Bournemouth 0 Liverpool 4 (Jan 21 2024)

[tlw content]

Yet another game in which we turned it on in the second half after an underwhelming opening 45 minutes. It feels like we do this every week and it feels like I’m saying every week “it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish”. I’d have preferred us to win the first half 4-0 and then start resting people for Wednesday, but I’m not complaining. Another win, another clean sheet, the forwards in the goals and five points clear. Great stuff.

 

It is weird though the massive discrepancy we’re seeing between halves. Every week I have to listen to my Dad say before the game “we’re always crap in the first half, we’re a second half team”. He’s right of course, but it’s got to the point now where his mind is made up that this is how it’s going to go and he’s looking for the tiniest shred of evidence to set him off. Bournemouth got a corner in the first minute and it started. “I told you, we’re always crap in the first half”. Jesus, it’s one minute into the game, have a day off, Dad for fucks sake!

 

I can’t dispute it though. The evidence is there. We hardly ever seem to score in the first half and it always needs Klopp to tell them what they’re doing wrong at half time before they are able to fix it. I actually didn’t think the first half in this one was too bad but Klopp did. He wasn’t happy about it at all and said as much afterwards. 

 

My view was that we started the half a bit ropey and ended it a bit ropey but the 35 minutes or so in between was alright. I just thought the front three were shite and that was the problem. My team talk would have been to get the three forwards together and say “stop being shit and we’ll win this easy”. I thought the rest of it was ok, and Mac Allister in particular was outstanding.

 

We had situations but they didn’t lead to chances. For most of the half Jota was doing that thing where he decides he’s going to impersonate someone who has won a competition to play in a Premier League game. Then he had a couple of nice touches and grew into the game before half time. He was great in the second half.

 

Darwin wasn’t great to begin with either. Starting him on the left made a lot of sense so I don’t have any issue with that, but it wasn’t working and as Klopp said afterwards our left hand side was completely static as Darwin just stayed out wide most of the time and the ball wasn’t getting to him. Nunez on the left has worked well at times but I think it’s dependant on the opponent and how the game is going. I prefer him in the middle but there are some games I think him being wide helps us a lot. This wasn’t one of them though, clearly.

 

Then there’s Diaz. He’s shown some nice encouraging signs recently that he’s coming back to form, but he never got into this game playing on the right. I don’t think it was the position he played that was the problem, I just don’t think he got going at all. 

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[halewood pete]

Great result ,a game we needed to win to keep momentum going.On current form I think we have to start Nunez and jota together.

[Tj hooker]

Cracking report Dave 2 points I picked up on 

1 I said to the ones I was watching it with that Klopp had changed something at the break  as we came out flying I couldn't pick out what he actually did but it was obvious he'd done some tweaking 

2 If we aren't making noises preferably quietly to the PGMOL then we really need to address the Elephant in the room which is Tierney hopefully the analyst boys are putting together the evidence to prove his bias .

[Barnesey]

Ali MacAli was superb. His best performance by a mile and not receiving enough praise. 

[dave u]

8 hours ago, Tj hooker said:

2 If we aren't making noises preferably quietly to the PGMOL then we really need to address the Elephant in the room which is Tierney hopefully the analyst boys are putting together the evidence to prove his bias .

 

I referenced in the report that it was obvious Klopp was talking to the 4th official about who was on VAR and there's a clip doing the rounds now where you can actually see him saying "Its Paul Tierney? Oh" and then has a 'I rest my case' look on his face.

[The wanderer]

10 hours ago, tlw content said:

Yet another game in which we turned it on in the second half after an underwhelming opening 45 minutes. It feels like we do this every week and it feels like I’m saying every week “it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish”. I’d have preferred us to win the first half 4-0 and then start resting people for Wednesday, but I’m not complaining. Another win, another clean sheet, the forwards in the goals and five points clear. Great stuff.

 

It is weird though the massive discrepancy we’re seeing between halves. Every week I have to listen to my Dad say before the game “we’re always crap in the first half, we’re a second half team”. He’s right of course, but it’s got to the point now where his mind is made up that this is how it’s going to go and he’s looking for the tiniest shred of evidence to set him off. Bournemouth got a corner in the first minute and it started. “I told you, we’re always crap in the first half”. Jesus, it’s one minute into the game, have a day off, Dad for fucks sake!

 

I can’t dispute it though. The evidence is there. We hardly ever seem to score in the first half and it always needs Klopp to tell them what they’re doing wrong at half time before they are able to fix it. I actually didn’t think the first half in this one was too bad but Klopp did. He wasn’t happy about it at all and said as much afterwards. 

 

My view was that we started the half a bit ropey and ended it a bit ropey but the 35 minutes or so in between was alright. I just thought the front three were shite and that was the problem. My team talk would have been to get the three forwards together and say “stop being shit and we’ll win this easy”. I thought the rest of it was ok, and Mac Allister in particular was outstanding.

 

We had situations but they didn’t lead to chances. For most of the half Jota was doing that thing where he decides he’s going to impersonate someone who has won a competition to play in a Premier League game. Then he had a couple of nice touches and grew into the game before half time. He was great in the second half.

 

Darwin wasn’t great to begin with either. Starting him on the left made a lot of sense so I don’t have any issue with that, but it wasn’t working and as Klopp said afterwards our left hand side was completely static as Darwin just stayed out wide most of the time and the ball wasn’t getting to him. Nunez on the left has worked well at times but I think it’s dependant on the opponent and how the game is going. I prefer him in the middle but there are some games I think him being wide helps us a lot. This wasn’t one of them though, clearly.

 

Then there’s Diaz. He’s shown some nice encouraging signs recently that he’s coming back to form, but he never got into this game playing on the right. I don’t think it was the position he played that was the problem, I just don’t think he got going at all. 

 

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David James was one of the in studio pundits down here and, according to the stats he checked , we have scored 47% of our goals from 70 mins and on. Looks like you aarl  fella is right

[The wanderer]

9 hours ago, Tj hooker said:

Cracking report Dave 2 points I picked up on 

1 I said to the ones I was watching it with that Klopp had changed something at the break  as we came out flying I couldn't pick out what he actually did but it was obvious he'd done some tweaking 

2 If we aren't making noises preferably quietly to the PGMOL then we really need to address the Elephant in the room which is Tierney hopefully the analyst boys are putting together the evidence to prove his bias .

Fucking right about Tierney the cunt is bent when it comes to us.

[Tj hooker]

1 hour ago, dave u said:

 

I referenced in the report that it was obvious Klopp was talking to the 4th official about who was on VAR and there's a clip doing the rounds now where you can actually see him saying "Its Paul Tierney? Oh" and then has a 'I rest my case' look on his face.

Do you think we're building a dossier about the amount of times he's screwed us over ? 

[Dave D]

Great report Dave.

Nunez was very good. Although I worry about the match reports if he goes on a heavy scoring run - just the16 paragraphs on the spin dedicated to him on this one!!!  

[Tarwater]

Unhappy to report that Tierney is reffing us against Chelsea in a week’s time. What could possibly go wrong?

[Jordy Brouwer]

I've been thinking about VAR and it reminds me of the phrase "sometimes the way out is the way through". 

 

By this I mean - VAR is bringing early 20th Century technology (video) into football to improve it and it hasn't worked. 

 

If we can't go backwards, which is what everyone says why not go forwards?

 

Why not bring in a 21st century technology to improve the game - AI. 

 

AI would be unbiased (unless the PGMOL learn to code). It would also remove the speed problem - an AI could make a decision faster than any linesman could raise his flag. 

 

Of course, in the long run AI is going to take over the world and kill us all, but in the meantime can't we get some decent football decisions out of it?

[Barnesey]

I had to look this up but the first video was recorded in 1888!

 

I thought “early 20th century” was too early. Every day’s a school day. 

[Razoray]

4 hours ago, dave u said:

 

I referenced in the report that it was obvious Klopp was talking to the 4th official about who was on VAR and there's a clip doing the rounds now where you can actually see him saying "Its Paul Tierney? Oh" and then has a 'I rest my case' look on his face.

I've seen the clip. Klopp probably says "It's a yellow? Oh", sarcastically, rather than "It's Paul Tierney? Oh" but he definitely knew who had made the call that it was just a yellow. 

[DaveT]

Agree totally on Nunez. There was a piece - generally complimentary -  by Northcroft at the weekend, which referenced the xG stuff. He talked about 'efficiency' in goalscoring. But he failed to mention another important element  - luck. Nunez has made good contact with a lot of his efforts but has been thwarted, by for example, brave saves by keepers - Newcastle and Fulham are both recent examples. Contrast that with Gakpo's goal against Newcastle - mishits it, and wrong foots the goalie. Nunez has also hit the woodwork about three times more than the next person in that particular table. A couple of centimeters can be the difference between those rebounding out and going in. 

 

Talking about xG - there was hardly any difference between the sides, 1.37 vs 1.57, and 2 big chances each. Just shows that, as in most things, you can't rely on a single measure to get the bigger picture. I think their big chances came after the game was won, but I can't remember Ali having anything to do. 

 

Agree about Tierney too, and frustrated that nobody in the media is picking up on his blatant agenda. Dave could also have mentioned the stonewall penalty on Jota in that Spurs match and I still wonder why more wasn't made on his decision in the pandemic-era game vs United when he blew for half time 20 seconds before the end of the MINIMUM added on time, with Mane chasing a through ball. And now he gets appointed for the Chelsea game, his 5th involvement in 11 games starting with Brentford at home (3 as ref, 2 as VAR). Webb clearly sees us as a serious threat now - Tierney didn't ref us at all in the first 11 and was on VAR twice (once for the Mac red card).

[dave u]

1 hour ago, Razoray said:

I've seen the clip. Klopp probably says "It's a yellow? Oh", sarcastically, rather than "It's Paul Tierney? Oh" but he definitely knew who had made the call that it was just a yellow. 

 

It REALLY looks like he says "Paul" though. The Tierney part isn't as clear but I'd put money on that being what he's saying.

[dave u]

1 minute ago, DaveT said:

And now he gets appointed for the Chelsea game, his 5th involvement in 11 games starting with Brentford at home (3 as ref, 2 as VAR). Webb clearly sees us as a serious threat now - Tierney didn't ref us at all in the first 11 and was on VAR twice (once for the Mac red card).

 

Yeah basically this.

[dave u]

1 hour ago, Jordy Brouwer said:

I've been thinking about VAR and it reminds me of the phrase "sometimes the way out is the way through". 

 

By this I mean - VAR is bringing early 20th Century technology (video) into football to improve it and it hasn't worked. 

 

If we can't go backwards, which is what everyone says why not go forwards?

 

Why not bring in a 21st century technology to improve the game - AI. 

 

AI would be unbiased (unless the PGMOL learn to code). It would also remove the speed problem - an AI could make a decision faster than any linesman could raise his flag. 

 

Of course, in the long run AI is going to take over the world and kill us all, but in the meantime can't we get some decent football decisions out of it?

 

Terrifying thought that somehow actually makes some degree of sense.

[dave u]

3 hours ago, Dave D said:

Great report Dave.

Nunez was very good. Although I worry about the match reports if he goes on a heavy scoring run - just the16 paragraphs on the spin dedicated to him on this one!!!  

 

Funnily enough I decided while proof reading this one that it was going to be the last time. I feel like I've fought a good fight and won, so I'm bowing out now until called upon again.

[dave u]

4 hours ago, Tj hooker said:

Do you think we're building a dossier about the amount of times he's screwed us over ? 

 

Tomkins has already done it, and done it extremely well, so just use his!

[deiseach]

Quote

We’d just come from a goal down to beat Fulham and given ourselves a great chance of reaching a cup final, and this cunt rings up Talksport just to tell everyone that Nunez is shit and should be sold because he can’t score. I lost it, I’m driving home on my own yelling at the radio at the top of my voice “FUCK OFF YOU STUPID CUNT. I HOPE YOU DIE. GO AND SUPPORT CITY AND SUCK ON HAALAND’S BALLS YOU PIECE OF SHIT”. Two weeks on, I regret nothing. I stand by every word. If you’d put him in front of me at that moment I’d have run him over. Put him in front of me now and I’d struggle to bring myself to swerve out of the way

 

Quote

I heard Barry Glendenning say on the radio on Sunday “I don’t think there is anybody who could dislike Conor Coady is there?”. I nearly crashed the fucking car, shouting “Yeah there is, I fucking hate him!”.

 

You need to take the bus.

[Ipplfc]

Good report that.

Nunez is the first player to reach 20 goal involvements this season 

[Reckoner]

Well if you will listen to that station what do you expect? It’s audio torture.

[Frank Dacey]

6 hours ago, Tarwater said:

Unhappy to report that Tierney is reffing us against Chelsea in a week’s time. What could possibly go wrong?

With Brooks as VAR!

[sir roger]

I think we just put that much pressure on opposition teams in the first halves they are mentally and physically exhausted by the hour mark.

 

With his determined push for the 5 sub rule, I see Jurgen's eventual plan as almost akin to the way Rugby Union has gone with the tactics revolving basically around an expected 'Bomb squad ' of subs coming on each game to keep up the constant pressure.

[Supremolad]

Great match report, Dave. Quite enjoyable. And rather than take the bus home as suggested above, just tune off Talksport and tune in to post match chat on your mobile from LFC TV or Redmen TV. Both go live straight after the game and usually dont have the level of bellendry available on Talksport.