The Liverpool Thread

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Vanjagl said:
Watching van Dijk this season is painful. Being criticized left, right and center. Honesty at this point he should get Maguire treatment, sit him on the bench and try to shift him at the end of the season.
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Bar Robertson that whole back line has been a embarrassment
 
Theatre of Dreams83 said:
Bar Robertson that whole back line has been a embarrassment
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Watching a high line with no pressure on the ball. It's Sunday league tactics at its best. This was always one of Virgil's issues: he would go into his shell before we even bought him from saints as the game was too easy for him and he would switch off. He isn't the same physical athlete he was that could dominate players or he is in his shell because he either doesn't trust his body after the injury. I stand by what I said two pages ago and the greatest manager of all time in Paisley would be saying thank you for your service to Virgil and sending him to PSG or someone else whilst you can still get a decent fee for him.
 
dilakh2 said:
Watching a high line with no pressure on the ball. It's Sunday league tactics at its best. This was always one of Virgil's issues: he would go into his shell before we even bought him from saints as the game was too easy for him and he would switch off. He isn't the same physical athlete he was that could dominate players or he is in his shell because he either doesn't trust his body after the injury. I stand by what I said two pages ago and the greatest manager of all time in Paisley would be saying thank you for your service to Virgil and sending him to PSG or someone else whilst you can still get a decent fee for him.
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There’s a lot you should be saying that to tbh
 
I ******* love life. I mean the reds are utter dog **** the year. Again. today, they self-inflicted a heavy second-half defeat on themselves after they should have gone in at least 2 up after a boss first-half. But you know what? ...... It really doesn't matter!

I'm not long back in the house after an absolutely brilliant day in the only City in this Country I personally class as coming close to our own. Manchester. After the preverbal 'free hit' game where the result doesn't affect much of anything. It's funny how your mood, disposition differs from watching a game on TV and actually living it live at the match ..... Am I disappointed at what was, to all intents and purposes a humiliating defeat? Naturally. But I was out the ground on 70 and the game was quickly forgotten as you do the only thing you can do in such circumstance. Get back on the ale and have a boss time without letting the footy ruin your day. And there's not many better (If expensive. Man alive it's getting like London prices there!) places than Manchester to do that. Superb City full of superb people if you take out the nonsense football brings. Talking of .....

It was interesting talking to Utd fans after the game down the Northern Quarter saying they 'honestly weren't arsed if City win the league as nobody's bothered about the cheats. Their only interest in the league is finishing above 'you *****!'

Is right lads. City don't have a F clue what a Manchester/ L'pook rivalry truly is.

Sidenote- Well done City BTW for restraining themselves until 40 seconds in before the first 'Always the victims' chant. Stay classy lads.

Onto Chelsea Tuesday. Now that one matters ....

UTR! FTT!!!!!
 
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Vanjagl said:
Watching van Dijk this season is painful. Being criticized left, right and center. Honesty at this point he should get Maguire treatment, sit him on the bench and try to shift him at the end of the season.
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Midfield legs solve all.
 
Scouseinthehouse said:
Midfield legs solve all.
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Yeah true. Better midfield would fix a lot of things. But it is so strange. Both Fabinho and van Dijk were at the top of the game, if not the best in their respective positions, just a couple of seasons ago. Now both look like they are done at the top level. They are not even old, which would lead me to conclusion that issue is with the mental approach. Maybe they lost their ambition, hunger. Or maybe there's a simple blockade. Who knows. ****** luck win injuries played their part for sure.
 
I doubt he will, but I’d sell Fabinho in a heartbeat if someone offered £25/30 million. That drop off has been that great I just don’t think hes ever getting it back. van Dijk’s a different one as he at least had dominating games this year to show its still there in among the proper ***** ones. I think a priority should be another WC class CH (who stays F fit!!!!!), where we could rotate and not have to have van Dijk playing every single minute of every single game. As he has for ourselves and the Netherlands ever since we signed him. That and Pickford’s assault have taken their toll physically so being able to rotate him more would be massive you feel for Virgil to get back to being Virgil.

But its not helped the backline at all that Fabinho has fallen off a cliff, Henderson’s legs have gone and he can no longer play 2/3 games in a row, and Milner’s age has finally caught him up. So theres been absolutely no protection in front of them all year. Outside of AndyRobbo, and Konate and Trent in flashes after the WC break, they’ve all been as equally ***** as each other. Yesterday was a prime example ….. No doubt Trent was getting ripped on SM but at least 2 of those goals, particularly the first in front of us, he does the right thing going inside with what City overloaded the middle. Just Elliott wasn’t switched on at all to drop in and pick up Grealish. Who was just standing wide all game and that ball was a P easy attack to get in behind for City time after time. Previously, Henderson with legs boxes that.

The systems not broken. Just certain components within it.

Midfield legs solve all to returning us to challenging. And I truly believe Bellingham will have a van Dijk-esq impact and raise everyone. Not just the midfield around him.

It’s going to be a summer.
 
dilakh2 said:
….. I stand by what I said two pages ago and the greatest manager of all time in Paisley would be saying thank you for your service to Virgil and sending him to PSG or someone else whilst you can still get a decent fee for him.
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Straight off the top of my head, you’d have hated Bob standing by Brucie Grobbelaar for one then lid. Who was absolutely catastrophic his first 2/3 seasons. Costing us early round European Cup exists in 2 straight years among other things with his VERY costly mistakes.
 
Ok. The run-in starts tonight. We mustn't lose. Simple as. Preferably bouncing back with a victory.

In this mammoth week of L'pool togger, City was always going to be the 'free-hit' game that didn't have much effect on anything given the amount of times everyone plays everyone else over the duration. After Brighton and Brentford drawing, Newcastle beating a fast sliding Utd, and Tottenham being Tottenham, ridiculously throwing away the points at the Ev last night; we're as we were before City. A minimal 8 points out of 3rd with 33 points on the table. With Utd and Brentford set to take points off each other tomorrow. And Brentford and Newcastle, and Tottenham and Brighton, the same Saturday avvy. They can't all take 3 points when they are playing each other.

You naturally didn't want to see that **** show of a second-half. But outside that and pride, City had little to no effect on the table or run-in. That start's in earnest tonight .....

You always looked at this week, as I think the manager did with both his selection and early subs of key players, as City being the one you anticipated losing out of the 3. Why most got off handy from the ground not too bothered with the game to enjoy the rest of our Sat'day. With the key games coming after the short turnaround at Chelsea and then Arsenal. They are our battles right now. Not expecting to get something at the hardest away in the league not called Anfield for anyone to go. 4 points minimum would be a great return from the next two to set things up perfectly, 6 even better. So tonight we have to take something.

All down to the players now. If they start trusting each other and believing in themselves again, they'll get what they need. Match the opposition for effort, along with that belief, and there's not many that can live with them. That talent hasn't gone. But our confidence is that fragile, that no matter how in a game or on top they happen to be, just one thing going against them and everything goes to **** faster than a Harry Kane dive. So you can't go into any game expecting anything right now. You just have to hope and believe they will start trusting and believing in themselves, and not capitulate like a soggy digestive biscuit at any set back.

We'll be ready and believing off the pitch as always backing them home. ALL on the players now to match that. Anything from 3rd on down is WELL within there grasps. But it HAS to start tonight.

Just get something Redmen and set things up for a wild Anfield Sunday.

UTR! FTT!!!!! (Which has never been appropriate considering where we are going tonight.).
 
dilakh2 said:
Watching a high line with no pressure on the ball. It's Sunday league tactics at its best. This was always one of Virgil's issues: he would go into his shell before we even bought him from saints as the game was too easy for him and he would switch off.
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Exactly, bloke was always an oversized traffic cone, he's been found out and teams will continue to exploit it. Even when midfield was good it was just smoke screen for issuses that were always there.
 
Tyton said:
Exactly, bloke was always an oversized traffic cone, he's been found out and teams will continue to exploit it. Even when midfield was good it was just smoke screen for issuses that were always there.
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I wouldn't go that far lmao. He's still one of the best I've ever seen. Just a short peak thanks to a certain t-rex. Can still be a top CB on most days but on his day and the aura around him is becoming less and less.
 
One of the worst games of football I’ve seen in a long time. Looked like 22 strangers on a pitch playing football for the first time in there lives
 
I normally like to sleep on things before reviewing, but as I’ve had a little over 4 hours kip after getting back not long before 3 AM, I’m not sure I feel any different than I did last night.

Weird game of football.

An utterly S one from all 22 players concerned on the park totally devoid of any quality all night. Which just hammers home once more just how integral ‘confidence’ is in top level sport. This was two struggling, badly out of form teams completely missing that key ingredient. And it showed massively in a horrid game to stand through. Not least in Chelsea’s woeful finishing. They could and should have won that game 4 or 5. Should have been out of sight at half-time. Yet their confidence is even lower than our own and they looked like the very last place they wanted to be was in front of goal with the glaring opportunities we gave them.

But what made it an even weirder game of football, is they never once were in control dominating the game. And they were always open to conceding at the other end in a game that was there for the taking for both sides.

The maddening thing from ourselves, was that we never seemed to want to gamble to win it and just put everything into not losing. Their work ethic, as most every game this season, couldn’t be questioned. They battled hard all night for the point they got. Just when things are this bad, and confidence this low, that isn’t enough and often looks like they aren’t putting it in as they are a second too slow to react and move.

Jurgen continues to throw out head-scratchers-

That starting XI, with all the changes from City, would have been more in place at City in a ‘free-hit’ game where the result didn’t matter. Last night proper did matter, so to make 6/7 changes deflated you before the KO. And his subs were just baffling. Curtis doesn’t get on the bench City but Melo does. So of course Curtis then starts out of nowhere with Melo still on the bench. And, in context of not having played for so long, I thought he had a decent outing. Certainly better than any other midfielder by a long chalk. Yet he gets pulled and the abysmal Fabinho gets the full 90. And why you take off Darwin needing to win and him being your only attacking threat, leaving on Diogo who had his worst outing since returning, was equally baffling. 🤷🏼‍♂️

Really confusing from the manager. F knows what he does against Arsenal now? I’d keep Jones in for one to try get him a run and some rhythm as he’s one of the few with legs trying to give us a spark. The subs made us worse if anything which was quite the impressive thing to do. But heck knows what XI he’ll out out Sunday? 🤷🏼‍♂️

Shout-out to Joe Gomez too who, along with the aforementioned Darwin, our best player by far, and Jones, was the only other player of note. Again, in context, he had a very decent game at FB after not playing in weeks. Which leads back to the original selection- Joe was playing some great balls Mo would normally gobble up down the right. But the understanding with Jota naturally isn’t there so he was running the wrong way and making it look like JMG was playing aimless balls. 🤦‍♂️

Honestly, unlike City Sat’day which was loud, I never heard the tragedy abuse from them that's brought around the pathetic club ‘apology.’ But no surprise it was there. Banning the perps is the only way you’ll ever stop that.

So all in all a bad day out following the boys watching a mind numbingly turgid game of togger.

I mean if we turn around and beat Arsenal Sunday avvy, the hard fought point looks a good one. And the clean-sheet was welcome. But a horrible watch to get there.

UTR! FTT!!!!!
 
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