Luton (H) - Wed 21st Feb 2024 (7:30pm)

[Fugitive]

2 minutes ago, ZonkoVille77 said:

Well it was nice while it lasted. Fuck injuries anyway. Such a pity.

 

We could play until Easter and we won't score with the lightweight jabroni's up front. Ain't getting shit from this.

 

[LFC 6 Times]

For me the league title hangs on this. 

[elvis]

Diaz , deary me 

[BCM]

Highlight of the half was Klopp giving down the barrels to someone moaning in the main stand.....

[Red Phoenix]

I think if we can get Gakpo and/or Diaz on the ball enough with decent chances we can still manage it. My main concern is our defence. We might get through this but if Ali isn't back soon I can't see us winning the league.

[ZonkoVille77]

3 up top have about as much penetrative power as a feather dildo.

[VladimirIlyich]

1 minute ago, Dave D said:

Waiting for someone not to come out  2nd half as they “felt something”

 

Wouldn’t be such a bad thing here I suppose 

I'm thinking of doing the same thing!

[TheDrowningMan]

15 minutes ago, Megadrive Man said:

 

Injuries are killing us.

 

You can barely go toe to toe with 115 charges with a fully fit squad let alone the amount of players we have missing.

That’s true, but there’s no way we’re finishing above Arsenal if we can’t win today, let alone the Cheats.

[Megadrive Man]

Just now, Josef Svejk said:

 

We're losing to Luton Town at Anfield because Manchester City are cheats? 

 

Playing against the cheats means that every game is a 'must win' because you need 90+ points every season to finish above them.

[Freddo]

These boys needs to show so much more. Gakpo pretty anonymous same with lots of others. More aggression wouldn’t go amiss here. Injuries are no excuse at all against 
Luton Town at all. If push comes to shove. Stick Danns through the middle. 

[BCM]

Reminds me of one of those cup games were you rotate too many and team looks all over the place

[Joey8FrogsLegs]

A very poor half that, a bit like one could fear with so many injuries to key players.

 

Main problem is that we have no threat in behind them and no ability to stretch them except Diaz, and that’s not really his best attribute either. All the other players want the ball at feet, and are not at all able to bring what Nunez and Salah in particular, and also Jota to some degree, normally brings.

 

Another weakness is the combination of Endo and Mac Allister in midfield, they lack the pace and mobility to make the pressing work properly. Elliott has the same problem, which make that issue even bigger.

 

We need more pace, power, movement and penetration up front, whether or not we have that on the bench I have no idea. If not I reckon out best hope is a shot from distance. Or a corner, but we really dont look very dangerous from those either.

 

Hope I’m wrong, but I’m not too optimistic about this one.

[Supremolad]

4 minutes ago, Pidge said:

I think the big issue is that Gakpo is nowhere to be seen for a lot of these attacks. It's a bit easier to find space when the defence's attention is split. Makes a wider run a good option, rather than trying to squeeze nothing through balls to nowhere or shooting from range all the time.

Gakpo has been woeful. Hasn't imposed himself on the game at all. While it's not great that Diaz is missing chances, at least he is very much in the game.

 

I would seriously consider throwing on one of the young forwards on in place of Gakpo. At least they would bring more energy and some form of threat.

[Josef Svejk]

6 minutes ago, Red Shift said:

I’d honestly settle for a point right now. City dropped 2 at home to Chelsea. The season wouldn’t be over, but we cannot lose

 

If you're settling for a draw at home to Luton fucking Town, you've no right to even contemplate winning the league. 

[TheBitch]

2 minutes ago, Josef Svejk said:

 

We're losing to Luton Town at Anfield because Manchester City are cheats? 

We are losing at home to Luton because we are decimated by injuries and any point dropped is fatal to a team that are looking at 115 charges of cheating. 
 

[waddy78]

If Jones or Szloboslai were playing you could see a midfielder grabbing a goal, but this midfield is hardly prolific  without Nunez there's no threat in behind Gakpo keeps coming deep which might work with a Salah or Nunez going inside but Elliot and Diaz just aren't a threat.

[an tha]

The ironic thing is we (rightly) pulled this game forward so as to not be disadvantaged down the line, and it has actually ending up being at the very worst time as after doing so we picked up a load of injuries ahead of it - It is looking as it stands that we would have been better with it near end of season even in middle of a massive pile up.....

 

 

[Josef Svejk]

1 minute ago, TheBitch said:

We are losing at home to Luton because we are decimated by injuries and any point dropped is fatal to a team that are looking at 115 charges of cheating. 
 

 

Compare the transfer and salary cost of our starting eleven versus theirs.

 

No excuse. 

[Supremolad]

2 minutes ago, Red Phoenix said:

I think if we can get Gakpo and/or Diaz on the ball enough with decent chances we can still manage it. My main concern is our defence. We might get through this but if Ali isn't back soon I can't see us winning the league.

 

Our attack has clearly been the issue today. Apart from the goal Luton scored which came via a bit of luck, they've not worked Kelleher much.

 

Meanwhile we keep getting into their box and into their final third, wasting numerous chances and making poor decisions.

[Baltar]

Diaz thrives as the support act. Tonight he needs to be the main man but he's fluffing his lines. He's playing quite well but finishing is nonexistent. He needed to put one of the chances away.

[VladimirIlyich]

I am not Elliott's biggest fan and he's not changing my mind here. Swapping him and Diaz would maybe help given how hopelessly one footed both are.

[George Costanza]

Had a horrible suspicion tonight was when it starts to unravel.  Our form hasn't been brilliant but the mounting injuries and having to constantly chop and change to react to it will eventually cause too much disruption.  Big 2nd half to come and Sunday will be equally huge for the momentum for the rest of the season imo

[Ne Moe Imya]

We've been the better team, but the combination of all the changes is what's killing us IMO.

 

Elliott or Gakpo are fine when they're in there with Nunez and Salah, but the two of them together, when the other attacker is Luis Diaz is just lacking a cutting edge.

 

Same in midfield. We are really missing Jones and/or Szobo, the combination of the three in there today just aren't quite up to it.

 

Bradley and Quansah (maybe Virgil?) have been our best players, which is not a great sign.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

Not panicking yet. On the balance of chances we should be ahead. Just one of those halves where you don't take your chances but the opponent scores from one.

 

Second half I expect them to tire and we'll score at least one. Need Diaz to cut outside a few times though, their shape is compact and needs stretching. When Gravenberch breaks the lines he has to be more aware of bodies on the right, it's like his movement leads him to drift towards a pass to Diaz all the time.

 

3-1, put your house on it.

[Ne Moe Imya]

Just now, VladimirIlyich said:

I am not Elliott's biggest fan and he's not changing my mind here. Swapping him and Diaz would maybe help given how hopelessly one footed both are.

 

Elliott is a weird one. If it's a question of touch, he makes the right one more often than most. But if it's a question of physicality, he loses out more often than most.

 

Just depends on what he's being asked to do in any given moment.