Atalanta (H) - EL Quarter Final, 1st leg - Thu 11th Apr 2024 (8:00pm)

[The wanderer]

2 hours ago, rubble-rouser said:

The last three weeks, a half fit Firmino would have improved us massively

Said this to my brother after the game on Sunday.

[TheBitch]

Fair play to anyone thinking we win any more trophies this year, we’ve been winging it for months and these last 2 results have done it for me. 
We’ll finish 3rd in the league and that’s a massive improvement on last season but fairytales don’t happen, lads , we know that from previous campaigns, and they especially don’t happen with performances like the last two. Absolute fucking shite. 
We’ll be 3rd and that’s where we belong. 

[s(k)aturation]

1 hour ago, Code said:

If we had all players fit and availible, so yes, Thiago. 

 

 

Nah, disagree.

 

 

 

[Leyton388]

Would rather have had Firmino stay at the club amd us sold Nunez in the summer. Even a past it bobby is 10 times the player Nunez is.

 

Can't be doing with Nunez anymore. They guy  has the ego of Zlatan but the ability of nicklas bendtner. Absolutely horrendous decision to spunk £80m on that. 

[Binomial]

Deserved what we got, nothing. Fair play Atalanta for doing a number on us. Played like a team that needs to win this competition and their season relies on it. We simply couldn’t deal with their tight man to man marking, suffocated us from playing our passing game out the back. 
 

Klopp has to take some of the blame tonight unfortunately, too many changes to that starting line up.

 

[Lee909]

29 minutes ago, Binomial said:

We simply couldn’t deal with their tight man to man marking, suffocated us from playing our passing game out the 

 

 

 

That's what happens when you have too many players that can't dribble past someone and you aren't moving the ball quick enough. 

 

I can't remember the last time Mo went on a run and beat a few playerd. Our full backs can't. Plenty of them can receive the ball in tight spaces beat a man and pass. The only player we have who regularly runs at defenders is Diaz. Szoboszlai,Bradley, Robertson etc can get wide and drive into the box/down the line but it's power and they need space to run into. 

[Bobby Hundreds]

Getting walloped and a giant kick up the arse I'm glad it happens in a Europa game rather than the league. Of course a kick up the arse is only useful if we actually learn something from it and this season we don't seem to be learning from any of the lessons we've been given at all.

[Bobby Hundreds]

Feels really sad that what is potentially Klopps last ever European game at Anfield was that performance, that result, quiet fans, no flags.

[rubble-rouser]

6 hours ago, Code said:

We started todays game with only Van Dijk and Mac Allister who would start in our best 11 if we had all players fit and availible.

But with a stronger side than we were able to start a month ago when we were getting results. We’ve needed to rotate. You could argue we could have rotated more against sheff utd last week, but that team should have been strong enough to beat a non-CL European team. 
 

Most people would put Endo in our best 11 and he was dreadful. If he’s not in our best 11, Jones certainly is and he was worse. Again, most people would put Konate in our best 11 and he looked like a pissed Sakho. 
 

The manager and coaching staff must have believed that Jones was fit to play. Tsimikas should have had more game time in recent weeks, but maybe he’s played as badly as that in training and that’s why we’ve played Gomez at LB. 
 

No problem with rotation because so many of our player have looked goosed. Mo looks so far off it physically at the moment that he couldn’t be expected to play 90 minutes. 
 

The starting 11 all have a right expect game time, but no right to play as badly as that.

[Welsh]

Gobsmacked by that performance last night. That 3rd goal has killed it I think, unfortunately.

 

We must be one of the worst "top sides" at passing. Every game we are so sloppy and predictable.

[KMD7]

https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/jurgen-klopps-press-conference-after-liverpool-0-3-atalanta?utm_medium=push-notification&utm_source=lfc-mobile-app&utm_content=lfc-mobile-app-push-notifciation&utm_campaign=med-lfc-mobile-app-push-notifcations&utm_proposition=lfc

 

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REACTIONJürgen Klopp's press conference after Liverpool 0-3 Atalanta

PUBLISHED 8 HOURS AGO

By James Carroll and Glenn Price at Anfield

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Read Jürgen Klopp's assessment after Liverpool's 3-0 defeat at home to Atalanta in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie on Thursday night.

The Reds were beaten at Anfield by two goals from Gianluca Scamacca and a late Mario Pasalic finish, leaving them with a significant deficit to overturn in next week's return fixture at Stadio di Bergamo.

On his reaction to Liverpool's performance...

We can make the shortest press conference of all time, it just was a really bad game, oh my God. So we started well, really well, and then didn't continue. I think even before they scored but we just lost the plot a little bit, like we were everywhere and nowhere. [The] midfield was spread like that, right midfielder left side, left midfielder, striker... I didn't recognise that, that was really strange. In football terms that's tactical discipline. But anyhow we had a big chance I think from Darwin [Nunez] and then unlucky with Harvey [Elliott]. Then they scored the goal and then we kept playing into their hands, to be honest. A really good example [of] how it could have looked is the goal we scored because that's [the] striker wide, full-back underlap in a massive space, arrives, has all the time in the world, passes the ball and Mo [Salah] scores the goal. It was then offside but that's one thing. We should have had these situations more often.

[We] didn't use the man-marking besides that, I would say, a lot. Then Diogo [Jota] came on, we cannot use him now just because we think now he's the solution or whatever. He needs time as well but he came on and just [had] no bad experience or whatever in the whole game for weeks and months, so just happy to play – and you could see that changed a lot. We played a bad game, we deserved to lose and we must feel that now. But the boys have exactly this night to feel bad about it and then we have to build up again for the Crystal Palace game, so that's how it is. You ask me probably about the game next Thursday but there is Crystal Palace in between. So, congratulations Atalanta, really well done.

On whether there was a reason for his side's display...

It's easy – Atalanta are causing many teams problems with the way they defend. Maybe I'm wrong but I cannot now remember situations where they outplayed us, it's just they won the ball and they went from there, so it's a good idea. You need a lot of tactical discipline to do what they did. They play that man-marking over the whole pitch – Ederson pressing whoever, Curtis [Jones] in our own box, stuff like that. That was the reason why they won the game, because in these moments you just want to win the ball. Man-marking is uncomfortable when you are not on top of your game. That's why so many teams play it again. But if you play, if you are in a better playing mood than we were tonight then you can cause massive problems – but we didn't. So that's the reason. They defended us and we didn't try it long enough to play, so then we just suffered from their way, the way they defended. That's pretty much the explanation, that's the one point.

On making six changes to the starting line-up and three substitutions at half-time...

That's how it is. You lose the game then your changes are questionable. I get that, 100 per cent. For the reasons I did it I would do exactly the same way again, but as I said, if you want to be good in the rest of the season then we have to make changes. We have to. We didn't take off the three 'worst' players. That's probably what people make of it and how the boys looked at half-time. Nobody wants to [come off]. Curtis came back from injury, you could see good moments and then, again, it was the most important training session he had now since he is back. Forty-five minutes, going over the point constantly. Harvey was alright, Kosti [Tsimikas] not a lot of rhythm, so then you think, 'OK, come on, give the game a chance...' but, by the way, we lost the second half 2-0 and the first half 1-0, so I don't know which one was better. It's just how it is. It's absolutely fine. I am responsible for this result first and foremost, I know that, but the decision I would probably take the same.

On whether he believes the tie is still alive...

I believe that it's not the moment to talk about that. What I can say already [is] I am not in the mood to think now about a game which is in a week's time when we have another one in between. What we definitely will [do is] try and for that we have to play really good. We try to win the game there and then we will see what we can do from there but it's now not the moment for having a big mouth and just telling them what we will do there. We have to play a really good game when we arrive, but this was probably a low point for us performance-wise tonight, I would say, for a long time, so I think it should be possible to play a little bit better – and if we can play a little bit better then we can play much better as well. But, first and foremost, Sunday. That is much more important now.

PUBLISHED 8 HOURS AGO

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[Pete]

8 hours ago, an tha said:

That was dogshite.

 

Just got in from it.

 

Dogshite.

 

I hope that is not one of those results that starts a crash, where all the air comes out of the tyres and we grind to a halt. 

 

That was deeply concerning. The manner of the defeat, the way we looked clueless and short of energy and any spark and frankly belief.

 

 

I share your concerns. I have a horrible feeling our season and Jurgens reign will end on a whimper when it should a full on spectacular bang as we sweep (swept?) aside all in front off us.

Too many games, too many injuries, a lack of form at a crucial time point or whatever it is, it's come at the wrong time.  I just we pick ourselves up on Sunday, thrash Palace and keep going from their. Klopp deserves a celebratory send off, not a fart in a lift & if we're to lose out again on the final day, please let it be to the non-entity that is 115 Charges FC & not fucking Arsenal.   

Come on you fucking reds!

[Vincent Vega]

I think that was probably our worst performance under Klopp because it was so unexpected. We’ve played terribly at times last season and in the COVID lockdown season, but there were reasons for those shockers and we could rationalise it. But that last night felt like it came out of the blue. It will either see our season come crashing down, or we will put things right at the weekend and show the determination to at least fight for the championship. 
 

I don’t want to give anymore thought to that last night, and all my focus now will be on the golf, at least until about an hour before we kickoff on Sunday. As for the second leg against Atalanta, I’m in agreement with Barry Wom that we should write it off and rest those players who need a rest and concentrate on the remaining PL games .

[bossy]

Happy to have missed this one. Too complacent? Booking the hotel before we even get to the final? Running out of steam in a season we've over performed? Although I didn’t see it and won’t be watching back, we deffo have complete fuck ups in our locker. 

[Arnaud]

3 hours ago, Bobby Hundreds said:

Feels really sad that what is potentially Klopps last ever European game at Anfield was that performance, that result, quiet fans, no flags.

Feels a bit like Gerrard’s last game home and away, right ?

[Carra_is_legend]

1 hour ago, Pete said:

I share your concerns. I have a horrible feeling our season and Jurgens reign will end on a whimper when it should a full on spectacular bang as we sweep (swept?) aside all in front off us.

Too many games, too many injuries, a lack of form at a crucial time point or whatever it is, it's come at the wrong time.  I just we pick ourselves up on Sunday, thrash Palace and keep going from their. Klopp deserves a celebratory send off, not a fart in a lift & if we're to lose out again on the final day, please let it be to the non-entity that is 115 Charges FC & not fucking Arsenal.   

Come on you fucking reds!

 

My biggest fear is that it might not even go to the final day, if we play like that in front of the goal. When we cannot score, we should keep it tight at the back and we cannot do this either. The team has suddenly become strangers to one another. 

 

I hope I am wrong but I am convinced we will finish with the Carabao cup and 3rd. 

[Paulie Dangerously]

Assumed we were going to steam roller them, had no answers their questions when they had all the answers to ours. 

 

I blame anyone who has already booked a flight or hotel in London 

[SasaS]

12 hours ago, Lee909 said:

Could really do with getting this near done tonight

 

And so we did.

[Harry Squatter]

At least our fans seem level headed enough to accept that we were beaten by a better team on the night and we played shite. If it was Arsenal, the Mancs or our conspiracy theory loving neighbours there would be some refereeing decision that would have gone against them in the first 10 minutes that would have altered the entire game against them.

[El Rojo]

There was definitely a sense of complacency shared by players and fans around this one. It was just a box to be ticked. All the road to Dublin for Jurgen’s last game stuff. 

 

We just had no idea what to do when we went behind and when they defended well.

The immediate spark of Jota aside and Robertson replacing a Tsimikas who was having his worst ever game for us, the substitutes didn’t improve things hugely. I would have kept Elliott and Nunez on for longer as despite their flaws, at least they pose a goal threat occasionally.

[AngryOfTuebrook]

8 hours ago, Code said:

If we had all players fit and availible, so yes, Thiago. 

We have no idea whether 33 year-old Thiago is anything like the player 30 year-old Thiago was.

 

Our first-choice midfield now is Endo, Mac Allister and Szoboszlai (with an argument to be made for swapping Jones for one of them).  All of them played last night and all of them stunk.

[AngryOfTuebrook]

4 hours ago, Bobby Hundreds said:

Getting walloped and a giant kick up the arse I'm glad it happens in a Europa game rather than the league. Of course a kick up the arse is only useful if we actually learn something from it and this season we don't seem to be learning from any of the lessons we've been given at all.

I can't be glad it happened in any circumstance that (almost certainly) cost us a good chance for a trophy.

[Code]

8 hours ago, Code said:

Did Salah get pushed into an offside position for his disallowed goal?

 

Second time this season?

Can anyone answer this please?

[AngryOfTuebrook]

2 minutes ago, El Rojo said:

The immediate spark of Jota aside and Robertson replacing a Tsimikas who was having his worst ever game for us, the substitutes didn’t improve things hugely. I would have kept Elliott and Nunez on for longer as despite their flaws, at least they pose a goal threat occasionally.

A fair few times in the first half, Elliott was making himself available in that "Salah position", out wide right with acres to run into.  Time and again, instead of trying to find him, whichever dope was on the ball kept turning back into a brutally overcrowded midfield and inevitably losing possession.  On the one or two occasions that pass was tried, it was played like Peter Kay in the old John Smiths advert and went straight out for a goal kick.

[El Rojo]

Also, Clark and Danns should still be getting minutes. I know it was down to a combination of factors, but we were excellent when they featured, and some of those games were huge. 
 

I know there’s an imperative to use expensive assets as much as possible when available, but I think they can feel a bit hard done by.