I think it does unless I’m missing something? You said there’s no evidence that the team can withstand pressure without conceding, and I suggested that there’s lots of evidence that they can, over a number of years.
It’s the same as people here complaining about Salah missing chances when he’s been one of our most consistent goalscorers ever
I’m talking about withstanding pressure like we saw Chelsea withstand in the 2nd half at Anfield. I don’t think we’d have held out.
Fortunately we very rarely find ourselves in that sort of position.
I think we are too easy to score against. Milan and Brentford (2nd half) basically scored each time they got in our half. Even Porto last night, hardly had a sniff but scored off their 2nd attack.
I think part of the isdue us that we all believe VVD is 100% back to where he was pre injury. He isnt and this is affecting his control of the back line. Added to this, and I know its controversial what Thiago brings but he does defend a bit better than the other midfield candidates. He knows when to step deeper to cut off supply.
I think when VVD has game time and fitness/awareness we will be a lot more difficult to score against.
This might be true but it’s not what I notice. What I noticed with Thiago is when he tried to win the ball to make the difference he wasn’t very effective. When he started doing what Gini did best, picking up the second ball, protecting it then moving it he came into his own (especially as he moves it soo much better than Gini). It is this picking up second balls we sorely missed against Brentford (fabs was getting a foot in often but Brentford were coming away with the ball). This is also what Jones needs to do in a midfiels with Fabs and Henso, Fabs taclkies, Hendo hassles the missing piece is picking up the loose or second balls (or should I say was). That’s were the balance comes in.
There was an interesting point about the backline on the Anfield Wrap last night. For most of last season Robertson was the senior player in the back line. At times this year, Van Dijk has been shouting at him on the pitch telling him to take his cue from him. There might be a bit of adjustment for the defence to get used to this.
again with TAW showing how far out of their depth they are.
even a sunday league team can adjust to different players calling the line. these guys have played together for years and get to train daily…on top of that, they are professionals, not hacks…if Robbo is having a hard time listening to Virg, or if another member of the defence is concerned about a different accent barking out instructions then i despair…
actually, scratch that…scratch all of that…the only consistant is Robertson in that defence…so its not even a point that they have to get used to a different palyer calling it…
sometimes the the only thing i think TAW have over the rest of us is thier accent is local.
In a Champions League game against the Portuguese champions? Standards really have improved in the pub leagues.
Or maybe the movement, speed and technical ability is a bit better in the opponents Liverpool play than the Dog and Duck?
That’s just a poor excuse for Robertson failing to stay in line. It’s only a case of staying a little bit more switched on, looking across the line a bit more.
It’s a sharpness thing, not because he was the most senior man in the back line last year (which he wasn’t, anyway, for most of it).
thats just scrapping the bottom of the barrel now.
hand on your heart, do you really believe Big Virg calling the shots at the back really would be a bumpy change…seriously?
i get the point, its just ridiculous.
i mean…theyd all be so well drilled with a full pre season together its a moot point, then you can factor in Virg running the show for the previous 18 months, add a dash of the fact that they are all different players anyway…
At the level these boys play, where a 1% drop in level can be ruthlessly punished, yeah I can see it being an issue.
If you’ve just had a year of other people taking their position from you, having to adjust to taking your line from someone can definitely be a bump. All it takes is you forgetting your position for five seconds.
I’m not saying it’s a big issue, and it certainly get sorted. But I can see how it could cause a few slips.
OK, if a 1% drop in level can be ruthlessly punished how does…i dont know…ill be conservative here…a 10% rise in level affect the combobulations.
Robbo didn’t get a full pre-season. Kostas did and probably why he looks better than Robbo at the moment, he will only know Van Dijk as the trigger.
Our play has changed massively this season, the defense is 10 yards further forward, our center backs are now playing long and vertical low balls bypassing midfield etc. All how we used to play, so there is a period of bedding in required.
Personally though Robbo was much better against Porto.
It’s an interesting point I didn’t know, so could be an explanation why our defensive shape keeps going to shit… That 1 minute lapse back to last season for 1 player and it’s a chaos dog leg shape…
It’s not like Robbo hasn’t anticapated things before and broken the line. He has no excuses for the 1st goal he could see across the line, that VVD had stepped up. He has no reason to be 2 meters deeper than Virg, simple. These things happen like slipping on dog shit and ending up with dog shit on your bum!