Pre Match - Inter (H) - Tue 8pm (GMT)

[Frogfish]

Nah - he was tidy on the ball, but did nothing to stand out. VvD was excellent. TAA borderline excellent.
Jones was our best midfielder imo, bar one stupid ball loss

You literally did not see (or know how to appreciate) that game. Tackling, ball winning, passing, energy, control .. it was all that. It absolutely amazes me when people totally miss it (despite my admitted bias). Even the commentators were saying the same so it definitely wasn't just me who saw it.

 

[Hansern]

Rough game but Inter are a very good team. On another night we would have score 3 but most important thing was qualifying for the QF.

The wind was horrific and the withdrawn stand off approach doesnt suit us that well.
All in all, tough game.

Thought the pitch looked awful.

 

[doctor_mac]

I'm happy saving the goals for City or the like.

 

[The Nomad]

Shite : Mane, Jota, Mo. Matip, Robbo.
Gave me heart attacks : Ali
Good - V. Good : Jones, Fabs, Hendo
Great Excellent : VvD, TAA, Thiago

Did China play the wrong game? Jones was poor. Matip was good.

MOTM was Vidal though. Thiago was good not great.

 

[tombrown]

We dominated possession, dominated chances, dominated pass completion, hit the woodwork THREE times, missed out to a last ditch tackle from nowhere...and lost to an absolute worldie
On another day we would have won by 2 or 3

 

[The Nomad]

We dominated possession, dominated chances, dominated pass completion, hit the woodwork THREE times, missed out to a last ditch tackle from nowhere...and lost to an absolute worldie
On another day we would have won by 2 or 3

Absolutely. At no time did I think we'd lose on aggregate. Obviously if it was 11 v 11 I might have started to panic.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

You literally did not see (or know how to appreciate) that game. Tackling, ball winning, passing, energy, control .. it was all that. It absolutely amazes me when people totally miss it (despite my admitted bias). Even the commentators were saying the same so it definitely wasn't just me who saw it.

I appreciate Thiago plenty - not sure why that has anything to do with what I saw.
Don't think he did anything to deserve 'excellent' - though Jones, Hendo and probably Fabinho were as good as him, and they were not excellent imo.

 

[Frogfish]

Did China play the wrong game? Jones was poor. Matip was good.

MOTM was Vidal though. Thiago was good not great.

Matip was shite. He was greatly responsible for the goal (he gave the ball way then stayed out of position which gave Martinez that space) and he was giving the ball away all night with poor passes and headers (twice in 30 secs at one time).

Jones started off giving the ball away a bit but thereafter he was very good, taking on and driving us forward then keeping the ball under pressure and passing it around their box. He played well.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

Matip was shite. He was greatly responsible for the goal (he gave the ball way then stayed out of position which gave Martinez that space) and he was giving the ball away all night with poor passes and headers (twice in 30 secs at one time).

Jones started off giving the ball away a bit but thereafter he was very good, taking on and driving us forward then keeping the ball under pressure and passing it around their box. He played well.

Yah Matip looked off today ... it happens.

 

[Hansern]

Thought Matip was average at best. Poor pass for the goal conceded.

 

[singlerider]

What the fuck was going on with that ref?! The way our lads were getting bowled over completely off the ball with zero intent of going for it, only interested in playing the man...I think I've only seen reffing that bad when I'm playing FIFA, it was fucking ridiculous

 

[Bradley]

Rough game but Inter are a very good team. On another night we would have score 3 but most important thing was qualifying for the QF.

The wind was horrific and the withdrawn stand off approach doesnt suit us that well.
All in all, tough game.

Thought the pitch looked awful.

Pitch looked bad against West Ham as well.

Might explain some of the passing.

 

[Modo]

I'm worried about the game on the weekend. If the players don't find that extra gear we might just wind up further away from City.
I think Klopp has to gamble and rotate the team.

 

[tombrown]

I'm worried about the game on the weekend. If the players don't find that extra gear we might just wind up further away from City.
I think Klopp has to gamble and rotate the team.

Relax. When we need to win we win. When we need to do no worse than lose 1-0 we lose 1-0.
We got this

 

[Tinto]

I'm worried about the game on the weekend. If the players don't find that extra gear we might just wind up further away from City.
I think Klopp has to gamble and rotate the team.

I reckon Hendo and Keita will start alongside Fabinho.

Back 4 and goalie picks itself.

Diaz needs to start. Not sure who to play alongside him up top...

 

[tombrown]

Relax. When we need to win we win. When we need to do no worse than lose 1-0 we lose 1-0.
We got this

And jurgen agrees

 

[Alan Hardaker]

Might've been a whole lot worse if Sanchez stays on.With him off Inter just gave up. Never easy being 2 up from the first leg but we kept it under a degree of control. Jones was the standout midfielder. He's matured very quickly and can be trusted in any game.

In the lest few games the front 3 esp Mo and Sadio have looked a bit stale. Misfiring, one of them needs to score a blinder just to refresh the imagination. Diaz has that zip about him and once he fully gels with Robbo and the rest he will add goals.

Wouldn't rule out Mo getting rested next game.

 

[Red Mullet]

I may need to take back the reins

Rotation is not good on SCM!

 

[singlerider]

The post-match analysis on BBC was a load of shite and all...arguing about whether it should've been a second yellow. Well obviously not, because he should've been off for the studs-up, knee-high challenge on Thiago

 

[SummerOnions]

I may need to take back the reins

Hopefully the midweek break to sunny climes doesn't see you sign for city in the summer!

 

[moron]

That was tough ... we should have won but don't think - like the West Ham game - we were ever comfortable or in full control.
Now is this the mark of a 'tiring team' or a 'mentality monster' team?
Fuck knows.

Hard to tell, but if we know one thing about this team, they really fucking learn quick, and this opposition is something we needed, they pressed us so well, made it fucking hard, and forced us to pass quick. This was a good exercise before we play Brighton, and also a wake up call.

 

[Dirty Sanchez]

I reckon Hendo and Keita will start alongside Fabinho.

Back 4 and goalie picks itself.

Diaz needs to start. Not sure who to play alongside him up top...

Front three needs to be Diaz, Jota, Salah.
Mane was player of the tournament in AFCON, but fuck me I'm losing patience with the guy.

 

[Dirty Sanchez]

Inter's energy and pressing was something else. We haven't had opponents that tenacious for a long time. Credit to them.

 

[Ukrainian by marriage]

Inter's energy and pressing was something else. We haven't had opponents that tenacious for a long time. Credit to them.

Credit where it's due, they were superlative at diving as well.

 

[rurikbird]

I may need to take back the reins

Yes, please! Have to give credit to @Modo who did well to step in and earn us crucial 3 points vs West Ham (a fixture @Brizzle ”lost” last time out) and an acceptable 0:1 loss tonight, but it’s clear we need an injection of quality and creativity in attack which has been the hallmark of most of our games under Brizzle’s leadership.

We’re entering the crucial phase of the season; time to bring the big guns back!

 

[rurikbird]

Fair play to Inter - they showed a lot of heart, intelligence and quality and came up just short. That block from Vidal on Diaz was one of the best I’ve ever seen. Overcoming a proper challenge should serve us much better than beating up some Austrian farmers 7:1.

I thought Thiago, Fabs and Jones were all excellent and Diaz was lively as a sub. Let’s beat Brighton!

 

[Y1]

Vidal ruled the midfield! Excellent player for this game. And their whole team really had the measure of all our movements. Pressed us very well and defended very well too. Good job their forwards were not that good.

 

[My_Blood_Bleeds_Red]

Yes, please! Have to give credit to @Modo who did well to step in and earn us crucial 3 points vs West Ham (a fixture @Brizzle ”lost” last time out) and an acceptable 0:1 loss tonight, but it’s clear we need an injection of quality and creativity in attack which has been the hallmark of most of our games under Brizzle’s leadership.

We’re entering the crucial phase of the season; time to bring the big guns back!

Yup. 6CM have officially gone whack.

 

[localny]

Yes, please! Have to give credit to @Modo who did well to step in and earn us crucial 3 points vs West Ham (a fixture @Brizzle ”lost” last time out) and an acceptable 0:1 loss tonight, but it’s clear we need an injection of quality and creativity in attack which has been the hallmark of most of our games under Brizzle’s leadership.

We’re entering the crucial phase of the season; time to bring the big guns back!

Look, I started that thread last week and we won 6-0. It's almost as good as the Woy Prophecy. thread

 

[Frogfish]

I reckon Hendo and Keita will start alongside Fabinho.

Back 4 and goalie picks itself.

Diaz needs to start. Not sure who to play alongside him up top...

I thought Jota was really poor yesterday. Zero threat and constantly lost possession. Mane was hardly any better falling over, his passing was shite and overall he was just crap, but this isn't Inter Milan we are playing again and as he's been decent to good through the centre ... Diaz - Mane - Mo would be my front three.