PODCAST: Liverpool 0 Chelsea 0 - Match Reaction

[tlw content]

Two very average teams produced a very average game on a freezing cold day at Anfield. There's not too much more to say about that but somehow we managed to get over an hour's worth of content out of it for you.

 

TLW Editor Dave Usher is joined by John Gallagher and Dan Thomas to look back on this and look forward to next week's rematch with Brighton in the FA Cup.

 

 

View full article

[Paul]

Rocky analogies on steds!!!

[dockers_strike]

I cant say Bajcetic either!

 

Good pod given the game and freezing cold we had to sit through.

[3 Stacks]

You were asking for signs of what Gakpo's like @dave u.  van Gaal had a quote during the World Cup that was instructive.

 

He'd been asked why the Dutch were playing the way they were, and in the formation he'd chosen and he said it's because he has no natural wide players. Probably meaning the pacy kind who can beat people out wide. And he was playing Gakpo as a 10 or in a front two. 

 

The clue is in that. He's someone who will play between the lines and combine with people. It's not really the same profile we're used to.

 

And then he's got the frame he's got and the end product he showed in the Netherlands.

[dave u]

31 minutes ago, 3 Stacks said:

You were asking for signs of what Gakpo's like @dave u.  van Gaal had a quote during the World Cup that was instructive.

 

He'd been asked why the Dutch were playing the way they were, and in the formation he'd chosen and he said it's because he has no natural wide players. Probably meaning the pacy kind who can beat people out wide. And he was playing Gakpo as a 10 or in a front two. 

 

The clue is in that. He's someone who will play between the lines and combine with people. It's not really the same profile we're used to.

 

And then he's got the frame he's got and the end product he showed in the Netherlands.

 

Yeah he looks like a number nine who drops deep to me, which is surprising as he was billed as someone who could solve the left sided problem while Jota and Diaz were out. Most of his youtube stuff was cutting in from the left too.

 

Based on what I've seen, that left wing spot has to be Darwin until the others return as we need pace in those wide forward positions and Gakpo doesn't have it. Not that he's slow, he's probably quicker than Bobby, but he's not a - as Jules would say - racing snake.

[RedKnight]

The type of Snake Fabinho is.

 

[dave u]

Also on Gakpo, he's snatched at virtually every shot he's had and made poor contact on a lot of them. That's not something I'm worried about, he's just probably a bit too eager and when he settles down that will probably be sound as it's meant to be a big strength of his.

[an tha]

Given all of the above i fully expect us to shoehorn him into a central midfield slot next season then....

[3 Stacks]

29 minutes ago, dave u said:

 

Yeah he looks like a number nine who drops deep to me, which is surprising as he was billed as someone who could solve the left sided problem while Jota and Diaz were out. Most of his youtube stuff was cutting in from the left too.

 

Based on what I've seen, that left wing spot has to be Darwin until the others return as we need pace in those wide forward positions and Gakpo doesn't have it. Not that he's slow, he's probably quicker than Bobby, but he's not a - as Jules would say - racing snake.

 

I think he will play on the left when Darwin plays and they'll change positions in game like we always did. But yeah, I'm sure he will play in the middle a fair amount as well.

 

I think the way to look at his signing is that it's for the inverse of what we had when Firmino played at striker. He would usually play deeper and the wingers would play ahead of him.

 

Well now with Darwin we have someone who makes runs in behind, so naturally, you'd want to put forwards around him who can pick the ball up between the lines and try to give him service. And then also, his link up with the left back and his crossing, which is very evident in videos, will be useful as well for Darwin. 

 

 

[Chris]

Really enjoyed this. John G on Rocky Iv is my crack cocaine. Feel like we need to do a Rocky Iv pod at some point. In fact this is happening. 

[Red Shift]

Pros - We didn’t lose, the youngsters continue to shine, Naby is a good player when fit, another clean sheet.

 

Cons - Anfield isn’t getting behind the team (it just might make a difference) Mo has lost his Mojo and is just average Jo, Naby can’t go 90 minutes, (but then who in midfield can?) Chelsea appear to have deeper pockets.

[DaveT]

4 hours ago, Red Shift said:

Pros - We didn’t lose, the youngsters continue to shine, Naby is a good player when fit, another clean sheet.

 

Cons - Anfield isn’t getting behind the team (it just might make a difference) Mo has lost his Mojo and is just average Jo, Naby can’t go 90 minutes, (but then who in midfield can?) Chelsea appear to have deeper pockets.

The atmosphere/support has been crap since the World Cup. I thought the crowd would be right up for it at the Leicester game but it was flat and hasn’t improved since.

[Dan Vito Corleone]

The crowd are back to being a bundle of nerves and with the way we defended set pieces in that first half, it wasn't a surprise. 

[Jairzinho]

Gakpo's stats on Footy Manager are all 13.

[johnsusername]

Good pod, thanks. 

 

The match was like two balding men fighting over a comb. 

 

Alarm bells are ringing on Gakpo for me. 

 

Injuries are a massive concern. I wouldn't have been surprised to see that line up in an early League Cup fixture.

 

Feel sorry for Elliot getting put all over the place. Probably wishes he was back at Blackburn. 

 

Started both Keita (first PL start this season) and Bajectic (first PL start ever).

 

Mad subs.

 

As it stands I'd be quite happy with the Europa League. I don't think it's the stick to beat us that our fans think it is. 

 

As for not being in Europe and having a week to prepare games - no thanks. Even when we were any good a week break and we'd go to total shit. 

 

Players, club management, manager and owners - they're all having a nightmare this season. 

[SasaS]

18 hours ago, dockers_strike said:

I cant say Bajcetic either!

 

Good pod given the game and freezing cold we had to sit through.

 

Re how Bajčetić should be pronounced, I was pretty sure it should be BAYchetich, not bayCHETich, as in BUY-chet-ich, which does not sound as some tongue twister in English phonetic system to me

 

As in this video on his father from Serbian TV.

 

 

 

Also, all other Bajčetić's in Serbia and Montenegro I came across seem to be pronounced the same way. I have no idea why suggested pronunciation is bayCHEtich. And it is definitely not buh-DGET-ich

 

 

[Paul]

Buy-chet-itch. 

[aws]

Ba-ll-et-yll. 

[dave u]

7 hours ago, Jairzinho said:

Gakpo's stats on Footy Manager are all 13.

 

That's mad because one of the lads (either Jules or John) said that exact same thing before the game. Not sure they went as high as 13 though!

[Jairzinho]

21 minutes ago, dave u said:

 

That's mad because one of the lads (either Jules or John) said that exact same thing before the game. Not sure they went as high as 13 though!

 

Yeah, it was a toss up between 12 and 13. 

 

Went with 13, mostly out of hope.

[Section_31]

Champ should introduce these podcasts with the words "hello boppers".

[RedKnight]

I said 12 to 14s.

[Jairzinho]

He's actually exactly the sort of player I sign on FM. 

[Captain Howdy]

Ha, was listening to this in the gym and I was thinking “ask Dan about Curtis Yones” ……I’ve been on here too long !!!