Get Jota back. We were firing on all cylinders with Diaz, Nunez and Jota. Jota gets injured, Mo comes back and the goals start to dry up.
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This is not only down to attackers (a big part is) of course, but couldn’t think of another thread to post it.
Liverpool’s last 6 games. Look away now… 
Nottingham Forest: 22 shots / 1 goal
Man City: 18 shots / 1 goal
Brighton: 30 shots / 2 goals
Sheffield Utd: 29 shots / 3 goals
Man Utd: 27 shots / 2 goals
Crystal Palace: 21 shots / 0 goals
With such a poor end product, not sure they should be classed as shots even :0)
Maybe more like a pass forward, or miskick would be a better suited term.
If those figures are right, that is a terrible conversion rate
If our forwards hit form, then our last six games will read:
P 6. W 6. F 36. A 12.
I wonder if a certain anxiety has crept in, and we aren’t going about our business in the same way? Almost like we are forcing it a bit too much, instead of playing our football, and then slotting home as the chances arise? It almost feels like we are so desperate to win the league, and perhaps send Klopp out in a high note with that, that the players have collectively developed the yips* when putting the ball into the back of the net.
- different sport I know, but I was struggling for the right word to describe how antsy it looks.
Made me chuckle
Shots needed to score 3 goals.
Arsenal - 2
Man City - 4
PL Average - 12
Liverpool - 6482
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Fucking hell mate we’re not that bad, it’s only 6481.
Jesus, talk of hyperbole and that.
Interesting piece here by the Athletic with a statistical break down on what it refers to as progressive actions
They look not just at who is making the passes, but who is receiving them and where and so for me the first take away is that we could do well to get out most dangerous players on the ball closer to goal.
Second is that Mo’s dribbling doesnt appear to be threatening anymore. The requirement here is that the player carries the ball at least 15% of the distance remaining to the goal and attracts a defender to the ball. Mo is no where in sight.
So, where are we?
Obviously the main question is Salah. If he goes, we need someone for the right wing. Even if he stays, it would be prudent to bring in his replacement now.
He’s going to have to accept that he won’t always be first name on the team sheet if he stays.
Of the others, Jota needs to be managed, but is our most reliable goal scorer, Diaz is great, but just needs to add a bit of end product, and Gakpo is really starting to show his quality.
The big problem is Darwin, who is proving to be something of a Benteke. He’s beyond the stage where he’s going to suddenly come good and the frustration is setting in all round. He won’t be sold because we’d only get a fraction of what we paid, but he’s going to spend a lot of time on the bench next season, which won’t be good for morale.
The youngsters show promise, but are very raw still. We will have to let them develop and not burden them with too much expectation.
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Think we saw enough testerday to warrant Mo Salah staying at Liverpool.
Yes, he was a lot better, but it depends on his wishes and how Slot sees his role. I hope he stays, but would like to see a young RW come in to relieve the pressure on him. The gap between Salah and Doak/Gordon is extreme, and unless either has a Quansah style breakout season, it would be good to fill that gap.
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Gakpo is the one attacker (Jota aside, due to injury) who was being questioned by many, including myself, and instead of faltering, he’s really stepped up IMO. That is an elite mentality.
With someone like Diaz for example, he runs and runs, but players around him don’t look like they have any real connection on the pitch with him. I’ve seen enough from Gakpo to realise how he connects how we want to play. Instead of anchoring him in the central areas of the pitch, let him roam around. I like what I’ve seen from him recently. An intelligent player who I think has been compared unfairly to Firmino, because he does things differently. Still has a lot to improve, but I think he’s shown enough to be around next season.
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For all the talk about the attack faltering, we have scored 140 goals this season, and with a match to Wolves at home still to come, there is still a chance we will match the 147 record that the team posted a couple of years ago.
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Have noticed that also. Seems to get in the way at times instead of finding space. We all see and value him running his socks off for the team, but perhaps needs to be told to run less, and more intelligently
On the other hand, almost 20 goals conceded more than in 21/22, with also less total games and playing a weaker European competition.
In modern football, all phases of the game need to be in cohesion. Our defending starts from the front, our attacking starts from the back.
We had a massive task last summer in pre-season to revive our principles and how we defend from the front and then as a team. It’s not enough to have crazy forwards who run at everything that moves, it needed to be quality, in sync and compact. Have a better physical base (though injuries again played a part, the new staff will need to have a look at that) and also give our midfield the refreshment it needed. We did that to a pretty good level.
Unfortunately, where our season broke (top 3 and a trophy, albeit the least important one, is a relative success in terms of how horrible we were last season), it was indeed a bit (or more than a bit!) of finishing, a bit of defending and also a bit of lacking more control in certain moments.
Our goals this season are nicely spread out, but it should’ve been more (and less conceded). Especially from certain key forward individuals who should be hitting higher numbers.
Only if he reads the criticism and works harder in response to it.
If I were an elite footballer, I wouldn’t touch social media. And I would try my hardest every day, anyway.
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Which the real issue.
Aside from the odd drought, I don’t see an issue with the attack. I have been more concerned that we are easily rattled at the back and concede more than we should.
Mo Salah is only behind Watkins, Palmer and Haaland in PL goal involvements this season.
Despite AFCON
Despite injury
Despite refs ignoring the majority of fouls on him.
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