Jump to content
  • Sign up for free and receive a month's subscription

    You are viewing this page as a guest. That means you are either a member who has not logged in, or you have not yet registered with us. Signing up for an account only takes a minute and it means you will no longer see this annoying box! It will also allow you to get involved with our friendly(ish!) community and take part in the discussions on our forums. And because we're feeling generous, if you sign up for a free account we will give you a month's free trial access to our subscriber only content with no obligation to commit. Register an account and then send a private message to @dave u and he'll hook you up with a subscription.

Europa League final


Arl arse
 Share

Recommended Posts

Absolutely distraught, Basel is fucking shit.

Have we ever got a result at that fucking ground?

 

I fuking hate Switzerland , the war dodging corrupt cunts,

I really hope Murray , Djokovic or whoever twats Federer next time they play the boring twat.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, I'm still feeling gutted a couple of hours later. 

 

I'm trusting Klopp to sort this out in the summer. A goal threat from out wide would be good to stretch defences, and a top midfielder to boss it, in addition to the changes we already know about as being done or likely. 

 

We don't need to go overboard on the numbers with no European football to play. There will be time for lots more training so Klopp will get them playing as he wants. 

 

In a strange way, I think we are now a decent shout for the league. That could be the beer talking (I'm on my second) but I think we will bounce back from this and do very well in the league next season.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have we ever got a result at that fucking ground?

 

I fuking hate Switzerland , the war dodging corrupt cunts,

I really hope Murray , Djokovic or whoever twats Federer next time they play the boring twat.

 

yes we drew 3-3 there with Ged in the CL but everyone thinks we got beat.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well that was shit.

 

First things first. Sevilla have won that trophy 3 times in a row, and 5 times in total now. They should get the trophy for keeps even though UEFA changed that ruling for the Champions League. It has never happened in the UEFA Cup/Europa League until now, but it is only fair.

 

In the first half, we didn't really go at them even though it was clear we were well capable of getting in behind. They offered nothing in attack so we could dictate things a bit better than we did. Coutinho was struggling to get involved but he did set up the opening goal. WHAT a finish from Sturridge that was - just top top drawer. We then started to go at them, press them higher and cause them to panic. We had a goal disallowed for offside (Sturridge was only just offside as a Sevilla player on the left edge of the penalty box took his time to push out), and our players failed to get a touch to a ball across the 6 yard box when handily placed. The handball shouts were not really penalties as each time it was ball to hand at close quarters. I know I'd have been pissed if those had been given against us. Klopp sped down the tunnel on half time, hopefully to keep the players pumped up and concentrated.

 

Whatever he said or didn't say had the opposite effect. Maybe it was not down to him though. They watched the Sevilla players form a huddle before the second half kicked off, and were just ball-watching from that point on until we conceded. Moreno is getting slated for his mistake but I think the real fault there was Coutinho's lackadaisal attempts to back him up. Moreno was nowhere near ready to challenge for the second ball yet had to do so in instalments because Coutinho just didn't bother closing down. By the time Moreno could do anything (he couldn't foul him as it was so close to the penalty area), Coutinho was the wrong side. That was less than 20 seconds into the second half and we'd let Sevilla get their tails up.

 

After that, it took last ditch defending from Toure and a point-blank reflex stop from Mignolet to prevent Gameiro from extending Sevilla's lead. It didn't matter because our ponderousness led to Sevilla's second goal from Coke. I've only seen one relevant replay of Sevilla's 3rd goal and to my mind, Coke was given the benefit of the doubt where Sturridge and Lovren were not in the first half. I can understand why our lot were pissed off.

 

Be that as it may, we offered nothing in that second half. I can only remember a relatively tame volley from about 40 yards from Sturridge. Other than that, it was like Southampton away all over again. This one was not on Skrtel though but rather the collective lack of concentration and then belief that we're capable of turning things around when it goes pear-shaped.

 

We won't have any European football next season and that effectively means Klopp will cull the squad a bit more than he might have if we'd managed to qualify for next year's Champions League. 63 games this season and we have nothng tangible to show for it. That hurts and we'll just have to grin and bear it with the inevitable piss-taking from everyone else.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm gutted, and still I have to study for exam at half nine tomorrow morning. Fucks sake.

 

Following Liverpool over the last decade has just been one, giant, extended kick in the balls.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, I'm still feeling gutted a couple of hours later. 

 

I'm trusting Klopp to sort this out in the summer. A goal threat from out wide would be good to stretch defences, and a top midfielder to boss it, in addition to the changes we already know about as being done or likely. 

 

We don't need to go overboard on the numbers with no European football to play. There will be time for lots more training so Klopp will get them playing as he wants. 

 

In a strange way, I think we are now a decent shout for the league. That could be the beer talking (I'm on my second) but I think we will bounce back from this and do very well in the league next season.

 

To be honest, Im concerned that we didnt seem to re organise after that shocking second half start. There was simply no leadership in our team. While most of that may fall on milner, once the game starts there should be 11 captains on the pitch.

 

And Im buggered if I know why Firmino stayed on so long, he isnt a battler. Why wasnt Allen or Lucas put on earlier when we could all see the midfield was being overrun?

 

Sure, people can say Lucas isnt an attacking option but at the time we needed a defensive option.

 

Im amazed lallana is thought to have had a good first half! i thought he was his usual self, another lightweight with his fancy dan cryuff turns and nothing to show for it.

 

But most of all, I dont understand how a team that had almost 2 weeks rest looked so fucked and couldnt play an intense game as we did against manchester united, dortmund and villarreal. sure, those games were at Anfield but the stadium tonight was almost as good as Anfield.

 

The lack of European football particularly CL may very well impact our ability to bring in better quality players. I also dont think getting rid of all those everyone thinks need binning will be as easy as some think.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, I'm still feeling gutted a couple of hours later. 

 

I'm trusting Klopp to sort this out in the summer. A goal threat from out wide would be good to stretch defences, and a top midfielder to boss it, in addition to the changes we already know about as being done or likely. 

 

We don't need to go overboard on the numbers with no European football to play. There will be time for lots more training so Klopp will get them playing as he wants. 

 

In a strange way, I think we are now a decent shout for the league. That could be the beer talking (I'm on my second) but I think we will bounce back from this and do very well in the league next season.

 

I do also think no European football will help our league performances and the general development of our style of play next season. But, we can't kid ourselves, we are still miles off title winning quality. I know Leicester won it this season, but City and Chelsea are almost certain to be different propositions next year with Guardiola and Conte (and marby even the mancs with Mourinho). 

 

A lot for me hinges on our central midfield as you mentioned. I'm confident Klopp will succesfully address all of the keeper, left-back, striker, winger needs. But, I'm really worried about the central midfield situation. Grujic and Zielinski are nice promising young talents with excellent technical ability, but they are not the answer for the short term. Having watched them, they still have a hell of a lot to learn tactically and any combination of Grujic, Zielinski and Can (who is himself too often caught ball watching), whilst good on the ball, will be terrible in terms of protecting the defence. We absolutely DO need another top class midfielder in addition to Grujic and Zielinski.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To be honest, Im concerned that we didnt seem to re organise after that shocking second half start. There was simply no leadership in our team. While most of that may fall on milner, once the game starts there should be 11 captains on the pitch.

 

And Im buggered if I know why Firmino stayed on so long, he isnt a battler. Why wasnt Allen or Lucas put on earlier when we could all see the midfield was being overrun?

 

Sure, people can say Lucas isnt an attacking option but at the time we needed a defensive option.

 

Im amazed lallana is thought to have had a good first half! i thought he was his usual self, another lightweight with his fancy dan cryuff turns and nothing to show for it.

 

But most of all, I dont understand how a team that had almost 2 weeks rest looked so fucked and couldnt play an intense game as we did against manchester united, dortmund and villarreal. sure, those games were at Anfield but the stadium tonight was almost as good as Anfield.

 

The lack of European football particularly CL may very well impact our ability to bring in better quality players. I also dont think getting rid of all those everyone thinks need binning will be as easy as some think.

 

This has forced me out of my long time lurking. I never post because you guys always say it all before me and I'm a very long way away down here in Sydney, but that was so deflating.  I agree about how could we look so knackered in that second half? Did Seville really just sit back in the first half, play compact and play long to avoid the pressing tactics, and then hit us with their true pattern once some of the running had gone out of Liverpool legs? No one took control - Toure at least tried, but he had fuck all support. I think Klopp would be shocked by that, but it may at least mean that certain players definitely leave over the summer.

 

Gutting though.  It's been a hell of a ride this season, with plenty to look back on, but fucking hell what a poor last 45.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Giving our team down the banks? Remember thats a team Klopp inherited that couldn't win a fucking derby. If your gutted to be a red right now then you aren't a Red. The Reds are comin up the hill boys

 

Steady on - perfectly legit to be gutted over the result. That's only natural. But I was telling my 9 year old the same thing - watch them next year when Klopp has his team and a preseason.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The more time i keep thinking of the damn match the more angry i get. We gifted them two goals by nonsense gifts. We get robbed of two clear cut penalties.

 

I am excited for the future under Klopp though, he had this lot beat a lot of good teams this season, we will do better once he gets his players in.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The problem is more the balance of the team. We started tonight with a very good striker up front, but one that doesn't really press or make many runs in behind. Three number 10s behind him, and two central midfielders that don't protect the ball very well behind them. It's why against good teams we don't have much control of the game, and the front four can become pretty much non existent (and when they finally do get the ball they often try something ridiculous out of frustration).

 

We need someone in midfield that can put their foot on the ball. An Alonso, a Hamann. Someone that can dictate the tempo of games. When they equalised tonight we had no answer. No-one to take charge and kill their momentum. Same when they got their second. Panic sets in. No leadership, no composure, no thought about how to manage different periods of the game. 

 

Returning to the number 10s, I'm not convinced Firmino and Coutinho can play at the same time against decent sides. Yeah, we've seen a few games where they've both played well against decent sides, but ultimately we need one number 10 on the pitch, and we need some wide players that are quick, and direct. Number 10s in sides with central midfields like ours can't look good consistently. Silva, Ozil, Iniesta, etc, would all look similarly lost. Especially if they're shunted out wide.

 

We neither have the nous in the centre of midfield to be intricate or the pace in the front four to regularly get in behind. Sevilla aren't even really much of a possession side yet we made it incredibly easy for them in the second half because we kept giving the ball back to them, and they didn't feel all that threatened by us on the break. Ideally we'd address both issues, but we certainly need to address at least one of them.

 

100% agree with this post. Our biggest problem going forwards is that we are so one-dimensional. Coutinho, Firmino and Lallana are all talented in their own right but it should not be our plan to have all three play together as they all want to do the exact same thing and want to occupy the exact same space. It's also why I don't think we should sign Gotze.

 

We need quick wide players who make runs and one #10 who can pick them out and occupy the centre on his own. The problem is that I think Klopp wants his attackers to be very narrow and for his full backs to offer the width, so I'm not sure it's in his plans to buy a true wide player, although it certainly should be.

 

And then of course, we've needed a central midfielder who has quality on the ball since about 2010 and not having one has coincided with us being shite. I like Zielinski and the look of that Grujic kid, but we absolutely need a moderately experienced player who can control games in the center of the park and who can slow the game down.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They're more experienced than us in such circumstances. That worries me. Relatedly, our last two Wembley performances suggest that we're capable of shitting the bed in big matches on neutral territory. But hopefully we've learned something from those games, as well as our European games this season...

 

My pre-match comment.

 

We evidently learned nothing...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Steady on - perfectly legit to be gutted over the result. That's only natural. But I was telling my 9 year old the same thing - watch them next year when Klopp has his team and a preseason.

Pre season will be totally fucked due to the European Championships, Copa America and Olympics.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Considering that he's about to go away to a tournament with England, I wouldn't be shocked to find him in an iron lung by August after the Owl and the joke that is England's training set up get through with him. They'll probably have him doing a 10 mile run in flip flops or some shit.

Or he fancies the winter off.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, that was gob smackingly shattering for my over inflated view of the team.

We looked so dominant after we scored, and the team must have felt the same. Klopp wouldn't have had too much to say, so they would have come out to the pitch for a 2nd half kick off, already accepting their winners medals, imagining holding up the cup. No focus whatsoever to be able to deal with the 20 odd second equalising strike, or even the goal following it.

 

At that point, we had to deal with the elements of modern football - things you cant plan for, like poor sportsmanship and crap officiating.

 

Game over.

 

I'm not going to get into pointing fingers at individual performances in this post. Except to say that for all the attacking threat Moreno supposedly has, I've been very disappointed at the lack of appearances of John Flannagan all season, and for me, assuming fitness, we'd have had a much more stable defence.

 

In fact anyone except fucking Moreno.

 

No Euro football will have to do. Title challenge anyone?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gutted about the result but more confident now that KLOPP is going to make some big changes. I guess the big stage has highlighted the weak points to him. More than relaxed and confident that KLOPP is going to make us great again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share


×
×
  • Create New...