Vs Leeds (H) 19:45 Sat

[Squiggles]

It's on the players more than anybody. We were 2 games off a quadruple last season. Now they're losing to Forest and Leeds and comfortably behind Fulham in the league table. People can berate Klopp and the owners, but such a drop off in performance levels is inexcusable. The fact is Klopp has been forced to change systems because the players were not putting the effort in to make the 433 work. Nobody declines that much over one summer.

 

[StevieM]

Believe it or not, I actually enjoyed the game. Performance-wise it was a big improvement on the soul-crushing way we played at Forest; there were some decent individual performances – I thought VVD did exceptionally well in several key individual battles under severe pressure as the last defender, Thiago was starting to play more like himself, Trent's passing was good, Salah almost conjured what would have been one of the best goals of his career... We were far from great, obviously, but players were actually trying stuff and being inventive, not going through the motions within a stale system. It was watchable.

But this is where the cruel logic of football comes in; just when you think you're so close to turning it around, you get the crushing blow – and to be fair, Leeds did deserve their goal and their win. This game was not lost tonight because of our players' poor decisions or even Meslier's heroics; us putting ourselves in a position of hoping to edge Leeds in a wild and even end-to-end game at Anfield was a result of a whole string of decisions and circumstances, injuries etc – everything we talked about to death here. All of this seems to have crystallized in one moment of ball somehow finding perfect connection with Summerville's foot 8 yards from goal between 3 of our players – it was as logical as a Mike Tyson knockout blow. In retrospect you realize that the main mistake wasn't made in that particular moment; it's every move you made before that led you to it.

Let's get off the canvas, lick our wounds and go again. Days like these is when YNWA actually means something.

Don’t you go all sensible like!!!

Sack Klopp!!!! Sell EVERYONE!!!! FEEL THE RAGE!!!!

 

[StevieM]

@Jürgen4PM - is this what it’s like being a Prepare4AHumping FC fan?

 

[Fabio]

I admire the passion Elliot has but let's be honest he isn't the level of a Foden or Mason Mount or Maddison or Bellingham how on earth is he a regular starter for Liverpool FC is just sad.

Problem is foden and mount are playing in their actual position. The fuck is Elliott playing? He's not a cm and get that's his position on the pitch.

 

[mom]

I admire the passion Elliot has but let's be honest he isn't the level of a Foden or Mason Mount or Maddison or Bellingham how on earth is he a regular starter for Liverpool FC is just sad.

He’s a kid and we’re skint so we can’t buy better. Better than he is now, but he will get better in time.

 

[Dahuge]

Elliot is technically decent but he can’t be a starting midfielder and isn’t good enough for the team in an attacking sense. Without wanting to bash him he’s actually one of the biggest problems we have in the team. You remove him and you fix a lot of the problems.

 

[mom]

Elliot is technically decent but he can’t be a starting midfielder and isn’t good enough for the team in an attacking sense. Without wanting to bash him he’s actually one of the biggest problems we have in the team. You remove him and you fix a lot of the problems.

I kinda get that and eluded to it recently. What he doesn’t give at the moment is end product. Which, for the kind of player he is, is crucial. Without that, what else does he offer? He will come good given time, but I think if Klopp had all his strikers fit and a decent midfield, he’d only get the odd game at the moment.

 

[peekay]

It's Leeds. It shouldn't matter!

Win 6-0

Good team, should win this easy

We didn't stand a chance after this. Given the form, we are in

 

[darkstarexodus]

We started poor and were dire in second half stoppage time, but in between we did plenty to win the match. Could easily have been 4-0 to us if we didn't give them a goal and could actually find the net ourselves.

Very disappointing result but I clearly saw the match very differently from the forum.

We lost momentum with the subs, which has been fairly common this season and lays solely with Klopp. Otherwise this wasn't that bad at all. Trent was tracking back. Mo looked hungry. Thiago did Thiago stuff. Looked a lot better than most of our other performances to date.

 

[rurikbird]

I'm going to say something almost heretical here, but... it doesn't seem to matter who starts the match thread.

 

[mwake]

He’s a kid and we’re skint so we can’t buy better. Better than he is now, but he will get better in time.

Reading this comment you wouldn't think this was a team that historically the season before played every game possible and won the two trophies.

Mistakes are made but it's looking like the decision to persist with this ageing, exhausted, injury prone midfield was a bad decision. The signs were there despite last season's endeavours. Ox and Keita play more on the treatment table than on the pitch. Even fit ones Fabinho, Thiago and Henderson are prone to prolonged periods on the sidelines.

We got to invest this winter transfer window in a midfielder. Why waste a generational great like Klopp by being tight?

 

[moron]

Believe it or not, I actually enjoyed the game. Performance-wise it was a big improvement on the soul-crushing way we played at Forest; there were some decent individual performances – I thought VVD did exceptionally well in several key individual battles under severe pressure as the last defender, Thiago was starting to play more like himself, Trent's passing was good, Salah almost conjured what would have been one of the best goals of his career... We were far from great, obviously, but players were actually trying stuff and being inventive, not going through the motions within a stale system. It was watchable.

But this is where the cruel logic of football comes in; just when you think you're so close to turning it around, you get the crushing blow – and to be fair, Leeds did deserve their goal and their win. This game was not lost tonight because of our players' poor decisions or even Meslier's heroics; us putting ourselves in a position of hoping to edge Leeds in a wild and even end-to-end game at Anfield was a result of a whole string of decisions and circumstances, injuries etc – everything we talked about to death here. All of this seems to have crystallized in one moment of ball somehow finding perfect connection with Summerville's foot 8 yards from goal between 3 of our players – it was as logical as a Mike Tyson knockout blow. In retrospect you realize that the main mistake wasn't made in that particular moment; it's every move you made before that led you to it.

Let's get off the canvas, lick our wounds and prepare to fight another day. Days like these is when YNWA actually means something.

Most of that is true, but I am really shocked by that result, like there was no part of me that thought we were going to lose that game against a bottom side at Anfield. Really was not expecting that result. I thought we did not hold onto the ball well enough in that game, and they were always beating us to the 2nd balls, I thought Harvey had a bad game today, and despite what people say - I thought Jones ability to hold onto that ball pinged them back, but his decision making was bad at times. I am tired of watching this team now, I really thought Darwin was holding on well but was well less wild mainly because the balls to him and Salah were not getting to them on time where they could do something for much of that game. Its games like these that we really miss the likes of Diaz and Jotta who actually have bundles of energy.

 

[moron]

We didn't stand a chance after this. Given the form, we are in

@peekay - there was no Jinx, it was written, it was written because that goal keeper had a great night.

But it was one of those games where none of us should expect our team to lose, if we had lost to Brighton - it would have been understandable, but losing to Leeds was not a thought that entered my mind despite our current form, they have been losing consistently.

I think the issue we are also facing is that we are losing to teams at the wrong point of their losing streak....for example:
1) Man United - when we lost to them, they were at home had an ultimate fuck up game against Brentford from which they had to do something.
2) Forest - again a team consistently losing, manager under pressure, they had to change their approach to do something against us.
3) Leeds - again a team consistently losing but in some cases undeservedly, but losing still but they needed to turn it around and change to get anything out of their game.

Dare I say it - if we had met any of the above sides after they had won a game, then it may have been possible for us to win those games.

 

[SummerOnions]

I'm going to say something almost heretical here, but... it doesn't seem to matter who starts the match thread.

Wrong. We're just all shite. Sack us all

 

[SummerOnions]

Every keeper has their best game against us, it's no coincidence.

Nuñez should have scored twice. Certainly if he passed once at the right moment it was 2-1

Virgil looks amazingly vulnerable. We should drop him, but for who?

 

[darkstarexodus]

I'm going to say something almost heretical here, but... it doesn't seem to matter who starts the match thread.

Woah. Thanks for giving me some cover for going against the grain. Not sure I'd go this far.

 

[rurikbird]

Every keeper has their best game against us, it's no coincidence.

Nuñez should have scored twice. Certainly if he passed once at the right moment it was 2-1

Virgil looks amazingly vulnerable. We should drop him, but for who?

Couldn't disagree more. We left Virgil exposed like in no other game this season – it was wild end-to-end stuff for most of the 98 minutes and he was invariably the last man without much support, against an aggressive pressing team that outran us by 7 km (!). Put an ordinary CB in that position and every poor touch or decision will result in a goal – Virgil dealt with everything almost perfectly. Not sure if he had a chance to make a tackle for the 2nd goal, I think it was just too quick.

For me this was Virgil's best game of the season by a distance, which is ironic since he has lost his home unbeaten streak there.

 

[Whaddapie]

Last week, we should have scored 5 or 6, but didn't and lost. This week, we should have scored 3 or 4, but didn't and lost.

It's absolutely fucking brutal, but I don't know what JK could do differently... He's putting out teams that should be winning, but can't score. Who could he choose that would have banged in a couple, both last week and this?

There was a 5-10 minute spell leading up to the 60th minute today that sums up our current problems perfectly... To start, Harvey had somebody (can't remember who) running in behind the back four, but chose to carry the ball, not play him in, and fucked it up. Then, Mo got the ball wide right, and, predictable as the sunrise, he carried it across the top of the box and shot from distance, whilst actually heading away from goal, and put it in the Skerries Road. Stevie Wonder could tell he was gonna do that the second he got on the ball. Then, Curtis had Bobby clean through with a pass that I could have completed, but either didn't see it or ignored it, and decided to carry it into two defenders instead.

Shortly thereafter, when Mo finally did pass, Nunez couldn't finish that wonderful chance. Which signaled the last time Mo was gonna pass in this match, as he later proved with that whatever-the-fuck-that-was with Nunez and Bobby unmarked at the back post.

And, for me, herein lies the problem... Our attacking players all too often make the wrong decision, when they don't, our forwards often wouldn't score in a fucking brothel, and our superstar is terminally greedy. If we had taken just half of our really quality chances today (and last week) we'd have won both matches, comfortably. I'm not sure how you can blame JK for VVD's incredible misses last week, or for Darwin's inability to lob a goalie who's 15 yards off his line from there...

This is not an 'everything is actually ok, we're just unlucky' post. Everything is shite, and far too many players don't look like they actually give a shite anymore - It is time for a cleanout and a rebuild, I'm afraid. I just don't think JK is as much to blame as many of you seem to...

 

[moron]

Last week, we should have scored 5 or 6, but didn't and lost. This week, we should have scored 3 or 4, but didn't and lost.

It's absolutely fucking brutal, but I don't know what JK could do differently... He's putting out teams that should be winning, but can't score. Who could he choose that would have banged in a couple, both last week and this?

There was a 5-10 minute spell leading up to the 60th minute today that sums up our current problems perfectly... To start, Harvey had somebody (can't remember who) running in behind the back four, but chose to carry the ball, not play him in, and fucked it up. Then, Mo got the ball wide right, and, predictable as the sunrise, he carried it across the top of the box and shot from distance, whilst actually heading away from goal, and put it in the Skerries Road. Stevie Wonder could tell he was gonna do that the second he got on the ball. Then, Curtis had Bobby clean through with a pass that I could have completed, but either didn't see it or ignored it, and decided to carry it into two defenders instead.

Shortly thereafter, when Mo finally did pass, Nunez couldn't finish that wonderful chance. Which signaled the last time Mo was gonna pass in this match, as he later proved with that whatever-the-fuck-that-was with Nunez and Bobby unmarked at the back post.

And, for me, herein lies the problem... Our attacking players all too often make the wrong decision, when they don't, our forwards often wouldn't score in a fucking brothel, and our superstar is terminally greedy. If we had taken just half of our really quality chances today (and last week) we'd have won both matches, comfortably. I'm not sure how you can blame JK for VVD's incredible misses last week, or for Darwin's inability to lob a goalie who's 15 yards off his line from there...

This is not an 'everything is actually ok, we're just unlucky' post. Everything is shite, and far too many players don't look like they actually give a shite anymore - It is time for a cleanout and a rebuild, I'm afraid. I just don't think JK is as much to blame as many of you seem to...

True - and the thing is Klopp has had these periods in his managerial career. The only way to overcome this is to create those chances where the goal keeper has no fucking hope and neither do the defenders to save what's coming at them. The team that creates such chances best is of course Man City...why ? - because they have fucking ballers in midfield - we have one in Thiago, the other two are hit and miss. Fuck knows what we do, no one will remember the missed chances, they will only see the loss and call it bad form.

 

[My_Blood_Bleeds_Red]

Beat the champs one match.

Lose to the bottom two the next.

We’re reverting back to true from aren’t we ?

Soon we’ll be talking about ‘turning corners’. Remember those horrific days ?

 

[moron]

Beat the champs one match.

Lose to the bottom two the next.

We’re reverting back to true from aren’t we ?

Soon we’ll be talking about ‘turning corners’. Remember those horrific days ?

No that's not how it went:

1) Beat The Champs
2) Beat West Ham

Then we lost to the bottom two teams .

That is inconsistent form - representing our inconsistent transfer policy where some think we have signed youngsters thinking they will be good enough for the first team - but youngsters bring inconsistency. So yes we are true to form.

 

[StevieM]

No that's not how it went:

1) Beat The Champs
2) Beat West Ham

Then we lost to the bottom two teams .

That is inconsistent form - representing our inconsistent transfer policy where some think we have signed youngsters thinking they will be good enough for the first team - but youngsters bring inconsistency. So yes we are true to form.

We only had one “youngster” start against Leeds and the “youngster” that came on, replaced him.

Our inconsistency has nothing to do with “youngsters”.

 

[Frogfish]

I'm going to say something almost heretical here, but... it doesn't seem to matter who starts the match thread.

*sigh*

 

[Frogfish]

Every keeper has their best game against us, it's no coincidence.

Nuñez should have scored twice. Certainly if he passed once at the right moment it was 2-1

Virgil looks amazingly vulnerable. We should drop him, but for who?

That's bollocks mate. Nobody came down his side (despite Robbo frequently running past one man just to lose it, and enable them to break, to the next) and he was there covering in the centre, nobody ran past him (as if they could). Yet again the goals came from our Right side which isn't his responsibility except as last ditch.

 

[My_Blood_Bleeds_Red]

That is the ONLY positive from today

Nonsense.

The other positive is many are still fully behind Klopp to turn things around.

 

[SummerOnions]

I see a couple people saying Virg was good.

My point is that he's clearly mortal right now. The first goal he's not aware of his man at all. It wasn't his bad pass but his awareness and reading of the game this season is simply several percent lower.

Second goal the same, he could have attacked the ball when it came into the box but he let the guy win it, and even then didn't close him down.

An imperious best in the world version of him two years ago and neither of those are goals we concede. Not because it's his fault, but because he would have just prevented it anyway.

The drop off from the high level across the pitch means we have less cover from mistakes. Klopp simply has to go back to basics and make us tighter

 

[Holle]

Last week, we should have scored 5 or 6, but didn't and lost. This week, we should have scored 3 or 4, but didn't and lost.

It's absolutely fucking brutal, but I don't know what JK could do differently... He's putting out teams that should be winning, but can't score. Who could he choose that would have banged in a couple, both last week and this?

There was a 5-10 minute spell leading up to the 60th minute today that sums up our current problems perfectly... To start, Harvey had somebody (can't remember who) running in behind the back four, but chose to carry the ball, not play him in, and fucked it up. Then, Mo got the ball wide right, and, predictable as the sunrise, he carried it across the top of the box and shot from distance, whilst actually heading away from goal, and put it in the Skerries Road. Stevie Wonder could tell he was gonna do that the second he got on the ball. Then, Curtis had Bobby clean through with a pass that I could have completed, but either didn't see it or ignored it, and decided to carry it into two defenders instead.

Shortly thereafter, when Mo finally did pass, Nunez couldn't finish that wonderful chance. Which signaled the last time Mo was gonna pass in this match, as he later proved with that whatever-the-fuck-that-was with Nunez and Bobby unmarked at the back post.

And, for me, herein lies the problem... Our attacking players all too often make the wrong decision, when they don't, our forwards often wouldn't score in a fucking brothel, and our superstar is terminally greedy. If we had taken just half of our really quality chances today (and last week) we'd have won both matches, comfortably. I'm not sure how you can blame JK for VVD's incredible misses last week, or for Darwin's inability to lob a goalie who's 15 yards off his line from there...

This is not an 'everything is actually ok, we're just unlucky' post. Everything is shite, and far too many players don't look like they actually give a shite anymore - It is time for a cleanout and a rebuild, I'm afraid. I just don't think JK is as much to blame as many of you seem to...

But if you don't score you don't necessarily lose.

For me it's very much down to our atrocious defence. Gomez is just pure shite and shouldn't be near any Premier League team. If it wasn't for Klopp's blind faith he would be lucky to play in the Championship. And since Trent thinks he's the best thing since sliced bread (see his comments regarding Walker for example) he's gone to utter shite as well. And Virgil is in his decline.

So there lies the biggest problem for me. Our defence is a laughing stock and our rebuild has to start from there.

 

[My_Blood_Bleeds_Red]

Yes, every great team is built from the back.

I never rated Joe Go much as he has these comical moments of lapses in concentration, plus he's moody and i think it's a confidence issue. See, i emphatise with people like that as long as he's a trier and never gives up. But when your big bro Virg whom you've grown to depend on covering your arse, is also struggling for form, and then you find yourself at times having to bail your mate Trent on the right side as well, it can certainly overwhelm you and cause all sorts of anxieties, and Joe Go sometimes play like he gets hit with those fight/flight/freeze moments frequently except he chooses to freeze most times.

 

[RedStar]

Gomez is a conundrum of a player. Anybody who watched the City game would objectively come away with the idea that he's a world class defender, because he was. If he was playing for an opposing team and played like that against us we'd probably try and sign him.

Then he followed it up with a horror show against West Ham and his brittle confidence disintegrated. He was dreadful again today, against an attack that really struggles for goals. I've been one of the people who backed him to recover his best form and remind everyone how good he can be. At 25 he should be hitting his prime right now.

Maybe the injuries have taken too much out of him, maybe he's struggling in a team that looks way off the pace,maybe he was never as good as Virgil made him look. I genuinely don't know, but he's become totally unreliable and in a central defender that's really not forgivable. He needs a spell out of the game because his decision making has gone to shit.

 

[tomasjj]

The mental aspects of the game are very important, but often don't get too much attention.
And now with all the stats-mania, even less so.

Take Gomez - concentration is a massive issue, and it seems it will always be. I do remember how good him and Virgil were three seasons or so ago when we hardly shipped goals.

With Nunez, decision making is left wanting, as is composure. Hopefully those can be improved.