Pre-Season 2023

[Crazy Dave]

If we stick with Trent at right back or in this hybrid role then we are going to concede an absolute shitload again this season. 

[The Golden Eel]

Mac Allister fine according to Klopp 

[Red Phoenix]

I still can't bring myself to be that bothered, both sides made plenty of mistakes to get to 3-3 in the first place, both sides also had chances to score more, it could've been 5-5 at least. The only thing that did it for them was a young player scoring his first senior goal with what might be one of the best goals he'll score in his life against Ali who could only stand there as it flew past. It looked like something out of a Roy of the Rovers comic book or something. Mad goal and after checking twitter cool to see that they let him lift the trophy at the end.

 

Of course we have defensive issues too but we still managed to score several goals and we're not going to be facing many sides that have the quality that Bayern do for a while, so maybe things won't be as bad once the season starts.

[Barrington Womble]

5 minutes ago, Red Phoenix said:

I still can't bring myself to be that bothered at the defeat (apart from it being a friendly anyway that there's no real point in being bothered about). Both sides made plenty of mistakes to get to 3-3 in the first place, both sides also had chances to score more, it could've been 5-5 at least. The only thing that did it for them was a young player scoring his first senior goal with what might be one of the best goals he'll score in his life against Ali who could only stand there as it flew past. It looked like something out of a Roy of the Rovers comic book or something. Mad goal and after checking twitter cool to see that they let him lift the trophy at the end.

I think if players are tired or a kid fucks up, it's not much of an issue. But systematic mistakes are a problem when it's something we've seen for a while..as @Bobby Hundreds pointed out on the last page, this "punt it into Liverpool gap on the right of defence" is becoming a bit annoying as we're not dealing with it. Weirdly even when players are in place. 

[No2]

31 minutes ago, Barrington Womble said:

With the current slim downed squad, this preseason I have been most interest in what the u23s can give us. I don't think we learnt anything. Doak looks ready to play a part. Clark looks nothing like ready, a good loan will do him and we can see more of him. The others back to the u23s or low level loans for me. 

 

Just on the subject of youngsters, the thing that stood out for me with Elliot, was he looked one of the most (only!) composed players in that last 20. Some great touches and passes. Without the ball, it was last season's horror show all over again. 

Wasn't watching closely enough to comment on his off ball work, the few times I seen he manoeuvred out of tight spaces brilliantly and played perfect passes. He still looks a player without a home but he's definitely a player.

[Barrington Womble]

Just now, No2 said:

Wasn't watching closely enough to comment on his off ball work, the few times I seen he manoeuvred out of tight spaces brilliantly and played perfect passes. He still looks a player without a home but he's definitely a player.

Yeah, some cracking touches, passes and ability to work in tight spaces. I can't work out what he's being asked to do when we don't have the ball. I'm pretty sure it's not what he's doing though!

[3 Stacks]

Mac Allister and Szobo were worrying. They were bypassed time and time again. Hopefully due to the fact we are doing a shite preseason tour in a country with awful climate. 

[Red Phoenix]

10 minutes ago, Barrington Womble said:

I think if players are tired or a kid fucks up, it's not much of an issue. But systematic mistakes are a problem when it's something we've seen for a while..as @Bobby Hundreds pointed out on the last page, this "punt it into Liverpool gap on the right of defence" is becoming a bit annoying as we're not dealing with it. Weirdly even when players are in place. 

 

Yeah I definitely agree that's our main issue and I even said before it started that I felt edgy about our defence with it being Bayern if Trent was also going to be going into midfield. When we went 2-0 up I was surprised too thinking that it was going to be the other way around in the first half, even though they did get those goals not long after anyway. The main thing that sticks in mind though is that it only took an amazing and rare late goal for us to lose and hopefully we'll sign another defender before the season starts too.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

Didn't see the second half but I can confidently say Elliott was great.

[joe_fishfish]

Didn’t see the game but confident in saying if we had a solid defensive right back and played Trent in midfield we’d have conceded fewer goals.

[manwiththestick]

29 minutes ago, The Golden Eel said:

Mac Allister fine according to Klopp 

Goodnight sweet Prince.

[Reckoner]

53 minutes ago, etho said:

 

This can't be enjoyable for you surely. I'd be looking at taking up gardening

‘Fuckin green plant cunts growing everywhere, I suppose this is acceptable to all you? This garden’s a joke’

[3 Stacks]

43 minutes ago, joe_fishfish said:

Didn’t see the game but confident in saying if we had a solid defensive right back and played Trent in midfield we’d have conceded fewer goals.

Wouldn't say we absolutely need a right back, just someone that occupies wide right somewhere in that system. If you look at average position graphs, you see that there is literally no one on the right. Salah will obviously look to go more central, on top of the fact he's not going to track back much, and then of course Trent plays midfield. 

 

If Trent was a left back, we'd probably look better defensively because we have a real wide player on the left in Diaz who takes up those positions.

 

We would lose out in a lot ways doing this, but I wouldn't be surprised if we looked more solid when Doak plays.

 

It goes back to the fact that we have some forward players who really do us a disservice off ball. And Klopp knows this, he's said this many times.

[joe_fishfish]

1 minute ago, 3 Stacks said:

Wouldn't say we absolutely need a right back, just someone that occupies wide right somewhere in that system. If you look at average position graphs, you see that there is literally no one on the right. Salah will obviously look to go more central, on top of the fact he's not going to track back much, and then of course Trent plays midfield. 

 

If Trent was a left back, we'd probably look better defensively because we have a real wide player on the left in Diaz who takes up those positions.

 

We would lose out in a lot ways doing this, but I wouldn't be surprised if we looked more solid when Doak plays.

To be honest I thought the plan was to use the right 8 to provide width in the buildup and also be able to sprint back to cover Trent as well. Szobo has a huge engine on him, I figured he’d be the one, but we seem to be using Mac Allister as the right 8 and keeping him narrow. Who knows, maybe it’s just because it’s preseason we haven’t quite got everyone doing what they’re supposed to just yet.

[3 Stacks]

1 minute ago, joe_fishfish said:

To be honest I thought the plan was to use the right 8 to provide width in the buildup and also be able to sprint back to cover Trent as well. Szobo has a huge engine on him, I figured he’d be the one, but we seem to be using Mac Allister as the right 8 and keeping him narrow. Who knows, maybe it’s just because it’s preseason we haven’t quite got everyone doing what they’re supposed to just yet.

I've been surprised about Mac playing right and Szobo playing left, yeah. 

[an tha]

1 hour ago, The Golden Eel said:

Mac Allister fine according to Klopp 

See you in October, Macca lad....

[VladimirIlyich]

It was a friendly FFS. Klopp made changes that cost Liverpool any chance of a win but that's because the result wasn't as important as getting minutes into player's legs. It was played at about 80% of what it will be for real when the season kicks off. Nothing to see here more than normal.

[Guest]

 

[etho]

Agree about szobo playing right, looked like it was the plan to create some width. Maybe it will, who knows.

[Mil-ing Around]

3 hours ago, 3 Stacks said:

Mac Allister and Szobo were worrying. They were bypassed time and time again. Hopefully due to the fact we are doing a shite preseason tour in a country with awful climate. 

 

Mac Allister isnt fast at all but he's well positioned and he did make some good tackles. Szobo was more worrying, he ran like Henderson aged 33. Certainly takes him a while to get up to top speed, his pace isnt in the first 3-5 yards. It might just be that he's knackered after all the triple sessions, bloody hope so anyway.

 

I thought our shape was much better when we didnt have the ball in the first 30 minutes but that one ball over the top is killing us. Trent is constantly ball watching and Matip didnt react fast enough for both goals either. 

 

 

 

 

[BeefStroganoff]

3 minutes ago, Mil-ing Around said:

 

Mac Allister isnt fast at all but he's well positioned and he did make some good tackles. Szobo was more worrying, he ran like Henderson aged 33. Certainly takes him a while to get up to top speed, his pace isnt in the first 3-5 yards. It might just be that he's knackered after all the triple sessions, bloody hope so anyway.

 

I thought our shape was much better when we didnt have the ball in the first 30 minutes but that one ball over the top is killing us. Trent is constantly ball watching and Matip didnt react fast enough for both goals either. 

 

 

 

 

We've got some great players but the squad is too top heavy with forward thinking players at the moment, it lacks balance.

[Red Shift]

4 hours ago, joe_fishfish said:

Didn’t see the game but confident in saying if we had a solid defensive right back and played Trent in midfield we’d have conceded fewer goals.

So Trent in a 4-4-2 or a 4-3-3?

[Mil-ing Around]

19 minutes ago, BeefStroganoff said:

We've got some great players but the squad is too top heavy with forward thinking players at the moment, it lacks balance.

 

I thought Van Dijk was fantastic and really looked like his old self today. He read the game very well and swept up alot of the mistakes being made in front of him. Big positive for me. Elliot looked a yard quicker which he badly needs, so another plus. Allison was great.  Mac Allister's passing is very good and he looks forward a lot. 

 

My worries are Robertson, he looked fucked. Playing Trent in midfield. Matip. Curtis playing DM...he takes far too many touches and risks for that position. 

 

Our defensive shape was really good at the start but to get opened up by two balls over Matips and Trent's head is not good enough and every team targeted that area last season. Trent is an amazing player with the ball but its a worry how we get him into the team without being so open. He certainly can't start as a central midfielder and Klopp knows it...he got marked out of 3 pre season friendlies so easily. 

[Butch]

5 hours ago, 3 Stacks said:

Mac Allister and Szobo were worrying. They were bypassed time and time again. Hopefully due to the fact we are doing a shite preseason tour in a country with awful climate. 

You don't half talk bollocks it's just a friendly tut tut. 

[Carvalho Diablo]

1 hour ago, Mil-ing Around said:

 

I thought Van Dijk was fantastic and really looked like his old self today. He read the game very well and swept up alot of the mistakes being made in front of him. Big positive for me. Elliot looked a yard quicker which he badly needs, so another plus. Allison was great.  Mac Allister's passing is very good and he looks forward a lot. 

 

My worries are Robertson, he looked fucked. Playing Trent in midfield. Matip. Curtis playing DM...he takes far too many touches and risks for that position. 

 

Our defensive shape was really good at the start but to get opened up by two balls over Matips and Trent's head is not good enough and every team targeted that area last season. Trent is an amazing player with the ball but its a worry how we get him into the team without being so open. He certainly can't start as a central midfielder and Klopp knows it...he got marked out of 3 pre season friendlies so easily. 

Against good teams I'd play him as half of the double pivot in a 4231, against the cannon fodder I'd play him at right back in a 4123.