I see you've totally omitted the Hoffenhiem games as non competitive. Reality is we've played 9 games and the bigger frustration is with the defending rather than the attacking play. Whilst I am also frustrated, I believe the Coutinho debacle disrupted preparations and early injuries to Clyne and Lallana have contributed to the poorish start. It is better to be dealing form issues early on and resolve them. I believe a full strength Liverpool side will mask the defensive problems till January where Klopp really has to act otherwise it will end in disappointment which possibly means missing out on top 4.
this question depends entirely on your point of view and your expectations. It sounds like an attempt to lower expectations to me frankly. 3 things. 1. Do LFC cans expect a piece of silverware? 2. Do LFC fans expect top 4 and CL? 3. Do LFC fans want to see good football thats tactically sound? 1 is highly unlikely this year as was highly unlikely before the last week of transfer window but over a 24 hour period things occurred to raise hope but didn't come to pass. 2. Is fairly unlikely as there are clearlt 4 better sides that LFC and Arsenal are at least as good 3. Is also quite strange. we can enjoy games easily. lots of pretty stuff but for the serious footballing person watching amateur hour antics being called tactics at the back are unsatisfying. So if "Not that bad" means we will be ok and might win enough games to be happy with as upper midtable fine... no issue. If we want to win anything at all its just no on.
Well considering we were well on top at Leicester and he took the most influential player off at halftime he himself changed things and became part of the problem himself.
I think it was premeditated plan to give each player 45mins so coutinho could play this weekend and the CL game.
But, that shows he wasn't arsed about winning one of our two 'realistic' targets this season, unless he thinks we will win the league title and champions league double.
well... conversely we might say ok 0-0 wasn't the plan but it could have been 3-0 and he would look a genius taking him off. at 0-0 making the sub does show that we wan't thinking totally about winning the cup. I mean if we are away to spartak and lose with coutinho sat on bench he's get savaged too... managers never win in these situations....unless they win the games
But as your lads keep reminding us Luv, he can't be that keen as he never even made a bid for him....
Ok, but if he has a similar attitude towards the FA Cup and it goes tits up, watch the backlash, if he'd at least tried to address the problem areas he now admits we have in the transfer window he'd get far more leeway from the supporters than he's now getting.
We'll find out in January if we are seriously in for him, no idea if you lot will have a change of heart and want to sell him then though but if you say not for sale we have to look elsewhere.
I think that Klopp has ****ed up by not signing an alternative CB, you could well be adrift by January with the defence that you currently have IMO. It was a poor managerial decision not to buy one.
I have already said so. the league cup is right in the middle of the CL and the draw we got was absolutely lousy. however right now the league cup is now out of it and the FA cup as a result will not be in the way of anything in the 3rd round. If we pull a stunt then there is no excuse. I would hope to be in last 16 of CL but we won't go further so theres no excuse resting first teamers around those games.
This is why I think we should give Gomez a go in there, yes he's young but the 2 senior players in Klavan and Lovren have shown time and time again that they are not up to the job, I'd rather see mistakes from a young lad learning than the same old ****e from the other 2.
At half time it still looked only a matter of time before the goals went in, even without Coutinho. Shame they went in at the other end.
1. wheres the midfield screen 2. did he not play everyone onside for leicester first goal? 3. is Cb meant to defend or look great on the ball? 4. will matip help him through a game or not? If the answers to these show that he's the guy then fine. I think we are all ignoring two things 1. Matip/lovren has worked ok and thats what we have now 2. The midifeld screen this season has been consistently absent. The defenders are being run at one on one and constantly under pressure. I seriously wonder if we won't just put gomez is the same impossible situation but expect him to not make and error and when the inevitable occurs we will savage the kid.
I saw an article a few days ago (can't remember where) that showed that Lovren's stats were similar to those of other defenders - Kompany, Bailly, a couple of others. I'm not passing judgement on this, just pointing it out, but I've said all along that I think our defensive frailties are down to the playing philosophy rather than the personnel. As Frank says above, perhaps the big step up in quality that we need to cope with our type of game really isn't available. Gomez looks just as error-prone to me, tbh. I know he's relatively inexperienced, but if the above theory is correct then that isn't the crucial factor.
Yeah that could be right, we do leave our defenders exposed at times and they then seem to panic other than dealing with the situation. Lovren plays well at times but he does make mistakes, regardless of the stats I've seen that with my own eyes.
This would be the concern but I think it's worth a punt at this point, as for laying into the kid yeah that's modern footy for you some will.
