LIVERPOOL have scored more than one goal in a league game once since that game at the Etihad which has proved to be the falsest of dawns. That one occasion was a home game against West Brom, a match which required a 95th-minute deflected equaliser.
Fact is, we’ve become so easy to play against, we almost give you an instruction manual. Defend with numbers and we’ll look devoid of ideas. Put a decent ball in the box and you’ll get your reward.
There will be lots of talk about character, desire, experience and fight. There should be more about quality. We just don’t have enough good players. I mean real top quality. Two managers have tried this season and got similar results. Maybe that says something about where this squad is at.
Simon Mignolet 6.5
You have to laugh at the one he “left” on to the post. There weren’t many others. Nothing he can do about either goal, and a good save from Carroll. A couple of other decent ones, too. Not a day for fingers to point in his direction.
Nathaniel Clyne 5
Targeted aerially by bigger men. What can we do about that? Answers on a postcard to Melwood.
Alberto Moreno 6
Unlucky to get hooked, really, as he looked a brighter player. Certainly saw plenty of the ball, with some good movement in behind.
Dejan Lovren 6
Didn’t seem much he could do, as the strikers largely bypassed his space. Gets a bit caught out at the end jumping in, but you understand why he is trying to take risks.
Mamadou Sakho 5.5
A very strange leave first half. Apart from that it was all pretty similar to Lovren.
Lucas Leiva 5
Very slow to start, and he is one of those culpable for how much time they had to cross the first. Might be one who needs to play regularly now. Grew into it eventually. By then it was too late.
Emre Can 6
Frustrates me with his desire for the whole game to move at the pace he wants it to. But showed more than most trying to get us back into it.
Jordon Ibe 5
Fairly lively but no end product. A bit unlucky with one just past the post early on. How different it could have been. Very worrying the degree to which he drifted out of the game, when others were at least trying to get us back into it.
Roberto Firmino 4
Don’t get it. Doesn’t even look like he’s kicking the ball properly.
Philippe Coutinho 5
Something needs to be done about this shooting. I know he hates his team mates, but still just pass to them and let them look rubbish instead of you.
Christian Benteke 4.5
A couple of moments of decent hold-up play, but as a number nine he was non-existent. Didn’t win a header all day. Although James Collins turns into fucking Bobby Moore every time he plays against us.
SUBS
Adam Lallana 5
That lovely elaborate Peter Beagrie-esque turn into a player he has just taken on summed up his Liverpool career perfectly. That right foot pass to them under no pressure was no fun, either. Closest he’s come to an assist for ages.
Brad Smith 5
Presumably came on for his delivery, but was let down by his touch. Not a fair one to judge him on. Anyone heard him talk by the way? Thought he was meant to be Australian?!
Joe Allen 5
Head it in the goal, mate!!!
West Ham simply smashed through us for the game’s two most decisive moments. We spent the rest of our time knocking ever so politely on the door of their defence asking if there was any chance they might let us kick it at their goal. Abject yet again.
Jurgen Klopp is a winner in charge of a bunch of apologetic, mild-mannered players. His interview at the end was telling. You could tell he was incredibly angry. ‘This is not a day to be disappointed, this is a day to be angry.’ On a day of minimal optimism, thank goodness that man is our manager.
There is very little quality in this team.
Take away desire and fight and we become the softest touch in the league.
Firmino sums up this malaise. He doesn’t want to know and is anonymous game after game.
What’s really worrying is that we consistently do not turn up against the more physical, direct teams.
1 point from Newcastle,Palace,Watford ,WBA and now West Ham.
Stoke must be licking their lips as they are combining effort with some skill now.
JK has to rectify this NOW – there has to be new signings this month.
fully agreed…
Pierre’s comment is succinct and 100% right. Fight and desire is the only thing that generates a win with this squad. When the team doesn’t come out with a Will > Skill attitude, the team gets stomped.
2 Weeks ago, the whole Character conversation post-Watford? Isn’t this another demonstration?
THIS.
100% agreed, by and large, this is a lightweight bunch of mediocre journeymen.
How many of these current guys would make the 2008/9 team? Goalie, back four? Errm…
Midfield – Henderson, Coutinho (the ’14 vintage ‘cos the last few months he’s been just AWFUL) maybe. Upfront? Sturridge, when fit. But then again he’d have to displace Fernando T.
That’s where we are, folks. Meek, average, occasionally and too often, PATHETIC.
Thank goodness Klopp has the honesty and fight we need. Without him the whole scenario would be utterely hopeless. But he’s here, and he’s going to fix it.
lol
We’re projected to score 42 league goals for the season, let that sink in
21 league goals after 20 games, that’s frightening
If our best attacking player is Coutinho then we have problems, he is too inconsistent and is more of a luxury player
I dunno what Jurgen will do but first thing in the summer is he needs to build an attack that can score at least 70 goals. I dunno if many players of his current batch are good enough to help achieve that
Another concern of mine is that so many of these players are so used to defeat now that you wonder how much it can really hurt. Might be an overly-simplistic assertion though.
I’ve not been more frustrated watching a Liverpool player than I am by Firmino (probably not entirely true, but I’m fuming right now). I just don’t get him. The perfect analogy was from a show a little while back where someone said he looks like he thinks the ball has more air in it than it does. His passes just don’t work, and he seems to be “playing his own game” as the saying goes….
Not as much as Coutinho is though…
we really need strong characters all over the pitch. Souness would not have accepted this performance. Thompson would not have taken this lightly. Looks like this bunch of players hit don’t care anymore…
Heartless, headless, ballless and soft turkeys in red shirt…(ok…white shirt today)..
Roma in the Olympic Stadium, Brentford at. Griffin Park. It was still war for Champagne Charlie. We are devoid of leaders. Go and buy one
He’s like a second-rate Luis Garcia at the moment. Let’s hope he improves.
it would be an insult to King Louis, even if it’s ‘2nd rate’…:)
He is at the moment playing like our “new Zedane” …
Opinion i know but I want a keeper who is out to both the crosses. Maybe not as far as to challenge (although that would be nice) but at least to narrow the space for the attacker. Need to do better at stopping crosses in the first place.
spot on. I rewatched the highlight…and our soft keeper should have come out for the first goal at least…(2nd goal was a bit deeper, so he had some.excuse)..
Bruce G would have come.out for both of those and would have either punched out or caught…
Fuck sake lads, the cross should never have came in in the first place.
Lucas stood and watched a player, 5 yards from our box, pick out his own player with no pressure on the pass.
It was abysmal defending.
Mignolet is nowhere near the top of people to blame for that goal.
Agreed. Our inability to close down crossing opportunities is a real problem. But leaving Clyne to go up against two attacking players for the second goal? One of whom has a large neon sign above his head saying “Big bloke coming, please put it on my head!”. Or did the scouting report not pick that bit up? Really don’t think Mingolet should be on the Melwood naughty step this time.
agreed about stopping the crosses. Klopp pointed that out too. But it won’t be possible to keep zero cross entire match….so, once the cross comes in to the big striker we are left with two options: (1) taller centre backs stay with the tall striker, as James Collins and colleagues did to Big Ben throughout the match and/or (2) keeper comes out to help especially for slow hanging cross into 6 yard box such as the first goal.
Point is though from that position with the players defending that ball you cut the cross out precisely because the ‘big lad’ is marauding into the box to pressure Clyne. Terrible defending, it should never have happened.
I realize they’re just numbers and don’t mean anything, but for the sake of the conversation I think they’re meant to start, I’d say rating Firmino lower than Coutinho and Benteke is pretty harsh. My impression was that he was the only one of those three whose performance wasn’t more negative than positive–he linked well with Ibe a few times and showed strength keeping and moving the ball.
Not saying he set the world alight or anything, Lord knows. I just think he’s now being judged on the basis of looking shit in previous matches (though again not dreadful against Sunderland).
Agreed that Benteke and Coutinho were shocking – the latter is looking a shadow of the player he was [ fed up and wants out?].
But Firmino looks lost every single game. It looks like he’s playing for the dubious honour of the first to be hooked as he certainly puts minimal effort on the pitch.
We were completely stiffed by Hoffenheim and no talking up by JK will change that.
We were just appalling in every way on every part of the pitch. Lifeless, dull, devoid of imagination and utterly predicatable. Give the ball to any of our players and you just know exactly what they’re going to do, assuming 1) they can actually complete a pass and 2) they’re not pushed off the ball in the first place.
If Klopp doesn’t fancy the January window after watching that then there’s no hope for us. Kiss goodbye to european football next season, let alone top 4 and champions league.
”If Klopp doesn’t fancy the January window after watching that then there’s no hope for us. Kiss goodbye to european football next season, let alone top 4 and champions league.”
This.
Lack of quality players is a decent shout, but there’s also a lack of fight and desire when playing ‘physically bigger’ teams or when things aren’t going right. Yes there’s a host of better players on the treatment table but it’s the lack of fight that is the issue. No way do West Ham, Watford & West Brom have better quality players throughout their team, but they are more aggressive and competitive.
Jurgen has his work cut out!
We do not have one player that scares the opposition.
Perhaps Sturridge but sure when’s he on the pitch?!
Is this title challenge still on?? Lol
Sean Rogers called it perfectly, travelling around the country with less rest and no squad meant it was always going to be tough.
Not sure why we can’t give Allen a game, don’t think it would have mattered but these lads are being run into the ground at the moment
Apologist bollocks!
Sorry mate, I’ll try again
WA WA FUME FUME NOT GOOD ENOUGH DONT TRY I COULD HAVE BEATEN THIS SHITE ON ME OWN BOLLOCKS
Yawn.
Keep trying.
Balderdash! Any player, Pro or not, will tell you they relish match day and any that I have listed to (over the Xmas period) on TV / Radio confirm that they love it. We don’t have good enough players and this impacts our ability to play a rotation system. Poor Jurgen.
every time we put a ball into their box it was like a feeding frenzy, lots of bods drawn towards the ball most wearing whummy colours, yet when they put a ball into our box it was like a wasteland. honestly believe our players lack intelligence, the ball we played into benteke were pathetic, coutinho plays like a sulking child cos benteke is not sturridge and doesn’t make the runs he wants him to. some serious upgrades needed. for the second goal lovren looks and sees clyne is two on one and does nothing, for me if we could get a bag of maltesers for the clown i would take them.
To quote S.Kelly :
”Suarez gone. Sterling gone. Sturridge never fit.
Benteke Balotelli Firmino Origi Markovic all in.
We can’t score goals.
Go figure…”
We have bought site and are reaping the consequences.
100 million trillion zillion %
Last season I pulled some stats to show how shocking is the goal contribution from midfield, and it’s carried on again this season. In fact, this has been a problem for as long as I can remember, an issue only partially covered up in 13/14 when the best front partnership in Europe bagged more than fifty.
Whatever anyone thinks of him, before today Benteke was going better than 1 goal in every 2 in the league (1 every 175mins) which is pretty much what you want from your number 9. It’s good to see that whatever the legitimate criticisms you can throw at him, most commenters are not prepared to let the other guys off the hook for their perennially miserable contribution to goals. It’s fucking dire and has to be close to the worst contribution from midfield in the top 10.
Is Ross Noble really better at crossing the ball than Ibe, Lallana, Firmino and Coutinho? Apparently so.
No excuse, ladies and gentlemen.
We were shockingly SOFT all over. Away against MU started this SOFT trend, and continued home against Westham and Palace, away at Newcastel and Watford, etc.
If we had lost 3-0 with full of fighting spirit and commitment, I won’t complain. But this…a bunch of headless and SOFT turkeys without balls running around for 90 minutes.
More than anything else, the players need a in your face reminder from hardcore fans that they need to show a lot more pride and commitment to the shirt!!!.. shameful performance.
No more talk of the title this season please guys. Don’t care how shite everyone else is – we’re not good enough.
If Sturridge can stay fit (if!) then top four might still be on but I personally would be focusing on the cups from here on.
Best to concentrate on cups. Too many injuries and no effort means we’ll miss out on CL unless we can win the Euros.
The Wrap has it wrong on Moreno. He consistently fails to deliver in the other 3rd. Today he lost the ball e straight time in a row then comes up “injured” that results in the 1st goal (agree with the Wrap that Lucas blew it on the cross). Suck it up Moreno. Smith was much better. Played offensively, made seveal quality crosses even got in behind the defense and defended well. I’d start him over Moreno.
I was hoping you’d give all the lame fuckers 0’s today. I’ll let Mignolet and Brad Smith off.
Couldn’t Mig have come for the first cross and punch it clear? There wasn’t anyone in his path and he could see the flight of the ball.
We never really got out of bed. A dearth of quality and intensity. Reckon Klopp hates at lot of these lads already. Just a nothing game. Not even the ‘cauldron of an atmosphere’ excuse they had for Watford. West Ham didn’t have to be massively over physical I didn’t think either; we just didn’t fancy it.
Don’t know what the score is with Firmino tbh. Resting on his Man City laurels where he should have bagged more so our goal difference wouldn’t standout like such a sore thumb currently (we’ve had a 1-6 but in the league cup ffs). Markovic had a decent December/January period this time last season which is something worth thinking about.
Any moment he isn’t putting it in the net, Benteke is an absolute abomination. James Collins’ second favourite game ever just after that 90 minutes he was weirdly world class against Suarez. Wanting Benteke after last season was when you knew Rodger’s had lost himself and wasn’t getting it back. Should have just kept Carroll and not cost ourselves £50 million on Lambert, Balotelli and Benteke when the manager forgets what type of footy he wants to play.
Spot on. What was Rodgers thinking? Oh…
haha…a good one. Collins’ second favourite game ever…
I was equally frustrated with Big Ben…Big Andy had two chances and he scored one and got the target another one….(hope our transfer committee do not swap Big Ben with Big Andy though..because I still rate Benteke as a better plan B or impact player when Sturridge is fit)
It really is shocking how a team of such mind numbing mediocrity, devoid of any real backbone, ability and fight can be put together for so much money.
It’s a testimony to the clueless twats who made it possible. What annoys me the most is the fact we’ve been doing this for years and never learn. Fucking sick of it.
That’s what gets me. If we’d have gotten anywhere close to value for money on most of this squad, we’d be having a proper go of it right now.
Our timing on our good seasons is, as always, impeccable. Get pipped to the post by really good United and City teams in ’09 and ’14 then spend the fallout of those seasons feeling sorry for ourselves rather than building on it (probably unfair on the 2009 lads, with H&G the pressing concern). Meanwhile, there’s all kinds of relatively average sides winning leagues while we’re to busy pissing about (Ferguson’s last couple of teams, look at Chelsea since they won it, whoever ends up getting there this season will be no great shakes).
Steve you have summarised it perfectly and saved me the time of typing up my thoughts on the utter dross that was served up today. I want to believe I really do but I didn’t see any belief on show from them in white today! Focus on cups and building our team for next season, which will be no mean task.
I don’t know, Clyne was certainly targeted, but he was consistently at the back post trying to mark two men which complicated it more. Thought Lucas was worthless by in large. I’m getting ever so sick of teams just gliding through our midfield with ease, by the 60th I was calling for someone to scythe down the next player who tried it, if only to try and stamp some physical presence on the match. Benteke, I didn’t understand that move in the summer, I don’t understand it now, a relatively talented player, but seems to offer us nothing in the system we try to play. Phil, enjoy Barca mate, but they won’t put up with those haphazard 25 yard shots. Lallana, WTF, Firmino WTFF. Finally, feel like we haven’t scored on a corner — on which we seem to either fail to beat the first man or put it in the top row of the opposite stands — or other set piece in ages, frustrating as hell.
On the dead ball point – SG might have struggled at times last season but he still had qualities that we sorely lack at the moment
Well exactly. Part of the reason I wanted Gerrard in the side when others wanted him out. When our midfield is as misfiring as ours has been for years (bar Gerrard), you kinda want someone who knows how to fucking cross a ball, or deliver a free kick into the box now and again. Is there a team worse than us in the league right now?
Makes me laugh the comparisons with Carroll and Benteke above. Put Carroll in our team today and how many attempts on target do you think he would have? Corners looped to the far post with less pace on them than a a Lallana sprint instead of low, flat crosses with speed like Noble delivered all game.
We have plenty bigger problems than the only player in the team that looks like has a goal in his locker. His goals just won us 6 points over Xmas and some people want him thrown under the bus every time the other 9 outfield players decide they can’t be arsed to turn up.
He had loads of qualities but football isn’t rugby.
Well then the comparisons with Carroll make no sense.
Point is, when your number 9 is going 1 in every 2 yet the rest of the team looks like they can’t buy a goal between them, then maybe we should be looking at others for to be a bit more accountable rather than scapegoating the guy who doesn’t play ‘the Liverpool way’. If this were a midfield that had been producing the goods for years and suddenly stopped when Benteke tipped up, then the claim that his presence blunts the side might carry some weight. But it hasn’t so it doesn’t.
Mate, not trying to slag off on Benteke. Our midfield is all over the board right now, and mostly seems to loathe any form of physical play. I don’t know what system we’re trying to play, but whatever it is it doesn’t seem to fit Benteke. It’s fair to say though, when a man known for his heading ability only wins 15% of his aerial duels it is more than just the players around him. Don’t get me wrong Firmino and Lallana were dross today, but Benteke didn’t do himself any favors. Also, Coutinho is looking like shades of Glen Johnson with this cut in on his right boot and shoot bit he has been at all season.
We were on short rest, and the whole team was out of sorts, but the midfield has looked like a shadow of itself for years (bar Hendo who at least seems to be able to control some pace), that’s my biggest complaint at the moment.
True – but try convincing me that the SG of last year wouldn’t improve this team.
My point isn’t to bring him back – the point is that we again have let an elite player walk away without adequately replacing him (or even some of his qualities). Something that you can also level at the club under FSG for Torres, Suarez, Sterling and Carra.
Re corners. These should be meat and veg routines, yet we cant cross the ball in to save ourselves.
Its like the milkman weighing in every morning and instead of sticking your milk on the doorstep (oh bygone days) sticking it in your neighbours doorstep 10 doors down. Enough is enough – you start getting your milk elsewhere.
Blunt. We are so blunt it hurts….or rather, doesn’t.
I’m an optimist at the best of times but I hope this puts to bed title talk. There are so many flaws with this squad I don’t know where to begin, and it’ll probably take more than a couple of transfer windows to fix too. I can’t believe considering how much we’ve spent in recent seasons how toothless we are.
-1 goal difference after 20 games. Fucking hell, good luck with that Jurgen mate fixing this problem.
Front 4 infuriated me loads today. Firmino and Ibe offered nothing, Benteke is as mobile as your average street lamppost, Coutinho just wants to score worldies from 25-35 yards it seems lately.
Moreno gets in acres of space almost every game, and there’s a reason for it. He cannot cross a decent ball bless him so teams are happy for him to have it.
Without Sturridge and Henderson we are a mid-table team. Teams like Palace and Stoke actually have more quality than us in the final third at this point. It’s embarrassing, and the only way it is going to get better is if we can a) somehow manage to get the abovementioned pair fit and playing, and b) bring some real quality into our midfield and attack. At this rate we will struggle to finish higher than 8th. Firmino is just a gutless, nothing kind of player who should have been dropped weeks ago. The midfield does not score goals and is not creative. Benteke will surely be sold in the summer. Can is simply too raw to be playing every week in a team with top 4 pretentions. Without Coutinho – who has been poor for most of the season – we have no creativity or imagination in the team. We will undoubtedly continue to stink the place out until the end of the season if we don’t bring in some players this month, even if it’s just on loan.
Moreno should get 0 for laying on the deck pretending he was injured whilst the game carried on. Get up, chase back and argue latter! Rowdy Yeats, Tommy Smith, Souness and Case would have queued up to land one on him for such a spineless display of stupidity. The year Gerry Byrne passes and we get that. Sums up the mentality of some of them. Liver Bird upon my chest? More like fat wallet in my coat pocket.
Actually I meant to say there that I do not hope it puts to bed title really once and for all, got no problem with people being overly optimistic.
Meant to say it surely has to make even the most optimistic of title talkers realise it’s an impossible thought considering how much shite we possess in this squad.
@Jimmy -well said on all counts
Let`s buy Andy Caroll at the january sales. He knows how to score at least. (Sigh.) Only joking of course, put your phone down, Ayre. But it is worrying that we score so little as we do.
And here we are again with our hands on our own lame tool bemused at what we just witnessed. Coutinho is gonna come in for some stick because he doesn’t pass much and seems to sulk when the team struggles but can you really blame him? He was able to pass more and create more when he had Suarez, Sturridge, Sterling, and even Steven to work with. The perception is he now feels he has to go it alone and I think the opposition are clued in on that. We aren’t a hard side to suss out and haven’t been for some time. That leads me to the next point: Our midfield is crying, no screaming for quality. Remember the days when we could field Gerrard, Alonso, and Mascherano? Which one of our current midfielders could get into that team? Not a single one. We have a lightweight squad in a heavyweight division. The former manager can take much of the blame for that one. A great example of this would be our current #9. He was a beast when he played against us with Aston Villa… we couldn’t contain him because we are weak in the air especially against physical players(hello big Andy). So instead of addressing this defensive issue we go and pay a kings ransom for this player and stick him into a side that has no intention of playing to his strengths and actually highlight his weaknesses, ruin his confidence, and see the performance we saw today. Brilliant.
spot on regarding Courtinho passing. now he has no one to pass to because no movement ahead of him and no one time the runs into space behind defenders.
I feel sorry for Lucas. His recent games show all that his legs have gone. He looks like a 38 year old these days. Not his fault the side was so fucking shite today, though. I can’t help but think Benteke starting absolutely fucks up the entire attack.
Looked like they were at the end of 8 games in 4 weeks rather than than the beginning, I was looking forward to January before today.
Only positive for me tho was Mignolet releasing the ball REALLY quickly three or four times – never really came to anything because nobody was expecting it (least of all me), but if he keeps it up it could help. Bit easier to score when half the other team are still in our third…
It would be a travesty, if this bunch of lads won a title.
As for Klopp, it’s time he showed a bit of fom.
His league record in last year’s Bundesliga and this season’s Premier League is not too clever.
Played 46, won 18, drawn 10, lost 18, GD +4, unless I have worked that out incorrectly.
About 1.39 points per game. Let’s hope this is nothing worse than just a very long blip, in a glittering managerial career.
Sorry LITV, that is utterly ridiculous. It’s very little to do with Klopp, he can only do the best with what he has available.
It was dismal from start to finish, and that’s me done with league games for the rest of the year. I’m not wasting any more time on hoping that we can just hang onto the coat tails of the teams above us and then suddenly become a better team in time to make the top 4. It was no better than watching an amateur team try and fail to pass to each other. I am so disappointed, that yet again, we have failed to step up to the plate, when a ‘must win’ game comes along.
As for the Cups, I listened to one of the podcasts the other day and a couple of people mentioned they thought we might narrowly lose to Stoke this week, but we’ll then still have a chance back at Anfield, but honestly, if they have a one goal lead, who scores our two goals ?
Gutted, again. :(
I hope you are right, but in most of those 46 games the players were definitely his. If we were winning games, it would have everything to do with Klopp.
Just about everyone who played today has played much much better for a different club and manager, compared to how they have played for Klopp.
We signed them for lots of money, because they played dead good for other sides. Sides with shit managers, too.
I want Klopp to succeed and would advocate sticking with him even if we finish in the bottom half of the league. His current form is rotten though, the stats bear that out.
As for the squad, well who is he going to buy in January? As Neil said on the pod, he can’t just sell everybody. He’s going to have to get most of these players to start playing for him.
I don’t believe there is a manager anywhere that could do better than Klopp with this most unbalanced of squads. It’s not that they won’t ‘play for him’, it’s that they simply can’t. I have questioned their committment before but I now believe they simply are not in possession of the right psychological make-ups. They accept defeat too easily and continue to attempt the same things time and again, to the point of parody.
Uisng Klopps last season in Germany as a barometer for his last (is it?) 10 games since he took over here, bears no relevance whatsoever. Different players, league, opposition, circumstance. It just doesn’t count.
Maybe the problem is that our (fairly) expensively assembled squad, in the absence of Henderson, Milner, Ings, and maybe Flanno etc etc, just doesn’t have the desire for a battle that it should. Injuries are no-ones fault, and every team has to overcome them so we can’t use that as an excuse, but it does point to deficiencies in the squad, as a whole.
I don’t know what the answer is, but i do know i’m completely and utterly fed up with the team taking one step forwards, and then one step back the second i start to believe we might do something good.
Sheesh. Lots of gloating chickens coming home to roost this season – West Ham, Palace, Watford…..why can’t all my mates be Chelsea fans?
Wait……sscratch that.
Can’t make my mind up over this Lucas centre back business. It means he’s not being asked to make defence splitting passes, and it is less running so he might not get knackered and start giving away cheap free kicks in the last 15. However, any mistakes are closer to goal, and he’s not the greatest in the air.
I think this is the first time Klopp has admitted that he’s got angry at them. If that doesn’t bring about an improved attitude and application then I think we’ll start to see some of these marked for removal over the 2nd half of the season.
Be interesting to see what he regards as an immediate priority, as I’m sure we won’t get more than 2 this window, if that. Personally think we need someone to excite the squad as much as the crowd, like Studge and Phil did 3 years ago. Although considering our position I think Jurgen may have to get his rolodex out and call in some favours from Dortmund.
I was pleased to see Klopp angry with them. It shows the level he is at in terms of mentality and the standards he will accept, compared to those of the players. Worlds apart.
can’t stop laughing at d Firmino bit. I’ll still give him a few more games but he’s not living upto d glorious youtube compilations. Another poster raised a point that I’d like someone to answer, what’s our style of play? A lot of teams with new mgrs albeit not as new as ours seem to be defined. of cos it’s not so simple u have 2 mix it up based on d opposition but still at least West Ham play quick n direct. Watford utilize their strikers bla bla bla. LFC just seem to have players that do their own thing Ala Coutinho n Lallana. it’s almost like we learn nothing from d defeats. right now I’m willing to see more Academy guys get cameos. Teixeira could b fun Kent might show us something fresh.
Agree with Brownie, and would perhaps go further and say our Midfield is the main problem. Not nearly enough playmaking, preventions, or goals. so that after most have played about 14 games their League goals thus far are:- Lallana 0, Henderson 0, Lucas 0, firmino 1, and Coutinho 5. This should be unacceptable. Please tell me which Striker(s) can win us a Cup with that midfield behind them?
And with regards to Klopp, I would suggest it is indeed a reasonable question on his culpability in these woeful defeats. If he is unable to motivate these players or affect their playmaking then that surely must lead to serious questions of both him and the team. I worry he has given this team a soft ride, and “enough rope to hang themselves” on the basis it is not His Team. If that is the case I for one am not impressed. #YNWA #Jft96
Correction : Goals Henderson 1 (just to be clear that is ONE)
Henderson certainly hasn’t played 14 league games, and you’ve missed off Milner’s 2 goals, but your point still holds – not enough goals from midfield. Not enough players who even look like scoring.
We are as soft centred as one of my daughters dirty nappies, not fucking good enough and we are as easy as I can remember to play against…
Couthino is certainly playing like someone who is leaving in January. Scratching my head at those “shots” he took today. With all due respect to Neil, this season is about Klopp learning his team and the EPL, and trying to win some silverware. Show up to Stoke Wednesday. Chase the Europa League. This is a young team. Cup runs will build character for future EPL and CL seasons.
Perhaps someone with a head for stats can figure out how much time JK has had at Melwood with the squad. Considering this is his introduction to the Christmas schedule, the fact we have Europa league, league cup and the forthcoming FA cup tie(s) to come, numerous injuries, expensive players out on loan, shitty weather, lousy field conditions, a team consisting of men and boys who have had relatively little time to get to know each other, and an erratic and frankly mystifying ex manager who obviously thought buying as many players as possible, then throwing shit at a wall and hoping it would stick, would save his bacon. Klopp is no dummy, he has walked into this pantomime of a football club because he feels something rare. He knows we have a reputation for patience. When you look back at the abyss we perched upon in the Hicks/Gillette nightmare we could easily have become another Leeds United. Yes, even Danny Murphy has commented only two or three of our present squad would get a game for Spurs, yes, Tottenham bleeding Hotspur. We just have to show the man our utmost respect for diving into the quagmire BR, Ayre et al have concocted and trust he will, with time, produce a cohesive and entertaining squad capable of competing at the highest level. I have absolute faith in Jurgen Klopp, his frank and honest opinions are a breath of fresh air. Hopefully our squad will realise how fortunate they are to be coached by this man and realise their full potential, or just get out the way. Happy New Year to all at the Wrap. I for one have enjoyed and appreciated all your efforts and yes, look forward to the rest of the season and beyond.
Typically dreadful TAW ratings with the continuation of the campaign against Firmino. Benteke and Lucas were utterly pathetic but get rated higher than Firmino who was obviously our best attacking player?? Good stuff.
The idea that Lucas grew into the game is just hilarious. He was the worst player on the pitch from start to finish. Again.
Gibbons should stop doing these, almost as bad as the lad who did them last week.
Have your opinion but please don’t be rude because it’s not nice. People who appreciate jokes and general reaction to games would hate to see you spew these off for lizards who are anal and generally haters, John. I heard on the recent rider you were thinking of fucking it off and that would be a shame imo.
I know these ratings are meant to be light-hearted but we were beaten by West Ham not Barcelona and only two of our players you deemed to be below average.
Is it the players that you don’t rate highly and as such, a display we saw is what you believe to be their average ability or are they being instructed poorly John?
“I know these ratings are meant to be light-hearted”
100% correct. So why do you then take them seriously?
I’m just intrigued to see if the level of performance that passes as par for John is based more so that he thinks the players are performing to their level or if they’re in a system that isn’t working well enough to get the best out of them?
Losing to West Ham and only 2 players were rated below a par rating of 5? I know we should be upbeat but at what stage do we start to be a little more critical and say that our expectations should be higher?
Thanks for the reply.
I can understand your intrigue. Regarding your second point – my guess is that John might be considering 6/10 as a par score for a premier league player (I sort of do). But either way, as you mentioned in your first post – they’re just meant to be a lighthearted take on the performance of those involved – god knows we needed that after the match.
Re the ratings, lighten up gents.
When the fella does his best to put something together after watching that dross, kudos to him.
I certainly couldn’t be arsed to put the effort in and wouldn’t blame him if he said, ‘Sod this, I’ll just drown my frustrations at the pub instead”.
The match reviews and ratings are some of the best parts of TAW and the amount of comments after certainly indicate people are interested in reading them.
Keep up the good work, Mssrs Gibbons and Atkinson.
Well in Paddy & Pierre head,
The fact that both the ratings and reviews stir such debate is a good thing, I find great solace after a defeat in Neil’s & Johns take on things and the comments that follow,
Agreeing with everything they say or score ain’t the point.
Agree. both..
My fav past time after every Reds match is to wait for John and Neil (and TAW) to come up with Review and Ratings..
and share the views and debate with all the fellas here.
TAW reports, in my opinion, are the next best things after the match itself…(occasionally even better than the match itself. example: West ham match :)…God bless them and their loved ones (spouse, family, and even their part-time.lovers:)
It is not important if my opinion sync with that of TAW or with left/right views. At least I have freedom to share my thoughts on my team, Liverpool.
cheers
I thought it went well with Henderson and Can together in the middle, which left Lucas to do the detail work of nipping in to pick off passes and restart the attack. Injury to one of them makes Lucas into a work horse, and at his age, that means the passing lanes eventually open up, and the middle doesn’t hold. Opponents can run through us like they did when Gerrard’s ambition outlived his legs. Who needs to test our 5’6″ fullbacks when the direct route is open? Completely unnecessary unless one of them decides to lie down for a cry. Any openings for a fullback on the ladies team?
Number one priority is another normal sized (and talented) midfield animal who enjoys a scrap. But it’s just a start.
Not sure what matches you have been watching – the only match this season where Henderson, Can and Lucas all started was the 0-3 at Watford. Lucas was also in the starting team for the abject performances at Newcastle and obviously West Ham on Saturday.
I’m starting to think that James Milner must have been doing something right that was going unnoticed.
Lol
fact: I was thinking we missed the experience and ground covered by Milner during Hammers match…
Playing against chelsea and title contenders city away and winning convincingly 3-1, 4-1 resp.
We create better chances when we are the underdogs.Creating a goal is almost impossible against teams when we play at home coz there is no initiative to create.
However i like milner,hendo &sturridge.
But they are this season’s blue moon.
So we need to let ofher teams to play and defend nd play on counter.
Like we did against saints and city.
This way we ll create more clear scoring chances.
Gone are the rodgers days of possession.
Lovren and sakho spreading passes,is not less than a risk of goal.
Let the other teams play even at anfield nd we play counter.
Maybe this is the short term solution.
When we play as underdogs? WE ARE UNDERDOGS. At least Dogs run and show enthusiasm – Spice Boyz Mark 2
players seem disinterested.But second half of the season has always been our strength.With klopp on our side we might jst sneek into ucl by winning europa.
Not even considering top 4 dis season.
Now the question is if new recruits required?
ans: Urgently
but will they make a difference in bpl..dats hard to say
but they may just win us the europa and our ticket to ucl
It might prove difficult to find new recruits who are good enough to help us win EL and are not already cup tied.