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Southampton (H) League Cup semi final 2nd Leg - no shit puns edition


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I'm not even surprised by the result and I can't be bothered typing all the same things as I did after the Swansea game.

 

It's been pretty clear for a while that our players are fucked, and we're gambling on sneaking a top four spot on a shoestring whilst the expansion is paid off. That's why I said maybe we're the new Arsenal; this was par for the course for them whilst the stadium was in the red, a mid-season implosion as the squad weaknesses showed, before a late rally to pinch fourth.

 

The only saving grace is not having to see this lot get bummed in a final by a Mourinho Utd side.

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Might as well stick Matip up front. Getting desperate now.

 

We did go full Mourinho/Huth recently, it didn't help.

 

 

Liverpool - 73% posession. 3 shots on target. 0 goals.

Southampton - 27% posession. 2 shots. 1 goal.

 

This is becoming too familiar.

 

It could easily have been two goals but for Karius' quality save.

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This is basically it. We're trying to play possession football with donkeys like Henderson, Can, Clyne, Milner and Lovren. Teams are just letting us have the ball and wait until we give it away. It's just never going to work, especially when we have no pace to offer a different threat. 

 

It's the lack of intelligence and adaptability. It was fine at the start of the season when all the pre-season tactical work was fresh on their minds and they were making the correct decisions with the correct timings.

 

Now they reach the final third and either try to dribble when they shouldn't, pass sideways when they should or not spot a runner in space.

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I'm not sure I'm buying the "no plan B" stuff.

 

I think we're suffering from a few players not being 100%, some being in woeful individual form and having strikers who currently can't run or hit a cow's arse with a banjo. Plus, our goals drying up is exposing our defensive frailties. The 3-1 and 4-2 wins are now turning into score draws or defeats.

 

On the plan B thing, we've usually lined up with a 4-3-3 and pressed high. There was a totally different plan against City. Practically a 4-6-0. Scored early and altered our approach to defend deep and adopt a lower press.

 

In the first leg against Southampton, granted it didn't work, but Klopp recognised the lack of width and the isolated front man. So, remember the Sturridge passing the bit of paper round bit? He switched it to a 3-5-2 system.

 

Then, away to United. He started with a 4-4-2 diamond, then switched back to 4-3-3.

 

That's just 3 recent games were Klopp has shown that he's capable of managing reactively and changing formation or making other subtle tweeks if he thinks they're necessary.

 

He's not above criticism though. Could make subs earlier. And needs to bench Can.

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No amount of coaching will help some of our players. Klopp needs time and huge investment. They should go hand in hand. This is not the Bundesliga. Unless significant investment in players is made we won't as much be playing catch-up as going further behind.

 

No one expected us to do so well but most of us knew it wouldn't last with injuries and a poor overall squad. You cannot play this style without quality players and quality cover. We lack in both areas. It better be addressed or we can forget it.

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Utterly deflating yet entirely predictable given the past few weeks

 

Not signing any cover for a player we have known would be gone for a month since the day we signed him is turning out to be an absolutely criminal decision - who'd have thought it...

If we were going to buy adequate cover for mane, who would be able to play whole he's gone, would we have needed mane in the first place?
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Henderson needs to take more responsibility and have a couple of shots.

 

Lallana was awful and should have been hooked.

 

That's 2 games where we ran out of ideas before 70 mins.

 

Why not just throw Woodburn on? He'd learn 100 times quicker on the pitch for even 3 or 4 mins than watching 90 min after 90 min from the bench.

 

TAA recovered well from a very tough first half.

 

I was joking about the Stephens/Kalas comparison but fucking hell all that game had missing from the Chelsea game was a Stevie slip and higher stakes.

 

We need a lot of chances to score goals.

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Very frustrating. We seem to have hit a bit of a wall. We are huffing and puffing, but the cutting edge is not quite there. On another day Sturridge might have had a couple, but Southampton defended well and hit us on the break at the end. Well played to them. 

 

As for us, I had a slight dread about facing Man Utd in the final and losing to them there. Let them have it. They can win the famous League Cup. We will finish ahead of the them in the league and keep them out of the CL. 

 

Mind you, we are making hard work of it and there's a long way to go. We really need some ideas in that final third. Mane gives us an edge with his pace and his ability to beat a man and open up the pitch. For too long tonight we played in front of them, switching it left and right, but not really creating enough to go through. We might have nicked it but we weren't all that good. 

 

It was Southampton's night and we need to regroup and start picking up some league points. 

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