He's been all over wirtz so I can only assume he really wanted him. Wirtz said he was convinced by slot. The isak and Ekitike stuff. Again Ekitike talked about being convinced by slot so I can only assume these were firmly agreed. Frimpong and kerkez? Who knows. He doesn't seem to have a clue what to do with them. I bright up time and Again this summer about a cm being priority but in the end slot and Hughes let nunez go and also Diaz before iska arrived so they were committed to that forward line. We had an issue with Diaz wanting to go the second he got a trophy. At that point we were looking at gakpo, salah and nunez with chiesa I had said a fast winger was needed after we got Ekitike who I thought in preseason linked well with wirtz. Isak now seems lunacy for 125mil. A fast winger and cm would have done a lot for us. However as of now I am convinced another manager could turn this exact squad around with a 4222. Isak and Ekitike are very different players. Isak wants to go away and finish. Ekitike wants to come short and play. Szoboszlai and wirtz are excellent 10s but need help behind. Frimpong and kerkez are hard running wide full backs not narrow passing players. Gravenberch and macallister could do as twin 6s Konate and vvd are still the outstanding cbs. No salah, no gakpo, no jones needed. They can all be subs in those narrow forward areas. Endo can cover at 6. Plenty of players. First job is get them fit. Second job is to make the best use of the available squad We do not have fast wingers. We just dont. So passing it up there means it runs lateral then passes back. The days of salah running behind are gone. Im convinced this squad would so better as a 4222 than a 433/4231. I think we could do a 343 but I'd prefer not to do that.
Decent summary of past and present "crisis periods"... https://tomkinstimes.substack.com/p/this-run-is-nowhere-near-as-bad-as
I've already said that I don't want Slot sacked and I don't like seeing fans turn on a manager so soon after a great, title winning season. It's usually the keyboard warriors who start the chatter and this then gets picked up by the media and is put out as Liverpool fans in general wanting this, that or the other. I always use the match going fans as the barometer. I wasn't on board with Slot's appointment. His early behaviour of ignoring the fans after a game and his, let's say, unusual comments in his interviews, reinforced my hesitation. As the season progressed though, he looked to be warming more to the fans and his interviews were open and honest as he started to realise that he was no longer at Feyenoord. His coaching last season was spot on. There was a pattern forming of the team not playing their best in the first 45 minutes and coming out after half time really fired up which was down to whatever Slot was telling them. He was clearly motivating them and the response was epic. Last season's first team picked itself. Slot saw it worked and seemed unwilling to take a chance on rotating. This season has seen a lot out and a lot in and he doesn't know yet who his best team is hence the chopping and changing. We have bought some individually great players who, from my amateur perspective, don't look like system players. I trust Slot to work out a new system to fit the players he's bought and the players he already had simply because he has to.
https://tomkinstimes.substack.com/p/liverpool-will-have-played-half-their They also predicted the difficulty in our fixture list up until 9 November.
At least with Klopps losses we were entertained not like the shower of **** we're currently having to watch.
Well our first choice players have had a rest after not playing on Wednesday. God only knows how this one will go. I will be eating out in Oxford so will miss the game. If we win maybe I am the jinx that has caused the recent losses ?
Villa last 10 results. Villa v City 1-0 h Go ahead eagles v villa 2-1 A Spurs v villa 1- 2 a Villa v burnely 2-1 h Feynoord v villa 0-2 a Villa v Fulham 3-1 h Villa v bologna 1-0 h Sunderland v Villa 1-1 a Brentford v Villa 1-1 a (lc) Everton v Villa 0-0 They've come out of the really bad form and have been playing their 2 a week and prospering. Martinez Cash konsa torres digne Kamara onana Mcginn Rogers buendia Watkins No shocks in the selection. Rogers is absolutely key there. Our line up Marmdashvilli Bradley konate vvd ???? Gravenberch szoboszlai Salah wirtz gakpo Ekitike Just pick which lb you like I guess based on that ****show on Wednesday. We wont have any shocks but we will see.
Something needs to change because the way we are playing we are too easy to score against and we're finding it difficult to score goals.
Personally I think there's a large element of passivity and players minding themselves rather than being brave. The likes of gakpo and Salah's pressing is absolutely unacceptable. I want to see change as they are phoning it in imo. Start there and then talk cbs as well, they are dropping off buying space as they dont think marmadashvilli will come.out and they are worried about long ball over them. Stay up, close the gaps. Then the midfield..stop jogging off ahead of the ball expecting cbs to make play. Stay in place. Fight for second able if you must. Make play. Pass forward. Full backs. Absolute ban on back passing if you are not completly closed down this turning around and knocking it into the middle or to the cb rather than passing forward has to also stop. They seem utterly disinterested in going forward mostly and certainly wont work a channel ball. So afraid they lose it and midfielder wont cover.
STUART ATTWELL IS THE REFEREE please log in to view this image ST Referee: Stuart Attwell Assistants: Nick Hopton and Craig Taylor Fourth official: Tom Bramall VAR: Paul Tierney Assistant VAR: Matthew Wilkes
