07 May 2018 14:08:37
What’s anyone else’s feelings on snapping up Craig Dawson if WBA go down?

He’s a solid no nonsense defender who gets his head on everything in both penalty areas, who can also cover at right back. He’s used to playing on a back three and seems to be a better option to see out games than bringing Klavan on.

He wouldn’t cost the earth and would probably be happy to get games on rotation. I know he’s not fantastic on the ball but some situations require an out and out defender.

{Ed001's Note - the answer to seeing out games would be to keep the ball better, not bring on another donkey to give it back to the opposition.}

1.) 07 May 2018
07 May 2018 14:33:21
If only we would keep the ball better when trying to see out games. It’s something we seem incapable of doing. At least Dawson would improve on the comical defending when our midfielders run out of legs on 80 minutes.

Liverpool could swarm all over Madrid and go 3 up but we still wouldn’t be safe once we get to those last 10 minutes.

{Ed001's Note - he really wouldn't. Klavan would look just as good playing in the West Brom team as Dawson. It is nothing to do with quality of the player and everything to do with system and set up.}

2.) 07 May 2018
07 May 2018 14:39:31
Spot on, Ed. That is what we are lacking. Have you noticed that almost each time we go 5 at the back, it never works? RM, this is the exact reason why we need to keep the ball better instead of playing a 5 at the back knowing full well we do not handle pressure very well, defensively.

We need to be smarter in possession, know how to draw fouls to kill games or just go to the corner flag and waste time there. Bringing on defender X, will only signal to the opposition that you have abandoned the attack and they will just push more bodies up to outnumber you. Btw, cos you have more defenders does not mean you will necessarily defend better. LFC is the example of that.

3.) 07 May 2018
07 May 2018 14:44:33
Agree 100% with that ed, it’s the inability of the midfield and even front 3 to keep hold of the ball and knock it about without always trying to fast counter attack and turn possession over cheaply, that is costing us. Some cool, sensible heads would almost certainly have turned at the very least 1 of those draws (we’ve drawn 1/ 3 of our PL games 🙈) into a win and we’d already have top 4 in the bag. We simply won’t be able to turn the ball over so cheaply against Madrid as we have done so frequently this year, even if we have one of our unplayable 20mins and go 3 up. And please god, no back 3 to invite pressure into us.

4.) 07 May 2018
07 May 2018 15:26:33
Bringing a defender is not an option to see out the game. If anything you need to bring in a midfielder to shut the shop! I have never understood why managers introduce defenders and invite more pressure by taking out an attacker in the dying minutes!

5.) 07 May 2018
07 May 2018 15:38:16
Klopp just needs to stop putting an extra defender on at the end, full stop. It sends the wrong message out to the team, the shape changes, the mentality changes, people don't know what the organisation is with that extra player, when to push, when to hold. We don't need more squad fillers, we need more quality for like for like swaps when players get tired. Our main system works brilliantly. Why change it to one we're not comfortable with, with lower quality players? It baffles me.

6.) 07 May 2018
07 May 2018 15:47:08
Chelsea managed it ok on Sunday.

7.) 07 May 2018
07 May 2018 15:52:20
I think Klopp has been bringing on an extra defender in Klavan to end games because his options on the bench for midfield and up front are quite limited and the team has pretty much run out of steam by 80 mins so he needs to bring on someone somewhere.
I hope we have a great bench next season.

8.) 07 May 2018
07 May 2018 16:22:44
Stoneage, you are comparing apples to oranges, obviously. Chelsea a play a very defensive version of a back 3 and it has been in their DNA since Mou showed up in 2004 to be sound defensively. That is not who we are and how we defend. Klopp defends as a unit and often defends by cutting off the supply line to the strikers hence, you cannot get hurt if they have no chances. In fact, you might as well be playing 11 v 8 cos they are rendered useless. How do you think we shut out City in the first leg or Roma before the 2 goals were scored? We shut down KDB, Sane and Naingolaan, that's how.

A back 5 does not suit us and it is killing us, plain and simple. We need to keep the ball better and be smarter at time-wasting, drawing fouls or taking the ball to the corner flag and let it die there. Real will be doing that to us at will so we better wise-up fast. |Also, Because you have a lot of defenders does not mean you will defend better esp. a team like us who can't handle pressure when it comes in waves.

9.) 07 May 2018
07 May 2018 16:41:51
Exactly, BRover. It is just not what we do. If we allow other teams to break the lines regularly, we can't handle it and we don't set up with 5 at the back in the way other teams regularly do. It's like it's something not often practiced on the training pitch, but if you employ that tactic, you've got to be drilled rigorously in it. It's like Mikey said, we need more strength in depth in the midfield and up front. I think we will have come the start of the season, I just hope Klopp uses it rather than chucking on a defender and hoping for the best.

10.) 07 May 2018
07 May 2018 17:20:22
I think 5-3-2 could work for us if we played it well. Gomez lovren and VVD as the three and allows the wing backs who aren't great defensively to get forward more. Hendo and Milner in the middle can do the running and Bobby Always helps out. Salah stays high anyway and doesn't always help out Trent so at least Gomez can be there backing him up. Then just give the ball to the front three and let them do what they do. Also as we aren't well stocked centrally it allows us to change it and being gini on to add to the midfield.

11.) 07 May 2018
07 May 2018 18:06:37
I don't believe 5-3-2 is an attacking formation though, Firmane. These days 2 midfielders are just not enough to press teams high on the front foot. You get swamped in the middle if you try to attack, or you sit and play on the counter with that formation. It's a deeper control type setup rather than a high press setup and Klopp is not going to turn into one of those sort of managers any time soon, I don't believe.

I like what we do. What we do has got us to the final of the Champions League and we sit third in the Premier League. We are a couple of top additions away from being the very best in the league, in my opinion, and using a style which is as exciting as any I've ever seen from Liverpool team.

12.) 07 May 2018
07 May 2018 19:53:26
Firmane, the prob with that formation is that naturally, it is not in ojur DNA under Klopp to defend that way. If it was Rafa then, no prob cos that is who he is. Klopp defends and gets clean sheets in a diff. way as I have mentioned above and has nothing to do with playing a 5 at the back.

I have no prob. with defending that way IF that is something we can do. I don't think it is cos that's not Klopp. I know we are a young team and I would not trade our boys (worts and all) nor our manager for ANYONE, period. However as I mentioned, we have to learn how to play smart, no just play hard cos those are the teams that win. You may not like what Real or other teams do (time-wasting, drawing fouls, going to the corner flag, the lot) BUT it is effective and we MUST learn how to play that way to see out results, in addition to adding more depth in midfield and attack to make sure there is not drop off in perf. levels. This way, the opposition knows that when Salah or Mane comes off, they are dealing with another speed demon who can hurt them hence, it keeps their defence honest.