The Liverpool Thread

*A lengthy post on the state of our team as we enter the NY. Feel free to read or skip at your leisure .....



Yanno, reading people's oft (over) reaction to their football team really is a jaw dropping study in the very worst facets of human nature at times.

And none more so when it comes to on-line L’pool fans .....

Here we are, Champions of England and the World. Sat, yet again, clear top of the table going into a NY. Along with having a last 16 knock-out tie on the biggest stage of all, the EC, to look forward to in the early spring. Key players returning at just the right rime who haven’t been afforded to us for most or all of the year to date. Boosting everyone ..... Yet they fail to win, not lose, just fail to win, two successive games of togger and the amount of people cliff jumping and having VERY public tantrum meltdowns all over the net has to be seen to be believed.

Let’s look at a few facts to L’pool’s 2020/21 season to date. Which to me has been nottin short of miraculous given everything we’ve had to overcome-

We currently sit top of the league going into 2021. 3 points clear of Utd in second and 7 clear of still the only side I consider a serious threat over 38 games, City. Albeit with both having 1 and 2 games in hand respectively. Which even if they were both to win those delayed fixtures, they’d still trail L’pool in the table. City by a point and Utd bu virtue of L’pools vastly superior GD/ GS. (Which is even bigger on City.).

We’re a mere 3 games out of half-way. And we’ve lost just ONE league game. And at that, a complete anomaly of a result/ game at Villa that nobody can take much of anything from.

Liverpool really are a victim of their own (along with City’s) PHENOMENAL standards over the last 3 season. Our 99 and 97 point league campaigns the last two years, preceded by City’s centurion season, are the complete exceptions to the rule. (NO team can get the mythical 100 points again this season. After 16 games.). More so, what we are doing this season is a NORMAL title defence! ..... L’pool currently have 33 points from 16 games. That, or fewer at this stage of the season, has seen 62 sides go on to win the English top flight. Including 8 times in the PL era. We’re BANG on course to retain the league. The ONLY difference is we’ve returned, in this mad COVID season where you can’t stop to breath, to being mere mortals again from the super human exceptions of the last 2 seasons. And just because we’re currently going through a sticky patch that EVERY team goes through in a season doesn’t detract from that.

I’d personally go as far as attesting this is the best coaching job Klopp and his staff have done through their tenure here given the context of all they’ve had to overcome. And I include winning the two majors in that. It’s nothing short of PHENOMENAL that we are sat clear top of the table going into 2021.

Seriously, what other club/ manager in this league could have overcome the injuries alone that we have to STILL be leading the way?

If you take just 4 of them (losing both CH’s for the season/ the bona fide World best in his position Thiago for virtually all of the season to date/ and well arguably the signing of the entire summer transfer window with the impact Diogo Jota has made), just what other tram could have coped with that and found the interior solutions to STILL be the top side in England?

In comparison, would-

Utd be sat second without Bruno Fernandes all year? Missing Maguire/ Lindelof and Bailly from the middle of their defence? Rashfors down 2/3 months up front?

Would City still be within touching distance without De Bruyne all year? No £terling? No Ruben Dias/ Laporte/ Stones?

Would Tottenham still be up there without Holbjeeg? Son or Kane lost up front? Alderweireld and Dier from the back?

And so on and so on.

And thats before you get to arguably the best goalie and RB in World football missing large chunks of the season. The LB we bought in the summer to spell AndyRobbo being hit hard by injury. Key midfield depth in Oxo-Chambo, Naby Lad and big Shaq missing for the majority. (Thankfully now all returning foe the second half push.) ..... You could go on and on. But you know the answer. NO! They would all have been in dire straights and narking to whoever would listen.

But not your RIDICULOUS gang of 2020/21 Reds. They’ve just forged on, found solutions within and expanded squad depth through quality teenagers, to lead the way yet again going into 2021.

People seriously need to think about just HOW ridiculously good they have it watching these lads instead of cry ______ and acting like entitled, spoilt brats when L’pool don’t happen to get the perfect result every game.

We’ve SO much to look forward to in 2021 which is fixing to be our most satisfying title of all given everything that we’ve had to overcome. (I’d I’ve not even touched the VAR overturns against us that still outweigh any other team.).

Legit criticism is sound but the constant, reactionary, WAY OTT narking at every last thing is beyond petty and embarrassing when we’ve honestly NEVER had it so good as what we’ve had with these lads the last three/four years. With next year set for more of the same.

Sighs. A symptom of the reactionary, internet breed of ‘fan’ I guess.

FWIW, I’m still having the time of my life (as much as one can without being allowed to be at the game), watching this exceptional gang of Reds and I’m personally convinced we’ll be sitting pretty with back-to-back titles come May and quite possibly #7 to look forward at the end of it in Istanbul.

A very happy New Year to you all. 2021 is set up for more of the same.

We’re only just getting started!
 
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Its not the lack of pace its just an experienced head who can be relied upon to actually be a good defender and plug gaps e.g Milner like without a drop off in performance. It will save money as like you said you you don't know how long it will take JMG and Virg to get back to their insane levels. Otherwise its go big with the likes of Upemecano etc... in the summer.

We signed one! ?

 
I'd take an experienced head aka milner style if not now then in the summer. Here me out but how about Evans who's contract is up in the summer. Excellent player and someone who can come in and do a job for a year or so.

 
Happy Birthday to our modern day, albeit in a different context, ‘Anfield Iron’ James Milner.

Still playing at the very highest level, and for the best team in World football at that, at 35-years-of-age, just blows your mind. A picture perfect example of top professional dedication and just how vitally important it is to take care of your body.

All that said, you do sadly wonder just how much longer this rodeo can roll? Its been very noticeable this year that his legs are starting to drop off. Not in terms of endurance, He still has that in abundance over most any player in this league. But the pace to keep up with the kids of today is getting less and less. Which was glaringly evident again last time out at Newcastle in a game that just passed him by.

Side note- Not often you can question Klopp, or at least the sound logic behind most everything he does. Even if it doesn’t always work out. But starting Milner in midfield, with the ridiculous, physical demands we place on our midfielders who have to be all things to all men, just SHOULDN’T happen now. His legs just can’t fulfil that role to the max any more. Heck, ideally, outside of the Cup this year, you wouldn’t start him at all and would just have his versatile reliability in your arsenal on the bench.

It’ll be a sad day when he does finally hang it up as I can’t think of a more professional player who’s been both an absolute pleasure here and an integral building block in Klopp’s culture change at Anfield. Hopefully he sticks around in some capacity to guide the next generations off the park.

But thats for the future.

For now, heres to him having the best Birthday possible and restoring our 7 point lead over City at the top this evening.
 
Happy Birthday to our modern day, albeit in a different context, ‘Anfield Iron’ James Milner.

Still playing at the very highest level, and for the best team in World football at that, at 35-years-of-age, just blows your mind. A picture perfect example of top professional dedication and just how vitally important it is to take care of your body.

All that said, you do sadly wonder just how much longer this rodeo can roll? Its been very noticeable this year that his legs are starting to drop off. Not in terms of endurance, He still has that in abundance over most any player in this league. But the pace to keep up with the kids of today is getting less and less. Which was glaringly evident again last time out at Newcastle in a game that just passed him by.

Side note- Not often you can question Klopp, or at least the sound logic behind most everything he does. Even if it doesn’t always work out. But starting Milner in midfield, with the ridiculous, physical demands we place on our midfielders who have to be all things to all men, just SHOULDN’T happen now. His legs just can’t fulfil that role to the max any more. Heck, ideally, outside of the Cup this year, you wouldn’t start him at all and would just have his versatile reliability in your arsenal on the bench.

It’ll be a sad day when he does finally hang it up as I can’t think of a more professional player who’s been both an absolute pleasure here and an integral building block in Klopp’s culture change at Anfield. Hopefully he sticks around in some capacity to guide the next generations off the park.

But thats for the future.

For now, heres to him having the best Birthday possible and restoring our 7 point lead over City at the top this evening.
Amazing lad and has been finally getting the recognizion he deserves with you. I am sure that his importance is beyond the effort the gives on the pitch and what our eyes can see. Does not need to be flashy on or off the pitch. Just do the work you love with passion.

Hope other Reds are also so good to him and appreciate him as you do.

I dont want to say it, but really afraid he will take the coaching up with Liverpool rather than come to us for his final years. He definetly can keep up with our intensity but just how long more. The contract extension to 2022 was just too much. MAYBE something can be worked out if Milner wants, but it seems his vision is set to stay with you for now.

Lets hope for the best and we can see him back in white shirt for one more go and push Leeds into new era that is been built right now.
 
First game of 2021 and the season proper starts now.

City are starting to find their groove. Superb dismantling of an admittedly woeful Chelsea yesterday.Which was unbelievably the first time since 18/19 they’ve won 3 in a row the league. Nice run of fixtures coming up which you can see them rolling through.

So now we need to go back to beast mode and match them on a run of straight wins. Starting tonight with what should be a belter game against Southampton and their wonderful manager who models himself on Klopp.

Its been noticeable that they are like we were the first couple of years of our current project. They put SO much into the first hour that they’re gone the end of games and its cost them. Utd and ‘Spurs being flashing examples where they just run out of legs and collapsed late. Throw in that they’re missing their goalie and best defender by far, with Fraser Forster in nets who’s not played a game of football since March; and in context if they want to go toe-to-toe with us theres only going to be one winner.

I personally fully expect L’pool and City to put a run together now and pull away from the pack over the next couple of months.

And that has to start tonight. No more of this drawing silliness boys. Back to the World’s best that we are!

3-1.

Straight into these Redmen. We’ve a league to attack again!
 
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Oh yeah, I’ll have some of that!

Finding a way to keep the vital presence/ leadership of the captain in the side, and in turn shoring things up further defensively. Whilst allowing the attacking threat of Oxo-Chambo along with the league leading guile of Thiago.

Always a solution and that one is super exciting!
 

Oh yeah, I’ll have some of that!

Finding a way to keep the vital presence/ leadership of the captain in the side, and in turn shoring things up further defensively. Whilst allowing the attacking threat of Oxo-Chambo along with the league leading guile of Thiago.

Always a solution and that one is super exciting!
Rot is the only way to describe it mate. I love ya optimism but **** the confidence is low now in the team and nothing short of three points at Anfield against Utd will do.
 
Well that was surprisingly *****.

Well done Southampton.

This form can F right off! Sort our finishing out for Utd and bounce straight back.

Ces’t la vie.
 
Only positive is...form goes out the window during derbies ?

Just having our season dip and currently bang out of form.

Rare luxury of a full 9 days to prepare for Utd after the inconvenience, this year, of the Cup Friday. With Thiago and co that little bit stronger.

Love to say I’m worried but I honestly aren’t. It’ll turn sooner rather than later.

Good luck the Lge Cup semi. Genuinely much rather you got the final than City.
 
You just know the press are gonna build it up as the biggest derby since Fergie was around. And it will end up a bore draw ?
 
You just know the press are gonna build it up as the biggest derby since Fergie was around. And it will end up a bore draw ?
I dont have high hopes for this one, think Liverpool will win quite comfortably. United deals with high press on counter attacks or their opponent getting tired later in the game. I don't think Liverpool will allow any of that.
 
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