So @AnfieldRdDreamer what’s your point, more or less?
That Phillips hasn’t let us down but that’s as much due to sacrifices Klopp makes setting the team up to protect him as anything else. If we set up like we did tonight with Phillips he’d have been ripped apart and badly exposed. Phillips is doing us a solid as an emergency option and all credit to him, I’m hoping it earns him a decent club for next season. But people need to stop getting carried away. We can’t use him against every type of opponent and we can’t play to our full potential when we use him. He’ll be here this season and thar will almost certainly be it. He’ll leave with thanks and happy memories.
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.What has that got to do with my OP?
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What’s the obsession with Phillips? He’s not that good you know.
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Trying to answer this I guess?
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So your guessing. Ok, got it! 
It wasn’t a question and not even the important part of the post. It doesn’t matter it’s as it is.
There’s a horrible obsession to justify stuff that just doesn’t need to be justified. Anyway I still haven’t a clue if you were agreeing with me or not. 
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TAA hasn’t been great all year and if you look at the small sample of heat maps for the games Phillips has played… it is untrue that TAA has been playing further back because of his addition. The high line is still there. In fact the heat map for the whole defense is quite similar for games with or without him.
It is probably skewed by the small sample size, but the heat maps show very little difference with perhaps a slight lean towards the opposite - that TAA is getting forward or positioned further forward more (but that could be down to the opposition).
And there is little evidence to suggest that TAA has been “stunted more” when Phillips was playing when in fact he upped his game and played his best game of the season against Tottenham almost as soon as Phillips had just come on.
I think it is more that Phillips passing percentage is a few percentage points below our other defenders and we expect him to be found out eventually against faster opponents. In limited action, he has coped… but who knows if that is sustainable?
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Heat maps show average position not how high a line we keep. It’s reflective of possession more than anything else. The more possession we have the higher up the pitch the average position of each player will show on the heat map. To see if we are keeping a high line you need to watch footage or at least stills of us in phases of play with and without the ball.
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I watched the Barcelona vs. PSG game last night. I’m convinced Barcelona would have conceded two goals less, if they had Nat. Whatever his limitations are, he wouldn’t have allowed those circus in the box.
Phillips against Mbappé? It would be carnage.
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Not in close quarters, like the first goal. Also Nat would have cleared the headed goal (4!!!).
Maybe, but Phillips wouldn’t have covered himself in glory for PSG’s 6th or 7th.
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Oh come on, can’t a guy have some banter after having to watch Barcelona vs. PSG instead of Liverpool!!!
WHAT! You prefered watching that to LFC. GET OUT! GET OUT!
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The designated channel, in their infinite wisdom, decided to telecast the highlights of Australian Open. Imagine staying up till 4 AM and watching live texts from BBC.
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There are prematch theads on here but you need to be strong, insensitive … whatever. Still better than BBC. Streaming is always an option however all the sites I use for links were down and I didn’t get one till 1/2 time then it was the best Acestream that I have had in a long time (probably due to other people not finding it.
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Keeps things simple but effective.
Everton game, coming in after Henderson gone off injured. Early in the second half, Richarlison makes a run in behind him. Nat calmly keeps eye on the ball to head away the danger. The same way in which he dealt with Son in the Spurs game.
Shows again that there are different ways to defend against players with pace and skill. We’ve been crying out for Henderson to be placed back in midfield (hopefully only minor injury), and Nat can help with this
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He was shite
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Came on cold today and was solid defensively.
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If so then Kabak is super shit.
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