Liverpool were abject against Swansea City and found their performance deteriorating as the game wore on. It was amongst their poorest displays of the campaign and on this show immediately after the final whistle The Anfield Wrap pick the bones out of a game which can only hurt The Reds.
No one impressed, Man Of The Match is a difficult question and as such the manager is questioned.
Neil Atkinson hosts and Greg Power, Adam Melia and Dan Morgan are all working out where it went so badly wrong for Jurgen Klopp’s side.
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From what I saw on the telly, it seemed like we just did not win the crucial physical battles, we wanted to just ‘play’ and sweep Swansea away. It’s an old adage (often used on the show – I haven’t listened fully yet) but, you have to EARN the right to play your quick, fluid passing game, tonight we just didn’t win the ‘small’ one to one battles to demoralise the opponents.
Also,
hate to be a doom-munger but, it seems alomost suicidal to let both Coutinho AND Sturridge leave, with no replacements (not like for like, but as best as can be done). Sturridge has obviously not often been used but looking at our bench tonight with no true game-changers to come on we suddenly look incredibly weak (bench-wise). Sturridge is the kind of player that defences really fear having to deal with, especially for the last 20 mins’ of games. The psychological impact of having one or two ‘star subs’ is huge. If DS does go, and we do not even put a bid in for another attacker then I think that will be negligent. It’s a great ideal to wait and slowly build a side capable of challenging for top honours, but unfortunately the other competitors do not stand still. They have their own time-lines and schedules and are adaptable. It is ironically made even more difficult by the fact that we have shown that we are not above selling off our best players mid-season.
Aaaaaand breath (sigh). Rant over. We were seriously shit tonight weren’t we.
*(doom) monger* (rather than (doom) munger.
We had both Coutinho and Sturridge playing in the game last season against Swansea at Anfield, when Swansea were decidedly better. We lost 2-3 then.
Klopp and the team had 8 days to prepare and also have a think about their approach against a bottom of the table team who would look to try and get points at all costs.
Instead Klopp took the emotional and pragmatic way which cost us. Players will have off days, and the manager must adapt to this, not just going out and buying some players, but actually understand that his tactics don’t work and admit this to sort it out.
We’ve lost more than a player without Phil … Just feels like our X-Factor has gone. The unstoppable ‘fab four’ reduced to three, rotation looks instantly more difficult, nothing on the bench that can truly turn a game. No magician to make magic … a club who have HAD to sell their best midseason. TONIGHT there was something missing … not just Phil, but how good we looked and FELT with him.
We’re lacking now … and it needs fixing.
I agree livrule. Throw some cash at Leicester for Mahrez, we’re not exactly short of money right now. Failing that, just pay Leipzig the 20m Euros if necessary. In games like this we desperately need someone creative, carrying the ball from midfield, right through the lines, and that is Keita’s major strength (well, one of them anyway). Unbelievable if we lose both Coutinho AND Sturridge (a great option from the bench when fit) mid-season, without bringing any attackers, or creative midfielders in.
Come on guys it’s fairly simple. We have a team that operates well in space and at speed. . Carlos nailed it ….. just clog the fucking thing up. Maybe Lallana has the foot speed (and obviously Coutinho) but bigger picture is that WE don’t have a plan for it. I mean what did Klopp decide was the Swansea game plan. They start with City line up plus VVD and ….. what ? What does Klopp add to this ? You can berate Mourinho but that doesn’t happen with him. And best point made on Pink was Klopp’s attitude on bench and substitutions. It’s been made several times. You give that shite MAX 60 mins; for me that’s a 45 min hairdryer and two getting hooked for just being shite. And as you rightly say – we can’t just accept these bottom of the league fuck ups anymore. Get a fucking plan Jürgen get a. FUCKING plan.
Throw the bloody cash at Leipzig! Naby Keita breaking the lines is exactly what we need in crappy games like this. Top 4 is very, very much still completely open and Jurgen and FSG will rightly get pelters’ if we miss out after selling two big name attacking players HALF-WAY through a season, without bringing in any forward replacements. If it really is true that we are not looking to bring anyone in after failing to negotiate Naby’s early transfer, then frankly, that is absolutely MENTALISTIC.
We won’t be spending anymore cash this window. One Coutinho gets you AOC, VVD and a summer Keita. The books have been balanced so the fax machine will be switched off and the office door shut around 6pm on the final day of the window.
VVD was brought in due to the imminent (or already negotiated) sale of Coutinho. This isn’t mine but it’s apt, “This is what happens when you do fourth place on the cheap”. Same as it ever was.
Liverpool have a problem getting through defensive formations Mike Nevin highlighted Klopps inability to square this circle with or without Coutinho.
Liverpool have performed best when the games have been coming thick and fast, as soon as we get a week off to prepare we falter.
A shot on target please lads after Fabianski got crocked. Gotta play for free kicks in goal range. DS had that role. Can’s wellyboot balls over the defence. Mane not confident. Gini left on instead of Ox. Well focussed Swans.
Oh, those seemingly bloody endless Can balls over the top. You just know it’s a bad game when he starts (and goes on) with that painful party trick.
Is Riyadh Mahrez some kind of ‘Secret Asshole’? There must be some reason that none of the top clubs ever seem to be serious about signing him.
It sounds like The Anfield Wrap has been elevated to heavenly status….
Are you in a bigger hall?
You all sound like angels….ha ha
I’m not sure its working though, the sound quality isn’t as good as it normally is in the studio.
I’ve listened to a couple of shows from the hall and it definitely affects your listening enjoyment.
I love you fella’s , so I wouldn’t unsubscribe because of it but I wanted to point it out.
Not a criticism, just an observation from listening.
Still enjoyed the debate, picking the bones out of that rubbish last night.
I can’t remember a performance where I couldn’t give a 7 out of ten to any Liverpool player.
Any of them.
I hope it is a sign that, it was just an off night.
D’yer know what? It was like they came out and someone asked them to suddenly play hockey! They are PROFESSIONAL footy players. Same game same rules same type of tactics against. Surely adaption cant be that hard. They have seen it all before. Where is plan B? Millie would drive em on at least. Lose Can PLEASE. Gini is catching his worst ideas. Head shakingly poor. Its not Basketball! Its footy!
Every player let our club down big time no urgency from start to finish our tactics were summed up in the 72 nd minute when at 1-0 down I counted at least five players of ours at the back passing they all around holding on to a 1-0 defeat this is when tbh I wanted to go onto the pitch myself and also some sense into every player wearing a red jersey and thought what is the point of caring since they obviously don’t seem to care themselves I mean I would visit klopp myself if I thought he would listen about our lack of a plan B in breaking down a,deep lying defence also van sink screwed up big time before and at their goal but the question remains why are we do open down the flanks and to the crossfield ball in behind the defence and it’s been this way all season look back at our games and look what an early quick ball into the vacated spaces can do to create against our defence admit will show you just how poor we are defensively and yes we blame van dijk for their goal but at least he tried to cut the ball out which is more can be said for Gomez or Roberson in either wing back position we can only break teams down from their mistakes or when they over attack us teams that nullify us by dropping deep expose our weakness to the max I rest my case it’s a wrap from this pissed off die hard red we have to face facts that jurgen klopp is no longer the man to take us to the next level as things stand because he is too set in his ways he is good with the media except when mistakes or flaws are pointed out in his teams play then he makes too many excuses and does not find a proper solution to fix our lack of a plan B or the fact if we used the quality we have more effectively we probably would not need a plan B at all