Liverpool 0 Southampton 0 (May 7 2017)

[tlw content]

 
Absolutely dire this, and while certain players deserve a level criticism, most of it should be reserved for their manager on this occasion as he did not put them in the best position to win the game. 
 
We all knew how Southampton were going to play and we also know that they know exactly how to stop us from doing what we want to do. So why then did Klopp have us play exactly the way Southampton would have wanted us to? I suspect if we played Southampton another four times he’d do exactly the same thing until eventually we might scrape a win and he’d be like “See, it works!!!” 
 
That starting line up might be fine for away games at Watford or West From, but it was not what we needed at home to a highly accomplished defensive side that were coming to stifle. What made it worse how long it took him to change it. He's getting as bad as Rafa now with the "no subs until 65 minutes" thing.
 
Lucas has been good recently and he played well enough in this game too, but we just didn’t need both him and Can in that midfield together, especially as Wijnaldum was the third member and he had one of his Invisible Man performances before he was belatedly subbed late on. Where is the creativity in that trio though? 
 
Then there’s the front three. Defenders all over the country must be rubbing their hands together about facing Origi as he just isn't troubling them in any way, shape or form. Doesn’t win headers, doesn’t hold the ball up, doesn’t pose a threat in behind, doesn’t link up with Coutinho or Firmino…. Seriously, just what is the point of him? 
 

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[buster69]

Are we pining for the days of Rodgers again? I'd give Klopp one more season to do something but he's changing me from believer to doubter.

[Simbo]

Are we pining for the days of Rodgers again? I'd give Klopp one more season to do something but he's changing me from believer to doubter.

Oh fuck off.

[Mark M]

Good Report Dave. 

Have to say i'd love a Rafa  "no subs until 65 minutes" thing rather than whats happening at the moment. 

 

Also whats with Klopp's mates he calls his brain and his eyes are they not saying to him changes need to be made ? Very frustrating stuff all round at the moment. 

[aws]

I think you should be sectioned for championing Moreno.

[ngogswilly]

I suspect if we played Southampton another four times he’d do exactly the same thing until eventually we might scrape a win and he’d be like “See, it works!!!”

 

This is what worries me about Klopp. Stubborness can be a great trait in managers but we've also seen it lead to many a managers downfall.

[RobbieOR]

Are we pining for the days of Rodgers again? I'd give Klopp one more season to do something but he's changing me from believer to doubter.

 

Give him a season to do what exactly? Win the league?

[VERBAL DIARRHEA]

Are we pining for the days of Rodgers again? I'd give Klopp one more season to do something but he's changing me from believer to doubter.

Yeah, maybe we can get Brendan back or Moyes.

[ZonkoVille77]

We're fuckin shite

[Bobby Hundreds]

We better not approach the last 2 games like we have been. It's shite.

[stringvest]

Give him a season to do what exactly? Win the league?

 

Spot the obvious tactical / personnel shortcomings and do something about it.  That's exactly what I'd like him to do.  And I'd like him to start doing it immediately if that's ok.

[UnwelcomeinPeru]

The last thing my three-year-old said to me before I left for the game (apart from 'you're too old for those jeans') was that she expected Southampton to sit very deep, play 4-1-4-1 for 70 minutes, then make a substitution or two and try and win it on the break. Fair enough, it's worked before. The time-wasting etc., reminiscent of that Chelsea game, was bewildering though. 

 

For some reason the manager and staff seem to be the only people who didn't get the memo. Their defenders played pretty much all the game facing our goal. I had no idea what our plan was, it was as bad as some of Kenny's dire 0-0/0-1s. 

[RobbieOR]

Spot the obvious tactical / personnel shortcomings and do something about it. That's exactly what I'd like him to do. And I'd like him to start doing it immediately if that's ok.

I'd like to let him improve the team like he has done so far instead of setting timeframes because people are impatient as usual.

[stringvest]

I'd like to let him improve the team like he has done so far instead of setting timeframes because people are impatient as usual.

 

 

I'd have waited until we put a few decent performances on the bounce together before making that statement Robbie.  

[stringvest]

The last thing my three-year-old said to me before I left for the game (apart from 'you're too old for those jeans') was that she expected Southampton to sit very deep, play 4-1-4-1 for 70 minutes, then make a substitution or two and try and win it on the break. Fair enough, it's worked before. The time-wasting etc., reminiscent of that Chelsea game, was bewildering though. 

 

For some reason the manager and staff seem to be the only people who didn't get the memo. Their defenders played pretty much all the game facing our goal. I had no idea what our plan was, it was as bad as some of Kenny's dire 0-0/0-1s. 

 

Maybe get your little one to fire a memo off from her Speak and Spell.

[The Golden Eel]

I don't think he did much wrong yesterday apart from making the subs too late. We were a penalty save away from getting the win. Really need to make the CL and kick on with a good summer window. 

[Guest Pistonbroke]

I'd like to let him improve the team like he has done so far instead of setting timeframes because people are impatient as usual.

 

Yep, I doubt many of us expected we'd be in with a chance of top 4 before a ball was kicked this season, things have conspired to see us in one though. We have clearly improved in some areas whereas we have to improve in others. If we get a top 4 spot come the end then IMO we have overachieved given the size of the squad and the injuries we have had. Of course, things could have been better, but we were never going to keep up the high paced football we enjoyed at the start of our campaign. 

 

If we go onto get a top 4 and JK is given the money to strengthen (I.E, to bring in enough players the squad will need to fight on all fronts) we can judge him a bit more in depth than we should be doing at this stage of his Anfield career, as we can with the players. A lot of those players are lacking competition for their places, that makes JK's job that little bit harder in trying to keep them happy but also to improve/buck up their ideas on the pitch. 

 

Chelsea and Spurs apart, I don't see any other team who hasn't suffered for one reason or another this season. The so called smaller teams play to their strengths and it seems to be working against many of the so called better teams, regardless of how infuriating it is, it is football. 

[King Kenny 86]

Same Shit different Boss

[Moo]

Same Shit different Boss

American owners.

[suzy]

Yep, I doubt many of us expected we'd be in with a chance of top 4 before a ball was kicked this season, things have conspired to see us in one though. We have clearly improved in some areas whereas we have to improve in others. If we get a top 4 spot come the end then IMO we have overachieved given the size of the squad and the injuries we have had. Of course, things could have been better, but we were never going to keep up the high paced football we enjoyed at the start of our campaign. 

 

If we go onto get a top 4 and JK is given the money to strengthen (I.E, to bring in enough players the squad will need to fight on all fronts) we can judge him a bit more in depth than we should be doing at this stage of his Anfield career, as we can with the players. A lot of those players are lacking competition for their places, that makes JK's job that little bit harder in trying to keep them happy but also to improve/buck up their ideas on the pitch. 

 

Chelsea and Spurs apart, I don't see any other team who hasn't suffered for one reason or another this season. The so called smaller teams play to their strengths and it seems to be working against many of the so called better teams, regardless of how infuriating it is, it is football. 

 

I was going to say - most of us would have taken being third with 2 games to go !

[RobbieOR]

I'd have waited until we put a few decent performances on the bounce together before making that statement Robbie.

He's two wins away from getting champions league football, I think it's more normal to be making statements like mine than the one I originally quoted

[Guest Pistonbroke]

I was going to say - most of us would have taken being third with 2 games to go !

 

In a heartbeat Suzy. We can hopefully build further once/if we get to the promised land. We should have taken a gamble on a few players in January mind, we'd probably be sitting here discussing a definite 3rd spot whilst others moaned about not winning the title. I'm sure some of our fans would still actually moan if we did win the title. 

[sir roger]

I can't believe we have basically played a whole season without a single striker.

[Paco]

Based on what we did the last time we fidnt have europe as a distraction and with klopp instead of suarez, top 4 was a reasonable target and we're nearly there having been sucked into thinking it could be more.

 

Can't stop thinking about that Bradford game in 99-00.

[Captain]

I was going to say - most of us would have taken being third with 2 games to go !

 

Absolutely! I predicted 5th before the start of the season so we're ahead of my schedule.