This is all true. I agree.
Yet the starting tactics were completely baffling. Best way to mask our CB’s weakness was to keep hold of the ball. Instead we went for something different with Keita starting, and just invited RM on to us in the first half.
The disjoint between the front three and midfield was laughable in that first half. It was as if the midfield unit and front three were told that the other unit would be doing something completely different.
I really felt for our CBs. The midfield left them so exposed.
We know Phillips is nowhere near good enough but gives it everything. Kobak Is young and just when he looks confident he loses his confidence. He start the game really well but after that back pass he lost it. He needs a VVD, Gomez or Matip next to him to coach him through those moments.
Fabinho was really poor tonight. Gini was terrible, Keita was Keita, shite. No idea how he started this game. But that midfield 3 cost us as it didn’t work, no pressing, giving the ball away and all round lethargic in their play.
TAA was poor1st half better 2nd. Robbo looks done. Give Timiskas the villa game.
Mane, people talk about Bobby, but he is just as bad this season.
Salah decent, jota average.
Thought bobby did ok keeping the ball when he came on. Thiago better 2nd half but still not sure he suits us as he’s as slow as me both in running and his passing.
Shaq didn’t do much.
All in all another poor night.
Yet we started to protect the CB more with Thiago on due to being at last able to hold on to the ball for more than 10 seconds. Granted he didn’t do anything special, but his role enabled us to get a foot back into the game.
Klopp had 5 subs to use. Could’ve used them better.
Not sure how Kabak and Phillips are getting thrown in together. Kabak played one poor back pass but was otherwise very good, Phillips was awful and obviously out of his depth.
Fabinho had his standard performance against quality players, couldn’t get anywhere near them.
Mane, Gini and Robertson need dropping/resting, all 3 have been woeful for ages.
Trent had a nightmare first half but was probably our best player second.
Not a good night, think that’s the tie over realistically.
I’m not sure what we were even trying to do. With Modric and Kroos they have the talent to pick apart good sides, but they’re at an age where they can be pressured out of a game. Going for Keita suggested that was what we were trying to do, yet we were so stand offish and just let them have the ball.
I believe we still have a throw in coach but please please can we get a passing coach as our passing is often diabolical. Only decent player tonight was Kabak.
If you watch both first half goals it is Naby who is stood in no mans land and static whilst Kroos has an age to pick his pass.
Agree with all of that … except the last word.
Will be hugely surprised if this LFC team can score at least two and keep a clean sheet against this RM team. But we’ve been hugely surprised before, haven’t we? But the big difference between this and Barca is that in the first leg against Barca we played very well as opposed to being a bit shit.
Yes, we were better in the second half but we were still pretty blunt and had few clear chances.
Need to play a whole lot better in the second leg and without the crowd there I’m not optimistic.
Credit goes to Trent, after a poor 1st half he came out for the 2nd half and did well at both ends of the pitch
They were better than us all over the field. From goalkeeper to defenders midfield,forwards.
Klopp gambles on Keita and pays the price. Milner much better than Keita plus a leader which we
luck out there. A fair result tonight. We need to play much better at Anfield to have any chance.
Let’s get into top four, put on a show , if we can against RM, and get this shit season over and done with…this hurts…but it is what it is at the moment…
On Saturday night I looked at our remaining games and thought top 4 was a possibility. After tonight this team just cannot put a run together. OK, we won’t be playing the likes of Real every week buy we just don’t know what lfc will turn up.
But like me I suspect you know there’s a good chance as we’re epic when needed 
Fuck it we’ll hammer them in the second leg.
Said it before kick off and I’m going to say it again
Fuck Real Madrid. fuck Ramos, Fuck Zidane, Fuck Raul.
Fuck Spain, fuck Madrid, we fucked Barca and we fucked Messi.
We’ll fuck these over and add them to the list.
Up the reds
YNWA
Real Madrid weren’t making us miss hit simple five yard passes. Real Madrid weren’t stopping us pressing. Real Madrid weren’t stopping us showing for the ball, and generally looking knackered.
The following starting players have had drastically reduced form over the past year:
Keita (sucked last year as well)
Gini
Trent
Robbo
Mane
Firmino
It doesn’t matter how the others are playing if we have so many passengers in the starting lineup. I have no idea on how this is going to be solved, other than writing this year off and believing that most of the aforementioned players are going to bounce back, with maybe a couple being bounced.
The team injuries/lack of crowds, seem to be a very convenient excuse for some of the players who have just stunk up the place. When we were on top of our game, we could have one of the forward line or midfield sucking, and the other bailing us out, but this year both suck at the same time.
The horrendous form of Firmino has highlighted how much we have relied on his ability to link the midfield to attack. It has either effected Mane, or Mane is just having shit year regardless. Mo is the only consistent player over the past few years, and try replacing him with a Mbappe or the likes, isn’t going to come close to solving our issue.
I think this is more of an uphill battle than the Barca 3-0 deficit. RM have our number as far as I am concerned. If we by some miracle overturn this result, we’ll win the damn thing.
Jurgen made some really strange decisions today, the Keita one he fixed quickly, the Kabak sub confused me, and the Mane staying on confused me even more.
Kabak my MOTM before he was subbed, and after he was subbed.
Outstanding post @Nobluff. Absolutely nailed it start to finish, beautiful summation.
I was only able to watch the first half before going to a meeting, so this is my synopsis. . We see the ineptitude and cheapness of owners and management in not investing properly in the squad with Phillips and Kabak as our center halves. We see the lack of defensive nous by TAA who should be nowhere near the England setup until he learns how to defend. Southgate is absolutely correct, he’s a defensively stupid player. He has no idea when to stay and help his backline and when to push forward. He lacks the basic defensive understanding that it takes to be a defender. He’s Marcus Alonso in a Liverpool shirt. I mean, It wasn’t a secret that he was going to be attacked by Madrid, then why not talk to your captain, ask for cover, stay with Phillips and PICK your time to support the attack. He has none of this nous, absolutely none.
Re Phillips. A fan on a Liverpool forum on FB asked me if my perception of Phillips has changed after the last few weeks and the honest answer is no. Phillips is a stop gap until the season ends; he has no pace, doesn’t read the game particularly well and isn’t a very good passer of the ball. He does one thing well only, and that’s heading the ball. He’s at best a championship level player and that’s where he should be. He tries hard hard, but LFC is not his level.
We’re in quite a hole after that game.
Hmmm yes, they were…In many cases. The old and tired pressed better than the young and fit.
We have a massive weapon they can do nothing about.
Our unpredictability.
We managed to lose to Villa 7-2 and beat Palace 7-0. Did the double over Spurs and Arsenal and lost to Brighton and FFC.
(only problem is we can do nothing about it ourselves either)