Liverpool 0-1 Burnley - Thursday 21st January, 2021

[Danny]

4 minutes ago, RandoEFC said:

I don't get it with Thiago, in some quarters of the media he's already been hailed as some sort of world class superstar. We know how good he was at Bayern, but please wait until he's also been good at Liverpool for a bit before wanking over his performances. One of the blue tick football Twitter accounts tweeted something about how he's the only player in the league to have 100 passes per game this season, out of those that have played 5+ games. He's obviously a good passer of the ball but that's all a bit Joe Allen for me. Liverpool haven't scored or won in most (any?) of those games.

Then there are other people who think this bad run is entirely because he's been introduced to the side. This is also ridiculous. I assume these people haven't been watching how Liverpool's attacking play just stops at the edge of the box until they work it wide to the full backs slowly enough to let the opposition get 9 players back in the box and clear the cross that finally comes in. I think there were games last season and earlier this season where Liverpool stuggled to break teams down and were crying out for a player like Thiago to add a bit more penetration from midfield than you get from Henderson or Wijnaldum. Right now, they're completely out of sorts and you can't really make a judgement on him either way.

As for Firmino, no he doesn't score enough goals for a striker, but he helps Mane and Salah create a bunch of chances and goals so the net product is good. He does seem to mistime some decent chances, he's done it a few times in derby games that I've noticed and he had one today that he should have hit the target with. I don't think Liverpool should replace him with a player in the mould of Kane or anything, but I do think he is a bit below Salah and Mane's level of ability in that front three. What Liverpool could do with is a better version of Origi, a big cunt who can get on the end of crosses when the usual approach isn't working. Dzeko was the absolute best at it when that Man City side were at their very best. He wouldn't start every game but he offered a different dimension to Aguero and Tevez and their small skilful wingers. Giroud is another in that category who isn't just an aerial threat but a great all-round goal poacher and finisher who also has the technical ability for players to play off him. A centre forward that's a younger version of Dzeko/Giroud is probably what the doctor ordered for games like tonight.

I said it after the last game as well. Liverpool's midfield is really suffering from Fabinho not being in there. So much more is coming through the midfield than you'd have seen last season or earlier this season. I'd say actually that the drop-off in midfield of losing Fabinho is bigger than the drop-off in central defence of losing Van Dijk (although a part of that is obviously because Fabinho does well there in his absence). Trent Alexander-Arnold has been exposed defensively a bit this season. I honestly don't think you'll see much improvement in that part of his game. Like someone else said, you might ultimately see him play a different sort of position if he finds himself in a Liverpool side with the likes of Van Dijk, Fabinho and Henderson offering enough protection that he can get away with his somewhat mediocre defensive play as the right-back in a four.

There's a general lack of quality options in the squad as well. Shaqiri, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Origi, Minamino just don't impact the game often enough. They've got away with it for two seasons because of the improbable amount of time the first choice 13-14 players managed to sustain an elite level of performance and fitness, but now it's starting to show.

Far too long a post to read mate. I don’t think we’ve seen the best of Thiago but the United game was his home debut? Clearly needs more game-time if so.

Wasnt dominant for the full 90 but the first 40 minutes or so he was playing on a level any Liverpool or United player could dream of. I think he’s been a bit suspect defensively but he’s not a defensive midfielder, just ends up playing deep. Think we need more game-time to see how he adapts consistently 

[Burning Gold]

Kane would be brilliant for us. Doesn't press as well as Firmino, but his link up play is exceptional and I don't need to talk about his goalscoring. Don't think we'll be able to pick him up in January though

[RandoEFC+]

2 minutes ago, Danny said:

Far too long a post to read mate. I don’t think we’ve seen the best of Thiago but the United game was his home debut? Clearly needs more game-time if so.

Wasnt dominant for the full 90 but the first 40 minutes or so he was playing on a level any Liverpool or United player could dream of. I think he’s been a bit suspect defensively but he’s not a defensive midfielder, just ends up playing deep. Think we need more game-time to see how he adapts consistently 

Well that's just a short way of saying what I said. Forgive me, I have to write school reports tomorrow so I was just getting into the groove of saying 2 things in 500 words .

[Lucas]

To be totally honest, it's not really felt like the Liverpool we know ever since the first break for Covid.

Even after that when they came back and had to basically dot the i's and cross the t's for the title, it felt a bit flat.

I don't think they have truly ever hit that level since before Covid. They are a team that relies on intensity and that part of their game has been missing for a long time now.

[Danny]

1 minute ago, Lucas said:

To be totally honest, it's not really felt like the Liverpool we know ever since the first break for Covid.

Even after that when they came back and had to basically dot the i's and cross the t's for the title, it felt a bit flat.

I don't think they have truly ever hit that level since before Covid. They are a team that relies on intensity and that part of their game has been missing for a long time now.

Predicted at the beginning of the season they’d be a bit flat, one thing I don’t think I mentioned was the lack of the crowd. Interesting to see the teams mentality without one behind them

[Panna King]

Liverpool need to get rid of the shit in their squad, Origi 

[Stan]

35 minutes ago, Rick said:

You’ve got plenty of managers whinging about referees and decisions in their post game interviews, you get people like Mourinho & Lampard just talking utter shit about their players and never taking the blame, but It’s only big nasty Klopp that’s the bad one. 

You can't seriously think only Klopp gets treated as the bad one

Mourinho gets a lot of shit for his press conferences! Lampard has taken the blame on some occasion as well. 

[Storts]

Liverpool are really missing Rickie Lambert imo 

[Rick]

I was going a bit overboard saying I’d take Mitrovic but we definitely need more than Origi. Let’s be honest, he’s a bit shit. He’s had a handful of inspired performances in five years which means he’s a cult hero, but that miss today sums him up. 

[Scouse_Mouse]

2 hours ago, Danny said:

one thing I don’t think I mentioned was the lack of the crowd. Interesting to see the teams mentality without one behind them

The lack of fans has definitely hurt us more than most.

The sushi and Chardonnay crowd at some of the other stadiums in the Prem are hardly missed.

[Danny]

4 minutes ago, Scouse_Mouse said:

The lack of fans has definitely hurt us more than most.

The sushi and Chardonnay crowd at some of the other stadiums in the Prem are hardly missed.

Let’s be honest Anfield for a long time throughout the noughties and early 2000s was no different to most grounds, many silent viewings

[Happy Blue]

4 hours ago, Lucas said:

To be totally honest, it's not really felt like the Liverpool we know ever since the first break for Covid.

Even after that when they came back and had to basically dot the i's and cross the t's for the title, it felt a bit flat.

I don't think they have truly ever hit that level since before Covid. They are a team that relies on intensity and that part of their game has been missing for a long time now.

I don't think Liverpool have been the same since we hammered them 4-0 at the end of last season

[Scouse_Mouse]

1 hour ago, Danny said:

Let’s be honest Anfield for a long time throughout the noughties and early 2000s was no different to most grounds, many silent viewings

I disagree, the atmosphere at Anfield was still the best in the country.

Not sure what the atmosphere decades ago has to do with the atmosphere today though? 

That's what we're talking about right?

The last 20 years has seen clubs with great atmospheres decline due to either moving from grounds with good atmosphere to soulless new stadia or just generally decline as Old Trafford has for years now.

imho there is nothing sadder than comparing the old Northbank at Highbury to the posers who watch the Arse today.............ditto Spurs, West Ham et al.

[Azeem]

Lol imagine losing to actual Burnley after losing to Atletico

[MUFC]

No doubt VVD has been the best CB in the world for the last 2-3 years. But the problems are deeper then that. Obviously after Liverpool clinched the title, that's when they started looking shaky. This happens when the title is sewn up. But look at the current season prior to VVD getting injured. He was playing the opening game when 3 were conceded at Anfield and when Villa put 7 past Liverpool. All the way to the assault by Pickford.

Have said over the last year on various threads that if you can nullify the Liverpool full backs you take away quite a lot of creativity. To do this teams have to be brave and be willing to push their wingers and full backs higher up, or at least their wingers. This has been happening a fair bit this season.

Also look at the dominant United, Arsenal and Chelsea sides. You always have a cycle of around 3 years before you have to freshen up, maybe that's what Liverpool now require. New players to lift spirits and keep others on their toes.

[MUFC]

 

[Guest]

Klopp out 

[UNIQUE]

23 hours ago, RandoEFC said:

I don't get it with Thiago, in some quarters of the media he's already been hailed as some sort of world class superstar. We know how good he was at Bayern, but please wait until he's also been good at Liverpool for a bit before wanking over his performances. One of the blue tick football Twitter accounts tweeted something about how he's the only player in the league to have 100 passes per game this season, out of those that have played 5+ games. He's obviously a good passer of the ball but that's all a bit Joe Allen for me. Liverpool haven't scored or won in most (any?) of those games.

Then there are other people who think this bad run is entirely because he's been introduced to the side. This is also ridiculous. I assume these people haven't been watching how Liverpool's attacking play just stops at the edge of the box until they work it wide to the full backs slowly enough to let the opposition get 9 players back in the box and clear the cross that finally comes in. I think there were games last season and earlier this season where Liverpool stuggled to break teams down and were crying out for a player like Thiago to add a bit more penetration from midfield than you get from Henderson or Wijnaldum. Right now, they're completely out of sorts and you can't really make a judgement on him either way.

As for Firmino, no he doesn't score enough goals for a striker, but he helps Mane and Salah create a bunch of chances and goals so the net product is good. He does seem to mistime some decent chances, he's done it a few times in derby games that I've noticed and he had one today that he should have hit the target with. I don't think Liverpool should replace him with a player in the mould of Kane or anything, but I do think he is a bit below Salah and Mane's level of ability in that front three. What Liverpool could do with is a better version of Origi, a big cunt who can get on the end of crosses when the usual approach isn't working. Dzeko was the absolute best at it when that Man City side were at their very best. He wouldn't start every game but he offered a different dimension to Aguero and Tevez and their small skilful wingers. Giroud is another in that category who isn't just an aerial threat but a great all-round goal poacher and finisher who also has the technical ability for players to play off him. A centre forward that's a younger version of Dzeko/Giroud is probably what the doctor ordered for games like tonight.

I said it after the last game as well. Liverpool's midfield is really suffering from Fabinho not being in there. So much more is coming through the midfield than you'd have seen last season or earlier this season. I'd say actually that the drop-off in midfield of losing Fabinho is bigger than the drop-off in central defence of losing Van Dijk (although a part of that is obviously because Fabinho does well there in his absence). Trent Alexander-Arnold has been exposed defensively a bit this season. I honestly don't think you'll see much improvement in that part of his game. Like someone else said, you might ultimately see him play a different sort of position if he finds himself in a Liverpool side with the likes of Van Dijk, Fabinho and Henderson offering enough protection that he can get away with his somewhat mediocre defensive play as the right-back in a four.

There's a general lack of quality options in the squad as well. Shaqiri, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Origi, Minamino just don't impact the game often enough. They've got away with it for two seasons because of the improbable amount of time the first choice 13-14 players managed to sustain an elite level of performance and fitness, but now it's starting to show.

did you just say thiago is a joe allen. 

[UNIQUE]

23 hours ago, Lucas said:

To be totally honest, it's not really felt like the Liverpool we know ever since the first break for Covid.

Even after that when they came back and had to basically dot the i's and cross the t's for the title, it felt a bit flat.

I don't think they have truly ever hit that level since before Covid. They are a team that relies on intensity and that part of their game has been missing for a long time now.

i agree 

[RandoEFC+]

43 minutes ago, UNIQUE said:

did you just say thiago is a joe allen. 

Not at all, Liverpool actually scored some goals when Joe Allen was in the team. They might even have won a game or two if I remember correctly. 

[Scouse_Mouse]

1 hour ago, RandoEFC said:

Not at all, Liverpool actually scored some goals when Joe Allen was in the team. They might even have won a game or two if I remember correctly. 

Because now we don't score many goals.

Yet we are the highest scorers in the Prem.

Shows how shite the others are.

[Michael]

On 22/01/2021 at 01:37, Rick said:

I was going a bit overboard saying I’d take Mitrovic but we definitely need more than Origi. Let’s be honest, he’s a bit shit. He’s had a handful of inspired performances in five years which means he’s a cult hero, but that miss today sums him up. 

Mitrovic is actually much more clinical in front of goal compared to Origi, so I don't think that you were wide off the mark.

[Rick]

3 hours ago, Michael said:

Mitrovic is actually much more clinical in front of goal compared to Origi, so I don't think that you were wide off the mark.

It was more of the fact that he can win headers, so gives us another way of playing if we need it. I don’t actually mind Mitrovic, but Fulham would want a lot of money for him so it’s a no go. 

[Stan]

15 minutes ago, Rick said:

It was more of the fact that he can win headers, so gives us another way of playing if we need it. I don’t actually mind Mitrovic, but Fulham would want a lot of money for him so it’s a no go. 

Klopp doesn't strike me as one to totally abandon tactics and go route one. Very much stubborn (which can be a good and bad thing) when it comes to his tactics and 'philosophy' right? So I can't see him getting a striker in like Mitrovic to change that.

[Moon Monkey]

2 minutes ago, Stan said:

Klopp doesn't strike me as one to totally abandon tactics and go route one. Very much stubborn (which can be a good and bad thing) when it comes to his tactics and 'philosophy' right? So I can't see him getting a striker in like Mitrovic to change that.

Losing Jota has turned out to be costly,  he had a great start.