26 Feb 2019 00:39:36
We have watched our free flowing, attacking football from last season (which helped us to the Champions League final) turn into very disciplined and controlled football; some might call it boring football. However, we are just about top of the table approaching March, having lost just once this season, so we can see that it has been effective so far.

But does Klopp continue like this until the end of the season, with the hope that we pip City to the title? Or should he take the shackles off and allow our lads to take more risks instead of prioritising the clean sheet? If we win the league like this, it will be labelled a masterstroke by Klopp, I just hope that we don't draw too many more games and allow City to run away with it at the final stretch. Thoughts?

1.) 26 Feb 2019
26 Feb 2019 02:17:54
I guess that's why klopp gets paid the big bucks, to make this decision. I personally would persevere, we are top of the table having lost once like you said. Maybe just away from home, not be so defensive. But then I could say that and we get beat! A draw is better than a loss.

2.) 26 Feb 2019
26 Feb 2019 03:18:13
I brought this up a few weeks ago. Personally, I don't think we are risking a clean sheet, as we now have the world's most expensive goalie (once) and the world's most expensive centre back. Take the shackles off! That said, it's difficult to say why we are in our funk. Could be more than just Klopp's instructions.

3.) 26 Feb 2019
26 Feb 2019 05:35:29
Free flowing football resulted in huge amount of chances created which ensured goals. Now that’s not the case. We create next to nothing and relies on individual brilliance of the front three.
Out midfield despite the glowing praises since Jesus was born is stilll crap! Scores nothing and all are defensive minded players who lacks anything to go forward.
When a £60 mill midfielder doesn’t get a sniff in the first eleven that tells the story.
We don’t need to catch City we need to win the next 11 games which on current form is unlikely.
We should be 10 points clear by now had we shown balls at ethihad against a piss poor city.

4.) 26 Feb 2019
26 Feb 2019 06:06:10
What you guys may not be taking into account is the sea change approach of almost all of our opponents now, all lying deeper than last season with disciplined defences and denying space to the front three.
The control is partly a symptom of this tactic; opponents are ceding possession to defend deeper.
There’s no magic button to suddenly switch to “free flowing” football.
We were a million miles off contending for the league last year, great to watch but inconsistent.
The one hugely positive aspect this year is our defensive improvement.
You feel if we score first, we’re very difficult to defeat.
It’s getting that all-important first goal, it so often changes the dynamic of the game.

5.) 26 Feb 2019
26 Feb 2019 06:57:09
The juicer

Agree with your first line. Teams sitting deep and making it compact! So what do you do? How do you breach? Play more narrow? Or use the bloody width? Milner can’t cross to save his life and Robbo has been poor from months! Our wingers are inside forwards which means we rely on full backs to provide width. They need to hit the byline and cut back. I was shocked to see TAA on the bench! He is the best we have got for pace and delivery!
It’s no rocket science!

6.) 26 Feb 2019
26 Feb 2019 07:40:47
Just another name, in response to this and another post in response to mine below, please permit me to refer you and others to a lesson from recent Liverpool FC history.

25 May 2005, European Champions League Final, Ataturk Stadium, Istanbul. Liverpool are 3-0 down at halftime to a far superior Milan team. Did the Liverpool supporters in the stadium turn on the team and call out individual players and the manager? No, we sang YNWA with more feeling and passion than we have ever done before and helped the team to perhaps the greatest victory in our club’s glorious history.

I think that is the example I will continue to follow and leave the inquest until the PL is done and dusted one way or the other.

7.) 26 Feb 2019
26 Feb 2019 07:40:50
Sometimes I’m screaming for our wide men to get to the by-line but it doesn’t happen too often - when it does though - we often score or cause chaos. Doesn’t happen enough.
You look at the majority of City’s goals and they come from Sane, Bernardo Silva or Sterling getting in behind the last man.

For me that’s the only difference between our 2 playing styles and number of goals.

8.) 26 Feb 2019
26 Feb 2019 07:49:34
Totally ageee J a n
When defences sit back tight and compact, we need to be spreading the play, use a bit more width, get to the byline then try and take a defender on. Once you hear the forst man, you split the defence and create space. Trying to play the ball through the eye of a needle doesn’t always work.

Whilst Trent wasn’t great the other night, I’d have brought him on for the last 20mis/ half an hour against a tiring United, just to give them something else to think about. He would have given us more pace and as you said, he hhhas the ability to whip the balls into the box and cause problems.

9.) 26 Feb 2019
26 Feb 2019 07:51:48
Wirral

In response to the CL final, Rafa changed the tactics and team and not simply hoped for things to change itself. He played Gerrard up top and that was the catalyst of that great come back. The manager did his job as well the fans.
Mate, are you saying the fans are not supporting enough? 29 years of wait! I repeat 29 years! Which clubs supporters has been waiting this long for a league trophy?

{Ed025's Note - everton, watford, spurs, newcastle, west ham, palace, wolves, burnley bournemouth, brighton, cardiff, southampton, fulham, cardiff, huddersfield..

10.) 26 Feb 2019
26 Feb 2019 07:53:18
Torres

Nailed it! Glad you are watching the match and analysing it! That’s the difference. City gets massive help form their full backs and wingers. They stretch teams. We don’t! We hit through the middle! That’s why Pep spend £100 mill on full backs!

11.) 26 Feb 2019
26 Feb 2019 07:58:51
True Drogie

Trent has excellent pace and his deliveries ususlaly are top class. Though He is a poor defender but I don’t give a toss about it as long as he plays like Marcelo 😀. We need width. Our system needs width. We don’t have it.
Robertson other than aimless running cannot beat his man, cannot cross and his defending is schocking
Ed01 nailed on in his review about the player. What does he offer?
The first thing to address in the summer is full backs and bloody good full backs!

12.) 26 Feb 2019
26 Feb 2019 08:31:33
The problem is, you all shout for free flowing football but as someone mentioned, this isn't a magic switch you just flick. You push for that you expose the defense massively. I'm sorry, but having VVD and Alison means nothing if the team can't defend as a unit. They alone won't stop goals. This is absolute nonsense, the team have hit a sticky patch. None of you had a problem in the first half of the season and I guarantee if we start losing 4-3 are you going to be saying "at least we played free flowing football". I think not.

13.) 26 Feb 2019
26 Feb 2019 09:16:06
Just another name, and we don't get massive help from our FB's? What on earth are you on are are you Harry in disguise? Seems you just came here to whine and moan w/ o any substance really. And don't lecture the rest of us with your whole "We have been waiting for x years for a title" nonsense. You're NO bigger fan than the rest of us, got that?

Let's start with facts. Pep spent 100m on FB's cos their FB's were past it. Second, They spent 100m on FB's yet they can't defend whenever they are asked to. Pls, I ain't buying this stuff for a second. Our FB's rank amongst the best in the PL in assists and TAA is one of the best at set pieces so what on earth are you talking about us spending money on "Bloody Fullback"?

The OP makes a valid point. Klopp has made a choice and like it or not, it has worked. Why? We are top of the PL in the midst of the toughest season in PL history, going against the best and MOST expensive team England has ever seen. Did people think it would be easy? If you did then that is your choice. the rest of us know better, tho.

Also, going on and on about things we can't control or things that happened in the past that can't be changed, is just boring. Last season, we played a style that would NOT have gotten us even close to where we are now so why go back to it? And furthermore, we can play that way if it came to it and we have in times when that has been needed and scored goals for fun.

What we have now is a dip in form of the front three where they are NOT clicking and the decision-making is poor at the moment. That can be remedied on the training pitch and if the fans would just quit moaning and playing hindsight geniuses and get behind the team during tough times then maybe things would get better.

14.) 26 Feb 2019
26 Feb 2019 09:27:04
Red wolf brilliant post that lad. I pretty much agree with all you have got to say there.

15.) 26 Feb 2019
26 Feb 2019 09:28:26
Trent coming back into the team will help, as will Gomez.
Seems to me the biggest problem at the minute though is the front 3 and their lack of movement and making runs when the midfield have the ball and the midfield not being quick enough in attack.

16.) 26 Feb 2019
26 Feb 2019 09:39:31
Brilliant RedWolf. I initially wanted to reply this post with a big F for Just Another Name, but I realized that it'll wrong for me to do so. :)

17.) 26 Feb 2019
26 Feb 2019 09:43:12
I agree with some of your post Wirral but you must agree it has to change on the pitch now or we have no chance. We are sleep walking, drifting at the business end of the season. We have been told we were conserving energy so we could go full power at the end of the season. Well it is now or never.

At the end of the season I can't take people patting us on the head saying "it was a good ride", "weren't Liverpool unlucky" etc etc. It is still ours to lose but we have to change almost everything on the pitch. Demand higher tempo, quicker forward passing, Kieta must play, drive forward, etc etc. And can one of the players actually stand up and be counted and control the game or do something of genuine quality. We have been on the defensive for two months it must NOW be time to come out fighting attacking.

18.) 26 Feb 2019
26 Feb 2019 09:47:45
Spot on, Mikey. That is the issue we are having now and mind you, we had that issue earlier this season and we came out of it with flying colors. We just have to get it sorted and that can be done. What the team needs now is for us to persevere with them and support them cos well, we have NO other choice.

Now, if all people want to do is moan and bitch and look for scapegoats in case we don't win the league so they can claim that they are some kind of geniuses then, they are opening themselves to be met head-on with fierce rebuttals to such defeatist, cowardly attitude. We need fans to stand up and support the team, not defeatist bottlers who are only interested in being right about whatever the heck they think they should be right about. On to Watford.

19.) 26 Feb 2019
26 Feb 2019 10:11:13
Red Wolf it is a hell of a lot more than a blip. When performances and results are poor for 2 months it is a real problem not a blip.

Since Jan 1st
W3 D4 L2 there were reasons for some of the poor performances but agains't utd there should be no excuses. You should be saying that type of performance is not acceptable not just pretending all is ok. I trust Klopp is not just sticking his head in the sand and hoping for the best.

i trust Klopp today is digging out the players, kicking some of them up the arse, and telling them some home truths. We need a massive lift in performance on the pitch and I hope Klopp can drag them kicking and screaming into delivering starting agains't Watford.

20.) 26 Feb 2019
26 Feb 2019 10:27:43
Still not addressing the actual point of how to breach a compact deep sitting team! Talking everything else, calling out names, mocking, abusing. What’s the point if people hardly talk about the game and how the game is played.

21.) 26 Feb 2019
26 Feb 2019 10:37:25
Nailed it Markp08. Love your post. Massive fan.

22.) 26 Feb 2019
26 Feb 2019 10:46:39
Harry is back!

23.) 26 Feb 2019
26 Feb 2019 11:05:12
Cheers Just another name. We can still win this but we need big improvements.

24.) 26 Feb 2019
26 Feb 2019 11:11:35
Mark08, we should probably discard the Wolves FA Cup game; that was an unrecognisable Liverpool team.
And therein lies the problem, the strength of the squad.
Injuries have played a large part too in disrupting the team’s performance, most especially at full back I’d say.
If Liverpool do come up short in may, that’s likely why.
We’re maybe short of two or three quality subs on the bench - a quick forward, perhaps cover for both full backs?
But the team are not caving in, they’re not getting beaten, and we’re still top of the league!

25.) 26 Feb 2019
26 Feb 2019 11:36:10
Yes markup! We could still win but we have made it difficult for ourself! Shame we can’t talk about improvements on here as you would be labelled negative fan and a moaner.

26.) 26 Feb 2019
26 Feb 2019 11:42:40
It is not just a squad issue - who has played well in an attacking sense over the last 2 months?

Keita has had his moments but no end product.
Firmino 1 or 2 good games at the most, Salah the same.
Mane has scored a few goals recently but agains't Utd he had a shocker.
Robbo not upto his normal standard.
Hendo I won't even go there.
Gini done ok but he very rarely has a positive effect going forward.
Milner not at his earlier season form.
Shaq invisable.

Most of these are firm team players and they are not performing. The squad needs improving no doubt but the first 11 players are way off the pace.

27.) 26 Feb 2019
26 Feb 2019 12:14:48
Klopp should play Keita as he has more chance to score or assist than any other midfielder. Wiji and hendo are converted holding mid who are not going to score. Fabinho is the actual sitting mid who again doesn’t score enough. Then there is Milner who scores penalties and had only few goals from open play.

28.) 26 Feb 2019
26 Feb 2019 12:08:16
Red Wolf, I spent so long composing my response to Just another name that you beat me to it! You nailed it mate, saying everything I was going to and more.

Just another name, as a fellow Red (at least, I think you are a Red) I am concerned with your stress levels as there are another 11 PL knuckle biters to go. Might I suggest you take the following 3 actions to help manage your stress :

1. Get some perspective. Just take on board the wise words of Ed025 (think of him as Gandalf with a Scouse accent and an unhealthy dependency on Southern Comfort) .

2. Take a look at the PL table and absorb the fact that Liverpool are actually on top with 11 games to go, above the team which you seem to believe has better players, better tactics and by implication a better manager.

3. Accentuate the positives about our team such as we are top; we have the best defence and the second best attack; we have the joint top scorer; we have at the very least a world class keeper, centre back, central midfield player and 3 world class forwards; we have a manager who has been in this position before and won a top European league twice.

Now, isn’t that better than bitching and looking for negatives all the time? I am pretty sure that our team will have a better chance of winning the thing if we the fans offer support and positivity rather than criticism and negativity.

{Ed025's Note - great post WW, the world and his dog would give their eye teeth to be where liverpool are at the moment, enjoy it, embrace it and feel privileged that your team are back in the big time....and give a thought to the rest of us poor sods who are aiming for the 40 point mark mate..

29.) 26 Feb 2019
26 Feb 2019 12:37:54
In order to break down defensive teams we need to play a little deeper, and draw them out. Get Mané and Salah to hug the touch line so that we can stretch the opposition's defence. That will open up space down the channels for our midfielders to run into (look at Wijnaldum's recent goal) . But not only that, look at how City play, they drop off, pass the ball about deep and then ping it out to Sané who can then get in behind. The problem with us is that when teams sit deep, we keep up the pressure by playing such a high line. Whilst this keeps the pressure off our goal, it plays into the hands of the teams which are defensively organised.

30.) 26 Feb 2019
26 Feb 2019 12:52:55
Wirral
There are flaws and I talk about it on the page. If that’s bitching then I am sorry but I can’t help it.
Criticism is a part and parcel of football and it is what drive you forward in achieving the success. If you sit back relax and ignore the flaws, VVD would be at city and Allison would be at Chelsea by now, we shipped in goals, someone criticised it, the club had a look at it and decided to splash the cash! Simple!
There are many positives from the season. Nobody is denying it. Fans want to see the team win every games, performs well week in week out and we have been poor from two months.
There is no blip in football. It’s all a part of the plan, strategy and lack of proper quality. We will respond against Watford and the page will say the blip is over. It’s laughable. In reality it’s all about showing quality and balls against teams. Simple
If city lose their next game it’s not a blip! It’s the loss of Fernandinho!

31.) 26 Feb 2019
26 Feb 2019 12:57:29
Red Rum

City plays out form the back and invite the press and counter it by passing it precisely. We don’t play that way so there is no comparison how they bring the ball forward to ours.
City have wingers while Liverpool have inside forwards. Sane and sterling stays on the throw in lines providing them with width (one of the reason Mahrez doesn’t start often as he is no natural winger ) and their midfielders often occupies spaces up front.

City also don’t care about conceding goals as they have enough upfront to out score teams.

We need width from full backs. We don’t get it which is why we end up playing narrow and through the middle.
Once our full backs starts to hit then bylinr and take their man you will see us breaching the tight defense.

32.) 26 Feb 2019
26 Feb 2019 13:18:55
Just another name, sorry mate but you are just boring the arse off me now.

33.) 26 Feb 2019
26 Feb 2019 13:38:34
Either I'm going mad or certain people have no bloody idea what they're talking about, I won't name and shame but! Some of the stuff I read on here is absurd.

Eds, I feel for you, I aren't even joking, I really do because reading this kind of dross day in day out would make my blood boil. It does already and I'm not reading the filtered out stuff!

{Ed025's Note - its not too bad for me salah as im a blue, i just smile when i hear some of the stuff mate because i said a while back that its not the team "bottling it" but the supporters....and its gratifying to be proven right.. :)

34.) 26 Feb 2019
26 Feb 2019 13:57:28
Salah, we need the antidote and quick - a dose of your wonderful positivity please!

35.) 26 Feb 2019
26 Feb 2019 14:20:34
Just another name (for Harry), all I am saying is that we need to stretch defences more and draw the opposition out to allow us to get in behind. Im not talking about playing Mané and Salah on the wing all game, but when we are struggling, we just need to be a little smarter in possession. Other than that, I would like to see us keep going as we are. We are solid defensively and picking up points every game, it's just those moments like against United where Klopp needs to recognise the type of game we are in and make a couple of tactical changes to exploit the weaknesses of the opposition.

36.) 26 Feb 2019
26 Feb 2019 14:50:59
I think all this is just a case of the majority of supporters finally realising we are not going to win the league.
Bar a half decent save from our keeper we would be in an worse situation.

{Ed025's Note - why would people be realizing that walter?, i think guys like you just want to say "i told you so" if things go tits up, thats not being a supporter mate..

37.) 26 Feb 2019
26 Feb 2019 15:27:53
We are top of the league. We would all have taken this position at the beginning of the season. We could be 7 points clear and that is almost unbelievable looking at the other teams in this league. Klopp has got us to this position so in him I trust. I think we will pick up momentum now. Our games have been few and far between since Xmas, as we are out of both domestic cups and I think that has had an effect. We will be back to constant games every week now, 2 games a week and I think our players slip back into the groove that got us into this position.

We have a nice run in and I think we will win it.

38.) 26 Feb 2019
26 Feb 2019 18:05:29
I miss the smart little triangle play of last year with fullback, mf and a forward. Was not too complicated, often resulted in crosses from dangerous positions or runs into the box, especially v low defence.

Is my memory off? Have this play been seen through by everyone? Do we lack timing to perform it?

39.) 26 Feb 2019
26 Feb 2019 18:11:39
What is the point in being a supporter if your not able to enjoy the good times. Correct me if I'm wrong but surely being top of the table in March with only 11 games to go?! How often have we been envious of Utd, city or chelsea when in this position and simply had to accept that by this time in the season its usually a case of top four being our only achievement at best! I hate to say it but some of you honestly need to take a page out of the leicester City fans book and show a bit of belief and support for the players. No wonder the players are feeling the pressure when they are getting slated whilst being top of the league!