JoeBuck

Is Jurgen Klopp not just some loveable fraud - in his 16 managerial seasons, he has won trophies in two of them. I can see why - we thought the Basel implosion was the exception not the rule, but maybe it's not a coincidence that he's not won any of his last 5 finals. After fielding the disgraceful under strength team in the last winnable trophy - we're Liverpool Jurgen,we like to win stuff- we have a weekend off in La Manga when the fraudulent non- winners like Lallana and Henderson start talking shite like Redknapp did 20 years ago - we can do this , that. Tonight, not one player showed up and had half the fight of a Leicester player. So much for the winter break excuse Jurgs. Or bless them , maybe they lacked match sharpness because they hadn't played. We've had these romantic, perceptive false dawns for 20 years now - Evans, Ged, Kenny, Rodgers, Klopp. Maybe just bring back the one guy who turned us back into a genuine European force and who has so much integrity to go from Real Madrid to a Club even in the championship that most resembles us in terms of romance.

the perfect side to play - in the 80s we would hear about an in form Spurs side (of Hoddle, Ossie, Hazard etc) and we would destroy them apart from the post 84 Souness period. with that Crooks goal. we are a very good side - 86 points 1st half of the season - and our failure to break ultra defensive teams down and our culability on counter attacks and set pieces doesn't make us poor or anything, just a blip in the learning.

remember 2008 and losing 1-2 to Barnsley in the Cup and all the doom and gloom that Rafa and his team was finished. 3 days later we battered a very good Inter Milan side 2-0.

of course it's delusional, but I was convinced our title challenge was over in Feb 09 when we lost to Boro , and in 13-14 when we lost to Chelsea and City in the space of 4 days. with one game a week, our 1st team has got the capability of going on similar 11-13 match winning runs.

Jurgen is simply waiting for the players he wants to be available - who knows but probably Brandt, Tah, Innaz Williams, a young left back no doubt, and most of all he needs a holding midfielder. If Bournemouth and the last week has taught us one thing - we need someone to protect us against counters - Carvalho would be good although he doesn't look the most mobile (more a Carrick-like controller of the game). As for Creator's claims, I think Klopp's teams struggle without a winter break to recharge their energy levels and he hasn't sussed this out yet. January hasn't been helped by playing the two extra semi final ties and having such a weak squad. He has got a touch of arrogance about him - it's ok not signing a winger this month if the right one isn't available, but surely bring Markovic back then (can't be any worst than the kids). Win on Tuesday and Chelsea then draw against Arsenal and away to Burnley and we could be down to 3 points behind if we win against Hull & Spurs. Big ifs but we might be looking on this weekend as the one when we win the league - especially with a 2 week winter break in mid Feb for the 11 game run-in.

I think in football generally and especially in England, the home of the ignorant, there's a backlash against tika taka - possession football is now frown upon even though a team might have 70-80% of the game trying to tactically open up their opponents - like we did last night and on Saturday. The fact we couldn't do it and stupidly left ourselves exposed (that's when you need a top class holding player like Carvalho) made us look "poor" but actually , over the legs, we made most of the play. Football as a sport will become pointless and tedious to watch if we continue to exert the virtues of Mourinho's teams, Burnley, Swansea and fucking boring Southampton.

yes, I'm a Mail-boy for them.

Sturridge is still class but as with those other injured prone teen stars - Robbie, Owen, Torres, Rooney - probably picked at 25-26 and is now on his decline. He's only started 9 games this season and there's a bit of lack of match fitness going on, but when he gets the ball, he's the one guy I think will do something with it (normally doesn't though). At the very worst, a good guy to bring on when we need something different*. * he takes on defenders, makes a clever run, tries a curler from outside the box etc.

true, but who were the better team in the 2010 CL cup final - Inter with their 25% possession? Burnley in August, Southampton over the two legs, and Swansea deserve no praise for their ultra negative tactics and stealing a win - sad that the footballing world now praises such wins. As I said, we've been indoctrined with a Mourinhoesque media (including our sad local heroes - Carra and Gerrard) who believe that 10 men behind the ball, break quickly equates to "great play , "deserving to win". Guardiola is right to be niggled with the stupidity of the English for this perception. We're still playing well but it took years for the likes of United and Arsenal to understand how to break down teams - let's give our very good side and brilliant manager a bit of time and slack while they work this out.

I would save Sturridge for Chelsea and play Origi - play Sturridge on the right of a three (Bobby up front) on Tuesday ..it's a position he excelled at Chelsea (in the 11-12 season) but then came the ego that he had to play up front. not any more Danny lad, your career is fast on the wane and you're no longer the star man..... would definitely play Ojo on Saturday as he has a point to prove about Wolves after they felt he was not good enough for them

I'm not sure I agree that we deserved to lose - over 70% possession and more chances created - they parked the bus home and away but were clinical on the counter. That has become Mourinhoesque revisionism for "being the better team" or "deserving to win". We are not in a crisis - 5 of the 7 games in 2017 we had to break down 10 men behind the ball, Sunderland and United would have been two away wins had the referee done his job. We have 76 points which is the CL average over the past 20 years. The first half of the season was 86 points but unfortunately, we have lost our 6 key players over the past 3-6 weeks - Coutinho/ Matip/ Hendo injured, Mane away and Lallana and Frimino played out of position to cover elsewhere and being half as effective. Saturday is a big game - Cameroon win and we could play our full strength team on Tuesday against Chelsea, and I would fancy our full strength team to beat anyone.

Of course he's going to play Sturridge for this - only player at Plymouth who looked like he do something a bit different. Can and Origi to the bench where they belong and hopefully Matip will be back for the willing but frail Klavan.

Just got back today after a night in a BnB down there. Thought their fans were great throughout - some of the best I've come across with a real respect and appreciation towards us, especially as most had Liverpool scarves on- where does this Internet hostility come from? As for the game, Sturridge was making runs throughout but not found and Coutinho was simply great - dictating the play and we circulated the ball well. Very satisfying night all round

on Saturday, there was moment when Lallana and Firmino had the ball on the left...Can made a good run on the outside, only for the two to ignore him. Seemed a moment to say that they don't trust him for all the reasons stated above - poor first touch, poor judgment, slow in mind, basically not on the same wavelength as the rest of the team... Emre's a perfectly good squad player if he could accept that role...a bit of a Nigel Spackman to Ginnie's Whelan.

1st half of the season would be 86 points, which would win the league in about 15 of the last 20, so perspective needed. Chelsea cannot sustain what they are doing so we just need to stay close enough (5-6 points), before the game at Anfield (and obviously win that, which we will). The way we play and the lack of squad depth meant today's dropped points was a possibility - Jurgen admitted as much.

lots of chickens came home to roost today: - you spend £5m on a 2nd rate keeper who doesn't look good enough to be our back -up - you play a wide midfielder as a left back who hasn't got natural defensive instincts and left us exposed in the 2nd half (if Moreno did that) - you sign a 2nd rate centre half for £5m, so end up playing a slowing Lucas as 1st back up - you keep faith with Lovren, who has a goal scoring mistake in him every game - you don't sign a proper defensive midfielder so you get the calamity of their 2nd goal with Henderson falling over and the inability to close matches out - all the above means we still have a ridiculously soft centre - as with 13-14, most of the time we will get away with it, but we will never win the league with this.

Suarez can fuck off - wanted to leave for Arsenal in the summer before he did eventually fuck off. Give me Firmino any day - like Suarez he can play as a number 7 or number 9 and has all Luis qualities - great movement, creates space for others, finesse, work rate, and a goal every other game. Hate this revisionism towards the likes of Mascherno, Torres, Suarez - rats who wanted to leave a sinking ship after 3.5 years. Give me someone who loves the Club like Alonso any day (and of course Bobby).

bit of a big statement but think Firmino is in the same league as Suarez and Kenny - a simply sublime player with work ethic to match. Like the other two, he's the conduit that makes this team great. One of the best players in the red shirt I've seen in 40 years.

a fucking great win - out of many a frustrating night in the Arthur Waite Stand, that was the best. All their cliché songs sang by a bunch of teds in the corner was repelled with classics the team were great to a man....even Lovren made amends and Moreno tightened in the 2nd half (maybe he's finally been coached).. definitely the best team since 87 and we should sit back and enjoy

There's not much difference between Sturridge's behaviour on Saturday and Balotelli a few seasons back - trying to grab a pen for personal glory, being totally out of sync with the team spirit otherwise displayed in the match. Sturridge is an outlier in this team and even when he first arrived, there was an egotistical tension with Suarez on his side. He's never a Liverpool player in a million years and we should fuck him off next summer. As with those other teen sensations - Fowler, Owen, Torrey, Rooney - he will be finished at 28 at the top level anyway.

Great article. There's always been clubs richer than others - Sunderland in the 50s, Everton in the 60s because of the Moores family, Southampton in the early 80s which allowed them to make exotic signings, Blackburn in the 90s, Chelsea in the 00s etc. From an old grump like me, I love modern football. Watch most away Lfc games on TV and other big matches, nostalgic football programmes on Sky etc, that smell of the turf at an October night game, the League Cup, George, the old songs at away games, being able to afford to watch your Club in Europe, great foreign managers and players who understand and love our Club, the Bovril still served in the Kemmy etc. If you don't like it anymore, fine, give up your ticket to someone who does, and enjoy your Saturday afternoons on the golf course.

Agree that he looks absolute class - a real Liverpool player. Looks a bit off our tempo for now but his use of the ball, creating space for the man on the ball, and closing a player has all the hallmarks. I remember when Razor (not that waste of space cockney fat bastard) played for us for Oxford a week before he signed - looked very average but did one thing - a perfectly weighted chipped cross from the right - which made you know he was a Liverpool player. Same with Georgie.

£40m net each season. Not great, but not bad. My point is they would have probably backed Jurgen had he been able to obtain what he wanted this summer, instead of having to wait until next. Paisley converted Ray Kennedy from decent forward to left midfield to allow him more space on the ball and take advantage of his runs into the box. Jurgen probably worked out that , in the modern game when each team crowds the middle of the pitch, the full back positions have most time and space on the ball, so why not put one of your most clever, effective and hard working players out there. In Jurgen we trust! - sound familiar ;)