Well said. No point picking over minor points they were the better team. I have thoughts but they are driven by emotion and I'm keeping them to myself right now but my opinion hasn't changed from the beginning of this season.
Yeah, my sister WhatsApped me saying just that before they scored the first - "Are Liverpool playing this like the first game of a two-leg final"? It literally was like the old two-legged UEFA finals - except it wasn't. But in our last five finals we've only scored once in normal time - and that was Chiesa yesterday. Sobering thought.
It is, I never realised Salah's poor return in finals either - he is such a big game player so really surprising
Tbf usually in finals we've played well and either missed good chances or the keeper has had a worldie. Yesterday was worryingly similar to PSG though. We have no viable plan B when our midfield is squeezed out of the game. We kept going long to Diaz who was well marshalled.
Imo we stopped playing slot ball before Christmas and have been going more direct. We didn't have the energy or striker to play the game we were trying to play.
I actually disagree on both counts Our cup finals generally need extra time or penalties. We rarely put teams to the sword in a cup final. As for the PSG games, we found a way to win the first leg which is the mark of a team that keeps going looking for a winner and the second leg we pretty much dominated and needed penalties to decide the game. PSG offered very little in the second leg except a lot of young players dribbling, dribbling, cutting in and shooting from range. We kept them out as much as they kept us out. We matched them at every turn except on penalties. That's nothing like yesterday - when we were out on our feet.
I don't agree with this either. Mac Allister is like the Duracell bunny and Szoboszlai plays with pace and purpose (yesterday was an exception for both of them). Only Gravenberch has been slowly fading and has looked like he needs a rest for a few weeks now. Slot has been exceeding expectations all season and now has to learn the value of squad rotation. You can't play the same 13 players in 4 competitions and expect them to keep the same intensity.
MacAllister has to be subbed well before the end of a game as he is knackered and i just don't see us controlling the ball like we were earler in the season . Gravenberch has looked out on his feet for some time
Just a point of order. Aren't we very lucky to have had so many finals? Aren't we grateful to be there to try? This has been a great season. Yes I, as in just speaking for me, want perfection for lfc but in the real world we are barely investing what a top 4 side would and punching above what fsg are willing to let the club do. To be in finals requires superb mentality. We have that in spades, just a shame we are letting 2 leaders go.
Tbf burns record is pretty **** from corners - was a long standing joke when he was at Brighton as he was just never a threat despite being 7 inches taller than everyone.
I think that’s when you have to be brave. How often did we get the ball at kellehers feet and he just went long as everyone was marked? In those instances - and I had this arguement with mito a few weeks back - you have to play it into the man’s feet while marked who will take it and play it back or hold and play sidewards to someone else marked until you can move into space. Few weeks back ball was played into jones from cb with 2 around him and he turned and suddenly lost 2 men and game opened up. A simple pass square to Quansah means he gets it and goes back again… The one time we did that, kelleher went into mac with someone up his ass, he played it first time to vvd who was suddenly in a roles of space and ran into midfield and threaded ball through to Jota and we had a chance. Thats the quality of midfielders who can deal with the ball under pressure. Press resistant
Oh, 100% agree. Slot, like Klopp before him, is performing miracles compared with those around us - including Forest nowadays - who have a far greater net spend (it IS relevant) and overall budget. But the Prem is the focus this season, as it must be. Take the Soton game the weekend before last - I for one supported Slot's decision to put out a practically full side against the bottom-of-the-league club, despite a crucial CL tie against PSG 4 days later. He was mullered that in some parts of the media. We just can't risk losing points in the Prem until it's done, and we don't have the squads of City and previous Liverpool sides like the 2019, 20, and 22 sides to go on multiple fronts. Slot somehow managed it though, but if he gets the prem over the line, all is good. Squad needs strengthening next season if we want to retain the Prem though - that'll be the sign we're serious about being a top club again.
We would have been better v Southampton if he started endo and quansah for example. However genuinely we have few real options. I wouldn't do much different to slot. I hope he has a genuine list of work for the summer and I don't have much hope Richard Hughes will deliver. 0/6 so far imo
I don't know which games you've been watching but this just isn't true. He was 1 of 3 subs introduced at half time v Southampton. 12 games before that (going backwards from Newcastle to Leicester on Boxing Day) he played 87' 90' 81' 90' 90' 61' (after getting a yellow card) 80' 80' 90' 90' 90' 90'.
He is toast. He got 8 days rest in the summer after the copa on his own back and came back and we let him. He's absolutely blowing and creaking and the timing of subs means little other than slot doesn't rate the alternatives.
Now on slot and his admission on burns. I am sorry but the excuse that he's not a threat being so far out is utterly rot. You can see their tactic after 2 corners. Hoof it over at burns to knock back in and create mayhem. The balls across were lifted, straight and no danger but we took zero action to adjust. You have to take macallister off burn there and put on of your 5 doing nothing zonally on him. This is what sides are doing constantly to lfc. Hit the back stick. Avoid vvd. Take him.oit of the game by either cutting back low yo edge of box after drawing lonate or it it to the back stick and get over trent or Robertson who are fairly **** under the high ball. It works against lfc as you'll find konate drsn out wide a lot and really vvd can't be everywhere so hit an area away from him and you've a great chance.
I only put the minutes played to refute Solid's claim that he's been getting subbed well before the end of games, which he clearly hasn't.
