Pre Match Pre Match - Lille (CL) - Tues 20:00

[Frogfish]

C'mon man, this sort of post has to stop, "utterly shite"? A few bad decisions,a few misplaced passes over what, 94 mins and still a goal. You and others on here need stop agonising and nit picking over ever single shot or pass or tackle or whatever. Enjoy the game and where we are.

Oh I enjoy where we are - I don't enjoy utterly shite player performances (3 on the bounce) that have me throwing stuff at the TV and waking my wife up with expletives echoing around the house because a player over-hits it not once, not twice but every bloody time!
He wasted so many attacking situations, where we had great positions, with his poor passing, being dispossessed or over hit crosses (pretty much every commentator said the same thing). If he does that I'll call him out, he doesn't get a free ride, I'm not a Salah-apologist or a Mo-hater. And when he does well I'll praise him.

 

[Frogfish]

Salah was excellent. That way he shielded the ball for one of his chances was just forward play of sublime quality. And that goal was excellently finished. And he had other chances but he won't ever score them all. I can't fathom how he could be described as absolutely shite.

Oh dear mate. You as well?

He was awful bar the two breakaway chances (one ending in a poor miss). You can say 'but he scored'. Well the counter to that would be 'what may have happened if he hadn't wasted every one of those other attacking chances' (I counted at least 11).

Great goal as I said but I'll quote the BBC here :

with the 32-year-old attacker seeing multiple passes go astray as well as wasting a number of decent chances in the final third.

 

[Frogfish]

Salah got MOTM by the way.

Ha ha.

Score a goal .. get MotM. He was being lambasted before that !

 

[Frogfish]

He was heavily involved throughout and scored the goal of the game, had another wonderful moment but ya even I was a little surprised.

Can't find his full stats yet but the second half was more in the same vein so more or less double this (bar the goal of course).

----

Salah might be the hero once again on Merseyside for the Reds having put Liverpool ahead at the break, yet the numbers from the winger’s performance in the opening 45 minutes show that the forward did indeed struggle against Lille.

Mohamed Salah’s first-half stats vs Lille
Goals scored	1
Chances created	0
xG	1.23
Accurate passes	7/12 (58%)
Shot accuracy	2/4 (50%)

Salah’s passing has been way below par compared to what Liverpool fans are used to from the former Chelsea man, with the 32-year-old yet to create a chance against the French side despite seeing plenty of the ball for Liverpool.

 

[Frogfish]

Telegraph:

Peerless Virgil van Dijk must be front-runner for the Ballon d’Or.

 

[Athens]

Chiesa had only one thing one his mind when he got the ball.

His ugly wife?

 

[rubans]

Summary of Salah in this game, same as his Jan performances so far with him being unable to find other players and a bit wasteful. But this time, scoring a brilliant opening goal. Season so far, well it ain’t been bad has it. It’s pointless to keep picking out things not working and when bigger context on what’s been achieved so far.
Weird we are not doing that with other players though, it seems Salah needs a perfect game every game. Maybe he should just take a leaf out of Jota’s book and sit at home being available 20% of the season.

 

[Brizzle]

If it’s just Jones out, then we have seen that we can be fine with Szobo and Elliot in that AM role. I just hope it’s not too long. Happy for Elliot if it means he gets a chance to step up.

 

[Dreambeliever]

Score a goal .. get MotM. He was being lambasted before that !

Scoring goals is the hardest and most important thing to do in a game and Salah is hardly a tsp in merchant.

 

[Fabio]

I didnt think Salah was all that tbh. Standard few opportunities where a lay off would have been better (and I think earlier in the season Salah would have laid them off), and a couple of wasted opportunities.

He wasnt terrible, but he by no means was the best performer yesterday.

In fact a lot of the side seemed to be in 2nd gear that game and thankfully it was enough.

 

[Fabio]

If it’s just Jones out, then we have seen that we can be fine with Szobo and Elliot in that AM role. I just hope it’s not too long. Happy for Elliot if it means he gets a chance to step up.

Sad for Jones, elated for Elliott. I don't know what's changed for slot be he's actually using him now. Even post Brentford slot was quick to praise Elliott when the focus was on Nunez.

Not complaining in the slightest mind

 

[Brizzle]

I think the quality of Elliot & Chiesa will be exactly what we need to get us over the line this season.

I really hope we get to see more of Chiesa. Last night Slot was happy with him on the left. I wonder if Jota out means he’ll use Diaz more centrally again and Chiesa on the left as a back up to Gakpo

 

[Fabio]

I think the quality of Elliot & Chiesa will be exactly what we need to get us over the line this season.

I really hope we get to see more of Chiesa. Last night Slot was happy with him on the left. I wonder if Jota out means he’ll use Diaz more centrally again and Chiesa on the left as a back up to Gakpo

I clicked "like" on this half way through; then saw the Diaz at 9 part and quickly unliked.

I would rather put chiesa at the 9 and see what he can do than persist with Diaz. It doesn't work for him, it doesn't work for us.

I'm sick of square pegs in round holes.

Our options ATM should be:

LW: Diaz, Gakpo, chiesa
Rw: Salah, chiesa, Elliott
9: Nunez, chiesa, Danns

He'll play Diaz at the 9 again, possibly against Ipswich. And it might work, as they're not the best. I just don't get it, and feel it restricts our movement and leaves gaps, as Diaz doesn't know how to play the 9. False or otherwise.