Liverpool Banter Archive March 28 2017

28 Mar 2017 21:21:23
Hi Eds, just wondering if we have any interest in ...

{Ed002's Note - Try the search engine for random name.}

28 Mar 2017 17:17:40
Hi Ed's and Macca.

This one is for Macca in particular.

It has been nearly a year since we heard from yourself regarding any Liverpool related matters.

Where are you?! Lol.

Hope all is well.

Kam.

28 Mar 2017 18:15:28
Hey Macca any news? Eds do you heard or spoke to him even if nothing else be good to know he is doing alright.

{Ed002's Note - I have not visited to speak with him - places like that give me the creeps. Obviously they don't allow phones or computers there.}

28 Mar 2017 18:28:57
Struggling with a witty reply whilst sitting in the audience waiting for my 8 years olds school play to begin. Alice in Wonderland. Hmm has Macca gone down the Rabbit hole?

28 Mar 2017 20:09:22
Won't be hearing from macca anymore unfortunately.

28 Mar 2017 21:15:41
Sad news but thanks Benny.

29 Mar 2017 10:35:07
Is he alright? Why won't he be back?

28 Mar 2017 16:46:49
Oh dear Lallana injured whilst on international duty. It's not like that ever happens to our players.

Rotten luck speedy recovery I hope. Is Grujic close enough to fitness to get a look in?

28 Mar 2017 16:51:50
Gotta love the international break.

29 Mar 2017 03:51:04
injuries are part and parcel of the game, this is where klopp earns his money, he has options it will be interesting to see what he comes up with, ironic that emre can has suddenly become a key player for us, especially if Henderson is also out injured.

29 Mar 2017 04:27:38
Cos our players never get injured on liverpool duty.

28 Mar 2017 14:59:47
Ed001 if you wouldn't mind, could I get your opinion on momo sissoko as a player? For whatever reason strangely he was my favourite as a kid and had him on the back of my shirt despite all the stars we had at the time. Gutted when he went to juve.

{Ed001's Note - I loved him, he was growing into a truly great midfielder until the horrible eye injury he suffered. He would have been absolutely perfect for our current system. He broke up play, could pass and worked his backside off. Such a shame he never got to achieve his true potential.}

28 Mar 2017 15:11:55
We had the greatest midfield in the world. Xabi Alonso, Momo Sissoko, Gerrard and Mascherano.

28 Mar 2017 20:50:11
It really was a smashing midfield and to think where some of the players we had ended up I wonder out of the current squad who could end up having a trophy laden career.

28 Mar 2017 10:35:12
Hey ed01, a question for you: do you see Klopp's system evolving into the next season?
Let me elaborate. I have to admit that his switch to a kinda, sorta 4-3-3 this season caught me by surprise, mostly because of the way he changed Lallana's role and integrated Wijnaldum, whom I initially though would turn out to be an overly expensive sub for Mane (shows what I know, eh? ) .

Now then, our first choice front three have proven to be a match for anyone in the league, and to an extent the midfield can make similar boasts. However, it is expected that we will be bringing a left winger and perhaps a forward to replace Sturridge.

They might simply take a rotational role, especially during the initial acclimatization, but let us say for argument's sake that someone proves exceptionally good and breaks into the first team (or, worse case scenario, is forsed into it due to "promises") . How would you expect the system to change, and whom of our starting eleven would you drop to the bench?

A highly subjective question, of course, because noone can know what is happening in that mysterious mind of Klopp's :>.

{Ed001's Note - Klopp has always evolved his system gradually. He used to favour two holding mids, now he uses a system which does not even feature one, in essence. I expect him to continue to evolve his tactics gradually to suit the players he has at his disposal.}

28 Mar 2017 14:15:39
11 outfield players then 😄.

28 Mar 2017 09:02:41
All this talk about a LW, i understand we could do with 1 more attacking player if people leave etc. But we are top scorers in the hardest league in the world, why are we not talking about signing defenders, it's obvious how bad we need a marquee centre back. When milners been your most consistent defender you know when summer comes that has to be priority to sort out. I was just wondering if the Ed's had any idea if we are working on defensive targets?

{Ed002's Note - I have explained the situation - read the posts. Listen to the Sharkopod.}

28 Mar 2017 13:57:59
I get that we are top scorers but I have said this before and I will say it again; our goal tally is skewed.

We have drawn 0-0 with United, 0-0 with Southampton, lost 2-0 to Burnley, lost 2-0 to Hull, Drawn 1-1 with Spurs (Milner penalty), 1-1 with United (Milner penalty) and 1-1 City (Milner penalty) . That is 7 out of 29 league games (or basically a quarter) just off the top of my head that we have failed to score from open play. Can we really afford to draw a blank in that many games? We won't always be able to count on a Ref giving us a decision.

Not to mention games in the cup against Plymouth, Wolves, Southampton (both legs) etc where we never looked a serious threat.

Top scorers in the league means nothing when you skew the truth by scoring 6 against Watford at home, 5 against Hull at home, 4 against a dejected Leicester at home, 4 against Palace under Pardew, 4 against Arsenal with three of their usual defenders missing, 3 at Middlesborough, 3 at Bournemouth etc.

Too many times we have won by scoring big and then turned up the next week and not had a single clear cut chance. I love Coutinho, Firmino and Mane but we really do need a different option up top. Anybody who thinks otherwise is clearly in denial.

28 Mar 2017 14:54:39
Why do you have to score from open play?
Penalties are a valid form of scoring.
It's basically 4 games out of 29 where we have drawn a blank and we drew two of the games.

For fairness I think you should also talk about our number of clean sheets in the league. It is also 7, so ask yourself 'can we really afford to concede in over 75% of our league games? '
I think it's clear where our real weakness is.
You talk about being in denial 😆.

28 Mar 2017 18:03:57
Ron I would definitely not argue that we have a far more glaring issue at the back. I think we need a new left back, if Arnold isn't ready a new right, and if Karius is not going to play a new keeper. Even after that you could make a very strong case for us needing a better centre back as well.

I am not denying, nor have I have denied that we need to improve the defence; primarily left back. I am merely pointing out that we have struggled to score in more than just a few cup games in January as some would have you believe.

I didn't even include games against Everton (0-1 win), Chelsea (1-1 draw), Leicester (3-1 loss), City (1-0 win) where despite us scoring a goal that wasn't a penalty and getting some good results we still struggled to put the ball in the net. Even the recent 2-1 win against Burnley was rather fortunate as our front 3 struggled so much that we needed 2 goals from midfield.

Penalty goals are as legitimate as any other goal; to coin a phrase, "they all count"! However there will be games where we should have had a penalty (such as the league cup game against the Saints or the recent 1-1 at City) and the referee will get it wrong. All teams should endeavour to be good enough to win even on days where decisions go against you. Scoring a penalty because Paul Pogba has a brain fart and thinks he is playing volleyball will not happen that often so you have to do enough to win from open play and take penalties as a bonus.

28 Mar 2017 19:18:28
I'm not arguing we have a problem breaking teams down, it's the most frustrating thing to watch us faff about in the centre circle with the ball waiting for the opponents to get organised.

That's a issue with the midfield, they hold onto the ball far too long.
We're not realistically going to sign 7-8 new first team players so I think if we focus on the defence we will be more productive as a team.

28 Mar 2017 23:58:09
I'm not sure it is the midfield myself. I think Can, Henderson and Gini are all capable of playing an early pass. It is just very difficult to play someone in when Coutinho and Firmino are both, more often than not, coming short for the ball. Coutinho needs to be deeper so he can play that killer pass in behind for Mane and a similar player on our left side. Or at least that is my opinion of the situation.

29 Mar 2017 07:20:45
I'm not sure it is chances either. I seem to remember even the low scoring games the number of chances or half chances created was big. The issue to me anyway is there isn't someone who will consistently put away chances, hence such a wide spread of scorers. Do need to be able to create against the defensive teams but also need someone to be consistently in the right place, consistently finishing and consistently fit. Getting all 3 seems to be struggle. Creative ability doesn't seem to be the challenge so much.

{Ed001's Note - and we are scoring plenty. It is not goal scoring we lack. Why do so few of you get this? Goals win games, but defences win titles. Until we have a decent defence it will not matter how many we score.}

29 Mar 2017 13:56:42
Ed001 I don't disagree, I'm of same view as MK, defence is priority but number of goals is a bit misleading. Considering the games that will cost LFC the title improving the defence would turn many of the losses into draws, which isn't a negative at all. But it isn't the sole difference between 1st and not 1st this season. The chances were there to have turned them into wins. I'm not even arguing need more players just needs some consistency from one of the forwards across a season which hasn't been there to date at same time as defence improving.

{Ed001's Note - losses into draws and draws into wins sounds like the difference between winning the league and not to me. Sorry but you are quoting extremely misleading stats with no context to argue about someone else's extremely misleading stats with no context. The whole lot is crap because it takes no account of any outside issues, such as pressure. Some of the losses could have been turned into wins with a better defence, such as the 2-0 to Burnley, who gained heart due to having a lead to defend. If we didn't concede sloppy goals, would they have defended quite to the same level? Hard to be sure, but I think anyone who watched it could see that their players played out of their skin and that their goals scored was a big factor in giving them a lift to aid that performance level. You are talking what ifs and maybes, then complaining about others doing the same, in essence. Fixing the defence should be the only thing we worry about this summer. Misleading is what you are doing with the missed chances stats, as that will improve when forwards and midfielders have more confidence, which stems from the defence.}

29 Mar 2017 21:35:39
Ed001 all true and yep what ifs go all ways as you say. If anything I'm taking the need to improve defence as just a given. Can see teams fancy having a go at Liverpool's defence.

28 Mar 2017 07:28:30
Great to see young joe gomez getting a full 90 mins for england last night.