1.) 15 May 2018
15 May 2018 10:16:42
Great review Ed, only thing I think deserved a mention which you misses out was Robertson's cross for Lovrens goal. I've not seen a better delivery in any game all season, and it was a notable improvement on his previous "head down, whip it in to nobody" approach, earlier in the season.

I hope that in future, we play that system against defensive teams. An extra midfielder isn't necessary in games like that. Solanke and Firmino rotating in the 9 and and 10 positions was brilliant. Brighton couldn't pick either of them up all game because they didn't know who was leading the line and who was dropping off. Possibly a glimpse of how Fekir could fit in? 😉.

{Ed001's Note - I didn't see the point in including one cross in the review when that is what he is in the team to do and should be producing 4 or 5 of those a game. However I also was not going to criticise him for not putting enough in because he was tending to pick the option of keeping possession, which was probably the right choice.}

2.) 15 May 2018
15 May 2018 10:17:21
100% agree.
Interesting about the no-nonsense approach of the defence. Would Butland's signing help this - is he a better on-field communicator than Karius, who seems too quiet to me at times?

{Ed001's Note - he is certainly louder, but I put it down to instructions from the coaching staff to be honest.}

3.) 15 May 2018
15 May 2018 10:19:02
A great review Ed. I agree especially about Firmino, it goes to show the class of the guy, he can do it all! the only thing he was missing was a goal but overall he was top notch, he just never gives up what a player we have on our hands. I have always rated the lad but over the course of the past year he's just improved and improved most notably when Coutinho left imo, we started to see a different kind of player in him and my word has it worked out well!

Going on that performance Ed, with Solanke on, would you like to see that set up more often? personally I would, as you know I have never been a huge fan of Solanke but he did impress me, we saw a different side to the lad the other day and it worked. Him, Firmino, Mane and Salah caused problems all the way through, will this be the fantastic four next season? I wouldn't be at all surprised.

{Ed001's Note - against more defensive sides or when losing, yes I think it would be a good go to. Or even to maintain a lead, rather than the back 3 it could help as it forces opponents to keep men back.}

4.) 15 May 2018
15 May 2018 10:26:34
No worries Ed. I suspected you had your reasons 😉 i was just checking that reason wasn't another senile moment 👀.

{Ed001's Note - it is always down to senility, I am just good at excuses.}

5.) 15 May 2018
15 May 2018 10:56:14
Sounds a lot like Jose-diseasinho to me mate. You should get that checked out.

6.) 15 May 2018
15 May 2018 11:10:07
Sadio Mane, pick of the lot! He is 10 times better whenever he takes on his man! I am a huge fan of him! If he had the composure of Salah, then he is the best winger in Europe.
You don’t need 3 CM’s when teams are going to park the bus! Well done Klopp!

7.) 15 May 2018
15 May 2018 12:24:08
Thanks for the review Ed001. What's your opinion on the 4-2-3-1? I can see the benefits against a team with parked buses, but isn't it risky as a tactical approach all season long?

{Ed001's Note - it really depends on how it is played. You can always drop the wingers deeper and the one behind to make it a 4-5-1 with very little noticeable change.}

8.) 15 May 2018
15 May 2018 12:26:42
Think trents cross for Salah's goal, against bournmouth i think was really really good to and worth mentioning if we are mentioning crosses.

His crosses through that game were a pleasure to watch.

9.) 15 May 2018
15 May 2018 13:27:00
Seems to me the cross wasn't mentioned because it was a good cross but nothing more. It was put in the right area as Lovren made the run and bingo. We really do need to stop praising what should be expected. These are professional footballers. There are crosses like that up and down the country at all levels every week. I think we should be questioning why crossing is generally so bad, not why the one good one wasn't praised. One of the balls of the season - my donkey!

Sorry, but it irritates me. I played all the way down the left to no higher standard than Sunday league and one thing I could do well was cross the ball on the run or from dead. We used to play headers and volleys in the park and someone would lay the ball out and someone else would cross it in first time. We practiced every day and what do you know? Crossing was easy. It's one of the few things you can practice without other people there either. Crossing, shooting, free kicks etc, it's all there for these guys, they just need to get on the training pitch and put some hours in then we don't have to praise them for what they should already be able to do as second nature. David Beckham wasn't the best at it by accident. Look at it this way, you don't praise a dentist for pulling teeth. Striking a ball is the bit that near enough anyone should be able to learn to do properly.

10.) 15 May 2018
15 May 2018 13:35:42
Very true PaKred. I didn't really consider it a cross because it came from so deep it was more of an Alonso-esque ball in behind. But it was from the right back position so I can see why it is arguably still a cross. It was easily as good as Robbos delivery because the execution was far more difficult, but Salah still had a lot to do. Robbo put it on a plate for Lovren.

11.) 15 May 2018
15 May 2018 13:36:51
I think 4/ 2/ 3/ 1 makes so much more sense in games with defensive oponenets. If they are going to sit back may as well have someone there to cause issues and maybe not having three midfielders may encourage them out. As you said firmino is everywhere anyway!

12.) 15 May 2018
15 May 2018 14:24:55
I respect your view Bardzo, but it doesn't make sense to me.

Should we not praise Salah then because scoring is what he is there to do? I only played at Sunday league level, but I scored 37 Goals in 14 games one year! In my opinion, scoring goals is pretty easy. An 8ft by 24ft box, and a 6ft keeper to guard the whole thing? Sounds easy enough to me.

It may well be an easy skill to practice, but executing it in front of millions of people against one of the top 20 teams in the country is a different matter all together.

He got it spot in. It picked out the run so perfectly that Lovren didn't have to break stride. It had the perfect pace and height to take all the defenders and the goalkeeper out of the equation, and it was in the perfect area; not too short, not too central, and not too long.

That is the kind of cross people dream of falling to them and it really isn't as common as you are suggesting.

There have been other good crosses; Coutinho to Salah vs Leicester and the Arnold to Salah one that was mentioned. Even Robertson to Mane against Roma, Salah to Sturridge against Arsenal, or Mane to Salah against Stoke were. However, in all of those situations, the scorer still had a lot to do and their finish was as good as the cross.

Robbo got it so inch perfect that Lovren could hardly miss. That is what makes it so good for me. I can't think of a better cross that led to a goal from Liverpool, this season.

Like I say, I appreciate your point. I do understand what you mean about crossing being his job. But if it was that easy, then Clyne would've managed at least one like it in his 100 or so appearances in a Liverpool shirt, surely?

I don't think we should ignore the fact that Robbo and Arnold have given us another offensive dimension this season. They have both improved as the season has gone on, to the point where they are now a legitimate source of regular creativity. That deserves praise in my opinion. Especially after years of watching Moreno and Clyne smash it into the first man!

If we can't even praise a great bit of play anymore without being told we're going over the top, the game is dead to me. I actually put a lot of thought into the statement though and it was nowhere near as off the cuff as you've made out. I genuinely think it is the best cross from a Liverpool player this season. As someone who used to be tasked with getting on the end of crosses at 5ft8, I fully appreciate a good one!

13.) 15 May 2018
15 May 2018 18:23:31
Great review, Ed. Our boys did look fresh and rested, which led to them being sharp all game long while maintaining a pretty high tempo. Also, I liked the formation we played cos vs parked buses, it stretches the defence, spreads them out and that will allow more passing lanes for us to exploit. We have conceded 38 goals this season, our best total since the season Carra retired and that is a huge positive even tho, more improvement is needed. On to Kiev where we #TakeThe6th!

{Ed001's Note - thanks mate and that total includes a terrible first half of the season as well.}

14.) 15 May 2018
15 May 2018 19:43:11
Exactly, Ed. Hard to believe that have have conceded just 38 goals in the PL after such a start to the season where we could not defend against a chair.

{Ed001's Note - that depends on the chair, I reckon Migs could stop an arm chair, so long as it was moving slowly enough.}

15.) 15 May 2018
15 May 2018 20:41:32
Balls, wrote part of a reply but something happened and don't know if it sent or not. My point is just that with practice anyone with a little football skill can learn to cross properly. What sets the professionals apart is mostly the instinct, the natural nous that gives them the edge that the rest of us simply don't have. To me there are just some things that shouldn't get credit. Being able to kick a ball properly is at the top of that list for me.