17 Aug 2016 11:43:27
Morning Eds and Reds. Having had a bit of time to calm down after the Arsenal game I just wanted to pass on some of my thoughts and see what abuse/ comments I could get back.

Firstly what an adrenalin emotional roller coaster ride of a game with the right result. Some fantastic goals and attacking football with some of the same old defensive frailties.

My question is this, over the last couple of seasons we have seen Liverpool turn on the style and produce electric performances against the likes of Ars, City, Chelski, Spurs and Barca. It's the teams that turn up with two banks of defenders that we struggle against. Do you think we can turn these games around and get a result against them?

We had the preseason game against Chelsea who played that way against us and again we seemed to struggle. Or do you think with the extra movement of the likes of Mane and Couts will make the difference?

1.) 17 Aug 2016
17 Aug 2016 12:02:06
Completely agree we are able to produce against the big teams but can't do it against smaller once in the other half of table our players just don't look bothered. To me that has been an issue for 20 years now we always try in big games and if we did even half of that in other ones we would win, their needs to be a change of mentality.

2.) 17 Aug 2016
17 Aug 2016 12:02:49
Klopp not fixing those deadball situations we conceding since rogers years.

3.) 17 Aug 2016
17 Aug 2016 12:13:16
Nothing to do with big names of big clubs. Teams who come and play their natural game ( City and Arsenal ), Liverpool play beautiful football. Mainly because we gets space to play behind and run through, teams who sit back and maintain a shape we struggle. Largely because we have no cou to pick those small pockets behind. Not we are good in the air to nick one in from corners of Set pieces. Instead we commit everyone forward ( especially our midfield ) and leave acres of space left wide open for players like hazard to run at us.

I saw Chelsea and UTD play. Both will cause us trouble. Chelsea maintain excellent shape ( just fantastic off the ball ) while we know how jose operates.

We play narrow and excels in small instructive passing and not very direct or hoofing the balls. Mane will be the key difference to unlock such teams.

4.) 17 Aug 2016
17 Aug 2016 12:35:08
Agree it's been an issue for a while but I also feel our Creative spark has been very reliant on Coutinho in the past whereas vs. we now have Firmino, Mane and more goals from midfield in Wijnaldum.

Also we've historically lacked decent width, with limited quality deliveries from out wide and limited height amongst the forwards, hopefully Origi upfront and Clyne, Mane, Milner at LB we can improve our odds.

Finally we finally a bit more height from Can, Hendo, Grujic, Matip etc. on set pieces and I think we shouldn't underestimate the importance of height improving our odds against certain sides who previous could sit deep and invite crosses into the box with confidence.

In short, I think we have far more avenues in Attack now vs history and while never easy to break down a stubborn and well drilled Defence, we should do far better this season.

5.) 17 Aug 2016
17 Aug 2016 12:39:02
I agree with most of that Harry but not sure how you think man utd look like they would give us problems. They looked awful for most of the game and one of the most unfortunate pieces of defending basically gifted them the game.

6.) 17 Aug 2016
17 Aug 2016 15:22:03
The OP is spot on. Smaller teams come to Anfield and park two buses and that will be dificault for any team. We have to find a way to break them down without sending men forward recklessly, leaving gaps behind for counter attacks. We should also be better at attacking set pieces however, that will only happen if the delivery is spot on which for the last two seasons, have been rubbish as that is another way to break teams down. Players like Lovren, Matip and maybe Can and Grujic can be lethal from dead balls but we really have to work on punishing teams with them as well as defending against them which we have been struggling to do for a few years as well.