We are doing a treble.
Post-match Chelsea (A)
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We would need to win every league game to have any chance of winning it. The way we manage games means that’s not going to happen.
Shows how far we've actually come as a team - and equally how tough this league has become - that there are so many groans about a 2-2 away at Chelsea.
Agreed. I don't think we'd be moaning if we weren't 11 points behind Man C, though.
The groans really stem from that game being our 4th 2-2 of the season and leading in every single one.
City will lose max 3 more games this season I'd imagine. To Chelsea, to us if we are lucky, and to a surprise resurgent United or a surprise relegation battling team ie Burnley
They might draw 3 more on top of that (unlikely). I can see them dropping 15 more points across the season. Assuming we win our game in hand on them we are 8 points behind. If we beat City away (a tough ask), there's enough swing for us to maybe drop points in 4 more matches in the rest of the season if the cards go our way.
Can't see that happening even with my most optimistic hat on
They might draw 3 more on top of that (unlikely). I can see them dropping 15 more points across the season. Assuming we win our game in hand on them we are 8 points behind. If we beat City away (a tough ask), there's enough swing for us to maybe drop points in 4 more matches in the rest of the season if the cards go our way.
Can't see that happening even with my most optimistic hat on
Even though I agree with ya …it makes me miserable as feck..so I’m choosing to live with some hope ..until I no longer can …I live in hope that city wobble badly and we win all games going forward….a massive task …
We've done a 17 game winning streak in 18-19 and an 18 game winning streak in 19-20.
We'd need something similar to win it this year. Very very unlikely given AFCON and Covid and the age of the squad.
Agree with that, I just wish we could have more confidence in our own ability to go on a long winning run, but I have seen no signs of it this season with all the draws and leaking defence from winning positions.
Only the ones who would moan are those stupid enough to put ourselves on the same pedastal as City, we are not at their level.
Best we can hope for is something similar to the 17/18 season where we reached the CL final and finished 4th (75 points) except maybe this time round getting 80-85 points.
3 pieces.
Providing we get a full dinnerware set, absolutely
We're not going going on a huge winning streak, unfortunately. The squad just isn't up to it. If anything I'm anticipating even more bumps in the road with COVID, AFCON and the injury proneness of key players. Second or third is where we're at. The longer-term problem is that Chelsea are matching us with a younger squad and one with further potential, whereas our powers looked to have peaked already, with some doubts appearing over Mane, Firmino, Henderson, and an acceptance that VVD may never return to the level he's at. We've been boosted this year by Matip staying fit and Salah goal-scoring, but the midfields inability to control games when Thiago isn't playing, which is all too much, has cost us any shot at the title.
If last year was defined by the issues at CB, the reasons for this year will be remembered by our failings at midfield; the £90M wasted investment of Keita and Chamberlain when James Milner is still seen as a better option than either in an important league defining fixture, the predictable injury proneness of Thiago and Keita, the decision let Wijnaldum walk without a replacement, the injury to Harvey Elliott, who made giant leaps forward as a midfielder and even benched the likes of Hendo and Thiago early doors, etc. If some of that had gone in our favour then we likely could have gone toe to toe with City this year - our defence, attack and keeper, despite a few niggling concerns was good enough to deliver another title. The majority of the failings have been in the middle of the park.
If last year was defined by the issues at CB, the reasons for this year will be remembered by our failings at midfield; the £90M wasted investment of Keita and Chamberlain when James Milner is still seen as a better option than either in an important league defining fixture, the predictable injury proneness of Thiago and Keita, the decision let Wijnaldum walk without a replacement, the injury to Harvey Elliott, who made giant leaps forward as a midfielder and even benched the likes of Hendo and Thiago early doors, etc. If some of that had gone in our favour then we likely could have gone toe to toe with City this year - our defence, attack and keeper, despite a few niggling concerns was good enough to deliver another title. The majority of the failings have been in the middle of the park.
Agreed, though if keep the trio of Fabinho, Thiago, Henderson fit and get Elliott back and thriving, I think we have a very good chance at the CL. Of course, a huge lot of luck involved in a knockout competition, but I'd fancy our chances.
Just two and a half years of Klopp left - I really hope we can add to the trophy cabinet in that time. This code has been too good to have just won 3 trophies.
That’s not happening
The midfield set we had start of the season were never likely to have been fit for a sustainable period.
I posted something with their injury records historically prior to season starting and that was only going to get worse with age, it was pure folly for us to expect us for to challenge city with what we had. Hence why there was no real bets on us to challenge them.
Also, the wasted money on Naby and Ox keeps getting raised but they were signed 4yrs ago. We should have invested further in midfield if we were serious about challenging city but I'm not convinced we truly are.
Top 4 is the target and will remain so.
I posted something with their injury records historically prior to season starting and that was only going to get worse with age, it was pure folly for us to expect us for to challenge city with what we had. Hence why there was no real bets on us to challenge them.
Also, the wasted money on Naby and Ox keeps getting raised but they were signed 4yrs ago. We should have invested further in midfield if we were serious about challenging city but I'm not convinced we truly are.
Top 4 is the target and will remain so.
Good point.
When we talk about a combined 11 of Liverpool and city there's no way the likes of Keita and Ox get in over their midfielders.
That's been the major problem of this team even in our record breaking title winning season, our midfield / team rode their luck at times. There were countless games where we looked clueless but somehow held on for a narrow win or scored a last minute winner.
This is the difference between us and City. City always feel confident that their midfield can contribute to the attacking side of things. Whereas we don't have thing in the regular to look forward to. The occasional Thiago brilliance, Keita/Ox worldie is what we expect. Compare that to City who have the luxury of Grealish on the bench.
I think Harvey Elliott was being fast tracked this season to be our version of that progressive attacking midfielder that we have been crying out for. Its a shame he got injured. I like Harvey and think he'll be great player but I'm also bit annoyed that FSG have let it get to this point that we have had to put so much on an 19 year old kid. I get it that we can't afford Grealish but surely there are other talents out there...
Even if we don't get the money to buy some replacement players, why do we not try to bring in anyone on loan to fill in the cracks in midfield? The injury crisis last season should have been proof enough to them that we don't have the squad depth to compete when times get tough.
I don't think you can go out and get loan players (that are any good) just to cover for Covid. And it's Covid that is the worry, not further injuries per se. We have nine midfielders without even considering, in an emergency, playing Minamino, Tsimikas, TAA, Neco, Bradley or dropping Firmino to AM (yes we need to refresh but that is another issue) that's enough under almost any circumstances - bar Covid.
We should have been beaten by halftime in the City match - 30 mins in, and every single one of us would have bitten your hand off for a draw.
We would have beaten Spurs but for one of the most inept, borderline corrupt officiating performance I've ever seen. AND Ali made a few worldies when we were only 0-1 down. And we were without VVD and Fabs, for goodness sake.
Brighton was an abortion of a match, yes.
And Chelsea away is always tough, especially without our starting keeper, Matip and Bobby. Dissapointing, yes, but hardly an earth-shattering surprise. Young Kelleher had another stormer in nets, or we wouldn't have gotten the point at all.
Of the 4 2-2 draws, though all are disappointing (because every draw ever could / should have been won) only one is truly ridiculous. The other three are in the 'Oh well, could have been worse' category for me.
Really? It's not how I remember it (I watched back highlights but they rarely tell the whole story). Yes Kelleher made a very good save from Pulisic, though right at him, and was beaten by Kovacic's worldie (as his team mate said - the best goal he'll ever score). Chelsea had some good possession but looked far from the most dangerous team - we seemed to threaten to score everytime we had the ball in that first half.
Mane missed a 1 on 1 by shooting straight at the keeper, Mo. had a shot saved by Mendy's thumb, when I was already out of my seat, the save throttling my scream in my throat. Mo had that 35m effort saved by a back-peddling Mendy. Those were the best three opportunities of the game (that weren't goals) aside from Pulisic's. There were others for us, I'm sure Mane had another good opportunity, but the specifics evade me at present. We weren't lucky to get a point we were unlucky not to get all three.
I didn't say that we were lucky, mate. I said that it could have been worse. Our first was the result of a howler, and Kelleher also had to save at the feet of Mount (I think), when TAA made a bollocks of that early clearance. Another ref might also have sent Mane off after 7 seconds... Yes, we had plenty of chances, but they had their moments too, and a draw there is never a terrible result. That's all that I'm saying.
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