Man Utd (H), 8pm, 17/10/16 - Montag Nacht Fußball

[an tha]

The last two that mattered -

 

Liverpool 2-0 Manchester United

Manchester United 1-1 Liverpool

 

Believe

I believe alright, don't worry about that...just surprised at how bad our record is especially considering we beat them twice the year we nearly won the title.

[Guest LFD]

I think too many people are pinning their hopes on tomorrow. It is three points.  If we win it doesn't mean we'll win the league, if we lose it doesn't we won't.  It's an opportunity, but no definitive judgements should be made on this one game.  We're in the mix, whatever the result is tomorrow night.
 
I totally get the doubts.  It is because we have disappointed so many times the last 25+ years.  It is understandable.  However I don't think it is fair, given these are a new set of players, under a new manager and they should be judged on what they do, not what we have done the last 25 years.
 
Klopp said he wanted us to go from being "doutbers to believers" in his first interview with LFCTV.  
 

 
 
I think he is bang on.  Belief can make a huge difference to a team. Before that Hull game Klopp gave a big rally call to the fans wanting them to not be down and start moaning or groaning if we miss a few chances in that game - something our fans have been bad at doing for far too long now.  He wanted the fans to have a similar approach to what we do in big games, if we miss a chance in those big games the crowd applaud the creation on the chance rather than moan at the miss.  It might not sound a big difference, but it does in terms of keeping the confidence in the stadium and with the players.  Confidence is everything, as we saw when we nearly won the league under Rodgers the atmosphere was boss in the second half of the season at Anfield.  As a result we were incredible and teams were almost beaten before they arrived.
 
I loved that Hull game because the atmosphere was ace and when we missed chances the crowd just kept high, loud and we created more and more - winning easily and we were dominant.  Belief is huge in football, not just the managers and players need it IMO the fans do as well.
 
When we won the Champions League in 2005.  Gerrard said in the group stages we wouldn't win the competition.  Benitez told him to only think about winning it.  As the competition he got more belief as did the fans.
 
Even last season Ranieri kept telling the Leicester fans and players to never stop dreaming and their dream came true.
 
I think we are playing some brilliant attacking football.  We've got the best attack in the league along with Man City and the amount of goals we have scored this season and since Klopp has arrived is showing that.  We've got some cracks, most notably our defending set plays and concerns about the GK(s).  But we had similar problems a few years ago and the amount of goals we were scoring papered over a lot of those cracks and we were so close to winning it.
 
People say we don't have a 'world class player'.  I would say Mane is playing like one and he is Suarez-esq with his ability to create chances from nothing, his intensity and he looks unplayable in nearly every game he has started for us.  People say Klopp had world class players at Dortmund, but he made them world class.  Lewandowski, Gundogan, Reus & Hummels were not world class when he bought them, as he wouldn't have got them for all such low fees (guess Reus wasn't that low at £15m).  He bought those players, improved them and moulded them into a team.  I don't know why he can't do similar with Mane, Firmino, Coutinho etc.  
 
Over the last 15+ years we've been heavily reliant on one or two world class players in the team - Owen, Gerrard, Torres, Suarez being the big four really in that time.  If you stopped them, you went a long way to stopping LFC. 
 
Now we have a Sturridge, a player who got more LFC goals in his first 50 games for us than Fowler, Owen, Dalglish, Rush etc... and he can't get in the team at times. 
 

 
 
Now it's not the days of stop Owen or Torres scoring and that's goes a long way to stop our threat. Now if you stop Firmino, then you also have to stop Coutinho or Mane or Lallana... if you stop all those four then you have to stop our subs in Sturridge or Origi etc.
 
We have match winners all over and as a result we are scoring goals through out the team and the opposition have threats all over the place and it's incredibly hard to deal with.  
 
Under Benitez when we challenged for the title we had the best striker in the league in Torres and the immense Gerrard.  But after that who were regular match winners?  Riera? Benayoun?  Mascherano? Alonso? None of which were known for winning games regularly.  As good as we were that season, Man U won the league as they had far more match winners - Ronaldo, Berbatov, Rooney, Giggs, Scholes, Tevez... That's why they didn't draw 0-0 at home against Stoke that season, for example.  They had more match winners and were able to beat the dross far better than we were. We might have smashed them 1-4 at Old Trafford, but it was only 3 points, just like the game tomorrow.  If you have the best attack in the league, then you will challenge for titles as you will win so many games over the season.
 
Just look at our stats so far this season, how can we not feel positive and excited? 
 

 
 
This team might fall short, like the others have the last 25+ years.  However I'm going to enjoy the season and be a 'believer' and dream as I do think it makes a difference.  I also think without hope football is a bit shit.  
 
Do we have a world class player?  Possibly not... I'd argue Mane has been the best player in the league this season so far though along with De Bryne.
 
Do we have issues?  Sure, but so do all the other sides in the league.
 
My glass is half full with Klopp and three points vs Man U on Monday we not change that.  We might fall short this season.  Klopp might need a few more transfer windows.  He might fall short given he's fighting against teams with more resources and the league is so competitive.  However he has punched above his weight before at Dortmund.  So it's not pipe dream, as he's got history of doing it.  I think Atletico are doing similar at the moment.  How many of their XI are genuine world class players? Griezmann, Godin... then I'm not sure.  Even Gabi, who is brilliant for them didn't get in the last Spanish squad over someone like Herrera at Man U.  Firmino has been brilliant for us this season, but he doesn't start for Brazil very often.  
 
It's not about big names or reputations.  Firmino is a key player for us, the system and a perfect example of how the team is king, not just one or two big star names.
 
I don't care about big names, I said that all summer in the transfer thread when I wanted Mane over Gotze... because he suited our team more under Klopp.  
 
Ultimately Klopp and the team still have it all to prove... would be great to win tomorrow, especially against them, but I rather win the war (league) than one battle (tomorrow). Hopefully we can do both!

[Guest LFD]

With regards to the team.

 

As long as Clyne is RB, Milner is LB and Mane starts - not really too arsed who plays out of Matip, Klavan or Lovren at CB.  Henderson, Can, Wijnaldum, Lallana, Grujic or even Coutinho in CM.  Sturridge, Firmino, Coutinho, Ings or Origi upfront.  All are capable of delivering.

 

Don't think we have players who can perform close to the level of Clyne, Milner and Mane, given the positions they play.  Mane being our best player and catalyst to our attack.

 

Worried about set plays, but in open play, we'll be the superior team.  Hopefully we take the chances we create, defend the set plays well and snot them... as we should do.

[Unrighteous]

We're gunna do these cunts.

[an tha]

How much of an effect will that international shite last week and the ridiculous travelling coutinho and firmino had to do have?

 

I know the breaks are shite - i hate them but it could be argued we could do with it being longer - if it wasn't for this game being on a Monday you could easily say Coutinho wouldn't be available for this game if it was today or yesterday and that isn't right in my book....lfc are his employers and there is no way it is right that he could not be available to play for his employers because of international shite... if this (which it easily could have been) was an early saturday game for example.

 

As it is not sure how he will be.

 

If they are sharp and fit i fancy us...if not we may struggle.

[El Rojo]

We'll smash these tomorrow.

https://twitter.com/stuffIfc/status/787595236050698240

Haha! The state of Moreno.

[magicrat]

This match up has assumed a greater significance than it has for many years,

We've had a 2 week lay off to contemplate it , It's first time Mourinho has faced us with the Mancs and most importantly its a benchmark test for us after a very encouraging start to the season, Also for the Mancs it would give Mourinho breathing space and get them back in the mix for a top 4 spot . The stakes are high and as painful as it would be for us to lose a defeat for the Portugese prick would send the natives into a blood lust. A really good time to turn the cunts over.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

Shit coat will be desperate not to lose this game, I fully expect him to park the bus like he did with Chelsea and then some. If we take an early lead I can see us bumming the scummy manc cunts, hope we go for the jugular. I'd love to hear their cunt fans singing for Morinho's head at our place. 

[Nelly-Szoboszlai]

Few reports that shitcoat is going to get an FA charge for commenting on the ref before the fixture, which is apparently against the rules.

 

He's just such a master of them mind games....

[sir roger]

Really hope we smash them , but as has been mentioned before our season will depend more on reliably turning over the mid & bottom table dwellers like Pulis's lot on Saturday. I read somewhere that Arsenal have an unbelievable record against these sort of teams, hence they are always in the Champions League.

 

It looks as if normal service has been resumed this season with only Everton of the poorer teams splitting the big six at this point and our game works out well against the teams that try to take us on , so find out how to dismiss the shit & we should be there or thereabouts.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

Really hope we smash them , but as has been mentioned before our season will depend more on reliably turning over the mid & bottom table dwellers like Pulis's lot on Saturday. I read somewhere that Arsenal have an unbelievable record against these sort of teams, hence they are always in the Champions League.

 

It looks as if normal service has been resumed this season with only Everton of the poorer teams splitting the big six at this point and our game works out well against the teams that try to take us on , so find out how to dismiss the shit & we should be there or thereabouts.

 

Klopp has got the mentality and fitness of the players spot on, we'll endure the odd hiccup like Burnley but I can't see us dropping too many points against the so called weaker teams. We also have no European competition this season which is going to help immensely. 

[Frankenhooker]

Few reports that shitcoat is going to get an FA charge for commenting on the ref before the fixture, which is apparently against the rules.

 

He's just such a master of them mind games....

The thing is, the FA are toothless, why not comment ? If charged, and found guilty, he'll get a warning, do it again, he'll get a paltry fine. The 'personalities' in the game are bigger than the organisation that allegedly runs it.

 

Let the fucker carry on and be grateful we have a man with integrity in charge.

[Section_31]

He's just getting his excuses in early the useless sack of shit.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

He's just getting his excuses in early the useless sack of shit.

 

Yep, he's as predictable as a Sunrise. 

[kop77]

fill the kop with flags tomorrow and dont stop singing 

https://youtu.be/fXBus79SlsE?t=258

[jimmycase]

we need to kick this lot and maureen's sorry fucking arse all the way back up the east lancs. The twats are already making themselves out to be the underdog and maureen always likes it when his 'back is to the wall.' Fuck off you twats, you've just splashed £100m quid on pogba alone.

[therevivalist]

I don't know why some fans talk crap only to end up jinxing us. This is going to be a tough game as Scum always step it up facing us. I would be happy with a draw. A win would put us among the leaders. But this is the sort of situation we shit on ourselves.

[stringvest]

I don't know why some fans talk crap only to end up jinxing us. This is going to be a tough game as Scum always step it up facing us. I would be happy with a draw. A win would put us among the leaders. But this is the sort of situation we shit on ourselves.

 

 

Careful.  You'll have the forum Stepford Wives all over you with that kind of trash talk.  

 

I think we'll win, but there will be blood. 

[G Richards]

I don't know what to think about this one now! I started out pretty confident as we are playing some unbelievable stuff. But the international break might have a way of disrupting our rhythm. And a lot of people are backing us. And Mourinho loves to put one over on us. And it's Man Utd after all, and much as I can't stand them, they have some good players and will be well up for it. They've won 7 of the last 10. So all that means I really don't know what to think.

 

A prediction then.

 

3-1 to Liverpool.

 

Matip header to put us in the lead. Coutinho adds a second. Ibrahimovic from a set piece for them. Half time and game on. A few hairy moments as they come looking for the equalizer, but Origi to add a third later on after he comes on.

[3 Stacks]

I'm worried about Pogba. He's not started the season especially well but he is incredible at shielding and keeping the ball under pressure and I have a feeling we will have lots of difficulty pressing him. It's one of those games that the closer it gets the more you start to worry about small stuff like this.

[Jairzinho]

I'm worried about Pogba. He's not started the season especially well but he is incredible at shielding and keeping the ball under pressure and I have a feeling we will have lots of difficulty pressing him. It's one of those games that the closer it gets the more you start to worry about small stuff like this.

 

I'm fairly confident Mourinho's tactics for this game will be kicking the ball over Pogba's head.

[Jim MM]

I think the international break might work to our advantage this time. Swansea first half wasn't our finest performance of the season, there were a few injuries too. The long break will have done them good, the defence had a bonus week to get their shit together and the whole squad will be well psyched up to get cracking again. Our opponents have had two weeks with not beating Stoke at home in the back of their minds watering the seed of self doubt planted by Watford in the fertile ground of a home derby defeat. They have probably spent more time this season training on the back of a bad result than swanning in with the swagger of Lords of Football that they set themselves up as. They'll be worried.

[s(k)aturation]

5-2.

 

Top of the League.

[aRdja]

Just fuck off.

 

Mane: "We are going to beat Manchester United," he said. "Of course. We all believe it. We are going to make it.

 

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/story/2973969/liverpools-sadio-mane-rejected-the-chance-to-join-manchester-united

[Section_31]

I think the fact we'd all be surprised and disappointed if we lost is a good sign in itself. If we get beat it will be as a result of a non performance on our part. All things being equal it should be like watching a plague of locusts descend on an old woman.