Watford 3 Liverpool 0 (Dec 20 2015)

[tlw content]

There was me thinking Newcastle was as bad as it could get. Wishful thinking that, because this was much, much worse. It was utterly shameful in fact, as bad as anything I can remember in a long time. At least against Newcastle we defended quite well for the most part and it was the attack that didn't show up, but this one was a train wreck from start to finish in every area of the pitch.

Only Jordan Henderson played to anything like an acceptable level, and only two or three of the others looked like they were even trying. In fact, the only winners in this - aside from Watford - were Dejan Lovren, James Milner and Simon Mignolet, whose battered reputations were enhanced without even kicking - or saving - a ball.

I’ve seen a lot of Reds calling for Bogdan to be given his chance over Mignolet, but unless 'Simple Simon' got to a point where he was far worse than he has been I wouldn’t have even considered it. A couple of decent outings in the League Cup doesn't change who Bogdan is, the whole body of work has to be considered. If Bogdan was a better option than Mignolet he wouldn’t have been second choice at Bolton. Being better than Brad Jones doesn’t equate to being serious competition to a Premier League goalkeeper.
 
He's a back up who should only play in emergencies and talk of making him first choice is just daft. By all means say Mignolet isn't good enough and we need a new keeper, but can we stop with the Bogdan talk now?  Mignolet is unquestionably a better keeper than Bogdan, it’s just that people hadn’t seen enough of Bogdan to realise it. I assume they have now.
 
I was having that argument with my dad before the game. He’s been on the Bogdan bandwagon for months after he made a couple of saves in a cup game. “You haven’t seen enough of him to know if he’s any good” was my response. “Be careful what you wish for” was another. Three minutes into this and he’s gifted a goal to Watford. I looked over at my arl fella and he just goes “yeah he’s crap”.

The goal shouldn’t have stood of course, but Clattenberg didn’t have a clear view of it when the lad kicked it out of Bogdan’s hands so what’s he supposed to do? He had to give the goal and there’s no point complaining about it. If Bogdan doesn’t drop it in the first place then the goal doesn’t happen. He says that he’ll “learn from it” but what the fuck is he supposed to learn? Don’t drop the ball? I'd like to think he knew that already. You don’t 'learn' from a mistake like that as you knew beforehand not to fucking do it.

He almost made an even bigger clanger not long after when instead of gathering a simple loose ball he inexplicably tried to punch instead and it bounced off one of his own defenders and nearly ended up in another joke of a goal. Fucking ridiculous. He made a good save from Ighalo in the second half and he had no chance with the second or third goals, so this isn’t all on him by any stretch of the imagination, but his fuck up set the tone early and we never recovered from it. Come back soon Simon, all is forgiven.

If I was right about Bogdan I have to admit that I’ve been wrong about the rest of them. I see that now. Those who have been saying the players aren’t good enough are right. They’ve been right all along. I just didn’t see it because I always allow the good performances to cloud my overall impression of them, but if they can’t produce those performances on a regular basis then they aren’t good enough. I accept that now.

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[El Rojo]

Don't worry. There'll be 42 photos of the players laughing in training on the offal tomorrow and some quotes from Firmino that we haven't seen the best of him yet.

 

Agree with you on Costa. Can't bring myself to hate him because he was a pantomime villain before he ever joined that shower. He's the kind of character would flourish under Klopp and exactly the kind of twat we're missing. Never going to happen though.

 

I really hope Jurgen's bluffing with his no buys in January public stance.

[3 Stacks]

Good article, but when you say the team isn't doing well because they lack balls, I don't really go along with that and I think it's pretty arbitrary. I don't think you could say that the likes of Arsenal or Man City have that much more heart or balls then Liverpool. In fact, that's probably the number one thing people criticize them for.

 

Despite this, they still batter the smaller teams almost all the time because they have a lot of talent. We don't have a lot of talent and that's why we can't beat these smaller teams. Imo,it really is as simple as that.

[KMD7]

Totally agree with everything you've just written Dave. I've been letting my heart rule over my gut on this team for too long. Getting carried away every couple of good performances only to be let down by the shit we witnessed yesterday.

My gut feeling about a lot of these players is that they're a bunch of soft cunts. Yesterday finally confirmed it for me . They can fuck off. I only hope Klopp and his team can sort this mess out.

 

[shouter]

Couldn't agree more with every word you've written there.

[ben48]

I remember Kenny saying you have to win the right to play football,we have no one in midfield to win us that right.Oh for a Souness or Case or well any of them,they all knew how to win the midfield and then play football.

[El Rojo]

I remember Kenny saying you have to win the right to play football,we have no one in midfield to win us that right.Oh for a Souness or Case or well any of them,they all knew how to win the midfield and then play football.

Souness and Case may have been tough bastards, but on the other hand, their skin was often dry and they didn't even have a moisturising regime.

[Ipplfc]

That was every bit as bad as the Stoke 6-1 last season,a total shambles from start to finish,there just isn't enough goals in the team and hasn't been for far too long,unless kloppo can sort this out we can forget about looking up and will have to keep an eye over our shoulders,unfortunately I don't think he will find the answer to the scoring goals problem in this squad

[ben48]

Souness and Case may have been tough bastards, but on the other hand, their skin was often dry and they didn't even have a moisturising regime.

I suppose your right mate(sighs)

[s(k)aturation]

Souness and Case may have been tough bastards, but on the other hand, their skin was often dry and they didn't even have a moisturising regime.

 

Perhaps we could change our name from Liverpool to L'Oreal.

[rb14]

The trouble with the Skrtel thing is that he wasn't injured. No way. In my book it is worse, infinitely worse, to bottle out, than to stand up and be counted.

 

You can shave your head but it doesn't make you a hardknock. You can bleach your hair but it doesn't make you a big hom... oh, hang on, that's not right.

[Dante]

*sighs*

 

Horrifically depressing effort all round from the team to the manager.

 

What's more dispiriting is that Leicester arrive at Anfield as favourites with Ranieri at the helm, the same Ranieri that I choked on my cornflakes whilst stifling a sarcastic laugh when I heard he'd been appointed, managing a team that cost as much as a third hand Skoda.

 

When you glance at the league table and see that Leicester, Palace, Watford and West Ham are above us it seems surreal yet when you consider that we are stockpiled with overpaid rudderless fannies with all the heart of an iron lung then yes it's probably not so far fetched.

 

Looking forward to Klopp's first couple of transfer windows to see what the fuck he does to change things.

[Paul]

Skrtel has been shite since day one vs Havant and Waterlooville. He's had moments and even periods where he's improved but he always reverts to type: he's a fucking fanny.

 

Character and mentality has been a massive issue at Liverpool since 1990 (at the latest). Rafa and GH each came close to addressing it by signing top class winners but each also undid their good work by signing way too much shite.

 

And that's the post-title years summed up: weak mentality and poor transfer business.

[rb14]

I really hope Jurgen's bluffing with his no buys in January public stance.

 

No. I'm sure the best way of securing your targets at the lowest price is to announce loudly "We're deffo looking for players."

[Brownie]

Welcome to the Dark Side, Dave.

 

I've been saying the same for ages; we over-rate our players based on a few good games. When you completely remove all emotion and take a step back and analyse these players, who consistently plays well? None of them, hence mediocrity.

 

The thing is, you can't help but get carried a way a bit when you're battering good teams away from home but my reaction throughout that was "what is going on?!" because it made no sense. What we've seen since has redressed the balance unfortunately.

 

Klopp has an impossible job for me.

[ZonkoVille77]

We're fuckin shite

[Paul]

Welcome to the Dark Side, Dave.

 

I've been saying the same for ages; we over-rate our players based on a few good games. When you completely remove all emotion and take a step back and analyse these players, who consistently plays well? None of them, hence mediocrity.

 

The thing is, you can't help but get carried a way a bit when you're battering good teams away from home but my reaction throughout that was "what is going on?!" because it made no sense. What we've seen since has redressed the balance unfortunately.

 

Klopp has an impossible job for me.

I think Clyne, Henderson and Milner are all consistent players. The problem is that each is a functional type rather than a match winner.

[chrisbonnie]

Clyne yes. Milner no way. He's terrible. Always has been and always be mediocre.

 

Henderson is only back from injury. But if im being honest, his best spell for us was after Christmas when we came second under rodgers. He's been fairly average the rest of the time. I'd like to say he's been better than that, but he really hasn't.

 

The funny thing is, you can paper over most of these cracks with decent strikers. But we've consistently bought utter shite in that department.

[billypilgrimnz]

Clyne consistently has no end product in the final third, I'll give you that. Wouldn't be a problem of course if we had a decent midfield, strikers, and wingers...

[Paul]

Clyne consistently has no end product in the final third, I'll give you that. Wouldn't be a problem of course if we had a decent midfield, strikers, and wingers...

Exactly the point I was making.

[Paul]

The funny thing is, you can paper over most of these cracks with decent strikers. But we've consistently bought utter shite in that department.

That's what Brendan did. However, I think striker has been (relatively) our most successful department in the transfer market. In Suarez, Torres and Sturridge we've signed three world class talents whose brilliance massively compensates for any number of Carrolls, Bentekes and Aspases.

[Brownie]

I think Clyne, Henderson and Milner are all consistent players. The problem is that each is a functional type rather than a match winner.

Fair point.

[El Rojo]

That's what Brendan did. However, I think striker has been (relatively) our most successful department in the transfer market. In Suarez, Torres and Sturridge we've signed three world class talents whose brilliance massively compensates for any number of Carrolls, Bentekes and Aspases.

 

The plural of Aspas is Aspi.

 

And the collective noun is 'depression', as in 'a depression of Aspi.'

[stringvest]

I had more confidence in Johnson with the ball at his feet, despite his propensity to run down blind alleys

[The Guest]

This defeat in particular was down to the lineup and formation for me. Firmino up front on his own needs to stop, now. As does the 1 man up front in general. The press that worked so well against Man City is going to be useless against sides like this and I hope Klopp realises it sooner rather than later. They will just go long and if they have 2 decent forwards like Watford have its the perfect answer to Klopps tactics. They will just defend with 2 banks because they know we've got no wide players when Ibe isn't playing and Firmino is the worst cf in the league. Honestly Klopp has been a breath of fresh air but some of his selections and lack of urgency in subs are grating a little.