Thiago Alcantara

[aws]

1 minute ago, TheHowieLama said:

I am not trying to convince you pal - I am sure that teams are now playing with 8 in their own box and what @awsposted has alot to do with it. That and the fact that we rarely win the ball off the press in their third these days. Teams are bypassing the midfield to get at our back 4.

I agree with your last two points. Our lack of intensity has fucked up our aggressive pressing and we hardly get any goal scoring opportunities from our press these days. 

[3 Stacks]

4 minutes ago, aws said:

If Burnley's penalty are is red then it's because we've pinned them there which tends to support the point that failing to score from overwhelming possession is more the problem than not being able to dominate teams. No team sets out to defend their area as a tactic. 

Well, loads of people seem to think it is and that it's problematic to us.

[TheHowieLama]

2 minutes ago, Brownie said:

Yep, that's what I thought too. Just further adds fuel to the fire that we're getting into the final third and penalty area as well as we ever have under Klopp.

But that is the point - we are not creating the same kind of chances. We never created our best chances out of our sustained possession. 

[TheHowieLama]

Here is Brighton at Anfield -- 2018 and 2020. They won one of these.

 

 

 

[Brownie]

2 minutes ago, TheHowieLama said:

Here is Brighton at Anfield -- 2018 and 2020. They won one of these.

 

 

 

Does the heat-map reflect touches?

[Elite]

5 minutes ago, TheHowieLama said:

Here is Brighton at Anfield -- 2018 and 2020. They won one of these.

 

 

 

What's Ghostbusters got to do with anything?

[TheHowieLama]

3 minutes ago, Elite said:

What's Ghostbusters got to do with anything?

We are gonna have to call someone.

[TheHowieLama]

7 minutes ago, Brownie said:

Does the heat-map reflect touches?

I believe so.

[Joey8FrogsLegs]

3 hours ago, 3 Stacks said:

That's just not true. He's averaging more tackles and interceptions than any of our midfielders. And if he's not winning the ball, he's fouling. Certainly, some of the tackling has been too ambitious, and most of that has been in defensive phases, but in terms of pressing, he's been very good.

This. Extremely surprised that so many people fail to see it. Wonder if they even bother to watch the games. And if they dont, all they need to do is check the stats who will tell the same story.

 

[Brownie]

11 minutes ago, TheHowieLama said:

I believe so.

So it’s basically all of the clearances from the crosses that came in. 

[3 Stacks]

24 minutes ago, TheHowieLama said:

Here is Brighton at Anfield -- 2018 and 2020. They won one of these.

 

 

 

Credit to you for posting a certain level of proof. Should have led with that instead of "watch the games". What I'd gather from that is we likely used to be better at creating chances quickly before teams could create the low block. So actions in a match were less so us trying to pick our way through an organized defense for an extended period of time and teams just clearing everything when we try to get the ball in the box, like the map would indicate in the game this season.

[TheHowieLama]

5 minutes ago, Brownie said:

So it’s basically all of the clearances from the crosses that came in. 

One of the games had 25 crosses from us, the other 27.

 

Don't want to get to Codey on this but you can also see how much deeper and compact their 3 midfielders are if you want.

[Joey8FrogsLegs]

28 minutes ago, aws said:

I agree with your last two points. Our lack of intensity has fucked up our aggressive pressing and we hardly get any goal scoring opportunities from our press these days. 

One of the main reasons we’re not as good this season. Probably the main reason. Of course this again has to do with physical and mental freshness. Our players run less, do less sprints and less pressing this season compared to the previous ones.

[Brownie]

4 minutes ago, TheHowieLama said:

One of the games had 25 crosses from us, the other 27.

Sorry I was referring to Burnley (31 vs 14).

[TheHowieLama]

4 minutes ago, Brownie said:

Sorry I was referring to Burnley (31 vs 14).

Some serious shite from TAA there.

[Brownie]

Just now, TheHowieLama said:

Some serious shite from TAA there.

Yep. The usual strength of our full backs and front 3 creating chances, falling by the wayside again.

[3 Stacks]

I'm granting you the win on this one @TheHowieLama. Cherish it.

[No2]

I think we need to get the band back together. A midfield 3 of Gini, Hendo and Fab sustaining attacks and giving the fullbacks the confidence to go for it. Thiago will work out but we need a break from each other for a few weeks until Jota is back and we can start building for next year again.

[The Guest]

The midfield sustain attacks.  Creating clear cut chances is the problem.  Changing the current midfield and putting Hendo and Fab back in it might not make it worse but I struggle to see how it’s going to fix things.  Personally I can’t honestly see how taking the best passer and most inventive one at that as well out of the side is going to help us create chances.  On top of that you’re also throwing 2 centre backs out of the 4 fit ones in there who could completely fold.  Kabak is a 20 year old who’s been getting beat most weeks and nobody knows anything about Davies.  I think a lot of people are underestimating how difficult it is to play centre back for us.

[TheHowieLama]

people are underestimating how difficult it is to play centre back for us.

 

 

[Colonel Bumcunt]

Thiago is brilliant. 

A genius. 

 

The team needs a rebirth, and that will come as soon as Fabinho is back in midfield.   I want to see Thiago and Fabinho as a double DM with Jones playing ahead of them. 

 

Playing with one 6 is probably not a good idea while we introduce the new CBs.  

 

I'd like to try Wijnaldum as the false 9.  Great hold up, and aerial ability and strength.  

[VladimirIlyich]

43 minutes ago, TheHowieLama said:

people are underestimating how difficult it is to play centre back for us.

 

 

I dont think anybody underestimates this at all. In fact we've been saying it all along and its why we are in such deep shit. The defence begets the midfield,the midfield begets the forwards and its all to shit.

[Joey8FrogsLegs]

5 minutes ago, VladimirIlyich said:

I dont think anybody underestimates this at all. In fact we've been saying it all along and its why we are in such deep shit. The defence begets the midfield,the midfield begets the forwards and its all to shit.

When people ask questions why we dont throw the two new CBs straight in I reckon they absolutely do not understand what it takes to play CB in our system.

[VladimirIlyich]

15 minutes ago, Joey8FrogsLegs said:

When people ask questions why we dont throw the two new CBs straight in I reckon they absolutely do not understand what it takes to play CB in our system.

Those questions are being asked because our midfield has been decimated too by just trying to cover those losses at CB. Its all connected.

[s(k)aturation]

43 minutes ago, Joey8FrogsLegs said:

When people ask questions why we dont throw the two new CBs straight in I reckon they absolutely do not understand what it takes to play CB in our system.

 

I'll admit I absolutely don't understand.

 

But the understanding our stand-in CBs from midfield do have of our system hasn't seemed to have helped our results... 

 

Is that perhaps because they should be playing in midfield, and we simply now don't have a fit CB at the club who does understand our system?

 

How long does it take a CB to learn our system?  Or is it that we've bought 2 CBs, hurriedly, who perhaps aren't good enough for our system?

 

With Thiago too, there's seems to be lots of talk of "learning" and "fitting in".

 

Lots of training wheels at play, for a defending League champion.