NEIL Atkinson was joined in an Oxford Hotel room by Mike Nevin, Rob Gutmann and Steve Graves to work through Liverpool’s very frustrating 3-3 draw with Watford.
What did they think of Liverpool’s shape? Who was responsible for what was happening in centre midfield? What were Liverpool trying to do?
All this is addressed plus more in the first proper post-match show of the 2017-18 season.
why is it not the pink? Which hotel in Oxford? Which pubs do you go to ? In town the turf, three goats or freuds / Jude’s on Walton Street. Out of town the trout
So in other words we have a pretty ordinary Midfield without Lallana Or Coutinho in there. Also we rely on our full-backs far too much and there isn’t a real No6 to protect our CB’s. To be fair our Centre Backs aren’t good enough to be exposed as much as they were today. Not allot changed from last season then
Havent listened to the show yet…but having watched the match… i felt my optimism fade away… same frailties in defence… and midfield wasn’t good… if courtino stays that would help offensively and tske the pressure off the back line… but we do need those extra bodies… midfield and defence… only this first game i know but same problems… has courtino unsettled the sqaud…
We’ll rue those 2 dropped points in May. You mark my words.
Could be he difference in us finishing 6th or 8th.
Milner’s 31. Hendo, really? Moreno, no, Mignolet, no, and so it goes. I thought Klopp would have cleared out your dead wood but he didn’t and that’s two more points that the other contenders aren’t going to drop. If you lose Coutinho, full-blown crisis. Sixth, at best, with these.
You know we are all going to have the same discussions again and again and again until someone , should be Klopp, recognises we need to revamp the back 5, in fact include the 3 in front that played today. Really thought that what was going to happen in the summer either through personnel or system, preferably both.
If I was Coutinho watching that back 5 I would be asking what is the point, and if I was Van Dyke I would be steering myself away from us as the pressure on him solving all our defensive problems is far to great for one individual however good a player he is.
Not saying they all need to go but to start there is no consistency in Mignolet over 90 mins net alone a season, same with the 2 centre backs, the back up centre backs are dubious quality to say the least( personally think Gomez should have gone out on lone to see if he really is as good as we think he is, he needs to play every week at this stage of his career).
Left back, I remember a show around a year ago when Robo was asked who he would buy if he could buy anyone and he replied Hector to which Neil replied ‘This prick wants to spend 25mill on a left back’ yea so much better to play a right sided midfielder at left back who constantly slows up the play because he keeps having to check inside, either that or a player who runs up and down, very quickly granted but up and down in straight lines until he gets to the by line and has no idea where or what to do next, if it wasn’t for the stands I bet he would keep on running like Forest Gump! Failing that lets buy a lad who none of us were particularly enamoured with when at Hull but now we have him he is the second coming of Paolo Maldini, may seem harsh but how many times have we heard ‘he is great at going forward but cant defend, fuck sake he is a left BACK!!When was the last time we had a really good left back, Ray Kennedy nearly 40 years ago!!, bit limited but boy could he defend, or Aurelio when fit?
Sorry but Henderson is not a Captain for me, maybe I was spoiled watching Souness, he is a player when fit but when fit is becoming the exception not the rule, you cant play Can , Wijaldum and Henderson in the same midfield, not enough pace, guile, agility for me at the very top and to be fair if everyone was fit sure this would have looked different today but again highlights the need for another top class midfielder.
Up front looks good although again think we need another top class wide player to effect the game from the bench.
Listening to another show today I heard we should jib the league cup because we have much bigger fish to fry this season, a touch arrogant that. We have won 1 cup , the league cup in in the last 10 years, does that really entitle us to pick and choose what we should try and win? Do you really think Shankly or Paisley would go into a friendly net alone a cup thinking’ We can jib this even though after everything they won they had every reason to do this? Winning is a habit and it is one we must get back asap .As well as this please please please can we stop having conversations about continually resting players after one or two games. Already there is talk about this.
Having finished 4th last season our aim has got to be to go as far as we can in all cups and have a sustained run at the league, if we to do this for me all the above must be addressed or its just going to be yet another season of what might have been’s I’m sure we are feed up with that, we are Liverpool, as Shanks said ‘First is first, second is nowhere’
Lastly I had the dubious pleasure of listening to Mr Barton on talk shite during the game, don’t know what Klopp has done to him but he really is not a fan of our manager is he. Personally not a fan of his but he called the sub of Gomez for Arnold a’ strange decision he may regret’ before the goal and questioned Klopp as a self appointed super coach that needed this season to step up.
Now I love Klopp but after the fume I thought about this and there is an element of truth in what he said. He has banged on about having time with the players to help them, bring them on , after the first 2 goals today I have to wonder what he has been doing with them over the last 6 weeks. In the press he was asked again about the defensive frailties, he just shrugged it of as bad luck. That is starting to wear a little thin to say the least and while I understand what he says in the media is different to what he says in the dressing room(at least I hope it is) I think it would just be refreshing to say it just isn’t good enough. The definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over again but expect a different result , I am not consigning Jürgen to the looney bin just yet but he has got to change it .
First game in slating most of the players I know, the question is when you look at the players in each position do you see them as a Championship winning footballer, some defiantly yes but I think for me the answer to a few to many is no so fighting again for top 4.First is First Second or nowhere and that is where we are destined to finish again I fear unless Klopp proves again he really is a super coach.
Thanks lads for a great show and keeping me entertained over the summer.
Sorry, got Ray Kennedy on the brain, meant Alan Kennedy
Same era at least!
There were actually some people who doubted of this squad needed much more strengthening during the summer. We are way short. Unless there’s a late few bits of action in the market, we will have – again – failed to build on a decent season. Torres felt it when he left, Coutinho feels it now and don’t be surprised if Mane feels it next season.
What’s happened to the format? How come it doesn’t automatically download like it used to and like other podcasts?
Same as it ever was, mate.
Since Klopps been in we’ve more or less broken even in transfer dealings, possibly even making profit with Coutinho sale imminent it seems.
We’ve got a good manager and a good core of exciting players.
Once again it looks like we’re going to throw away a promising opportunity to strengthen and become challengers. This time next year bye bye Mane. Can you blame them for leaving , always 1 step forward 2 steps backwards.
Well let’s see if Coutinho goes first (he might) before accusing them of taking a step back eh?
Bring back the pink!
The first half was depressive. After all that training, and all the summer transfer disappointment, watching that terrible performance made me believe that the season dream was already over… It’s easy to lose one’s mind and go into catastrophe fantasy: Coutinho is a goner, Lallana, Clyne & Sturridge already injured, VVD & Keita beyond our reach, Moreno & Mignolet are just the same old lads, Matip & Lovren will never find consistency to plug the wholes, set pieces will again get in the way of us defeating the lower half of the league, Henderson & Can will never be able to play together… for a moment I thought Klopp was doomed and started to hope some corrupt tycoon from some distant land would buy us out of our misery. Then came the second half: we do have one of the best attacks in world football, and I think Mane, Salah and Firmino (could he play as a 10?) are all world class and actually better than Coutinho; Hendo, also world class, will soon find his way back; Lallana & Clyne will recover; Sturridge, Moreno and Can will be sold next summer; we have Milner and Robertson coming back in; Karius seems to me actually an energetic, take charge goalkeeper who can become world class with a bit of time; and we’ll get VVD and a couple of other good signings before the end of August… next year we’ll add Keita and another great lad and we will still have Kloppo the man. As you can see, I’m still confused by the crazy emotional ride… Up the mad Reds!