Liverpool Banter Archive December 26 2015

26 Dec 2015 21:13:43
I went to see the game today against Leicester. I havnt been for a while and to be honest i had sort of convinced myself that we would be lucky if we scrapped a draw. The atmosphere at the start reminded me of years gone by, when genuine child like excitement and expectations filled the ground. I was impressed, so waited in awe. I was not dissapointed. We are certainly not the finished article, but we were good, very good. Of course there were times when silly passes brought me down to earth again, and i realised we have a long way to go. But we played well and deserved to win easily. Lovren and Lallana were both outstanding, and until his injury, i thought Origi did an excellent job, get well soon Divoc.
Going back to anfield was a memorable experience and once again confirmed to me why i love this club. Good honest endeavour sprinkled with some tasty skils from our boys. Well done Mr Klopp, the tactics were spot on, and we got 3 massive points from the in form team sitting at the top of the league. Make no mistake, it was hard and they fought well, but we were better, . ps happy new year to Eds and everyone connected with this wonderful site.

26 Dec 2015 22:12:06
The contrast from the Watford game is extraordinary!
Thing is we hadn't won in a long time, we needed the result today.
Anyone else feel as if it seems like the big games are easier?

26 Dec 2015 22:33:41
Said it months ago. There isn't many big games were going to lose. No worries with them, its games like the last month which are going to be our downfall, palace, Newcastle, Watford.

More tactics than teams.

If we have more of the ball we dint seem to have that edge about us to get the wins, when we need to ckhnter attack then were great but there few and far between and are usually playing the big teams when they step out with the ball.

On another note lovrens looking like a bargain, lallanas coming along nicely just needs to get his final ball sorted (shooting and crossing), when the boys turn up there isn't many gaos that need filling for me we still need something else in the mid though, someone to step up or buy (I'm not sure what it is, maybe goals haha) but yeah the middle needs something, and then just pick who is going to be the starting striker when fkt and start learning to play wjyh him, benteke and origi require different game plans and if were going to get better we need to pick one.

Brjng on the next game and well do fellas today 😊.

26 Dec 2015 23:56:57
The OP is spot on. We were very good today. Lovren had his best game as a Red today and Lallana really needs to sort his head and his decision making out because he doesn't release the ball when needed and crosses without ever looking up. Apart from that, we were really good and kept their attack in check the whole game.

This was a game we really needed to win because without it, we would have been left behind in the top four race. For now, we're in the mix till the next game. Klopp and the boys can get some confidence from this for the next game. We are still a work in progress but we need more consistency performance wise to gain confidence.

27 Dec 2015 04:09:46
i don't normally post after a match but I do agree with the posts above. The big flag that normally sails across the kop came over the lower centenary today and I must admit put everyone in good spirits and song and I thought the atmosphere was brilliant this afternoon and possibly the best I've seen all season so far.

The game was one sided all afternoon, but we just lack a bit of spark or creativity in the final third

I imagine the possession stats must be something like Liverpool 70% and Leicester 30%

I am not going to start digging players out as I thought as a unit we worked hard and looked hungry today.

WTF was the lallana booking all about? I can't remember what Leicester player it was but he just booted the ball up his backside from a free kick and lallana got booked for obstructing play. surely the ref can't allow a quick free kick and have all opposition players 10 yards from the all at the same time?

27 Dec 2015 07:18:13
The referee wasn't even facing it, he was walking away and only when Leicester players moaned that he turned around. Watched all the game, very good performance, only bad points were, too often we get in good scoring positions only for a poor or wrong pass/ shot costing a goal, (benteke last minute), sakho seems to be our Titus Bramble, can be excellent but always does mistakes, and firmino disappears in every game especially physical ones, what we need probably not now but in the summer is instead of another full team of new players, top money on centre back, centre midfielder who is excellent breaking up play but can pass forward not sideways, we have good options when everyone's fit in attack, only questionable position is keeper, some days outstanding others not so, but show me a keeper who is available now that would be better.

26 Dec 2015 18:18:23
Henderson or Lovren for MOTM there, surely? I have always weirdly loved the combination of Lovren and Sakho at the back, and Lovren has shined recently when he has been told to attack the ball up the pitch. Skrtel and Sakho can be great. but the issue is they back off a lot when the opposition attacks. Nice to see Lovren have a very solid 90 minutes though, and Hendersons balls today were as good as his pre injury pases.

26 Dec 2015 18:26:33
Was at the match and thought Lovren was the best player in the pitch with lallana second, have criticised lallana but did well today. Firmino was weird as barely noticed he was on the pitch but set up first goal with a great ball and put benteke through (onto an open net with no keeper where he should have scored), but did put a shift in.

26 Dec 2015 18:38:37
Has to be Lovren. With all the stick that he got when playing under clueless Brendan, he refused to give up and kept fighting. Klopp has clearly told him to go back to basics and keep it simple and so far, it has worked wonders. So well done to him. A good performance from the captain is always expected and Hendo rose to the challenge, but Lovren was clearly MOTM for me.

26 Dec 2015 18:46:03
Mate it was Lovren hands down from the Kop.

26 Dec 2015 19:05:53
Lovren was great! The only thing is, he will put in good performances, not sure how he is after one mistake or games where we are pinned in a lot, seems to let his head drop easily.

26 Dec 2015 20:20:28
" and Hendersons balls today" - is this still a football website? ;o) lol.

27 Dec 2015 00:01:57
Lallana one of the best? Are you serious?! All he does is Cruyff turns and losing the ball!

27 Dec 2015 00:02:26
Lovren's best game as a Red, without question. A good shout for MOTM, IMO.

27 Dec 2015 08:44:00
Our centre backs struggle against physical strikers

Agree Lallana is one perfectly timed pass away from being a great player

Have no doubt about the quality of Firmino
I just think he needs more time to adjust
Klopp has faith in him.

27 Dec 2015 03:14:24
Firmino was quiet in the first half, still made some nifty plays, but nothing ground-breaking.

In the second half, however, Firmino was one of our best players.

Every single big chance we had in the second 45 Firmino created, including our only goal.

- set up Benteke's goal, which began with some brilliant give-and-go build up between Firmino, Can, and Coutinho.

- Also sent Henderson with a beautiful pass on a counter-attack. Despite three LFC forwards with him and a single Leicester defender back, Henderson bottled it (if I recall, he sent a pass in behind Benteke, and we were dispossessed) .

- It was also a long and fantastic pass from Firmino, after recovering the ball off a press, that sent Benteke in on a counter with an open goal. Somehow, Benteke bottled it.

Speaking of which, lots of selfish plays today from Origi, Benteke, and a once or twice from Emre Can. Too often, all three blast the ball recklessly (usually missing too) when a small and short pass to a teammate (usually Firmino, Lallana, and/ or Coutinho) would lead to a likely goal or clear shot on goal.

26 Dec 2015 17:01:19
Very good win, I am particularly happy for Benteke after all the abuse he got here. He maybe not the quickest but who care as he is by far one of our best finishers especially when Sturridge is injured and coutino is not in his best form. It wasn't an easy finish either, he had to strecth and it was a very good goal.

If I will have a pound for every time the word top4 will be mentioned here tonight I am sorted for next Xmas shopping so let me be the first to say, yes, a good win, we played against a strong opponent and were the first to keep a clean sheet against them, very nice but we are still not good enough for top4, especially our game in the last third. But a very nice way to finish the year. Well done.

26 Dec 2015 17:18:10
Good win.
Forget top 4, let's win the Europa!

26 Dec 2015 17:21:41
Happy we won, happy with Benteke decidedly less so.

26 Dec 2015 17:25:06
Fanobip, Can you give me 4 teams who are good enough for top 4 this season . You must admit its been very strange one and I think we have just as good chance as any of finishing up there.

26 Dec 2015 17:51:18
City and Arsenal are shoe ins. The rest could be anyone, I think Spurs should be third favourites. United getting worse, Leicester could, but probably won't keep it up, Watford will probably slip up too, and palace, Pardew isn't a good manager, when it gets tough he won't be able to resolve it. In my eyes if us or united sort it out, they will get the 4th spot.

26 Dec 2015 17:40:18
Our Goal difference is the worst in the top 6. Just saying who knows it might come down to good in the end,

26 Dec 2015 17:47:15
Roy, Arsenal and City are nailed on for the top dots while Spurs deserves for their performance this season and no team has dropped out from Top 4 leading in Christmas.

We are 11 behind Leicester and 5 behind Spurs.

26 Dec 2015 19:06:59
Roy, we are not good enough for the top4 (at least not yet) .
We may have won today but there will be a lot of bumps this season and they may be worse than the ones we experienced at Watford and Newcastle. This is a long term project Klopp has taken on, and he will take his time to build a proper side.
There are other teams like Arsenal, City, Spurs and Leicester that are way ahead of us and i really do not see us catching up with them, the gap is too big imo.

26 Dec 2015 20:23:02
Benteke gets abuse about his workrate / lack of movement (especially when we are attacking and he isn't in the box) not his speed.

Good that he scored but if he worked harder both him and the team would benefit!

27 Dec 2015 18:38:40
Said it before, but he needs taking to the club shop and being loaded up with DVDs of Ian Rush playing. He knew all about movement AND defending from the front.

26 Dec 2015 11:39:27
Ed2 you mentioned in your list that you see it as unlikely we would get matip and subotic. (correct me if i'm wrong) . I've noted that matip can also play as a defensive midfielder. Would he not been seen as playing there and moving on milner and allen? Thanks.

{Ed002's Note - No, I said it was unlikely both would arrive in January. If Klipperty looks to Matip it would be as a Toure replacement and he probably could provide cover as DM. Not sure where Milner comes in to this.}

26 Dec 2015 17:12:04
The club's plan seems to be Subotic in Jan and Matip in the summer. Toure like Ed002 said will definitely leave, but i think Skrtel will also bite the bullet in the summer.

27 Dec 2015 00:17:31
And so should Milner and Allen.

26 Dec 2015 14:21:00
Think with today's team, and last weeks reluctance to get benteke on the pitch, his days might be numbered under klopp. Looking forward to seeing lovren and sakho forming a pairing at the back. Long since campaigned for them to be the CB partnership.

26 Dec 2015 14:55:21
This is not the game for Benteke, we need pace up front to hurt them.

26 Dec 2015 17:30:37
How he didn't score a 2nd at the end is beyond me.
Full of confidence and a defender to beat and he scuffs it?

26 Dec 2015 18:14:40
Watched the match in a bar and I don't think anyone there could believe he hadn't scored. An open goal, keeper floundering miles behind, omg what a mess up.

Still, three points and looking a bit better - maybe back on track.

26 Dec 2015 11:30:14
EDs, all the best for Xmas and New Year. May your inputs be as accurate and consistent as it has been over the years since gone.

002 A brilliant synopsis of what may or may not happen.

I'm sure you guys worked at MI5 MI6 or other. Or maybe you are just to damn smart.

26 Dec 2015 00:15:51
Hi Ed's bit of a change of topic from players,

I remember reading about a swedish team, who wanted Awoniyi as well, and discussed trying to created a partnership between them and liverpool have you heard anything about this?

Are there any links globally that we have officially or unofficially. i have seen what the ones are on football manager but whether that is fiction or not i do not know!

Merry Christmas!

{Ed002's Note - This will be Kalmar who had a pre-contract with Awoniyi from 18 months or so ago torn up when Liverpool took him on earlier this year. Liverpool paid compensation to Kalmar who he was due to sign a professional contract with in August - the understanding being that no charges of impropriety would be leveled at Liverpool of either of teo individuals. There was certainly no relationship being built between the clubs. Liverpool may lend ore that one player to a particular club (e.g. swindon) on occasion but do not have any structured programme or relationships in place. Work permit issues will continue for Awoniyi and at some point LIverpool will need to make a decision about his future.