23 Jan 2018 21:00:15
I don't know if you guys will agree, but with our rivals actually strengthening their squad for the second part of the season and the race for top 4 still open, the big question will be is our squad strong enough to make it to the finish line?

Yesterday was a bad day definetely but we all have to agree there's a little something missing, I think because of our rivals being active during this transfer window, we will have to buy someone if we want to compete, otherwise we will fall short of a top 4 spot and risk losing more important players with the lack of champions league.

I hope that it won't come to that, I hope that the gaffer will pull something out of nowhere. But for now, the team need to put yesterday's defeat behind them and look forward to Saturday.


1.) 23 Jan 2018
23 Jan 2018 21:58:45
We just spent 75 million on VVD. I think overall we are strong enough to get top 4, not to challenge for the title. We need more reinforcements for that, which I hope we can get in the summer.


2.) 23 Jan 2018
23 Jan 2018 22:29:22
Someone please tell me how Chelsea Or Spurs have strengthened? Even though city will walk the league have they? Arsenal and United have swapped two players.


3.) 23 Jan 2018
23 Jan 2018 23:29:54
I love Klopp, absolutely love him, but, at times it's like we don't really have a plan B, he tinkers personnel, however, we essentially play a 433 and when fit Bobby, Salah and Mane up front, with a hard working pressing midfield.

The problem with playing Can, Wijnaldum and Ox, is that when the opposition attacks, they will run around, chase, harry, make tackles and when the opposition as a team is dispossessed further forward, there is more space for our front three to make runs into and the pass to make is more obvious.

When the opposition sits deeper the space is harder to find and IMO our current midfielders have neither the ability to run at players, the vision to pick a pass to make space for others, or shoot from distance effectively enough and you see a performance like last night where the ball goes from side to side until an inaccurate pass is picked off and the opposition can break.

That is something Coutinho at times did give us. I still think we can make top 4 with our current squad, but, switching to a diamond 442 with maybe Firmino and Salah up front ahead of Lallana, or getting more width in the side (we were very narrow last night), by having Mane right and Salah left instead of inverted forwards always cutting in, with Firmino and Solanke up front.

I don’t know, I’m sure Klopp knows the players better than me, but when teams decide to defend we are at times very predictable, but we do possess the personnel to mix things up a bit, (Lallana and Henderson’s long term injuries aside) .

If he (Klopp), does genuinely not think we have, then either, we need to purchase someone this window regardless of whether it is 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th choice, or whatever, or he needs, to re-evaluate his footballing philosophy a bit, as CL qualification is year by year becoming increasingly (and I don’t necessarily agree with it) important for clubs with high aspirations to achieve both financially and to attract top talent.

On a side note, what the hell is going on with Mane, half the player he was last season, do you think he needs to be kept in the side for his pace and potential for goals like the Man City one and hope he regains some form as the end of the season looms, or does he need some time on the bench?
Sorry for the long post.


4.) 24 Jan 2018
23 Jan 2018 23:33:46
Spurs and Chelsea both have better starting 11’s than us and have better centre backs, goalkeepers and centre midfielders.


5.) 24 Jan 2018
24 Jan 2018 01:18:28
Good post Bruce - I think we have a grafting midfield and a lightning attack and that works against the teams that attack us, but less so against the defensive setups. How many goals have Can, Milner, Gini, Ox scored between them? Not a lot. Clearly that’s an issue, as is the lack of width, and I think you hit it in one.

I would agree against the sides that plan to sit deep and defend we perhaps look to put two strikers in the box(which would also allow Firmino a bit freer role and still have another presence in the 6 yards area) and then look to Mane and Salah to create the width and get in behind.


6.) 24 Jan 2018
24 Jan 2018 07:25:09
We had plenty of moments where we passed our way around swansea. We just need to be patient and have confidence that we can dobthat all game.


7.) 24 Jan 2018
24 Jan 2018 07:31:49
I don't think grafting is the word that springs to mind for Can or Wijnaldum. I think shafting is a better description for a player that gets paid thousands of pounds a week and can only get around to giving their all for a full 90 minutes once every three or four games.


8.) 24 Jan 2018
24 Jan 2018 07:57:52
Only one game, we win the next two or three and all is forgotten.

I do think a good, attack minded signing between now and the 31st would ease some tension though, so here's hoping!

Don't care if we overpay if worth it, it's not my money, all I care about are results on the pitch.

I see Luan of Gremio is being linked again, strange one that, we'll see I guess.


9.) 24 Jan 2018
24 Jan 2018 08:32:14
Let’s face it, we were pretty crap on Monday night yet we still had the chances to take something from that game. Sure, we didn’t have 20 shots and their keeper didn’t play a blinder against us but in another day Salah and Bobby put those chances away. We’re not going to dominate every team and despite being poor we could and maybe should have won it, usually considerd the mark of champions is it not?


10.) 24 Jan 2018
24 Jan 2018 08:56:52
United have strengthen, arsenal have weakened, everyone else at this point in time has remained the same. Arsenal seem likely to bring themselves back up to the same level but that's still very much in the balance. No-one else really looks to be doing anything - even if all the paper talk comes through for Chelsea, their strong central defense will have another body which is hardly great and they'll have a lower quality copy of Morata, hardly a significant difference.


11.) 24 Jan 2018
24 Jan 2018 11:57:51
Yeah spurs and Chelsea are SO much better than us in midfield, defence and keeper. Clearly that’s what they’re 20 points in front of us. oh wait.