Watford post-match

[MomoWASright]

I was under the impression if we win the league at full time in that game they have to give us the guard of honour?

I thought it was the start of the next game. I couldn’t find the answer in the 90 seconds of research I did.

Those cunts wouldn’t give us one.

[article]It is not compulsory for any club to provide a guard of honour if they face the newly crowned League champions but it is a ceremony agreed between the two clubs beforehand. Players may be reluctant, but they cannot be forced to do it by any footballing authorities.
[/article]

 

[Gerry_A_Trick]

It is the start of the next game, so unless City drop points, it won't be in that game.

 

[tomasjj]

Let's just keep talking about winning games and not this when we win it bollocks

 

[Donavan Ried]

So we lost because of Lallana and Ox? Nothing to do with terrible defending from Trent and Lovren, or an overpowered frontline, or just not turning up on the day and being in fairly obvious sluggish form? Just Lallana and Ox.

Hmmm.. ok.

Not what I have been saying... Taking nothing away from Watford, what I have been saying the whole of both this season and the last was that Both Lallana and the Ox offer so little in their play whether that be from starting or from the bench; and that in the Watford game that bring on Lallana was hardly going to recuse it for us. I knew; and I figure most here knew that Lallana would add little or none of what was needed. I believe Jones would have produce more of a challenge for Watford to deal with than Lallana or Origi for that matter...
I can't understand why we bought the Ox in the first place especially when Arsene Wenger was saying a few short months before that AOC had not progressed in his time at the club. I'll bet that they could not believe their luck when we came knocking for him and were willing to pay £40m. but not as astonishing as when after his injury we extended his contract
For so long I have been referring to Lallana as saying that he has “No End Product” to his game. Just watch him and see just how many times his final through ball ends up going nowhere near one of our players
What get me is some here will say that Origi, AOC, and Lallana scored some important goals for us but so have other players in the pass who we have gotten rid of who weren’t good enough, so on the basis that they have scored important goals do we keep them know there are better out there that we can buy...?

And Yes they weren't the main reason we lost, Nothing being created from midfield by either the Ox or Gini in the way of passes or penetrating runs, Lovren being more interested in proving he was "Bigger, Stronger & Tougher" than Deeney and could win every ball instead of just defending, Compounded by VVD just having a off day, but that can be forgiven as it is so rare, the front three have to create thier own chances, as they have been doing most of the season, and TAA poor deliveries, not his norm, but it has been the last four or five games, and why he does not let Robertson take a free kick or two.
Yes, there are many reasons we lost and as I have said, along with many here; It has been coming.

Hopefully this is a wakeup call for us and Klopp to delve into the transfer market with real gusto this summer

Rant over

 

[Donavan Ried]

One thing that hasn't been mentioned as much was the style of play, we constantly repeated the same tricks that Watford became wise to.

1. Defender/midfielder gets the ball
2. Defender/midfielder launches long ball towards front three
3. Front three either don't get anywhere near the ball or receive it but lose it under pressure.

The only styles of play that seemed to surprise Dortmund...I mean Watford were the sporadic driving runs from the middle from ox and Lallana.

If I could say we are missing one ingredient in this team it is a kdb type player, someone disciplined enough to do the pressing but also creative enough to run through the lines providing that measure of unpredictability.

You forget 4.both Robertson and TAA lining up to take the free kick only to have Robbo jump over the ball and TAA lunch it

 

[Donavan Ried]

Just had the same conversation with someone about Lovren, he just upsets everything being so erratic and impulsive.

I do think there's an element of mental fatigue creeping in though. We struggled after the break last year, looking lethargic and like we'd been found out. We haven't, we just lack that top gear and generally this season, despite results and position, games have been relatively tight more often than not. I think the big difference would be a playmaker. I love our midfielders, but we do lack that creative force at times and unpredictability, especially if Bobby is out of sorts.

Totally agree with this

 

[Donavan Ried]

It wasn't Lovrens fault 100%, every player can look at themselves and see that they weren't 100%. Even Klopp wasn't at his best, should have been quicker to change things up tactically, and I'm not just talking about the substitutions.

We got complacent thinking Klopp time would save us again and it didn't work this time, simple.

Now we out of the "Invincibles Trophy" 2020 hopefully we can use this as a reset stop worrying about trying to go unbeaten all season and get back to playing at our strengths.

Really believe that we needed this before the CL second league. Before everyone was saying that we always find away. Now we know that we have to really work to find that way

 

[dogboy]

You all do realise that Lovern will start on Tuesday.

 

[mwake]

You all do realise that Lovern will start on Tuesday.

Probably along side Matip or Van de Berg lord help us.

 

[mwake]

You forget 4.both Robertson and TAA lining up to take the free kick only to have Robbo jump over the ball and TAA lunch it

Even our patented tactic of robbo and Trent running down the wings ending with a low cross didn't work. Watford had been trained well to recognize our attacking triggers as soon as robbo and Trent did their thing Watfords defenders just made sure they soaked up all the crosses to the middle or stopped the crosses before they could be imagined.

That guy that came on for delafue who I thought was an attacker did a great defensive job on Trent.... It was just a bad day at the office but also a reminder that Klopp needs to have other focal points of attack. This Watford thing is a sign of things to come, teams will suss us out more often. Hopefully Edwards has identified a new creative midfielder suitable for our set-up.

 

[Fabio]

Our deep crosses were marked out the game

Our front 3 have been off form

Now is the moment we need creativity in the centre. Ox or keita needs to step up

 

[moron]

It's also the fact that through some twist of fate, we've faced so many sides who set up that way right after a break, which upsets our rhythm & momentum.

Not playing any side who is willing to open up & let us build any momentum at all in between these games has been a real disadvantage imo.

I don't think it is just a case of these sides setting up like that which is the cause, there were quite a few moments in that game where they came out to attack us in numbers, and in those moments we could have organised a counter-attack, which we don't or we try but the build up is so slow that nearly always these sides will be in position to defend in numbers and the chance is then lost or made near impossible. I think yesterday there were so few duals been taken on by any one of our players - it's always don't lose the ball - pass it backwards, never looking to take them on.

This loss is really annoying - it really hurts because all of our players were a major let-down, everyone has a bad day at the office, but does the entire team from back to front have to go to shit. I mean MOTHER - FUCKING WATFORD !!! - Fucks sake Fuck Off !!!

 

[Donavan Ried]

I think yesterday there were so few duals been taken on by any one of our players - it's always don't lose the ball - pass it backwards, never looking to take them on.

^^^^^
This

 

[Mamma Mia]

Anyone else find themselves remarkably unbothered by this loss?

 

[LeTallecWiz]

Anyone else find themselves remarkably unbothered by this loss?

basically, that's where i am ...
although it sucks that i have to explain to my kids that 'losing' is part of football now as they thought Liverpool only win this year

 

[Modo]

Yep, I'm basically just waiting for us to cross the finish line so I can retire.

 

[Hansern]

Anyone else find themselves remarkably unbothered by this loss?

Yep, just annoyed. But couldnt really care about one loss. Fuck the records, I just want that league title.

 

[Peatcheo]

Very interested in seeing @manwithnoname ratings for this. May help act as catharsis for that shit show.

 

[moron]

Very interested in seeing @manwithnoname ratings for this. May help act as catharsis for that shit show.

I think he is fucked.

 

[Irishanfield]

Still pissed off today over that shit show of an excuse of a display. Probably our worse preformance in years going back to owl face Hodgson's days
Can take losing but losing like that to a shit team like that is just unreal


Not a happy camper today

 

[Peatcheo]

I think he is fucked.

If anyone gets above a 5 I'll be astonished, and that is generous.

 

[Insignificance]

If anyone gets above a 5 I'll be astonished, and that is generous.

Anyones ratings for that game should be low. But that doesn't help us. And people looking forward to hammer a team and players that have given us so much joy should have their heads examined.

 

[Modo]

Has Matip ever been as bad as Lovren was against Watford? I mean like cost us games bad. Like you can point finger at him and say yep, Matip cost us the game.
Lovren has had several.

 

[Peatcheo]

Anyones ratings for that game should be low. But that doesn't help us. And people looking forward to hammer a team and players that have given us so much joy should have their heads examined.

I don't think people are looking forward to hammering the team, a loss is a loss and should be looked at.

We are still going to win the league, and who genuinely is that bothered over the unbeaten run? It would have been a nice cherry on top, nothing more.

 

[Mors]

I thought it was the start of the next game. I couldn’t find the answer in the 90 seconds of research I did.

Those cunts wouldn’t give us one.

[article]It is not compulsory for any club to provide a guard of honour if they face the newly crowned League champions but it is a ceremony agreed between the two clubs beforehand. Players may be reluctant, but they cannot be forced to do it by any footballing authorities.
[/article]

So they need to drop a game, we win it at palace, and then the fuckers need to do a guard of honour.
Like you said though, they're such mercenary bad losers that they'll refuse.

 

[Insignificance]

Has Matip ever been as bad as Lovren was against Watford? I mean like cost us games bad. Like you can point finger at him and say yep, Matip cost us the game.
Lovren has had several.

Well he definately didn't cost us this game so lurking over him after this defeat is weird.

 

[manwithnoname]

WAT THE FUCK WAS THAT??!!!! I was going to do some ratings, but this will be more like HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTIIIINNNGGS! Amirite?

Jesus Christ that was verrrry awful. Of course the run had to end some time, and everyone could see the signs since January, with several flat, uninspired and lethargic performances, which can't all be down to missing Henderson. Indeed, almost everyone was worried after the scrappy West Ham performance, and sure enough against Watford we served up that atrocity.
It's easy to blame it all on Lovren - because he's shit - but nobody can be very proud of themselves, as Watford outplayed and outfought us, led by the electric Sarr and Deeney's gleeful destruction of Lovren. We had no answers or inspiration from midfield and the attacking trio were dreadful. Worrying times.

Alisson (6) Was much busier than he would have wanted, having to clear his own lines several times as he was left alone to deal with breaking runners, and made a couple of good saves to keep the score down.

TAA (3) Couldn't deliver any magic in attack spraying the ball about willy-nilly. Fell asleep several times and gave the ball away cheaply. Culpable for the third goal and overall not a great evening at all. In fact, he was rubbish.

Lovren (3) I don't think anyone was happy to see the lumbering Croat back in the team - apart from Watford - and he was duly given a rinsing by the the hulking Sloth-like Deeney, and thus kept a distracted Lovren from doing his job properly. We had the usual panicky clearances and mistimed leaps to totally miss the ball, stupid fouls and cretinous positioning. Welcome back Lovren, you useless cunt!

Van Dijk (4) Oh how he loves playing with Lovren! Although it's hard to blame Lovren when Van Dijk played like he had overdosed on Xanax; he was a somnambulist in a red shirt for two goals, and was made to look mortal by the jet-heeled Sarr as he ambled around looking half-dazed.

Robertson (5) Struggled to get his range right with his passing, but he was better than the rest of the defence, which is a bit like saying Myra Hindley was maybe a bit nicer than Ian Brady, but whatever. Had a shot on target, which is more than anyone else managed. He was mediocre, and therefore arguably Man Of The Match. Hurray!

Fabinho (3) Thinking about it, C-3PO would have been a more athletic, aggressive and influential selection in midfield. He was so fucking slow and dozy in almost everything he did; he made a couple of interceptions, almost by accident, but every time he got the ball it was like he'd had a lobotomy. Fucking dreadful and if we had any other options he shouldn't be anywhere near the team. In fact, I'd drop him for fucking R2-D2, never mind C-3PO.

Wijnaldum (3) Is anybody there? There seems to be a .....presence, but so very faint.....Can you hear us, oh spirits? Knock twice or give us some kind of sign!...........Nah, there's nobody there, fuck it.

Chamberlain (5) The only player who didn't appear to be heavily sedated in the first half, at least he seemed able to run and go past players, even if he did fuck all with the ball afterwards. Came out in the second half apparently, but I only noticed him when he went off again. A mediocre triumph then.

Salah (3) Not sure he actually touched the ball more than twice. Oh wait, yeah he did, because he kept fucking passing it to Watford players. Didn't have a shot on target all afternoon. A totally miserable display, but he wasn't really given that much to work with.

Mane (4) Couple of half-arsed attempts at trying to beat his man, gave up entirely after the break as he realised nothing was going to work, and then saw fucking Origi come on, so what is even the point? Almost as shit as Salah, but passed to Watford less often.

Firmino (n/a) I'm not even sure how to score this. I mean, what is the role of a striker? Scoring? Assisting? Clever passes into his fellow attacking team-mates? Making space for them? Did none of that, but he ran about a bit and as usual didn't score. That's two league goals so far this year, and a truly pathetic 8 in total. Did fuck all.

Subs: I dunno, some bellends came on, who fucking cares?

 

[hmmmmm1]

We can rotate the midfield because we the players. We cant do this with the front 3. We so need more (quality) to put pressure on players.

 

[Insignificance]

We can rotate the midfield because we the players. We cant do this with the front 3. We so need more (quality) to put pressure on players.

I don't get that. Our front three is regarded as one of the best fron three trios in the world. Salah and Mane is top 10 players in the world. These three players play because there ain't much higher quality out there. Our midfield is not exactly seen as the best midfield in the world, and people can't believe that a midfield of Milner-Hendo-Wijnaldum has just played back to back CL finals. We rotate the midfield cuase they aren't the best in the world, there has been injuries and we normally don't rotate them too much anyway.

It is nothing about pressure. We rely on that front three to win us games and normally they do that. When Barca had Neymar-Suarez-Messi upfront they played thme cause it increased the chances of winning games. One day off for them didn't mean that they looked to offload them or need to press them more?

 

[manwithnoname]

We can rotate the midfield because we the players. We cant do this with the front 3. We so need more (quality) to put pressure on players.

We have a lot of midfield players, but it's a bit depressing (and a worry) that it's an area of the team that has been very heavily invested in, but we still struggle to cope without Henderson, miss Milner badly, and are still unconvinced about Keita and Chamberlain.

And Fabinho's been utter wank since he came back into the side too.

But obviously, we do need more attacking options, Christ alive we do.