The Liverpool Thread

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Another really enjoyable watch that for a friendly. With the usual caveat of it being an extended training session/ meaningless friendly …..

I presume they priced this at ridiculously high prices given the amount of empty’s? Just like the Thai’s did last summer when that stadium was half empty. Completely asinine from the organisers as that ground would have been choka had they used a bit of common sense.

Slow start the first 15 or so, then complete domination from there on in. ‘Purring’ comes to mind. High intensity with swarming pressing. Leading to our trademark turnover in transition in the oppo’s final third. Continuing the theme of scoring great goals this pre-season. 4 more of them for the third straight game. Not a stretch to think we should be looking at 100 plus goals this season with the ridiculous attacking depth we have that no other club can come remotely close to. Panic all you like about defensive issues. All the best keeping us out the other end and outscoring us! It’s gonna’ be a heck of a fun ride again. Kids looking like they have all pre-season. That they all belong. Sharp, crisp passing. Loving the amount of long shots we are taking this pre-season too. Another excellent workout/ performance that you naturally can see another big step forward from the last game.

A few player observations-

Kelleher showing why he’s the best back-up goalie the league. An Alisson regen who just never looks flustered. Boss 1-on-1 save during the aforementioned slack first 15 after a Konate mistake. Stood up long and tall like the big man.

The improvement in Darwin from season 1 to season 2 is marked. Complete CF and with his new found composure, absolutely no reason why he shouldn’t be pushing Mo for 25/30 this season. Seriously. He’s in mid-season form already.

Mac Allister playing high again as a genuine 10, just floating and picking up pockets of space, then threading needles, is a beautiful sight to see. Wonderful footballer.

Jones showing his continued maturity and versatility. This time dominating from the 6 role winning it and tidally recycling possession. Whilst spraying it all over Trent-esq when the game flow allowed. Making a heck of a lot of folk eat a heck of a lot of humble r Curtis.

So Boss La- What was that about long shots being back in vogue? That chip from half way after winning the tattle. 😍😍😍 Brilliant headed save from the goalie too BTW. This lad is going to totally bring the long lost ‘90’s PL vogue of long range midfield web goals back with a vengence.

And what a superb thrill for two top youngsters. Lee Clarkes lad Bobby, and the increasingly frightening old school winger Ben Doak, to bag their first ever L’pool first team goal. The latter from a wonderful training ground set- piece routine. First of many goals in red for the pair hopefully. Very impressed with Quansah again too who’s looking comfortable to slot into that 5th CH role this year they like a youngster in.

I’m enjoying this pre-season and this sides evolution as much as I’ve enjoyed a summer in years.

Chelsea two weeks today and a pre-game Sunday roast in the Anglesea Arms around this time can’t come quick enough!
 
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Monday, May 28, 2018. A plane that was majority full of weary, hungover Reds after 4 days partying at what still remains the single best ever organised/ hospitable UEFA final I’ve ever attended in Kyiv, touches down at East Midlands from Wroclaw. Goosed from two flights and a lengthy layover, all you wanted to do was get the train home and get some kip in yer own bed ….. And then, suddenly, theres beeping all over the plane as everyone's moby’s are being switched back on to a collective 'Who the bleep is this lad? Anyone heard of him? 🤷🏼‍♂️’ Followed by excited Googling as everyone is now wide awake and energised that mid-Monday evening trying to find out who the major £43.7 million Brazilian signing from Monaco was? The perfect pick-me-up after the European Cup final loss 48 hours or so earlier with a threadbare squad.

And what an absolutely outstanding player he turned out to be. Liverpool’s ‘Lighthouse.’ For the majority of his time here, the best #6 in the PL by a Country mile and one of the best in World football. A man who was absolutely as integral as ANYONE in Klopp’s Red Army sweeping all before them at home and abroad. One of the iconic legends we’ll talk about forever who ended the 30-year title drought and not only put us back on top of the English and European game. But made us Champions of the whole wide World for the first time in the clubs storied history!

But, sadly, in life all good things must come to an end …..

And that end has been steadily coming for well over a season now. He was looking tired and leggy in the attempt at footballing immortality 2 seasons ago. Last year, he was a pale shadow of what he had been in a drop-off as quick and as stark as any I’ve ever seen in a footballer. A 29-year-old looking like a 69-year-old! His demise was SO bad, he lost his place in the team to a complete novice, 18-year-old kid. When he had that utterly cringe, stand-up argument with Jurgen down at Brighton, you knew it couldn’t get much lower. A modern day L’pool great had been run into the ground to the point he had absolutely nothing left to give. And his frustration at having no legs was showing. Badly.

It’s a really sad way to have to say goodbye when he’s leaving for a semi-retirement league at just 29. When he should still have so much to offer the game. But a combination of two many Klopp miles in his legs, and him having no inclination to stay and fight for the cause to bring us back to the heights he experienced at Anfield, makes it the perfect time to part ways. To be taking the money and running without a second thought, in what should be his peak footballing years, is a clear indication from Fabinho he knows what its been painfully obvious to watch. His body is done at the top level.

To recoup all but £3/ 4 million back on that initial transfer fee, albeit from a Country I wish we wouldn’t deal with personally but aren’t naive enough to know we realistically have to, after 5 seasons and 219 mostly outstanding games, is absolutely phenomenal business and way too good an offer to turn down.

Thank you, sincerely Fabio Henrique Tavares. ‘Fabinho’ to his friends. For all you have given to the cause for L’pool FC the past 5 years. Its been an absolute pleasure and a privilege to have been on that wondrous journey with you with all the joy and excitement you’ve given us.

You’ll aways be remembered and welcomed back fondly as a true L’pool legend and one of Klopp’s very best.

And now this is finally ‘official’, you’d expect the picture perfect long term replacement Lavia to be announced quickly. And then whoever else will be following him.
 
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First time ive sat down and watched a proper pre-season game and it pains me to see us still persisting with this half-inverted ****. Even Pep ditched it as he knows that it unecceasry complicates things. So why are we still half arsing it. We have the best leftback in the world in Robbo and you watch him play and he has no clue what to do in possession when playing left cb in this back three, yet he will still bomb up as he does as a full back leaving us exposed.

Dont get me started on Trent as you either play him completely in Midfield or not as this half-*** inverted nonsense is killing us with any ball over the top on the right as he is far out of position and its not even his fault. Yes having Konate instead of dead on his knees Matip is useful but even then its asking too much of the Right CB. Any half-decent team will score buckets against this team if we continue with this failed system. It didn't work for Pep hence why he changed it so why are we trying to copycat it without having the right personnel for it.
 
Not a fan then mate? Haha.

We aren’t anything like how City have set up bud, but fo why it’s worth, after just getting through watching that …..
 
In keeping with this pre-season, that was another really enjoyable game to relax to after a long work day. So with the usual caveat of it being an extended training session, albeit one against, like ourselves, another member of elite ‘European Royalty’ that gave it the feel of a big time friendly before the game, which certainly didn’t disappoint watching, where the end result matters not a jot, a few observations-

In many ways, that was the perfect pre-season workout. Really intense throughout in the searing heat and humidity. With a nice mix of many positives to again take from the game. Coupled with solid video against a top side to analyse and learn from to iron out tactical and individual flaws over the next week and a half back at Kirkby. I loved that we started fast and swarmed all over Bayern. More of that please. The intensity of the pressing, even when legs naturally tired off the back of our third training session of the day, was again boss to see. The difference with young legs across the board this summer as opposed to the tired lethargy of older ones last pre-season has been marked. Our attacking play once again was top drawer. Been saying it all summer, but we’ll be scoring for fun every week and then some this season. The variety and top quality in all 6 attackers (Make NO mistake Doak is well and truly part of this group and a serious option in ANY game) is frightening for the rest of the PL. And they’re all hitting top form already pushing each other. Before you even look at the super attacking mids behind them who have elevated everyone. 3.75 goals per game in pre-season just leaves you drooling for the season proper. And they could well have scored well more than 3 again today. If you can outscore us this year, fair F’s. You’ll have proper earned the W.

The other end of the pitch needs some hard graft the next week and a half at the Axa no question. The balance and shape out of possession isn’t quite there yet. But then you need to also add context to things here….. 10 goals conceded across the 4 games as a stand-alone # isn’t great at all. Even given its been in friendly kick-about’s. But until today, we hadn’t conceded in the first half of any game. With all the goals coming after complete outfield changes at half-time in games to XI’s you’ll never see play together in a competitive game. And even today, if VAR is in operation, Bayerns first and last goals don’t count. (Just what the lino wasn’t doing on the clear off-sides I’d love to hear from him.). And there’s one glaring individual problem there that has been painfully obvious for 18 months now- Joel Matip is done at the highest level. His legs have gone and he just doesn’t fit the tweak to our system at all. Both first-half goals are, in large part, down to him. Love the fella’ like. He’s been an absolute legend here through our success under Jurgen. But he needs nowhere near a starting PL XI ever again. van Dijk is looking like a man refreshed getting back to his best. And the extra boost of the captaincy clearly has aided that further. Konate’s boss. Joe has looked leaps and bounds better on the track to once again being the top player he was before the injury. Funny how confidence changes a players whole outlook aye? And Quansah has looked composed enough and strong enough to leave you with little worries over him being the 5th choice and playing early round cup-ties. But the Matip issue needs boxing by Sep. 1. He can’t be a serious part of that mix. As for AndyRobbo, I think ‘our’ version of this is always gong to be wholly different to other sides as Klopp is always going to be far more attacking by nature and give Robbo that license to get forward. But we have to find a happy medium so we don’t make it as easy to get caught both flanks in possession. The balance and structure needs some hard graft back in Kirkby.

A few standout individual’s today-

Gakpo is Dennis Bergkamp good/ intelligent. Anyone watching him regularly won’t think that a mad comparison at all. Dream of a footballer.

Sobo is a pressing machine who puts in a proper shift defensively to go along with his brilliant attacking traits.

Curtis has shown enough that he’s more than competent to do bits with Lavia in the 6 role if Lavia is the only specialist we sign in that position. And he’ll improve his defensive position the more he plays there. Perfect deep lying playmaker in the way we view our 6’s.

Harvey, like Curtis, has gone up another level. The one benefit of last years grim season, was all the unplanned minutes he got with all the injuries. Its expedited his development curve. And the maturity both he and Curtis have come back with is brilliant to see. The success with England this summer has just aided that.

Luis Diaz with a point to prove is one ****** exciting, direct footballer. Man have we missed THAT over last season. His goal ….. Starts it with a stunning pass. Ends it with a stunning touch and finish. Just 🔥🔥🔥😍😍😍

Still a lot of hard graft to go and a good few kinks to iron out no question. But you can bet the house Chelsea will be S it knowing what we’re capable of doing opening day than ever we will them!

This season can’t start quick enough.

Up the ‘Right were we should be at this stage’ nicely developing Reds!
 
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BTW, the Chelsea tickets arrived today and they are Red!

Which is proper strange. But I’m taking it as a sign!

The 3 points are in the bag!🎉🎊🕺🕺🕺🎊🎉
 
Gakpo has seriously impressed me. Straight up efficient with every bit of his movements and touches. Outstanding technique too when you watch him hit the ball. Who needs flair when you can do everything in two or three touches less.
 
dilakh2 said:
Gakpo has seriously impressed me. Straight up efficient with every bit of his movements and touches. Outstanding technique too when you watch him hit the ball. Who needs flair when you can do everything in two or three touches less.
Click to expand...

Defo mate. Well arguably, Thiago aside, the most technically proficient footballer at the club. I made the Bergkamp analogy above and you see that more and more with every passing game.

I honestly didn't think it was possible to get a like-for-like replacement for Bobby in World football the way Bobby redefined the #9 position to going way further than a false 9. But in the space of 5/ 6 months football, Gakpo has to the point he looks like an identikit Firmino. But with the added bonus of physicality and even more of a goal threat. Super intelligent footballer.

The completely different skillsets among the front 5 is fascinating to me as to how they all fit and complement one another. And then you've the Scottish phenom who's a pure old school, get to the by-line winger who adds a completely different, but equally threatening, dimension again.

From going from the bulk of Jurgens time knowing the then best in the World front three game in, game out, you now wouldn't be at all surprised or disappointed to see most any combination on any given game.
 
🤣🤦‍♂️

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