04 Jan 2019 11:15:57
Morning Ed001 and 25

First of all, last night showed how fine margins in football are so desicive, had Mané's goal gone in off the post and Sané's not, we might not be having this conversation.

Do you think the Midfield selection was too conservative? We clearly set up not to lose but in doing so gave us minimal creativity in midfield to which is where I think the game was lost. Until Fabinho came on I think we really lacked any cutting edge, with Salah completely isolated. I would have maybe started with Fabhino and bought Milner on later in the game.

I also thought we should have changed tactic for the first 15mins or so. City will always press hard for the first 15-20mins and they forced us into a number of errors, which really got the crowd up ( I've not heard the Etihad so noisy in recent times I've been ) . Maybe we should have mixed it up and gone long as apposed to passing it from the back. Our mistakes really lifted the crowd, as we know it does at Anfield.

Having said this, we played ok but I felt one team was desperate to win and one that wanted to win. They had a bit more bite in midfield.

Brighton away will be a massive test of our resolve, they are dangerous at home. Beat them and I honestly feel we can go on another unbeaten run.

{Ed025's Note - i thought liverpool played well drogie but the midfield were overrun at times because city are strong in that department, i still think the title is liverpools to lose, they are in a very strong position and city will drop points as well as liverpool i expect, lady luck was not smiling on liverpool yesterday and if they had gotten a draw then i dont think anyone would be complaining, but thats swings and roundabouts mate and you had a bit of luck against us so these things tend to even themselves out..

1.) 04 Jan 2019
04 Jan 2019 12:36:49
I think it was maybe too early to bring Milner back in, and although Gini had a good first half, he was poor second, and why he took Mane off and moved Gini over still confuses me. Think hendo and Fab as a double pivot looked good, and it was Hendo's quick pass out to TAA in the build up to our goal.

Overall a different day, both their goals hit the post and stay out, Mane's creeps in, just got to concentrate on the next one now.

{Ed025's Note - i thought fab played it out to TAA..maybe im wrong..

2.) 04 Jan 2019
04 Jan 2019 12:38:23
Great summary Ed25.

{Ed025's Note - cheers swish..

3.) 04 Jan 2019
04 Jan 2019 12:38:55
Exactly my thoughts re the midfield. I know he’s not a favourite of yours but we looked sharper when Fabhiko can on, with a change of formation and more supply to the forwards.

I agree, luck certainly evens it’s self out over the course of the season. I think Klopp will have given the players a good pat on the back as City are a top side.

Do you think he’ll make wholesale changes for the cup game? I think we certainly need to rotate.

{Ed025's Note - i think there will be a few changes drogie but not wholesale, a couple do need a rest including mo and bobby who look a bit jaded to me, but its not an easy tie so maybe a strong bench would be the way to go mate..

4.) 04 Jan 2019
04 Jan 2019 12:42:07
Spot on, Ed25. We took City's best shot and STILL could have won the game or at least, not lost. A draw based on the balance of play would have been a fair result BUT that's how it is, as Klopp says. That in itself is commendable.

Also to all the Negative Nellies out there who think City are about to walk the league cos they won last night, here's a secret no one in the media will tell you: City will do ANYTHING to swap positions with us at this point. Up Da Pool!

{Ed025's Note - i backed liverpool from the start mate, and have seen nothing that will change my mind..

5.) 04 Jan 2019
04 Jan 2019 12:42:49
Checked it again Ed025, you had me worried I got it wrong, it's definitely Hendo, Fab lays it to hendo, who curls it out to TAA who cuts inside and hits the diagonal on his left peg.

{Ed025's Note - oh right my bad then mate, i thought fab made a difference when he came on and i may have been a bit hasty on my assessment of him..

6.) 04 Jan 2019
04 Jan 2019 15:10:55
I thought both midfields were shocking. The only midfielder to complete more than 50 passes was Henderson and his passing was too conservative last night. Neither midfield dominated which is why it was so end to end.

The difference was that City broke with more pace and purpose. Sterling, Aguero and Sane were excellent and B. Silva put in a monumental shift. I had no idea he had it in him but he was everywhere on and off the ball. In contrast our only players who looked effective were Virgil and Firmino. Maybe Salah in flashes.

We weren't clinical enough, because we had the better chances, and the teams were as bad as each regarding ball retention. Alisson, Danilo, Milner, Fernandinho, Arnold, Lovren, Laporte and D. Silva all especially just gave it away far too often. It was such a bad game from a managers perspective. Neither team had any grip on things and it could've gone either way in the end.

Time to bounce back quickly.

7.) 04 Jan 2019
04 Jan 2019 15:09:42
Top man, Ed25.

8.) 04 Jan 2019
04 Jan 2019 18:21:48
Fabhino is clearly a top player. I watched him in pre season and knew he was fine. He had a directness and confidence on the ball last night we could have done with at half time, even from the start.

But, these are the big games and players like Henderson and milner have earned the right to play in them.

{Ed025's Note - no one has a divine right to play in any game robbie, it depends on things like tactics, form and fitness, i have to say that neither of them would have been in the side i would have picked last night mate..but im not klopp of course and he earns a bit more than me.. :)

9.) 04 Jan 2019
04 Jan 2019 19:36:29
MK Scouser, I watched the whole game this afternoon without all the tension and passion of watching it live. You are right about the lack of constructive midfield play by both sides, and the plethora of misplaced passes by usually accomplished players, again on both sides. But in my view that was because the pressing and tackling of both teams all over the pitch was exceptional. The outstanding example, as you rightly point out, was Bernardo Silva who was like a man possessed with his running, pressing and tackling - he covered a PL season’s best of 13.87 kilometres! Like you, I didn’t think he had it in him, seeing him more as a player with silky passing and dribbling skills. Where my view differs from yours is that I thought that as well as VVD, TAA and Robbo were both very good in defence and collectively we kept Sterling, Aguero and Sane relatively quiet. I know that might sound daft given the latter two both scored but I think that both goals were defensive errors (sadly, I think Lovren was at fault for both) in an otherwise good defensive display. But as I have said in an earlier post, we all see games differently and I totally respect your opinion.