It is the only logical explanation…
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Truly awful news, I don’t think he would be able to travel for the funeral.
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I’m done with this season. Just want it over, and I don’t particularly care where we finish.
Poor Ali. Just no words. Don’t expect to see him in the team for a while.
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Join the club. I’d have been happy to lose every game until the end of the season in exchange for beating the Ev at the weekend but we couldn’t even have that. I’m way past caring.
Thoughts are with Ali.
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Why does Tsimikas look like he just got out of bed in every single photo?
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@Retro_Helix And, I have been thinking that was a hair-do 
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Null and Void this season ffs. This ain’t a level playing field to defend your crown 
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It’s the Boris look.
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Or the burst mattress look.!
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Nailed it 
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Because he has. He’s not needed to play, so he may as well stay in bed.
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The formation and the personnel are secondary issues, for me, to how we go about our business.
We need to zip it about. We need to get after them. Far too many games we play in front of the opposition, too slowly. That needs to stop, as it is easier to defend against.
Ideally a fast start with an early goal. When the opposition scores first they shut up shop. Or if we go on way too long without a goal, two bad things happen. One, we get antsy. And two, it plays into their hands, as the gameplan for most teams against us is to get a foothold in the game, stay level for a while, then hit us on the break to try to nick it.
So, fast start, early goal, play with more intensity.
Sounds easy mind, as several of them look like they need a rest.
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Who’s this…“early goal” of which you speak? I don’t think I know him?
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Aye Kloppo, it’s been a while!
so 4-2-3-1 for this one?
Salah
Ox Keita Mane
Thiago Gini
Robbo Kabak Phillips TAA
3 decent options in Bobby, Shaqiri and Jota off the bench… not to mention Jones
It’s the speed alright, but I think there are a few other things going on.
There is a point in any attack where you have to play a risky pass. That pass that’s more likely to turnover possession than succeed, but if it does come off, it’s made a goal.
We’re refusing to play that pass. The number of times it’s on, and we check back, allowing the defence back into shape.
I think without Virgil, Gomez and Matip we are scared of being countered. We’re opting to keep possession rather than risking losing it. We also don’t have the geggenpress that allows us to think we’re going to win it back high up the pitch.
We’ve become a scared, and therefore risk adverse team.
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Our Cavalier attack has become too pedestrian…
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Much sympathy to our keeper, a tragedy on many levels. Totally understandable for him to take time out if he does.
It’s tempting to say the season is done, it’s horrible watching the reds right now and knowing we’re suffering from devastating injuries that affect results, yet when we lose the media won’t accept it. Never mind that you’re waiting for the next inevitable refereeing piss take.
But we have to use these last matches to fight for top four, bed players in, go as far as we can in the CL, and prepare for next season.
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That’s true, and I think a way out of it is to change the formation somehow.
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The players in our team most capable of taking a player on also seem very unwilling to do so. I can’t remember when last someone tried a body feint or drop of the shoulder or anything. Combined with the unwillingness to make the pass all we have is give it to Trent and Robbo and hope they can pick out a cross which in itself is completely nullified by the opposition having 8 men in the box.
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