Liverpool v cheslea 1-0 up and cruising til that fluke of a goal form willian Spurs v LFC 0-2 down due to mass panic in the ranks every time kane breathed near the football. Its all about the first error and who makes it. We are more than able to stand up to any of these sides but there are just too many morons i nthe LFC side who will cough up the goal. Gomez is now on the list Lovren Matip Klavan moreno henderson When half your team on any given matchday is an accident waiting to happen its tough.
We're on the same page. Thing is, even an average footballer can defend properly if coached to do so....so is it how Klopp wants them positioned? On the front foot, ready to counter press? It doesn't add up to me.
Luckily not all can play at once Put like this though and we are clearly lacking quality. Keita and VvD will help but we need more!
Hardly capitulations. Just a brain-fart against Everton, and we came back to equalise against Arsenal, we didn't give up.
I agree we have to attack them. We don't have a defensive mind-set, and so it's pointless setting up to defend - especially against an attack as potent as theirs. Our only chance is to try and keep them occupied more at the other end. Like you say, it could get us another spanking, but I can't see us getting anything from it any other way.
We just need everyone up for it mentally, We've beaten them previously by just wanting it more than them.
They're extremely good but far from unstoppable, they had a string of last gasp winners the other month and should have lost to Palace the other day!! Come out of the blocks quicker than them and they should reign their game in a bit and it will become a good contest
The fight for top 4 will be very tough this year. There are realistically 5 teams (mancs, chelsea, LFC, Arsenal and Spurs) for 3 remaining places. I honestly now want City to beat all 4 of them. And draws between them. The quality gap beween the top 6 and the rest is actually increasing despite more money spent by these lower teams. Any team drawing a top 6 team is almost an event. I can see all of our rivals beating all these teams so we have to match their wins in every week. In the end it will come down to results in matches between us.
I was discussing a change in the PL with family over Christmas, The negative teams are not doing so well anymore as the so called top teams have improved their attack. The family are all WBA and I suggested that they are in trouble unless they start playing footy again, my point is that you have to have a balance and can no longer stick everyone behind the ball in the PL as the top teams will more often than not find a way through. You are more likely to grab some points by attacking and that safe mid table area will be filled by teams with some ambition.
That's why it's good for the league poorer teams like Bournemouth surviving. They try and play football. The more fat Sam and pullis type managers survive and get results it looks the way to go to owners desperate to stay in prem and cash in.
This is where I think the change is happening, Pulis gone and he was the worst. Sam at Everton will be interesting they are difficult to beat but will it be enough I'm saying no and they wont have a good season under him. There is too much attacking talent and pace in the PL for these negative tactics to work, yes there will be the odd game where they get a point or even grab 3 but long term you'll be in trouble playing like this.
I think it is a matter of judgement for those managers. And also their objectives. Many of them have been recruited because their clubs are in the relegation zone and their previous managers have just been sacked. They are being paid to get points . End of. Do they play like Bournemouth against LFC or City and know full well that they'll be trampled upon - giving it a go? Or do they put 11 men behind the ball, with a small chnace that they could hold on and get that precious point? The other important point which people have to bear in mind is that when things are so tight in the relegation fight, GD will play a crucial role. Being constantly beaten by 4-0 and 5-0 will make a differnce to just losing by the odd goal. I can see many teams accepting losing 1-0 rather than having a go and lose by a large score.
I think Sam Allardyce is at Everton for a short time. if Everton wants to compete with the top six he is not the right manager. I am not being dis respective.
I think that at this time in the PL you are better off attacking than sitting and you are more likely to get your point by carrying a threat. Burnley are a good example, they set themselves up to be hard to beat but have an attacking threat as well and are not afraid to commit men forward at the right times. There's a balance, Bournemouth are a bit too open but it does the job especially against teams around them. Huddersfield again look to get at you all the time and hunt the ball with aggresion, Watford another good example. It'll interesting to see if some of those teams abandon that attacking threat as it gets near the business end of the season and points become more precious.
This is what I was saying about everton yesterday after the United game on rival thread before @Justovertheline got in a flap and told me that I was stating the obvious about everton and fat Sam and they all everton fans were aware of this (not that it was being aimed at them with it being mentioned on liverpool board). Defensive set up might get you a few points here and there but it relies on the opponents not being able to break you down and good luck. If we replayed the everton game in same way we’d prob win 5-0 9 times out of 10 so relying on opposition being poor finishing is a poor tactic. Go out and attack and you may get the odd battering (like we have) or like Bournemouth did against ya for example but at least you may cause some issues yourself and if the opposition have a bad day you could sneak a win rather than sneaking a draw.
well put. Nobody can defend for 0-0 in 38 games. Thats pulis style and he's got the sack this year even. I don't know how this has become termed "pragmatic" to essentially call defending negative but it seems now to be the fashion to call any team who can defend "pragmatic" and tar them with the mourinho anti football accusation Being a good defensive unit doesn't mean you don't attack. If you look at 90% of goals LFC score its not cos teams are wide open anyway. Look at salah v maguire for that second goal or look at that back heel for the first goal in leicester game. Those can happen whether you pack 11 men in narrow or not. Look at LFC first goal v burnely. deflected cross falls to mane who uses his quality to score an unstoppable shot. Loot at utd's first v everton. bit of quality goal The message has to be that you must find weaknesses in a team to exploit yourself. even if that means using 3/4 players to break on sides.
