Real Madrid (H) - CL Round of 16 1st leg, Tue 21st Feb 2023 (8:00pm)

[an tha]

8 minutes ago, Red Shift said:

I also think theres been a change of overall strategy, for whatever reason. I was watching City beat the Arse at the Emirates, and really got the feeling watching them, that we’re trying to be a poor mans City with possession and slowing the game down. I dare say its to accomodate the older key members of the squad? I dunno, but we ain't what we used to be.

For me it is all about the legs and the intensity and the press.

 

We don't press from front as well as we did, so we don't win ball high up as much - we don't have the legs in midfield we once had - so we don't win as many 2nd balls/balls from broken play and our midfield is outrun and played through....and our recovery pace seems to be not at level it was - and the backline is facing more attacks and facing them more exposed and without the recovery ability it once had.

 

We need legs in the team - really, really desperately.

 

In the meantime I believe we need to compensate for the above and play differently - problem is i am not sure we can find a balance that works - but for me no longer have the tools to do what we have been doing - we need to do something different or get the tools we need.

 

At our best we could come out and be intense like tonight for opening 25 mins or so and rock teams and then we had enough legs in team to see game out or go on and just totally batter the opposition. Tonight we just didn't and as we inevitably blew up we just got picked apart...was like watching a fighter punch himself out and then his opponent just hit him at will and there being nothing he could do stop the punches landing as can't get his hands up or move his feet to get out the way quick enough.

[Bjornebye]

4 minutes ago, TheHowieLama said:

Nat Phillips in the system we played tonight?? Are you fuckin kidding me?

Next it will be Trent in midfield.

 

If he was in the middle with the boy wonder instead of Fabinho we win that 2 nil. 

[El Rojo]

At one point early in the first half, I was thinking, 'If Bellingham doesn't want to experience nights like this, he's the wrong player for us anyway.'

 

Of course, after the full game, there might be a few legitimate reasons why he might choose to look at options elsewhere. 

[Red Shift]

7 minutes ago, Creator Supreme said:

I think that Phillips is in the Hyypia mould of defender (obviously not in the same class), superb in the air, hell of a battler, not very quick. Therefore the style we play doesn't really suit him.

 

That said, would it do any harm to drop the defense back 10 yards and play Phillips next to Van Dijk?

I accept that we have a certain system, and I accept that we need the players to fit the system. Clearly there are key players who are not playing the system effectively, hence the conceding of five goals tonight.

 

Regardless of the system however, we defended a crucial set piece to night like a non league club. Phillips may have helped. Then again, he may not have.

 

Summer spending spree required I guess.

[Planet Origi]

Looking forward Billy Hogan asking Klopp to big up Billy Koumetio and Bobby Clarke in preseason again.

[Pidge]

Robbo's tackle at 2-2 didn't deserve what happened after. World class defending wasted.

[Creator Supreme]

At least the match review and podcast should be entertaining.

[Red Shift]

1 minute ago, El Rojo said:

At one point early in the first half, I was thinking, 'If Bellingham doesn't want to experience nights like this, he's the wrong player for us anyway.'

 

Of course, after the full game, there might be a few legitimate reasons why he might choose to look at options elsewhere. 

Hopefully the footballer in him was thinking ‘I know how I can improve this team, and I want the challenge.’

[Red74]

The systems fucking shit and exposes us week after week. Joe Gomez is costing us games cos he cannot defend in any system and people are saying he should still start ahead of a lad who’s never let us down. 

[Creator Supreme]

1 minute ago, Red Shift said:

Hopefully the footballer in him was thinking ‘I know how I can improve this team, and I want the challenge.’

The common sense in him will have been saying 'avoid that car crash like the fucking plague'!

[Harry Squatter]

12 minutes ago, George Costanza said:

I honestly can't think of a bigger drop off in successful, multi-trophy winning team.  Its been staggering & alarming.

 

The club is very much at a crossroads imo and this summer is monumental.  Klopp has to be ruthless, hard decisions need to made on players who have served him well in recent seasons.  The squad needs some major surgery, will we have the funds to do whats required or will have to settle for a couple of rebuilding years.  Questions need to be asked of Klopp as well, not that he shouldn't be the man to lead the rebuild but his tactics and style.  We need some diveristy to our play, some alternative tactics should Plan A falter.  There's also a lot behind the scenes that needs stability.  At the moment it feels like rats jumping off a sinking ship

 

On tonight, while we have played much worse this season, still to be beaten at home in Europe 5-2 is a disgrace and simply unacceptable. 

The club has basically done the opposite of what the old Liverpool did. They stood still patting themselves on the back and told themselves and everyone else how clever we were. 

 

In the past Liverpool never sat back and as soon as they won the league the next thought was pre season training as well as discarding any players who were declining. 

[Red Shift]

7 minutes ago, Bjornebye said:

 

If he was in the middle with the boy wonder instead of Fabinho we win that 2 nil. 

That’s a big call, but I won’t laugh. What bugs me is that we don’t try these things…or do we? Maybe we have adventurous training sessions that fail to work. Oh to be a fly on the wall.

[TheHowieLama]

4 minutes ago, Red Shift said:

Hopefully the footballer in him was thinking ‘I know how I can improve this team, and I want the challenge.’

He was. Watching Real.

[Colonel Bumcunt]

Madrid were there for the taking. 

Our attacking play fell to pieces, and the biggest problem was a lack of a midfielder capable of finding gaps to exploit. 

Madrid got to 0-2 and tightened up. 

We had no answer in midfield. 

 

Curtis Jones is a fucking joke. He's the excuse we don't invest there. Jesus Christ. 

 

[Colonel Bumcunt]

4 minutes ago, Red74 said:

The systems fucking shit and exposes us week after week. Joe Gomez is costing us games cos he cannot defend in any system and people are saying he should still start ahead of a lad who’s never let us down. 

No that's bullshit. He's exposed due to the volume of attacks. The oppo don't do that if we attack better.  

[Bjornebye]

1 minute ago, Red Shift said:

That’s a big call, but I won’t laugh. What bugs me is that we don’t try these things…or do we? Maybe we have adventurous training sessions that fail to work. Oh to be a fly on the wall.

 

For fuck sake mate. 

[Harry Squatter]

2 minutes ago, Colonel Bumcunt said:

Madrid were there for the taking. 

Our attacking play fell to pieces, and the biggest problem was a lack of a midfielder capable of finding gaps to exploit. 

Madrid got to 0-2 and tightened up. 

We had no answer in midfield. 

 

Curtis Jones is a fucking joke. He's the excuse we don't invest there. Jesus Christ. 

 

Curtis Jones can save Liverpool millions this summer....

[Carra_is_legend]

2 minutes ago, Harry Squatter said:

The club has basically done the opposite of what the old Liverpool did. They stood still patting themselves on the back and told themselves and everyone else how clever we were. 

 

In the past Liverpool never sat back and as soon as they won the league the next thought was pre season training as well as discarding any players who were declining. 

Klopp too has a massive lesson he needs to learn around the last sentence.

 

We could bin every single midfielder we have, get 4 midfielders from championship and we will be instantly better. 

[VladimirIlyich]

3 minutes ago, Harry Squatter said:

The club has basically done the opposite of what the old Liverpool did. They stood still patting themselves on the back and told themselves and everyone else how clever we were. 

 

In the past Liverpool never sat back and as soon as they won the league the next thought was pre season training as well as discarding any players who were declining. 

Exactly this. We did have owners then who knew and cared about the game though,not just the profit margin.

[Mathewbet1]

We are only 3 goals down against an anceloti side and its half time in the tie 

[Red Shift]

3 minutes ago, Colonel Bumcunt said:

Madrid were there for the taking. 

Our attacking play fell to pieces, and the biggest problem was a lack of a midfielder capable of finding gaps to exploit. 

Madrid got to 0-2 and tightened up. 

We had no answer in midfield. 

 

Curtis Jones is a fucking joke. He's the excuse we don't invest there. Jesus Christ. 

 

We were a bit one-eye’d in midfield tonight..I don’t remember much of Robbo busting up the left wing, or being played in by the mids much at all.

[an tha]

6 minutes ago, Colonel Bumcunt said:

Madrid were there for the taking. 

Our attacking play fell to pieces, and the biggest problem was a lack of a midfielder capable of finding gaps to exploit. 

Madrid got to 0-2 and tightened up. 

We had no answer in midfield. 

 

Curtis Jones is a fucking joke. He's the excuse we don't invest there. Jesus Christ. 

 

Is he injured again? Does not seem to even be mentioned anymore.

 

Edit...apologies I see he was on bench tonight.

[Red Shift]

2 minutes ago, Mathewbet1 said:

We are only 3 goals down against an anceloti side and its half time in the tie 

On the way to Istanbul

[J-V]

2 minutes ago, Mathewbet1 said:

We are only 3 goals down against an anceloti side and its half time in the tie 

What’s Gerrard, Schmitzer and Xabi up to

[Harry Squatter]

6 minutes ago, Carra_is_legend said:

Klopp too has a massive lesson he needs to learn around the last sentence.

 

We could bin every single midfielder we have, get 4 midfielders from championship and we will be instantly better. 

Under Paisley or Ferguson at the Mancs a lot of these players would have been sold years ago or just been paid up. 

 

Firmino will get another one year contract this summer.