an tha

Klopp has had 3 years now to improve our forward options and still after all that time the clearly never going to be good enough Origi and the totally broken down and finished Sturridge are sitting on our bench as our only back up. Klopp has done a lot of good in his time with us, a hell of a lot but this clusterfuck with the forwards is a joke. I know it is hard when playing a front 3 to attract top quality back up and expect it to sit on bench week in week out behind 3 players but by now we should have better options than Origi and Sturridge - especially given the demands of fighting in 4 comps which is what we should be doing.

Trip to dubai looks like has brought an illness to camp. Klopp: It’s very important. We had a difficult situation. It’s a long season. In general, we lost one game in the whole season, so the team are doing well. We have a tough situation in the moment. I don’t know where the injuries or illnesses are coming from. Millie was ill and maybe is still ill, I’m not sure; Virg had three or four days where he was out and lost four kilos. Obviously that doesn’t help. I don’t moan about that, it is just a fact. It is not an excuse or nothing. I said we could have played better tonight, 100 per cent, but it’s the situation and it’s not perfect. We lost two players and Millie came back because he didn’t train yesterday. He came by himself to London because it was infectious. That is all not perfect, of course. For me, it explains parts of the game, but we don’t look for these things. As I said, the preparation for the game was far away from being perfect and we still got a point. That’s it.

He was really poor tonight...constantly looking to play casual flicks and them not coming off. One of his attempted flicks started the situation that led to the free kick they scored from. He was shocking tonight.

There was a moment near end tonight where ball fell to him about 20 yards or so out - for a split second it looked like a chance to smash one on goal....he ended up not only not hitting it but actually losing it and giving a foul away whilst doing so. Sums him up. Bitterly disappointing.

First time in ages we kick off in 2nd place - be interesting to see how we react to that. We haven't reacted well to chances to extend lead in last two games so maybe the change of roles might help.

Just thinking about all this.... 3 pts ahead - level games...all to play for. Should feel good, eh? Next set of scheduled games we play a team you'd expect to beat City play a tough team in Chelsea...hmmm interesting... But from nowhere a game is brought forward (that never usually happens) for our rivals. Not just any game though, oh no. Everton. Bitters will lay down, lube up and take it up the shitter. It is just so fucking typical of us that the scenario is there in first place..literally never known it before and of course to top it off it had to be them to make it a totally foregone conclusion that City will win and go top. If it was even West Ham away for example you'd think well maybe they'd get a point but the fucking bitters!!... And then to top it off our catch up game is Man Utd away - who writes our scripts eh...we must be cursed.

Difference between us and City is this.... We get handed initiative and tense up/look scared. They as proven winners will have bit beteeen teeth and on Weds will look to ruthlessly convert the chance they have been given. We have had two chances in space of a week to apply pressure and not just failed to do so but have looked burdened by the situation.

Cole is speaking as someone who is a proven winner...

Just feeds the whole media narrative about us suffering under pressure even more this. So bastard frustrating 4 pts in a week dropped and dropped to teams in awful form and dropped in games where there was pressure on us following others playing. It is just so so so fucking frustrating and feels sadly so fucking familiar. At best now we probably go to old toilet on 24th needing a result to be top.

It could literally only happen to us.....last weds a chance to go 7 pts clear....this weds end up 2nd. Literally probably never happened before to any side.

Cowards. Fucking cowards. And that chance at end sums up the nerves, the lack of composure and bottle that can be seen throughout the team. Shit themselves yet again. We won't see anything of note from them until they fall off pace. Awful, just awful. And to compound it City have been handed a nice little piss easy brougbt forward game to go top and just increase pressure on a team of bottlers.

Still got 15 mins of them launching it at Carroll to come yet...

Klopp has a job on his hands here at half time. Same stage fright that bit into players on weds is showing again. How does a manager deal with that though - you can give players all the tactical help in world but you can't give them bollocks and brains.

Might be an idea to stop giving them away so needlessly and cheaply

I think two match threads is the way forward....

Great. Good to see such a strong bench too...loads of experience, quality and cover across all areas.

Our bench is fucking terrible and Lallana is starting in the other thread......any better in this one?

To be fair Lallana aside we are so far down to bare bones there is nothing else could really do. Our squad depth is poor anyway but when you have half a dozen players out across defence and midfield with not much depth then you are in trouble and you end up with that line up and that bench.

So injury list: TAA Gomez Lovren Henderson Wijnaldum AOC Ouch.

Has a side chasing the title ever had a weaker bench than that....and i include the days when it was 1 player!!

See you in March, Dejan and Jordan. Fabinho, Adam Lallana and James Milner come into the Reds starting XI at London Stadium. Xherdan Shaqiri drops down to the bench in the capital, while Jordan Henderson and Dejan Lovren are ruled out due to slight muscle issues, and Georginio Wijnaldum is absent because of a sore knee. Liverpool: Alisson, Milner, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Keita, Lallana, Mane, Salah, Firmino.

Is that little shithouse Hernandez still playing for these?

M and M Direct > Sports Direct

What they would like about that game most is that it led to Palace getting the final and losing to the mancs and that trophy win arguably saving Ferguson.... We all know what happened in next few years and after

Gonna use this thread to slate the paucity of options from the bench and the other to slag Henderson.