Aston Villa (H) - Sun 3rd Sep 2023 (2:00pm)

[Mook]

It's a really nice change to have all these great options up front. Let's hope they can all stay injury free and we have the five of them (six including Doak) contributing throughout the season.

[Aventus]

1 hour ago, Barrington Womble said:

i think it has been a tough start so far for gakpo though - mostly not all his doing, but he has struggled a little. i am sure when he starts getting game time in those forward positions we will start seeing more from him, but it will be interesting where he gets his minutes. i don't much see him as player who makes his impact off the bench. 

Funny that we've got Nunez, Gakpo, Jota, and Diaz who haven't been amazing but we're sure they'll kick on and show what they're made of if they get the minutes. 

[Barrington Womble]

23 minutes ago, Aventus said:

Funny that we've got Nunez, Gakpo, Jota, and Diaz who haven't been amazing but we're sure they'll kick on and show what they're made of if they get the minutes. 

It's because you can see all the attributes they have, you just need to see more of it. 

[stringvest]

2 hours ago, etho said:

Got to be playing Nunez every week. Harsh for Gakpo and Jota but they're the squad players in my eyes, the front 3 is Diaz Nunez Salah

 

I too would play Nunez, but I'd play Jota ahead of Diaz every time.  Smarter, works harder, and knows where the goal is.

[stringvest]

2 hours ago, Barrington Womble said:

i think it has been a tough start so far for gakpo though - mostly not all his doing, but he has struggled a little. i am sure when he starts getting game time in those forward positions we will start seeing more from him, but it will be interesting where he gets his minutes. i don't much see him as player who makes his impact off the bench. 

 

I sort of agree with this.  I can see him getting starts where we are playing the likes of City and want to retain the ball at the cost of some attacking threat, and then getting subbed as the context of the match changes.

[Aventus]

17 minutes ago, Barrington Womble said:

It's because you can see all the attributes they have, you just need to see more of it. 

Yeah, I just mean we have 4 players who play in similar positions all of whom need gametime to improve. Somebody needs sacrificing for the benefit of the other players. 

[El Rojo]

2 hours ago, Barrington Womble said:

i think it has been a tough start so far for gakpo though - mostly not all his doing, but he has struggled a little. i am sure when he starts getting game time in those forward positions we will start seeing more from him, but it will be interesting where he gets his minutes. i don't much see him as player who makes his impact off the bench. 

 

Having a blue chip 8 like Szoboszlai might make it trickier for him to take up Firmino's old deep role too. Agree that all his best work has been as as starter. Anyway, we'll have enough games for all of them to stake their claims.

[3 Stacks]

I don't know why Gakpo can't play on the left sometimes. Maybe his lack of dribbling and carrying, but then Jota isn't great at that either and he does get minutes there.

[LFC 6 Times]

10 minutes ago, 3 Stacks said:

I don't know why Gakpo can't play on the left sometimes. Maybe his lack of dribbling and carrying, but then Jota isn't great at that either and he does get minutes there.

Looking at his PSV comps he’s a superb dribbler and excellent crosser of all a ball. I’d have Gakpo ahead of Jota on the left.

[Barrington Womble]

30 minutes ago, stringvest said:

 

I sort of agree with this.  I can see him getting starts where we are playing the likes of City and want to retain the ball at the cost of some attacking threat, and then getting subbed as the context of the match changes.

 

i think to be honest some of that depends on how we progress as a team when nunez is in it and how nunez also grows. i do wonder if klopp sees some time for gakpo in the 8 positions. he didn't do too well there in the opening games, but maybe with a more settled side, he improves there too.  

 

20 minutes ago, Aventus said:

Yeah, I just mean we have 4 players who play in similar positions all of whom need gametime to improve. Somebody needs sacrificing for the benefit of the other players. 

 

i think that is part really of having newish players and players that were newish and instead of bombing on, injury got in the way. sometimes this all takes 6 minutes like mane but more normally it happens over a period of time and then a moment or two big moments makes certain individuals or units just click. 

 

18 minutes ago, El Rojo said:

 

Having a blue chip 8 like Szoboszlai might make it trickier for him to take up Firmino's old deep role too. Agree that all his best work has been as as starter. Anyway, we'll have enough games for all of them to stake their claims.

 

yeah, i have felt this new formation is aimed at having 2 high quality 8s to se can play with a real 9 rather than false 9. we just haven't seen much of that yet, because we were building on sand. 

 

15 minutes ago, 3 Stacks said:

I don't know why Gakpo can't play on the left sometimes. Maybe his lack of dribbling and carrying, but then Jota isn't great at that either and he does get minutes there.

i am sure he will get minutes there, it's just a question of timing isn't it? if diaz was out again, i am sure he would get a run. i feel up to now what he's been doing is plugging gaps to some extent. i wonder actually if that is the role for him here. i bit in all forward positions and number 8. 

[Bobby Hundreds]

Jota is the weirdest player.

[LFC 6 Times]

Just now, Bobby Hundreds said:

Jota is the weirdest player.

He is capable of absolute stinkers. But outside of Mo, he’s the player I’d back most in the squad to grab a goal. He just has the knack which is an invaluable asset.

[Aventus]

26 minutes ago, Bobby Hundreds said:

Jota is the weirdest player.

Yeah, he has a knack for going months without a goal, to scoring in 4 out of 5 games to not scoring for months again

[Razoray]

1 hour ago, stringvest said:

 

I sort of agree with this.  I can see him getting starts where we are playing the likes of City and want to retain the ball at the cost of some attacking threat, and then getting subbed as the context of the match changes.

I thought this too and his impact on the game yesterday was minimal. However, both Trent and Salah shot yesterday and if they had slid Gakpo in at the last second, instead of shooting he had an easy chance. 

His movement is very good around the box but he looks for different supply to Darwin. 

[Arnaud]

5 hours ago, stringvest said:

 

I think you're wrong.  I think Robertson makes poor decisions in most games.  I don't think he's a bad player, I just don't think he's as good as Kostas.

Sorry mate, Robertson is way, way better than Kostas.

 

Actually, Robbo is a very good left-back, it’s mad how underrated he is here !

[stringvest]

2 minutes ago, Arnaud said:

Sorry mate, Robertson is way, way better than Kostas.

 

Actually, Robbo is a very good left-back, it’s mad how underrated he is here !

 

I know it's not a popular view, but it's my view and one day we'll get the opportunity to see for sure.  

[Jose Jones]

4 hours ago, Arnaud said:

Sorry mate, Robertson is way, way better than Kostas.

 

Actually, Robbo is a very good left-back, it’s mad how underrated he is here !

Robbo has been easily the best left back in the league for the last 6 or 7 years and a top 3 left back in the history of the club.

So you have to say Tsimikas is a bit unlucky.

[AngryOfTuebrook]

10 hours ago, etho said:

Got to be playing Nunez every week. Harsh for Gakpo and Jota but they're the squad players in my eyes, the front 3 is Diaz Nunez Salah

Horses for courses.  Gakpo has got a bit more guile than the others; Jota has got more snide and fight.  We really do have impressive options up front.

[dave u]

6 hours ago, stringvest said:

 

I know it's not a popular view, but it's my view and one day we'll get the opportunity to see for sure.  

 

It's a mental view. Every take you ever have on Robbo is. And I say that as someone who has a lot of affection for you. You remind me of my Dad, he has some utterly mental takes too. Like Kelleher being better than Alisson. Even he knows that Robbo is boss though.

[AngryOfTuebrook]

[Kevin D]

On 04/09/2023 at 02:49, polymerpunkah said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m going with no deflection and best first goal ever.

[janmolby]

Croissant

[Rick Sanchez C-137]

On 05/09/2023 at 16:04, Kevin D said:

I’m going with no deflection and best first goal ever.

Set the time to 50 seconds and play back at 0.25x speed. Zero deflection.