lebron

Him and Nunez the main culprits of our downfall the last couple of months. Would sell both in a heartbeat right now. The moment you think you’re bigger than the manager it’s time to get rid. Showed my sons the clip of Terry talking about Villas-Boas earlier in the week, and they were shocked to see someone lauded as a leader talk that way. Fair to say they had some questions to how Mo acted on the sideline today. He can count himself very lucky to have stumbled on a situation where Klopp, Mane and Firmino all played to his strengths. Happy to see him go now before he tarnishes his reputation further.

Tough not to vent out at the players after seeing some of the downright stupid decisions after they went 2-1 up. Instead of finishing them off, we started trying to calm the tempo down (like we did most of 1st half). West Ham were completely knackered, and we just invited them into it. I HAVE to say something on Virgil. If he doesn't buck up his intensity and/or aggression, I'm fine with him not being given a new contract. He's so half-arsed in his blocking and positioning it just reeks of someone thinking he's too big for the fight. Look at the 2nd goal. If you're taking up THAT position as a CB, you at least tell the other defender (Robbo) to go ALL OUT to win the ball. Neither Diaz, Endo or Robbo (he does this all the time, the looose pressing) cover themselves in glory, but what the hell are you really doing there Virgil. Was also extremely lucky that Bowen's shot between his legs wasn't deflected past Allison earlier in the game. AAAAARRRGGHHHHH

I mentioned this a few pages back, but if his hamstring hasn't properly healed, shooting may be even worse than sprinting, both physically and mentally. In my view, he has tried to play at 85 pct, thinking he will help the team. Fact is his 100 pct before his injury was already borderline in terms of what we need in the winger's position. Nothing wrong with that, few pacy players keep their explosivity well into their 30s. What we're seeing now though is just as shadow of what was. We're (or maybe he himself) basically asking him to be a Messi-like playmaker, which he is not, some outstanding through balls aside.

Why would you, though? He can't strike a ball to save his life, and is getting worse and worse at it. I'm 100 pct sure some of it is related to his injury. Clearing up his hamstring issues is the only way he stays on for me. If he can't sprint or put his left foot through the ball no more, we can't cater to his ego/salary.

As good a season as VVD has had, he's probably been among our worst performers relative to his talent the last month.

I'd give Salah the next two months off to see if his body responds to rest/treatment. Then test him properly in terms of speed and agility. They're bound to have previous test numbers/tracking to compare with. If he's as done as he looks in terms of pace, let him go. I'd keep both of Trent and Van Dijk, as they are both world class footballers, even if they both have flaws. Would be having a Moyes/Jagielka/Ferdinand-type sitdown with them and force them to watch Gabriel/Saliba/White defend and attack both boxes though. Had they put in that type of effort throughout the season we would be clear at the top.

Just as he got most of the plaudits when we were all-conquering, he gets most of the blame now when we're struggling. It's the life of a star player. I maintain that Mane and Firmino were equally important to our success back then, we were just set up for Salah to have lots and lots of chances, and score lots of goals (which he did in admirable fashion) He looks completely washed now, and totally bereft of confidence. Code can keep chirping on about him not getting the ball. Won't matter, as he hasn't gone past a defender or delivered a decent finish in what seems like months. The few times he got it against an injured (!) Mykolenko he just took the easy way out and passed it backwards. The only way we keep him is if his hamstring is still a problem, and that's why he has fallen off a cliff. If this is his physical level now we need to get rid.

Good, attacking team. Hopefully we can win it with that starting 11, as there's not much on the bench to change the game...

1. Will they do anything with it, though? Otherwise it's corruption accepted. 2. Good. You agree that there's corruption involved then. Not sure there's a "grand conspiracy" myself, more likely just a few people wanting specific results influencing a few others. 3. Funnily, that was my aim to, as Jules tried to pass Dave's (in my opinion) fully legitimate claims off as conspiracy theories. I have noticed you do the same. We'll agree to disagree I guess Emotions running high on all things Liverpool I guess. Funny thing with putting your opinions in to the wider audience is you might find people disagreeing with you. Hopefully that won't lead to you guys not doing the pod, as it's normally a great listen!

He might be done with football altogether. I can see him with the German NT, but not club football. He won't have anything to prove, and unlike a lot of the other psychopaths that are posing as football managers, he is actually a decent human being with values and an affinity for normal life and normal people. The bafflement with English referees/VAR, TV companies and football authorities has a LOT to do with how he's fallen out of love with the game I think (much like many of us).

Yeah, a bit like the guy I mentioned above. He sat for 20 years. Has to go to prison now at the age of 76… Good job on the authorities that actually put their resources towards punishing those thinking “they’d have any chance of ever getting away with it”. Interested to know, do you not think City are cooking their books either? If that’s not deliberately rigging the competition I don’t know what is. Is it really THAT far fetched that someone is being influenced by the enormous sums of money (and prestige) that is floating around? I’ll take the crank description if it is the opposite view of yours as a badge of honour, thanks!

Hey, I’m not looking to pick a fight here, so if you took exception to my comment then I apologise for that. Just seemed a bit out of character with you view on that conspiracies and/or corruption doesn’t seem to exist in the PL, but is rife in the US because they are gambling derelicts (can’t be bothered to listen back to the exact time you said it and your exact wording). There’s enough evidence and material out there to connect the dots without being branded a conspiracy theorist. Anyway, I’ll leave Dave U to fight the fight on the pod for those of us that don’t think everything is all above board with the results and decisions in the home of football…

So you don’t think there’s any chance of bias and or corruption in sports? I’d say that it’s you and Jules that are out of touch on this one. I find it incredibly naive and just flat out galling that it’s just being laughed off as something totally unthinkable.

It is however, a fair question to ask why would we still watch it if we know it's corrupt? 1. It IS possible to beat the odds from time to time 2. Most of us were kids when we grew to love the game. It's pretty hard to give it up even if it doesn't resemble what was back then. 3. Some of us (even if that number shrinks by the day) live in hope that it will eventually be cleaned up.

I can only echo Dave's (and my own) previous comments about the refs. If Jules (Julian?) think everything is above board I would say that is an incredibly naive way of looking at the multi-billion-dollar industry that football has become. Talking about the Americans as if they are more susceptible to foul play than your own kind is a bit childish (if not xenophobic) as well. We have had our own little/big scandal here in Norway recently. The president of the Biathlon federation had been taking bribes for years to overlook the systematic Russian doping issues as well as generally being really friendly in debates regarding Russian particpitation. This is the man on top of the pyramid being directly influenced by Putin and his cronies. We (Norwegians) pride ourselves on being "clean" and at the front of the anti-doping work being done. Then our (possibly) biggest international influence in terms of winter sports (which is huge over here) not only completely sabotages his own sport's reputation, but actively works with a dictator. It won't be a hard stretch for me to think similar dealings are being done with the PL refs. A watch here, a hunting trip there, some prostitutes conveniently taking part in parties. Suddenly some friendly decisions go in their favour. You don't really have to go that far away in sporting terms either. There's enough corruption between the leaders in football to last a lifetime, Warner, Havelange, Blatter, Platini etc. https://www.wada-ama.org/en/news/wada-welcomes-guilty-verdict-besseberg-case