The Liverpool Thread

  • Thread starter Thread starter Steve*
  • Start date Start date
  • Replies Replies 45K
  • Views Views 4M
Settling down to, if he’s starting, getting my first view of big JJ against Marseille the French Cup.

Exciting times.

*Edit*

He is starting in the middle of the back three. Perfect evenings viewing.
 
Settling down to, if he’s starting, getting my first view of big JJ against Marseille the French Cup.

Exciting times.

*Edit*

He is starting in the middle of the back three. Perfect evenings viewing.

Marseille won 3-0.

On first view, he has a lot of very good traits-

Played the middle of the back three in their 3-5-2. Which became a flat back 5 out of position. When in possession, he steps forward into midfield, ahead of the other two most times to aid the attacking play. He was the deepest out of possession with the WB’s dropped back in a 5. Not a sweeper per se. But the last man.

✅
Comfortable on the ball/ good passing range.
Very physical. Loves a ‘tattle and getting tight to his man.
Anticipates superbly/ very good positional/ covering sense.
Throws body in way of things. Noticeably vocal for a youngster.
Very quick.

❌
Dives in a lot when better staying on his feet.
Rennes weren’t overly tested the air. But the couple of times he was challenged airily, he lost out.
Over played bringing it out once and lost possession when he could have released it forward.
Got caught out for one of the goals. But that came from a Rennes mistake trying to play out and the whole defensive line was pushed up as Marseille cut through.

Just one watch like, but you can see he has all the traits. Physically and technically what we look for in a CH who you’ll be able to play high and leave on an Island. Naturally raw but that’s just inexperience.

You can see why he’s so highly rated in France and why so many top clubs wanted him for the long term.

Rennes next play Sat’day 4PM for anyone interested. Found a Fox American stream in English last night that was a nice bonus.
 
Last edited:
Marseille won 3-0.

On first view, he has a lot of very good traits-

Played the middle of the back three in their 3-5-2. Which became a flat back 5 out of position. When in possession, he steps forward into midfield, ahead of the other two most times to aid the attacking play. He was the deepest out of possession with the WB’s dropped back in a 5. Not a sweeper per se. But the last man.

✅
Comfortable on the ball/ good passing range.
Very physical. Loves a ‘tattle and getting tight to his man.
Anticipates superbly/ very good positional/ covering sense.
Throws body in way of things. Noticeably vocal for a youngster.
Very quick.

❌
Dives in a lot when better staying on his feet.
Rennes weren’t overly tested the air. But the couple of times he was challenged airily, he lost out.
Over played bringing it out once and lost possession when he could have released it forward.

Just one watch like, but you can see he has all the traits. Physically and technically what we look for in a CH who you’ll be able to play high and leave on an Island. Naturally raw but that’s just experience.

You can see why he’s so highly rated in France and why so many top clubs wanted him for the long term.

Rennes next play Sat’day 4PM for anyone interested. Found a Fox American stream in English last night that was a nice bonus.
Totelsportek have great streams for every match and every league
 
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/caoimhin-kelleher-interview-brentford-ireland-liverpool-b2915190.html

Good read this that puts, yet again from those involved living it, actual context on the far reaching effect to everything from the tragedy last July.

’Listen, from an individual aspect, for me to leave and play first-team football was obviously right, never mind the tragedy that happened,” Kelleher said of his Liverpool exit.

‘’I find it a bit strange and a bit difficult when I hear people speaking about the players at Liverpool and the performances, because I don’t think this season is even important from a football aspect for them, to be honest.

“It’s more about them personally and mentally.

“Obviously, football is a massive sport and people have an opinion, which is natural. People expect you to move on quite quickly, and I don’t think that’s the case.”
 
Last edited:
The sad thing is that above from Kelleher should even need saying.

The even sadder thing is the actual, lived, context of grief, that isn't linear, and is wholly different to you or I in our own jobs where we can be suffering long term loss, have bad days, and mail it in to get through. Where as these lads work is played out in front of hundreds of millions and scrutinised to the 8th degree. That it is unbelievably labelled an 'excuse' from those without any human empathy and compassion in their bodies. Mad how you read people equating a footballer's wealth somehow excluding them of being human. With all the human emotions and frailties that the one thing that sets us apart from other species, the human mind, bestows on us all. Expecting them to carry on and perform consistently the job they are highly financially rewarded for regardless. Totally ignoring these lads completely understandable drop off, through loss, is played out in the most public of public spotlights where the criticism you or I wouldn't receive is oft savage from those without the humanity and understanding of others. Who are only interested in their only self interests and feeling good about L'pool winning above and beyond ANYTHING else.

I've said it all season long from the moment the Jota brothers tragedy happened that this season was effectively a 'free pass' for them all. The whole season changed from that point on.

That's a major reason why our patience and support at the match has been, bar natural frustration boiling over in a couple of games, so inherently different to the oft vile abuse aimed at players, and specifically the manager, on-line and across social media. The context of what happened back in Spain in July that totally disrupted and cut short the most important part of ANY teams year, pre-season. And has had far reaching knock-on effects ever since. I couldn't imagine, for one, how it must have been like for the new signings, not least those coming from abroad, walking into a completely broken changies. A changing room devoid of the main thing in football/ team sport, that helps integrate and bond the team ethos. The laughter and banter with their new teammates that just wasn't there. Arne and his staff, who were all equally destroyed by the loss of a close, beloved colleague, having their evolution plans for the team, which could be patently seen in the demographic profile of player we brought in, knocked back as that vital training time and integration just wasn't afforded to us pre-season. Something they've all been playing catch-up with all year which is only now starting to show it's self more and more on the pitch with more progressive, quick, attacking spells, for longer periods, the more comfortable with each other and confident they get in how we want to play. And the natural knock-on of grief not being linear and hitting everyone at different times and no set moments. Leading to what was always going to be up and down performances. With more downs than ups as manager and players naturally haven't been 100% on it and have made understandable mistakes. Again, I drop a few percent in my job, and it's not adversely affecting anything. colleagues pick up the slack and you cover each other But when it comes to a professional football team, doing theirs under the ultimate, World wide spotlight, just a minimal drop off is the difference between winning and losing.

Heck, even now, when we belt out Diogo's name every game on 20, which is our way of continuing to deal and honour one of our own when we've never been placed in a situation like this, you look around and see the heavy anguish on faces in the moment lamenting a man we no longer get to see in the flesh. And as supporters, we never knew him personally. I can't begin to appreciate what it must be like having to deal through all this when he was your best mate and the heart and soul of the most important component of any football team. The heartbeat that is the changing room.

It really is proper sad, to be polite, that the context of the omnipresent tragedy, isn't taken into account by those so quick to attack and abuse as they are, seemingly from their words, so stone hearted to be devoid of all human empathy and understanding to begin with.

But hey, if the the dignified words of the manager and players trying to explain this, and now Kelleher who is no longer here but who has been patently been deeply affected by his mates loss, and who completely understands his fellow teammates struggles this year therein, why would a mere supporters words living it game in, game out in the flesh resonate with anyone who refuse to accept the actual, contextual reality of Liverpool Football Club's 2025/26 season?

For those that do understand, we are coming out of the other side as everyone has slowly healed and dealt TOGETHER. Not fully there yet. But you can see the positive signs of the players getting stronger, physically and mentally, over the past few months. And performances improving, and in longer spells, as we continue to grow together and heal what was a broken football club after the summer.
 
Last edited:
Well I was enjoying Lens- Rennes until big JJ just went off on 66 with what could be a dislocated shoulder judging by him wincing in pain holding it.

The L’pool injury curse stretches far and wide. 🤦‍♂️

Hopefully not a bad one. 🫰🏻🫰🏻
 
I wonder who we are going to play at RB next week. Guess its time for Ramsay to step up. But I bet we end up with Jones at RB
 
I wonder who we are going to play at RB next week. Guess its time for Ramsay to step up. But I bet we end up with Jones at RB
"So when someone is really unlucky with the injuries that we’re having there is always a player that benefits from that, and Calvin is one of them. He’s with us, but I still think I have better options to play. But the moment I run out of options he has shown, in the one game he played against Palace and the moments he trained with us, that he is good enough to be in and around our players."

This was said a month ago by Slot, typical Dutch directness but hey thats Slot's memo as he just doesn't trust the youth and I know for a fact Klopp would never say that about a player, even if they aint good enough. Was an odd comment back then but now I guess he will have no choice just like he foretold. Way to bring up his confidence.
 
Back to the game and I could say a million times about the tactics and the naivety the coaching staff have shown, but I expected us to tire as the second half wore on, not because City are better than us. I think they were woeful, and we let them smash and grab us and get back into the game. Its down to fitness levels again, if it keeps on happening nearly every game, then its simply a coaching problem. We need that win as the Stadium of Light is a difficult place to go to, and we are slowly slipping away from the top 5 chasing pack and into the midtable scramble.
 
Back
Top