Scouseinthehouse
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Ok, now I'm home and have time, let's look at last nights absolute shambles. The worst we've played under Jürgen for me on an absolutely horrible night the match. Made even worse by not getting back the house until after 1 this AM thanks to a frigging rolling roadblock the M6 North. 5-10 MPH on a motorway is NOT fun! Leicester's the worst place to get out of quick at the best of times without hitting that!
Not really interested in getting into the future as there's still 12 games left this season which we're more than capable of bouncing through with double figure wins as much as this dire run continuing so it's pointless getting too despondent with talk of 'the top 4's gone/ we'll do well to make the Europa' et all when there's 36 points left to play for and the perfect antidote to last night coming Sat'day in an Arsenal side more schizophrenic and fragile than ourselves. What will be will be come May so no point stressing over things to come.
So onto last night, starting with .....
Leicester and the difference to other recent loses/ games against similar opponents.
Congratulations to the them. They were superb. To a man the Leicester fans outside after were saying that's by far and away the most up for a game and the hardest working they've been all year. There was always the fear of a bounce from all the criticism the players have received after what happened last Thursday. And that happened and then some. Even the DM's webbing in a 20 yard screamer.
The big difference to the easy line of banding all other recent loses/ points dropped against back end of the table sides together with this was Leicester didn't sit back. We didn't come up against two deep lying blocks. Leicester had a real go from the off. The intensity was there for all to see with them blowing HARD by the hour mark from all the non-stop work they put in. They played off the front foot, were first into every challenge, and were on any red shirt like locusts. And then they hit Vardy, who chose yesterday to finally remember he's a striker, with quick balls over the top time and again.
Completely different from what Swansea offered at Anfield recently. Or Hull the other week et all.
I think we forget at times in the aftermath of a horrible loss when you've been utter ***** that the opposition is trying just as hard to beat you and deserve praise when they do.
Leicester had their game of the season last night and fully deserved the win so full credit to them.
Liverpool.
Oh dear. Just WHERE do you start here? As well as Leicester played, they had ZERO opposition to really counter. L'pool were beyond shambolic in every phase of the game.
Abysmal. Disgraceful. Abject. Passionless. Pathetic. Woeful. Effortless. Insert any derogatory adjective and it will fit for what we saw on the pitch last night. I won't single out any individuals as they were all as collectively ***** as each other. Matip was as bad as Lucas. Milner was as bad as Clyne. The two Brazilians as anonymous as each other etc etc. Not one of them you'd even rate a 6.
One thing you KNEW was going to happen was it was going to be a big first 20 minutes. I wrote on that yesterday when the news of Henderson missing was confirmed. EVERYONE knew Leicester would respond and come out all guns blazing at home and be straight into everything. Everyone seemingly bar L'pool who yet again this season started at a snails pace. Outside of maybe Chelsea away and Tottenham when we stunned them two weeks back has this team started fast all year? From the minute Vardy went through Mané the opening seconds you just knew. The tone was set. Even before Leicester took the lead, Mignolet had already made a good stop from a simple ball down the middle. The tone was set. And as soon as the first goal went in you just wanted to go home. The most predictable result of the season from that point on. All self inflicted from the way they'd started again. Lads were getting off after an hour last night. And it was hard to blame them.
Absolutely abject display. Both individually and collectively they showed absolutely nothing. No effort nor fight. 2nd best to every challenge. No creativity. They showed absolutely zilch in every aspect most all game. A complete and utter shambles that leaves you scratching your head as to why? You know just how unstoppable they can be when it all clicks. Even when we scored on 68 we barely threatened Schmeichel. 22 frigging minutes, against a team and crowd with the doubt of the season to that point, and L'pool badly struck a bat. Morgan and Huth are like 30 odd year olds who can barely run. Yet we never went directly at them or skinned them for pace. Absolutely inexcusable. Not one player ready to stand up and be counted to drag the others through.
Absolutely disgrace from every last one out there.
The manager.
Klopp and his staff take their share of the blame too alongside the players. We're a collective when we win. We're a collective when we lose.
My two gripes with him last night:
The slow start. YET AGAIN! He's talking after how frustrating it was to see them start slow and he doesn't want that. Well neither do we mate but that's what we've had since frigging August! I get pacing yourselves into a game and being the far fitter side in rhythm late on. But games get won in this league early and we're conceding the initiative FAR too often.
Pre game/ in-game management. Change things. I'm 100% down with sticking to our philosophy. All the talk of 'Plan A' and not having a 'Plan B' is fluff. If you truly believe in what you do, what's tried and tested and proven to work, and the players are fully confident to stick to it then you're gonna' win more often that you lose. Ask Pep his career. But when you're lacking a key player in the captain and you know Can brings nothing like Henderson does to the table, tweak things. Tweak the formation slightly to compensate his lack of a quick mind. Lucas is having a nightmare, make the change at half time. Which in fairness he'd say he did with the switch to 3 and wing backs but take a lad who's suffering off and bring your recognised centre half on. As ***** as Klaven's been recently he couldn't of been any worse.
I don't really blame him for starting Lucas BTW. The options just aren't there. Klaven's been garbage as mentioned. And with Lovren out who do you play? No doubt Joe Gomez would of come in if he hadn't been out so long but he's still regaining match fitness and form which have both been up and down the 23's since the initial adrenalin boost of his comeback after so long out. And I get playing the higher line. Vardy's been absolutely abysmal this season. Lucas was outstanding against Tottenham. Matip dropping off is no slouch. You want to press the issue. It's how we play. (Or at least normally do. None of that was in evidence last night.). Plus with no Henderson, he's a lad (Lucas) who is sound on the ball and can step up into midfield with it like Matip. But when you see Vardy's suddenly playing like he's high on every drug known to man, ******* ADJUST and compensate!
Where I do feel for him is how his preparation all turned late in the break. You prepare hard for facing the **** poor Leicester of this year under Ranieri. Only to have him sacked the Thursday before and no idea they were going to complete change everything they've done of late to go back to last years formation/ version. Then he loses a key player in Henderson who is absolutely vital to this side. (61.5 % win percentage with him in the side verses him out.). With nobody to bring in of the same standard.
And you can't legislate for every single player having a collective stinker. I don't think I've seen our front 5/6 as bad as that collectively since well back into last season. Bad decisions. Confidence seeping out of them leading to too many touches and nobody even daring to get forward in numbers. Nobody willing to take a man on. Take a shot. Nothing. ALL of them frustratingly having an off day. As much as you prepare your team, when that happens you're at a loss as a coach and Jürgen was as frustrated as anyone the touchline that everything he wants from this team just wasn't happening.
All in all just a horribly ***** day at the office that, to take nothing away from a really good Leicester display, L'pool brought upon themselves yet again with things that are easily avoidable.
But it's past. Arsenal Saturday with the bonus of a Sat'day tea-time KO. Everyone nicely bevvied and up for a great atmosphere to get this back on track.
LONG way to go yet this season.
Up the Reds!
Not really interested in getting into the future as there's still 12 games left this season which we're more than capable of bouncing through with double figure wins as much as this dire run continuing so it's pointless getting too despondent with talk of 'the top 4's gone/ we'll do well to make the Europa' et all when there's 36 points left to play for and the perfect antidote to last night coming Sat'day in an Arsenal side more schizophrenic and fragile than ourselves. What will be will be come May so no point stressing over things to come.
So onto last night, starting with .....
Leicester and the difference to other recent loses/ games against similar opponents.
Congratulations to the them. They were superb. To a man the Leicester fans outside after were saying that's by far and away the most up for a game and the hardest working they've been all year. There was always the fear of a bounce from all the criticism the players have received after what happened last Thursday. And that happened and then some. Even the DM's webbing in a 20 yard screamer.
The big difference to the easy line of banding all other recent loses/ points dropped against back end of the table sides together with this was Leicester didn't sit back. We didn't come up against two deep lying blocks. Leicester had a real go from the off. The intensity was there for all to see with them blowing HARD by the hour mark from all the non-stop work they put in. They played off the front foot, were first into every challenge, and were on any red shirt like locusts. And then they hit Vardy, who chose yesterday to finally remember he's a striker, with quick balls over the top time and again.
Completely different from what Swansea offered at Anfield recently. Or Hull the other week et all.
I think we forget at times in the aftermath of a horrible loss when you've been utter ***** that the opposition is trying just as hard to beat you and deserve praise when they do.
Leicester had their game of the season last night and fully deserved the win so full credit to them.
Liverpool.
Oh dear. Just WHERE do you start here? As well as Leicester played, they had ZERO opposition to really counter. L'pool were beyond shambolic in every phase of the game.
Abysmal. Disgraceful. Abject. Passionless. Pathetic. Woeful. Effortless. Insert any derogatory adjective and it will fit for what we saw on the pitch last night. I won't single out any individuals as they were all as collectively ***** as each other. Matip was as bad as Lucas. Milner was as bad as Clyne. The two Brazilians as anonymous as each other etc etc. Not one of them you'd even rate a 6.
One thing you KNEW was going to happen was it was going to be a big first 20 minutes. I wrote on that yesterday when the news of Henderson missing was confirmed. EVERYONE knew Leicester would respond and come out all guns blazing at home and be straight into everything. Everyone seemingly bar L'pool who yet again this season started at a snails pace. Outside of maybe Chelsea away and Tottenham when we stunned them two weeks back has this team started fast all year? From the minute Vardy went through Mané the opening seconds you just knew. The tone was set. Even before Leicester took the lead, Mignolet had already made a good stop from a simple ball down the middle. The tone was set. And as soon as the first goal went in you just wanted to go home. The most predictable result of the season from that point on. All self inflicted from the way they'd started again. Lads were getting off after an hour last night. And it was hard to blame them.
Absolutely abject display. Both individually and collectively they showed absolutely nothing. No effort nor fight. 2nd best to every challenge. No creativity. They showed absolutely zilch in every aspect most all game. A complete and utter shambles that leaves you scratching your head as to why? You know just how unstoppable they can be when it all clicks. Even when we scored on 68 we barely threatened Schmeichel. 22 frigging minutes, against a team and crowd with the doubt of the season to that point, and L'pool badly struck a bat. Morgan and Huth are like 30 odd year olds who can barely run. Yet we never went directly at them or skinned them for pace. Absolutely inexcusable. Not one player ready to stand up and be counted to drag the others through.
Absolutely disgrace from every last one out there.
The manager.
Klopp and his staff take their share of the blame too alongside the players. We're a collective when we win. We're a collective when we lose.
My two gripes with him last night:
The slow start. YET AGAIN! He's talking after how frustrating it was to see them start slow and he doesn't want that. Well neither do we mate but that's what we've had since frigging August! I get pacing yourselves into a game and being the far fitter side in rhythm late on. But games get won in this league early and we're conceding the initiative FAR too often.
Pre game/ in-game management. Change things. I'm 100% down with sticking to our philosophy. All the talk of 'Plan A' and not having a 'Plan B' is fluff. If you truly believe in what you do, what's tried and tested and proven to work, and the players are fully confident to stick to it then you're gonna' win more often that you lose. Ask Pep his career. But when you're lacking a key player in the captain and you know Can brings nothing like Henderson does to the table, tweak things. Tweak the formation slightly to compensate his lack of a quick mind. Lucas is having a nightmare, make the change at half time. Which in fairness he'd say he did with the switch to 3 and wing backs but take a lad who's suffering off and bring your recognised centre half on. As ***** as Klaven's been recently he couldn't of been any worse.
I don't really blame him for starting Lucas BTW. The options just aren't there. Klaven's been garbage as mentioned. And with Lovren out who do you play? No doubt Joe Gomez would of come in if he hadn't been out so long but he's still regaining match fitness and form which have both been up and down the 23's since the initial adrenalin boost of his comeback after so long out. And I get playing the higher line. Vardy's been absolutely abysmal this season. Lucas was outstanding against Tottenham. Matip dropping off is no slouch. You want to press the issue. It's how we play. (Or at least normally do. None of that was in evidence last night.). Plus with no Henderson, he's a lad (Lucas) who is sound on the ball and can step up into midfield with it like Matip. But when you see Vardy's suddenly playing like he's high on every drug known to man, ******* ADJUST and compensate!
Where I do feel for him is how his preparation all turned late in the break. You prepare hard for facing the **** poor Leicester of this year under Ranieri. Only to have him sacked the Thursday before and no idea they were going to complete change everything they've done of late to go back to last years formation/ version. Then he loses a key player in Henderson who is absolutely vital to this side. (61.5 % win percentage with him in the side verses him out.). With nobody to bring in of the same standard.
And you can't legislate for every single player having a collective stinker. I don't think I've seen our front 5/6 as bad as that collectively since well back into last season. Bad decisions. Confidence seeping out of them leading to too many touches and nobody even daring to get forward in numbers. Nobody willing to take a man on. Take a shot. Nothing. ALL of them frustratingly having an off day. As much as you prepare your team, when that happens you're at a loss as a coach and Jürgen was as frustrated as anyone the touchline that everything he wants from this team just wasn't happening.
All in all just a horribly ***** day at the office that, to take nothing away from a really good Leicester display, L'pool brought upon themselves yet again with things that are easily avoidable.
But it's past. Arsenal Saturday with the bonus of a Sat'day tea-time KO. Everyone nicely bevvied and up for a great atmosphere to get this back on track.
LONG way to go yet this season.
Up the Reds!
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