Match Day Thread 2016/17 Premier League, Cups & Euro Watch

I know you don't take me seriously with that but do expect some flak from others

 

Very rarely take anyone seriously on here, especially you and Treble

 

Arsenal also made 10 changes from the last game. Shows the strength in depth of our squad. But yes a very different prospect to a semi final. Tbh if I was a Southampton fan I'd be disappointed with the team put out. In the league they aren't going to break top six or fall away enough to have a poor league position by there standards and given the way they have approached the league cup I expected more from them.

 

It's funny looking at some of those stats re Klopp and recently with his tinkering Liverpool have suffer d a really poor run of form but overall I think Liverpool fans should be really pleased with him. Liverpool play a far more attractive brand of football than they have under there previous string of managers, have done really well in the cups and look far more likely to achieve something in the league. The players work hard and he has got a lot out of players I didn't think had it in them.

 

So you think they are playing more attractive football than they did under their previous manager when they were blowing other teams away and were one slip away from winning the league?

 

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I believe he wasn't available for quite a few games but you didn't do too bad

 

Yes, definitely.

The season they came second they relied on Suarez massively. In games they struggled he would drag them to a result and when they played well it was because he created the space for sterling and sturridge. They had good finishers and could do serious damage but they had a **** defense, an average midfield and didn't play attractive fluid football but rather had individual talent that got them results.

At the moment they have a team without a standout world class player who can do it all for them but the team as a whole play as a unit. They close the ball well, use possession well by moving the ball quickly and always look to attack when they can.

I'd much rather watch this team than the one that almost won the league, though I can't deny it was something special to watch Suarez making moments of magic.

I've genuinely enjoyed watching Liverpool this season and the style they are trying to implement. Even in the first game of the season when Liverpool beat Arsenal it was a really enjoyable match. It's all fallen apart a bit at the moment most definitely but for large chunks of the season I'd have Arsenal and Liverpool playing the highest percent of attractive games of football. Not necessarily got the consistency required but lots of games that I've enjoyed even though I'd rather they drop points and fall away.

I think Mane going to the AFCON coupled with a couple of short injuries has meant Klopp has tried to completely adapt the way Liverpool play to accommodate different kinds of players who aren't particularly suited to the pressing game. Unfortunately for Liverpool (fortunately for the rest of us) this tinkering has meant not getting the best out of some players who had been performing really well. I also think after a team or two managed to get results against Liverpool others have copied the strategy and nullified them. Once Mane is back I think they will go back to getting results and better performances. He is so unpredictable that defenses get pulled out of place (the first player Liverpool have had since Suarez who is able to do this) which opens up space for the creators in the team. It'll also mean firmino gets put back up top as a false nine where he has performed best.

 

They managed to grind out wins but didn't play to anywhere near the same level when he was out.

 

Where as now they have a great midfield and solid defence

Admit it man, they were good to watch even without Suarez. Going off your assessment they are nothing without Mane, is that how you see it?

 

They don't in my opinion have any really world class midfield players (though on his day Coutinho is incredible, but he's performed well out wide rather than centrally this season). But Klopp has managed to instill a solid work ethic and philosophy (know how much Utd fans love that word) that allows players to play above there level. He's also, for most of the season, managed to get the best out of llalana and get him showing the kind of form which lead to his move to Liverpool.

Defensively they are still pretty ****, I'll give you that

They've got a keeper who is decent quality but prone to the odd howler and another keeper who has potential but hasn't adapted to the league properly yet and still hasn't ironed the mistakes out of his game. And in front of them they have a defense which hasn't been particularly settled. Lovren plays well when he has a solid CB partner who takes control but otherwise goes to complete ****. Clyne is a good player but I don't think has developed to the level people expected. Milner isn't a fullback. He's really hard working and willing to do whatever job he is given, and has actually done pretty well for most of the season but he isn't a natural defender. Matip I have been impressed with but even he has had some shaky performances. Overall the defense doesn't work as a unit. They rely on winning the ball further up the pitch, closing as a team and keeping possession. When that isn't how the game unfolds they look awful at the back.

They did well without Suarez but often relied on sturridge goals that he'd made for himself, they definitely weren't the same fluid attacking team without him. They had a very direct style of attack and scored a shed load of goals but in my opinion the style Klopp is trying to bring through is a more attractive brand of football.

 

So we do play more attractive football now - none of our current players are as ugly as Saurez...

 

He missed the first five. We won the first three of them 1-0, drew 2-2 with Swansea before losing 1-0 to Southampton. Hardly great, we battled through whilst he was missing

 

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That is all

 

Hahaha, with all the change of look Rodgers did I wouldn't be surprised if he tried that look next

 

5 games at the start that was all. And we got 3 1-0s

But it wasnt till after christmas and januray that sturridge and him were fit together.

 

FFS...

 

That **** linekar keeps singling us out for playing a weakened team. Called Klopp disrespectful yesterday on twitter...mentioned us again on BBC today..

Regardless of our views on the changes we certainly weren't the only team that did it and not the only team that lost.

Maybe he's just bItter that because of us the only thing he managed to win in England was the FA cup...knob.

 

Did you catch Phil Neville's uncontrolled snigger when Linekar said that

 

Yes...I actually meant to add tbf to Phil he just politely told him he was talking ****e lol.

Don't get me wrong I'm always with mixed feelings about weakening sides in cups to try and secure a league position other than first.

Our main problem is we simply don't have the quality of squad to do it and win. Which is unfair on any punter paying to see the match. Then the club would whinge if there's empty seats next time.