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Manchester City 4 Liverpool 0 (Jul 2 2020)


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Report by
Dave Usher

 

After the Lord Mayor’s Show as they say, and as far as results go this was a dung cart and a half. The performance didn’t really reflect the scoreline but against City you only have to be a little bit off and this is what can happen. 

 

I’m just glad our Etihad nemesis Aguero was missing otherwise this could have been really embarrassing. 

 

Ordinarily 4-0 would be embarrassing enough but with the title already won and this result cutting our lead to a mere 20 points, embarrassment isn’t really the right word. Neither is humbling, or chastening or whatever. 

 

We’re the Champions and we’re 20 points ahead of City regardless of what happened in this game, so I don’t actually know how to best describe this loss. I know I hated it though. I had a proper cob on for the rest of the night and I’m still irked about it this morning. 

 

Maybe that’s unreasonable and if you’re not arsed about what happened at the Etihad then more power to you. I just hated seeing us lose like THAT. And to lose like that to THEM.

 

Judging by how tetchy Klopp was afterwards on Sky you could be forgiven for thinking he felt the same. It’s only when you watch the interview he did with LFCTV straight afterwards that you understand how he really felt about it. He was more philosophical than angry, but that’s almost certainly because of the line of questioning.

 

When assessing Klopp’s post match mood you have to take into account just what a monumental dick bag Geoff Shreeves is. He’s probably the worst one out there as his questions are just fucking moronic half of the time. Lowest common denominator, basic, shitty redtop style questions. He’s the Jim White of TV.

 

Usually Klopp shows more patience with him but I completely understood why he got so arsey this time. There’s a reason every top manager has had run ins with this tool. After a bad result the last thing you need is Shreeves pushing his own little narrative and trying to get you to take a stroll down “Whopper Avenue” with him.

 

He asks a stupid question based on his own agenda and when he doesn’t get the answer he wants he asks the same stupid question in a slightly different way hoping he’ll get what he’s looking for. 

 

Instead of asking Klopp “so, how did that happen?” and just letting him talk (Jurgen is great analysing how the game went) he wanted to peddle the story he’d tried to get going pre-match about our players not being prepared or focused because they’ve been celebrating all week.

 

Like I say, it’s lowest common denominator, redtop shite and it clearly got Klopp's back up. The players had one night on the ale, a week ago, and have been training hard ever since. There was no lack of effort from them and they took the game seriously. 

 

They didn’t lose because some of them got bevvied a week ago. They lost because they were wasteful with the countless opportunities they created and they made far too many stupid mistakes in defence. The effort was there in spades, it’s insulting to infer that it wasn’t.

 

If you want to put the result down to partying or them not being arsed about the rest of the season then that just tells me that you haven’t been paying attention. It’s not who these players are and it’s definitely not who Klopp is. That was why he was pissed off in his Sky interview, not because we lost.

 

The LFCTV interview was much more informative simply because Peter McDowall basically just says “disappointing result there, Jurgen. What went wrong?” Klopp then tells him what went wrong. 

 

Not clinical enough, too many mistakes, can’t do that against such a strong opponent etc. 

 

And that’s exactly what it was. The easiest and laziest thing in the world is to put this down to the players not being up for it, but it’s nonsense. They were still running and trying to score even in stoppage time at 4-0 down.

 

Effort wasn’t the problem. Intensity wasn’t the problem. Sloppiness at both ends of the pitch was the problem and yes maybe that’s in some tiny part due to them not playing for the highest stakes possible, and therefore not quite being fully switched on mentally. 

 

Rather than it being a lack of effort, I think it was more a lack of fear. By that I mean usually when we play City everyone has to be completely focused on not making any mistakes because the stakes are so high. You have to play almost the perfect game because if you don’t the consequences can be catastrophic.

 

That wasn’t the case this time though as we already had the title sewn up. Maybe players were taking too many risks? Being a little too casual? Some of the decision making was terrible so I'm just saying, maybe the ‘nothing to lose’ thing comes into it, even at a subconscious level. 

 

 

This is just a teaser, click to view the full article

 

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The title was won, we can't drop more points than city already have. In that respect the game mean't fuck all really. We won the games we had to win, when it really mattered. 

 

The next game is more important as apparently there's a only a short break between this season and next and I'd like us to not drift into bad form. The season was about 38 games total and not one game. They can have a win every season at their place if we can win the league, fuck it they can even have 5 goals while we carry off the Premiership if that makes them happy.

 

 

 

 

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I agree about the forwards as a unit. It feels like we've been waiting two years for them to "click" consistently. Amazing that we've crushed the league with them so often below what we think we know they're capable of.

 

Part of the explanation is that it's unfair to compare them with what might have been over-performance in the past, part is that we've adjusted and tightened up our overall game a bit and part is that opposition defences have been learning about what to do to neutralise them ( e.g. Firmino doesn't get so much space when he drops into the pocket and has to drop even deeper, nobody gives Mo time or space to place that left -footer into the top, far corner). 

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Great report as usual. Pretty much sums up how I felt watching it.

Never seen a good game when we lose or a bad one when we win.

Not having the pre-season friendly shit I'm hearing, it just hurts like fuck to lose.

Only plus for me, I turned off when they scored the fifth, got up this morning to find it only four.

I think Origi is very similar to what happened to Heskey, ask them to play away from their strengths and they suffer.

And, I still don't get Naby.

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I had to google Foden as I genuinely have no idea what he looks like as I dont have the sports channels. Fairly punchable but not Terry Christian manc twat punchable. 

 

Regards the drop off in the front three, absolutely right, they need to be kept on their toes with another quality option (which can bring its own problems) but the signings of Van Dijk and Fabinho have definitely brought a slight "clipping of the wings" of the red arrows- albeit producing the trophies that count    

 

 

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Actually disagree about the Ederson thing, it bounced and hit him was what I saw. I got annoyed about the linesman on the far side though who first half dodged making offside decisions to let VAR rescue him, City go through and get a corner which is allowed to happen of course. So they get a chance on goal because he didn't do his job.

 

Good points about the front three, I am concerned that we let Werner go though the wages were way too high. We need better than Origi as backup for sure, very grateful for his contributions 2 years ago but he's done nothing this year. 

 

I'd give Williams a game at left back to see if he can play as backup for both sides

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I know firmino helps facilitate mane and salah with his workrate but his lack of goals is awful for a side that creates so much chances.

Wont happen but I’d love us to get Jimenez off wolves as a bobby upgrade 

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7 hours ago, aws said:

I agree about the forwards as a unit. It feels like we've been waiting two years for them to "click" consistently. Amazing that we've crushed the league with them so often below what we think we know they're capable of.

 

Part of the explanation is that it's unfair to compare them with what might have been over-performance in the past, part is that we've adjusted and tightened up our overall game a bit and part is that opposition defences have been learning about what to do to neutralise them ( e.g. Firmino doesn't get so much space when he drops into the pocket and has to drop even deeper, nobody gives Mo time or space to place that left -footer into the top, far corner). 

I agree. The way teams set up against us is night and day compared to 3 years ago.

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Good report Dave. This game has just added to my overall feeling of quiet satisfaction at being champions instead of the all guns blazing, hell for leather fuck all you bastards glee that it should be. Its daft, but I can't shake it.

 

Just like the derby, you just knew after an hour we were getting absolutely nothing from the game, it was so frustrating. And it is never, ever, ok to lose a game 4-0, to anyone, anytime. It should always sting.

 

I said to a mate last night that if you had to picture a smug, full of himself looking Manc, then you wouldn't go far wrong with Foden, but I'd forgotten about Terry Christian. Very good player though, unfortunately. 

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Yeah, Shreeves is a fucking tit. Gets away with asking shithouse questions far too often. Pushes the answer with the question, as Kloppo picked up on there. The “I suppose you can put it into perspective the performance today as you’ve won the league anyway” question was a continuance of what Klopp had got annoyed at with hinting at the attitude issue. Worded in a snide cunt manner though. You can’t fool our Jurgen, you fucking rat.

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Pretty much captures most of my feelings. I was pretty confident when the team news cam out and after 20 minutes I could only see one winner, and it wasn't City. We were much the better team early on, could/should have had a couple and they looked really nervous at the back. We were getting behind them regularly in that phase.

I don't necessarily agree with the Ederson handball thingy, but he definitely gained an advantage and the episode once agan underlines the handball anomaly i.e. accidental handball gets treated differently when it's about scoring a goal versus stopping one. 

I agree with Klopp that the main difference was about using the moments, they did, we didn't. I think the reason we didn't was that, although the effort and willingness was there,  we didn't have the sharpness and focus in the head to exploit the moments. That's the only way I could explain the stupid decisions (Robbo going awol, Trent throwing it in straight to to one of theirs) or the complete lapses in concentration - Sadio letting the ball run past him when the goal was gaping.

Anthony Taylor lived down to expectations - we were still winning the ball back from them high up late in the game - only for him to give them soft free kicks. Taylor or Tyler, can't decide who's the bigger cunt.

 

Let's hope we get our heads sorted out for the remaining games, it would be such a shame for this brilliant season to fizzle out in a whimper.

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He didn't mean to handle it but to me that means nothing when you've rushed miles out of your goal to deny a striker who is clean through. You come out that far, you better get the ball cleanly because if you don't and you stop it with your hand or arm, then tough shit, it's a foul.

 

That was much worse an offence than Ndidi's handball at Goodison that led to a penalty. 

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18 hours ago, m0e said:

I agree. The way teams set up against us is night and day compared to 3 years ago.

This is true, but we still get fucking loads of those moments when we win the ball and the forwards have the chance to link up and do something.

 

Three years ago when they had those moments they would tear teams apart. Now it feels like their conversion rate in those same situations has plummeted. I don't have stats to back that up, it's just the impression I get from watching.

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31 minutes ago, dave u said:

 

 

Three years ago when they had those moments they would tear teams apart. Now it feels like their CONVERSATION rate in those same situations has plummeted. I don't have stats to back that up, it's just the impression I get from watching.

Stop chatting shit and just shoot will ya

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1 hour ago, dave u said:

This is true, but we still get fucking loads of those moments when we win the ball and the forwards have the chance to link up and do something.

 

Three years ago when they had those moments they would tear teams apart. Now it feels like their conversation rate in those same situations has plummeted. I don't have stats to back that up, it's just the impression I get from watching.

You know how you talk about other teams scuffing chances against us because they are few and far between?

 

I think its similar here. Because teams sit deep, we would naturally feel more pressured to put away our chances.

 

My memory says we had absolutely shit loads of chances 3 years ago and missed as many as we scored.

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Our sides finishing can be really poor. Infuriating how many of our players sky the ball, scuff it wide or pea roll it straight to the keeper it's bizarre. I'd also drop Firmino we all love him but he can't be untouchable, when he's great he's great but he's offering no threat. He needs to be more than just somebody pressing from the front. I wouldn't start him v Villa I'd bring him on as a sub, I definitely wouldn't put mane or salah in the middle, try minamino or something.

 

We are champions this shit is done let's try stuff. As long as it's not origi out wide or gini out wide. I'd sell Origi.

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It's not specifically the finishing that I'm referring to, although that's part of it.

 

It's more about the situations that SHOULD lead to goals or at the very least chances, but they often don't.

 

The other night for example, we won the ball in their half on so many occasions (City were just giving it straight to us a lot of the time) but it rarely led to a good opening. Whether its the wrong pass, no pass, an under-hit pass, an over-hit one or whatever, I don't think we make as much of these situations as we did do a two or three years ago.

 

Classic example was Bobby passing it behind Sadio when he'd have been in on goal. Shit like that seems to happen much more now than it did.

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I'd give Origi a run of games and rest Firmino.  He's clearly nowhere near decent form, and putting Origi in there will give him a chance to put himself in the shop window, and he has these days learnt how to do his fair share of work without the ball.  That said, I'd give the young lads the odd game before the end of the season too.  

 

I agree with Dave, two of our three forwards are getting dragged backwards towards the ordinary - I'm not sure what is causing it - injuries, tiredness, complacency, lack of competition - but the appetite is not what it was, and bad decision making, lazy and sloppy execution is definitely creeping in.  It's not just this one game, and we are capable of firing at 100% still, just not as often.  

 

Strengthen from a position of strength please Jurgen, don't wait until momentum is taking us in the wrong direction.  

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