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Match Day Thread Vs Real Madrid (H)

Discussion in 'Liverpool' started by Zanjinho, Apr 10, 2021.

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Result...

  1. Home win

  2. Draw

  3. Away loss

Results are only viewable after voting.
  1. InBiscanWeTrust

    InBiscanWeTrust Rome, London, Paris, Rome, Istanbul, Madrid
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    well depends what happens to Matip. Was working on assumption we’d keep him and have vvd Gomez Matip and kabak. If Matip goes then absolutely would need another experienced player but just don’t see Matip going. Not sure who’d buy him
     
    #201
  2. RogerisontheHunt

    RogerisontheHunt Well-Known Member

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    The problem comes from the drop in quality beyond the 1st team and just how injury prone some of the players are.

    Plus we have no idea how VvD or Gomez will come back, nor Hendo for that matter (2 of whom are at ages where injury recovery is never fully achieved)
     
    #202
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  3. luvgonzo

    luvgonzo Pisshead

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    I don't see anyone buying him either but he can't be relied on.
     
    #203
  4. InBiscanWeTrust

    InBiscanWeTrust Rome, London, Paris, Rome, Istanbul, Madrid
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    Did I say there was anything wrong with scoring from corners? I said you can play **** and score 3 goals from corners. In same way you can play well and not score. Yes football is about scoring goals in terms of getting results, but there is more to football than just goals.

    said many times before I’d rather watch us play well and draw 3-3 than sit back, do nothing for 90 minutes and maybe nick a goal from 1 attack every week... because you’re going to score more goals and win more games if you play well more often than not.

    Im not saging us walking up to edge of box under no pressure was good play. I like to think after 20 years of watching football that I have a better understanding than ‘oh look we got to edge of their box so must have been awesome football’.

    im talking about milner smashing into tackle in first minute. Mane skinning his player. Getting through them with a lovely diagonal ball from kabak to mane. TAA getting wide and putting in decent cross etc. Yes a lot of time Madrid say off us in second half, but there were times we passed through their midfield and got at them which was much more enjoyable to watch, and much more proactive that what we’ve seen in some games this season
     
    #204
    Zanjinho likes this.
  5. InBiscanWeTrust

    InBiscanWeTrust Rome, London, Paris, Rome, Istanbul, Madrid
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    yup. Think he’ll admit his first few years he wasn’t great, but the last 3 years he’s gone il a level. Not just his footballing ability but his leadership of the team. I think you can see the respect he has not only from his team mates but the whole of the premiership
     
    #205
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  6. InBiscanWeTrust

    InBiscanWeTrust Rome, London, Paris, Rome, Istanbul, Madrid
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    True, but then that means you don’t sign kabak and sign a more experienced defender? Or we sign kabak and another? Seems overkill to have 5
     
    #206
  7. luvgonzo

    luvgonzo Pisshead

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    Dunno, I just think we can't rely on him so need someone with experience to come in and challenge Gomez. Not sure how it all works.
     
    #207
  8. Zanjinho

    Zanjinho Boom!
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    And we still see England and opposition fans criticising him <laugh>
     
    #208
  9. Nozzer

    Nozzer Well-Known Member

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    I thought he was rubbish tonight.
     
    #209
  10. InBiscanWeTrust

    InBiscanWeTrust Rome, London, Paris, Rome, Istanbul, Madrid
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    anonymous, like he wasn’t even on the pitch
     
    #210
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  11. Tobes

    Tobes Warden
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    I thought you did OK tonight, if Salah buries that gilt edged chance in the 2nd minute, it’s a different game.

    Madrid game with a game plan to sit deep and stop you getting in behind and it largely worked. As the game went on I thought you became quite predictable and they looked increasingly comfortable and they nodded away crosses that weren’t especially threatening as you had no real height in the box.

    An interesting stat before the game, your starting XI in the 2018 final included 7 of the starters last night, had VvD and Henderson been fight it’d have been 9, the only difference would have been the keeper and a replacement for Lovren.
     
    #211
  12. jaffaklopp

    jaffaklopp Well-Known Member

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    That season we were scoring for fun, now we can't buy a goal
     
    #212
  13. Jimmy Squarefoot

    Jimmy Squarefoot Well-Known Member

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    Sad to end the CL campaign like that but whilst we did have opportunities to win last night, the game was ultimately lost in the first leg. The defensive errors that caused us to concede 3 goals and not having a man stand on Kroos is what cost us.

    With that said, we did play some good football last night, dominated (mostly because Real let us) and should have scored at least one. This team in it's current form is not good enough to win titles but it is good enough to scrape a few results and get top 4.

    The game ultimately ended when we brought on Thiago and Jota but more importantly, it's when Fabinho went into defence.

    One thing is for sure, we need to buy at least 2-3 starting quality players in the summer. Especially in defence and in attack. It's a little sad but it is the end of an era in terms of the front 3. I was watching a compilation the other night of the front 3 and they were simply incredible. The best in the world at one point. Watching that compared to this season and the regression is so clear to see. Bobby is finished IMO - his performances have regressed for over 18 months now. Mane is the tricky one because his form turned in October. It's still a long period but I think he did get COVID around that time so maybe related. We only have one goal threat in Salah (two if you include Jota).

    Whilst the front 3 are out of sync, we're not helped by the lack of goals and creativity across the rest of the team. Trent has been inconsistent but is always a threat but Robbo has really struggled for a few months now and is hardly creating any chances. We've lost the long balls from VVD and the passing / dribbling ability of Matip and Gomez. And we've also lost the set piece threat that VVD brought. All of this has led us to look one dimensional and Klopp simply hasn't tried to adapt. Instead, he has persisted with a trusty 433, which is he well within his rights to because it brought success over the past 2-3 years.

    The issue is that we do have game changers in this team in the likes of Thiago, Naby, Shaq and Ox but last night I finally had the realisation that Klopp doesn't want to change his system to get the best out of them. He wants the rugged, dogged, workhorse midfield and that suits players like Milner, Gini and Hendo (even Fabinho took months to adapt). So if we do decide to buy a midfielder in the summer, then we may as well get a workhorse, physical type instead of someone who is technically proficient because they will be wasted/ And I fear the same will happen to Jones as well.
     
    #213
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  14. Solid_Air 2

    Solid_Air 2 Well-Known Member

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    No one is saying we were great last night but at least there was an intent and verve about our play which has , in the main , been missing for months . The fact you seemed surprised about our conversion rate in front of goal suggests you have been asleep since December .
     
    #214
  15. Jimmy Squarefoot

    Jimmy Squarefoot Well-Known Member

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    It was actually a decent performance. I'd say the intent was there up until we made the substitutions. Then it became laboured and I don't think we looked close to scoring. That's not a criticism of Thiago and Jota, although I was hoping for more of an impact however I think moving Fabinho back into defence could have been a big factor. Having him in midfield allows us to push even higher and it relieves the defensive responsibilities for those around him.
     
    #215
  16. Solid_Air 2

    Solid_Air 2 Well-Known Member

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    According to my commentary that was Robertson 51st game last night so its no wonder he seems a level off his normal standard .
     
    #216
  17. Solid_Air 2

    Solid_Air 2 Well-Known Member

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    still can't understand why Jota didn't start tbh
     
    #217
  18. Jimmy Squarefoot

    Jimmy Squarefoot Well-Known Member

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    Yeah he must be absolutely knackered. Defensively, he's still very good but we're really missing his attacking threat. Pretty much 90% of our creativity is coming from Trent now. We've lost all other avenues.

    Re. Jota - my only guess is that Klopp wanted to set up with a solid team to ensure we don't concede then bring on the big guns to score.
     
    #218
  19. saintKlopp

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    We dominated possession because they let us, but we also carved out a number of decent chances - which I doubt was in their game plan. It's mystifying how a front 3 that have outscored everyone apart from city over the last 3 seasons seem to have forgotten how to do it.
    Having said that, if we had bagged a couple Real would have had to come at us, so it still might not have been enough.
     
    #219
  20. Jimmy Squarefoot

    Jimmy Squarefoot Well-Known Member

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    Yep I agree with you. The front 3 have sadly run its course and it starts with Bobby. As mentioned, his regression has been way over a year and we can largely carry him because we had two goal threats either side. When one of those goal threats is going through bad form (i.e. Mane), the problem is amplified further.

    I hope we target someone like Raphinha in the summer. Someone who is quick, dynamic, creative. We lack that speed and someone who can dribble past players
     
    #220
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