Pre match - Arsenal - Sunday 4.30pm

[Hansern]

a) Klopp's job is safe, unless we get relegated - which won't happen. I look forward to him fixing the team next year, because he'll be as hungry as he was early on and the team will have a giant chip on their shoulder (unless we somehow turn this around - and I cannot see that happening)
b) Despite the above, I'm still frustrated with Klopp ... I feel he needs to compromise some of our attacking player to ensure our defense is far more protected.
c) Salah ... Another game, another point about him. Will he ever be Salah again? Or is this due to how we've set up?
d) FSG ... Another game, another point about them. I hope for another turnaround as we did with the VvD injury year - and finishing top 4. It won't be easy though ... Man City are better than us. Arsenal are easily going to finish top 4 (happy to eat humble pie if wrong). Chelsea are investing and are ... better than us. That means we have to catch Spurs - a team that Conte will ensure can win most games 1/2-0 ... I hope we can do it, but Newcastle will invest more in the winter and Man U will get better too - so it won't be easy. We were at our peak, and they didn't invest properly. We had a great season, and CLEARLY needed midfielders and they didn't invest. Our owners way is the 'right way' imo, but in a competition against teams that will happily break rules due to the cowardice of FIFA/PL, we have to be more aggressive ...

We can catch both Chelsea and Spurs. The latter has had more luck this season then any team in the league and should be level with us on points based on performances. Chelsea are in transition but Potter is an excellent manager and they've signed 150 new players. They'll be the toughest to catch.

 

[Hansern]

Btw, doesnt look like anything will happen with the Gabriel/Henderson incident. All the talk for for nothing.

 

[Frogfish]

Dermot Gallagher saying Arsenal's wasn't a penalty and our shout was. Two huge decisions went against us, the mood, & rhetoric, from both media and fans, would be a lot lot different if they'd gone our other way, as Gallagher suggests they should have.

I'd suggest one simple to implement addition to the use of VAR, with the referee having the option to watch a replay on the monitor, rather than just relying on the VAR team, if he himself is undecided. At the moment the VAR referee must feel it should be overturned to suggest a review, as opposed to there being an element of doubt.

INCIDENT: Granit Xhaka crosses the ball into the Liverpool box and Gabriel Jesus competes for the ball with Thiago Alcantara. The Arsenal striker goes down under Thiago's challenge and Michael Oliver immediately awards the penalty. VAR does not intervene to either look or overturn the decision.

DERMOT'S VERDICT: Incorrect decision.

DERMOT SAYS: I think it raises two issues. Firstly, it's not in line with what has changed this season. The League has raised the threshold and there's more physical contact. Without doubt, Thiago doesn't get the ball and makes contact with Jesus. But is it enough to give a penalty? I think not.
The next problem is when it's thrown to the VAR, Michael Oliver will say to the VAR: he doesn't get the ball, he made contact with the player which he has. So there's no evidence that he has made an incorrect decision, the VAR has to stay out. It will always default to the referee's decision.

------

INCIDENT: Diogo Jota crosses into the Arsenal box and the ball strikes Gabriel's arm. Oliver and the linesman on the side choose not to give a penalty and VAR agrees after looking at it.

DERMOT'S VERDICT: Incorrect decision.

DERMOT SAYS: All I can think is that the referee and VAR felt it was too close a proximity. What we've seen this season is if the arm is out - in this case at shoulder height - then it's been penalised. When I saw it and saw the VAR being used, I expected it to be overturned.
They felt it was too close, that's why it wasn't given. I anticipated the VAR would recommend a review. All I can think is the VAR felt it was too close so wouldn't recommend it. If he doesn't do that then the referee can't look at the screen.

 

[Red rose]

Btw, doesnt look like anything will happen with the Gabriel/Henderson incident. All the talk for for nothing.

Have you heard nothing will happen? Have the FA made some kinda decision ?

 

[LeTallecWiz]

We can catch both Chelsea and Spurs. The latter has had more luck this season then any team in the league and should be level with us on points based on performances. Chelsea are in transition but Potter is an excellent manager and they've signed 150 new players. They'll be the toughest to catch.

Until we stop giving up 3 goals per game, we should be focusing on staying away from the relegation zone... baby steps

 

[Hansern]

Have you heard nothing will happen? Have the FA made some kinda decision ?

It was reported in the Mirror or in the Daily Mail I think. Comments from the players, Arteta and that the two players had a meeting with the ref after the game appaz. It seemed like nothing.

 

[RedStar]

Yeah it seems Arteta wants it to go away. Which either means that Gabriel is as likely to be banned as Hendo or its something to do with Partey and Arsenal reeeeeeally don't want that in the papers.

 

[dantes]

Henderson will cough up a £100k fine at least. You're saying Gabriel is guilty of something too? Well that's almost half a mil for the FA. But yeah nah, Arteta has spoken, so I'm sure the FA will let it slide now, these statements they've requested from the players and the lip reader they're brining in are just for show, the prospect of all that sweet money and all the back pats if they signal their virtue to everyone before Qatar won't matter once Arteta has spoken. All hail Arteta.

 

[dee]

Arent we playing tomorrow night?

Pre-Match thread starters all shot?

 

[tombrown]

Arent we playing tomorrow night?

Pre-Match thread starters all shot?

Bluebellend started one. You probably have him on ignore

 

[moron]

This season is battering my head man. I genuinely think we're gonna finish about 9th.

Very optimistic, wish I could show the same level of faith.

 

[Donavan Ried]

And, as usual, you’re entirely wrong.

We don’t need to bring in a RB because we already did in the last window - we also have another young one out performing well on loan and an even younger one coming through.

Gomez isn’t a right back, he’s a CB who can fill in temporarily if required.

I’ll tell you what is truly fucked up though - 8 games into a new season, writing off and wanting to replace the RB that has consistently been the best player in the world in that position over several seasons.

Suggesting replacing him with someone who’s inept performances in an even more disfunctional defence have got him dustbinned is not a solution - It’s not even stupid…. It’s what should been know as “a Donavan” - everyone will know what it means.

Congrats you’re now up there with “Quiffing” and going “full Dreamie” with “doing a Donavan”.

No in this instance I am right.

What we need is a quality RB who can step in and do the job now, not one out on loan who we are hoping to become good for the future, or one that may or may not be good somewhere down the road.

Have you read some of what was posted about TAA the last 8 games by contributors here...? pointing out the constant mistakes in his play..? How many times he was caught out of position, how most times he makes no real effort to get back to help his defence out..?

I knew that when he score that freekick vs Rangers that nearly everyone here would forget about those errors...

And by the way..."And, as usual, you’re entirely wrong.".... I've got my opinion. Which is neither right nor wrong.... You seem to believe that your"opinion" has more validity and that by that measure that your "opinion" is somehow right.... No, it is merely your opinion.

Maybe we should name and one who believes that their opinions carries more weight than another person. Or we should say that they are doing " StevieM,"

 

[tombrown]

Need to borrow a spade?

 

[dee]

Bluebellend started one. You probably have him on ignore

I do - so how do I see the thread without having to un-ignore the div?

Used tapatalk on my iPad - just have to ignore the quotes

 

[StevieM]

Need to borrow a spade?

Can the spade be used to whack someone round the back of the head?