Crystal Palace (H) - Sun 14th Apr 2024 (2:00pm)

[Reckoner]

1 minute ago, Harry Squatter said:

Yep. First leg he had a couple of howlers and we lost 3-0 the second leg at home we won 2-0 and nearly scored to draw level. Ultimately all in vain. Lost at home to Coventry as well after beating Newcastle in the 4-3 game. 

 

We aren't mentality monsters anymore under Klopp unfortunately.

Think it was away at Coventry.

The shocking home loss was a different season, no?

[Daisy]

36 minutes ago, Leyton388 said:

I love the guy but what the fuck was Klopp thinking starting that same midfield that got dry bummed by Atalanta? What did he think would happen that they would suddenly click in this game? 

 

 

He didn't 

[VERBAL DIARRHEA]

2 minutes ago, Code said:

I find it fascinating that people think I care about if they say Salah has a good or bad game, most of the time I laugh at them and think what a clueless idiot. 

Tell the truth. You want his kids.

[Code]

I basically see him as our best option to win us games, and I wish we could play to his strengths a bit more, because right now we are doing the opposite. 

[Dapower]

4 minutes ago, Reckoner said:

Think it was away at Coventry.

The shocking home loss was a different season, no?

 

cov 96-97 at home Newcastle season before

[Arnaud]

4 hours ago, Code said:

We played a lot better after Trent came on.

 

Our main problem today was a missing midfield and our players missing sitters like never before. 
 

Palace defended superbly today, threw themselves at anything inside the box, if I did not know better you could think they were the ones trying to win the league.

 

The reality is that we outplayed them, even if our midfield was way below par, but abysmal finishing cost us the game.

 

The title is not gone though, far from it. 

I wish I had your winning mentality mate but it’s not about maths it’s about momentum, we were dreadful today as we were  Thursday and last Sunday (second half).

[Harry Squatter]

7 minutes ago, Reckoner said:

Think it was away at Coventry.

The shocking home loss was a different season, no?

Yes, the season after that first Newcastle game. I also forgot about the Man Utd game where he missed two crosses to let Andy Cole score.

 

 

On the 24th of April Live on Sky Sports, Arsenal faced Liverpool at Highbury. I was there to witness a superb performance by Stan Collymore and Robbie Fowler, who ran Tony Adams and the Arsenal defence ragged, to give Liverpool a 2-1 victory. The game was remembered for Robbie Fowler’s penalty that never was, awarded by the referee, despite Fowler’s protests. David Seaman saved his penalty but Jason McAteer scored the rebound.

 

The following week Liverpool faced bottom placed Coventry City at Anfield. A victory would send Roy Evans men back to the top of the table after Derby County’s shock win at Old Trafford the day before. I was there to witness a brilliant performance by former goalkeeper Steve Ogrisovic as he denied Liverpool time and again. However they still lead 1-0 but two late howlers by David James had yet again cost Liverpool, who suffered a shock 2-1 defeat.

The Title Decider would come on Saturday 19th April at 11.15 am, the ridiculous kick off time chosen by Sky Sports. If Liverpool beat Manchester United at Anfield they would top the Premier League table with just three games left. Could Liverpool gain revenge for their FA Cup Final defeat? David James dubbed ‘Calamity James’ after the game by the press was at fault for all three Manchester United goals. His awful miss of Neville’s cross allowed Andy Cole’s header seal a 3-1 defeat, that was celebrated by jubilant United fans.

Roy Evans decision not drop James after that game emphasised his weak management. With no challenge to push him or keep him on his toes, James would continue to be a liability in a Liverpool shirt. At Selhurst Park in May, I witnessed Michael Owen’s debut and first Liverpool goal, but it was not enough to prevent a 2-1 defeat to Wimbledon. In a cruel twist, Liverpool went into the final game away to Sheffield Wednesday with a two point lead, knowing that the Premier League runners up would qualify for the lucrative Champions League. They could only draw 1-1 against ten men, with a striker in goal for their injured goalkeeper. Liverpool would finish the 1996/97 in fourth place in a two horse Title race, as Dalglish’s Newcastle finished second and Arsenal third on goal difference

[Torvald Utne]

21 minutes ago, Code said:

I basically see him as our best option to win us games, and I wish we could play to his strengths a bit more, because right now we are doing the opposite. 

Playing to win penalties is not really a viable tactic

[Code]

30 minutes ago, Arnaud said:

I wish I had your winning mentality mate but it’s not about maths it’s about momentum, we were dreadful today as we were  Thursday and last Sunday (second half).

City obviously are favorites now, but they have four away games left in the league.

 

They will be trailing one game behind us as well because of the FA Cup semifinal, they are still in the CL and will have tough games there.

 

If we look at their away form in the league I’d be more surprised if they win them all than if they lose points in one or two of them.

 

We will have to win our next five PL games though.

 

And I’m not worried about Arsenal, I can see them realistically drop points in as many as three more games. 
 

City’s away games in the league this season below, they have dropped points in 1/3 of their away games so far. 

 

 

[Code]

16 minutes ago, Torvald Utne said:

Playing to win penalties is not really a viable tactic

No, but trying to switch play and find him in space is, we don’t do it enough, when we do it usually ends up with a goal from him or a big chance for the player he passes to. 

[gkmacca]

There probably are, deep down, some factors that the farewell era has brought on us.

 

Klopp, for all his professionalism, has been doing some 'where next' media interviews; he's turned down loads but he's had to do some. If that doesn't affect someone, it would be weird.

 

Pep seems to have already moved on. He's nowhere near as engaged he used to be. It's as if he's already mulling over the chats with his agent.

 

Then there are the players. What is at the back of their mind these days if they don't push themselves on? 'The manager might drop me next season?' Nope. 'The manager might sell me next season?' Nope. 

 

So everything, now, is very much short term, no matter how much they fight ('fight,' hah!), against it. The end of the season, suddenly, cannot come soon enough. 

[TheHowieLama]

I agree that Salah is the best chance to score when he is playing and we set up like we have been with him on the field.

Just not sure that means we are actually scoring more than we would otherwise. It's a headache.

[rubble-rouser]

57 minutes ago, Reckoner said:

Think it was away at Coventry.

The shocking home loss was a different season, no?

Nah, it was home

 

Sorry - that was 96/7

[Code]

8 minutes ago, TheHowieLama said:

I agree that Salah is the best chance to score when he is playing and we set up like we have been with him on the field.

Just not sure that means we are actually scoring more than we would otherwise. It's a headache.

Id like to see a stat about blocked shots, I have a feeling we end up having a lot of shots blocked because a lot of the so called chances we get is no more than half chances because the player getting the chance is very close to the opposition. 
 

Ive not found those stats for the full season though, just game to game basis. 

[SasaS]

18 minutes ago, gkmacca said:

There probably are, deep down, some factors that the farewell era has brought on us.

 

Klopp, for all his professionalism, has been doing some 'where next' media interviews; he's turned down loads but he's had to do some. If that doesn't affect someone, it would be weird.

 

Pep seems to have already moved on. He's nowhere near as engaged he used to be. It's as if he's already mulling over the chats with his agent.

 

Then there are the players. What is at the back of their mind these days if they don't push themselves on? 'The manager might drop me next season?' Nope. 'The manager might sell me next season?' Nope. 

 

So everything, now, is very much short term, no matter how much they fight ('fight,' hah!), against it. The end of the season, suddenly, cannot come soon enough. 

 

You would think the players would at least be interested in winning the league, regardless what happens to the manager.

[s(k)aturation]

5 hours ago, 3 Stacks said:

Lord knows I don't like our attack, and the finishing is absolutely the reason we didn't win today, but when you have to play from behind and you're so often playing from a position of weakness, that can't be easy for attacking players. You are obliged to score and every chance feels crucial.

 

You look at Arsenal and they're just flying because the base and structure is there. They're freed up.

 

Today again, you're just throwing players forward in desparation, having to pull off another come from behind result. 

 

 

We're obliged to score at 0-0 too.

Draws aren't enough at the top of this League.

 

 

[rubble-rouser]

3 minutes ago, Code said:

Id like to see a stat about blocked shots, I have a feeling we end up having a lot of shots blocked because a lot of the so called chances we get is no more than half chances because the player getting the chance is very close to the opposition. 
 

Ive not found those stats for the full season though, just game to game basis. 

I’d like us to see Mo central. He has got the pace to play off the right just now. You could have 3 of Darwin, Diaz, Gakpo and Elliot behind him. Fuck it, we need to go for it

[TheHowieLama]

4 minutes ago, Code said:

Id like to see a stat about blocked shots, I have a feeling we end up having a lot of shots blocked because a lot of the so called chances we get is no more than half chances because the player getting the chance is very close to the opposition. 
 

Ive not found those stats for the full season though, just game to game basis. 

 

Yea, the area is usually so crowded in 75 % of the games when we have sides penned in.

 

That said we have scored a few more corkers from distance than in the past couple seasons. Been missing.

[TheHowieLama]

9 minutes ago, rubble-rouser said:

I’d like us to see Mo central. He has got the pace to play off the right just now. You could have 3 of Darwin, Diaz, Gakpo and Elliot behind him. Fuck it, we need to go for it

 

I don't think he can lead a three man line or play as a false 9 in a 3 like ours at the level we would need him to be to continue. Probably could do the latter a bit minus some defensive work but for me he will need to play off a lethal 9 (ala the Dzeko partnership) playing 2 upfront or behind a fast #9 in a 4231 thing if he moves.

In a 343 (3421) you still need your front man to really stretch the channels with pace - he was caught from behind a couple times today. He could be real good as the right sided of the deeper forward 2 in the 343.

[rubble-rouser]

3 minutes ago, TheHowieLama said:

 

I don't think he can lead a three man line or play as a false 9 in a 3 like ours at the level we would need him to be to continue. Probably could do the latter a bit minus some defensive work but for me he will need to play off a lethal 9 (ala the Dzeko partnership) playing 2 upfront or behind a fast #9 in a 4231 thing.

In a 343 (3421) you still need your front man to really stretch the channels with pace - he was caught from behind a couple times today. He could be real good as the right sided of the deeper forward 2 in the 343.

I’d have the wide players (Darwin

/Jota and Diaz?) getting in behind and Gakpo or Elliott just behind, just letting Mo take up spaces where he can stick the ball in the net

[Smell The Glove]

Be nice just to get the 3 best finishers, who also happen to be the 3 most intelligent forwards we have, starting for these final 6 games. Right now Nunez would be more useful for us coming from the bench.

[AngryOfTuebrook]

[DaveT]

Feels like we’ve been defying gravity for a while and the ridiculous succession of injuries has caught up with us. It’s not just about the likes of Jota, Trent, Mo etc etc missing big chunks of the season. It also limits the amount of sensible rotation you can do. And some players have been over used, especially Mac. The lack of intensity in the first half today and also Thursday night is surely a result of this situation catching up with us. In the past week, Endo has looked like the stop gap bargain but we thought we were getting not the excellent DM he was for several months. Others are clearly still grasping for form and match fitness after layoffs. 
None of that explains why we can’t score piss easy chances.

The harsh truth, as Arsenal are about to find out again, is that you need a near perfect season to beat the oil cheats, hardly any injuries, luck and decisions going your way. Arsenal have had most of that and it probably still won’t be enough. Hope to god this season doesn’t peter out in a whimper, Klopp deserves so much better than that.

p.s. Honourable mention to the kids who got us over the line at Wembley and acquired themselves well throughout. 

[Arniepie]

Did trent have a go at the crowd today.?

I thought he was yelling at robbo(I think)but someone mentioned he said the crowd was on edge?

[Leyton388]

1 hour ago, Daisy said:

He didn't 

Well he did

 

Our midfield 3 for both games was Endo, Jones and Macallister.