12 Jan 2017 09:55:13
From what I seen last night, Can need to quicken his speed of thought and pass. He takes to many touches when they are not needed. Millie at left back has been great this season but again pace down the left and then getting into the final third play is slow/ stopped as he needs to cut back onto his right foot.

All round we looked like it was a training game, lack of pace in passing running etc. Could it be with the high intensity the team are starting to feel it abit? I don't Sunday.

I have full confidence that we will bounce back beat Man u and thump Southampton to reach the final.

1.) 12 Jan 2017
12 Jan 2017 10:56:47
I agree about Can and Milner; they were the most guilty of slowing us down. Milner- not the quickest anyway- continually cut back on his right foot and held the play up.
Can is just too slow and is touch was poor last night, as well. He runs about like a headless chicken at times when he's be better just holding his position.
He tries to look the part but too often it's a waste of energy and touches on the ball.
I thought Lucas did ok and is a better option in midfield than Can. Lucas is steady if unspectacular.
And I'd like to see Firmino play back through the middle and he think he could well do against United. I reckon it'll be a similar set up to the City game.

2.) 12 Jan 2017
12 Jan 2017 11:18:29
Massively agree; we are compromising our system for Can and he is not worth it, on recent form.
He can't play the Hendo role, as shown at Sunderland. He was dreadful there and we couldn't win.
He was distinctly average against Plymouth, where he should have completely dominated the play and proved his worth against massively inferior opponents (no disrespect intended) .
Last night, him playing meant Lallana was out of position, as well as Firmino, and all 3 were really poor as a result.
Also, Can and Lucas cannot play together. Both are too slow in possession.
I actually like Lucas, even in midfield, but Can is a huge problem right now.
We changed the system against Man City, with him in, and it worked. However, this should be the exception, as opposed to the rule.
He is far too slow on the ball, giving away possession with sloppy passes constantly, his control has been awful in the last 3 or 4 games and he has pretty much no positional awareness or discipline whatsoever.
Although Wijnaldum wasn't great either, I was truly baffled that he was substituted before Emre last night.

I do genuinely believe Can has got some good traits and can be a valuable player for us, but not in the same formation, next to Lucas or just on current form alone.
He needs time out to improve his game and vision, or Klopp needs to change the formation to suit him (4-2-3-1 possibly, next to Stewart in Hendo's absence)?

Gutted to see Lallana so isolated and uninvolved, when he could have played instead of Can and had a much more significant impact.

3.) 12 Jan 2017
12 Jan 2017 11:31:36
MIlner is a solid defender but then this system demands offensive full backs. It's the same applies on the other side with Clyne. If your full backs offer nothing up front then you cut it to the middle which makes it easier for opposition to defend against.

4.) 12 Jan 2017
12 Jan 2017 11:39:34
Agree totally with all the points made about Can, he needs time to learn his role a lot better than he has done and should never have been a first team regular. That was just testament to how average our midfield had become with him being our best midfielder last season (largely due to hendo being injured and off form as a result) . This is not to say he hasn't shown signs of a good midfielder but he just isn't consistent enough to be a first team player. He does well against certain opposition but against most opposition this season he's looked like a poorer version of Henderson. We need a different type of midfielder, a more clever and well rounded one, especially with the inevitable departure of Lucas. It's all well and true saying he needs to be given time and he will get it right, but he can do that as a squad player without us suffering for it. We needed a top quality midfielder in the summer and right now it is showing, preferably one starting alongside hendo and lallana/ wiji. Someone who can play box to box, adds something defensively and can play the holding role but also adds quality to the attack, it will cost but it's the difference between a title and scrapping for top 4 at this point in time.

In terms of Milner, I think he will always have the odd game where he will be targeted, as it's not his natural position, but he's head and shoulders our best option and has been consistent enough. I don't see LB as a glaring weakness anymore and that's due to how well he's done there. I do think we will look at it in the summer though.

5.) 12 Jan 2017
12 Jan 2017 12:34:38
Little worried about Milners pace against Rashford on the weekend, i fell that this may be something they might target. Although i have full confidence in this side to get the job done on sunday.

6.) 12 Jan 2017
12 Jan 2017 14:08:46
Milner dealt with Sterling pretty well one certain one on one situations BUT mainly due to Klopp`s great tactics for that game, in never leaving our fullbacks isolated cos they always had help from the wide players or the midfielder in that zone of the pitch. If we can do that on Sun, we`ll be fine