Post Match PSG and we are out. Post match thread.

[Accedalyday]

Also if nothing else this exits strengthens the claim that the EPL is too competitive and has too many games for the top teams to win the CL consistently.

Ultimately it was a knackered Liverpool playing a very fresh PSG over two legs.

Sorry, that isn't the issue.
The issue is we have 3 midfielders who just haven't had enough rotation - Endo should have played more this year, even Jones.
We've also had a frustrating downturn in form with Salah/Jota/Diaz, while Gakpo got inured AND Darwin just never got going this season.
Despite that, we created enough to win yesterday and it just wasn't our day.
We aren't Real who seemingly get the breaks every single year etc.

 

[Modo]

Sorry, that isn't the issue.
The issue is we have 3 midfielders who just haven't had enough rotation - Endo should have played more this year, even Jones.
We've also had a frustrating downturn in form with Salah/Jota/Diaz, while Gakpo got inured AND Darwin just never got going this season.
Despite that, we created enough to win yesterday and it just wasn't our day.
We aren't Real who seemingly get the breaks every single year etc.

I have another theory, maybe defenders in the Prem are shit?

 

[Brizzle]

Kinda similar to last year our small squad has started to show signs of running out of gas when the CL knockouts and cups come around.

Luckily we have more points than we had this point last season in the league and second place has 10 less.

The league cup would be a ‘nice to have’ but in 2,3,5 years time no one will look back on this season and wish the title also had the Carabao with it.

In my lifetime I’ve seen us win one title and two CLs. Can’t let myself be too disappointed that we don’t do the league & CL double when we are in such a commanding position.

We can also look at our crap and drab first half against Saints resulting in the players going in knackered too. Did we need Ibu and Virg for saints? Probably not.

Anyway. Onwards!

 

[Hansern]

As said yesterday. Its nigh on impossible to do a CL and PL double. The fixture list is to grueling and exhausting.
You have to be Man City with oil money to achieve that these days.

 

[Modo]

As said yesterday. Its nigh on impossible to do a CL and PL double. The fixture list is to grueling and exhausting.
You have to be Man City with oil money to achieve that these days.

Don't teams who usually win it, do the double? With us and Chelsea being the outliers?

 

[Hansern]

Don't teams who usually win it, do the double? With us and Chelsea being the outliers?

Nope, the other way around. Teams that win the league usually dont win the CL.

 

[MomoWASright]

As said yesterday. Its nigh on impossible to do a CL and PL double. The fixture list is to grueling and exhausting.
You have to be Man City with oil money to achieve that these days.

Or actually rotate out the best two players this season when possible instead of playing and playing and playing them.

 

[Brizzle]

Nope, the other way around. Teams that win the league usually dont win the CL.

I think he means if you look at the CL winners, did they also win their own league?

But i think both can be true as the PL and English schedule is more gruelling than most other leagues.

 

[Modo]

Mistakes were made in January. We needed an injection in midfield and attack.
Also it's Slot's first season in the Prem. Hope he and his staff now realise that they need a bigger rotation of players.

 

[Hansern]

Or actually rotate out the best two players this season when possible instead of playing and playing and playing them.

Its easy to say after we have won or drawn said league games. But we wouldnt be 15 points ahead with loads of rotation.

 

[Hansern]

I think he means if you look at the CL winners, did they also win their own league?

But i think both can be true as the PL and English schedule is more gruelling than most other leagues.

In general I think CL winners win their league but not the English teams. Just look at the past PL and CL winners. Not many teams are capable of doing that. Even we couldnt do that when we were the best team in the World.
City managed it and imploded shortly after, even with oil money.

 

[Fabio]

I have another theory, maybe defenders in the Prem are shit?

It's a bit of both

PSG are a quality side that would easily be top 3 in the PL.

 

[Brizzle]

I agree btw. We had a squad that couldn’t handle competing on multiple fronts last season and it’s no bigger this season.

It’s disappointing but let’s just look at the league table and enjoy the countdown to #20.

With so many mid weeks off now we have an amazing chance to break 90 points on that journey too.

 

[Hansern]

PSG are by far the best team we've faced this season imho. Pace everywhere and creative hard working midfielders.
Lack a top goalscorer but Dembele is having the season of his life.

Kvara was an amazing signing for them, and the young players have stepped up. Have a great chance of winning the CL this season.

 

[Hansern]

I agree btw. We had a squad that couldn’t handle competing on multiple fronts last season and it’s no bigger this season.

It’s disappointing but let’s just look at the league table and enjoy the countdown to #20.

With so many mid weeks off now we have an amazing chance to break 90 points on that journey too.

Arsenal will be even more fucked in the league with their CL run, and it will abruptly stop against Madrid.

 

[Fabio]

PSG are by far the best team we've faced this season imho. Pace everywhere and creative hard working midfielders.
Lack a top goalscorer but Dembele is having the season of his life.

Kvara was an amazing signing for them, and the young players have stepped up. Have a great chance of winning the CL this season.

I'm hoping slot looks at this, sees our countless broken down counters, and goes "fuck, we need pace"

 

[MomoWASright]

Its easy to say after we have won or drawn said league games. But we wouldnt be 15 points ahead with loads of rotation.

It’s not about loads of rotation. It’s about praising Endo then never using him. I’ve said, along with @Brizzle and countless others, that we could’ve rested Gravenberch through reducing minutes and not games. There’s many games where he didn’t need to be on for 90 when we have Endo to close out the games.

Chiesa will never get fit without games and the same applies. Where is the benefit in playing Salah for 90 game after game? Take him off after 75 when you can. Do that 6 times and it’s one game less in his legs.

Just be bloody smart about it.

 

[Brizzle]

It’s not about loads of rotation. It’s about praising Endo then never using him. I’ve said, along with @Brizzle and countless others, that we could’ve rested Gravenberch through reducing minutes and not games. There’s many games where he didn’t need to be on for 90 when we have Endo to close out the games.

Chiesa will never get fit without games and the same applies. Where is the benefit in playing Salah for 90 game after game? Take him off after 75 when you can. Do that 6 times and it’s one game less in his legs.

Just be bloody smart about it.

Also see what happened when we subbed Salah in Paris.

 

[Modo]

View: https://x.com/GFFN/status/1899602946523844792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1899602946523844792%7Ctwgr%5E9cdfe6482bed2b5d45007571b71399d473329536%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fsport%2Ffootball%2Farticle-14488499%2FVirgil-van-Dijk-PSG-Nasser-Al-Khelaifi-Luis-Campos-Liverpool-Champions-League.html

 

[Mamma Mia]

Kinda similar to last year our small squad has started to show signs of running out of gas when the CL knockouts and cups come around.

Luckily we have more points than we had this point last season in the league and second place has 10 less.

The league cup would be a ‘nice to have’ but in 2,3,5 years time no one will look back on this season and wish the title also had the Carabao with it.

In my lifetime I’ve seen us win one title and two CLs. Can’t let myself be too disappointed that we don’t do the league & CL double when we are in such a commanding position.

We can also look at our crap and drab first half against Saints resulting in the players going in knackered too. Did we need Ibu and Virg for saints? Probably not.

Anyway. Onwards!

Agree with most of that, except the bit about the Saints game. Before that match, I thought if we were to lose 2 of the next 4 matches, I'd have chosen PSG and Newcastle.

 

[Hansern]

It’s not about loads of rotation. It’s about praising Endo then never using him. I’ve said, along with @Brizzle and countless others, that we could’ve rested Gravenberch through reducing minutes and not games. There’s many games where he didn’t need to be on for 90 when we have Endo to close out the games.

Chiesa will never get fit without games and the same applies. Where is the benefit in playing Salah for 90 game after game? Take him off after 75 when you can. Do that 6 times and it’s one game less in his legs.

Just be bloody smart about it.

Again, I think that’s easier to call in hindsight. Salah always plays 90 mins and is the fittest player in the World I reckon. He doesn’t need to be subbed after 75 mins, bar if he’s having a bad game. Which he hasn’t had many of this season.

For Gravy I agree but I think that’s more dependent on game by game and how Slot wants his midfield set up.
Endo definetly deserved more minutes though.

Chiesa is a non entity. Just a name and a kit number at this stage.

All in all we can’t complain to much about this season. Next season we’ll be improved and have adjusted the squad more to Slot.

 

[Hansern]

View: https://x.com/GFFN/status/1899602946523844792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1899602946523844792%7Ctwgr%5E9cdfe6482bed2b5d45007571b71399d473329536%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fsport%2Ffootball%2Farticle-14488499%2FVirgil-van-Dijk-PSG-Nasser-Al-Khelaifi-Luis-Campos-Liverpool-Champions-League.html

Saw that yesterday. I don’t think it’s anything else but a friendly chat. They were arguing in Paris a week ago.

 

[Frogfish]

I have another theory, maybe defenders in the Prem are shit?

Well clearly not because PSG are one of the top scorers in Europe and the only goal they scored in 200 mins was a defensive jumble (3 vs 1) that shouldn't have happened. Everything else was shots from distance borne of frustration.

 

[Frogfish]

I think he means if you look at the CL winners, did they also win their own league?

But i think both can be true as the PL and English schedule is more gruelling than most other leagues.

Exactly. Look at PSG able to rotate and rest their whole team before yesterday! RM, Barca and Bayern similar most weekends. PL clubs are at a disadvantage most weekends.

 

[Hansern]

Exactly. Look at PSG able to rotate and rest their whole team before yesterday! RM, Barca and Bayern similar most weekends. PL clubs are at a disadvantage most weekends.

Add in the the Carabao cup, FA cup and internationals (albeit the same for everyone), and its insane.

Its a possible trophy to win but you almost have to rotate in every game in the Carabao and FA cup and hope its enough to get you far in the tournaments at this stage.

 

[Modo]

Well clearly not because PSG are one of the top scorers in Europe and the only goal they scored was a defensive jumble (3 vs 1) that shouldn't have happened. Everything else was shots from distance borne of frustration.

No I meant why our attackers looked shit and Salah looked 47 years old.

 

[Fabio]

Well clearly not because PSG are one of the top scorers in Europe and the only goal they scored in 200 mins was a defensive jumble (3 vs 1) that shouldn't have happened. Everything else was shots from distance borne of frustration.

That argument doesn't refute his point though? Just shows that the best team in England has the best defence?

Salah goes against a proper full back and is marked out the games.

 

[Fabio]

No I meant why our attackers looked shit and Salah looked 47 years old.

I don't think the prem defences are massively shit (definitely a bit shit), it's just we have absolutely zero fucking pace up top. Salahs has mostly gone Diaz does but needs to do 6 stepovers and turn back twice so he may as well be Klavan paced, and Nunez is offside so pace is irrelevant. Jota isn't quick and gakpo seems reluctant to beat a man for pace.

Salah gets away with it in England as he has the aura against 95% of sides and they just back off. He just played against a team that doesn't give a shit who he is

 

[Frogfish]

That argument doesn't refute his point though? Just shows that the best team in England has the best defence?

Salah goes against a proper full back and is marked out the games.

Well again that doesn't hold water since PL teams make a lot of Euro finals. I do believe it comes down to fatigue from the PL and cups ... and I don't think you can use Mo. as a benchmark any more (and Mendes had a full week's rest), he still scores and assists with some beautiful passing but lacks that burning pace he once had so its trickery or nothing and most wingers using trickery fail more often than not vs. FBs (even Trent unless you're name is Doku).

 

[Frogfish]

Sorry, that isn't the issue.
The issue is we have 3 midfielders who just haven't had enough rotation - Endo should have played more this year, even Jones.
We've also had a frustrating downturn in form with Salah/Jota/Diaz, while Gakpo got inured AND Darwin just never got going this season.
Despite that, we created enough to win yesterday and it just wasn't our day.
We aren't Real who seemingly get the breaks every single year etc.

Hmm the fatigue was eviden throughout the team - it wasn't just the midfield.