coachpotato

We’re not balanced in the way we’re playing currently. There’s Mo, Harvey and Trent all within 20m of each other on the right and no-one covering the right back spot, and then Robbo pretty much on his own on the left most of the time. I see Thiago dropping as deep as the centre backs to pick the ball up when he should be receiving the ball further forward to enable him to provide passes to the forwards through the opposition defenders and Fabinho and Hendo or Milner supposedly giving cover in front of the defence which is non-existent. Mo doesn’t cover back at any time and these days is easily pushed off the ball by defenders who are seemingly given a free hit on him by referees, He appears to be more effective when moved centrally than out wide. Nunez does drop to assist to some degree and his support play tonight was pretty good, but his finishing wasn’t, and Firmino has been much better this season but still is either hot or cold. Both centre backs are exposed and it shows when Virge is looking average rather than top class and you know Gomez still has a brain fart awaiting even though he’s been pretty good recently. There are too many occasions where our passes are behind the players receiving the ball (instead of in front of them) or where our players first touch is backwards rather than forwards, and where meaningless 2m or 3m passes are played between our players, all of which gives us no forward momentum and allows the opposition to recover defensively. We’re slow in our build up because of much of the above, and yet we see against City and Ajax what we can do when we’re at it. It’s almost like being back with Rogers in charge, where we can give the best a game then struggle against the dross and where draws killed us in too many seasons. Injuries haven’t helped, certainly to the front players, yet apart from youngsters like Bajetic and Carvalho, there’s pretty much nobody who could be brought on to improve or mobilise the midfield. Keita? Ox? Nah. We saw Milner and Hendo brought on for Fabinho and a lethargic looking Trent, and also Elliot taken off for Jones which, ultimately, was a retrograde step. So 4 30+ year olds at one point or another on the field in an area where legs are needed most of all. Hardly a recipe for high octane football? Sadly, there appears most of all to be a lack of belief in the team, that aura of quiet superiority we’ve had in recent seasons that was worth a goal start against most teams and which had us with a spring in our step. We look tired and jaded, not surprisingly after the efforts of last season, and we’re in need of refreshing change in players, tactics or motivation, or all three. What we need least of all is the manager feeling he can’t regenerate the players or not get the players he wants to allow that to happen. Because if he decides, for whatever reason, that he needs to go then we really are up shit creek without a paddle. I really hope the owners realise that, not that they above anyone should need telling.

Ok, it was Rangers and it’s probably fair to say they didn’t give us a real test. Nunez had enough chances to have scored at least one, and if you weren’t his biggest fan you’d say he should have done exactly that. If you were in his corner you’d say he had several chances, got them all on target and made the keeper save them. Something which our other forwards don’t always do to be fair. All I’d say is he looked like a striker tonight and he could have scored with a bit more ruthlessness and calm, so fair play to him, if he gets one against Arsenal, Chelsea or City then he might get a bit more slack cut to him. As for the rest of the team, much better all round, especially Trent, Thiago, Salah, Hendo and Diaz, but it was Rangers………

That suitability is only relevant if he were to replace, and be expecting to play the same as, a player he replaced. Obviously he might not look like a direct replacement for anyone who’s left, but then you’d have to question who bought him and what way he was being expected to play when he got here. We don’t know how Klopp was/is meaning to play him, what would appear logical is that it would have been ideally with all players available, which they haven’t been, so I don’t think he can be binned just yet, certainly I haven’t had the same Spidey sense about Nunez that I had about Keita. Yet.

I’m more worried about how some of our established players are looking like square pegs in round holes than whether a new player who hasn’t been here 5 minutes is playing.

After it went 0-2 down and up to when we went 3-2 up, I felt we looked a bit more like it and had Brighton pretty much under control. It was a case of could we get the goals to get us back into it and maybe get ahead and take the points without conceding again. But after the third goal of ours, Brighton began to dominate, assisted by us panicking and lashing at clearances which put us under more pressure, and it’s here that I’m most concerned. We are good enough to hold onto a lead like that should the need arise, but it appears that our players don’t trust or believe that is the case. It has to be a hangover from last season and losing those two main trophies, because I can’t figure out any other reason save for the usual lack of finances to buy new players to help keep the momentum going. Much more and it’ll appear that there’s no answer and that’s when people will start looking at the manager and comparing notes with his Dortmund days. He doesn’t deserve that as we should all agree.

Wife’s mate came to the house last night. Told us that her daughters school had been awarded a number of tickets to the WSL Derby at Anfield last weekend. She went with her footy mad daughter and friends as she’d never been to Anfield before and was interested to see the ground and because her daughter was buzzing about the match. She said it was ok overall but was spoiled by people running onto the pitch when Everton scored, not just kids but grown men too. Anyone heard anything about it? Not that it would be a surprise mind.

Yes, it hurt that bad! My mistake.

He’s still smarting from the 9-0.

See he’s already had the left full back on his arse!

Should cheekily apply to FIFA to have a Scouse team allowed in internationals. The qualification to be that any player has had to have played in any Trophy Winning team for Liverpool or Everton. That’d boil some piss.

Aye, why bother with the usual suspects who’ve let you down recently, plus that’s the last game before the World Cup isn’t it? Maybe they’ll unleash him on someone in Qatar.

Bellingham, Saka, Havertz all decent. Have to say Musiala too. All likely out of our reach by next summer. Never mind.

Pope cementing Little Arms place there. It’s been quite entertaining in a morbid kind of way. Could do with Bellingham being a bit shitter if we’re hoping to sign him. Fuck off Southgate, leave Hendo alone!

It’s on!

Saka brilliant there. As I said, worst German team I’ve seen.

What’s tomorrows lottery numbers CS?

The “new Duncan Edwards” you mean? No not even Maguire’s that bad.

This is fucking embarrassing, great and comical all at the same time. Thank god there’s no Liverpool players the knuckledraggers can blame.

Should have said London and Manchester’s heroes not our national heroes.

This must be one of the worst German teams I’ve seen, and our national heroes are losing against them.

Mind you, some would say our owners are fools, but never part with money easily….

What’s that about fools and their money being easily parted……..

Maguire. Dear oh dear.

Just not with a knife.

Thanks for the info, we’re staying in a Disney resort and should be able to take advantage of early admissions etc. but advice from someone who’s already been is really appreciated.