Get dragged into it we will. Brittle as anything at the moment.
Top 5 is far from gone but it will be within a fortnight and what’s going change in that time. I’m seeing nothing. Same team, same tactics, same stubborn attitude to about 5 of the 7 subs.
Dom deserves to start, Alisson too but the rest of the 11 should be grateful to get a start.
Alisson, Ramsay, Endo, Virgil, Robertson, Szoboslai, Gravenberch, Jones, McAllister, chiesa, Isak. 442
I’d go with that too. Diamond shape. I’d go with Nyoni over Mac Allister.
I actually don’t really care if we get beat. The most important thing is underperforming players get a fucking slap and a message about performances.
Going with Gakpo, Salah, Konate, Kerkez, Mac Allister again would be ridiculous.
I was.
Ramsay’s out for another couple of weeks isn’t he?
If Ekiteke is fit he must start.
I’d go with Endo and Gravenberch protecting the back 4 as a priority. Jones at RB and Dom more advanced.
Change the fucking tactics and surprise them. Sit deep and try and hit them on the counter. If it ends up like a Mexican stand off at least we get a point instead of getting bummed 3-0 again.
If Ekiteke is fit we have 3 big, fast forward players and should look to use that on the break.
Ramsay trained pre-PSV, or at least was seen in the open for public part of the session. So I guess he is fit.
And what happens if West Ham also sit deep, which they will? They’ll take the point and say thank you very much.
Right now I’d take a point all day long.
Aye, that’s true. Think we were the only ones Jaff! Your courage and bravery to speak your mind, unfearing of the consequences, shall not go unnoticed!!
Nice.
I genuinely would not be too displeased with a 0-0, because turning this around has to start somewhere and a clean sheet is probably the place. It has been a long time since we have seen a comprehensive and determined defensive effort. A 1-1 for the same points doesn’t do the same thing.
Ideal would be a 0-0 until the final minutes before we grab a winner, to rebuild belief. We know this team can coast to victory with a comfortable lead, what we haven’t seen in the ability to grind out a result. Bizarre, because this time a year ago Slot’s side looked superb at doing precisely that.
Ali
Ramsay Gomez VVD Robbo
Dom Endo Jones
Chiesa Ekitike Rio
Just try something different. A diamond, three at the back, different personnel, whatever that may be. It’s blatantly obvious that rinsing and repeating the same tactics isn’t going to get us out of the situation we’re in.
I wouldn’t play Chiesa after his short performance and antics last night. His head isn’t in the right place imo not that I blame him for that but he looks like a liability to me, also he showed why he shouldn’t be selected (though that could be due to his mental state).
What did Chiesa do?
He came on, charged around, played shite, took on a shot when there was a better ball to be played to Gakpo, gave away free kicks.
Standard Chiesa performance. And I thought he look a bit unfit, to be honest.
Took players out in such a way that if I were the ref would have gotten him 2 yellow cards.
But a very erratic performance that made no sense. Just ran into trouble and looked frustrated because of it.
Mentally he didn’t look in a good place imo.
Press conference details nicked from the BBC again:
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
He confirmed he has spoken to the owners since last night’s defeat but insisted the conversation was no different to a normal day. Slot added: “We fight on. We try to improve.”
He said he is “not at all” angry at his players and instead wants the focus to be on “the team and not individual” performances.
He reflected on a ninth defeat in 12 games: “Our standards have not been the standards we are used to or what we want. We think we can play better.”
He said there is “a lot of pressure if you play or work at a top club” whether in good or bad form.
In response to how he slept last night, Slot said: “What do you think? Not the best but it wasn’t like I lay awake for the whole night.”
He said he has not seen Curtis Jones’ frustrated post-match interview, but when summarised, Slot replied : “I think we are on the same page when it comes to getting out of this situation.”
The injury Hugo Ekitike picked up against PSV “shouldn’t be a big issue” but the Liverpool boss gave no further information.
Meanwhile, goalkeeper Alisson “trained with the team today” so is expected to return on Sunday, while Florian Wirtz will also be in contention to return if he can complete his final rehabilitation session on Friday and then train on Saturday.
He said “you consider everything” when losing games, including dropping or changing players.
On opponents West Ham: “We definitely need to be ready for a challenge -because that is what they will give us.”
Sounds like he was frustrated. Maybe that has something to do with Slot throwing him on only after we’re trailing by two goals or more and less deserving players are starting ahead of him.
Agree with this.
Is Ekitike fit?
I’d be tempted to go with 4-2-3-1 myself, with the sitting midfield 2 under strict instructions to stay goal side (our goal) of the ball.
Agree with the premise of needing to see something different though. A reaction doesnt seem enough now.
If Slot is given the ultimatum from FSG, he might as well go for broke.
GK: Alisson
LB : Kerkez
CB: VVD
CB: Konate
RB: Ramsey
CM1: Gravenberch
CM2: Szobo
CAM: Wirtz
LW : Ekitike
CF: Isak
RW: Salah
Subs : Robbo for Kerkez, Isak for Rio and swaps position with Ekitike, Wirtz for Macca/Jones and swaps position with Szobo, Ramsey for Gomez, Salah for Chiesa.