I know, if you posted that it it will be an easy game id **** and put my life saving on a barrow win.
Don't get me started! In all honesty zanj is alright, most of the time we've fell out its been my fault for being a bit touchy. I tend to apologise quite quickly, to be fair hes like my wife in forum form. Fatter and balder obviously.
We’re going through a bit of a crisis ... poor performances, letting in goals for fun, suffering multiple injuries, VAR decisions going against us. Yet we’re top of the PL and CL group. Just imagine when things normalise and we start to play well!
Without Thiago in midfield, we simply have to play Shaqiri. He’s the only other one who can connect the MF and attack. Such a classy footballer. Jota continues to impress. I didn’t expect him to adapt so quickly. I love his direct dribbling and knack for being in the right place at the right time. Just shows the importance of us signing an attacker this summer. Salah did go to ground easily but he’s entitled to because it was a foul which would never have been called had he not gone to ground. 100% a penalty. Shout out to Nat Phillips. I didn’t realise he was so strong in the air but he really gave us a good physical presence which was desperately lacking vs Sheff United.
IF we get going I hope we will - however, no guarantee - at the rate players are dropping we may have to play the under 9s by new year lol
Ha - big IF but it will come. Just need to get our players fully fit again and we will start firing again. At the moment, our system and identity is completely compromised due these injuries. Matip at the back means we win the aerial balls at the back and have his passing ability. This then means Fabinho can come back and play in midfield to give us more aerial ability and protection in front of the defence Thiago gives more control in midfield and ability to unlock defences with his passing Naby and Ox are pressing machines and they progress us up the pitch. Hopefully they’re all back sooner rather than later
Saw clips of MOTD where Murphy and linekar condemning Salah for going to ground too easily. The same guys who praise Harry Kane for doing the same thing.
Reality is that we are top of the league, Without even hitting second gear, without the best defender in the world and one fit first team CB as well as Fab, Ox, Naby out....while we have to play 2 games a week (minimum). I think we’ll have ups and downs over the next 2 months but if we can get to the transfer window at the top or close to it, we will still have a chance to win this league. If any man can do this, it’s Klopp. On a side note, I do hope that they reassess the 5 sub rule, it’s blatantly clear that injuries are mounting for many clubs.
Mané and Thiago missed Games due to the virus. Thiago and Van Dijk Missing Games due to Everton attacking our players. Other injuries to Ox, Keita, Matip, Fabinho and Alisson. Countless VAR decisions gone against too, yet top of the league.
My main concern is how dreadful we have played at times. Yesterday the last 15 minutes is what we are used to watching and want to see. Urgency to our play, pressing as a team
we have had to change how we play...without training really as the games are coming thick and fast. It takes time to adapt but as long as we’re winning (most) while adapting, I’ll take some fugly performances. I still think that not replacing Lovren was a calculated risk that I disagreed with from the start and it has backfired on us in the worst way possible....but I get why the risk was taken and reluctantly accept it and also accept that when Thiago is fit, it will go some way to compensate from losing VvD.....then, hopefully, we can afford to strengthen Defensively in January.
its amazing how people focus on firmino and jota. yeah firmino had the touch of a gorilla playing chess but actually shaqiri playing actual passes and not watching out midfield stutter (wijnaldum hold it til he passes back, Jones being ineffective and henderson doing what he does) was for.me what really pinned west ham. oh and @SIR_KENNY_KLOPP_KING you.cannot tell.me that nat Phillips is that much worse than lovren going full lovren. lovren wanted a pay day. he got his pay day. nothing to do with letting him go. we even gambled and lost on vvd fitness. but there you go. a nice young lad steps up and deals with the donkey ball the English prem can serve up. man city game will be interesting
What’s the old saying? One swallow does not make a summer? Nat Phillips had a good game yesterday which is great for us and I hope that it continues for another 2 months (at least) and that he proves that he is on a par with Lovren....but I’m not holding my breath....it would be totally unrealistic and unfair to have that expectation of him too. We were critical of Lovren because we expected more from him. We have no right to do that to Philips when (if) those situations occur. I agree that Shaq brought us some guile in midfield and he even surprised me with his defensive duties but we both know that this is not his strength...but it was nice to see....Thiago will bring the guile and the industry. Also agree that Jones was disappointing and Wini imo has been off the pace since the summer rumours, which is a shame. as long as we keep grinding out results until we learn to play without VvD and without the necessary training, who cares about any of it tbh?
I agree that it would be too hard on Phillips himself to start hailing him as the new messiah on the strength of one performance, and thereby raise the burden of expectation on him. Let's give him some time and see if he can turn out consistently solid performances first. Despite all the stick Lovren gets on here, he wasn't that bad. He did most things right most of the time, but he was prone to costly errors too often and that's what people focussed on. We don't want the same to happen to Phillips. I imagine he'll get quite a lot of playing time if Virgil is out for most, if not all, of the season. Matip and Gomez take it in turn to be injured and our other alternatives are kids or players out of position.
Did I hear that right on yesterdays commentary that Matip and Gomez have never started a game together for the club? Matips injury history and a previously ever present Virgil?
We are obviously struggling injury wise, is it the case that others are aswell? My only gripe with 5 per game is how it increases stoppages and breaks up the natural flow of the game. It was noticeable after the restart how this affects the duration of 'injury time' at the end of the game. The usual 3 or 4 minutes regularly became 7, 8 or more with 30 seconds per change.