07 Feb 2019 11:15:13
Question for Ed001, if I may. I was just thinking about the season thus far and which players have made a positive contribution and which ones have not. Can I ask you to give us your assessment so far (even though we are only 2/ 3 of the way through)? But do it in the same fashion that you do the individual player ratings for games, in terms of who has been a plus for the season so far, and who has taken away from the season. (For example a rating above 5 for Salah and VVD, but below 5 for Keita for the season - my opinion)

I'll understand if you feel it is premature and prefer to do it at the end of the season. 👍.

{Ed001's Note - I will try and get that done. If I can do it now for you I will, if I get sidetracked it may end up taking a while though.}

1.) 07 Feb 2019
07 Feb 2019 11:41:41
Good enough Ed001, and many thanks, in advance. 👍.

{Ed001's Note - welcome mate.}

2.) 07 Feb 2019
07 Feb 2019 12:45:31
I have a theory: VVD is a massive influence on the team and now with Alisson I think (at melwood) they are making our team a more defensive outfit. Thus giving way to our former free flowing attacking football. I don't remember the last time we scored 5 in a game, last season we did it regularly. Rarely scored less that 3.we were scoring 7 goals a game.

We are missing gini massively and also trent who has the pace and skill to get on the end of virgil's Cross field balls that have been so effective this season.

Mane, the one player who can bamboozle defences and beat 3 players in a split second and his goals are keeping us in the title race.

Klopp said he had his free flowing Liverpool back when we scored 4 and 3 in 2 back to back games so I don't think it's klopp who is asking them to play defensively as priority. I think it's the influence of our WC player: Van dijke.

Imo we need to go hammer and tong again and rely on vvd to keep out less than we score and becker of course.

Still think we will win it but its going to be tighter than it looked 3 weeks ago.

3.) 07 Feb 2019
07 Feb 2019 13:05:52
Just to add: I think vvd is enjoying being laballed "the best defender in the world right now" and I also think that Alisson is enjoying keeping the most clean sheets and having the best defence in the league.

But going forward we are not progressing, we are regressing. The evolution of the team that was so exciting last season seems to have changed direction completely this season. The games are still exciting because we are in a genuine title race but they are not as exciting as the latter half of last season based on our actual football.

Okay, the new "way" is working but we signed vvd in January, still played gung ho football and won games. If we had signed him in the summer I think we would have been in a genuine title race last year too.

My point is: I still think we can win the league and even champions league by playing that free flowing, attacking football of last season. With vvd, robbo and Alisson making sure we don't concede more than we score.

These 1 nil leads are not doing my heart any good either. I liked having the 6 goal cushion!

The best thing about our team is not vvd and Alisson, although they are tremendous. It is mane, Firmino and salah. These are the weapons that will win us the league imo.

4.) 07 Feb 2019
07 Feb 2019 13:13:16
I'm not slating big V BTW. He's my third favourite player. But our balance is too defensive atm.

5.) 07 Feb 2019
07 Feb 2019 13:11:40
Also, while we have RB issues and are playing CM's there, I think it should be the same guy each game. My choice would be Henderson. He adds height and strength. Intelligence and he can turn on his heels. Not to mention he was trained as an RM/ RW. Same could be said for milner but I think his guille is more important in midfield whereas fabhino can do the job hendo does.

6.) 07 Feb 2019
07 Feb 2019 14:03:46
For those who disagree, why would you say our strikers are nowhere near as potent as last season?

7.) 07 Feb 2019
07 Feb 2019 14:04:30
I'm pretty sure klopp is not telling the boys to go out and get a 1 0 win.

8.) 07 Feb 2019
07 Feb 2019 14:35:04
New attacking scheme's are never as potent the second season as the first. Teams have figured out how to defend it a little better, even though our attack has still been good. We are also missing Ox, he was able to drive forward through midfield and draw out the defenders, or hit a banger from 25 yards. Was hoping Keita would fill that void, but he's still finding his feet.

It's also silly to compare this year to last year, last year everything Salah touched was a goal. Last year the 3 shots he cut inside on his left foot in the box against west ham would've been goals versus saves.

9.) 07 Feb 2019
07 Feb 2019 16:04:25
I think that's a very poor assessment Robbie bro. I'm not sure how you can blame our lack of creativity up top on a centre back. Personally, I think it's due to playing Salah up top and Firmino in midfield. Firmino is at his best when playing the false 9 with freedom to get about and link up with Salah and Mané coming from the wide positions. Also, we have been very poor in midfield lately, Keita has had to come in even though he hasn't quite adapted to the PL yet, and Milner has had to play right back whereas he should be in the midfield.

10.) 07 Feb 2019
07 Feb 2019 16:45:09
I honestly think it’s the tempo more than anything mate. We are pressing less up front, which used to force teams into a mistake allowing us to counter with pace. We are now looking for both fullbacks to provide the width, allowing our forwards to be more narrow. To support the Attack of the fullbacks we now have two holding midfielders who cover the wingback slots. These two midfielders no longer press as much as they did last year, thereby implying we don’t have a gegen press. Oppositions have more time to be get into formation because our attacks are starting from deeper, leading to fewer goals. However, without the gegenpress our own defence is more structured, and we concede fewer as well (and also because we have more talent in defence than last year) .
I don’t think this has anything to do with a conspiracy theory around VVD lol.

11.) 07 Feb 2019
07 Feb 2019 16:46:05
It was a half arsed theory red rum and I think your most likely right. Bobby should be in the middle. He can handle being battered by cbs. And salah is way more effective on that right side. Goal against spurs last season for example.

12.) 07 Feb 2019
07 Feb 2019 17:14:48
It just looks to me although we are trying to keep clean sheets over scoring goals. Last season we took more chances.

And finished 3rd, I know. But had vvd signed in the summer it would have been 2nd, maybe 1st.

13.) 07 Feb 2019
07 Feb 2019 18:12:31
Robbie, just to jog your memory we scored 5 against Arsenal at the end of December. We also scored 4 against Palace 3 games later. We were the first team to score at the Etihad for about 2 months if I recall correctly, maybe longer.
A lot has been made of our last 2 games but the squad has been carrying a virus (which saps energy even when you are no longer ill) and we’ve had injuries to half the back line and midfield.
Let’s take a breath and give Klopp some credit for getting us this far and trust him to get things going again.

14.) 07 Feb 2019
07 Feb 2019 18:14:18
Robbie, this is not the time to start second guessing stuff. The new system for the most part, has worked and has gotten us to where we are right now regardless of what the weak-minded will have you believe. You cannot say we are not progressing after going thru a blip where mind you, we are yet to lose and City had to play one more game than we did just to top on GD. You have to see things from big pic. stand point.

The way we were playing last season, was unsustainable and you will NOTHING playing that way so Klopp had to tweak it and it has worked. Players were on their knees and frankly, I am surprised as to how they were able to play that CL final with the physical damage the team was in due to this system we were playing. I mean, Klopp even explained why he changed it and you can find his interview online. This is not the time to start doing all that hindsight stuff as it has already been litigated and the results are there for all to see. We are in a dog fight with City for the PL and THIS system made that possible. A blip won't change ANY of that.

We are going through a blip and lack of confidence so to call into question the whole system that got us competing is myopic and self-serving, IMO. We just need to re-focus, work on our football and get back to the way we have been playing with confidence. That's all, IMO. Cheers, man.

15.) 08 Feb 2019
08 Feb 2019 16:43:55
I just think we are more defensive team this term, which is dodgy as we are missing our best defenders.
Livsepool were far more attackinh last year and signing vvd made us more stronger last term.

Id like to see us go full out attacking again, with becket, van dijke, robbo and trent, not to mention fabhino conceding less than we score.

Worked last season as we made ucl final and went from 4th to 3rd. i don't like this defensive, measured approach. Its exciting coz we are in a title chase but the footballl is nowhere near as exciting as it was last year.