03 Sep 2017 18:47:23
Be interesting to see if Liverpool have figured out a way to beat teams that stick 10 men behind the ball this season.

1.) 03 Sep 2017
03 Sep 2017 20:08:45
That's they key isn't it, we can beat anyone on our day, especially those teams that try to play against us, our issue is trying to break down those defensive teams, it'll be interesting to see if we can do it this season.

2.) 03 Sep 2017
03 Sep 2017 20:13:06
I think we will do better against those defencively teams this term. All new signings seem to be geared toward breaking down stubborn defences. Be that great crosses from robertson and the Ariel threat of dom solanke to the speed and tight movement of salah and the sheer pace, power and trickery of AOC. It's a shame saints wouldn't flog vvd but at the same time we have pc on board again. Our weakness is in the heart of defence and gk znd if we played like we did under rafa I'd be worried but I'm really not fussed if we concede in every game as long as we score twice. I think we'll average over two goals a game, nearer three and our defence isn't really that bad. Pundits have to be critical and with liverpool there really is only 1/ 2 positions that can be flagged up as slightly weak. Gerrard speaks a lot of sense when he says "I wouldn't want to play them" I honestly fancy us to beat anyone. The better the opposition the better for liverpool as the top teams try to play football with us and that's not recommended.

The big test isn't city or chelsea, it's Burnley and Swansea.

3.) 03 Sep 2017
03 Sep 2017 20:19:01
Fast pressing football doesn't work on teams like that and there didn't seem to be a plan b.

4.) 03 Sep 2017
03 Sep 2017 21:14:16
Completely agree Supered. Said the same the other day. Klopp seems to have addressed our inability to break down the deeper teams. Palace came to spoil the other week and we just wore them down until big Solanke was sent on, he bullied them into a mistake, and Mane profited.

It all looks very positive right now in my opinion!

5.) 03 Sep 2017
03 Sep 2017 21:43:37
I guess we will find out the next time we play United! 😆.

6.) 03 Sep 2017
03 Sep 2017 21:53:45
Salah is the difference.

Salah has the pace to get behind any defence.

7.) 03 Sep 2017
03 Sep 2017 22:04:52
One win against palace isn't proof, we need to win these games consistently, don't forget how angry everyone was after the Watford game.

8.) 03 Sep 2017
03 Sep 2017 22:13:20
What will be more interesting is to see if the bigger teams start playing with 10 behind the ball playing on the counter rather than playing their usual game against us. That's what I would do if I was manager of any team in the prem coming up against us. In an open game we nearly always just blow opponents out the water. Personally I fancy our chances more against Real Madrid than I would Athletico Mardrid.

9.) 03 Sep 2017
03 Sep 2017 22:30:01
Did someone mention ". Pace and trickery of AOC. " lol. Chamberlin reminds me of Sissokho at Spurs. A sprinter who use his upper body and strength to get past players than SKILL! It's laughable how suddenly AOC has become a marvelous player, he got dog abuse here last year lol!

10.) 03 Sep 2017
03 Sep 2017 23:15:57
Irish, that was exactly my thought.

11.) 04 Sep 2017
03 Sep 2017 23:46:29
Very early days but I like the way Solanke played when he came on against Palace. Not the type of player to look for room out on the wings. Stays in the middle and makes little runs between the centre halves or drops a yard to lay a ball off, strong in the air and up against a centre half. Could be a very interesting sub like when he came on against Palace.

12.) 04 Sep 2017
04 Sep 2017 01:23:47
The team last year imroved towards the end of last season in getting the ugly win.
The first leg against Hoffenheim was another example of improvement.

The danger is when we are trying for the win with the 2 full backs up the pitch that the holding midfielder is diciplined enough not to be drawn into the attack.

Can and Hendo both have the instinct to get forward and that leaves tweedle dee and tweedle dum exposed to a counter attack.

13.) 04 Sep 2017
04 Sep 2017 07:58:09
The only way to break these teams down is to be more direct in our play. By moving the ball side to side, to which we were guilty of last season, is far to easy for the opposition to defend against.

We need to give them something to think about and hopefully with the introduction of Salah and indeed Solanke this gives us a different option.

Salah linked extremely well with Couts in pre season ( only preseason I know ) so if klopp can get Couts's head right, for me, that could be the combination.

14.) 04 Sep 2017
04 Sep 2017 08:37:14
What we needed more of, where players who are not afraid to RUN direct at defenders, we really only had Mane who likes a direct run but now we have Salah and AOC (the latter who loves to try long shots too) and next season Keita who also loves to run at players and dribble through.

Running at players makes them panic and ala Suarez (and even Manes goal against Palace) you can get some very lucky ricochets which work perfectly in your favorite to get through and confuse defenders to no ends.

Breaking down defensive teams is all about either a long ball over the top (which we won’t do and doesn't work if they never come forward far enough) or just running directly at them. Deflections and tricky 1-2s with great awareness of where the ball may end up are absolute key.

15.) 04 Sep 2017
04 Sep 2017 09:04:40
Putting the word "Trickery" to describe the Ox is the biggest oxymoron in football as none of it is true. But seriously tho, I think Klopp addressed our issues with parked buses in the TW and even tho we only beat CP 1-0, we really should have been 2 up at half time with the misses from Mane and Matip so the progress is there.

It is consistency that we need on this front and having the likes of Salah and Mane on the flanks will help. Another thing I saw vs CP was how our heads did not drop when things were not going our way. We kept going and going and the break through happened.

His is what cost us last Jan and Feb more than Mane's absence. When things weren't happening, we would just start passing sideways out of frustration. We just need to keep going in these games and we will wear the oppo down cos we have diff options and ways to attack them now.

{Ed025's Note - you do paint a very rosy picture bingo..