The reality is that if you play like we are playing (listless) then the smaller Anfield pitch makes it quite easy to defend. It's not narrow but it isn't as long as other pitches so the gaps between lines are smaller. We are simply not pressing and it's easy for a side to pick a pass and get out or pay it over the top. Think back to when sides didn't have time to pick a pass and were hemmed in. I see this issue as one of fitness and hunger. As I said above thi k back to 20mins in. Salah is running about on his own up top from right to centre. Jota stands central, never even attempts to close down do the fulham lads can pass it easily Look at chelsea game. 3 at the back. We used to east that alive. What happens jorginho of all people has an easy ride at cm and the two wing backs are free as outball. No full back press up. Most of the time you see one of them coming from 20 yards back which is far far too late and they just end up out of either position. If we are to press the entire 11 must do it. Not one or 2 or 3. Until we get that back we can forget about it
we’ve definitely lost that intensity that was the hallmark of our game. You are right about the listlessness. I looked back at one of our home games last season or even early this season. The difference is like night and day. Klopp had players who could do that job. Now that available players are not able or not wanting to do the required job, he has to change the system. At least for now. The shocking thing about the match this weekend was that at no time did I feel we were on top or that we would win, against a bottom 3 side.
we cannot change the system if we don't actually have a no 9 to stick in. I'd personally go 343 find 3 cbs though, not easy is it. If fabinho is not cm forget it. As I said there was a period there on about 50mins that the time was right then. no player seemed to sense if but had them penned in a little and we just could not raise the game. We just kept knocking it wide to an isolated neco williams who took a touch or two every time. Nobody supported him really. you wanted a flood forward and really force the issue but we kept on doing the same safe things, shove it wide, but don't get out there are support the player. don't run at anyone, don't force a tackle. really nothing. Examples: Shaqiri: klopp glues salah to the right wing and he does his part but when he's move to the middle shaqiri ****s off and does what he feels like as a 10. no shape. keita, for a lad supposeldy put through a fitess program did nothing. very disappointing. he is gone imo. wijanludm. going through motions. Neco williams. the lad plays head down. Rhys williams. far to scared to go out side and keep an opponent wide. he let them get insdie him all game. Robertson. in behind the line (unforgivable for a full back) lazy running out but then is ciritical of his team mates? needs to lift his own head and be a leader. don't be behind the ****ing offside line. I am willing to bet we go now to this big ptich in bucharest and knock it over the top at salah and score.
It was so clear to see Fabinho's impact in midfield. He came on and won the ball back 3-4 times which then led to attacking opportunities. Why has our press dropped? The biggest reason for that is because we have a midfield three which isn't back up the front 3. Due to injuries, we have had an unsettled midfield three and we have largely played Gini, Jones and Thiago (two of whom are new to the system and Gini is playing in a different role). Fabinho, Hendo and Keita (statistically) are our best pressers in midfield and we saw more of it in the second half when Fab and Keita played in a midfield 2. Fulham no doubt sat back but we penned them back and that's the key - if you look at our success over the past 2 years, it's not as if we played champagne football. We ground teams down by putting them under pressure and penning them in their box for majority of the game. I'm hoping that Fabinho in midfield vs Fulham is a sign of things to come. Let Phillips and Kabak develop a partnership now - give them a run of games and get some continuity. One last thing I wanted to say is that Milner and Gini are cooked. Neither offer anything to this team in terms of ability on the ball or leadership. Milner should never be starting for us and Gini needs dropping. Get a midfield of Fabinho Naby and Thiago / Jones and let's see how it develops.
Lol he went down at some point and I was sh*tting myself! Fingers crossed he stays fit but we could see his potential in the second half. Winning the ball back, dribbling and getting the ball upfield. Get him alongside Fab and Thiago. We need to stop relying on the centre backs and full backs to build up play, we need to get the ball to the midfield and let them do it.
nope. he's been given a fitness program to push him on. he should have been the most active player yesterday. it was his big chance. he is toast. Thaigo can't get about, he won't be doing much either.
How did he miss his chance? He was our best midfielder (not saying much). Lad has hardly kicked a ball and did well all things considering. As mentioned previously, our midfield lacks structure and doesn't understand pressing triggers to support the front 3. Fabinho and Naby do understand it and we will need them (especially without Hendo).
because he was fairly **** TBH. klopps not put him on before and kept him on the bench. I think he got 15 v sheff utd and never moved himself. he's done the same again. I can't see him doing much tbh.
That's definitely bs mate. We've got scout reports on tens of thousands of players from all over the world. No way we signed someone blindly.
I doubt that we didn't scout him but if he was a genuine option in defence, he would have played by now. We were happy to play a 20 year Kabak straight away. Face it, FSG penny pinched in January and we're paying the price for it. The irony is they want to save money but they will end up costing us more money in lost CL revenue. Their model is good for one off success but it relies heavily on near perfect recruitment and a remarkable manager who overachieves. It's not a good model for long term sustainable success.
I think he's been brought in to make up the numbers. Absolutely not good enough but then, nor are the others
Agree with what Jimmy said. When Fab came on in midfield he looked a class above everyone else in winning the ball and just shows what we’ve missed. 2/3 times we won the ball and set up an attack. That turnover in middle of the pitch is where we score majority of our goals from. It allows us to break on teams with the front 3 plus 2 full backs pushed on while the opposition have players ahead of the ball and our what becomes a front 5 have far more quality than 90% of the defences when they’re matched up 1v1. However we haven’t been doing that and as such passing the ball around in front of 11 men we don’t have that individual quality other teams do to break them down. klopp has to just stick with Phillips/Williams kabak at CB for rest of the season and play Fabinho in front of them with 2 of Thiago/Keita/Jones/Gini ahead of him. We need to go back to taking risks with our full backs. With Fab in DM he’s much more capable of covering for them when pushed on which Thiago/Gini haven’t been able to do, so have them higher and wide will give us more attacking threat and allow Salah to get inside more often.
Fabinho not only is a world class ball winner but he can also pick a pass. In addition, I think his inclusion will get more out of Jones, Thiago and Naby. Certainly Thiago and Jones have had their games impacted because they are doing far more defensive work than required but their ability is what they do on the ball. Get Fabinho and Naby in, win the ball and attack. I really hope we see this vs Leipzig.