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Tottenham 4 Liverpool 1 (Oct 22 2017)


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In the build up to this one Jurgen was bullish about two consecutive clean sheets and when it was put to him that perhaps his team haven’t been getting enough credit for their recent defensive improvement, he scoffed; “It’ll never happen” as though him and his players are being unfairly picked on. I hate to say this, but it reeked of Brendan and his “must be the new defensive coach!” bravado. 
 
Such hubris always seems to blow up in our faces, so we shouldn’t be too surprised by what happened at Wembley. This team always has this kind of day in them, it’s just that it doesn’t usually happen against the better teams in the league. It’s usually a Watford or Bournemouth. 
 
The one thing we’ve been able to cling to in the face of so many disappointments against the lesser sides is that we were the kings of the top six games. We don’t even have that anymore. Who are we? What’s our identity? A mate said to me after this that we’ve turned into 1980s Tottenham. Known for playing lovely football but having a soft centre. Difficult to argue. 
 
“It’ll never happen”. Maybe ask yourself why it’ll never happen, eh Jurgen? People don’t trust this team and for good reason. Why the fuck should we trust them when they continually let us down? A couple of clean sheets is not enough justification to puff your chest out and start giving it the “who said we can’t defend, eh?” routine. 
 
The fans don’t believe in these players, while the media narrative is that they’re too defensively suspect to be successful. Both of these things piss Klopp off massively, but sometimes the truth hurts. 
 
This was a fucking disgrace. Klopp even admitted afterwards that whatever negative things people want to say about the performance is completely justified, and he’s right. It’s difficult to think of any negative thing we can throw at them that isn’t fair right now. 
 
Klopp’s probably fuming that they’ve made him look a tit after he was getting all chesty about this defensive ‘improvement’. He should have known better though, I mean how many fucking times does he have to see these same players have days like this before he accepts that this is who they are and it’s not going to change? 
 
There aren’t even any words to sum up Lovren’s ineptitude here. Harry Kane is so good that even if you play a perfect game against him he might still bang in a hat-trick. If you do what Lovren did though, fucking hell, you may as well not even show up. Just forfeit the game and spare us the embarrassment. 
 
The first goal was a joke. He’s playing offside when he has no idea where the rest of his defenders are. Gomez played Kane onside but in fairness to the kid he’s only about half a yard deeper than anyone else. Lovren just needs to stay goalside, the soft cunt. He’s 28, not 18. This is basic shit. 


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I don’t buy the idea that there’s no-one out there better than Klopp if this doesn’t work out. That’s the same as the no-one but VVD argument. Our ability to firstly identity them and then get the deal done though...

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Never fail to be surprised by others' ability to be surprised. OK so this was particularly extreme - but what is to be expected from a defence that includes a range of freebies and amateurs from Augsburg, Mainz, Charlton etc.? We are going to concede at least 2 goals away from home on the regular. We have AWFUL individual football players throughout the defensive depth.

 

The 1 interesting stat before this game was actually how good our record is with Lovren + Matip lining up together. Less than 1 goal per game conceded (think it was closer to .8), and only 1 defeat prior to Tottenham. There was a point made in the match thread that Lovren seems to be unhinged -- I think there's definitely something to that. He doesnt seem like someone who's right. The first goal mind-fucked him yesterday and he just blew up before our eyes.

 

That first goal doesnt happen at that early point in the game and it couldnt have been a v different outcome. Its a v tired cliche to call a team bi-polar .. but no team deserves it more than ours. We are the spice boys on steroids.

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100% agree with Paul in the above. This idea there isn't anyone better out there than Klopp is exactly the same as his pig headed argument about there not being better defenders out there than what we have. Its pure nonsense. He is getting by based on what he did in germany and his image. For us to be in this state 2 years after he took over is just unfogivable. I like jurgen but I don't think he's going to change. The downward spiral toward the inevitable has begun.

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I'm hoping that yesterdays clusterfuck will act as a catalyst to a 'Night of the Long Knives' as the Watford cup game did for Mr Shankly back in 1970. If so, the humiliation won't have all been in vain.
After looking at Klopps post match comments its the first time he hasn't even attempted to defend them He hasn't exactly threw them under a bus as shitcoat routinely does but there did appear to be a sea change and he can now see what most everyone else can. We don't only need a spine in the team, we need players who possess fucking spines. The choices we have available in midfield are as bad as the ones we have in defence.

I'm fairly sure Klopp has a nasty ruthless side. I'd like to see him unleash it on this shower of preening, pampered shithouses. I'd keep Mane, Salah but it won't be long till they're being sniffed out either. I'd be starting Ward in goal now. He can't be any worse than Laurel and fucking Hardy.

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Surely it shouldn't take 2 years to see what is staring him in the face? This has been an issue since before he joined, all the way through his term, and it's getting worse. If it took yesterday for jurgen to realise we've a fundamental flaw in the team then that's even more of a worry.

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Agree with Dave on being most pissed off with the 3rd goal. I made a post a few weeks back about professionalism and game-management.

 

We have somehow scrambled our way back into a game we were 2-0 down after 15 minutes & looking to regroup at half time. Can was right by the linesman when he puts 2 minutes up on the board , and gets the ball over a minute later on the half-way line. In what alternative universe is the risk-reward of doing a fucking dragback at that point a good option. Just get the ball forward & if the attack fizzles out the whistle goes.

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Agree with Dave on being most pissed off with the 3rd goal. I made a post a few weeks back about professionalism and game-management.

 

We have somehow scrambled our way back into a game we were 2-0 down after 15 minutes & looking to regroup at half time. Can was right by the linesman when he puts 2 minutes up on the board , and gets the ball over a minute later on the half-way line. In what alternative universe is the risk-reward of doing a fucking dragback at that point a good option. Just get the ball forward & if the attack fizzles out the whistle goes.

Dead on - in addition to that spurs didn't even load the box as they didn't want to risk us countering. They had what 2 players in there....right on half time 2-1 up - no risk, game management.

 

It would still be bad goal to let in but at least if it bad been a normal case of a team loading the box lumping it in and bullying us before scoring at least it would have been a bit easier to swallow as we struggle with those scenarios - but they managed to score without even really trying.

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100% agree with Paul in the above. This idea there isn't anyone better out there than Klopp is exactly the same as his pig headed argument about there not being better defenders out there than what we have.

It's nothing like that really whether it's you or Paul saying it.

The pool of players is so much bigger than the pool of managers that it's laughable to even compare.

If you have a sound argument it shouldn't be necessary to exaggerate.

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I’d say it’s an exaggeration to say there’s no-one out there better than Klopp. We’ve become this set of fans who just accept whatever shit is served up to us and only pause to ask for more. The world of football management does not begin and end with Jurgen Klopp.

 

That’s not to say that I think he’s done, by the way. If yesterday was a watershed moment that leads to him accepting the defence needs radical work, then he can certainly get us moving forward again. However, there is no doubt he has dug a big hole that will be difficult to get out of.

 

I’ve seen him compared to Wenger (ie stubborn refusal to accept the obvious no matter what the damage) in at least three different reports of the game and the very fact that the fans are at least asking questions makes everything significantly harder.

 

By being a dick with the fans, he’s also eroded some of the good will that could carry him through a tough situation. In short, he’s made a pretty fucking big rod for his own back.

 

I hope he gets it right, but the idea that it’s Klopp or no-one is ridiculous. 99% of managers in the world game would come here. We pay fucking loads for starters and then then there’s the fact that sorting us out is the sort of challenge most established and pretty much all up and coming managers would leap at.

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Pretty much the exact same path we've been on before. He'll get this season no matter how bad it might go barring relegation form which we wont hit.

 

We'll probably limp along in reach of a top 4 place, rally near end of season but ultimately fall short by a few points.

 

He'll then get the summer to fix things and it'll be that window that he lives or dies by. Fuck it up yet again and he wont last next season. Get it right and we'll probably have another good season and finish top 4 easily.

 

Thats pretty much how I'd guess things will play out.

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Great report as usual Dave,now can someone put this in a fucking envelope and put it up in the fucking players dressing room,managers office and make sure FSG get a copy of it too. It might actually open their eyes.....nah scrap that

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