Match Day Thread Vs Fulham (H)

[RogerisontheHunt]

wasn't too bad actually.

like, ok we are complete otssers and all that but is could have been worse. Fulham didn't really come to engage first half. not really. they had a tactic to hit on the break and they got a bit of luck off a corner. Otherside they had their balls likced by carragher etc but really it wasn't too impressive.

THe reality is neco williams could be there 2 weeks from now and not find anyone. He has never looked like making an assist for me and plays with his head down.

The tactic of pushing robertson on is gone again. game plan? who knows but what i can say is that theres zero team work.

At one point about 20mins in salah tried to press but jota never went, shaqiri was nowhere. the result is salah charging about from one side of the park th the owrth while their keeper just knowcks it to the lad jota could have gone at.

theres about 1 man imo trying and thats salah. he's still chasing. the rest are content to let it come or not come.

How very Woy of you to accept that result and performance.

Losing at home to a team in the bottom 3 is never ok, losing 6 on the spin at home is a disgrace.

And that is a disgrace for everyone involved in the playing side of the club, the players, the coaches and the manager.

 

[HugoEkitikeN01]

We have made a mockery of defending the title. Lucky we already got 40 points.

 

[Tobes]

wasn't too bad actually.

like, ok we are complete otssers and all that but is could have been worse. Fulham didn't really come to engage first half. not really. they had a tactic to hit on the break and they got a bit of luck off a corner. Otherside they had their balls likced by carragher etc but really it wasn't too impressive.

THe reality is neco williams could be there 2 weeks from now and not find anyone. He has never looked like making an assist for me and plays with his head down.

The tactic of pushing robertson on is gone again. game plan? who knows but what i can say is that theres zero team work.

At one point about 20mins in salah tried to press but jota never went, shaqiri was nowhere. the result is salah charging about from one side of the park th the owrth while their keeper just knowcks it to the lad jota could have gone at.

theres about 1 man imo trying and thats salah. he's still chasing. the rest are content to let it come or not come.

What game were you watching?

Fulham were by far the better side first half, and fully deserved their half time lead.

 

[RogerisontheHunt]

We have made a mockery of defending the title. Lucky we already got 40 points.

I don't like that phrase

We've made an arse out of a title defence.

And frankly Man City were always likely to win the title this year. However we should have been top4 at least and to not achieve that is woeful

 

[DirtyFrank]

Come on lads.. we got lucky with injuries to our best players for 2 years and drove it both seasons to the wire or title...

But... you can NOT not have the ability to have a full squad of that type of player to do it year after year after year.

Suddenly we are hearing the is history repeating with Klopp? Yes... yes it is... if you are the club that literally can't finance a full championship quality side squad... and thats not me saying we are remotely poor @Tobes ... just a comparative... you can only go the cycle and hope your best players stay fit long enough.

Ours did... now they aren't...

As I said earlier... talking about mentality is easy when winning... your just above average players when sprinkled in.. Will bring their game up.. as main men week in week out... pfffft

And even things like the clear Mane Salah mutual dislike... its papered over when all is going good.. the 10 deliberate wide passes to each other in a game because they are striker morons..? Winning season... we see them, grumble, but they both put enough away to not worry... when you want just one in?... team playing poorly... then that becomes a problem that means one should go.

 

[moreinjuredthanowen]

What game were you watching?

Fulham were by far the better side first half, and fully deserved their half time lead.

yes but what I mean is that they had a different tactic to thier home game. They really didn't press up hard on our CBS or midfielders.

Fulham took us apart at craven cottage first half and fully deserved thier lead. We were awful that day, completely incapable of even getting out.

The difference today is tactical. I didn't say they were not the better side, merely that they didn't press up on us as they did at the cottage.

We were left have the ball in our own half and still couldn't do a thing.

0-1 wasn't a bad result all things considered. I was actually expecting them to run us ragged.

But I SUPPOSE when theres a really easy simple game plan to follow that works every time then you follow it and take the 1-0 win I guess.

 

[Tobes]

yes but what I mean is that they had a different tactic to thier home game. They really didn't press up hard on our CBS or midfielders.

Fulham took us apart at craven cottage first half and fully deserved thier lead. We were awful that day, completely incapable of even getting out.

The difference today is tactical. I didn't say they were not the better side, merely that they didn't press up on us as they did at the cottage.

We were left have the ball in our own half and still couldn't do a thing.

0-1 wasn't a bad result all things considered. I was actually expecting them to run us ragged.

But I SUPPOSE when theres a really easy simple game plan to follow that works every time then you follow it and take the 1-0 win I guess.

You said they didn’t engage, weren’t very impressive, that Carragher licked their balls and they got lucky off a corner.

They didn’t give you a sniff first half and should have been further ahead at the break.

 

[RogerisontheHunt]

For me Fabinho has to come back into the DM role.
The defence today was not the problem, whilst they weren't great they were by far the only part of the team that looked like a unit. The Midfield was over run and lacked anyone to hold them together (Milner just ran around like a headless chicken).

Fulham were able to smother and over run our midfield, and in turn use Lookman to panic our defence.
We need a player to cover the midfield, hold them together as a unit and command the runners (Gini/Naby etc). It has to be Fabinho.
He made a difference in the last 15min and we were able to start mounting attacks, frankly he's wasted in defence.

I'd also change the formation, time for our midfield to become more solid. We need a 4-4-2 for the next league game. Salah and Jota up front, Fab, Naby, Gini and Jones in Midfield.

 

[Darwinism]

When a team goes on a losing run, it is said very often: “They need to break the run at all costs, just get a draw and then build from there.”

This has to apply to us too. Get that draw. Put defensive midfielders in a more cautious 3-5-2 formation. We can’t rely on our attack to bail us out. As soon as we concede we are in trouble as the heads drop. Robertson has said it a few times.

We are in a crisis and no option should be overruled. We can’t do exactly the same thing and expect a different outcome. Teams will copy Fulham and put our defence under pressure through fast counters or long balls.

 

[moreinjuredthanowen]

You said they didn’t engage, weren’t very impressive, that Carragher licked their balls and they got lucky off a corner.

They didn’t give you a sniff first half and should have been further ahead at the break.

Which are also all true.

They played to a plan, it wasn't every impressive but that doesn't mean I said they ere not the better side. They clearly were.

Should have been further ahead is the same thing really, they didn't take advantage of the fact we had 3 no marks at the back who were afraid to engage with anyone defensively. They sat off.

Same as Chelsea, sat off and hoofed it long. 1-0 win. They were not impressive either, they were one dimensional.

Someone is going to absolutely hockey us again and we are there for the taking but thus far sides have been satisfied with taking the points.

We took out several players and made it even easier for Fulham today.

 

[RogerisontheHunt]

Which are also all true.

They played to a plan, it wasn't every impressive but that doesn't mean I said they ere not the better side. They clearly were.

Should have been further ahead is the same thing really, they didn't take advantage of the fact we had 3 no marks at the back who were afraid to engage with anyone defensively. They sat off.

Same as Chelsea, sat off and hoofed it long. 1-0 win. They were not impressive either, they were one dimensional.

Someone is going to absolutely hockey us again and we are there for the taking but thus far sides have been satisfied with taking the points.

We took out several players and made it even easier for Fulham today.

tbf to Fulham, why wouldn't you be.

They're in a relegation fight, 3 points is what they need. Even Chelsea didn't need to roger us, just get the points and move on.

And isn't that worse, knowing teams don't even need to go all out to take the win at Anfield, the fact they can get 1 goal and hold us off.

 

[moreinjuredthanowen]

tbf to Fulham, why wouldn't you be.

They're in a relegation fight, 3 points is what they need. Even Chelsea didn't need to roger us, just get the points and move on.

And isn't that worse, knowing teams don't even need to go all out to take the win at Anfield, the fact they can get 1 goal and hold us off.

Maybe so.

To be fair to them yes any result is a good result.

You would wonder why teams don't just kill the game, Fulham have done well defensively for months but they could do with a few more goals as well.

 

[Darwinism]

Maybe so.

To be fair to them yes any result is a good result.

You would wonder why teams don't just kill the game, Fulham have done well defensively for months but they could do with a few more goals as well.

You’ve answered your own question. Score and they’ve won the game. No need to score another one to make it more secure. Robbo said as much: ‘concede and our heads drop.’

 

[InBiscanWeTrust]

When a team goes on a losing run, it is said very often: “They need to break the run at all costs, just get a draw and then build from there.”

This has to apply to us too. Get that draw. Put defensive midfielders in a more cautious 3-5-2 formation. We can’t rely on our attack to bail us out. As soon as we concede we are in trouble as the heads drop. Robertson has said it a few times.

We are in a crisis and no option should be overruled. We can’t do exactly the same thing and expect a different outcome. Teams will copy Fulham and put our defence under pressure through fast counters or long balls.

thing is, we beat sheff United last game. And couple before that beats West Ham. Abs before that spurs...

I know at Anfield it’s a problem but I don’t understand why given we then can do it away from home against teams.

 

[Tobes]

Maybe so.

To be fair to them yes any result is a good result.

You would wonder why teams don't just kill the game, Fulham have done well defensively for months but they could do with a few more goals as well.

They’ve been in the bottom 3 all season and before today had won 4 games out of 27.

But yeah they should be disappointed for only winning 1-0 and not looking to kill off the current champions away from home.

 

[organic red]

They’ve been in the bottom 3 all season and before today had won 4 games out of 27.

Or........they had only lost 5 out of the last 18

Stats can be funny

 

[Zanjinho]

thats an extremely superficial view.

It is, sorry.

Klopp has a different tactical team with linders and his fitness lad and his nutrition woman etc. If you really look you'll see a side severely depleted by a catasrophic preseason decision to travel out of the UK. Trent got covid, a couple others as well. The transfers arrived after it and then you've serious impact injuries to 4 players. (thiago, vvd, gomez, matip)

If you have a less than effective preseason then try cope with losing all 3 cbs then you've seen inury after injury. Look at henderson pplaying after only coming back form injury charging about desperately trying to make an impact from LCB and sprinting in midfield and ripping his groin lol.

What I see on the other hand is a geniune lack of hunger. Mane couldn't gve a damn. Firmino looks like he has lost all drive. Wijnaldum is floating about, releibaly doing nothnig but is there. Kieta didn't try much today to really do much.

Milner ffs should hve driving this lot but didnt.

We have see sides decide to jsut sit off co we are so poor at the back we will cough something up on the break and they are all having success. We can't get bodies in the box unless they just stand static and have no idea what to do so start tossing aimless stuff in to show we are trying.

no interplay, no over lapping really. nobody trying to get to real danger zones. mane got on today and stood himself in a quasi left midfield/ forward type zone and did nothign.

For get about it being related to dortmund. It just isn't. Two years ago we had a CL trophy and bought nobody. We gave everyone fat contracts and they are all too comfortable. they have also aged slighty as well.

For me its about hunger and fitness. YOu can beat one into them. you cannot put the other back in IMO.

If I were klopp I'd be beating on Mike gordan's door and be saying 100mil min plus i want to sell whoever i please. He won't. He is going to make the mistake many mangaers do. Shankly did. He will be too loyal to this lot. Forget about big signings imo.

I definitely see Klopp being over loyal too players

 

[moreinjuredthanowen]

I definitely see Klopp being over loyal too players

His greatest strength and weakness.

Paisley always said let them age elsewhere.

Imo Bob paisley had 10 years of success only because he ripped up team after team and never let a standard drop.

His teams in 1977 to 1981 were radically different. In 1984 again much different.

Imo dalglish from 88 to 91 was too loyal to his team. He left an aged squad that had many issues.

It is in many ways the hardest thing to do as a manager and imo one reason why Ferguson's rules with an iron fist and carried on so long.

Stam, Keane etc etc etc.

Klopp built his team on mane first. We used to never lose when he played. Now hes a shadow, totally disinterested yet salah is getting all the press but is the one trying to press and run

 

[moreinjuredthanowen]

You’ve answered your own question. Score and they’ve won the game. No need to score another one to make it more secure. Robbo said as much: ‘concede and our heads drop.’

You still need to fill yer boots when it's there for you. Someone will cotton this eventually and hockey us

 

[Darwinism]

thing is, we beat sheff United last game. And couple before that beats West Ham. Abs before that spurs...

I know at Anfield it’s a problem but I don’t understand why given we then can do it away from home against teams.

Our strongest asset Anfield has become our greatest burden.

These away wins were because we were in better form than now? We’ll see. Fortunately we’ve got a 2 goal cushion against Leipzig. But then in the league we’ve got Wolves and Arsenal away who have the managers and players who can exploit our weaknesses and low confidence. In our situation draws are really not good enough to move up the table but a draw is better than a defeat.