Villarreal (A) - UCL Semi Final 2nd leg, Tue 3rd May 2022 (8:00pm)

[Carvalho Diablo]

Missing Bobby dropping into midfield and making that extra man.

[joe_fishfish]

They're pressing really high with six players and leaving four back to deal with our front three. They're putting us under so much pressure that we can't take any advantage of the huge space in front of their back four or in behind. Their wide midfield players are so narrow we're not sure who is meant to be picking them up, we're getting dragged all over the place.

 

Us playing like absolute wankers isn't helping either. When did Trent and Robbo forget the absolute basics?

 

Klopp's got to have a solution here. Don't think it's as simple as just swapping Keita for Hendo although that would definitely help.

[Joey8FrogsLegs]

Disaster of a first half. They’ve played with a higher intensity, more agression and desire. That combined with their cheating has meant we’ve managed to create fuck all. 
 

With the exception of Alisson, not a single player has played well. 
 

They’re committing plenty of player forwards in their pressing, so should be plenty of opportunities to punish them is we could play through their pressing. That said, the few times we’ve managed to do it our forwards have either wasted it or their defenders have dived to win a free kick.

 

Whole thing reminds me of the games against Inter Milan, I think they did the same by crowding the midfield and stop out normal build up play from the back. People get on individuals backs, which is not wrong I guess, but I reckon it’s at least as much a structural thing.

 

We need to compress more in midfield, probably get Jota or Mane a bit deeper, and then play it earlier in behind for Salah and either Mane or Jota. Make them run towards their own goal, that should cause them some trouble.

[Red_or_Dead]

1 minute ago, Qwikage said:

How dare these Spanish upstarts play this well in a semi final of the Champions League on their home ground. How dare they play us at out own game and press the living daylights out of us.

 

I for one thought they would show us the respect we deserve and allow us just to stroll through to the final where we will inevitably win thirtyseventy nil.

They're waiting for the final when they play the Oil Cheats to do that.

 

 

[niallers]

Least we're not down 3 nil. Small mercies

[CapeRed]

Was worried when I saw that mf but we were very poor defensively poor for both goals. Thank fuck Keitas through ball didnt lead to a goal or we could be in bigger trouble.

[Elite]

I think it's time Tmiskas gets a proper run in the team.

[mattyq]

The worst we've played since Madrid. We're out unless Klopp gets a grip

Keita bad mistake as he was last year against Madrid. Robbo and Trent appalling and Jotta useless. Fuck!!

[bossy]

Fucking hell. Truly dreadful from every single player. I think a few thought the job was done and then found it hard to get in the right frame of mind. Keita, piss poor, but on both goals Robbo, who’s been shite, was mullered. Jurgen needs to give them a bollocking. 

[Nelly-Szoboszlai]

2 minutes ago, aRdja said:

Our forwards got absolutely dominated by their defence.

True. 
 

But, I’ve got a bit of sympathy for them. They’re all relatively small blokes who like it on the deck. There’s bound to be a drop off in levels when we’ve played like an old school Stoke or Wimbledon and bypassed the midfield and launched it up to the front men or whacked ball into the channels. 

[Leyton388]

3 minutes ago, Creator Supreme said:

We've been smelling ourselves all season to be honest, and that's why we've seen so many bad halves of football this season. Need a fucking exceptional half now to stop it being embarrassing!

Just like the Brighton game when we lost a 2-0 lead and looks like its going to cost us the league. Dome the,same tonight. 

 

 

[Freddo]

Positivity needed and some fucking balls to get the job done. 

Change the side around and work like fuck to match them for effort and it'll come. Be aggressive for fucksake 

[El Rojo]

2 minutes ago, Leyton388 said:

Think we have all seen what Southgate sees in Trent that half  

 

 

Hi Gareth, hope you enjoy the forum. Quite happy for you to still keep picking Kyle Walker. 

[skend04]

Just now, gkmacca said:

I said in earlier rounds when we happily coasted through second legs - it starts bad habits that are hard to break. Loads of smart arses insisted it was fine. Well there's the proof. 

 

It was ideal for them - mad fans, lousy conditions, ripe for chaos if you started badly, and a target to chase. It helped that their captain apparently has a free pass to flatten our players whenever he fancies, but we've got to master the conditions, play to feet, make space and calm the heck down.

Exactly this. We stroll through so many games whereas the likes of City aren't happy at simply trying to manage a goal lead. It really is infuriating.

[johnsusername]

4 minutes ago, Captain Turdseye said:

Well, this is fun. 

It certainly livens up the forum. 

[J-V]

I'm impressed at how shit Robertson has been.  Puts an end to the myth he's a better defender than Tsimikas.

[aRdja]

1 minute ago, joe_fishfish said:

They're pressing really high with six players and leaving four back to deal with our front three. They're putting us under so much pressure that we can't take any advantage of the huge space in front of their back four or in behind. Their wide midfield players are so narrow we're not sure who is meant to be picking them up, we're getting dragged all over the place.

 

Us playing like absolute wankers isn't helping either. When did Trent and Robbo forget the absolute basics?

 

Klopp's got to have a solution here. Don't think it's as simple as just swapping Keita for Hendo although that would definitely help.

4-4-2, make their players accountable. Diaz for Naby.

[TheHowieLama]

It is 0-0 going into the third second half - right where we want them.

[magicrat]

Owen doing his impression of Warwick Davies stood next to Crouch.

[waddy78]

We will have to come out flying in the 2nd half, we get 1 we will score more, Naby needs dragging off and beating severely sham of a performance  from the whole team.

[bizzle10]

Get Diaz and Hendo on send Naby back to Germany aftet that display

[Butch]

2 minutes ago, an tha said:

Complacency.

 

Fortunately have a half time now to reset and restart and come out and put this shite right.

Sometimes a goal lead from a first leg can cause complancy, our players probably thought they just needed to turn up. Big second half coming up. 

[TheDrowningMan]

1 minute ago, Red_or_Dead said:

They're waiting for the final when they play the Oil Cheats to do that.

 

 

Yep. Has record final win written all over it. How does Pep do it?

[Red_or_Dead]

Just now, bossy said:

Fucking hell. Truly dreadful from every single player. I think a few thought the job was done and then found it hard to get in the right frame of mind. Keita, piss poor, but on both goals Robbo, who’s been shite, was mullered. Jurgen needs to give them a bollocking. 

Knew something like this might happen when Jose Enrique was saying he's the best left back in the world before the game.

 

 

[m0e]

Keita cant be starting a game like this over Henderson. Its actually mental.

 

Should be fixed before 2nd half.

 

I think Robertson has recovered from quite possibly his worst start to a game ever, so just the one change for now. 

 

They can't keep this intensity for more than 65 minutes so we need to use our experience here and make sure we're still tied by then. We can then bring on Big Div for the winner.

 

Come on Reds!