We need to talk about Buvac

[JohnnyRocket]

Surprised there isn't more conversation or worry about this.

It's still slightly disturbing to me that the man Klopp called 'The brain' is suddenly no longer there, and hasn't really been replaced. To my knowledge of how top football clubs train, the assistant manager is usually more hands on than the manager himself when it comes to training methods and running training. This is also the man Klopp has had with him all through his career. Is it not a little worrying how influential he might have been?

Then I look at us on the pitch this season. And it's not quite the same is it? We haven't really shown much of that brutal attacking play we're capable of. Our attack and fluidity going forward just isn't quite there.

I'm not suggesting we're about to fall to pieces. But . . . . is there anything to worry about? How important was Buvac really?

 

[Gary25]

I just think the top 3 lads are playing like dickheads to be honest.

 

[Mystic]

6 wins and a draw in the league and we're in crisis.

 

[Holle]

Lijnders is his replacement, isn't he?

 

[Rosco]

6 wins and a draw in the league and we're in crisis.

Well it's hardly a crisis but we're not brushing teams aside like we did last year.

Some of that is down to players not being in the same form, some of it is down to players no being available. Some of it comes to our tactical set up.

Everyone has had the summer to consider how to stop us and Napoli showed exactly how to do it last night. We need to make adjustments to our game plan when that happens, it's perfectly reasonable to question whether Buvac could have had an influence on that.

 

[Jack D Rips]

Maybe our setup is more of a balance between defending and attacking this season than is was previously

 

[Molbystwin]

Surprised there isn't more conversation or worry about this.

It's still slightly disturbing to me that the man Klopp called 'The brain' is suddenly no longer there, and hasn't really been replaced. To my knowledge of how top football clubs train, the assistant manager is usually more hands on than the manager himself when it comes to training methods and running training. This is also the man Klopp has had with him all through his career. Is it not a little worrying how influential he might have been?

Then I look at us on the pitch this season. And it's not quite the same is it? We haven't really shown much of that brutal attacking play we're capable of. Our attack and fluidity going forward just isn't quite there.

I'm not suggesting we're about to fall to pieces. But . . . . is there anything to worry about? How important was Buvac really?

We need to stop going out of our way to fucking worry...

Instead, we should just remember to enjoy it when we play well and get behind the team.

I would start a thread but...

 

[Frogfish]

Why? He's gone and we did just fine without him. Move on.

 

[gkmacca]

Lijnders is his replacement, isn't he?

Exactly. And I don't recall people buzzing abut Buvac when we surrendering two and three goal leads last season. Not the great tactical genius there, was he?

 

[Insignificance]

Exactly. And I don't recall people buzzing abut Buvac when we surrendering two and three goal leads last season. Not the great tactical genius there, was he?

We did that?

 

[Fabio]

Well it's hardly a crisis but we're not brushing teams aside like we did last year.

Some of that is down to players not being in the same form, some of it is down to players no being available. Some of it comes to our tactical set up.

Everyone has had the summer to consider how to stop us and Napoli showed exactly how to do it last night. We need to make adjustments to our game plan when that happens, it's perfectly reasonable to question whether Buvac could have had an influence on that.

I think as well we weren't exactly brushing teams aside at the start of past year either. Our defensive improvement kinda masked that the strikers started last season like that.

Give it a bit of time and I'm still sure it'll click. And if it doesn't, studge and shaq are waiting in the wings

 

[RedStar]

I dont think anybody is saying this is a crisis but performances do seem to be dropping off as the season goes on rather than improving as you would expect. Whether thats down to fixture pile up and a reliance on the same core of players or simply that we dont look nearly as good against decent sides I dont know.

Worst case scenario is by Monday morning we are 3 points off top spot having played Spurs Chelsea and City in a month. Most people would have taken that at the start of the season

 

[gkmacca]

We did that?

Yes, we did. Google it.

 

[Insignificance]

Yes, we did. Google it.

Ah. I got Sevilla on google. That was last season.

 

[gkmacca]

Ah. I got Sevilla on google. That was last season.

Yes. That's why I said 'last season'.

 

[My_Blood_Bleeds_Red]

It's just a matter of time a Klopp thread will surface. Nothing like the knee-jerk reaction on 6CM that we all aren't already used to.

 

[Insignificance]

Yes. That's why I said 'last season'.

Yeah. And I repeated it to confirm that you were right. Complements to you hombre.

 

[6TimesaRed]

Hodgson has a better record in Europe against Napoli than Klopp..

Sometimes things just don't go for you..
Last night we had a game plan.. Play for a draw without getting out of second gear..
Napoli are a top top side.. 91 points last season, and didn't win the league..

People forget we got beat by Roma 4-2 in Italy with practically the same line up, not so long ago..

Italian league is on the rise...

We where playing like it was a training match and We nearly pulled the result required off... Clearly Sunday is the bigger game here, that was certainly in the back of the players mind..

I'm not the slightest bit worried.. We will be fine

 

[Hansern]

Our best ever start in the Premier league and beating PSG at home in the CL.

The only thing we need to talk about Buvac is that Lijnders has replaced him sucessfully so far.

 

[Insignificance]

Hodgson has a better record in Europe against Napoli than Klopp..

Sometimes things just don't go for you..
Last night we had a game plan.. Play for a draw without getting out of second gear..
Napoli are a top top side.. 91 points last season, and didn't win the league..

People forget we got beat by Roma 4-2 in Italy with practically the same line up, not so long ago..

Italian league is on the rise...

We where playing like it was a training match and We nearly pulled the result required off... Clearly Sunday is the bigger game here, that was certainly in the back of the players mind..

I'm not the slightest bit worried.. We will be fine

Not forget about Hodgsons pride history with success in Sweden, Denmark and Switzerland.... Klopp just can't match any of that....

 

[LeTallecWiz]

Well it's hardly a crisis but we're not brushing teams aside like we did last year.

We also weren't keeping clean sheets in most of our games either though.

At least we know when they do click - they better do it soon - it will be even more devastating.

 

[gkmacca]

It's not right at the moment. I think that's clear enough. It just seems too soon to judge what are the relevant and irrelevant factors contributing to that. World Cup fatigue for some, maybe, Salah's shoulder injury anxieties and Egypt FA problems, who knows, the slight shift in our pattern of play, probably, the possible confusion about our midfield given Keita's unexpected problems settling in and Fabinho's expected problems, and one or two strange dips in form, etc etc. I don't personally think Lijnders is anything other than a long-term positive - he's got fresh, imaginative and good ideas, which could reinvigorate Klopp's thinking far more than the familiar input of Buvac - but even he might be confusing things a little in the short term as we look to push on. I'll give it another month before moving to any conclusion.

 

[Judge Jules]

Is Lijnders actually Buvac's replacement? The former's arrival as the latter went struck me more as an accident of timing than as anything else. Aren't their respective strengths (roughly speaking Lijnders = individual coaching, Buvac = in-game tactics), hence presumably their management functions, rather different?

 

[gkmacca]

Is Lijnders actually Buvac's replacement? The former's arrival as the latter went struck me more as an accident of timing than as anything else. Aren't their respective strengths (roughly speaking Lijnders = individual coaching, Buvac = in-game tactics), hence presumably their management functions, rather different?

It's a bit vague. It certainly wasn't a straight swap, but Klopp was hugely impressed with Lijnders before he left, and so when Buvac left he was really keen on getting Pep back in. It's true as you say that Lijnders was distinctive for his bespoke coaching work, but now I think he's much more focused on tactical planning.

 

[tombrown]

It was this time last season that Modo went on his Klopp Out tirade. That wasn't just because Modo is a mad mad eejit (as undeniable as that is) but also as all was not perfect with our performances.
People are looking at this through the rose tinted lens of the second half of last season. We are way better off than we were for Modo-rant, and we still have all that performance improvement to come.

Also, it's October

 

[Molbystwin]

It was this time last season that Modo went on his Klopp Out tirade. That wasn't just because Modo is a mad mad eejit (as undeniable as that is) but also as all was not perfect with our performances.
People are looking at this through the rose tinted lens of the second half of last season. We are way better off than we were for Modo-rant, and we still have all that performance improvement to come.

Also, it's October

Also the fact that we have dropped just two points in the league and they were away at Chelsea... yeah.... I’ve certainly been more concerned watching the Pool....

Some posters need to just relax and enjoy it a bit more...

We were shit last night but...

I still reckon we are very very nifty...

 

[tomasjj]

We got the balance wrong last night, and Klopp failed to act on it.
That's about it.

 

[Mystic]

It was this time last season that Modo went on his Klopp Out tirade. That wasn't just because Modo is a mad mad eejit (as undeniable as that is) but also as all was not perfect with our performances.
People are looking at this through the rose tinted lens of the second half of last season. We are way better off than we were for Modo-rant, and we still have all that performance improvement to come.

Also, it's October

Whilst I do agree, the obvious counter point is that at this point last season we didn't have Van Dijk, and he was a big part of our massive improvement in the second half of the season, an improvement we should still be seeing now.

One could argue however, that our points total compared to last season, regardless of the appearance of form, is firm proof of that improvement.

 

[manwithnoname]

I don't really know enough about Buvac's input to have an opinion on what possible deleterious effect his departure has had on our performances.

I think it's easier to look at the under-par displays from Salah (especially compared to last year), and also the fact that he was a new signing that immediately made the team so much more dangerous and effective, but our midfield and attacking signings this summer have done fuck all (not to mention we didn't get another important addition: Fekir).

So we've got the same team, but some of the players in it are performing worse.

On the plus side, the defence is miles better, because Gomez, Virgil and Allison have all been very impressive.

 

[Woland]

The only problem is that the front three aren't clicking like they did last season, and that's pretty much down to Salah's form. It's a big problem, but that's it. Wednesday aside we have been creating loads of chances, just not as clinical, final ball not as good as last season, etc. It's tiny little over-hit things, and Salah's sudden inability to find the net. It will click again at some point, and we're top of the league FFS.

I'd drop Salah, except as it's City it would inspire them, and that's the last thing we need. Maybe he'll get some buzz out of playing them again and it turns his form round. He took the piss out of them a few times last season. Might be like getting into an old comfy jumper for him. Hope so. Either way, we're not missing Buvac.

The defence is ace, the midfield is about the same.