We are always most potent during transition. Win the ball and break. That gives space to the forwards.
But most teams now low block and cause us to go side to side. It difficult to play balls through to the forwards. Only Diaz really rakes on a man and the midfield does not run behind enough.
I am sure Slot can work it out but maybe the current squad does not have everything we need - more creative 10, more pace out wide.
Jota looks a little bit more lively after the break. Good goal against Everton. Had a very good chance yesterday (though the biggest shame was Elliott’s shot not going in), didn’t take it well. Gakpo is just returning, so we needed Diaz on the left. Think he might go up top again in some games (Salah, Gakpo and Diaz trio). Still totally understand why Jota has an advantage over Nunez in most scenarios. We don’t have an “ideal” striker option this season, so we do the best we can with different options. Jota is the same player he always was stylistically, has his weaknesses like all players. You cannot have it all. He’s a good player, but we know he’s no target man as a leading striker and linking up (we also have a certain #10 in Dominik Szoboszlai who could do a bit more in that aspect…) was never a great strength of his, even in his periods of best form.
Because it was only discovered domestically in game week 30? 
Being serious though, I don’t think it is so much being found out but more that some teams have found ways to cause us more problems than before while we also miss the impact in games from one of our key attacking players who is currently out injured.
First half of the season Slot was being praised by all and sundry for being able to make changes to how we play in-game/ at HT and getting it right every time. I think we’ll find out in the next 7 games whether that’s the case or bullshit because something needs to change asap. Certain players need taking out the team and that might be enough, we’ll see.
As for teams working us out I don’t really buy that. It’s more a case of not doing things effectively, i.e not pressing effectively enough. There may be some tiredness/complacency added in.
Everyone has forgotten how intense the game on Wednesday was compared to the half arsed performance Fulham put in on the Tuesday?
And even then they only seemed to play a good 40 minutes.
We were unbeaten in 26 games prior to yesterday. Now 1 defeat and the amount of bollox been talked is unbelievable.
It was interesting that Fulham put in far more effort against us than against Arsenal.
Ibou mentioned it in his interview last week - every game is our opponents’ cup final. He didn’t use that exact term - not sure he knows it - but that is clearly what he is saying: teams raise their game when they are playing Liverpool.
The interview is available here
If I have to give Everton some credit they have zero to play for but didn’t drop completely against Arsenal.
Tiredness, mainly. We have had a long run of games where the schedule has been so tight that the players have struggled to get training sessions between games, recovery days and preparation for the next game.
We often see this in the latter part of the season whereby players aren’t injured as such but they are showing symptoms of overtraining: reduced performance, delayed recovery, and generally just not being mentally alert.
Yesterday, we had a day’s less recovery than Fulham and only changed one starter (giving a returning Gakpo a start). Once we started subbing players for fresher legs in the second half, we looked much brighter.
I suspect that Slot was hoping that his trusted starting lineup would keep things even until half-time. It didn’t work out and the errors at the back looked like players who hadn’t had much of a break (injuries at the back haven’t helped). It’s interesting that when he started making subs, there were lots of defence for attacking swaps.
The schedule is now far more relaxed, so it shouldn’t be a problem until the end of the season.
I think that’s not particularly convincing. I’m not sure he was being dismissive, since he didn’t do anything Jürgen hasn’t consistently done either.
If he had done that wouldn’t it also have added to the amount of games these players who should have been rotated have been playing.
At this moment very little analysis here or elsewhere is convincing.
My own view is that Feb was brutal, the fixture list eased up last May and we looked better for it wouldn’t surprise if that happens again just a bit earlier.
We have much the same preparation time as West Ham and play at home so let’s see. If it’s shit again then I’ll be concerned.
Fulham had lost 5 from 10 going into yesterday.
Not winning by at least 7 will be a sure sign of fatigue.
Because it takes time and as I have also said in another post our quality up front showscthrough when teams tire.
If you don’t think we have struggled of late to impose ourselves or that teams have come up with a way of playing against us that stifles us and causes problems then you are warching a different game and Arne, apart from the tiredness, realises it too and has mentioned it.
Everton never got a kick less than a week ago after the 16th minute so that doesn’t back up your point.
3 shots on goal 16 shots in total 76 possession.
Yesterday minus the calamity defending 6 shots on goal 12 shots in total 59% possession.
Newcastle in the league 3 shots on goal 11 shots 58 possession.
I thought we did control the game better 2nd half against Everton but we were lucky to be going in at half time leading as Beto could have had a couple.
As for Fulham they had the luxury of not pushing anymore as they were 3 - 1 up and were the better team for 60 minutes until we threw caution to the wind.
It’s worth pointing out virtually all our shots came when chasing the game.
Macca’s goal came out of nowhere and we’d already survived one major fuck-up at the back from Konate. We were lucky not to concede a penalty in the same incident.
We need to come out against West Ham looking like a team that wants to win the league. We didn’t yesterday.
God you are clutching at straws, the story regarding the league game is that Howe kept Isak back and played completely different to how they did in the final.
We’ve lost 7 games this season, we haven’t looked particuarly convincing for a while and even earlier in the season, Mo/Virg/Ali were bailing us out quite a lot. There’s a lot of work to be done with this squad.
We’re 1 shy of 50 games played and I can count on 1 hand the number of complete performances we’ve put in from minute 1 to 90, Madrid, City & Ipswich at home, West Ham away, Spurs at home in the cup. That’s it.
Leverkusen at home and that gave me all of 10 seconds to think about
Milan away we were crap for about 15 mins but bossed that. That was 20 seconds.
Fact of the matter is all games will have that period so try and find 10 games in our title winning season we were complete in?
I keep mentioning February but it was vital to get through that ahead, we did so and extended our lead and if I’m honest probably deserved at least 2 more points.