Norwich City 4 Liverpool 5 (Jan 23 2016)

[tlw content]

Football eh? Bloody hell. Just how are we supposed to feel about this? At 3-1 down I was ready to completely wash my hands of this bunch of losers. Then at 4-3 up I was feeling bad for writing them off. At 4-4 I was just numb and then… well then THAT happened and it was just euphoria mixed with all kinds of other stuff.
 
My over-riding feeling is relief that we won, but I can’t shake the feeling that overall we’re a bit shit aren’t we? This was an incredible game, really exciting and entertaining, but seriously lacking in quality. It was mid-table against relegation fooder. While the scoreline suggests it was a classic, it really wasn't. It wasn’t like the first Newcastle 4-3 for example, where it was two great attacking sides just going after each other and creating loads of chances. There wasn’t much great attacking and there weren’t even many chances in this. Virtually every effort on target ended up in the net. It was just shite defending combined with two goalkeepers incapable of saving anything.
 
None of the goals in this game were direct goalkeeping errors, yet I can’t help thinking the likes of De Gea, Courtois and Lloris would have saved at least three or four of the nine goals that went in. Mignolet hasn’t made a save for weeks, it's starting to feel like when Pepe got fat and every shot he faced went in. Mig is slow getting down to everything at the moment. The second goal especially is one I would have expected a good keeper to save, while the penalty was crap and was certainly saveable too. Some may even say the fourth was saveable, but I'm not sure I'd go that far. 
 
Klopp must be fuming about the inability of the team as a whole to defend, and despite what he says it’s not just set-pieces. Norwich didn’t score four goals from set-plays, the second and third came from our inability to stay with runners. It was happening right throughout the first half; the man with the ball would lay it off for a give and go and our lads would ball watch instead of going with the runner.
 
The first half performance was a disgrace I thought. Having gone ahead we should have turned the screw but instead just sleepwalked through most of the half. Our goal was nicely worked between Milner and Firmino but the keeper should have saved the Brazilian’s weak shot. Initially it looked like it was an own goal and he’d diverted an off target shot into his own goal, but replays suggest his touch didn’t alter the direction of the ball and it’s definitely Firmino’s goal.
 
Milner then had a great chance to make it 2-0 when Firmino played him through, but he’s just so damn slow that it closed up on him and he took a poor touch and the chance was gone. That’s the thing with Milner, he’s always just a fraction off. A mate text me during the game and said he’s never seen a player on the floor stretching for the ball and losing out as much as Milner. He’s right too, it happens all the time. He’s always ‘nearly’ winning a tackle or ‘nearly’ getting to the ball first.
 
It’s as though his brain hasn’t cottoned onto the fact his legs seem to have lost a yard. It reminds me of this fat lad who used to play footy with us every now and again. He was obviously a skilful tricky winger when he was a kid, before he put on the extra four stone, but he still played like he was the skinny, quick kid, trying to take people on the outside and repeatedly losing the ball because he couldn't run. It was as though he had no idea that he was a big fatty now and moved like a glacier, and obviously none of his mates had the heart to tell him.
 
That's Milner that is. He's not James Milner of Leeds who became the PL's youngest player all those years ago as a spritely winger, he's Jim Milner, the wily old veteran who can't move like he used to but can get through games with his brain and experience. I really like him though, even if it is frustrating watching him pulling that caravan all round the park. His grit, determination and intelligence still makes him a useful player and I thought he did as much as anyone to keep us in the game when it was getting away from us. The fact that it was getting away from us is alarming though.

 

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[Bad Red Bull]

All I remember is mig saving a penalty in his first game against stoke. I dont recollect him saving any other

[Dr Nowt]

It really is like Houllier replacing Evans isn't it. Klopp and Rodgers have had their own go at being tied together in a three-legged race, even if they weren't joint managers at the same time. Hopefully in the summer we'll see a similar weeding out process.

[andyj]

It really is like Houllier replacing Evans isn't it. Klopp and Rodgers have had their own go at being tied together in a three-legged race, even if they weren't joint managers at the same time. Hopefully in the summer we'll see a similar weeding out process.

i hope klopp is brutal in his summer clear out  its what is needed  if we are going on another transition period.....lets do it properly this time  

 

i dont think the win yesterday was so much of us digging in  i think it was more of a case of norwich getting caught in the  headlights and were stunned at being 3-1 up  against us  they just fell apart 

[Lee909]

Hopefully its similar to Houlliers first summer. Rid of Ince,Leonardson, James and in with Henchoz,Hyypia and Didi

[Mark M]

Good report Dave. I love klopp and think he'll be great for us but can't help feeling he's made a big mistake giving mingolet a contract extension.

He's not saving anything. His shot stopping which is supposed to be his strength is awful.

[Pidge]

[ZonkoVille77]

The fucking state of that chump

[Russ Atmosphere]

He looks like an absolute cunt there.

[Anubis]

It’s as though his brain hasn’t cottoned onto the fact his legs seem to have lost a yard. It reminds me of this fat lad who used to play footy with us every now and again. He was obviously a skilful tricky winger when he was a kid, before he put on the extra four stone, but he still played like he was the skinny, quick kid, trying to take people on the outside and repeatedly losing the ball because he couldn't run. It was as though he had no idea that he was a big fatty now and moved like a glacier, and obviously none of his mates had the heart to tell him.

 

 

 

Harsh on Monty that.

[an tha]

We are shite...really shite.

 

Hopefully there is a massive clearout this summer and then Klopp can start building a team that has the quality, pace, power and edge that this shower of shithouses lack.

 

Yesterdays result was great in terms of a last kick winner but all our weaknesses were exposed by a very very poor team.

 

Our keeper couldn't catch AIDS in an African Brothel..defenders are mainly slow in thought and positionally stupid.

Our midfield is slow, ponderous and weak and our options up front whilst decimated by injury are poor.

 

Our football is ponderous and slow and over elaborate - we make it look difficult.

 

We got lucky yesterday - something teams of course need and we haven't had a lot of but our deficiencies are many and serious and our mid table berth is very representative of how good we are.

 

Out of our current squad I honestly would only keep:

 

Clyne

Gomez

Sakho

Smith

Flanagan

Henderson

Coutinho

Firmino

Can

Ibe

Origi

Ings

 

12 of them there and not all are by any means certain starters

 

The rest can go...keep the kids as back up/see who steps up and the rest needs to be made up of new bodies.

 

Fortunately Klopp has a history of jibbing loads in a summer and bringing in a load of new faces - hopefully he will do just that this summer and start the rebuilding job.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

Calling him Jim Milner makes me think of him like a Captain Kirk figure; I guess it still fits the analogy of someone who doesn't realise he's aged, still fighting aliens in a corset and wig like the day he first put the uniform on.

[Ipplfc]

Good report that,I hope when flanno gets match fit kloppo plays him left back and fucks that brain dead Spanish prick right off.

Did that fat kid who still thinks he can run have lovely long black hair Dave?

[moof]

I like that, Jim Milner.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

Big Jim Milner. Lovely fella.

[stringvest]

 

 

Moreno and organ grinder.

[VERBAL DIARRHEA]

Moreno and organ grinder.

Mecca Bingo missing an employee. Brainless moron number 1

[Evelyn Tentions]

Same tailor as Meireles.

[PatiencePending]

Great report but I'd be careful what you wish for in the case of trying to sign Texeira...is it just me (quite possibly) but never heard of him before this season, now we want to pay £25m for him. This could well be the work of our famous transfer comitee who's work is well documented...we could've actually signed Shane long and Charlie Austin and paid there wages for what were probably going to spend on this latest 'no 10' or is he a false 9? Like I say I'd run a mile from that one...sorry to go off subject but the rest of the report was spot on:-)

[TheHowieLama]

Jimmy James and his Red Flames

[scudger99]

Same tailor as Meireles.

You mean same skip as Meireles.

[index1000]

Great report but I'd be careful what you wish for in the case of trying to sign Texeira...is it just me (quite possibly) but never heard of him before this season, now we want to pay £25m for him. This could well be the work of our famous transfer comitee who's work is well documented...we could've actually signed Shane long and Charlie Austin and paid there wages for what were probably going to spend on this latest 'no 10' or is he a false 9? Like I say I'd run a mile from that one...sorry to go off subject but the rest of the report was spot on:-)

so we only sign players you have heard of then? which include Shane Long and Charle 'bellend' Austin.Let's let Klopp sign some players,i doubt you had heard of many of his Dortmund signings either but they did ok.

[jonnyp]

Good report Dave. I love klopp and think he'll be great for us but can't help feeling he's made a big mistake giving mingolet a contract extension.

He's not saving anything. His shot stopping which is supposed to be his strength is awful.

The only reasons I think he's been given the contract extension are:

* We won't stand a chance of recouping any money in selling him, unless it seems like we think he's worth it.

 

* It goes some way to repairing a shattered confidence.

 

* We can now secure a new keeper without looking as desperate and therefore having to pay more.

 

* A better replacement keeper pushes Mig into a back up role, tied to a long contract who either has to step up or face the reality of being number two (or number three behind Ward).

 

At least those are the straws I'm grasping at, because the contract can't have come from talent alone. Unless he's caught Klopp's eye, but then again he would probably drop that.

[dave u]

so we only sign players you have heard of then? which include Shane Long and Charle 'bellend' Austin.Let's let Klopp sign some players,i doubt you had heard of many of his Dortmund signings either but they did ok.

 

What's your beef with Austin, why is he a bellend? Have I missed something there?

[Russ Atmosphere]

The only reasons I think he's been given the contract extension are:

* We won't stand a chance of recouping any money in selling him, unless it seems like we think he's worth it.

 

* It goes some way to repairing a shattered confidence.

 

* We can now secure a new keeper without looking as desperate and therefore having to pay more.

 

* A better replacement keeper pushes Mig into a back up role, tied to a long contract who either has to step up or face the reality of being number two (or number three behind Ward).

 

At least those are the straws I'm grasping at, because the contract can't have come from talent alone. Unless he's caught Klopp's eye, but then again he would probably drop that.

 

* He can't stop any shots so who would we fool with that one? 

 

* We've been arranging his new contract since the start of December. How is his boosted confidence looking so far?

 

* Clubs will see we have Simon Mignolet in goal and are therefore extremely desperate. The old contract ran until summer 2018 anyway.

 

* Our owners don't pay first team wages to back-up players. If Mignolet falls out of the first team he'll be sold.