A slightly strange feeling for me after today, 1 where I didnt feel that surprised by the result. It had a feel about it pre game that it could be a tough day at office.
Some big takeaways from this season for me that have impacted us are as follows
1. The club not acting quick enough with the cb signings. It was painstakingly obvious as soon as gomez went down that we needed a new cb as soon as the window opened. We paused, maybe arrogantly, thinking we could just plod on, it was never going to happen. In the end we sign 2 on the last day. If 1 had been signed right at the start who knows we might have picked up even 5 or 6 more points which would just about have us still in the mix. This has been the biggest error of the season for me.
2. There is a huge decision to be made in the summer on firmino for me. The guy has been immense over the years but we are now getting nowhere near enough out of a guy playing at the tip of a front 3. I appreciate he does a lot of work for the team etc but there are plenty others who do that work but chip in with more goals. This season he has been bang average and if the front 3 is to be freshened up thats where I would start.
3. Klopp needs to wind it in a bit. He has done nothing but moan all season. Whilst I think most of the top managers have a moan it has been constant and surely cant do the team any good at all. He has never been this wound up before, maybe the injury issues have taken a toll on him but its all become a bit tedious, the mid week moan about city was just unnecessary.
There are other issues that have hurt us. The form of trent being a huge one and that lack of rotation he robbo and gini in particular have had. The squad clearly needs a couple of tweaks.
People need to calm down about thiago though. Hes being written off after what about 10 games. Its insane. The guy is yet to play with the midfield he will most likely play with next season. Hes a top player and it will come, have a bit of patience there.
Such a bizarre season in that I have low confidence that we will finish in the top 4 this season yet if we started next season with the same squad and all players fit id fancy us for the title.
Going forward from here
posted on 8/2/21
Our intent yesterday was to not lose or not be the one to make the error. Its a terrible attitude and imo thats what has to be fixed first.
——-
This,
The whole philosophy of Klopp’s success is a team ethic and strong self belief. The team except perhaps Jones and Henderson we’re sadly lacking yesterday.
Basically, we have lost our Mojo.
One change please Kloppo, next game restore Hendo to midfield and throw Kabak in.
posted on 8/2/21
"Did the players REALLY go out on to the pitch yesterday with any intent to win the game?
IMO no. they went out with fear of losing."
This if we're being totally honest with ourselves. Klopp needs to look at himself too.
posted on 8/2/21
Football is a simple game but at the moment a combination of poor form , tired players and lack of confidence due to the shape of the team being wrong are all combining to lead to our problems
Hendo in midfield and jota back will make a huge difference. They are still v good players but after nearly 3 years of perfection then a big fall off was inevitable
Remain confident we will sort it and top 4 will happen
posted on 8/2/21
Souness was spot on when he said "stop with the constant excuses and just get on with playing as champions"
Even now, the flavour of this article still has that feel of "well we could have done this, but couldn't because of that"
Not for me to call out Klopp, but he has been a bit of a broken record all season, particularly with injuries. It's like he never tried to move on from losing your main man, and there is something every week as to why things ain't going like last season. This has to impact on the players mentality.
posted on 8/2/21
comment by SteveF (U22027)
posted 43 minutes ago
Souness was spot on when he said "stop with the constant excuses and just get on with playing as champions"
Even now, the flavour of this article still has that feel of "well we could have done this, but couldn't because of that"
Not for me to call out Klopp, but he has been a bit of a broken record all season, particularly with injuries. It's like he never tried to move on from losing your main man, and there is something every week as to why things ain't going like last season. This has to impact on the players mentality.
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Don't disagree with much of this tbh.
Klopp is annoying me at the moment with his whining and both he and Henderson came out saying we put in a good performance yesterday. We got hammered!
posted on 8/2/21
look people will say stuff. They have to defend each other as if one said differently then they would again be hammered.
the reality is klopp will have spoken about the way they needed to play and all of that but i am pretty sure from the way he was stood on the line it wasn't within a mile of what they talked about before the game.
Klopp has always sent players out to do a job and we have seen many times he will just stand there if its not going right as he cannot change a players attitude
You can scream at them, you can ask them to get the chin up, you can give them advice on where tactically to move to, you can make subs but we have seen it a few times in the past where he's basically stood there letting it go by and not really shouting anything.
if you speak all week about being positive and doing this or doing that then the players take the field and immediately do the opposite and ply themselves into trouble and play safe you can't walk on the pitch and force them to change.
I've said before I'd rather a manger defend his players than drop them in it like say mourinho did with utd and shaw etc.
Get tough behind closed door. Like when sahko had to go o when others never got a nsniff of a game etc.
Unfortunately we see origi being absolutely terrible getting game time but minamino who's tried hard but is very lightweight get zero chance and is now gone.
Now I would not rate minamino myself but origi's attitude has stunk every time he's played recently. I don't get why he's been given time.
posted on 8/2/21
comment by Metro.⚽️ (U6770)
posted 6 hours, 4 minutes ago
Liverpool went top of the league on 16th December after beating Spurs 2-1.
We achieved this in spite of the injuries. I disagree that not signing CBs on January 1st was an issue.
The two big reasons are tactics and confidence - the former resting firmly in the hands of the coaching staff.
At home, we’ve been, in a word.. pathetic.
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Dont agree with this at all. We went top of the league yes but it was always going to be a matter of time before the games caught up with us and the squad became too stretched. Thats exactly what ended up happening. The team have looked shattered for so long. Too many of them having to play every single game because the sqaud became thread bare. Stretched at cb because of the injuries led to us being stretched in the midfield because we took guys from their to fill in at the back. Its like pulling blocks out of a jenga stack, eventually its going to collapse.
Being top of the league back then meant nothing. You will find plenty of comments from me even back at that time stating we had to sign a cb as soon as the window opened. The team done incredible with the issues we had to be in the mix never mind top of the league, the club then failed the team to ease that burden quicker than they ultimately have.
posted on 8/2/21
comment by Mellor, Lovely Cushioned Header, FOR GERRARD, OOOOOOHHHHHH YAAAAAAA BEEEUUUTTTYYYYY!!!!!!!!! (U1859)
posted 23 minutes ago
comment by Metro.⚽️ (U6770)
posted 6 hours, 4 minutes ago
Liverpool went top of the league on 16th December after beating Spurs 2-1.
We achieved this in spite of the injuries. I disagree that not signing CBs on January 1st was an issue.
The two big reasons are tactics and confidence - the former resting firmly in the hands of the coaching staff.
At home, we’ve been, in a word.. pathetic.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dont agree with this at all. We went top of the league yes but it was always going to be a matter of time before the games caught up with us and the squad became too stretched. Thats exactly what ended up happening. The team have looked shattered for so long. Too many of them having to play every single game because the sqaud became thread bare. Stretched at cb because of the injuries led to us being stretched in the midfield because we took guys from their to fill in at the back. Its like pulling blocks out of a jenga stack, eventually its going to collapse.
Being top of the league back then meant nothing. You will find plenty of comments from me even back at that time stating we had to sign a cb as soon as the window opened. The team done incredible with the issues we had to be in the mix never mind top of the league, the club then failed the team to ease that burden quicker than they ultimately have.
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Yep
posted on 8/2/21
I think we have largely been found out. Stop Salah coming inside on his left foot, Firmino plays deep so shield the box area, Mane will always be dangerous so double up which are things which have dented our attacking prowess. Hendo and Fab not getting forward is hurting too.
TBH I think the loss of Buvac and the switch to a more defensive mindset has cost us. I think we bluffed last year and out-psyched teams but now they just sit back and defend and we cannot break them down. Bring back Buvac I say and jettison our own Pep - Pep Ljinders.
posted on 8/2/21
Great argticle all facts.