I do agree, it was Klopp’s comments saying that he was ok against City which is what I couldn’t agree with and if that is the measure for other players to be ‘ok’ then the yardstick is too low.
For me, I feel we need an introduction of 3 midfielders to raise the bar and get us competing again
I’m pretty sure that was actually said after Kiev. Since then, we’ve had a much more controlled press, and I don’t think it’ll change much, nor was it meant to have changed this season. Our better games saw evidence of it still being there, so I’m going to say that it’s entirely down to the mental fragility at the moment.
One poor CB every game along with an offensive RB that has no competition or form = struggling MF even before they start playing like shit.
With a packed low block defence the best way to find a way through is to shift the ball laterally at high tempos to create a gap. Without that no through balls will go through. Having quick pressing midfielders doesn’t mean that’s all they do, they can also contribute to a high tempo passing game. We need to have both approaches in the locker. I think it’s a mistake to ditch one for a purely passing based approach.
Not sure Klopp saying they played “OK” is such a ringing endorsement. I put far more into his “I’m not sure we’d have won against ten men” comment. So relax people, I don’t think JK is over the moon with any player’s performance at the moment. Judging by his latest comments not even his own performance this season.
What often gets lost in these conversations is for the geggenpress to be a creative tactic it requires your players to move the ball at lightening fire pace for it to work once you’ve won the ball back. This is why you see such an emphasis in our training on the rondos.
Our challenge was that we increasingly faced teams who refused to contest the ball in the middle of the pitch meaning players who had previously excelled in playing quick one touch football were then given more time and space on the ball. That game then becomes less a game of pinball and more of a game of a chess where each pass is done with a view for how a pass 4 or 5 passes later might coax a defender slightly out of position. We adapted because our circumstances changed.
The problem with Rondos is that the players are static with very little movement, where for me, to beat a packed defence you need the movement to go with quick passing.
Also, compare us to City, who are the best team for beating compact defences, they have midfielders that are technical offer great movement and are a goal threat, compare that to ours?
doesn’t hurt that they have guys like De Bruyne and Gundogan who can hit a ball from range, too. forces the defending midfielders to step out and challenge them when on the ball.
Exactly plus they regularly make runs into the opposition box to pull defences out of position or to score
both of which is why it made Coutinho worth so much money to Barca, because he’d do just that.
neither Henderson or Elliott or Fab have that in their locker, and is why we struggle against the low block.
Coutinho was a terrible signing for Barcelona, and our midfield improved without him.
As for us…2 new midfielders is clearly not enough. It might be enough to push us back into the top 4, but we’re not going to compete on multiple fronts with these players.
Fabinho and Henderson should be done here as starting players. At the very best they should be relegated to 5th or 6th choice players, but we already have mean competition for those spots.
If anyone is daft enough to offer us money for them, sell, and start again.
As an aside, seeing Henderson stink the place out but feel comfortable screaming at Alisson for not giving Matip a shout (which he did) was a real highlight from last night. That wasn’t leadership. Piss poor.
Yeah, Barca had a few terrible big money moves post-Neymar.
Highly doubt our coaching staff will look at our midfield situation and say “we need 10 goals from midfield”. You’re always open for a player with certain ability and freedom to go forward to get 5+, 8, 10+ goals from midfield. Is that our priority this summer? No.
Klopp spoke about it last summer.
And last night it was horrible how many passes backwards we had. Not enough offers from midfield to get the ball out. Felt for Alisson, actually.
You’ve got a bee in your bonet about Henderson. You’ve posted this in a few threads. While I don’t disagree he needs to be moved down the pecking order, I think after 10 years of exemplary service he can be forgiven for a slight error of judgement.
Especially since it’s not even what happened.
A simplified summary.
“Joel - what the fuck?”
“Don’t have a pop at me, Skipper. Ali should have shouted”
“Ali - fucking shout for it next time”
“I did fucking shout. Joel isn’t listening”
“Oi Joel - He did shout. Switch your fucking ears on”
That’s it. It was clear from the Sky footage, and after the game Ali and Hendo were best mates.
I suppose if it was Virgil instead of the captain it would be fine.
Once, and responded to one.
This forum is a place to express opinions isn’t it? I’ve been terribly negative this season and constantly been told that everything is actually fine by the likes of mascot and others. Nah, it’s been a total shitshow and we could see this coming early on.
100%… Replacing Gini with Thiago was the beginning of this end.
We now have interviews with Gakpo who doesn’t know why he’s playing center forward, links with Mount who isn’t a no.8, Nunez who was posting insane numbers as a 9 now playing left wing…
Our recruitment strategy is all over the show and has been for some time.
Gini wasn’t replaced with Thiago.
He plays left center midfield, might not do the same role but it’s the same position on the pitch.
No, they literally played in the same team for a year.
Our last year with Wijnaldum here was a shitshow too, to suggest that was the catalyst is incorrect.