Calm as you like.

[Mystic]

Its been mentioned by Rurik after the Watford game, but again it was evident last night. The big man, the impenetrable rock of composure, he's just not been there the last three games, and for me he's a big part of this rut we're in.

Missing interceptions at the near post, very poor passes up field, and generally carrying a demeanor deflation and dare I say exhaustion. He's been an absolute mentality monster for us, but I think Virg is really feeling burnt out, and I think its having a big effect on the team.

This isn't a dig at him, he's only human, but how has this come about? Months, arguably years of extreme expectation to win, coupled by the fact after winning the champions league, and effectively having the title tied up, the need to win every game to achieve these goals is kinda washed up? Or is it that the only man in the squad with a mentality bigger than his is out injured and he's feeling the pressure?

Whatever it is, VVD is a titan, a leader of this squad, lets hope this blip is very short lived.

 

[Irishanfield]

Have you not been watching us over the lsst few months. Defensively ya we've been weak but we are one dimensional attack and if that doesn't work we then lack ideas. Pulling results out of the fire was masking the issue and i think this run was always on the cards. It isnt just one problem like VVD's poor run of form over the last few games but signs were there for months but now we have lost the air of invincibility

 

[redsar]

Wearing the captain's armband might be his kryptonite

 

[rurikbird]

Wearing the captain's armband might be his kryptonite

No, he’s been great in the games he captained the side until the recent blip. Really don’t think it’s that.

 

[moron]

I don't think he is having bad form, he is himself, but I have noticed in these last few games we have a very high line, and this is due to us trying to overload on attack - very unsuccessfully I might add. Again too much time flapping around against 10 men walls, and also being pressed hard by opposition in the centre and none of our players seem to be able to beat an opposition player or cause havoc recently - being marked out very well. I cannot believe our defence has turned to sh*t - it has not. Both Watford and Chelsea broke away very quickly once they had the ball - they knew we only had two (and sometimes even one) covering at the back.

 

[Dreambeliever]

He looks like he needs a rest.

 

[moron]

He looks like he needs a rest.

He's looked like that for a long time, not just the last three games, I don't know but to be honest he looks worse since coming back from the Winter break. He looked better before that. This break thing is such that it seems we are fighting to get back to form and are in some sort of fucked up pre-season mode - where our passing is not right, along with the approach play and determination and fight we are showing. Thank f*ck we have such a strong lead in the league table.

 

[StevieM]

I think our fundamental problems, if you can even call them that, are still in midfield.

We’re at our best when we’re attacking at pace - our “slump” feels like it’s coinciding with us being “more ponderous” in midfield.

Now, there’s probably a combination of factors - opponents sitting deeper negating our effectiveness on the break, hitting long balls in behind our FB’s, loss of form & injuries on our side and, let’s be honest, we have had some luck and it takes a superhuman effort to constantly perform at that highest level we’ve seen in the first half of the season.

My mind keeps going back to those graphics of how we look for the percentage pass that retain possession yet moves us forward or retain the ball.

Makes sense opposition is working harder to cut off those routes & exploit our weaknesses.

Our problem is - our midfield isn’t really geared to create something out of nothing - I’m fascinated by Naby Keita - he’s supposed to be our de Bruyne, which he clearly isn’t.

I’m all for getting someone in to that midfield - that world class creative talent that will also work his socks off - that’s what we need - that’s what we should be splashing £100m on.

I think we’ve absolutely bossed the early part of the season when teams are facing demotion and are still filled with false dreams of success - while we were just a clinical killing machine.

Basically we’re the Shark in Jaws - happily fucking up skinny dippers going for a midnight “off their tits” swim - now Quint, Chief Brody & Hooper are putting a spanner in the works.

Hopefully they all get the Quint treatment before we start smiling like a son of a bitch.

 

[Mors]

I know he wasn't great last night, but next to Gomez who couldn't get anything right, he looked like Baresi.
I'm not overly bothered with the form or him at the moment, I feel like the Atletico game was a bit of a fluke so to speak, one dodgy corner and then they shut up shop, it is what it is. The Watford game was just a massive fluke, they're shit, we're not, and had half a dozen players all go to shit in one game, and not because Watford are great, the greatest teams of all time lose one now and then, that was an utter anomaly. Then last night, people like Origi and Minamino, and the kids playing, and others having a mare.
If our first choice starting 11 gets easily beaten by better teams, then fair enough, we've got a problem, but I fully expect Virgil to return to normal with a balanced team. Not every week do you have everyone around you have a dodgy game, it's an utter fluke and normal service will be resumed with him shortly, watch this space.

 

[manwithnoname]

I know he wasn't great last night, but next to Gomez who couldn't get anything right, he looked like Baresi.
I'm not overly bothered with the form or him at the moment, I feel like the Atletico game was a bit of a fluke so to speak, one dodgy corner and then they shut up shop, it is what it is. The Watford game was just a massive fluke, they're shit, we're not, and had half a dozen players all go to shit in one game, and not because Watford are great, the greatest teams of all time lose one now and then, that was an utter anomaly. Then last night, people like Origi and Minamino, and the kids playing, and others having a mare.
If our first choice starting 11 gets easily beaten by better teams, then fair enough, we've got a problem, but I fully expect Virgil to return to normal with a balanced team. Not every week do you have everyone around you have a dodgy game, it's an utter fluke and normal service will be resumed with him shortly, watch this space.

OK, now I really am worried.

 

[RedStar]

Its been mentioned by Rurik after the Watford game, but again it was evident last night. The big man, the impenetrable rock of composure, he's just not been there the last three games, and for me he's a big part of this rut we're in.

Missing interceptions at the near post, very poor passes up field, and generally carrying a demeanor deflation and dare I say exhaustion. He's been an absolute mentality monster for us, but I think Virg is really feeling burnt out, and I think its having a big effect on the team.

This isn't a dig at him, he's only human, but how has this come about? Months, arguably years of extreme expectation to win, coupled by the fact after winning the champions league, and effectively having the title tied up, the need to win every game to achieve these goals is kinda washed up? Or is it that the only man in the squad with a mentality bigger than his is out injured and he's feeling the pressure?

Whatever it is, VVD is a titan, a leader of this squad, lets hope this blip is very short lived.

I think hes hurt, in the recent games Ive seen his been physically targetted off the ball by the opposing team, and I dont mean somebody grabbing his arm at a corner. The guy is getting butchered with no protection from the refs.

The game against Wolves is a prime example where Traore deliberately clattered into him after the ball had been played and he had no chance to defend himself. He was on the ground for about 60 seconds holding his ribs. Its becoming a pattern.

 

[Silver Sean]

No Hendo...

 

[manwithnoname]

I think hes hurt, in the recent games Ive seen his been physically targetted off the ball by the opposing team, and I dont mean somebody grabbing his arm at a corner. The guy is getting butchered with no protection from the refs.

The game against Wolves is a prime example where Traore deliberately clattered into him after the ball had been played and he had no chance to defend himself. He was on the ground for about 60 seconds holding his ribs. Its becoming a pattern.

Poor ickle 6 foot 4 inches tall brick shithouse Virgil

 

[mom]

WE’RE GONNA LOSE THE LEAGUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[LFC Stats]

I'm not real concerned for VVD or JG form at the moment, everyone has a blip or two its how they work through it that will tell that story over the next few weeks. More worrying is the midfield/attacking players that seem to have lost the pressing/closing down of opponents.

 

[LFC Stats]

WE’RE GONNA LOSE THE LEAGUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great support

 

[hmmmmm1]

Can’t even blame it on fatigue. They have just had 2 weeks off

 

[mwake]

I also dont think VVD is playing badly at all...whats happening is multi-issue.

1. We lack creative edge in the midfield - too predictable - those direct balls are being read well by the opposition
2. We are missing intelligent defensive screening and organization from Henderson
3. Overall intensity levels seem to have dropped a little - losing first and second balls more often than before
4. Other teams are exploiting the above three examples perfectly

So what can we do? Aside from waiting for the obvious and waiting for Henderson to return to the mid I also think Klopp needs to fix the creative issue in midfield because we put a lot of strain on our defence because of failed attacks which the opposition turns into dangerous counter-attacks.

Now hopefully Henderson can come back in and we can get back some semblance of game control but we lost against Atletico and struggled against Norwich and West-Ham even with Henderson! So for me I feel that one BIG glaring weakness of Klopp's setup/squad/system is a lack of creativity. I don't know if this Havertz kid can play in Klopps midfield but we definitely need to look around for a mid that can do a KDB style job, someone who can defend and attack. There's going to be some players leaving soon so we should have the resources to buy someone in that regard. Keita as much as I like him isn't reliable, his performances have become temperamental, you dont know whether you are getting good Keita, bad Keita or injured Keita. Don't get me wrong I still back Keita but if the likes of Lallana, Shaq are leaving then lets use those wages and to get someone good in.

 

[King Binny]

Now hopefully Henderson can come back in and we can get back some semblance of game control but we lost against Atletico and struggled against Norwich and West-Ham even with Henderson! So for me I feel that one BIG glaring weakness of Klopp's setup/squad/system is a lack of creativity. I don't know if this Havertz kid can play in Klopps midfield but we definitely need to look around for a mid that can do a KDB style job, someone who can defend and attack. There's going to be some players leaving soon so we should have the resources to buy someone in that regard. Keita as much as I like him isn't reliable, his performances have become temperamental, you dont know whether you are getting good Keita, bad Keita or injured Keita. Don't get me wrong I still back Keita but if the likes of Lallana, Shaq are leaving then lets use those wages and to get someone good in.

Speaking of Havertz, he's back on form. Had another assist today.


Latest 10 matches:

 

[Fabio]

Virj is definitely off kilter, but so is everyone

I'm more interested to find out the real issues that's gone on. Poor form and Fatigue across an entire squad is a bit... Much

 

[moron]

I also dont think VVD is playing badly at all...whats happening is multi-issue.

1. We lack creative edge in the midfield - too predictable - those direct balls are being read well by the opposition
2. We are missing intelligent defensive screening and organization from Henderson
3. Overall intensity levels seem to have dropped a little - losing first and second balls more often than before
4. Other teams are exploiting the above three examples perfectly

So what can we do? Aside from waiting for the obvious and waiting for Henderson to return to the mid I also think Klopp needs to fix the creative issue in midfield because we put a lot of strain on our defence because of failed attacks which the opposition turns into dangerous counter-attacks.

Now hopefully Henderson can come back in and we can get back some semblance of game control but we lost against Atletico and struggled against Norwich and West-Ham even with Henderson! So for me I feel that one BIG glaring weakness of Klopp's setup/squad/system is a lack of creativity. I don't know if this Havertz kid can play in Klopps midfield but we definitely need to look around for a mid that can do a KDB style job, someone who can defend and attack. There's going to be some players leaving soon so we should have the resources to buy someone in that regard. Keita as much as I like him isn't reliable, his performances have become temperamental, you dont know whether you are getting good Keita, bad Keita or injured Keita. Don't get me wrong I still back Keita but if the likes of Lallana, Shaq are leaving then lets use those wages and to get someone good in.

You are spot on in assuming that the midfield creative type we need can defend and attack (I don't actually think KDB is both types - he is more attacking), the problem is though most attackers are not tough defensively and are a bunch of pussies defensively. The hardest creative player I have ever seen is Zidane - he could tackle tough along with his exceptional creative/scoring abilities as a forward. Having said that I don't actually know if Klopp has any interest in such a player - maybe he worries about that one player becoming too critical to the team, or maybe it is a question of trust on defensive duties - I mean you could never rely on the likes of Coutinho to defend hard could you ?

Then there is another issue that NO-ONE (maybe @manwithnoname - thinks about it but keeps quiet) ever talks about - it is can we do better than Firminio by getting someone more creative with more direct running/dribbling ability in place of him ? that way Klopp gets to keep his formation but a stronger more powerful front man than Firminio to tire out opposition defenders. And before everyone shits on me for saying that - there is plenty of evidence to suggest that Firminio only became effective in our team once we had Salah and Mane operate as two fast outlets for him on either side. Before that we were all wondering if he was Brazils forward equivalent of our Midfielder Lucas.

 

[darkstarexodus]

Virj is definitely off kilter, but so is everyone

I'm more interested to find out the real issues that's gone on. Poor form and Fatigue across an entire squad is a bit... Much

Cycling off the drugs?

 

[Mystic]

Virj is definitely off kilter, but so is everyone

I'm more interested to find out the real issues that's gone on. Poor form and Fatigue across an entire squad is a bit... Much

Honestly I just think it's human nature, they went away on a holiday having basically wrapped up the league, they became complacent instead of motivated assuming the rest of the season would be on autopilot. Hopefully this is the nasty shock to the system that they need.

 

[manwithnoname]

Honestly I just think it's human nature, they went away on a holiday having basically wrapped up the league, they became complacent instead of motivated assuming the rest of the season would be on autopilot. Hopefully this is the nasty shock to the system that they need.

That may be part of it, given the huge lead we have in the league, but we're halfway out of Europe and sleepwalked our way out of the FA cup too.

And so many players look totally off form. There's complacency, and then there's playing like a cunt

 

[LFC Stats]

Virj is definitely off kilter, but so is everyone

I'm more interested to find out the real issues that's gone on. Poor form and Fatigue across an entire squad is a bit... Much

Winter break aside, could the training regime be to full on and intense since? has to be something for the dramatic change.