The Liverpool Thread

[dilakh2]

Should've take all three points once we got the third goal. Think the substitutes let us down and im not going to be fickle and say Klopp shouldnt have made them, because you can understand the reasoning for them. Origi was brought on to hold up the ball and he struggled to do so against a injured kaboul. Whilst Gomez was brought on to deal with the aerial threats but struggled to get to grips with the pace of the game. Still we had more than enough chances in the second half to wrap up the points.

 

[Scouseinthehouse]

Well that was a strange day. 6 goals but far from a good game of football. Do enough in the second half to more than win. But don't really deserve to win as outside of one player you were pretty awful for the majority of the game.

Mané would be the only player on it today. Yeah, great to see Salah off the mark with a goal and assist. But he was pretty rank bad in most everything else he did. Poor decisions. Terrible finishing. Went into a nark after the calamitous Watford opener until the equaliser. Mignolet back to being bad Mignolet. Matip continuing his poor form the second half of last year. I'll excuse Trent as learning. And just WHY we have to suffer through Alby Moreno on a football pitch is the question of this or any other day. WTF is THAT all about? The fella' is, was and continues to be absolutely brain-dead and just doesn't learn. Yet again he dives in with that frigging stupid Kung-Fu tattle' B/S, misses his man, and leaves the right flank open for their second. Milner. Robertson. And you bring that absolute divvy back to start the season. WTF Jürgen?!!!!! Completely out muscled in midfield where Henderson, not surprisingly after missing most of last year, looked WELL off the pace. With everyone, bar Sadio, leaving their shooting boots at home up front.

First half was a complete non-event save for the brilliant football and finish from Mané. Watford took that by a Country mile. Without really doing much. Made more bizarre by L'pool having more and better chances. Nice to see we've sorted out the problems of defending from a corner ...... Second half, Watford ran out of legs early and sat. Game turns from 1-2 to 3-2, without ever looking like it would, but that did set off an absolutely mad 5 minute or so celebration so there was that. (Coutinho not mentioned all game BTW. Which was probably for the better.). Then the perennial failure at not being able to kill a game off. Just how many chances do you need to take the fourth? Gini's abject attempt the worst of the bunch. But then you shouldn't have to score 4 away from home to win a game of football against ***** like Watford! And just to round off the day, more calamitous defending, from, you guessed it, another f-ing corner and a 93rd minute equaliser feeling like a defeat. The mad thing, as individually poor as they were, Watford barely troubled us defensively from open play. But what's it matter when you've not been able to defend a corner since Benitez left what, 7 years ago? Might be even longer. The more it happens, the more the years merge.

At least Chelsea dropped. And there is Germany to look forward to Monday.

Other than that, ***** Reds.

 

[Scouseinthehouse]

Think you might well be shocked considering Firmino took another penalty even with Milner on the pitch. Perhaps a sign that Milner might not be first choice. Just a thought oO)

YOU! I'mma blaming YOU for jinxing it!

If you'd not posted that, I wouldn't have had to of paid to watch and suffer through the absolute buffoon on a football pitch in Red again!

Next time, don't even THINK it!!!!! .

 

[Mike.]

Interestingly I had a look at the expected goals analysis for this game. Both sides were almost exactly matched for expected goals.

 

[Scouseinthehouse]

Say's it all.

As rank bad as a lot of the finishing was today in failing to kill the game off, you shouldn't have to score four frigging goals to guarantee an away win. And certainly not at somewhere like Watford!

 

[Mike.]

Say's it all.

As rank bad as a lot of the finishing was today in failing to kill the game off, you shouldn't have to score four frigging goals to guarantee an away win. And certainly not at somewhere like Watford!

This. And it's not just you. Chelsea and Arsenal also with rank defending. Even getting vvd won't change that quickly either.

 

[RhQQ]

Carragher pointed out it's more systematic than individuals, starting to wonder if he's right tbh. Could something Klopp himself has to look at and tweak, regardless of what new face he brings in at centre half. Also, zonal marking from set pieces just doesn't work well with Liverpool

 

[dilakh2]

On a positive note. TAA delivery from out wide and corners were excellent. Firmino's first touch is still sublime. Mane is rapid+clinical and lastly we didnt lack creativity even without pipco.

 

[Scouseinthehouse]

On a positive note. TAA delivery from out wide and corners were excellent. Firmino's first touch is still sublime. Mane is rapid+clinical and lastly we didnt lack creativity even without pipco.

Yeah, reading if he went we'd be losing our most important player and be F ..... We might be losing our best player in that instance. But not our most important. We can compensate for the lack of Coutinho. We couldn't the lack of Mané or Salah. As evidenced last year when Sadio was first away, then injured.

Throw in scoring three away without being anything like cohesive. Salah, bad decisions and finishing aside, being a constant enough threat to think he'll tear this league up most weeks. And actually handling them comfortably defensively second half until another ..... I'm not even gonna' say it again. It's been the same from them for SO many years now you just come to expect it when we give one away. Agreed on the changes BTW. Solanke plays as well as that pre-season, yet Divock gets on to yet again contribute absolutely nottin'.

There were positives. Just utterly frustrating at being killed by the same thing yet again and it still feels like a loss this morning. Even though you'd of taken a point H/T so woefully bad were we first half.

But then that will never change with 93rd minute equalisers. Even if it should never have stood.

BTW, mooching around awake early. This man knows!

John Gibbons‏ @johngibbonsblogFollow

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Hiya @BBCWatchdog I'm still being charged to watch Alberto Moreno play football. Can you investigate please?​

5:25 am - 12 Aug 2017 From Watford, East

 

[Scouseinthehouse]

Gylfi Sigurdsson? Personally don't think he's top 6 starting quality. As he showed at Tottenham when he never really cut it under AVB.

Swansea he stands out as he's the main man and dominates all set pieces. I get Klopp getting the best out of someone like that but if you're reinvesting the Coutinho millions you could do far better for me.

Everton is about his level IMHO.

 

[RhQQ]

Hamsik would be a superb replacement for Coutinho. His loyalty for Napoli probably leaves him almost unattainable though

 

[Mike.]

Hamsik would cost you more than Coutinho. And also impossible to pry him from Napoli. He is magic though

 

[Scouseinthehouse]

Hamsik would be a superb replacement for Coutinho. His loyalty for Napoli probably leaves him almost unattainable though

Not played seriously in a long time through not having the time, but he was always one of the key players I used to priority target from the off in FM. Certain stats just fit perfectly for what I do.

As regards real life, as wonderful a player as he is, at 30 and the money he'd cost I'd pass. I'd personally tip Dortmund for Pulisic and/ or Demble. But then I'm way past getting hung up on favourite players/ wants. Torres breaking my heart ended that.

 

[iamauser]

Its really starting to **** me off all the pundits who are like "Liverpool should let Cou go" "They shouldnt get in the way of his dream" etc etc, yet, with the VVD and Keita situation, its like "Oh big bad Liverpool unsettling a player" "Good on Southampton/RB for standing up to them" etc.

Annoying double standards much...

 

[Mike.]

Its really starting to **** me off all the pundits who are like "Liverpool should let Cou go" "They shouldnt get in the way of his dream" etc etc, yet, with the VVD and Keita situation, its like "Oh big bad Liverpool unsettling a player" "Good on Southampton/RB for standing up to them" etc.

Annoying double standards much...

There's been loads of double standards over this. Liverpool fans have done the reverse.

On the transfer itself, Liverpool need to go really big on a final offer on Keita. Not that I think it will change much, but might give them pause for thought. 100m or bust

 

[ninjaskill]

Just learned a fun fact, Hoffenheim are the top scorers from set pieces in the bundesliga

 

[wkdsoul]

Just finished watching Mourinho presser. Talking about Lindelöf. Said he left him out as he's needs time just the same as when he signed Carvalho for Chelsea. It was difficult for him and will be same for Lindelöf. Sometimes will be in and out the squad but he has no doubts that he will be a fantastic CB like Carvalho. For Utd. Also read a few places that Mourinho said in one of his interviews after the match that more signings are likely.

is this in the right thread?

 

[Scouseinthehouse]

Just learned a fun fact, Hoffenheim are the top scorers from set pieces in the bundesliga

Yeah, I was just reading that earlier. Oh what joy!

Interestingly, this is Hoffenheim's first ever European game in their 118-year history. That really surprised me. Figured they'd of had a UEFA Cup tie at least along the way. They are probably the toughest unseeded side we could have drawn and we're the toughest seeded side they could have drawn. So it was already the tie of the last qualifying round before the side stories of Firmino going back to his previous club/ Klopp back in Germany against their uber young manager/ two out and out attacking footballing sides which should lead to a tremendous tie et all.

Probably the biggest game TSV Hoffenheim has ever played and the anticipation and excitement over there for the 5 times European Champions in town is off the charts by all accounts with the stadium completely selling out within two hours of going on sale.

Really looking forward to it. Not least getting to experience rail seating up close to see just what it's like. (Granted, the seats will be down for a European game but still.). They don't actually play in Hoffenheim either but in a little town called Sinsheim. (Hoffenheim's a little municipal village of Sinsheim.). Been a tricky one to organise, mainly because of it still being in peak holiday season but settled on flying from Manchester into Düsseldorf further up then taking what looks a gorgeous couple of hours or so train journey down the Rhine to another real pretty looking place Heidelberg. Which is around 13 miles outside of Sinsheim and having a couple of nights there. Dotted around all over this trip with mates flying into both Frankfurt and Stuttgart among other places.

It was good to get up and running Sat'day Watford but the season really starts now.

European trips. Can't beat them.

 

[ninjaskill]

Yeah, I was just reading that earlier. Oh what joy!

Interestingly, this is Hoffenheim's first ever European game in their 118-year history. That really surprised me. Figured they'd of had a UEFA Cup tie at least along the way. They are probably the toughest unseeded side we could have drawn and we're the toughest seeded side they could have drawn. So it was already the tie of the last qualifying round before the side stories of Firmino going back to his previous club/ Klopp back in Germany against their uber young manager/ two out and out attacking footballing sides which should lead to a tremendous tie et all.

Probably the biggest game TSV Hoffenheim has ever played and the anticipation and excitement over there for the 5 times European Champions in town is off the charts by all accounts with the stadium completely selling out within two hours of going on sale.

They have had a billionaire owner, the guy who founded SAP and he got them from the 5th division to the 1st in 8 years. Finally hit on the right guy to take them to a higher level in Nagelsmann it would appear. Will be a very tough tie for 'pool I think. Not sure how much European experience any of Hoffenheim's players have though think it will be less than Liverpool and that will likely help 'pool

 

[Tyton]

Gylfi Sigurdsson? Personally don't think he's top 6 starting quality. As he showed at Tottenham when he never really cut it under AVB.

Swansea he stands out as he's the main man and dominates all set pieces. I get Klopp getting the best out of someone like that but if you're reinvesting the Coutinho millions you could do far better for me.

Everton is about his level IMHO.

He adds about 15-20 goals a season and he's a workhorse so would fit well in a Klopp team.