Couple times in the second half, he got the ball back and just instantly goes back to Gomez and Van Dijk, didn't even consider going forward. Clearly lacks the confidence and ability to go forward with the ball.
Yup. Disciplined side and good manager facing us on a bad day. Everyone gets tactics wrong occasionally and Klopp has held his hands up. Despite it being a friendly I wouldn't discount the hammering we gave them pre season. Nobody would be happy with that or want a repeat so would give a little extra. Anyone else think we are just struggling to find the balance a bit. Last year it was going ho attack as much as possible as we knew our midfield wasn't great. Now we maybe think in terms of clean sheets and it's swung a little too inflexible and static. I also think it's actually a bad combo at the moment with those midfielders with a tendency to pass back when you've got a CB who asks for the ball and can deliver well from a high back line.. no matter how good it creates a disconnect from forwards. Not saying VD shouldn't get the ball bypass midfield on occasion just that the option is too tempting to those "unimaginative" midfielders. Klopp just needs to slap their heads lol.... then hug them.
It's his mentality on the ball. It's soft. Safe passing it back and forward from them deep as most teams drop off us there. He doesn't like receiving it under pressure.
I think we miss Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain he was getting used to our style of play when he got injured. At worst, he should be on the bench yesterday.
Mentioned it in the first half, but Napoli actively allowed us to press to an extent, they would always have a triangle out wide by Trent and Robertson. Wait for them to press, pass it in midfield and then flick it out wide and behind us. They did it all game and it worked all game.
In theory he should be allowing them to split quite wide and also be occupying a midfielder to press on him as well. If he is simply ignored by napoli then theres an extra man to mark elsewhere.
So would I, doesn't mean i am fit or able to. In fact, i dont even have a back to injure. Perhaps i should be a mod here #spineless
Hmmm dunno...having had serious back spasms... you literally can be dropped feeling like you cant move but if a physio gets to it soon enough and gets the muscles relaxed it can feel fine in short time. Sounds like he didn't warm up correctly though.
Perhaps he thought: "Crap, I've given the ball away five times in fifteen minutes - better get off now."
He had a terrible start to the game, wonder if he picked up that injury early on and was trying to run it off.
