Chelsea(h) PL- Match Thread

[Joe Strummer]

We would have won that had Firminho and Mane started. Our play was so slow and laboured, our game play seemed to be give it to Salah. It was a fuxking certainty they could equalise.

[karl1987]

Although I can understand Mane's frustration, the last thing we need is another fucking millionaire primadonna publicly chucking his toys out the pram.

 

Wind your fucking neck in eh, Mane lad?

 

I'm glad hes annoyed.  Shows he actually gives a damn. 

[Kevin D]

Bored of this, now.

[karl1987]

We would have won that had Firminho and Make started. .

 

Or we might have lost.  Who knows.  All I know is Mane was absolutely wrecked midweek and with him only back from injury he probably wasn't fit to start,  I trust Klopp to judge whether players are fit enough to start.

 

With the congested fixture list we have coming up your gonna have to get use to more rotation like this.

[an tha]

Just before they scored Henderson went in to try and clear a ball. he kicked thin air and then just put his hand on his knees as Chelsea played the ball wide and got in behind us. About 20 seconds later it was 1-1 and he was jogging about in space! He's a fucking wimp who loves to hide instead of getting stuck in. We should have sold this fraud on after he had that one decent season off the back of Suarez, Sturridge and to an extent Sterling.

Is right, sadly.

[karl1987]

 

 

[Jay86]

We need a massive upgrade on Jordan Henderson as both a midfielder and a captain.

 

He is a coward and he is nowhere near a big enough character to be captain of our club.

 

He is a decent enough midfielder for a mid table PL club but he is not even close to being what we need as a footballer, a character or a leader.

For me Henderson is the epitome of a squad player, he’s a brilliant athlete decent footballer and could probably give you a 6/10 in almost any position. In Spain or Italy he’d a right back. He also doesn’t strike me as a guy who would kick up a fuss if he wasn’t starting week in week out, the problem is he’s now captain basically by default so it’s a tough juggling act, do we drop him and take give the captaincy to a new signing and potentially risk him kicking off and causing an unnecessary row or do we just sell him in the summer.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

Is right, sadly.

 

Yep. Let's be honest, apart from that one season he has either been injured or the focal point of fans frustration. Nice enough lad from what I can make out, but nice is not good enough. 

[FrenchEyeGlass]

The hindsight crew are out in force.

 

And "game management" seems to be the new buzzword. We moan because we didn't win. But some of the criticisms are all over the shop.

 

No game management? Isn't changing to a 4-5-1 and putting another body in midfield and then switching to a back 5 managing the game? Trying to see out a 1-0 win? It's easy to moan because Willian looped a fluke goal in. If he didn't do that, the majority would be happy with the performance and wouldn't be going on about "game management."

 

I think "game management" is the new "no plan B" shout and it doesn't really boil down to much or stand up to scrutiny.

 

The subs were made late. Fair enough. But nobody has a real clue about the fitness levels of Mané and Lallana. And Klopp was looking to go to a 5 in midfield and then a back 5. Where does Mané fit in in those systems?

 

It's easy to use the buzzwords and make out like Klopp just did nothing and let Chelsea score. That simply isn't true.

 

He's not beyond criticism. But when he's changed system two times in one game and would get a win but for a lucky goal, I'm not sure it's on Klopp or his "lack of game mangement."

 

Hindsight crew. Come on mate.

 

Everybody I was watching the match with said the exact same thing. No hindsight was needed to predict what was going to play out.

[Hades]

By jeez we have some crap midfielders that can't think tactically at all. I would kill for 08/09 Alonso and Mascherano.

[FrenchEyeGlass]

By jeez we have some crap midfielders that can't think tactically at all. I would kill for 08/09 Alonso and Mascherano.

 

I'd sell my nan for a Momo Sissoko right now!

 

The amount of times Henderson got walked past today was shocking. 

[an tha]

For me Henderson is the epitome of a squad player, he’s a brilliant athlete decent footballer and could probably give you a 6/10 in almost any position. In Spain or Italy he’d a right back. He also doesn’t strike me as a guy who would kick up a fuss if he wasn’t starting week in week out, the problem is he’s now captain basically by default so it’s a tough juggling act, do we drop him and take give the captaincy to a new signing and potentially risk him kicking off and causing an unnecessary row or do we just sell him in the summer.

Personally i would sell.

 

He'd be fine at West Ham or Stoke but for us he just isn't up to what we need

[Nelly-Szoboszlai]

I agree on the midfield shouts though.

 

I think we missed the Teutonic Turk, Mr. Can, in there tonight. There was nowhere near enough dynamism up against Chelsea's mobile, quick, athletic trio.

 

There were a good few times when there was what looked like a 60/40 ball in our favour and the likes of Kante and Drinkwater came away with the ball due to just being quicker or stronger. Henderson was bypassed with ease far too often and just jogged around with his arse sticking out, helpless to stop it.

 

Then, even on the ball, they're not good enough either. Nobody like Hazard or Fabregas, when he came on, capable of dictating the game.

 

I'm not sure about Coutinho in there either. I think he's more effective in the front 3. But, can you drop Salah or Mané long term?

 

Keita can't come in quick enough, for me. He looks top notch. Kante with better end product.

 

If Barca came back in for Coutinho and he tried to force the issue, I'd be tempted to let him go. Get Mascherano in. And Draxler on loan. Then splash the fee on a keeper and a goalscorer.

[Jennings]

Just got back. Disappointed not to hold on to the lead. 

 

Poor substitutions again. 

 

Not really sure why he was going to bring Gini on at 0-0. Any clarity on that from the pundits?

[an tha]

Yep. Let's be honest, apart from that one season he has either been injured or the focal point of fans frustration. Nice enough lad from what I can make out, but nice is not good enough.

Agreed.

 

I don't mean to have a dig at the lad unnecessarily - i think he gives all he has and does as much as he is capable of - but what he offers and does is just not enough if we want to aspire to and achieve more.

 

He's been here long enough now and the body of evidence is large enough.

[Baltar]

Midfield looked so, so poor. Ox, Hendo and Milner is a weak midfield. Where was Can? Lallana will be a great option when fully fit. Our excellent attack is really let down by the mediocre players behind them. Cannot wait for Keita to arrive. 

[pauliescouse]

It could be argued that they would have never scored if we'd brought both Firmino and Mane on 60 - 70 mins in to push them back given we were 1-0 up.

 

To be honest I thought that was the gameplan after seeing the team. Sturridge upfront and Chambo starting, 1-0, take both off and bring Firmino and Mane on and attack.

 

Honestly I'm not sure what Klopp was thinking. 

 

Even more frustrating (well just for me) my internet connection died just as Willian hit that ball and stream stopped with Mig streching and I thought.... oh fucking no way. Checked phone 1-1.

 

Disappointing.

[Shitty Arse]

My sometimes reliable mate has been told that Matip is back in. And no Can or Mané, with AOC and Sturridge both due to start. He did say that this isn't definite though.

Good call. I can quote this as well to save me wading through the match thread.

[Jairzinho]

Coutinho is a better number 10 than he is an inside forward but playing with Henderson and Milner alongside him in midfield and a forward ahead of him with all the mobility of a Bay Willow and you'll see performances like today. He tries to do too much because he probably only felt Salah was likely to do anything with the ball.

 

He's not without blame, of course. He could put in a 7/10 performance rather than the 5 or 6 he did today just by being slightly more conservative/careful/however you want to describe it with the ball, but you won't see the sort of games he has when all the players ahead of him are on the same wave length. And we'd get even better performances with some quality behind him.

 

Imagine if we signed a central midfielder that could tackle, the had him next to Keita, with Coutinho as the 10, and Mane Salah and Firmino playing every week.

 

We'd destroy teams. Buy a better keeper and a couple of solid defenders and we'd challenge for major trophies.

 

Until then, however, we'll continue being inconsistent. Even within games. Hoping to scrape into the top four, and getting knocked out of Europe by the first quality team we face in the knockouts, will be the limits of our potential. Because without some more strength mentally (and physically probably) in defence and midfield we'll continue to flatter to deceive. The better attacking players will leave for teams serious about winning stuff.

[G Richards]

Frustrating because a draw - an acceptable result given the opposition, feels like a loss. And I think the game management shout is fair. Klopp did make changes to the system, so it’s not like he did nothing, but I think he could have done more. Mainly getting Mane on earlier would have been better, in my opinion, as we were just going deeper and deeper and it felt very obvious that they were going to score. Mane would have given a fresh outlet and perhaps given them something to think about as they were piling forward looking for the equalizer.

 

With all that said, when we were at our best with a midfield of Gerrard, Mascherano and Alonso, it was still nip and tuck against this lot as to who would win, so we can’t be too upset with a 1-1 draw.

[Dave D]

Apologies- havent read the thread- just got in from pub and am trying to not rant.

 

At 60-65mins it was very clear they would chase the game. They then made 3 attacking changes.

 

My theory that I let anyone within a 20m radius know was- bring on Mane and Firminio, let them stretch it and leave huge gaps at the back, we then make it 2-0. Excuse the cliche, not rocket science

 

The fact we didnt do it and got stung by the cross/shot by Willian is a bit shit. What really really compounds it for me is, after inviting them on and having nothing to offer in attack in the last 20mins, when they then inevitably score, we chuck in attackers for 4 minutes, as if to say, shit- we want to win this. 

 

2 dropped points that was so easily avoided.

[mouse1989]

Frustrating because a draw - an acceptable result given the opposition, feels like a loss. And I think the game management shout is fair. Klopp did make changes to the system, so it’s not like he did nothing, but I think he could have done more. Mainly getting Mane on earlier would have been better, in my opinion, as we were just going deeper and deeper and it felt very obvious that they were going to score. Mane would have given a fresh outlet and perhaps given them something to think about as they were piling forward looking for the equalizer.

 

With all that said, when we were at our best with a midfield of Gerrard, Mascherano and Alonso, it was still nip and tuck against this lot as to who would win, so we can’t be too upset with a 1-1 draw.

Disagree with that final part. When we had Gerrard, Mascherano and Alonso. They had players like Makelele, Lampard and Essien. Today we had Henderson and Milner and they Danny fucking Drinkwater. Both CM’s are a massive downgrade from 7-10 years ago

[Gym Beglin]

I think the conversation around Henderson is one of; either we need a new captain in midfield or we need a new manger who recognised the problem.

[G Richards]

I agree, obviously both midfields are not as good as what they were a few years ago. Kante wouldn’t look out of place in their best midfield of the last decade. We don’t have anyone on that level in our side, unless we’re counting Coutinho as a midfielder.

 

Maybe my point was ham-fisted, but we didn’t always have it our way against them, and in fact usually did not, even when we had the best midfield in the world. They are a tough nut to crack. So I can’t get too upset when this flawed Liverpool team just falls short of the three points.

[Red74]

We’ve got to go full shitbag and start winning snide free kicks to help us kill the game off. The amount of times our players either give it away or end up getting a yellow at the first sign of an incoming challenge when we’ve got possession instead of acting like we’ve had our legs broke and getting a free kick is burning my head out now.

 

We’ve got to start getting cuter in these tight games instead of meakly surrendering possession and throwing the 3 points away.

 

What I’d give for a Didi Hamman bit of tight control, turn into opposition player and fall flat on face / Suarez leg broken style free kick to waste a few minutes to see a game out now...