Maybe not right now, but they are always there to get results and trophies when it matters. Over the last three years, they are definitely the best side in the world.
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Their domestic form doesnât matter when it comes to Europe. The only other club other than us in that regards.
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Its always been part of van Dijkâs game to allow low % shots. Sometimes it doesnât pay off and a couplenof times his decision making has been suspect (running ti the goalline on Benzemaâs 2nd) but the idea that heâs suddenly not getting tight is wrong, itâs always been a major component of how he defends.
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Its a bit harder trying to pull off a snatch and grab away from home. At the Barnebau. With the Barcelona game fresh in their mind.
I hope we can walk away with some pride and get a tight win. Going through to the next round is absolute fantasy talk at this point.
Never thought Van Dijk might come in a conversation of clear out this season when there are so many others clearly in contention. Crazy.
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The lengths youâre going to in order to portray Gomez performance as anything other than fucking awful are fairly embarrassing
If we are having the discussion about truly cleaning house, then it absolutely cannot be a discussion on ability alone but also on where they are mentally.
Last season the PL was a long shot - it was never really ours to lose, but I think the CL loss really stung for these players. It feels like a bit of an inferiority complex has been allowed to grow amongst the players. If Virg is not showing the correct signs that he still has the hunger, desire, mental fortitude etc to go on and bring more success for the club, then I donât want him to just stay here and run down his contract and not give a shit.
Iâm not saying that is happening, but I think there needs to be a wider look at our list that doesnât just involve determining how good they are at playing football.
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Of all the declinesâŚJoeâs to me is the most upsetting.
Before his major injury it felt like he was on track to be a star. Obviously our entire style of play has changed since and he has never got back to where he was.
Damn shame.
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So with that in mind, letâs go for it! and see where it brings us. After all, as unlikely and unexpected as it is, what do we have to lose? But if it happensâŚthen itâs the stuff of legendsâŚif not, but we win, then as you say, we leave with dignity. If we get beaten, itâs what everyone expects anyway, since we got beaten at homeâŚ
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And Iâm still blaming whoever let Giniâs sexy smile walk out the doorâŚ
From CarraâŚ
'I know itâs Real Madrid, but these are the two teams that were in the final last year. Itâs not acceptable watching this season.
'We keep looking for reasons and excuses, but no. Itâs nowhere near good enough and defensively right now⌠what makes me laugh is Virgil van Dijk said I wouldnât get in that back four about two months ago. I think Iâd take his place at the moment!
'Some of the players there, Joe Gomez tonight⌠I mean listen, weâve all had bad nights, real bad nights as players and maybe I shouldnât kick someone when theyâre down because Iâm sure heâll feel terrible right now, but [people] keep talking about midfield players Liverpool need, and thatâs right, [but] I think Liverpool need defenders as well because when they get exposed they canât defend
And maybe I shouldnât kick someone when theyâre down, but let me kick someone when theyâre down.
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Takes one to know one eh
To be fair Gomez shouldnt be here for Carra to kick when down.
Hes been awful bar one season. Again, had a few bad injuries, no where near the same player, was 5th choice last season so what do we do? Give him a new deal.
Wow! Who knew Hoof-ball Carragher had such an ego that he would be still holding onto this. Carra, mate, the legless, armless black knight from The Holy Grail would make the team before you. Move on!
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Stop being a fucking Troll. Gomez is specifically mentioned in a list of players who have being guilty of mistakes, not just in this game but throughout the season, in the post you quoted.
What I donât like is scapegoating. Everything is being now portrayed as Gomezâ fault, and itâs getting to Lucas Leiva levels of âhow can I pin this fuck up on the cunt I donât likeâ.
Whatâs embarrassing is you (in the who would you sell thread) going to absurd lengths to blame him for mistake Alisson makes for the equaliser. Thatâs patently fucking ridiculous, and says far more about you than Gomez.
My position on Gomez remains that heâs is a decent player who is well worth being part of the squad. If his injuries have robbed him of the levels he had when partnering Van Dijk through the 18-20 seasons, thatâs fine. There is still a role for him to play as a cover player, and as he can play anywhere across the backline, no way should we be selling him. Heâs obviously not better than Van Dijk or Konate.
Constant thorn is admittedly a bit overstated as he didnât stay long there, but still. We met four times during his stay. He lost his first game against us in the FA Cup, then managed to get two draws, before winning the last one before he went back to Madrid, the 2-0 win at Anfield.
I made a point about Gomez being at least partly culpable on the equaliser. I want every defender travelling at speed in the direction of their own corner flag without knowing what pressure they are under to just put the ball over the sideline out of play. Not make a pass back to the keeper, especially when they donât know how much pressure that pass will put on the keeper. VJ was onto that back pass and knew it was coming. It was the fact that he predicted the pass to the keeper that he was able to make the ground to block Aliâs shot.
Ali, and Bajcetic, are most culpable in that goal obviously. Ali, could have made a pass left to Robbo who was free. Bajcetic should have taken the safer option and played the ball back to a defender and not into a zone of the pitch he didnât actually have vision of.
This is all hindsight analysis though for Bajcetic, Gomez and Ali. They all played the ball in the way they thought was most positive. Unfortunately on this occasion they all chose the wrong option. But we canât have it both ways, getting upset when they donât play brave football (like most of the season) but then be onto them when they make mistakes due to being brave.
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Thatâs really harsh on Gomez. I canât think of a defender who wouldnât use their keeper in that situation, and I think if Gomez does put that into the stands, he has Klopp, Van Dijk and especially Alisson - who will always back himself with the ball at his feet - tearing a strip off him.
For that pass, Vinicius is behind him and he can see that Alisson has time to deal with it, either by launching it upfield, or finding Robbo. And it isnât a difficult pass either, its not bobbling, itâs not chest height. A player of Alissonâs ability doesnât really need to take a touch with it either.
I wouldnât be too harsh if Alisson though, because there is clearly a mandate to be progressive and take risks. Itâs the second time Alisson has conceded that goal this season, but I am certain that the goalkeepers and the staff have had conversations about risk/reward and fully understand the risks of Ali playing those passes.
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Could Joe have done a better pass to Aliâs left? Yes, of course. But it was more than sufficient for Ali to deal with it.
I feel youâre clutching at straws mate to blame Gomez for that one. 9/10 defenders would play that back to the keeper. Vinicius Jr closed Ali down (as virtually every striker would do), then turned his back while still a fair distance in relative terms away from Ali.
Ali had a brain fart and kicked it in his direction (like Karius when he tried the underhand roll ball in the CL before getting picked off).
Every goal has usually a chain of events that cause it. You mention it yourself, young Bajcetic with an easy ball to Andy but turns it blind the other way, then the most egregious one by Ali. Gomez was poor last night, but only pre 2000 would a defender in that situation put it in row Z.
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