Liverpool 0 Manchester United 0 (Jan 17 2021)

[ralph 48]

Depressing read Dave, unfortunately a true reflection. Sick to death of becoming an armchair fan, the type who I have never wanted to talk football with. First time I've not attended this fixture since 1993. It's really wank,  let's start again in August with fans and forget this season, not because of the form but because however we kid ourselves and look forward to the match, it is just totally crap all round without being there. 

[DJLJ 373]

5 hours ago, Mark M said:

Agree with so much of that and being pissed off with Salah and Firmino and being torn about being critical after what they've done for us I can relate too. The other player thats so off form and is having an impact on our attacking play is Trent - not sure whats up with him but he looks goosed and his passing / crossing has gone to shit

I am surprised that you didn’t lay more into TAA also, he has been at least on par bad with the front 3, if not worse, this whole season. 

[SasaS 2,525]

One thing I don't quite understand, shouldn't high press against us be suicidal with Henderson and Fabinho at the back, plus one of the best goalkeepers with the ball to his feet in the world, Trent so good on the ball he will play in midfield, Gini impossible to take the ball off and Thiago Alacantera, the man who sees passes in another dimension? You'd expect passing through high press and then punishing teams committing five players to press us would be our big weapon now, yet we seem to struggle to play out, struggle equally as playing against deep sitting defense lines.  At the moment, it seems nothing the opposition does plays into our hands. 

[Code 984]

Sweet Jesus, did someone stell your login Dave?

 

Negged. 

[Daisy 29]

Salah will be sold this summer for sure. He's bitching again about his contract. 

 

Firmino will probably stay but we will need two new forwards. 

 

That's on top of a replacement for Gini and a centre back of course. 

[dave u 6,172]

38 minutes ago, Code said:

Sweet Jesus, did someone stell your login Dave?

 

Negged. 

 

I expected nothing less from the president of the Mo Salah fan club!

 

The last time you were on a crusade like this is was attempting to put out fires for Karius. At least now you're defending someone with the pedigree and ability to ensure you don't look stupid in doing so.

[JustTosh 337]

The fun has gone, so has the smiles. Kloppo looks like a grumpy old man on the sidelines only to come out and tell everyone how great we played after the match.

 

If we're that great there's no need to change anything is it?

 

So happy to hear we're now in a fight for fourth place.

 

 

[Mark M 1,533]

Klopp changing Salah and Mane positions in the first half is not something I’ve seen us do in a long time.
Seems to show Klopp is not sure how to fix the funk our front players are in.

 

Id shake up our starting line up vs Burnley - start Ox - Shaq - Taki - and have the option of Firmino etc from the bench. 
may as well start to use our squad players if our first team are underperforming and have options of having impact subs late in the game if needed. 

[JustTosh 337]

1 hour ago, SasaS said:

One thing I don't quite understand, shouldn't high press against us be suicidal with Henderson and Fabinho at the back, plus one of the best goalkeepers with the ball to his feet in the world, Trent so good on the ball he will play in midfield, Gini impossible to take the ball off and Thiago Alacantera, the man who sees passes in another dimension? You'd expect passing through high press and then punishing teams committing five players to press us would be our big weapon now, yet we seem to struggle to play out, struggle equally as playing against deep sitting defense lines.  At the moment, it seems nothing the opposition does plays into our hands. 

It should be if we stormed through their high press line. Sadly it only takles one "Gini pass" (read backward pass) to make sure their players get back in line and behind the ball.

 

 

[TheBitch 3,366]

As abhorrent as that match was, it still didn't prepare me for this, and I audibly gasped when I read it. 

 

"So currently I don't blame anyone for expressing their frustrations however they can (just don't be tagging players in when you do, coz that makes you a cunt)."

 

I was fully expecting @rb14 or @Paul to have pulled you up on it already. What have you become Dave?

[SasaS 2,525]

13 minutes ago, TheBitch said:

As abhorrent as that match was, it still didn't prepare me for this, and I audibly gasped when I read it. 

 

"So currently I don't blame anyone for expressing their frustrations however they can (just don't be tagging players in when you do, coz that makes you a cunt)."

 

I was fully expecting @rb14 or @Paul to have pulled you up on it already. What have you become Dave?

Eh, my sweetest friend. Everyone we know goes away in the end.

[dave u 6,172]

I regret nothing.

[RedPaul 112]

I think two incredible, but highly intense (in terms of continued effort on the pitch) seasons is taking its toll. I also agree that stadiums without fans has dulled our instinct and intensity to some degree and made football less enjoyable for both fans and players alike.

 

For me, the slight decline in performance started after the March lockdown, the players knew they had run away with the league and after all that effort over the previous two or three seasons they had reached the pinnacle, achieved their destiny. For me it was inevitable there would be some kind of drop off.

 

Signing Jota masked that as he arrived with amazing enthusiasm and hit the ground running, scoring goals and generally looking a brilliant signing. He inspired the team to reach some of the peaks we had in the previous seasons, but for some of the players the performances were already starting to become a little inconsistent. Losing Van Dijk and Thiago so early was bad and we have been hit by further injuries and poor officiating which has now probably now also taken it's toll on the players. It feels like there is a little negativity around the club and no fans to challenge the players to move beyond it.

 

This run of games was going to happen and we are comparing the team to the amazing heights they have reached in previous seasons, understandable as we know what they have been capable of, but perhaps a little unfair given how much they have put out there on the pitch for 2/3 years. Every squad needs to be freshened up regularly and we did that to some extent. If we hadn't lost so many players early on (including the new players we brought in), and who knows what effect covid might have had on some of the players (in terms of overall fitness/energy), then perhaps we would be in a better position right now. However, we are in a bit of a rut and the front three are definitely struggling for form. I have been getting very frustrated with our slow attacking and often toothless play and yearn for the quick, incisive interchanges in the final third that we know they are capable of producing. I am sure it will return and we have shown it in patches like the Palace game, but I am half expecting this inconsistent run to continue for a bit longer. I hope I am wrong as, as you rightly say, it's no fun watching this on the telly.

[Red74 981]

Got to the hour mark yesterday and I was hoping for a meteor to strike the earth. We are so fucking boring to watch and we

just don’t improve as the game goes on. 
 

Seen a few posts saying we were good the 1st 20 minutes but it’s the same as the previous 3. Have teams cottoned on that if you can see the 1st 20 out you’re in the game. 
 

We were like this under Brendan and Klopps early years but we were blowing teams away by then. Now it’s just a nothing. 
 

We probably are a team are built in emotion and thrive on the crowds home and away.

 

A couple of scrappy wins the next few games will do us the world of good 

[Tarwater 101]

Might be bullshit, but that Salah interview infuriates me. I also fear it has influenced his and Trent’s connection down that right side. How about starting the line up of our last successful game, against Palace. Would mean giving Mo a rest, but against Burnley, he’d perhaps be more dangerous as an impact sub.

[Bucksinator 13]

Can’t understand why Rhys Williams isnt playing? Hendos influence from midfield is underestimated.Totally understand the frustration with the front 3 but I think they will come good,they are too good not to.

[Code 984]

This might help some of the fragile souls on here.

 

https://forum.knittinghelp.com

[johnsusername 2,396]

2 hours ago, Tarwater said:

Might be bullshit, but that Salah interview infuriates me. I also fear it has influenced his and Trent’s connection down that right side. How about starting the line up of our last successful game, against Palace. Would mean giving Mo a rest, but against Burnley, he’d perhaps be more dangerous as an impact sub.

I came here to say this, you've already said it.

 

What a stunt that interview was - he should have been fined by the club. Trent probably thinks he's a right prick now. 

[Mark M 1,533]

2 hours ago, Code said:

This might help some of the fragile souls on here.

 

https://forum.knittinghelp.com

Do you find it helps you when you read criticism of Salah?

[rb14 1,237]

5 hours ago, TheBitch said:

I was fully expecting @rb14 or @Paul to have pulled you up on it already. What have you become Dave?

I can hardly comment on a match I couldn't bring myself to watch. I googled the half-time whistle issue and saw nothing I didn't already expect. I recorded the game and have no intention of watching it. Lockdown is depressing enough without subjecting myself to more of the same misery I've had the misfortune to witness over the previous four games. 

 

I'd try Minnie in an attacking midfield role against Burnley. 

[skaro 5,314]

Wouldn't blame you in the slightest if you gave yourself the Burnley game off, Dave.

 

After the post-Christmas shitfest, you deserve it.

 

What worried me most was how totally, utterly and commandingly comfortable United were in letting us have the ball.

 

 

[DalyanPete 273]

Most truthful and depressing report of the season.

It feels like 2005 all over again, position of power and we seem to be fucking it up again.

Yea, front three are in a bad moment but as many have said, you can't take two top midfielders out and not expect a knock-on.

For me now I lay it firmly on the owners.

We know it's tough times but apart from the few cheats it's the same for everyone.

It's a long way back when you slide from the top.

[Josef Svejk 4,829]

 

[Jenson 865]

Agree totally about Salah and Firmino. The two of them are so out of form it's unbelievable. The fact that fat Luke Shaw had Salah in his pocket all day, to the extent that Mo shit out of taking him on in the box in the second half speaks volumes. As for Firmino, my foot nearly when through the TV when he didn't pass the ball to Robbo. That kind of shit is practically unforgiveable.

[Redlewie 56]

Excellent summary of current affairs Dave. Each thing compounds the other resulting in an overall feeling of gloom.

 

I'm trying to take any positive from it, like despite this shitty patch we're still only 3 or 4 points off, but it is a challenge at the moment I'll admit. Nobody's won or lost anything yet and there's still a lot of footy to be played.

 

I hate using the officiating as an excuse but you just can't ignore it as it's fucking scandalous. It has to be raised and highlighted somehow but as you say, the main reason we've dropped points over the last 4 games is the front 3 without a doubt. Culprit #1 is Bobby. He is getting into good positions but making a mess of it every time. I'm afraid to say he is shocking at the moment  Mo is #2 and the worrying thing for me is he's not getting into positions, he's being mostly nullified. I agree he seems to be playing for himself, and I wonder how much that is rubbing off on the other 2. #3 is Mané but at least you can see he's trying, it just isn't happening for him.

 

I think we should drop both Bobby & Mo, play Shaq and Minamino up there for Burnley. Just to shake it up a bit and maybe it'll help liven up Mané.