BEING brutally honest with you I’m not entirely sure where to start with that one. Liverpool were simply so dominant but every change made Liverpool weaker while every change made Southampton stronger.
Normally you walk out of away grounds and just keep your head down. I couldn’t stop talking (what a surprise) and one of theirs just says: “Yeah, but the changes were all in our favour.”
They were. They just were. All in their favour.
I am simply not interested in watching Martin Skrtel play football for Liverpool. That is me being a meanie in some senses but why would that be any form of a plan going forward?
What is the point of this?
The manager has Kolo Toure on the bench and goes with Skrtel because you want to have a look and have a think.
I don’t. I have made my decision and while I understand the importance of the ‘because you want to have a look’ I just think there is a stage where losses have to be cut. And yet because. Because because because.
Forget the because. Liverpool didn’t lose this game just because of one change but it is fair to say that change didn’t help. At all.
Let’s be crystal — the Liverpool manager has had a frankly brilliant month in terms of his in-game management. But today everything was wrong — too slow, too late. This is the tightrope that managers walk. It is a nightmarish sword to have to both live and die by. I’d get far more wrong than right. You would too.
But today the manager was wrong. Wrong with his changes and with the timing of them. Wrong with every move. It will happen. Let’s be crystal again — I’m alright with it as long as we can have a grown-up conversation about it. And have a grown-up conversation around the fact that even when he gets it right he needs his players to respond. Even when he gets it wrong his players still need to show the quality required.
They didn’t. Not for the first time both Skrtel and Christian Benteke were miles away. Not for the first time Liverpool’s other nine players didn’t dig one another out of trouble. Far from it. Simultaneously though we are talking about a goalkeeper who saved a penalty.
Liverpool’s second-half performance is as soul destroying as the first-half performance was life enhancing. Liverpool were miles ahead of Southampton in all regards. It should have been game over, it should have been 4-0.
But it wasn’t. Instead Liverpool lacked the sort of intensity champions display and let Southampton off a series of hooks. This is important — more than any other game this season this should tell the manager about the players. Collectively, the side was let down. Joe Allen should make it three. Liverpool should see it out. But the individual players didn’t do their jobs properly.
Indeed, the Liverpool players who come out of today the best are Dejan Lovren and Jordan Henderson. Their presence and seriousness was missed. Liverpool rudderless on the pitch. Liverpool defeated. Liverpool also legless. A long week ended with this game where Southampton had far more in the tank than the Reds, a Liverpool side the other side of Old Trafford.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AU3k2kLwFkU
I wish I had a lovely story for you but I sort of have in a sense. I have had a lovely weekend starting Thursday night and ending with my company home today.
I have enjoyed my life supporting Liverpool, indeed those around me today at the game were the business. I saw Liverpool show their dominance over Southampton, Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho show their class, Liverpool be a side substantially better than their opponents.
This Liverpool under this manager will be a force to be reckoned with. We’re a proper football team.
However, we drooped. And I’m not impressed with that. Not having that. Two weeks to have a look back. Two weeks to have a think about it.
Well played, Southampton. Well battled. An honest to goodness set of lads.
In the meantime, the Reds need to pull their nonsense back together.
Be better. Have it never happen again.
Be better. Have it never happen again
Well, of course it will but if we trust Klopp, if it does happen where we cough up a lead, it won’t be like this. He needs to see how all these play in situations and he’s learning more and more.
Lovren was looking sure to get a red so the change made sense up 2. Skrtel got a red for the U-21s a few days ago kind of replicated that performance. Once is a bad day, two in a week is a turned.
Long 2 weeks to await Spurs. Better to come. Ever.
Frailty at its most desperate.
At 3 it’s game over, from the penalty (albeit saved), Southampton always looked more likely.
I was angry, now I’m disappointed. Tomorrow I’ll be “meh”.
I still believe we’re 3 top class players away from a real challenge (GK, LB & Striker), but I also believe I know very little about football!!
Skrtel and Benteke are not good enough for where we want to be and should be moved on.
Apart from them, we also show a soft underbelly again and a lack of mental strength
We are ninth.
Neither Henderson nor Allen should be starting in our midfield next season. Allen lacks physical power and Henderson lacks technical ability.
Skrtel and Benteke will be sold, while Mignolet will be our 2nd choice keeper. Flanagan is also just a squad player at best.
Mignolet, Flanagan, Skrtel and Sahko were also in our defence when we threw away a 3 goal lead against Palace in the vital title run in. They should never play together again. Skrtel loses his bottle under pressure from big strong forwards. Get him out the door ASAP.
What kind of technical ability does Hendo lack?
The ability to finish?
The ability to lead…
That’s not really a “technical” ability though, is it?
Possibly not… But technically speaking, is anything “technical” in footy? Or is the use of the word just shit talk…but whatever, I just wanted to get a dig in that the lad is no captain.
The problem for Allen wasn’t physical power. He did just fine against renowned thug Fellaini. The problem was tactical. There was just simply too many of their players in the midfield for us to deal with. That’s on Klopp.
Meanwhile, Allen started the counterattack that led to Coutinho’s goal, forced an excellent save, created a quality chance just outside the box, and had a well-taken goal harshly disallowed.
Allen has rarely put a foot wrong since he returned from the last international break in November. In fact, he’s been vital at key moments when called upon.
Walter i couldnt have put it better myself… Continues to be a harsh scapegoat in my opinion
‘I am simply not interested in watching Martin Skrtel play football for Liverpool’. Neil I could kiss you.
What a nightmare game. It couldn’t have unfolded any worse. Complacency to cowardice. Littered with unforgivable moments. Wankers.
Tottenham are due a win at Anfield and Dortmund are gonna absolutely rinse us.
Yes, in a parallel universe where life is linear.
hehehe…. true that
Thats it lad, keep the faith?
Bound to hit the wall after run of high intensity games.When 2/3 run out of gas that’s manageable,but not 7/8 sadly.i honestly think that klopp will buy 5/6 decent players who have engines rather than top draw players in his first window.
Tbh if we don’t win Europa League,I hope we don’t requalify (is that a real word) for it so Yergy can have some more time to recharge his Duracell Bunnys and who knows? Maybe we can dream again next season
It’s the massive misses that cost us again. Joe Allen goes all Goodison Park again and the one were Sturridge takes an awful touch, all he has to do is roll that back again and bang it should be 3!! It doesn’t excuse the second half capitulation of course, but I can’t believe that happened!
Skrtel is terrible no doubt and when you haven’t seen him in 3 months except for getting sent off the under 21s then it makes it so even worse. Lovren was terrible and I had no qualms about the change. I do now of course but when your keeper saves a pen I was kind of thinking it’s our day.
I’ve never been so gutted at a result, I include 2007 when we shit ourselves against Milan!
Defeat was always likely, away from home following a tough Thursday night game at Old Trafford. I backed City and Southampton as a win double, as I presumed United would also be exhausted and 4.9 seemed decent value.
City really have downed tools, by the looks of things.
It’s time we started talking about Leicester and what a Premier League victory would mean for us. Next year, we may well be starting a campaign where the majority of teams feel they are in with a shout of winning the title.
Who can make excuses, anymore? The Foxes present us all with an inconvenient truth.
A premier league victory for Leicester would reinforce FSG’s belief you don’t need to spend big money to win the league.
It would reinforce mine, as well.
An anomaly I am afraid…. The correlation between sqaud value and league finish is old and established…If Leicester can repeat this season without Vardy and Mahrez for a good few years then maybe they prove you don’t need to spend big. At the moment they just prove two impact players can change everything. As Saurez proved under Rodgers. Obviously the value of Mahrez and Vardy has gone up a bit and Leicester have to keep them.
I thought Leicester winning the league was impossible though. I still expect them to just fall short, but they may now actually do this.
I very much doubt we would have won the league, even this year, if we had Mahrez and Vardy though. We already have better players than those two. They’ve both been stinking out the lower leagues for years.
We may well have won the Premier League multiple times, if we had played with Leicester’s authority and self-belief.
Anyway, it sounds like the Foxes are becoming the elephant in the room on the pod. Neil sounds like he’s one more Leicester win away from exploding!
I cannot for the life of me understand ‘supporters’ who back against their OWN team?
Because of the price. I don’t make bets to tell the bookie how much I love my team. They really don’t care. If you were offered a million to one, on Liverpool not winning their next match, would you have a quid on it? If so, then what’s the difference?
Klopp fucked up big time. Skrtel costs the side time and time again, yet he still plays. Benfuckingteke is right up their with Woy’s signings. What does it take for Klopp to see he’s fucking useless and kills all attacking play? Fucking hell! This game was over, just pack the midfield to control the ball and hope to nick a third on the break. Klopp fucking fucked it up, the cocky git. Hopefully he will learn from this, and that a game lasts 98 minutes, not just the first half. Rafa would have locked up that 2 goal lead immediately. Fuuuuuck!
Rampant first half, dormant second half. At half time should’ve been 0-4 but then those changes…
No reason to take Lovren off, on a yellow or not. But when I saw Skrtel coming on, as well as Mane and Wanyama for them, two nil started to look a bit ropey. Like Skrtel’s defending. Gave away a shit penalty, continually lumped the ball upfield instead of passing it, missed countless headers, out of position on a number of occasions. What a shambles of a performance!
The Saints went from a team that hardly looked like scoring in the first half to one that looked like doing so with every attack of the second. Fair play to them.
If this doesn’t give the manager a clue about who he can rely on and who he can’t, then nothing will.
Word about Joe Allen – thought he did okay today. Kept the ball moving forward, set up some good attacks first half and generally played well. Stop scapegoating him when it’s clear the issues lie elsewhere…
No mention or opinions on the Lovren penalty claim ? Could easily have been given according to a few websites and from my seat – and a possible red, as Long was about to shoot ? Think the ref bottled it maybe.
Klopp thought he had the game won, so made the changes to protect Lovren from a second yellow. Skrtel was woeful and too may players failed to show up in the second half, thinking the game was already won. This was just plain laziness, not fatigue – but credit to the way Saints changed their formation and ultimately the game.
Please don’t do a report on the Under 21s game today !!
Long gets more practice diving than an Olympian. Lovren put an arm on him but Long just fell down. A player would have taken the shot.
And then fallen over. Long’s a git and ref made an okay call.
Long takes Lovren’s ground. Ball goes left but Long steps right knowing contact at that point is inevitable. He initiated the contact with Lovren. Ref called it right.
well said
The one thing I have noiticed with Klopp is he seems to be not making adjustments to the other teams adjustments on a regular basis. Should have changed the formation in the second half. You saw this coming all second half.
I thank RG for voicing the ideas that Klöpp didn’t see the potential from Southampton. Swansea or Villa at 2 -0 up ?, Yeah, but not these. Watching a stream, it was clear on 50 that their MF with Wanyama was not letting us turn and face. Enjoyed Can trying a to shrug him off on around 55! Allen would look good on a warm day in a MLS team for 2 halves.
‘more than any other game this season this should tell the manager about the players.’
My thoughts exactly. It’s the one consolation we can take from today.
I was having such a perfect day as well. Flano captain, the Reds 2-0 up and the Tories committing very public political hari-kari, but I sensed we’d need more goals, I winced at the missed chances. We might be able to get away with missing chances against lesser teams like the shower from the other end of the East Lancs Road, but good teams will punish you. We need to be far more ruthless.
wieird day!! we were brilliant first half and looked a class above, 2nd half what a contrast!! while most are directing their fury at Skrtel and rightly so ..we lost the game today in midfield as much as the defence. Wanyama bullied Allen …and with the benefit of hindsight if we’d have made a change there 10 minutes earlier we probably would have run out winners! Frustrating, but a reality check and i’m sure Klopp will learn a lot from this!
When was the last time we bought a defensive midfielder? Today was crying out for a Momo sissoko, didi Haman or of course Mascherano. At 2-0 away you need to take time out and shut up shop. This was a big failure of Rodgers from day 1 and with the exception of Lucas there is no player at the club that wants to sit in and defend and control, everyone wants to play. Yes the game should have been put to bed in the same way in 97 Mcmanaman should have scored to put us 3-0 against Chelsea, they score 4 in the second half. Today Henderson should have come on earlier, but there you go, Benteke should still have scored as should Joe Allen and if by losing today we become more ruthless tomorrow then the lesson will have been learned
there are — points:
1. Absolute terrible management bringing on the subs. I think sturridge and lovren would have lasted the 85th min.
2. Skrtel pulling a striker’s shirt is not the first time , lovren does this as well and they get away everytime , except this time. F o Skrtel. ta!
3. We dont need a major overhaul , just consistent building with 2 quality players signed every window.
4. Kolo can stay and Bobby cant return sooner!
Up the reds. next game please.
Jurgen Klopp is a world class football manager, but the subs were just wrong. The Benteke sub was the worst, two strikers were absolutely obsolete on the pitch, they were running through our midfield at will, and Jurg never plugged it up
I’m just going to say it. Klopp’s hands were tied.
The penalty given was a make-up for the penalty denied. It was going to happen and Lovren would have been the involved party. The decision to sub him was, in my opinion, the corect one. Putting Kolo on would have been a slap in the face to Skrtel.
With Lucas et al. injured, Milner unable to play and Hendo still ostensibly ill, there was little Klopp could do to change the narrative created by Wanyama’s freshness and dominance.
Looking for a killer third goal, Klopp had to send Benteke on.
Surprise, surprise. Given the game on Thursday, the boys were exhausted after an hour and not settling the game by halftime meant psychologically even we, the supporters, knew what was was going to happen.
Still, the £32 million striker must at least hit the target at 2-1.
One thing is for sure, and it is unanimously agreed, this game showed exactly where our weak link lies. Skrtel not only has a mistake in him every half, he infects the whole defense. And this isn’t new news to us. All we can hope for is that it is now old news to Klopp, too.
We got beat by a good playing who played their best 45 minutes this season. Blame Skrtel. Blame Benteke. Blame the causal attitude that must have crept in after such an easy first half. Blame exhaustion and a few too many ill-timed injuries/suspensions in the midfield area, but I don’t see how Klopp gets the blame for this.
(BTW, I’m not immune to criticising the manager. I just think Skrtel should have been sold three years ago.)
If you think Skrtel should have been sold three years ago, how can the guy who brought him on in a tactical switch escape blame? Does not compute.
Because he wasn’t sold 3 years ago by Rodgers and replaced – hence he’s on the bench. Next to Kolo Toure. Klopp didn’t buy this squad, but he hardly seems to be the kind of guy to throw his hands up and say “well that’s it, we’re done, these players are all naff”.
Skrtel was sent on, because he’s a member of our threadbare squad, not first XI but definitely first XXII. Klopp made the decision to throw him on, but who else in our current squad should he have sent on?
Firstly, don’t make that sub. It was totally unnecessary.
Secondly, if you’re going to make that sub, put on the guy who’s had some recent game time and done a good job while he’s about it – Kolo – not the guy who has just returned from injury and who (apparently) has been past it for at least 3 years.
Sorry, you can’t say someone is so shit they should have been sold 3 years ago and then defend the manager who puts him on the pitch. Either there’s something wrong with the assessment of the player, or something wrong with the defence of the decision to play him.
Fair points mate. I may have Klopp tinted glasses , and unfounded optimism that he may be able to get some of our squad who haven’t been playing well for the last few years reinvigorated and energised (and I’d guess Skrtel is probably a bit low on self belief right now) – but while I respect and understand why he made that call – you’re right – it wasn’t the right call to make. Ditto Benteke. It’s just not working out for a few of our players eh. If you asked me 6 months ago how many replacement players we needed – my answer would’ve been around 11. If you asked me 10 days ago, after the home leg of EC R16 – I’d have said 3 or 4. Can, Lallana – even Clyne – were starting to not look half bad. Then the last two matches happened.
We have learnt loads from this game and it hasn’t cost us our top 4 place.
United beat City which was the absolute best result we could have hoped for after our capitualtion.
Neil, your words about Skertel are like a breath of fresh air…
We have had a crap defense ever since he signed.
I have never seen a player go from nearly being bombed out of the club for being crap to then becoming an ever present simply because of a haircut.
We have learnt loads from that defeat and that is the only real consolation.
As no-one else has mentioned it (save Gibbo in the ratings post), I want to say that slagging your own played on the pitch after the game in the full glare of fans and the media is a fucking disgrace, and smacks of a diversion tactic by the manager. I never want to see that shit again. I don’t care who the player is or how badly he’s played.
I think fans publicly slagging an experienced new manager is a fucking disgrace when there are pundits doing it.
Benteke was shite and clearly doesn’t want to play or can’t adapt and I don’t give a shit he needs a bollocking. He isn’t a nurse he is being paid millions. He deserves all he fucking gets. As does any other player taking the money and doing fuck all.
I pay a subscription for the right to voice an opinion about players and managers here. If you think what I write here as a fan can be compared with the manager of one of the biggest clubs in the world publicly berating his striker in front of millions, then knock yourself out.
The entire team bar Can went missing after halftime yesterday. Why stop at Benteke? Why not berate Allen on the pitch for his pissy attempt at a tackle for their third, or Lallana for giving the ball away in our defensive third? Where would you like to stop? Maybe have the full post mortem on the pitch like that Hull City tit a couple of years ago?
Btw, I could give three-fifths of fuck all whether pundits are saying the same or different. I don’t take my lead from pundits.
“Why stop at Benteke? Why not berate Allen on the pitch for his pissy attempt at a tackle for their third, or Lallana for giving the ball away in our defensive third? Where would you like to stop?”
Because Allen had an off day, after stringing together a patch of decent performances. Lallana too.
Benteke has , with very few exceptions – put in a half arsed effort for most every game he’s played. If he’d done better on just 1/3rd of the sitters he’s missed in the last few months – we’d have 9 or more points more (calculations out of my arse) – and maybe a wee trophy.
Benteke got a bollocking because he’s been a regular downpour of ship, while the other 10 fellas who left the races somewhere around kick off in the second half – have just had a little light spring shower of ship. I think it’s a pretty clear kick in the bum – but, hey – if training him, giving him game time to play him into form etc isn’t waking him up – maybe he needs to give him a right pubic bollocking. Monday morning he gets to yell at the rest of the team – I have no doubt.
He’s our second top scorer, and I’m not sure you can call bringing him on with 20mins to go here and 15mins to go there counts as giving him game time to play himself into form. And that’s fine, the manager makes those calls; it’s his choice. But I think the list of players who responded well to receiving a public dressing down is a pretty short one.
@Brownie – You’re right. It’s probably a short list. But still he basically told Sturridge to drink a cup of concrete and harden the fuff up – very publically – and he seems to be magically picking up less injuries. Don’t see how it could make Benteke less prolific. He may be our 2nd top scorer – but for the minutes he’s gotten – he’s surely our 3rd, or lowest scoring striker behind Sturridge and Origi. Where’s my abacus?
I wouldn’t wouldn’t tell a proven manager how to do his job. Whether paying money gives me any “rights” or not. And by the same Shearer and Murphy aren’t in any position to either, any more than Klopp can tell Shearer how to kick a ball.
“I wouldn’t tell a proven manager how to do his job”.
Wtf? What about a proven player? A coach? A commercial director? What about a proven referee? Are we allowed to criticise those professions?
What’s the fuckng point of a site like this if you can’t deliver opinions on specific decisions or players or games or officials? No one is saying Klopp doesn’t know how to do his job. It’s simply being pointed out that he got up on Sunday morning and probably for the first time in a month got a few things wrong. It happens, you know, even to Jurgen.
Btw, as ex players both Shearer and Murphy are ideally placed to speak about how such a public dressing down will be received by the player. That’s not the same as telling Klopp how to manage LFC.
Managers give it to players all the time, how’s it a problem? Jurgen will come out to support him again in press conferences
I wonder what your thoughts were of Rodgers throwing Balotelli and other players publicly under the bus btw if you think what Jurgen did is a fucking disgrace
“How is it a problem?”
The fact he gave it to the player on the pitch after the final whistle in front of millions and not in the changing room?
I’ve never been a fan of managers singling out players for negative comment, and that included Rodgers and him comments about Balotelli. I just don’t see how that can ever help. That said, we now know there was a ton of other stuff going on at the time, including the Balotelli’s behaviour in training. Rodgers probably felt like he’d tried everything and got nowhere. His comments weren’t just a response to what he was seeing on the pictch, it was about a player effectively taking the piss out of him and the club. This is a million miles away from the Benteke situation.
So basically when Rodgers was quite deliberately throwing players, not just Balotelli but quite often his own playing squad, under the bus, that was fine coz there must’ve been reasons. But when Klopp does it in a conversation you probably can’t even hear unless you’re a lipreading expert, it’s a fucking disgrace?
Klopp going off his tit on a player is no different to him going off his tit on every player while he’s on the touchline during games, ask the likes of Milner how much he gives it to him or any other player every game. Yet in this isolated instance it’s a disgrace? Maybe he has his reasons, too, like Rodgers did, so let’s not pick and choose when you wanna be outraged about it
Firstly, I couldn’t give a rat’s ass what Rodgers did or didn’t do. He’s not our manager any more, Klopp is. I’m concerned with what he does, not Brendan, as it has a direct impact on LFC. Secondly, did you miss the bit where I said I’m not a fan of managers singling out players for criticism? That applied in the case of Rodgers-Balotelli, but what we’ve learned subsequently about Balotelli’s disrespect for the club and the manager does put a different spin on things – for me at least. If it doesn’t for you, that’s just dandy, but save me the pretence that the two situation are analagous. And even if they were, the point is that Brendan WAS criticised for admonishing Balotelli in public. If there is a double standard, it’s being employed by the people who joined that criticism of Rodgers but can’t bring themselves to do the same in this case involving Klopp.
The fact that we don’t know the precise detail of what Klopp is saying to Benteke is a complete red herring. Everyone knows what is happening there: he’s calling out Benteke and he’s doing it in full view of millions. It’s doesn’t matter whether it’s about the missed chance, or a dodgy run he made, or whatever. It’s a public dressing down, however brief.
“Klopp going off his tit on a player is no different to him going off his tit on every player while he’s on the touchline during games”
I doubt even you believe this. As I already said, it’s the manager’s job to try to influence the game while it is being played and I don’t and never will have a problem with Klopp bawling out his players if they’re fucking up during the game. The idea that this is no different to giving your players shit while they are still on the pitch after the final whistle is just ridiculous. You can’t count on one hand the numbers of times you’ll see that in a season, and for good reason. And wile I don’t generally give a tinker’s cuss what any pundit says, you’ll struggle to find a single ex-player who thinks what Klopp did was correct, including ex-LFC players. There’s a reason for that, too.
well said
Bit Keystone Cops-ish from the “England’s first club” eh, Neil?
They are professional athletes. They don’t work down a colliery and train after work. They play football – it’s what they are paid to do and yet they are shagged out in the second half because they played on Thursday. ??
Yep – they’re professional players. So are Southampton’s. They may not have been shagged – but they were a lot less energetic after an hour than the guys who didn’t play for 90 minutes 72 hours earlier – and had less time to train tactically for this match. It was a dire surrender, to be sure – but just cause they’re professionals doesn’t mean everyone else in the league isn’t as well. Mayweather might beat Pacquaio 9/10 times – but give Manny a week to prepare, and give Floyd 12 rounds against his biggest rival three days earlier, I reckon it’d go either way. I should add I know stuff all about boxing. Cheers.
“Rebuilding”….under Rodgers, I was sick to death of hearing this word. Under Klopp, I want to hear it more.
That I don’t worrys me that our greedy bastard owners expect him to polish turds and work with what he has inherited.
Benteke and the ever inept Skyrtl.
That no player besides Coutinho can be sold up to contribute to the seasons profits, and Coutinho isn’t going to hang around playing at this level, you could be forgiven for thinking he will be sold over summer. Unless we rebuild our transfer process and squad.
Yeah. I want to hear about rebuilding too. When the season is over. There’s one game off 1/4 of the season to go. 27 points to compete for.
Talking now about the big transfers, grand rebuilding plan at this stage doesn’t help the players we’ve got now, doesn’t get the supporters primed – is really just a lot of hot air right now. I believe in the man, you believe in him – I don’t need promises of transfers in 2 months, it’ll happen. The owners aren’t dropping half a billion here and there – but they’re hardly tightwad skinflints.
Given the money wasted on speculative transfers and the windows were no business was done I reckon they are proven tightwads. The Texiera debacle bring further proof if anywhere needed..FSG are tight as a crabs arse and that’s fucking water tight.
Yeah – I’m hardly going to call them City 2012 or Chelsea 2004 in the big spender league. But they’ve forked out £55 million + on Benteke and Firmino alone in the off season – I just don’t think they’re up for spending silly money in January after just getting a new gaffer who hasn’t even had a preseason to get his ideas across yet. Been there, done that, bought the ponytail. Getting in a bidding war with a cashed up Chinese consortium desperate to buy some marquee to show their ambition sounds like a hiding to nothing. We met his clause, (after negotiating) – we went over his clause, with bonuses and incentives – we got knocked back – then gazumped by China. There’s business – and there’s silliness.
if you go back to 13/14 season we were the same just we out scored other teams many a time other teams got 2 or 3 against us hence the goal diffrence we needed to make up in the palace game skrtel mingolet just dont work together theres about 8 or 9 players we keep the rest need to go klopp proberly knows this but isnt going to say anytthing as they wont play for him ave written of the next 12 months as carnt see us doing much till the majority are klopps players roll on next season were at least he will have made a start with his own players and maybe fsg will give him the money to get a few stars
For the first time this season Klopp is to blame for this.
1. The sub at ht made no sense.
2. He chose flanno right back and captain and he went on to have the worst game of his lfc career.
3. The Sturridge sub came too late, he should of been off at 2-0 and we should of got legs in midfield.
4. The next sub should of been Henderson, we looked knackered and we needed legs, he waited waited and waited until it was too late, 2-2.
5. Instead of finally bringing hendo on he sits him back down and brings ojo on, we go on to lose the game.
He’ll have bad games, the same as a striker or a goalkeeper has bad games. I I just wish when he does that people will look at him instead of Skrtle. For some reason giving away a penalty that didn’t cost us has made Skrtle into a pantomine villain, he did not cost us this football match.
You obviously didn’t see Blackburn away in 2012 mate, that was Flanno’s worst game by a mile.
I liked this piece. It touches upon something very fundamental in football: people make mistakes, managers as well as players. Shit happens. It doesn’t mean a manager is suddenly a bad manager, or that a player is suddenly a bad player*. It’s just how it is, and you hope to get more rights than wrongs.
*Not talking about Martin Skrtel here. Nothing sudden about him doing weird things on a football pitch.
It shouldn’t be a surprise that something like this happens though. This is what happens with a pretty good football team who are working towards being a consistently very good football team – and are playing against another good football team, coached by another good manager. So in that sense I think the ‘Have it never happen again’ bit is over the top. Because most likely it will. It happens to most teams, apart from the really really good ones. And that’s obviously not where we are, and not somewhere we have been for a very long time.
Things take time. Inconsistency shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. Just because we have a top class manager it doesn’t mean mistakes won’t happen, or that we become consistently good within a few months. High highs and low lows is likely to be the case with this team for a while longer, although hopefully this was an extreme case. In that sense I agree with the ‘never again’ bit; the target is to eliminate those low lows, and make the team’s bottom level as high as possible.
I agree I don’t like the slagging of a player in public and this is not a defence but a suggestion, maybe Klopp has tried everything else to get through to Benteke and bollocking him in public is he final thing he could try.
I’d take issue with the Skrtel argument. It’s chicken and egg, isn’t it? Had Lovren not lost his head, Klopp wouldn’t have felt compelled to sub him.
I really thought Dejan had turned a corner, and, in a purely footballing sense he has, but he remains mentally fragile, and you can’t have that in a centre-half. It’s yet another problem for Klopp: can he be bothered working on Lovren’s mentality or not? Does he have the time given all the other issues surrounding the club?
Every bloody time we are on the up; its a false dawn. This only shows the job at hand. As someone said above; you cant polish a turd, however, it would appear that from time to time Jurgen can sprinkle some glitter on them to make them (the turds) sparkle for a while at least.
“Failure is so much more interesting because you learn from it. That’s what we should be teaching children at school, that being successful the first time, there’s nothing in it. There’s no interest, you learn nothing actually.”
Sir James Dyson
Klopp has no need to do this experiment again. This season is an experimental season.
Well I totally agree with this and perhaps this “seismic” loss comes at a good time. At least Klopp has a fresh wound to deal with for 2 weeks. No manic preparations for the next game in 3 days time to distract himself and the bootroomers. I suspect this will have been decisive for the long term futures of a couple of players …
One aspect that has been touched upon is the sheer physicality of the EPL. Soton are (Like West Ham and many others) a team with a spine of grocs. If we can’t keep up the highest levels of effort and concentration then they will simply devour us. It seems to be the new formula for a lot of clubs. 8 big, physical and fast mofos plus a sprinkling of technically gifted lads.
We fell away yesterday as we have more than a few times this season. I wonder with so many physically slight players how Klopp is going to go forward. When we are fit and firing we can out think and out play these kind of teams but we cannot seem to maintain the levels required as it stands.
For me it’s all about being more clinical and for this result you can go back to Utd at home. Instead of being 3-4 nil up and the 2nd leg being a training game we still have to go into the away leg and play for 60. Again at the weekend yes very good for 45 but didn’t put the game to bed, at 2-0 one goal can change the dynamic of the game, which it did. Ultimately players know in game when a team has gone and are for the taking which we were.
On Benteke, helps if you at least look like you’re putting a shift in. Reminds me a bit of Colleymore (minus the wanking in the bushes) moments of brilliance mixed in with utter shite with a lazy as fuck attitude.