Turkish Delight

One big observation for me is the number of times he deliberately lets his man go when the other team is attacking. You can see him actively gambling on the other team losing the ball by holding a slightly more advanced position. No other full back does it so I don't think it's by instruction. His long balls piss me off too. One in ten looks incredible and the rest just give the ball away. It's great for YouTube compilations or Match of the Day highlights but it's not a productive way of attacking or playing.

The Turtle's long gone mate. I only moved down here last year but knew of it. I'll make sure I'm free for it!

Thought his attitude was absolutely terrible last night. Spent the whole game sulking because they were being physical and didn't seem up for it at all. Proper shithouse performance.

Haha my name was picked when I joined the site just after Istanbul. It's a long way to get over from Netherley so just give me a bit of notice for your first event.

I think building our team around him would be a big mistake for this reason.

Same finish as against Palace and numerous others. Just fucking leather it and hope for the best.

You're probably right. It could have just been how I read it.

I thought that too. What a man and what a manager but it's definitely time. Interesting that it reads like he loves Carra and just respects Stevie. Although I suppose he could have meant it the other way round.

On the idea that ref's allegiances mean less when they reach the top level. This is Michael Oliver watching Newcastle play United in a Premier League match two years ago.

I suppose we'll see next year. Hope that you're the one that is right.

The first half was poor but even in that we missed chances. Endo, Diaz, Jones, Salah, Jota and Nunez all had chances you'd expect them to score in the match and some of the finishing was criminal. That should be enough to win a game like that. Is that a tactical error that we didn't or a tactical error that Nunez didn't give Szoboszlai a tap in at Old Trafford? I get the point about who signs the players but we've still got a title challenge out of it until at least now with their limitations. It's way beyond what most expected past year. There's a good chance we'll come up short but we'll still probably do it with a points total in the top half a dozen in our history. The three highest of which have already come under Klopp despite all our greats usually having 42 game seasons. If the new manager tries to play anything other than high energy football we will seriously struggle though next sesson.

Lots of talk of Klopp's tactics being responsible for recent performances. It's not him who failed to score the dozen or so easy chances against United and Palace. These same players won't suddenly become clinical when he's not there. Last night was a tricky game against big, organised opposition. To win by 3 was always unlikely but we could have managed it by being clinical and would have been in the tie had we been clinical in the first game. I think recent results are far more on the lack of quality and intelligence of the players than on Klopp's tactics.

If we score early (instead of conceding) I reckon these will shit themselves. They've just come off the best result in their history where they feel the tie is won against a team they know are better than them. Psychologically they'll have an awful lot to lose if they come under pressure.

He's 8 yards out and just leathered it at him. Roll it to the side of him with a bit of composure and the keeper has no chance. Smash it at his knee and it's going to bounce away. As a very average goalie in my youth I made loads like that. Just make yourself big and hope the forward belts it at you. His decision making first half was a mess too. Nobody can knock his work rate and I'm in agreement on Salah as well but when it's really mattered he hasn't delivered. We won't win the league because despite the effort we put in we lack the quality and composure of the top two. That's not just on Nunez but he's a notable part of it.

It's either people who know nothing about football or unfunny banter merchants. Possibly both.

Something I was reflecting on after Thursday night. At the moment I think our fanbase's emotional turmoil is a negative on the Anfield atmosphere. There's a desperation to send Jurgen out on a high that we're all feeling (I certainly am) along with a melancholy that there isn't long left. The initial rallying call bounce has faded and in the last few games it's made for a nervier than usual crowd. There's more doubters than believers about too (again I'm guilty). After Sunday we have a run of games away from Anfield. The season could be broken very quickly but part of me wonders if it's not a bad time to have a little break from our home games. If we're still up there for the Spurs game it'll be close enough to the end for the place to be booming and in the meantime there's less opportunity for the fan's feeling to be pushed on to the players. Just my thoughts anyway.

I was pissed at the match last night. I'm usually quiet enough outside of the singing but I just remembered absolutely losing my shit very vocally and loudly with everyone who shouted 'shoot' around me when Gomez had a shot from distance second half. Needed to be said I suppose.

We played like a team that didn't want to be in the Europa League tonight and our crowd echoed that. Let's hope in 3 or 4 weeks we aren't watching Jurgen's final weeks fizzle out as a result of it. I've been to hundreds of Liverpool games over the years and thaf's in my top 3 worst. I've been to several far more gut wrenching but the lack of application was embarrassing.

The energy and aggression from everyone in that ground tonight was non-existent. Everyone turned up thinking it was a formality. They weren't even good but could have scored 5 or 6. Out worst home European performance since the early 90s. To everyone who thought the Europa League was a hindrance I hope you're right. Otherwise we'll be waving Jurgen off while City or Arsenal lift the league.

We didn't. They looked fucking shite but we gifted them a draw through poor decision making and a lack of clinical edge.

I thought he was mainly good but his use of the ball after we went behind was poor too and generally long on to Maguire's head. He's young and needs to learn so I don't want to be too critical but unfortunately the place to learn was not today.

The biggest test for Arsenal will be if they go behind. They're great front runners in games and their defence is excellent but earlier in the season there was a desperation to their game when they went behind. I'd like to see how they react if they get that pressure again.

Plenty of articles like this from the time....

If I remember right Martinez didn't pull a sickie against City the other year. Gerrard gave him a day off as he was playing on the Wednesday for Argentina in that final between the Copa America winners and Euros winners. There was a bit of noise before the game about it. That decision and the one to hook Coutinho at 2-0 when he was flying cost us big time that day.

Burnley are unbeaten in four and have shown some sign of life. They'd need to beat Everton this weekend and still be reliant on another points deduction to finish above them though.