1.) 16 Aug 2017
16 Aug 2017 06:49:57
Thanks ed 001. great technical review of the game and a great player analysis.
love it when you said when I can see it why can't Buvac! I so very concur with the sentiment.
And i think in general that is the problem with the entire coaching bandwagon at liverpool. they are somehow missing the obvious.
Just to add Hoffenheim pumped in long balls ( diagnals straight up) since minute one, the same longish ball in the 87th minute undid us. How can you not feel it how can you not see it and how can you not stop it is just unbelievable. what is the one think that can undo high press very easily? playing long balls! everybody knows that, hell kiddie footballers know that, but some how LFC does not. It pains me to see how arrogant klopp is when it comes to his so called style of play. he is always treating defense as secondary and something that will just get sorted out by itself.
Of late the team selection has been appalling too. he could have rested hendo and started grujic, he could have given solanke more time as soon as we went 2-0 up.

{Ed001's Note - actually the coaching staff are working hard on trying to drill the defence, it is just not sinking in.}

2.) 16 Aug 2017
16 Aug 2017 07:00:36
oh really ed001, thank god mate, i hope they force it to sink in.
on the other hand if the coaching staff is trying hard and its not working, do you think the problem is actually with the players? maybe an inability to learn?

{Ed001's Note - there is certainly a problem with the players, the centre backs are not good enough and Klopp does want to replace both, despite what he says publicly. Lovren is seen as too rash and Matip was only intended as a stop gap.}

3.) 16 Aug 2017
16 Aug 2017 07:08:55
Wow, that is so good to hear. i am of the smaller folks who take every word a manager says to their heart! :) . thank you for that info. now i feel great. even if we don't sign no one at least the sentiment is there. Klopp must be very frustrated on the VVD saga that he messed up himself.

{Ed001's Note - never take a manager's word to heart, they have to say what is best for the team, rather than the truth. Klopp is Klopp, I am not sure he does frustration as he tends to let all his feelings out there and then, rather than bottling them up and letting them bother him.}

4.) 16 Aug 2017
16 Aug 2017 07:20:44
Thanks ed001 for your time,
if we can sort out our defense we can genuinely challenge for the league with or without Phillipe.
I pray Klopp manifests his frustration rightly,
As things stand it could go horribly wrong for him and the club if all the negativity seeps in.

{Ed001's Note - agreed, the defence is holding us back, but the midfield needs to do more to help it.}

5.) 16 Aug 2017
16 Aug 2017 07:24:41
Excellent reply ed1, great insight.

{Ed001's Note - cheers Fw.}

6.) 16 Aug 2017
16 Aug 2017 07:31:17
I would love 2 new centre backs, really love a left footed one to. are there any good left footed cb out there ed001 that we have looked at or any you would like us to sign?

{Ed001's Note - no mate, we did look at a few but I have not seen enough of any of them to judge them.}

7.) 16 Aug 2017
16 Aug 2017 07:34:50
on the midfield note, do you think we are too identical in the midfield? i think gini, can and hendo are all the same player. Emre may be more physical as you have suggested, but essentially they all do the same thing. i think we should try firmino in attack midfield have two of hendo can or gini back him up with clear roles like one helps the defense the other links the attack.
right now all three are just clocking miles without effecting the game at all.

{Ed001's Note - yes mate, they are all trying to do the same thing and it is not helping matters. Hendo fully fit and playing well would be first choice, but right now Can should be the only one of them starting for definite.}

8.) 16 Aug 2017
16 Aug 2017 07:38:49
Do you not think we would be better ed with a proper holding midfielder in there to stop these huge gaps opening?

{Ed001's Note - it shouldn't be needed, but with the lack of initiative shown by our players, yes we would be better with one. Can can play that role very well, but then you lose that surge he can bring when he gets on the ball and just powers at opponents.}

9.) 16 Aug 2017
16 Aug 2017 07:43:30
That is concerning that the defenders just aren't getting what the coach's are trying to drum into then.

10.) 16 Aug 2017
16 Aug 2017 07:48:53
ed001 what's your take on Ben Gibson would he be a waste of money for what they are looking for him or would he be an improvement on what we have?

{Ed001's Note - at times he looked a good defender, but he was given a lot of dross to play alongside last season so it is difficult to judge him. I think he can step up from Boro yes.}

11.) 16 Aug 2017
16 Aug 2017 07:49:26
Agree on individual defenders, but surely it's the way they are set up also? On free kicks the defensive line seems quite high. They should have scored with a free header toward the end but put it over the bar. The zonal set up on corners is also hard to understand. Not the actual principle of zonal but who zones where. Watford's first came from Lovren not going with the man but also the closest player to the header was firmino, bang in the middle of the 6 yard box. Even if they should be attacking the ball in their zone, Firmino should be around the box picking up scraps not smack bang n the danger zone?

{Ed001's Note - but you have to ask, is that the set up or the players not setting up as they should? I do agree on last night the free kicks, but that was a deliberate ploy. Not one I would have used, but it seemed to work as they did not score from a free kick.}

12.) 16 Aug 2017
16 Aug 2017 07:53:16
Great so our best mid fielder out of can hendo and wini could prop leave in this window 😩😩please sort out he contract!

13.) 16 Aug 2017
16 Aug 2017 07:53:41
well since ed001 has called it now, donot be surprised if klopp implements it and drops two of them and we start rolling over opponents.
there is only one way upwards from here. let's just support the club like only we can.

{Ed001's Note - if only the club did ever listen to me!}

14.) 16 Aug 2017
16 Aug 2017 08:01:12
A good write up Es01. I just want to know from you on Salah. I had raised a few questions before we signed hmm. For me he is all about pace and that's the only way he beats the man or gets the better out of his marker. Mane used his skill to get past his marker while Coutinho fools the defenders and Just walk past them.
Mane works well if you are playing a good counter, All you need is to someone put the ball in that vast space left by the opposition and he will chase down Andy beat his man.
He hardly brings anything else. Off the ball he doesn't track back enough and is not helping his full back in TAA.
He has no right foot either. Most of his goals at Roma came form counter attacking football and Liverpool dominate the possession.
I can understand why Klopp wanted Brandt over any other winger. I hope I am proved wrong but his first touch is crap as well. But his pace helps him it over come the touch.

What's your thought Ed01

Thanks for posting mate.

{Ed001's Note - he tracked back a lot, that is unfair to criticise him, if he had tracked back more we would have had none of the opportunities to counter. If anything, we want him to not track back!

I can only remember one instance of his first touch being 'crap', that was when he went clean through and didn't get his first touch right. That happens when you are sprinting through though.

My problem with having him is that it means Mane has to play on the left and we now have the inverted wingers up top, which I personally hate. Not only does it condense space in the middle of the park, but it also means you are reliant on full backs for all the width. What is the point in having skilful wingers when they are not in a position to use the skill?}

15.) 16 Aug 2017
16 Aug 2017 08:12:48
Excellent report ed what would this current team give for a Hansen carragher or hyypia or all three with grobbs in goal we would be such a good side eh such a shame we are so close to being that
Up the pool.

{Ed001's Note - just having Hansen alone would be better than Matip and Lovren together! Now he was a defender, the best we have ever had.}

16.) 16 Aug 2017
16 Aug 2017 08:17:19
Very good read Ed 001, you possess a better knowledge of the game than I thought 😏 Only joking. Great to read he wants 2 new centre back, the sooner the better in my eyes. Actually we need 3 as out of the 4 I'd only keep JG. I think at the moment personally Lallana being injured shows how important he is to our team, him in midfield with Can and one other would make a huge difference.

{Ed001's Note - to be fair to Klavan, while I am not a fan, as 4th choice centre backs go he is not so bad.}

17.) 16 Aug 2017
16 Aug 2017 08:18:31
Ed001, could you ask the other eds to come together and pressure the club into listening to you! ? :)
Tell me if you need a banner flown uptop anfield telling klopp to listen to you, i happen to know a few pilots :) )

{Ed001's Note - I don't think the club would take any notice, not these days. There are too many people who have all sorts of qualifications that makes them feel superior to those who haven't got them.}

18.) 16 Aug 2017
16 Aug 2017 08:18:33
Great write up, but I feel Gini has had a shocker these first two games.

19.) 16 Aug 2017
16 Aug 2017 08:30:15
Some great points there Ed01 and as insightful as always. You say Klopp wants 2 replace both centre backs but all summer it looks like we have only been after the 1 in VVD. Have we been secretly courting others behind the scenes and If so any idea why we haven't bought any.

{Ed001's Note - he wants to replace both, but he is not going to do that in one window. The idea was to bring in a left sided one (VVD) to play alongside Matip this summer. Gomez would then get another season to develop in the hope he might be an option to be the right sided one next season. If not, then one would be bought.}

20.) 16 Aug 2017
16 Aug 2017 08:30:50
Fair point Ed01.
I don't have much issues if our wingers cut inside as long as we have full backs as an option for them to pass it. Moreno did that a couple of times as he anticipates Mane very well ( the only reason he gets picked in the team ) for
All the running he makes his crossing is poor. He need to look up and pass it to the one in and around 6 yard box rather than just blindly crossing it for the sake of it.

Disagree on Salah. His first touch is poor, I guess you ll notice it going further. Watched him plenty at Roma but his extra pace helps him to cover up that.

Tracking back and helping his full back I am sure he will learn as the season progress but I have doubts on the overall ability of the player.

He often tried to beat his man by pace and he was unsuccessful at least three times yesterday. On the other hand Mane just stop the ball and fool his marker juts like that!

Coutinho is vital for Salah as his first time ball to reach out Salah is the key for him to explore his pace and use it for good. If our midfield doesn't pick Salah quickly then Pace is no help.

Salah' success will depend on Coutinho!

{Ed001's Note - Mane was up against a defender we knew going into the game struggled against pace, it won't always be that way. There will be games where Mane will struggle to beat his man while Salah can get past his. While you judge everything on one game only, you will get more wrong than you get right.

As for watching him at Roma, it really is irrelevant as he is not playing the same role in the same way any more.}

21.) 16 Aug 2017
16 Aug 2017 08:46:24
The issue how I see it is that the midfield is lacking a player than can find gaps and turn around under pressure. Instead we are playing the ball back to the defence and they have to play a long ball to firmino who is to small to win the duels. We lose the ball, and the midfield is too far away to counter press, and it's all a mess. So for the system to work we need Phil or lallana, and that will actually help defensively because when we lose possession we will be in better positions for counter pressing and the team will be more like an unit. Now the gaps are too big and our defenders have to face too many one on one situations.

22.) 16 Aug 2017
16 Aug 2017 08:42:12
Cheers for the reply Ed 01. Totally makes sense that. We now just have to sign that left sided centre half and get Robertson fit and maybe that will plug this defence considerably better than what we have seen so far. Looking forward to seeing Gomez get a few runs at centre half this season also (if not loaned out, if another cb comes in)

{Ed001's Note - let's hope we get something to show for this season, a trophy.}

23.) 16 Aug 2017
16 Aug 2017 08:43:15
Fair points Ed01. Brilliant discussion 😊. May I know if any other editors are writing match preview of their teams? Like Ed025 and Ed04 for Everton and UTD. Would be exciting to see their views as well!

{Ed001's Note - they don't normally, but you could ask them if.}

24.) 16 Aug 2017
16 Aug 2017 09:37:47
Any idea why when in possession Hendo is literally stood in between the centre backs literally 5 metres away picking the ball off them and then when players are running at our centre backs our midfielders are nowhere in sight. It's clearly a tactic in possession as it happens a lot but I for one don't see the benefit. Hendo stood there gives us one less in midfield and he has to spray balls from deep with 11 opposition players stood in front of him. Surely the CB can pass the ball forward out of defence to a midfielder.

25.) 16 Aug 2017
16 Aug 2017 09:26:05
Oh yes, I would love to hear them! Think it could be great having a match review by respective editors of their team every week or unless you do it for other teams as well!

{Ed001's Note - I don't think I have the time but I will mention it to them.}

26.) 16 Aug 2017
16 Aug 2017 09:38:56
Ed 01. Would love a trophy mate. If you had 1 wish what trophy would it be. Would you love another CL win or our first premier league trophy. For me it's all about the league.

{Ed001's Note - Premier League. That is our bread and butter.}

27.) 16 Aug 2017
16 Aug 2017 10:44:44
Jay, that is what Ed is talking about regarding the press. We do not press well anymore as when we press and it does not work, we leave too many gaps behind in midfield and the opposition has a free run at our defence. I have seen this in two games now this season. Can to me should be starting every game at the #6 position right now with either Grujic or Wij next to him until Hendo is fully fit cos last night, he was off the pace and his passes and decision-making was poor. He seemed to be trying to do too much and hence, did nothing.

Also, we lack communication in midfield and defence. In midfield when the press, there is no communication among them to see who drops into space in midfield while the others press. They seem to all press at the same time hence again, leaving our defenders exposed. It's the same thing in defence, we do not communicate which is why panic seems to set in when there is a ball in the box. This is due to a lack of leadership, responsibility and adequate coaching.

28.) 16 Aug 2017
16 Aug 2017 10:48:36
Great read Ed001 mate. What did you make of their players? Is Kerem Demirbey as good as we made him look?

{Ed001's Note - none of their players are outstanding players, they are just used well tactically. It is their manager that is their strength.}

29.) 16 Aug 2017
16 Aug 2017 11:11:52
after to agree with ed001 about Hansen for me the best player we have ever had. and I know Kenny was better and people will say Steve G but Hansen was the only player I know that has be irreplaceable for are team a true rolls Royce of a player never seen a player make the game look so easy in my life time. and we have not won the league since he retired.

30.) 16 Aug 2017
16 Aug 2017 11:20:45
Their manager looks like a teenager😊but seems to be tactically astute, great review Ed, I agree with it but moreno was still making silly lunges and missing the ball and to me it looked at times like can was uninterested.