We are winning everything…

[Dreambeliever]

Just kidding!

With all the issues we are having in terms of leaking goals do we think it’s time for Joe Gomez to get a run back in the team?

We had one of our best runs when he partnered Virgil.

He’s rapid against which counteracts our high line.
He can cover TAA better than any other RCB.
He can carry the ball forward and pick a pass.

He’d need a few games to get his form back but is it time to give him that chance?

 

[Rosco]

Is Virgil the real problem ?

 

[Athens]

I think it's time we had Dreamy euthanised, he's clearly suffering and leaving messes of threads all over the forum.

 

[Dreambeliever]

Is Virgil the real problem ?

He’s certainly not at the level he was at but I don’t think so.

 

[Squiggles]

We're suffering now because VVD isn't currently at the level he was, and we've lost consistency and balance in the CM positions. We know all our CB's can play in a high-line well and have performed in this set up before. The logical thing to do is fix issues higher up the pitch, providing the CB's a better platform, and not leaving them so exposed to the counter. To achieve that we need consistent selection in the LCM spot. The position needs to be played more conservatively and be willing to track runners. In essence, to accurately asses our CB's ability to suppress a counter attack, we first need to morph someone into Gini Wijnaldum. That should provide better balance and help the defence out. Klopp needs to get that decision right first. Thiago would be my preference and pray he stays fit.

Do I think Gomez will come in a rectify our issues? No, not really. I think they're mostly similarly matched, but VVD isn't at the elite level he was currently, and may never be again. Another factor is our lack of aerial dominance at set pieces, which was exposed by West Ham. Does Gomez fix that either? Not really. Konate might.

 

[StevieM]

I think Gomez is dead.

 

[Frogfish]

We're suffering now because VVD isn't currently at the level he was, and we've lost consistency and balance in the CM positions.....

I was watching some assessments of the game / goals today. No-one seems to think VvD was at fault for any of the goals. Trent on the other hand...

 

[MomoWASright]

I was watching some assessments of the game / goals today. No-one seems to think VvD was at fault for any of the goals. Trent on the other hand...

I doubt we’d have conceded the first or second with prime van Dijk. The first wouldn’t happen had Virgil not conceded the corner. The second one you’d expect Virgil just to sweep up ball away from Bowen before he made the pass.

 

[binomial]

"Prime Van Dijk", Fuck me, so people already think he's finished?

Had a few bogus games this season but it's the same Van Dijk from last year, season before and when he first joined.

Mane was off it all last season, how come we never said "oh well Prime Mane wouldv'e buried that"

Prime Van Dijk do me a favour, get outta here with that shit.

 

[Frogfish]

I doubt we’d have conceded the first or second with prime van Dijk. The first wouldn’t happen had Virgil not conceded the corner. The second one you’d expect Virgil just to sweep up ball away from Bowen before he made the pass.

Sorry just have to disagree 100%. The first was a one on one and he blocked it! Excellent defending. The second he held him up, didn't jump in (Bowen had already gone past THREE of our players - one of them should have fouled or dispossessed him) but Matip & Trent were awful and at fault (as was Ali). Definitely wasn't on VvD.

 

[MomoWASright]

Sorry just have to disagree 100%. The first was a one on one and he blocked it! Excellent defending. The second he held him up, didn't jump in (Bowen had already gone past THREE of our players - one of them should have fouled or dispossessed him) but Matip & Trent were awful and at fault (as was Ali). Definitely wasn't on VvD.

Don’t you think he was slower than expected going across?

I fully agree someone should’ve taken him out on the half way line but once that happened you could expect van Dijk to take control of it. Then Matip decided to steady his run for a nonexistent offside. It was just a series of errors and I’m not saying it was just van Dijk a fault. It’s just a few years ago would he had done something to stop it?

 

[Dreambeliever]

We're suffering now because VVD isn't currently at the level he was, and we've lost consistency and balance in the CM positions. We know all our CB's can play in a high-line well and have performed in this set up before. The logical thing to do is fix issues higher up the pitch, providing the CB's a better platform, and not leaving them so exposed to the counter. To achieve that we need consistent selection in the LCM spot. The position needs to be played more conservatively and be willing to track runners. In essence, to accurately asses our CB's ability to suppress a counter attack, we first need to morph someone into Gini Wijnaldum. That should provide better balance and help the defence out. Klopp needs to get that decision right first. Thiago would be my preference and pray he stays fit.

Do I think Gomez will come in a rectify our issues? No, not really. I think they're mostly similarly matched, but VVD isn't at the elite level he was currently, and may never be again. Another factor is our lack of aerial dominance at set pieces, which was exposed by West Ham. Does Gomez fix that either? Not really. Konate might.

I would have thought our issues in terms of CM are more RCM covering TAA?
Yes we in the air Gomez isn’t a stand out but I think on the deck teams are finding it far too easy to play through us even at the back. I think a fully match fit Gomez helps massively in that department. I’d also drop Robertson.

 

[Brizzle]

There's a few threads that I am not 100% up to date on.. but I think what we need to try is moving back to a solid midfield trio and give up on the idea of playing an AM until we find the solidity. We've spent recent games watching two CMs try to emulate the attacking momentum Elliot gave us, but Hendo flying up the right and Ox drifting around in a #10 position leaves Fabinho exposed and with too many holes to fill.

We need to get back to 'the system' and have Fabs, Hendo, Thaigo, Milner, Jones or any combination of these five (noting Naby is dead until 2023) playing with discipline. Once we re-establish this stability we can think about giving Hendo or others a free role to attack.

For me, the defence isn't the problem, but the system is unbalanced.