Liverpool 1 Southampton 1 (Oct 25 2015)

[tlw content]

When are we going to snap out of this cycle of mediocrity? If we aren’t drawing 0-0 we’re taking the lead and then giving it up to draw 1-1. Eight of the last nine games have been draws, it’s incredibly frustrating because you don’t know where you are with draws. Are we close to being good or close to being bad?

We’re not scoring enough goals to be able to relax in any game and because we’ve blown so many leads there’s a sense of inevitability now that we won’t hold onto them. We worked so hard to get in front against Southampton but as soon as we did, we immediately began to look nervous and vulnerable. Before we scored, I never really had the feeling Southampton were going to score. After we scored you could almost smell it in the air.

The crowd knew it and the players probably did too. That mental barrier is one of the biggest thinks Klopp needs to deal with, but I’m not sure how he can. The only thing that’s going to get rid of those issues is a few wins and to do that we’re going to need to score more goals.

We’ve played 14 games in all competitions this season and scored more than one goal on just one occasion, when Sturridge bagged a pair in a 3-2 win over Villa. In the 13 other games we’ve scored one or none. That’s a pretty disgusting record and it’s the main reason for us blowing leads in my opinion. It’s easy to blame the defence but when we’re on a knife edge all the time because we can’t score goals, it’s understandable that the whole team are shitting themselves.

We haven’t won a game by more than one goal all season, so the players haven’t been able to relax at any point in any of our games yet.

This has surely played a part in the edginess we’re seeing now. If you take it back further it’s even more telling. Since we beat Spurs 3-0 at the beginning of last season we’ve played a total of 69 games (55 last season and 14 this). In those 69 games, we’ve won by more than two goals just once and we’ve won by two goals on only seven occasions.

Some of those two goal wins were only settled late on, so basically you can say that our players have been playing under duress for well over a year with only a handful of games where they’ve had the luxury of being able to relax in the closing stages. No wonder their nerves are fucking frazzled. No wonder our nerves are fucking frazzled too!

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[VERBAL DIARRHEA]

The players make the crowd tense, and vice versa. The manager wants them to play without fear, they do that, and the crowd will respond. Not having a leader on the pitch is a huge problem.

[Trumo]

My own view is that you should always look to start games with at least 2 potent goal threats because it gives defenders something to think about and can buy some vital seconds before the opponents get any opportunities to launch quick counters. The other thing I would do is ensure that at least one of the midfield 3 is best suited to playmaking and using the ball because he'll have at least 2 'hopefully' mobile and dangerous players ahead of him.

 

Coutinho AND Lallana behind one up front isn't effective because it means we have only 1 potent goal threat (maybe not even that if that one up front is Origi) and the players who can potentially make things happen are the ones having to move around to be picked out rather than using their ability to pick out people moving ahead of them.

 

It's also a better way to utilise players like Moreno and Clyne who like to push forward because it gives them more options than just running forward, checking back and playing it safely infield or back to Sakho and Skrtel.

 

Lastly, it works better in keeping the team compact so there are no yawning chasms between positions, less ground to cover when pressing in packs (so the pressing itself is sharper and more effective), and more options for the man on the ball. It helps the team transition from defence to attack more quickly and purposefully, and again will help boost the threat level from wet fart to DEFCON1.

[Section_31]

You can't polish a turd, this is a terrible Liverpool side. Audley Harrison doesn't have a mental block, he's just shit, and so are we. Sometimes it's that simple.

[Paul]

That's true but this side is not that shit. They should be able to defend and score with some competency at least. Look at Coutinho, for example: wildly overrated by many Reds but still a talented player, yet he looks terrible this season. That's mental, in my view; exacerbated by the lack of quality around him, but mental nontheless.

[Hades]

Never got the fuss over Coutinho, he's capable of brilliant touches but doesn't think enough about the game for my liking. He's trying to be Suarez instead of trying to be Silva.

[eeyore]

We are more likely to be the turning point for mourinho staying than getting him the sack.

[stringvest]

We are more likely to be the turning point for mourinho staying than getting him the sack.

On the basis of this seasons form, is that something to be frightened about?

 

It's like people saying we should keep Rodgers long after circumstances proved to be ideal for him. Before the bleating starts, I don't want to see Coutinho go, I'd rather see him get a shit load better.

[eeyore]

On the basis of this seasons form, is that something to be frightened about?

 

It's like people saying we should keep Rodgers long after circumstances proved to be ideal for him. Before the bleating starts, I don't want to see Coutinho go, I'd rather see him get a shit load better.

I have no idea what any of that means

[stringvest]

I have no idea what any of that means

Ha! My bad, as the kids used to say. I thought you were referring to Coutinho. Blame it on my age.

[eeyore]

Ha! My bad, as the kids used to say. I thought you were referring to Coutinho. Blame it on my age.

I thought you'd wet yourself or something

[stringvest]

Nah. I'm actually suited up and having breakfast in the city as I type. You still in your pjs?

[an tha]

You can't polish a turd, this is a terrible Liverpool side. Audley Harrison doesn't have a mental block, he's just shit, and so are we. Sometimes it's that simple.

Exfuckingactly

 

It amazes me when people say we have a good squad and are only a player or two short etc.

 

We are very, very mediocre.

 

A squad chocker with mediocrity.

 

Pretty much evert main trait needed from a top team is either missing or in short supply in our squad.

 

Klopp is of course a world class manager, but he has inherited a squad that lacks depth and balance and most importantly real quality.

 

Leaders, fight, intelligence, pace, power, good movement, composure, creativity, cutting edge, snideness, nous, solidity - all either in very short supply or missing.

 

Klopp has a massive job with this shower who to top the list of things they lack off are also mentally weak.

 

It is criminal how bad a squad we have after assembling it at such a cost.

[bonesman]

A lot of the players currently in the first team were bought  in as back up / squad players, through a series of mishaps, injuries and blunders have found themselves in the postion. I think that's why they have no belief, they themselves don't believe their good enough to be in the position they are now. Their decent enough to be called on if absolutely necessary or to provide some energy/balance/etc  in the latter stages of matches but their not good enough to be first name on the sheeters and they know it. imo.

 

edit- Its a bit of a 'no shit sherlock' post ha, but it took ages to type so Im leaving it..

[Section_31]

That's true but this side is not that shit. They should be able to defend and score with some competency at least. Look at Coutinho, for example: wildly overrated by many Reds but still a talented player, yet he looks terrible this season. That's mental, in my view; exacerbated by the lack of quality around him, but mental nontheless.

I think Coutinho because of his age and style of play will always struggle when he doesn't have a decent side around him and players willing to do the donkey work. He is a very good player but as I said on another thread, he's the cherry on the cake type of player but at the moment we don't have a cake.

 

I think this is a disgraceful Liverpool side and we've just recalibrated our expectations so much that we've convinced ourselves there's some potential in there but there's not.

 

We all used to give Monty shit for rating Milner when he was about 24 and in his prime, now he's our captain. We clutch at straws and tell ourselves that we miss players like Henderson but it's not true. They're a bog average squad of shithouses and born losers. If they were at the school prom and Biff Tannon turned up, their wives would all end up with Biff's musk all over them and the squad would all go to bed early and read a good book.

 

Things won't improve until at least after summer. The squad needs root and stem reconstruction, half of them deserve a full firing squad the other half deserve to be humanely put down.

 

I expect Klopp to blow at least 50 mil at Christmas, I don't think he thought he would, but I bet he will now.

[Russ Atmosphere]

I really rate Klopp for bigging up this current team and saying they're all good enough, I think it's helping to get the best out of them, as much as injuries and fitness is allowing. However, I don't believe him for a second. Think we'll dip into the market in January, it's hasn't proven all that bad value for us in the past. No way is this a good squad, it's nearly November and we have had one good half of football and only drew that.

[Paul]

I think Coutinho because of his age and style of play will always struggle when he doesn't have a decent side around him and players willing to do the donkey work. He is a very good player but as I said on another thread, he's the cherry on the cake type of player but at the moment we don't have a cake.

 

I think this is a disgraceful Liverpool side and we've just recalibrated our expectations so much that we've convinced ourselves there's some potential in there but there's not.

 

We all used to give Monty shit for rating Milner when he was about 24 and in his prime, now he's our captain. We clutch at straws and tell ourselves that we miss players like Henderson but it's not true. They're a bog average squad of shithouses and born losers. If they were at the school prom and Biff Tannon turned up, their wives would all end up with Biff's musk all over them and the squad would all go to bed early and read a good book.

 

Things won't improve until at least after summer. The squad needs root and stem reconstruction, half of them deserve a full firing squad the other half deserve to be humanely put down.

 

I expect Klopp to blow at least 50 mil at Christmas, I don't think he thought he would, but I bet he will now.

I totally disagree. We cannot focus on complete reconstruction or we'll be perpetually in this "transitional" phase we've occupied for the last five years.

 

We need to focus on the first team by spending all our money for each window on one or two top class players. You do not need eleven world beaters to win things. Djimi Traore was superb in the CL winning run to Istanbul and there's no one in our current squad as technically limited as him.

 

Two top class players would improve this side immeasurably. Of course that should not be the end of our improvements but it would lift everyone. Mentality is huge in football and contemporary equivalents of (thinking more modestly than Suarez and Gerrard) Mascherano and McManaman (for example) would make us much better almost instantly.

 

Klopp's coaching and leadership will still be crucial of course, but just adding a midfield general and goal scoring winger would have impact. That said, it could be a Sami and an Aldo or a Clemence and a Babbel (although match winners would be my preference first): top class players make those around them better.

[ngogswilly]

Still think people will be surprised at the improvement they'll see once Klopp has a bit more time to work with these lads.

 

As someone made the point about Coutinho, is he really as shite as he looks at the minute, no way so its clearly a mental issue right now. 

 

It's been said before and it'll be said again. Rodger's has left the team in a terrible state. They havn't been setup properly in ages and have been playing in a complete clusterfuck of a system. You can see them still doing stupid things that have been ingrained from his time. 

 

In terms of player recruitment we've some turds to flush but there are some good players in the group too. Enough to work with. 

[Denny Crane]

Good managers can get average players to perform above their level.

 

I think the more Klopp gets to work with the team the more we will see that.

 

There are some turds in the squad and some personality missing but Klopp will get more out of this squad.

 

Do we need to buy better players of course but the likes of Vardy and Noble, Jenkinson and a few other average players are faring quite well because their managers have set the team up well.

 

Go back through some of the teams who have finished in the Top 4 over the past decade and there are loads of turds in those teams.

[Russ Atmosphere]

Still think people will be surprised at the improvement they'll see once Klopp has a bit more time to work with these lads.

 

As someone made the point about Coutinho, is he really as shite as he looks at the minute, no way so its clearly a mental issue right now. 

 

It's been said before and it'll be said again. Rodger's has left the team in a terrible state. They havn't been setup properly in ages and have been playing in a complete clusterfuck of a system. You can see them still doing stupid things that have been ingrained from his time. 

 

In terms of player recruitment we've some turds to flush but there are some good players in the group too. Enough to work with. 

 

Not the physical issue that had him withdraw from the Brazil squad before the Spurs game, that it's rumoured he's still not fit from? Mind you I'd have mental issues playing behind Origi so you may have something there.

[Etienne77]

This current squad is very average. Luckily the prem is very average. We lack a spark within the side. Klopp will look to bring in a couple of big signings in January. He may go back to Dortmund for someone to be his main man on the pitch. I hope so.

[s(k)aturation]

Ha! My bad, as the kids used to say. I thought you were referring to Coutinho. Blame it on my age.

 

Yeah, but at least you got Stonehenge right, Stringy.

Nice bit of work, that.

[The Golden Eel]

Once we get Benteke in the side and fit and Firmino gets going, we'll be far better.  The defence looks OK to me these days with Sakho in there and the midfield has a much better balance than in the recent past.  I think we're going to start picking up over the next few games

[old skool tom]

It's not just a mental barrier,it's mainly a shite midfield and lack of players who can go past people with pace and power

 

When (if ever?) are strikers are fully fit it'll still be a problem because our 2 AMs Lallana and Cout are simply to lightweight and inconsistent.Ibe is only wide attacker with pace who can stretch game so Klopp has a major fucking job IMO

 

Hopefully he can raid his former club and get some mates rates for several players and Firmino comes good in January otherwise were truly fucked

[The Golden Eel]

Ibe is only wide attacker with pace who can stretch game so Klopp has a major fucking job IMO

 

Origi looks pacier and more direct than Ibe to me, I'd like to see him given more of a go out wide when we get strikers back, not necessarily starts but minutes anyway