was so poor for a long time and our recent run while fun for the mancs and bitters is an easy target.

Form is hard to get, thats why its easy snipe form good form like diego does. when the bad run for LFC ends (whenever) either we will still be close to 2nd or we won't.

 

I agree mito. I only used Everton because it was our mate Tobes I was talking to and frankly, to maintain 7th with the dire run they had is amazing and only happened because the teams below were equal in direness Exactly the same with us except the timing means while everyone else is getting their acts together, ours is falling apart.

 

My own view on your recent poor run is that's been driven by a few factors;

1. The way Klopp plays with the high energy press etc, the hectic Christmas fixture list, combined with the heavy pitches at this time of year, all combined = you ran out of steam

2. Mane and the ACON, his absence has proved key as he makes you tick imo, with his pace, directness, and ability to find a pocket of space

3. Teams worked you out. Sit deep and give you no space in the central areas and you struggle to break sides down. the high line means that you're then vulnerable to a quick counter.

You've got a fortnight without a game after Saturday, so there'll be time for a few days to recharge and then for plenty of work on the training ground. I'll be interested to see if he alters his tactics at all in the coming weeks, as I think you do need to be more flexible.

 

Recently it seems he has changed it but it doesn't work, we started working it wide and crossing it. Problem is we are not good in the air so that didn't work and teams just dealt with the crosses.

 

Is that because teams have closed down the space so well in the central areas though, which has left more space out wide, knowing that they'd fancy themselves to defend crosses against your strikers?

 

Teams have closed down the space in the middle but they did that before we hit the ****. We had the intelligence to break teams down.

Problem is that now, we are forced out wide and resort to crossing. There's no patience or movement to stretch teams and create space.

I think this is down to a number of things but mental fatigue is a big factor imo. We've played every 3-4 days for almost 2 months.

I'm expecting a rejuvenated performance against spurs, now that we've had a week rest.

 

Yeah I think so and instead of dragging wide and them back into the middle trying to create space we have been lobbing it into the box which has been pretty useless and it also gives away possesion and allows teams to counter.

It looked like they had been instructed to do it though as it happened too often.

 

Pretty fair assessment

The only thing I don't completely agree on is that teams have worked us out, that's too simplistic. Every team pretty much knows how another team will set up and should employ counter tactics, that's a given. Our problem isn't that we've been worked out but more like the players aren't being consistent enough nor energetic enough i.e. putting the effort in. We've had countless open goal misses for example and that's an indication of poor execution not of being found out.

 

Well Firmino isn't good in the air, as the ****wit has missed two simple headers recently. I still say that had either of them fell to Studge they'd be buried. That said, he did score a Toshack-like one against Swansea, I suppose.

 

If you're good enough and on fire (like we were from Jan to April in 14) it doesn't matter if the other team have you worked out - you still beat them. It's like Mike Tyson said in his prime 'They all have a plan - till I hit them in the face'. We failed against Chelsea and their spoiler tactics that day not because they had a plan and were all regimented, but because we didn't have a plan B (and still don't) to play against simple banks or 4-4 (or 6-3, as it was that day). They weren't the first team to 'Sus us out' that spring, and there have been many who've tried that approach even this season at Anfield, but we've either got early goals (Hull) or we've persevered in the end (Sunderland). The problem now is not so much the opposition tactics, but we've lost all belief that we'll get early goals, put away half chances, or even nick one in the end. And even then, any team knows that even if they are behind to us, just spend the last 15 minutes attacking directly and from set-pieces and we'll probably let in at least one, if not more.

 

I'm hopeful - dunno about expectant.

 

I know in what context I used it. I hope you do. No need to steer towards the "heavy" meaning of that term

That's why football is such a popular sport. 2 people watching the same match or run of matches have different opinions on what's going on.

 

Like the referee and the rulebook in Unitard games.

 

The money spent on Wijnaldum should have seen an improvement

 

Well said. I agree completely with the sentiment behind Tyson's quote. As you've eluded to here, we've lost the swagger that comes before the k.o.

 

Agreed, which is why we're on this forum in the first place

 

I may have made it up. Though I do recall a few memes doing the rounds on Facebook over the last few weeks saying the same thing. That's not to say they're not made up as I firmly don't believe everything I read on the internet. Unless it helps wind some of you lot up. Then it is FACT.

 

Sigh. The modern equivalent of 'It were all round Asda'.

 

Think it was paddy power. Sure they must use real facts.