He was out for nearly 3 months with an injury that many on the staff at Anfield thought would keep him out until the end of the season. Indeed, his knee was so badly swollen that he didn't resume training until early December, and some of the medical still think he'll need an op in the summer (and should really have had it now). But Tiago wasn't to blame for the fact that every time we had a turnover in the first half, the likes of Gini and Bobby just stopped dead, turned around and thought it better to let City get back in position. Anyway, much as it guts me to say it, City are light years ahead of us again, and even United, truth be told, are streets ahead as the second best team in the country. I was made up when we were still top at Christmas and New Year because, even though we were still not halfway through the season, we had a little cushion over most, and although I expected City to win their games in hand, I thought we had defenders lined up to come to the rescue and free Hendo and Fab to go back in midfield. But ****ing hell - how many points did we drop in January? So it's ****ing uphill just to make top four now - I'm doubting it - and even if we beat Leipzig by some miracle, we have no ****ing chance against any team in the quarters, even if it's Chelsea. Three years to get to winning the league, and just over six weeks to completely fall apart and go back to where Rodgers left off. Ah well, another thirty years to our next title win then.
We're in the ****ing bin and I can't see us climbing out of it any time soon. I didn't expect us to beat them on current form, but I wasn't expecting such a walloping. We were God awful again. It's not only the defending, it's all over the pitch. Nothing is going right. It's like we've reverted back to Hodgson world. There's no fight in us at all, no urgency. And this 'we're tired' crap. How can we be ****ing tired when we're barely halfway through the season. No sign of Jota coming back, either, or VVD. It's a complete mess. Was I expecting us to retain the title? Not absolutely, but I didn't expect such easy defeats, either. Walloped by ****ing Villa, walloped by citeh. Losing to the likes of Burnley and Brighton. It's a ****ing joke.
Keane is right. we are bad champions. I can see in my minds eye the lot of them with their feet up with big fat cigars cos it looks to me thats where the attitude has gone.
Lol I was dreading coming on here! But I'm one of those that can never get over a result until I vent my frustrations on here and read your comments. The thing that really annoyed me most isn't the fact that we gifted them goals, because mistakes happen and Ali is coming back from illness and has plenty of credit in the bank. It's that we looked so afraid when trying to attack. We caught City in possession quite a few times in dangerous positions, but we literally just stopped on the ball, and played back. There were no risks, no urgency, no desire to get into the box. And that's what I can't understand. What is causing this? Lack of confidence? Physical and mental fatigue? Disjointed system? It's incredibly frustrating because City were pretty ordinary until we gave them the goals. We weren't great but we contained them and troubled them once or twice.
Even without the commentators pointing that out, it was frustratingly obvious. But while I admit City well deserved to win in the end, somehow the game was still in the balance till Klopp made those mystifying substitutions. I was calling to match their adjustment in midfield by going 4-4-2, taking Bobby off - who did **** all in the second half imo - and putting Ox on the right of midfield to combat Sterling, who was hosing Trent. But to take off Jones.... I dunno. Klopp knows his players, but if anyone looks mentally bereft and shot, to me, it's Bobby. Anyhow, we play Leicester Saturday morning after we've had six days off and they haven't. Whatever happens, please God I hope we don't whine about playing on ****ing Saturday morning again and being 'tired'.
Also, Roy Keane can go f*ck himself. It was only. 1-2 months ago where he was licking our a*ses. We've had so many injuries this season - an unprecedented number of injuries which have destabilised us at every possible moment throughout the season. Whilst the names on paper last night were good, you can't tell me that the team was not disjointed. For starters, we have no proper centre backs. Our midfield is disjointed because Gini has only started playing as a 6, Thiago is still a new midfield, and Jones is a youngster. the midfield is missing our chief enforcer , Fabinho and Hendo out on the right side. Then you have a front 3 which are run into the ground and low on confidence. Not to mention that we had 3 world class players coming from injury or illness - Alisson, Mane and Fab.
F*ck it lads - top 4 and the CL is still on the cards, and it should be our goal now. Naby and Jota should be back training this week so it would be great to get them into the team and firing. Both are big players in terms of creating chances / scoring goals.
Agree with the gist of that, but for one reason or another it has to be admitted that this is the worst title defence since Leicester in 2016/17 and Uniturd in 2013/14. And they had excuses too.
It’s come to something when you’re relying on the return of Keïta ffs A big player in terms of chances created and scoring goals? He’s scored 4, made 4 assists and created 7 chances in 50, yes FIFTY appearances mate.
Keita, in his limited appearances, is brilliant in build up play. Judging a centre mid based on G+A only tells part of the story.
