28 Aug 2018 16:27:30
Wanted to discuss Ed001's Brighton write up comments on Matip. Ed was saying how little impact Matip had on the game and the confusion it caused our back 4 for the last few minutes.

I'm not sure what Klopp was thinking on Saturday. We know he sometimes likes to bring on an extra defender in the closing minutes to protect a result, but did he take Trent off to prevent the chance of a 2nd yellow, bring Matip on to help with crosses or was he reacting to Brighton's subs?

Either way, I think I'd prefer to see a forward sacrificed and a midfielder added instead of a defender. As a player and manager I hated tampering with the back 4 unless unavoidable - injuries, red cards etc - especially with just minutes to go.

{Ed001's Note - I agree with you, I don't like his decision to change the backline late in a game to protect a lead. It very rarely works.}

1.) 28 Aug 2018
28 Aug 2018 16:44:07
Oh ed it's so frustrating.

Sit back fine but bring Shaq on and say hey if you want 6o get that goal back where going to punish you on the counter.

Not gives everything you have got and we will offer nothing but resilience.

2.) 28 Aug 2018
28 Aug 2018 17:53:55
I can't stand when he does that. It invites pressure. I fact the only faults I can pick with Klopp ever, is his substitutes.

3.) 28 Aug 2018
28 Aug 2018 18:11:43
Bringing on an additional CB - especially if you were to take of an stacking player- just in cities more pressure.
You can’t pin their fullbacks, more space outside as they will get a 2v1 so in effect you get more crosses slung in.

Don’t get the thoughts behind it. However- I’ve not managed professionally so hey-ho!

4.) 28 Aug 2018
28 Aug 2018 18:37:58
It creates belief in the opposition and it is for me klopps biggest flaw.

A very simple one to improve upon but the thinking last year and the year before was that he didn't trust the players on the bench or believe he had the options.

He went and got the Shaq, but doesn't seem to think he could do much from 60 mins. Is it trust? In him or the players that are on the field

Once we are dominating we can sacrifice a wij or Milner for Shaq and just go for the jugular. That's the champions. Kill teams off. When your up, and the match is over, keep the pressure on there throat. Never let up.

It only takes 1 error or bit of luck for a team to get a goal. Remember wanyama the show stopper last year.

5.) 28 Aug 2018
28 Aug 2018 20:12:38
Me neither, Ed. It has NEVER worked. In fact, it is the main reason we have been conceding goals late in games to deny us the win in games past. He needs to stop doing that ASAP.

6.) 28 Aug 2018
28 Aug 2018 20:23:01
I both agree and disagree with what you're all saying.

Klopp has a history of bad substitutions and last season especially whenever he switched to a back 5 it always brought a lot more pressure on us rather than remedy it. As you all mention, this is definitely one of his flaws.
Also, as I've probably mentioned one too many times now, I don't rate Matip - never have and never will. At least not on this level. He's never really looked up for the task and whilst a shame, I'm looking forward to Lovren coming back so we have Gomez as our backup.

With all that in mind, it seems to me (so far) that Klopp has learnt from his mistakes in earlier seasons. His overall substitutions and timing of them seems a lot better this season. When he brought on Matip against Brighton, I feared the worst, but the fact that he didn't change away from the back 4 seems like a very good sign for me. Add to that, while it didn't really stabilize us, neither did it put more pressure on us than what was already there. Where before, with the late change to a back 5, we would have easily crumbled. So while it didn't really help us much, it didn't worsen us either. I think that's an important point.

Klopp might still have a few mistakes in him here and there, but overall I trust his substitutions way more than I've ever done. Even when he brings on Matip - and that says a lot.

7.) 28 Aug 2018
28 Aug 2018 20:26:23
I don’t love it either but to say it NEVER works is over the top, it worked at the weekend! We did not concede!

8.) 28 Aug 2018
28 Aug 2018 22:07:57
Nor have we conceded yet this season! What do people really want? You can’t get better than 100% guys! Please be happy it won’t last forever.

9.) 28 Aug 2018
28 Aug 2018 22:53:12
Don’t think we actually switched to a back five, more reshuffling a defence which has gone 88 mins without conceding seems strange to do so for 5 mins left. Rather have Fabinho or fresh legs in the midfield to win the second balls or stretch the game.

10.) 28 Aug 2018
28 Aug 2018 22:58:37
I want to understand why he does it. He’s a great man manager, a great motivator, knows how to build a team, makes improvements where required, loves to win and is patient enough to wait to see a long term project succeed. So why does he persevere with this flawed tactic that causes confusion and invites pressure? It’s out of step with his football philosophy of the high press and has a questionable record of conceding late in games. Makes no sense to me that he still uses it and that he doesn’t try another way to close games out.

11.) 29 Aug 2018
29 Aug 2018 07:55:39
Never bring on Matip “to help with crosses”.
He is a hinderence with any ball above shoulder height because he likes to let it bounce.

12.) 29 Aug 2018
29 Aug 2018 08:12:26
Its not about it working. Its the fact that LIVERPOOL where at home against Brighton and there a solid team, we had a 1-0 and said to them that's it where protecting this and then that instantly gives the opposition a lift. They want to see Matip not more pace on Shaq.

Again it only takes a fluke to concede and why give anyone any extra confidence. Keep the pressure on and never let up.

13.) 29 Aug 2018
29 Aug 2018 11:44:28
Didn't he come on to defend a corner? I thought at the time it was a necessary sacrifice as Matip was more likely to head the ball away than Trent.