Both issues are in play. We’ve scored goals overall, but we’ve been helped with a very soft Europa campaign - I think 17 goals in the group stage against barely championship level sides and another 11 in the first KO round against a side of a quality we just wouldn’t see in a CL campaign. You see the odd game in the league where we’ve run up a number, or were forced to to bail out a leaky defense, but in lots of games where we dropped points the defining characteristic of the performance would be profligacy in front of goal. Luton, both Utd games, City and Arsenal were all games where we spurned either a collection of good chances or had one catastrophically bad miss. I’d argue the first Utd game was the only one of those you can put down to 1 of those days with the other 8 points being pissed away with a series of terrible finishing and decision making that you should not be seeing more than 1 time per season, let alone multiple times in the same game.
We’ve seen several times defensive sloppiness reopen a game we thought was already won, so maybe this effect is less important than it seems, but you also have to ask how much of our defensive jitteriness can be put down to growing anxiety of pissing away so many chances to put a game to bed. Sure, a good team shouldnt get rattled in that way, but a good team shouldnt be passing up so many chances either.
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Its not a problem with creativity it is actually putting those good chances away which is an issue when you look at our goals scored compared to our XG, which we are underperforming massively compared to the 2 above us
Totally agree, we all get upset at easy chances missed but it is compounded because we know we have been particularly lax defensively and always look like conceeding.
Weird how our best defensive displays have come when we have been down to 9 or 10 men.
Assuming that Salah goes. And one of Diaz / Nunez.
We’ll be needing to get some pace down the wings.
Danns and Koumas should be getting some game time too even if they aren’t regular starters.
I’ll be looking at something like this. I’m assuming that Diaz goes along with Salah and not Nunez. And possible positions too , someone like Nunez can play in RW and CF.
LW
Jota
Gakpo
Koumas
CF
Danns
Jota
Nunez
RW
Doak
Nunez
Clearly need a Salah replacement and a replacement for Diaz if he does end up leaving.
But that said we do have one proven goalscorer in Jota even if he’s injury prone. A talented , hardworking player in Gakpo who’ll only improve with age and experience.
Then Nunez who if he performs anywhere close his xG tally would be a 25 goal a season striker.
Chances for the likes of Danns, Doak and Koumas to further press their claims to the first team squad come preseason.
Nunez on the right side reminds me of Cisse on the right for periods in 05/06.
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If somehow we don’t sign any new players (which I don’t expect) is it possible to participate in a title race?
I’d say yes but for that to happen we need at least 3 of our 5 senior attackers to fulfill their potential and score the goals they undoubtably have in them.
Salah 
Jota injuries
Gakpo not playing to his strength / wrong position
Darwin missed chances
Diaz kidnapping of his parents / form
Back four and midfield don’t have to be a 7 out of 10 every game as long as we score our goals.
The only real worry up front is how we have three or four options for left wing and one for the right side.
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But it worked for the last 6 years. 7th year itch?
Agree, I’m worried that he suddenly gets injured more often.
For his standards last season wasn’t good but I believe that he wants to prove that he can improve his numbers and he doesn’t need Klopp for that.
Tbh I think Mo has that in him.
Oh, no one’s told him?
Yeah, this could be a little problematic as far as this season goes Sith.
Also no chance we’re letting a key player go this late in the window, nevermind 2 in the same forward line.
I see a future where Kudus and Gordon replace Salah and Diaz. Could be completely barking up the wrong tree, but that’s a problem to solve down the line.
For this season there are certain question marks over most of them, but I’m hoping the overall output from the forwards goes as good as, or probably better than last season.
I expect us to tighten up defensively and to stop conceding the first goal so many times, and if it all goes like this we should expect a title challenge.
Mo has a full preseason under his belt and Jota is fit, while Nunez gets up to speed. Gakpo showed great form in the Euros and Diaz will hopefully be on it, now that the horrible off field family issues are behind him. Here’s hoping.
Who would you rather face as a defender - Diaz or Gordon?
Diaz. Knowing that you can assault him and the referee won’t give a foul.
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Or knowing he can break a defensive line with a beautifully timed run, find the back of the net with a sumptuous finish……and not have to worry about it standing. Good process lads.
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Should we start practicing already? 
Ooooh-oh-oh,
We’ve got the best attack in the world!
Mo and DiOgO,
Cody and LUchO,
Darwin and FEdericO!
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Pass.
We used it back in 2007, only for the mancs to nick it when they signed the great Portuguese flop, so don’t want to touch anything associated with those cunts
