06 Feb 2017 20:27:57
Ed01

If your about. Would love to get your opinion on why our form has dipped in the last month?

Pundits blirt on about managers and teams working out how to play against us.

Others talk about our lack of strength in depth and I have even heard the "Klopps" team can play only one way with no plan B if it isn't working.

Would love to hear your thoughts on this and what you anticipate from us in the coming months of the season if you have time?

Thanks in advance

Jon.

{Ed001's Note - the main issue is complacency, which always creeps in to our players the minute we get on top. We have recruited badly for years, players with no desire, drive or hunger, except for one notable exception, and look at where he got us! We have had numerous chances to buy players or bring through ones with that hunger and failed. One of the reasons Flanno was so successful is that he possessed that drive which we need. There was no slacking off because it is 'only Hull' from him. Sadly this is something that is going to take a lot to change.

The worrying thing is that at least two of the players we recruited in the summer also suffer from the same issues, or have in the past. Mane was known to only show up for the big games and had a tendency to coast through the games against the lesser lights. Wijnaldum has a similar reputation as well, though, at Newcastle, that was the same throughout the team, who were well known for only trying when they were the live TV game!

The rest of the season is worrying, confidence is shot, while those around us are getting themselves together and into good form. Klopp needs to reignite the fire in the bellies we had early doors, when we were at it and the movement up top was good. I fear our season will peter out now into a battle for a Europa League spot, but I hope Klopp will be able to lift the players and get them going again.

I am not worried about other teams working us out, etc, that is not what has happened, as they have not had to. If there is good movement up top, then we will beat teams, but we lack that right now. One thing we do have to sort, and quickly, is set pieces. How can we not have one player who can put in a decent delivery on a consistent basis? How can we be so appallingly bad at defending them on a consistent basis?}


1.) 06 Feb 2017
06 Feb 2017 21:13:43
I truly believe that the lads are an honest bunch. I think we are in a bad way but Klopp will turn it around. We will push for 3rd IMO. It's nice to win every week but football isn't like that. Look at that championship winning Chelsea side last season, look at Leicester this year, when things go bad these runs can happen.

We are one good win from being back on track. I have absolutely no doubt. If spurs think they are in for an easy ride next Saturday then they will be sorely mistaken.


2.) 06 Feb 2017
06 Feb 2017 21:30:53
ed001 - lately klopp has made comments that basically suggest he doesn't think our current players are good enough to do what he needs consistently. I'm talking about his comments about wanting and needing to bring players in and also his comments post-wolves that basically gave away that the players he put out weren't what he thought they were. (sorry to not be specific on his quotes, but hopefully you remember his post match comments and the gist. )

anyways, my current wonder-out-aloud is whether the players have caught wind of this and are perhaps demotivated by it? I'm not talking locker room unrest or that kind of thing. But I imagine if I were any of those players and had given so much into preseason and running every game, then hear talk from my manager that he actually wants better players etc that would deflate me somewhat, wouldn't you?

you hear what I'm saying ed? or caught any whiff of that kind of talk from the players?

{Ed001's Note - personally I would say that, if you are right, it just proves his point, because players with the right attitude would try harder to prove him wrong. Remember when Rodgers tried to push Hendo out the door? He just worked harder and fought for his place. That is the kind of players we need.

I do think you maybe right though, to be honest, I do think a lot have just got an 'I can't be arsed' attitude now.}


3.) 06 Feb 2017
06 Feb 2017 21:58:57
We must take the worst corners in the league, in fact possibly the entire history of the top flight. It's not just this season either.


4.) 06 Feb 2017
06 Feb 2017 22:31:25
For me, our lack of a set piece specialist is also the root cause of how bad we are at defending set pieces.

How are our lads at the back supposed to train to defend decent corners if they aren't training with anyone good at taking them?

Milner and Henderson hit the hall way to flat to cause any danger. Coutinho can hit the odd decent corner in, but he is erratic at best.

We need a set piece specialist who can also seemlessly fit into the side.


5.) 07 Feb 2017
06 Feb 2017 22:36:40
yeah I fully agree ed. I think that you learn a lot about people in how they respond to adversity. we all need a shoulder every now and then, but i think that Klopp has given a lot of warmth and love to his players aye? interesting to see how the players respond for the rest of the season. everything is still within in our control and it can stay that way if we get stuck in. maybe a good thing that we have games against our main rivals coming up aye!?

{Ed001's Note - hopefully, as the players always seem to be up for the bigger games.}


6.) 07 Feb 2017
06 Feb 2017 23:36:58
Think your all just way off.

The team was sound for the first 18 games.

Lost a few players here and there.

The main problem is what was faces by brendan. teams are just parking the bus trully now and drawing us on and on until were vunerable and attacking.

This was the whole reason benteke was bought because it becomes incredibly tedious to move and create great opportunities when teams are players 6-3-1

He needs to find a different solution but its got nout to do with the players attitudes in my opinion.


7.) 07 Feb 2017
07 Feb 2017 02:45:11
you know supermane, you're probably right! I think Klopp is finding out a lot about his players in this case. If they kept stats for the number of 1-2s a team plays per game, I am 100% certain we would be at the bottom of that stat worldwide including amateur leagues lol!

These guys can play, but they don't show it consistently enough! why? Klopp and the team will figure that out soon I hope! Klopp has said on more than one occassion that our guys need to move the ball quicker, be brave in possession against these kinds of teams etc. the challenge is breaking down whatever mental block it is that is rotting away at our mentality!


8.) 07 Feb 2017
07 Feb 2017 08:38:52
Its all about attitude supermane, you can't tell me man for man hull or Bournemouth or swansea have better players than us. No! Yes!

Forget formations and players missing etc, there is enough quality just about to be beating these teams. The problem is these players have no real affinity to the club or fans, just to their bank balances and their twitter followers. Just like the europa final or the humiliating stoke debacle this group yet again has collectively given up and its sickening. Sickening for those fans that sacrifice other things in their life to be able to afford to go watch them week in and week out.

Yes its just a game, but how much value do you put on a fans love for the club they support only to see its employees half assed efforts and them only turning up when it suits them against the big boys.


9.) 07 Feb 2017
07 Feb 2017 11:10:50
I think there are a few issues:

1. The movement up front, this has practically disappeared, there is virtually no interchange between the front three.

2. Coutinho's injury, really hurt our team losing his threat, and now he is going through his obligatory 6-7 rusty games that he usually suffers when coming back from an injury.

3. Lallana and Firmino's lack of form, this for me has probably been the biggest factor in our recent bad patch, Lallana being moved back into a position he struggled with last season has destroyed his confidence and he has gone back to having no effect on the game, and Firmino just looks completely jaded and uninterested (didn't even attempt to challenge Luiz all match) . A clear indication of their lack of form is their lack of pressing, these two are not putting in the levels they were showing 2 months ago.

4. Losing Mane, undoubtedly hurt us as his pace scares teams, but in all honesty there were signs that things were beginning to go wrong before he left for the AFCON.

5. Teams sitting deep, this is a definite tactic teams are now deploying against us and we simply do not know what to do to counter it.

6. Dodgy defence, I think a big reason for the increase in the amount of side to side passes we've recently seen is that our players are petrified of losing possession and the other team just going down the other end of the pitch and scoring every time. Just look at the 2nd Hull goal and the penalty Chelsea had, they are identical situations, and both times we defended like rank amateurs.

7. Substitutes not having any impact, I think there is quite a bit of disillusion amongst our bench, Sturridge is just going through the motions, he knows he's gone in the Summer (big games against Utd, City and chelsea and he doesn't even come off the bench is a clear indication that Klopp doesn't think he can do anything for us) ; Origi looks completely bereft of confidence, I don't think being moved left, right, central of the front 3 has done him any favours, he's a CF and nothing else. Moreno, well we all know he's rubbish, (and what's all this cutting back onto his right foot all of a sudden, he doesn't have a bloody right foot! ) .

8. Support from the crowd, this is a double edged sword as the crowd tend to respond to how the team are playing, but there can be no doubt that groaning and slagging players off at the ground when the make a mistake or a misplaced pass will have a negative impact on them.

9. Stubbornness from Klopp, Klopp needs to change or tweak things with the formation and tactics, he is waiting too long to make substitutions and giving the subs virtually no time to get into the game.

10. Selection decisions, Klopp is doing a bit of a Rafa and is playing defensive or holding midfielders (or disrupters, call them what you like) type players when there is absolutely no need and it is actually having a negative effect. You do not need Emre Can on in games against the likes of Hull and Swansea, these are teams who are going to sit back, soak up pressure and launch the ball forward as soon as they can completely bypassing the midfield.

Just my thoughts anyway.


10.) 07 Feb 2017
07 Feb 2017 10:54:27
Our attitude vs lesser teams have become disgraceful. If you watch the Wolves game, our players looked like they were having a kick about and only Woodburn, a 17 yr old kid, looked like he cared.

Flanno at his best, gave the opposition the business (ask Sterling), always letting them know what they were dealing with. non of that drive exists anymore. It was there in the first half of the season but no longer. Same with Hull in the first half. We just went through the motions, passed to Couts and see what happens. Swansea was the same. We only played after we were two down.

Adding to the fact that some players have shown they can no longer cut it at LFC, Studge being the main culprit. Migs and Can have been poor as Migs has shown he is NO upgrade on Karius (shocking, I know) n Can is still not learning while Origi is having a wretched season, overall. We don't get stuck in hence, lesser teams don't have to do much to beat us.


11.) 07 Feb 2017
07 Feb 2017 13:23:40
God because you lose dwsnt mean the pkayers only care about there bank balance. Sick of hearing that.

The okayers care as with there performances for the first half of the season. Noone is currebtly walking about it just the difficulty has gone from pro to oegendary and maybe just maybe the quality isn't there for this.

Are these players as good as we all thought?

They all work hard yes.


12.) 07 Feb 2017
07 Feb 2017 16:36:50
Noah - That's not fair, it wasn't working for Ejiara but he was trying as well.


13.) 07 Feb 2017
07 Feb 2017 17:30:44
Hijkle, I will never criticize a young player or a teenager. I was referring to the so called "old heads" around him.