Liverpool banter 2

16 Apr 2024 12:56:23
I know Alonso has previously said he is staying with Leverkuesen but surely there is always a price that can change his mind. I loved the way FSG aggressively went after Klopp and got him when he was the obvious standout character. Is there a possibility that they will do the same again with Alonso? The alternatives don't look hectic to me.

16 Apr 2024 12:39:26
I don't know about anyone else, but I have a funny feeling that the Europa tie with Atalanta isn't over.

There's just something in the back of my mind that keeps telling me we can still get through, far fetched as that might seem.

I guess it's because there has to be some semblance of hope, otherwise no point in turning up.

We could be like a firework that didn't go off, and when you approach it, it explodes. Here's hoping we explode and don't implode.

16 Apr 2024 00:56:47
No wonder this team is looking fatigued we have had to come back from teams scoring first in 27 games 21 in the Premier league . The mental fatigue I feel is catching up with us now going behind missing loads of chances when we should be scoring is really caught up to us to the point its drying up.

16 Apr 2024 07:39:01
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new article entitled, Liverpool v Crystal Palace - A Quick Liverpool Perspective

15 Apr 2024 12:26:45
We were flying even with the kids onboard playing exciting football. Then came the Utd FA cup tie, a boxing game we should have won but thrown away. That after a bizarre decision to ditch the youngsters and play a near full strength team in the 2nd leg against Sparta Prague.

That seems like the turning point of our season. Perhaps over the international break the coaching staff have too much time to over complicate things, trying to regain control of games by playing the slow and laboured build up way.

But that just does not suit us at all. I was screaming at the TV during the first half of Atlanta game. The backline drops so deep trying to draw Atlanta to press, but when they press, we have no movement or courage to play out from the back. Kelleher would just launch the ball long. The gap between the defence and forward is so big, every single time Atlanta is winning the second ball.

The rot seems to then spread. During the Palace game, simple 5-10 yards passes are going out of play under no pressure. When being pressured, we were trying to make 2 yard passes to teammates that resulted in them being pressed and the loss in possession.

It is just so frustrating and unbelievable that the team is unrecognisable, now that we have the senior players returning from the injury crisis.

A season that had promised so much, seems to have completely collapsed in the past couple of weeks.

3-0 down in the Europa league QF.
City with 2 points lead in the lead. They don't drop points at the home straight do they.

Klopp turned us from doubters to believers.
I choose to believe we have 10 games remaining, and treble is still on. Let's go red.

15 Apr 2024 12:22:04
It seems that within 3 weeks our season will be petering out
Sad though as come the end of March, I felt like we were in the ascendancy and wit players coming back, the quadruple was on

I felt it all went wrong in the home leg vs Sprata. We fielded too strong a team and the issues compounded from that point on

Against Utd were tired, wasteful and the way we were dumped out felt like it dealt a real psychological blow to us

We limped to victories against Sheffield and Brighton

Then again was wasteful and didn't win against a crap Utd again

Against Atalanta, wrong line up and tactics and soundly beaten, it's not longer a blip but we were flat

Against CP, though there was no inverted FB for first half, we lacked intensity

So to sum up our season and how it went all wrong
1) wrong lineup in key games
2) conceding first far too many times
3) wastefulness in front of goal
4) invert or otherwise, lacked intensity

All these were quite fixable issues I thought, as we did cope went some key players were out so I do think for most parts, the blame lies with the coaching team for the tactics and preparation and then some with the players for absolutely poor finishing

Truth be told our play for large part of this and last season was reminiscent of BR's team after the 2013/ 4 season

On a lighter on, both VVD and VDV (spurs) provided us with meme worthy slips this weekend. Guess these are things that can keep me entertained in the following stage of this season rather than hoping for more trophies

We rly had all of them in our hands but sadly, one wrong decision led to a chain of poor results and more wrong decisions and we are where we are.

15 Apr 2024 09:50:22
I'm absolutely gutted right now. To think that our season could be over by the end of this week, when only 6 weeks ago we had a legitimate chance at finishing the season with 4 trophies, is just sickening.

Feels like the players and Klopp all took their eye off the ball after that one crazy game against United in the FA Cup before the international break. I think sadly that game may have been the catalyst. The emotional bubble we were floating on after Klopp said he's leaving seems to have well and truly burst and nobody looks like they have the foggiest idea how to stop the downward spiral.

Tactics have been questionable for at least a couple of years admittedly ever since Lijnders took on more responsibility and we started down the road of this inverted full back that we then never signed the right left centre back to execute properly. We've gone behind in 21 out of 32 games this season so Robertson can come out and moan at the forwards if he wants but the back 4 has been an absolute disgrace at times. We're the top scorers in Europe in all competitions but going behind early every bloody time allows the opposition to park the bus and then closes out the space for our attackers and piles pressure on them to score.

I'm really pleased we got to share that moment with Klopp and the u21 lads who won the Carabao Cup final at least, because on the balance of his whole tenure, Klopp deserved to go out with some silverware this season. It's just a crying shame that we've ran out of steam for all the bigger trophies. I'm praying to Fowler that somehow we can find another famous European comeback on Thursday as that would be another beautiful moment if we turned it around and went on to win the trophy. I've not given up on that happening as we've come back from worse. However I honestly don't expect City and Arsenal to drop the points we need to win the league from here so I'm not even going to dare to dream of that. Europa League is still in our hands even though we need a miracle. One last dance please lads!

14 Apr 2024 23:06:18
For me nunez is not a striker I would rather see him on the left wing or sold, for our next game I want too see gakpo on the left his natural position, Jota down the middle and szbozlai on the right wing the position he thrived at in leipzig which he scored goals and created assists. I hate the way we buy players and play them everywhere but there best position.

14 Apr 2024 22:15:08
Sometimes relationships break down, divorce ensues and people who once loved their partner start getting bitter. Name calling, dismissive of there time together. Suddenly they try to make out the amazing time they had together wasn't all they thought it was, and maybe the breakup is for the best? One partner has to show some decorum for the sake of the baby ( club) This is what it feels like on here atm to me. A couple of bad results (is a point away to Utd a bad result? ) and fans turning on players Some even digging klopp out for under achieving . l've had the best 9 years in the last 30 as a Liverpool supporter thanks to him. He's the reason why players wanted to come here he's the reason why we are a super power again. With probably the exception of Real, Bayern and maybe city every other club in Europe would swap places with us. I would love him to go out with a bang play heavy metal football maybe? But if he decides to persevere with whatever system he wants he has earned that right. He could have walked away mid season but he showed some respect/ love for us and the club and stood by us the least he deserves is it reciprocated. YNWA jurgen.

14 Apr 2024 16:43:52
A real shame that Klopp's tenure at the club had to end like this, that he would win one trophy in his final year. However, I am honestly really looking forward to the future.

Klopp has been the best Liverpool manager I have seen in my lifetime, lived 30 years and no better has come around. However, he always struck me as a great motivator and man manager, rather than a tactically efficient savant. A manager whose stubbornness and faith in players has come back to bite him, not to mention his rigidity and inability to adapt his tactics to deal with pressing concerns.

I feel like we need a new style, a new way of playing. We have so many offensive options that should excite us and yet, on the opposite side, players that are either past it or surplus to requirements. For me, Salah should be sold, he will never fetch a higher price than now, especially with a year left on his contract and signs of his body slowing down significantly. I would also sell Nunez, but I understand that people will be against this. I think he is a poor striker personally, but feel free to disagree.

We also need a new backline: Konate can not be trusted to stay fit and should only be a squad player. Van Dijk is getting on in age and may look elsewhere, also don't believe he is captain material. I believe the captaincy has improved his performance, but not his ability to actually lead the group through troubled times. Say what you want about Hendo, but he would always demand more and verbally make this point, rather than what Van Dijk does which is look at a player who made a mistake and shake his head before looking away, which has happened a number of times.

Quansah, I am very happy about, I think he will be a useful squad player with the potential for more. Bradley and Robbo, keep. Tsimikas, sell and I won't say anymore because my feelings on him are not kind. Trent, move to midfield and see if he takes to it. Gomez, he's been very poor recently but can not discount the performances this season, a good squad player.

Our midfield, for me, we have a good number of quality players here, we just need a system that can get the best out of them. Also, we need a DM, to support and rest Endo when needed, rather than rely on our first choice CM being our back up DM. Not getting someone like Andre in Jan for me was a massive oversight because we hauled more work on Endo's back, a 31 year old, that had not played to this intensity. Great signing though Endo, my Player of the Year personally.

Our strike force, I really don't like the blend we have, I feel like they don't complement each other. Many on the chat knows my feelings on Nunez, so I will not repeat, but to put it simply, I think he is one of our worst big priced signings ever. Diaz, he dribbles in circles but never makes much of it, lacks a clinical edge too. Salah, mentioned before past it. Jota, too injury prone to be relied upon. Gakpo, made to play in so many positions that it is any wonder he is struggling.

There is an awful lot of work to do, from staff recruitment to player recruitment. And, I hope we get it right. But, whatever happens, I want to see a new formation and strategy in place, something to make us less predictable, which Klopp has, unfortunately.

Things may feel dark now, but I am honestly excited for the future. A fresh start, no more sentimentality (Which was Klopp's greatest weakness) and a chance to see a new look Liverpool. Could be wrong, of course, but I am honestly really excited for what comes next.