HolyHank

Van Dijk is still a class act, and is performing well. But I think most would agree that he hasn't entered Superman Mode after the injury yet. Maybe he will need this season to be his true self, or hopefully he will be back to his real level by March.

Since we won the league, he had a lot of mistakes.

That's a good point.

I've said it before, and got lambasted for it, but Allison is making too many errors to be truly world class. He has to get his shit together. Firstly, start dominating the box. For a big lad, he really doesn't fancy the physical side of football. Secondly, his long passing is great, but playing out from the back we have seen time and time again that he is quite error prone. And, last, he must work on his timing. All too often he is caught in no man's land. His reactions and one-on-one are excellent.

Probably too harsh and obviously coloured by the result, but I really don't think Allison is going in the right direction. Very good first season, but not the same now. He was touted as the best keeper in the world with his feet, but as we have seen time and time again, he sure ain't. Still really good long passer, but has done some poor choices playing out from the back. Then it is his decision making: too many times rushing out and colliding with his defenders. Crosses is a weakness, as Antonio said their tactic was after the match: just cross it and challenge the keeper. He just doesn't fancy the brawls in the box. Allison is great in one against ones, and is overall quick and agile. But among the best in the business? No way.

I have mentioned it before, but Allison is seriously overrated. He is good one against one and he has good reactions, but there is something wrong with his basics. And he is very weak for a big guy. No way he's world class - too many mistakes

Yeah, I meant this match. But injurys are a part of the game

Midfield really bad. Ox is so erratic, can"t be trusted. Hendo lost too many 50/50s. Konate had a torrid time, too easily drawn away from goal. Van Dijk still not firering on all sylindres. We are a very, very good team, but the squad depth will cost us

Roy Evans-era defending. Van Dijk a tad better than the rest. Neither full back able to defend one against one and the cb's being bullied. Midfield not helping out either.

At least we can bury this "Matip is world class" - nonsense

I thought Sadio was breathtaking last year, but this season he has fallen off a cliff. Salah is doing good numberwise, but neither he is at the level he performed at earlier.

More like the front three as a unit. They produce moments of quality, but the collective brilliance is gone. Jota and one of Salah/Mane could stay for a new attacking line

Oh, man, we're in trouble, from a to z. Allison has dropped his standards considerately and looks like a Pepe 2010-doppelganger: every decent shot hits the back of the bet. Trent is proving Southgate right, and Klopp is seemingly too proud or naive to protect him. Every opponent of a certain standard is looking for the space behind him as he is slow and can't defend one against one. Phillips/Kabak are playing to their standards. It is what it is. Robbo is out of steam and has lost the spring in his step. Why on earth Klopp went Keita tonight, God only knows. He is not physical enough, doesn't cover enough ground, and when he passes the ball, it looks like he's hitting a basket ball with a golf club. And, as Usher has pointed out long time ago, the front three is finished. Let them grow old on someone elses ground. This Real team is piss poor, and we were outclassed.

And I was trying to be a know-it-all.

Hard Times? More Tale of two Cities.

Just a word about Trent. He wasn't okay, in fact he was horrible. He's so slow, he plays like a 40 year old would do: Constantly backing off and getting close to his centre back. Any time someone comes one on one, he panics

I'm starting to think that he may be our Juan Seb Veron: World class player, mysteriously out of depth in the Prem.

We all know Jurgen is a genius, but this was a bit like watching a game from Rafa or Ged's last season, in terms of not being able or not want to change things. At the moment, we are not able to play football like Klopp want, and maybe he should go for doing things a little bit simple and try to grind out results? Like setting the defensive line lower, get people behind the ball to let us get the space to counterattack in, and drop some of the players out of form. Last night we were outplayed and run into the ground.

What about Big Nat? Thought he bossed McBurnie.

A high line is essential when doing gegenpress. Thing is, we have taken it from high line to "both centre halves in the middle of their half, with the full backs up at the corner flags". The main difference last night was that Smith had done his homework. The runners came from behind and thus tricking the offside trap, with our midfield caught upfield, goalhanging. The fourth goal was something other teams also have tried against us - crossing a free kick wide to a player who doesn't run in behind on the first movement. Better teams than Villa can do this to us if we keep a high line, but with dropped intensity.

Minaccino? I like that.

Dont want to be a doom nerchant, but part of me is afraid that this team peaked in 2019. With no investments and Abu Dhabi FC free to spend, we could face some real troubles next season.

Klopp is obviously one of the best managers in the world, if not the best. Still, I find it difficult to understand why he insist on playing Origi and Ox out wide. The same goes for Minamino. We are still winning this, though.

"Cheers is filmed before a live studio audience"

The thing about Gazza...yeah, he was and is a fruitcake, but unlike a lot of English players over the years, he actually delivered in the championships he played in (90 and 96). Obviously not quite there physically in 96, but Ince and Platt did a lot of the running for him, and he gave what he had. Magnificent natural talent.