Atalanta (A) - EL Quarter Final, 2nd leg - Thu 18th Apr 2024 (8:00pm)

[Mook]

6 hours ago, Mathewbet1 said:

After the perfect start, we failed to capitalise yet again. Our fowards seem to have the footballing equivalent of the yips in golf, when inexplicably miss sitters and it’s the complete opposite of being clinical.  The second half was painful to watch. We went out with a whimper totally schooled by a mid table team over 2 legs. Worrying thing is it looks like macallister is shot, we need him firing on sunday to be in with a chance as without him playing well we have a non functioning midfield.

 

Mac Allister should have been rested tonight.

 

Looking at the positives, at least we don't have to play Roma.

[Smell The Glove]

8 hours ago, dave u said:

 

Agree with all of that but the biggest thing lacking was intelligence. The way we approached that 2nd half was incredibly fucking thick. Doing the exact same shit over and over, which also happened to be exactly what Atalanta wanted us to do.

 

I keep saying about how this team can't sort out problems on the pitch and need Klopp's half time classroom lesson to show them the way. The second half tonight was the most glaring example of it yet. Utterly clueless.

 

The inability of even one player in this team to be able to beat their man fucked us too, but that kind of comes under what you said about bravery and movement.

I think all those probably interlink so we're kind of coming from the same place. Because the team wasn't brave enough or intelligent enough or technical enough to deal with their man to man pressing and play through it, they took the easy route of trying to go over it.

 

Klopp has a style of quick transitions and pressing high. He's not so much of a play through the lines manager so Atalanta was like kryptonite to him. They didn't want the ball so couldn't press and went man to man so couldn't get anyone free. We tried to use Alisson but there was nobody brave enough in passing or intelligent enough in movement to make that spare man work. All in all a thoroughly depressing 2 games of football.

[Aventus]

6 hours ago, Red Shift said:

I wonder if the players have decided that playing once a week gives them the best chance of putting in a Title challenge. I’m hoping like hell that is the case. I don’t for a minute think that Jurgen has lost the dressing room. I actually think wd have a better chance with a week’s training and a single weekend game.

Losing 3-0 at home on purpose so they can get knocked out and focus on the league, only to lose 1-0 at home to Crystal Palace in the league is some real big brain shit. 

[Pidge]

When your defence and attack are intent on playing 50 yards away from each other, the midfield might appear worse than it actually is. The reorganisation dragged us into playing this game, and we fell for it. There's not a player on the pitch that wasn't culpable, but also not a player on the pitch I'd have the knives out for either. We didn't tactically adjust until way too late. Mo's miss and the non-red card lost any slim chance of the comeback happening.

[gkmacca]

10 hours ago, AngryOfTuebrook said:

We had a free-kick last week, dead centre, just outside the area.  There's no way anyone is going to get it over the wall and into the net from there, so why even try?  Why not try something different?

 

Yes, I remember that one. Crazy.

 

I'm afraid I'm getting increasingly cynical about the supposed tactical nous of players for dead ball situations. Do players really have a range of corner kicks to choose from? Robbo seems to put up his hands in the same gesture no matter where he puts the ball these days. Same with the intense hand-over-mouth chats over the ball before free kicks ('I think I'll try to whip it over the wall and straight down into the left-hand corner'. 'I was thinking of doing the same for the other corner'. 'Let's compromise - I'll blast it straight at the wall, then you blast the rebound over the bar').

[Smell The Glove]

29 minutes ago, Pidge said:

When your defence and attack are intent on playing 50 yards away from each other, the midfield might appear worse than it actually is. The reorganisation dragged us into playing this game, and we fell for it. There's not a player on the pitch that wasn't culpable, but also not a player on the pitch I'd have the knives out for either. We didn't tactically adjust until way too late. Mo's miss and the non-red card lost any slim chance of the comeback happening.

I think we tried 1st half to get people moving into areas to disrupt them. Salah and Gakpo were both trying to drop into space and that brief spell was as good as it got. After half time and especially after the substitutions the game returned to the same as Anfield, infact it got so bad Alisson and Mac Allister just passed it to each other until the final whistle.

[Bruce Spanner]

Sadly, they’d done their homework and knew what we’d do, we’re predictable but most can’t handle us when we’re firing.

 

They pressed individually in spaces they knew we’d try to occupy and exploited the gaps made with quick breaks on turnovers.

 

Our passing was off, but that wasn’t the full story, they don’t allow us the time, space or sight to do what we’d normally do.

 

An excellent tactical performance from them.

 

We were out thought and second best.

[TheSire]

9 hours ago, Judge said:

Even the best ones can burn out. It is sad to see him now, totally flat and low on energy.  He is no miracle worker these days, that’s for sure. 

 

We have not scored from open play in the last 4 matches. He has absolutely no clue how to fix it. The last 20 minutes tonight has to be top 5 worst performance from a Liverpool team in the last 30 years. 

 

He really need this break from football. It will be good for him and us. I look forward to seeing fresh faces with fresh ideas in the dugout.

I have to agree tbh. He's human and the job grinds you down. I think we forget that all managers can have flaws and klopp won't be perfect himself.

[Bobby Hundreds]

18 minutes ago, Bruce Spanner said:

Sadly, they’d done their homework and knew what we’d do, we’re predictable but most can’t handle us when we’re firing.

 

They pressed individually in spaces they knew we’d try to occupy and exploited the gaps made with quick breaks on turnovers.

 

Our passing was off, but that wasn’t the full story, they don’t allow us the time, space or sight to do what we’d normally do.

 

An excellent tactical performance from them.

 

We were out thought and second best.

It's where you miss gini when was damn near press resistant. Hate to say it but Hendersons attitude is missing too. We seem to be lacking a vocal leader.

[kemskem]

I don’t think our form is terminal going by our last two league games, we just need to try to grind out a couple of back to back wins and go on a winning run, similar to how we did in 20/21 when we seemed to have a bit of a crisis of confidence. The players owe it to themselves because on the whole they’ve been boss this season.

[diamondjoe]

Trent said it on that interview with Neville. Our whole game plan and tactics are to lose the ball up high and go from there. It's not sustainable and the game has evolved beyond that. ( Mind you I know fucking nothing) 

[John102]

9 hours ago, AHA said:

Djimi Traoré

 

It looks like you have had to copy Djimi's name from somewhere, so i cannot take this post seriously.

 

Also, everyone knows that if you are going to use that argument, Josemi is your go to man. Djimi was boss.

[johnsusername]

Atalanta are sixth in Serie A. They're twenty points off top (although, Devil's Advocate, they're only 6 points off second with a game in hand).

 

Before rocking up at Anfield on Sunday, Crystal Palace had won TWO games this year. 

 

We've suddenly become complete saps. Doormats. Easy wins. 

[Scott_M]

1 hour ago, Pidge said:

When your defence and attack are intent on playing 50 yards away from each other, the midfield might appear worse than it actually is. The reorganisation dragged us into playing this game, and we fell for it. There's not a player on the pitch that wasn't culpable, but also not a player on the pitch I'd have the knives out for either. We didn't tactically adjust until way too late. Mo's miss and the non-red card lost any slim chance of the comeback happening.

Yeah, I mostly agree. 
 

Trent running out of gas was equally as influential, unfortunately.
 

First half, although it all felt rushed, all our best moments came through Trent. His long passing was on point and we were causing them issues. 
 

Unfortunately, once he went off, we lacked any real threat. The runs weren’t being made or they were to slow or the passes were to slow in coming or they were to straight… or a combination of all issues.

 

Mac Allister was out on his feet and the substitutions didn’t really help, partially inflicted themselves, partially for the above reasons.

 

Yesterday wasn’t a great performance, it was better. For once, we started well, scored first and kept a clean sheet. The tie was lost last week, not last night. 
 

It’s annoying because Atalanta clearly aren’t anything special, neither are Marseille… our first test should have been in the final and to not get there is really disappointing. 
 

Onwards and upwards. This scoring issue can’t go on forever, we’ve too many good players. 

[Colonel Bumcunt]

12 hours ago, bossy said:

I can see there’s more energy to us but our passing borders on incompetence at times and we can’t finish what we start. Bit confused by our tactics at times, overloading the left, presumably to create space on the right, but it’s not quite happening. We look dodgy every time they attack too.  Should have been a red for their handball mind.

I use that Real Madrid performance this week as the benchmark to compare us against. 

 

The ability to defend and not make dumb mistakes is key.

 

The ability of the forwards to receive the ball at pace and under pressure and yet still beat 1 or 2 men and get on the counter is amazing. 

 

The pure energy, skill and power in midfield to adapt to any opposition and beat them in a number of different ways is essential. 

 

Across the board, we're failing in all 3 areas. So is it a coaching deficit we have, or a player deficit? 

 

In attack, it's a player deficit. The closest we have to a Vinicius Jr or Rodrygo is probably Diaz, but he's a mile off them. We don't have enough pace in wide areas and they lose too many battles. When they get near the opposition area they aren't creative thinkers, and they lack the pace to hit the byline or sell a dummy.  They all want to score the same goal, from the edge of the area, and they usually don't even get that shot off.  

I'd gladly sell every forward bar Nunez, who I think still has the pace and power and confidence to be part of an elite team.  The rest can go, for various reasons, especially the injury prone.  

 

In midfield it's also a player deficit. You look at physical specimens like Camavinga, Tchouameni, Bellingham, Valverde, and it's like they're from another planet.  All at least 6 foot tall, and all are quick, strong, and have stamina. Obviously it helps that they score goals as well. 

Modric and Kroos are different types of player but we know their level, it's elite.   

Of all our midfielders, only MacAllister would get a contract at Madrid. 

 

Defenders.  I think it's a problem causes by the failures in midfield and attack primarily, but also a coaching and tactical failing.  We have great individual defenders, more than capable of stepping in at a team like Madrid.  

 

[The wanderer]

11 hours ago, AHA said:

Not saying they are shit as they obviously are not but answer the question what team do they get in. Tell me who in the teams I mentioned they are better than 

Behave yourself Macca would be on the teamsheet for a start off

[jonnyp]

I was pleased to see how well we passed the ball around at the back to manage the game out and secure the away win.

[SasaS]

They would have beaten us if they needed to.

Allow us enough space, we can't score, deny us the space, there is nothing from us.

[AngryOfTuebrook]

12 hours ago, Josef Svejk said:

While these fucks have let Klopp down, his "retirement" announcement was idiotic. 

Was it, though?

[AngryOfTuebrook]

2 hours ago, gkmacca said:

 

Yes, I remember that one. Crazy.

 

I'm afraid I'm getting increasingly cynical about the supposed tactical nous of players for dead ball situations. Do players really have a range of corner kicks to choose from? Robbo seems to put up his hands in the same gesture no matter where he puts the ball these days. Same with the intense hand-over-mouth chats over the ball before free kicks ('I think I'll try to whip it over the wall and straight down into the left-hand corner'. 'I was thinking of doing the same for the other corner'. 'Let's compromise - I'll blast it straight at the wall, then you blast the rebound over the bar').

Cally's goal (1:10) shows that it can be done - with a little bit of practice and intelligence.

 

[AngryOfTuebrook]

13 minutes ago, jonnyp said:

I was pleased to see how well we passed the ball around at the back to manage the game out and secure the away win.

Any normal circumstances, a 1-0 away win in a European quarter final would be a great result.

 

We done fucked up.

[Josef Svejk]

12 minutes ago, AngryOfTuebrook said:

Was it, though?

 

Is there any point discussing a heat-of-the-moment remark 13 hours later? 

 

I mean, there's a debate to be had. But "measured" responses to in-match or immediate post-match comments the following day seems pretty pointless to me.

[Lurtz]

32 minutes ago, Josef Svejk said:

 

Is there any point discussing a heat-of-the-moment remark 13 hours later? 

 

I mean, there's a debate to be had. But "measured" responses to in-match or immediate post-match comments the following day seems pretty pointless to me.

 

Welcome to the Internet. 

[jonnyp]

When we went three at the back, I hoped at least we would not waste anymore time passing back and to the side and instead just keeping launching it forward first time at our tall lads, with Jota picking up scraps.

 

Nope, three at the back to show our efficiency in passing it back and to the side.

 

10-15mins of long ball tactics may not have been pretty but it may have been pretty effective.

[El Rojo]

On the potential red card issue, I think it would have been harsh. Diaz would have still had a lot do do.

 

Look at it this way - we’ve been subject to much bigger injustices this season.