Liverpool Banter Archive January 29 2018

29 Jan 2018 22:05:23
My man crush has finally left 😢

If there was ever a player I've wanted to succeed at this club it was Studge. There was something about him, the lad with all the talent in the world who hadn't quite managed to make it at City and Chelsea but found his home at Liverpool. He was brilliant in his first 18 months, managing to make the incredible seem nonchalant and scoring at a rate that would make our legends jealous.

Even over the last three and a half seasons he's still reminded us of his ability, just a taster here or there, as if he was saying 'i still got it, I can still be amazing for this club'.

I knew he was never a great fit for Klopp, that he could never deliver the tempo that Klopp demanded, but I thought he could be that elusive plan b that we so sorely lack but every injury set back made it more likely that it wasn't going to be.

Goodbye Studge and thanks for the memories. In another universe somewhere you're a Liverpool legend but sadly it's a different story in this one. I hope you find your rythm at West Brom, I hope you find your consistency, I hope I get to see you at your best again.

29 Jan 2018 22:15:06
He is going home mate, isn't he from Birmingham .

29 Jan 2018 22:23:15
Gone on loan, id love to see him do really well and then return for us and be a beast, I have my doubts mind but it's a nice thought, respect to him, on his day he's top quality. Hope he can be the player he once was, good luck to him.

29 Jan 2018 22:30:51
Just didn't fit klopps heavy metal football more like 80s disco.

29 Jan 2018 23:12:59
That goal in the europa league final 👍.

30 Jan 2018 04:31:09
special goals vs everton, villa, and ironically vs west brom, for the price we paid danny boy did great, sadly injuries took there toll, he was also a credit to the club off the pitch and has never had a bad word to say about the club, now what do I do with my number 15 sturridge top?

29 Jan 2018 21:24:45
Liverpools average spend on transfers since FSG took over £ 27.65 million. Waro I am starting to agree with you.

29 Jan 2018 21:34:00
Yeah 28 million is such a low amount.

29 Jan 2018 21:39:00
So the only way the owners are successful to you is if they spend more than they earn? You know our previous owners got us in a lot of debt by that model. You need to stop worrying about net spend and how much we buy/ sell players for. we should be worrying about the quality of player coming in, and that the owners are backing our managers. We now know they are backing Klopp based on the players we've signed and slowly but surely our transfers in are becoming better quality.
If you found out a relative ran a business and spent more money they they earnt just to keep people happy you would call them a fool.

29 Jan 2018 21:47:06
They've spent £75m this window alone. Stupid thing to say.

29 Jan 2018 21:52:42
When FSG took over the club was operating at a loss of £1m a week and our record transfer was £23m, we hadn't won a trophy in 5 years, Roy Hodgson was our budget manager and Joe Cole was a marquee signing.

Fast forward 8 years and they've spent close to £800m on transfers, increased the stadium capacity by about 10,000, won a League cup, reduced debts to a manageable amount, and got us into a position where we are so competitive financially we can spend £75m on a single centre back and make him one of the top 10 earners in the league.

If you can't appreciate what they have done, you're deluded. Sure, they've made mistakes. The Suarez debacle, appointing Rodgers, appointing Comolli, raising ticket prices when it wasn't necessary etc.

By and large, they've been fantastic owners and they have given Dalglish £120m, Rodgers £320m and Klopp £320m. If we can't win silverware, it is nothing to do with a lack of financing and the blame lies at the managers who have spent a fortune and achieved nothing with serious backing. Klopp was a manager every club in the world wanted so you can't blame them for appointing him either.

I don't get the hatred aimed at them at all. Maybe some people miss signing Poulsen, Jovanovic, Konchesky and Cole? Maybe some people wanted the club to go into liquidation and we could be AFC Liverpool, owned by the ironically named SOS?

29 Jan 2018 22:05:05
Well said MK.

29 Jan 2018 22:22:37
I am all for our American owners, but I wish that they were more into the football that we play, and taking away buying VVD, as it is a very recent buy, we have spent virtual nothing on our back four and Keeper, hence why we are so easy to score against,
and yes, when we play our very best eleven, we do have a decent team,
but once we start to rest players and change Keepers, we concede .

29 Jan 2018 22:32:49
Well said mk great post.

29 Jan 2018 22:48:05
You's do know that the owners don't buy any of the players. Pretty sure klopp does that. It's just the club's and their money. Time and time again it has been said the money is there if the right players are. As much as we all know we need a keeper and possibly another cb to play beside that 75 million one. We already have 3 keepers. 2 of which I imagine are on high wages. Just like 2 cbs who were starters 3 weeks ago. Not only does the right have to be there, then available, then persuaded to come to Liverpool instead of barca, Madrid, Munich, PSG, City. etc but we also need to sell the unwanted players we have. Or should we bring in Allison/ Oblak/ Leno and just let karius and migs sit and take 2 big paychecks home every week. Cause unfortunately we can't force teams to pay what we want or them to move to a lower club and take a paycut when we decide.

29 Jan 2018 23:56:49
MK Scouser, I agree with your sentiment, but I do find it difficult to point the fingers of blame on three managers (I am ignoring poor old Roy) for lack of success and completely excuse the owners. They have to share the blame, if anything they hired these managers and sacked them . Given the manager post to Kenny then sacked him after delivering 2 finals and a cup (our last silverware and the only one under FSG) .

They do spend the money no doubt about that, but don't you think there is something wrong with our transfer (purchase) policy. A lot of this money was wasted on players that have come and gone without making an impact and for a lot less than their purchase price. 34 players were bought by Rodgers, 12 only remain (Out of which are Sturridge, Markovic and Origi who are now on loan) and of the 22 that moved on, only Coutinho was sold for more than his purchase price.
I fear Klopp is heading towards similar statistics, obviously we can only write about it in a couple of years time, but so far 14 bought by Klopp and only around 8 what we can call regular first teamers.

30 Jan 2018 00:05:26
Well said MK. I for one am thankful to FSG for still giving me a club to support. It could have been so different.

30 Jan 2018 00:14:48
Why do people think every position has to be a £50 million player. get over it.

Baz.

30 Jan 2018 08:39:19
I don’t agree with the Rodgers comment, that guy made mistakes and by all accounts he perhaps let things go to his head. However, he’s the manager who’s come closest to ending our league title drought. Yes, he had some terrific players but Despite the arm chair managers on here I don’t think any of us would have achieved the same with the players. Isn’t there some sort of saying associated with our club, what is it now? Ah yes, you’ll never walk alone.

30 Jan 2018 08:43:49
Disagree on Rodgers. He inherited a really poor squad, albeit with Suarez and Gerrard, and within 2 years took us to almost winning the league he deserves some credit. Add to the fact he wasn’t allowed to sign the likes of VVD and Alli and signed Couts and Sturridge he wasn’t all bad.

Suppose there were also poor signings, but that 13/ 14 season we played some seriously unreal football. If only VAR was in back then we would have won the league imo. Defeat at City and Chelsea with terrible decisions against us!

30 Jan 2018 08:52:07
The fact that we have such a low net is as much down to how much people have paid for our players as it is anything else. I mean we sold Ibe and Smith to Bournmouth for a combined £21m one window. We also lost very little on a number of players that should have been worth much less when we sold them than when we bough them like Benteke, Aspas, Borini and Sakho. It's massively swayed how our figures look to make it seem like we jhavent invested - we have, but we've also got premium prices for players that probably didn't justify them. And of course, selling three players bought for a combined £40m for over 5 times that amount also skews it slightly.

30 Jan 2018 11:10:52
i’m not sure you mean "average spend". if the average is 27mil then that 2+ seasons ago would have been a high amount.
If you mean net spend, leave it lol.

29 Jan 2018 21:14:08
I'll say this and I'll say no more tonight; I'll be extremely annoyed if tomorrow evening I see Wijnaldum's name on the starting team sheet.

29 Jan 2018 21:32:04
Wijnaldum, Matip or Can. If any of those 3 are on the pitch i think I'll turn it off and go enjoy my night instead 😂 i don't have any hair left to pull out.

29 Jan 2018 21:43:39
Add Milner to that list.

29 Jan 2018 21:46:13
You're not too far off my line of thinking at all MK!

Good night reds, tomorrow needs to be a brighter day, a win is an absolute must and no excuses.

29 Jan 2018 21:50:14
do we have a three man midfield without playing Can Orr gini mk? Hendo and? I'd rather them than Milner.

29 Jan 2018 22:03:05
Can Hendo Ox for me. Can looks better when he has Hendo helping him out and shouting instructions at him.

Or i wouldn't mind play 442 with Hendo and Ox in the middle, Mane and Salah wide, then Bobby and Ings up top.

29 Jan 2018 22:05:54
I'd play Hendo and Chamberlain as a two, with Ings up front, with Firmino just off him in a free second striker role. Mane and Salah on the wings.

Milner is not good enough full stop, and Gini/ Can just aren't good enough on the ball for games where we will dominate possession. They all want too many touches and it will slow us down too much and give Huddersfield an age to get back into position. I'd play a flat back 4 though with Gomez, Virgil, Klavan and Robbo.

I think that way we can get away with a two man midfield as the defence will be solid and Ings, Mane, Firmino and Salah all work tirelessly from the front.

29 Jan 2018 22:24:23
I like gini, attacking wing-type player learning a box to box CM role. Maybe ya'll should be tearing ya hair out at klopp?

29 Jan 2018 22:27:47
thats a good team MK, I just Hope that Klopp reads this Banter page, cos he seems to have a problem with his team selection .

29 Jan 2018 22:34:31
We will draw tomorrow I think.

29 Jan 2018 22:47:52
Some kind of telepathy going on there MK!

29 Jan 2018 23:25:07
Haha, must've both sent them in at near enough the exact same time Taurus!

29 Jan 2018 23:27:18
I see another lacklustre performance and frustrating loss. Every year under klopp we have a mini slump around or after Christmas before a resurgence.

He will pick can and gini and ox again, klopp is stubborn.

30 Jan 2018 05:31:44
Wow. Interestingly, people couldn't give Wini, Can and Ox enough credit when they were the midfield three in the win over City. Now they are dross again? How fickle my fellow Liverpool supporters can be. can't make this stuff up.

30 Jan 2018 06:48:18
Brisbane-For me Gini was one of the few who was poor against City, although I have never rated him and got panned regularly on here for saying it.
Saying that, if we beat Spurs I’m sure everyone on here will be blowing smoke up his arse again, fans are so fickle. I don’t mind Can and think he’s got potential but he’s literally gone from world class to awful in most people’s opinion on here in the space of 2 weeks!

30 Jan 2018 07:20:00
Have a nice night MK 🤝

Milton Keynes is your oyster 😉.

30 Jan 2018 08:27:28
Yes brisbane they all had great games against swansea and the baggies, keep them in the team until they feel like turning up again in a few months.

No one said they were rubbish, but they have clearly dipped in form resulting in them letting bottom of the league teams waltz right through them. that's the whole point of having a squad, when players get tired or stop trying we bring in someone else, its not fickle or rocket science.

29 Jan 2018 20:00:24
Looking at the predicament we now find ourselves in, ie no couts, no Lallana we have lost the creativity in midfield. I think if we could sign mahrez it would be a good move. can play in the CL as well. Not sure this will be popular but I'd settle for this right now.

29 Jan 2018 20:14:44
If Klopp really wanted Mahrez, we would have bid for him. He's not here means Klopp is not interested and will not panic buy just to make do or please anyone. Also if Mahrez was that good, why is he still at Leicester? Btw, Mahrez is not the answer IMO as he is lazy, inconsistent and plays when he feels like it, all the "qualities" Klopp despises. Signing no one is better than signing someone the manager does not believe in.

29 Jan 2018 20:15:01
please tell me which one of couts or lallana really made the difference when we played against Man City?
Who we managed to score 4 goals past as well
For most of the season Adam L has been missing so how do now only miss his creativity going towards the end of the season?
Mane is a bigger loss when he does not play then Adam L.

29 Jan 2018 20:34:49
The players raised the game. Now j junior explain Swansea and WBA?

29 Jan 2018 20:47:34
It’s not against the likes of Man City we need to be more creative against because City play “football” not “anti-football”
Klopp’s gegenpressing works against teams like City
Where pressing doesn’t work is teams like WBA who don’t come to play football and just launch the ball over the press and keep 8 men behind the ball when we’re in possession.

29 Jan 2018 20:52:27
The criticism of Mahrez could be applied to Wij and Can lately. At least Mahrez could run at defences and open up space. All our current players pass side to side in hope more than anything.

29 Jan 2018 20:56:50
Ron sorry but WBA didn't stick 8 men behind the ball they had a go mate.

29 Jan 2018 21:24:48
I think there are other issues that contributed to our recent form. Mane and some other players are not playing well at the moment. This could be down to illness or personal issues, They are people, we are supporters so why don't we support. There is quality in the team, I don't think Coutinho leaving is the reason behind our dip in form.

29 Jan 2018 21:31:16
cant explain the last two defeats acered but can explain the 18 mathces before them
stop panicking mate calm down and look at the bigger picture not just the last 180 minutes we have played.

29 Jan 2018 21:46:08
I can explain the last two games. The same as the eight draws and other two league defeats, lack of quality in the middle of the park. When our front three are on fire then it doesn’t matter what else happens, but if they don’t, then we are in trouble.

29 Jan 2018 22:12:09
Fair enough Wba had a go but they didn’t play it out from the back much.

29 Jan 2018 22:49:52
mahrez has won a league title and man of the year. how many players on our current team have done that? this won't be popular but just some perspective.

29 Jan 2018 18:54:21
Evening all.

Ed001, with the Studge loan looking likely, do you think we'll see a bit more of Solanke and or even Young Woodburn for a few games?

Cheers.

{Ed001's Note - Studge was gone anyway, Ings has already replaced him in the squad. Not sure why it would make a difference if he goes on loan.}

29 Jan 2018 19:10:58
Sturridge going on loan is not going to change anything as he was not in Klopp's plans and was struggling for playing time. Ings and Solanke will be back up with Mane, Firmino and Salah our first choice front three.

Woodburn is far from ready and way down the pecking order behind Solanke and Ings.

29 Jan 2018 19:15:56
Fair enough, not really been keeping up with what’s happening with Studge, just read tonight WBA is liking the likely destination.

Hopefully Ings can can get a couple of goals under his belt .

29 Jan 2018 18:23:45
Eds, do you not think Liverpool, by not signing their targets in this window. E. g not signing lemar as Monaco are asking to much. run the risk of paying more in the summer anyway if they have a good World Cup? So surely it would make more sense to just pay what the teams are asking now. Instead of waiting till after a World Cup which could increase their price even more. Plus every other team in top 6 has strengthened and imo we have became weaker. Thus making it even hard to remain in the top 4.

Thanks.

{Ed001's Note - there is also the chance that the club will improve financially by improved sponsorship deals to give more spending power. How can anyone know if prices will increase? Usually when a ridiculous amount smashes the transfer record there is a slight increase across the board but nothing anywhere near that huge fee and then it gradually creeps up over time until it gets back there. I think it will be similar now and prices will be a bit more stable over the next year or two, probably the next TV deal will decide what happens financially.}

29 Jan 2018 18:54:30
I mean really? Can anyone explain why we were going to pay more for Keita in this window compared to what we are when he signs this coming summer?

Really people, why do transfer windows have to be made so complicated?

Why are Juve waiting till the summer to sign Can? Would Barcelona have paid less or more for Coutinho if he had only gone to Barcelona in the summer?

I bet everyone has the answers?

29 Jan 2018 20:34:03
Or we can get a deal done for him now and get him (whoever he is) in the summer at the price we want right now to mitigate against any rise in price.

29 Jan 2018 17:35:18
The short sightedness of lfc fans blows my mind sometimes. Expecting Messi or his equivalent every transfer window and throwing a fit when it doesn't happen. Coutinho had to go. No way around it and honestly, he didn't play a number of games this season when he was here and we had no issue finding goals. So, we need a replacement, yes. But if one isn't available what are we to do? Buy someone for the sake of buying? And who would you have us buy? Sanchez nearing 30 and on huge wage demands? A player who, yes can be great, but also go missing and sulk around the field. Or mykintarian who has not managed to come good in how many seasons at United? Or maybe you want to pay over the odds because everyone knows we have countinho money and expect more from us because of it? And to call for fsg out to me is laughable. It's like the 'supporters' forget what position we were in when they bought the club. No they're not abromovich etc and spend to spend. And I hope none of us would want that. It's going to make it that much better when we finally win the league. That being said, we need a defensive mid. Can and wini aren't good enough and we can't rely on Henderson to be fit. We need a gk or give ward a run migs and karius aren't good enough. And then we need a CB pairing for VVD. Matip is adequate cover but now where near the level we should expect especially considering the decade plus we had pairings of hyypia, carragher, agger etc. Yes we need to strengthen. We all know our biggest problem areas. But you can't manifest a player and you can't force them to play for us. So let's all calm down a bit.

29 Jan 2018 17:58:50
100% agree mate.

29 Jan 2018 18:01:02
If expecting us to replace our best player after selling him half way through the season is shortsighted then i guess im shortsighted. I cannot believe people are happy about us ending this window without replacing what we have lost in Coutinho, its not like we haven't had since the summer to plan his replacement. Im not FSG out, but im still annoyed were consistently the top team that weakens whilst the others continue to strengthen, this transfer window is the exact reason players like torres have left in the past.

{Ed001's Note - when did we sell Salah or Firmino? Amazing how Coutinho became our best player the moment he wanted out, before then he was inconsistent etc. Sad how fans have changed.}

29 Jan 2018 18:11:20
Lol exactly Ed. Coutinho was never our best player, I'd of always put Firmino before him, then of course when Salah joined he was twice the player Coutinho was.

{Ed001's Note - nobody said he was until he wanted out.}

29 Jan 2018 18:29:13
He was the best player, if Firmino or Salah was the best, they'd be at Barcelona now after a £160m move.

{Ed001's Note - if it worked as simply as you clearly do, yes that would be correct, but it does not. If you are going to make idiotic statements like that there is no point talking at all. Clearly you have the transfer dealings sense of Brendan Rodgers, not thinking about what a team needs and think it is just about collecting the best players you can get. Coutinho was bought because he suits the role they wanted him to play, neither Salah nor Firmino do. Last season Mane was head and shoulders above the rest of our players, using your 'logic' they should have spent the summer trying to buy him then.}

29 Jan 2018 18:30:24
If you don't think he was than that's your opinion, everyone is allowed one. But let's be real if not the best he was one of the best and a very important player, the fact is we now go into the second half of the season with our top 4 competitors strengthening and us weakening our teams.

{Ed001's Note - the only player gone from the first team is Coutinho, the arrival of VVD should have balanced out that. He was far from important, as was shown by the fact that whenever he has been missing our results have not suffered at all. Suddenly he is the messiah when he did nothing to prove himself worthy of the adoration he gets while here. We were dog turd when he played in games against low block teams all last season, yet suddenly people are blaming his going for us struggling against them in the last 2 games. Short memories.}

29 Jan 2018 18:31:15
for the last 2 seasons Coutinho was voted player of the year by both his team mates and the fans. Last year voted player of the year by former players association (5 times) .

{Ed001's Note - so what? McManaman won those year after year when he was nowhere near the best player in the team. He spent his career with us running down blind alleys but, just like Coutinho, it gets forgotten that he wastes 90% of possession because once in a blue moon he does something special. Those awards are meaningless and come down to MOTD moments.}

29 Jan 2018 18:37:54
Oh I know Ed1 mate and now suddenly he's the best thing since sliced bread, what a joke. He is a good player there's no doubt about that and I'm not saying he wasn't but our best? far from it. He had very few good games for us this season, in fact at times it was like playing with 10 men because he did bugger all some of the games he actually played for us.

I'm actually overall very happy we got rid of him, he was causing issues and needed to be gone. I'm also ok with not buying a replacement yet, it is what it is, I'd rather wait until the summer and see what our options are then because to me, we have more positions to worry about other then that position.

29 Jan 2018 18:39:46
LiverpoolFC8, i think you need to watch the game a little better mate if you think he was better then Salah and or Firmino, he was nowhere near their quality.

29 Jan 2018 18:40:12
Firmino is our best player. Coutinho is brilliant and was for us too but he was just part of a great attacking set of players. The rest are still here.
Coutinho was probably the most capable of those magic moments but salah and firminos work running and class would have them ahead of him for me. This year anyway.

29 Jan 2018 18:47:32
Beautiful thread led by the OP. Some LFC fans have the attention span of the American public. It lats about two minutes. I remember people giving Cou the business when he wanted to leave in the summer and suddenly now, he was our best player and had he stayed, Can and Wiji would have been up to the task, Matip would have suddenly become a better defender and not lazy, Firmino would not have missed his penalty and to cap it all off, we would have beaten Swansea and WBA by his mere presence on the pitch. What a crock of horse manure. If that does not work, well you can never lose any points for going after FSG cos after all, they are the season our team has shown a complete lack of desire and fight since the City game BUT get NO credit when we were 18 unbeaten and put 4 past City, undefeated in our CL group and are sitting 4th, two points ahead of Spurs and 3 GIGANTIC 3 points off Chelsea. Oh, the horror! Yeah people, these are the types of nonsensical, illogical statements the rest of us are being subjected to by so-called LFC "fans". Good grief!

29 Jan 2018 18:51:32
So are you honestly saying Ed that you do not think letting phil go and not buying another Creative/ attacking option will not hurt our chances of top 4? Im not pretending Phil was Messi but he offered us things we do not have anymore in the team.

{Ed001's Note - I think keeping him would have hurt our chances far more, that is my point. If we could sign the right player, then we would. I would rather we waited than just did a Rodgers and signed any old player.}

29 Jan 2018 18:55:49
Why did his team mates vote for him 2 or 3 years in a row as the best player?

{Ed001's Note - who cares? Since when did a popularity contest become relevant?}

29 Jan 2018 19:05:19
Sometimes it’s really hard to come on here and social media in general because of the utter nonsense that comes out the mouths of some of our so called ‘supporters’

I’m another one wanting to say a big thankyou to all Ed’s and to many users that make this site enjoyable to visit daily.

To the rest of you, Get behind the club. Show some belief and togetherness. We all support the same great club and want success, but be realistic about it though.

29 Jan 2018 19:13:47
I agree 100% on that Ed, but that was part of my point. We must have known this was coming since what happened in the summer, Im simply annoyed we have not identified a player in the months that have followed the summer transfer requests and fake injuries that would fit in and be a good replacement . I agree we should never panic buy for the sake of it but cannot understand how we have failed to identify a realistic replacement since the summer. There has to be tons of players in world football that can come in and improve us and would fit our system, that's my issue with what is happening anyway.

{Ed001's Note - if Coutinho is as good as some fans seem to have decided he was, then we would need to buy Messi to adequately replace him. Sadly we can't get Messi, so we are struggling.}

29 Jan 2018 19:17:27
Mark, just because his team mates voted for him been the best player it doesn't mean he was mate lol.

29 Jan 2018 19:17:59
*deleted*

{Ed001's Note - I was going to discuss what you said, but as you ended it by being an utter tit, it was clear you were only looking to be an arse. Come back when you want to discuss it rather than cause a fight.}

29 Jan 2018 19:25:49
Firmino is not the best player in the squad. Salah is.
But it doesn't really matter now does it, let's just all hope we make the top 4 starting with a win tomorrow night.

29 Jan 2018 19:31:05
But what we could do ed is buy somebody that is better than we have now. We definitely don't need a player as good as Messi to simply improve our team. I guess we will see at the end of the season if what the club has done/ not done was the right thing, time will tell. until then its back to losing my voice and having minor heart attacks every game, lol.

{Ed001's Note - like who? The front 3 are not easy to improve on and nobody would be happy if a central midfielder came in as the replacement.}

29 Jan 2018 19:34:20
Alrite Salah (I never thought I would say that) forget about this season Salah has been the best no question then Firmino. But for me and clearly many others he was our best player in 2015/ 16 and last year. I went to a few home games before Christmas last year and he was always really good until his injury.

Never mistake this for me not wanting to sell him because I would have sold him as well we had no choice.

Mane would probably have been last season but he missed too many matches.

In general I like you positive attitude it is what our supporters need at this moment.

29 Jan 2018 19:40:19
Roasted. lol. 'utter tit' cheers ed, baby food all over my leg now, that tickled me.

{Ed001's Note - it is a shame because he made good points but he ruined it at the end with a needless dig that was only going to cause an argument with me, which was clearly the intention.}

29 Jan 2018 19:45:59
Maybe you can actually help with that positive attitude, Mark. It is not just someone else's job to be positive for the rest of us. We are all in this together and need to keep our heads up. On to Huddersfield!

29 Jan 2018 19:49:18
Thats a little harsh mate. I thought you might take it like that. You don't know me I don't know you. Writing is not my strong point it is hard to write things that I want to say, it can come accross in a few different ways. I wasn't trying to be a little smart arse I am 45. I just disagree quite strongly on this one topic.

You made statements about all games all fans and this isn't true about coutinho. Anyway on most football items (you might say nearly all) you know more than me about other teams I only really watch our team.
As for Mcmanaman I had a season ticket then and I really liked himas well, only Fowler was better over a few seasons. Maybe Rob Jones but didn't play enough.
Anyway I admire your site a lot and which no offence.

{Ed001's Note - I exaggerated for effect, yes, with the all fans stuff.

What you said just came across as a nasty dig. I apologise that I misread what you said. It felt like you were just trying to needle me into reacting. You have even said you thought I might take it like that.

McManaman I feel was far from our best player, he just produced the most flashy moments. No one remembers the hard work, the tracking back etc, they forget the 40 runs into blind alleys that lose the ball, they just remember the one moment that led to a great goal. That is why attackers always win the popularity contests, never the defenders.

I just think people are doing the same with Coutinho. Yes he was capable of moments of brilliance, sadly they were just moments. I mean people this season were acclaiming his performances when he was terrible for the team. Great for himself, but god awful for the team. He won't do that at Barcelona.}

29 Jan 2018 20:07:11
You too BRover you have a good upbeat attitude and that is what is needed now. If you check my post from earlier today I said what I hope you want to here. On banter 2 I think. Time to support.

29 Jan 2018 20:15:47
Wiw. i've read all the above thread and you guys plus Ed001 have cheered ne up no end. Thank you.

29 Jan 2018 20:16:27
I would be happy with a central player, in fact that would be my preference. We need someone that can take 1 or 2 opposition player out of a game via dribbles or passes to create space for our front three, right now were in a constant state of passing around, not finding enough space as were so narrow and then just pumping awful crosses into the box. The ideal replacement would have obviously been Naby Keita early but unfortunately that wasnt possible or we didn't see value in the deal.

29 Jan 2018 20:42:54
Top man, Mark. I agree with you, Ed. I remember two games in particular where Cou was completely crap and a liability all game long and those were vs Burnley at home and Spurs at Wembley. V Spurs, we might as well have been playing a man down cos Cou lost the ball 2/ 3 of the time he got it and rarely bothered to track back and moaned each time he lost it. He was dreadful. The Burnley game, he made a deliberate effort not to pass to anyone BUT Bobbie, taking wild shots and dribbling into blind alleys hence, losing possession. don't even get me started on his dreadful behavior behind the scenes. Sure, he had some good moments for us BUT before then, many called him inconsistent and a flash in the pan, only to turn their coats and call him the great hope after we lost two games. Surlely, those two statements cannot be correct at the same time BUT trust me, they will try to convince us that they can.

29 Jan 2018 21:05:05
I think it's very easy mark to misinterpret people via messages, no hard feelings mate i just personally don't agree with what you was saying but of course, we're all entitled to our own opinions mate :)

29 Jan 2018 21:16:33
Just need a top goal keeper.

Have a thing at all the changes that have been made since we signed migs.

Lovren, matio, vvd, moreno, clyne, robertson, wij, can, lallana, mane, salah, firmino.

And we still suffer. It's telling.

29 Jan 2018 21:36:20
Well that was a can of worms. And to continue it, coutinho was kind of a one trick pony. He'd continually cut inside and look for that shot. He lost possession a lot and he lacked the ability to defend from the front. We got a heck of a deal for a player who really wasn't worth the hype. And yes, firminio, mane, and Salah are more valuable to our team and come summer when we buy and increase the quality of our team in several positions instead of spending all the money on one player, we will be in a much better position. We weren't winning the league this year. FA cup is a distraction. We've had one competition for months now and the goal of top 4. And if we get second or we get 4th as long as we're up there who cares?

29 Jan 2018 23:57:51
I don't feel Salah is our best player at all. The fact that he is doing so well is down to the fact that our attack as a whole creates so much. The amount of shots he puts straight at the keeper is astounding and his first touch can leave a lot to be desired at times. The fact that they are all fast and interchangeable causes all the issues, just like when we had Coutinho. Our best football was played when we attack en mass and unselfishly. (remember Firmino's first goal for us? ) No player was bigger than the club, never has been and never will be. We are a force when we are all together, maybe us as fans should take that into consideration and get on the same page.

29 Jan 2018 17:09:15
Eds is it me or things are starting to get quite sad, at the beginning of the season, we had hope of at least lifting a piece of silverware. Now half way through the season, we lost a very important player (who was becoming toxic), out of 2 domestic cups and now because we lost 2 games, the fans are turning against each other and the team. We all want to see the club succeed but such is life at the moment and I'll say it again we've got to get behind the team, it might be a hard fought second part of the season, but if we do make it, the taste of the success will be ever so sweet, especially if we know we've played a part in helping the team.
I can't imagine how hard it has been for you eds to deal with everything coming your way for the past week. Everyday you read something about LFC is something negative, the club, the gaffer, the players and fans don't deserve that.
I can't wait for this transfer window to be over so we can get back to doing what we do best, being Liverpool FC and play a beautiful football.
YNWA.

{Ed002's Note - It isn't just you Adrien.}

29 Jan 2018 17:28:19
It comes down to this. Fans think LFC deserve to win silverware. Fact is this club has to earn that right irrespective of who plays for the club or who manages the club.

Until the club has earned it then there will be no silverware. At least the club is starting to get back into the swing of things in Top 4 and Europe.

Sometimes baby steps are required. At this point we need to get behind the club. We are still well in it to finishing top 4 and still going strong in the CL.

We need to start somewhere and establishing ourselves in the top 4 again is starting somewhere when UTD have been dominating for years followed by Chelsea and now City.

Liverpool have been on a downward spiral for a very long time now but it we seem to be climbing the mountain slightly easier nowadays.

We all want the same thing which is success. We need to earn it, it is not going to be given to us.

Next match day sing that song loud and with pride to try figure out why we support this club through thick and thin.

29 Jan 2018 17:50:21
It's just what happens every season really with us, fluctuations in both form for the team and expectations and frustrations for the fans - it's just a normal season as a Liverpool supporter right now.

We'll win three or four in a row soon and everyone will say we're the greatest thing going again - it'll be fine.

29 Jan 2018 17:59:25
Well said Max, there's a lot more to this club than winning titles - people just need to see it or support another club!

29 Jan 2018 18:09:35
We don’t have the right to silverware, that’s obvious.

However, selling your best player and not using the funds and taking the opportunity in the transfer window to put right the significant shortfalls in what is the weakest squad in the top six is ridiculously short sighted. Particularly in light of some of the results and performances we’ve seen.

As things stand our season is on the verge of fizzling out very quickly, a few more bad results in the league will see us out of the race for fourth place and as much as I’d like us to win the champions league, as things stand we’d be battered by some of the better sides as we’re so weak in midfield, defence and in goal.

We can’t simply keep hoping that Firmino, Mane and Salah keep outscoring the opposition as that has failed 11 times in the league and didn’t work out against West Brom on Saturday.

If you’re really happy with what you saw against Swansea and West Brom then good luck to you, because I wasn’t. Just remember, not one of our midfielders would be a starter at any of the other top six clubs and none of our keepers would even make their benches.

29 Jan 2018 18:25:21
So buying VVD and paying well over the odds because of the antics regarding VVD before Coutinho leaving is seeing the club keeping money back?

Mr Dennis, you need to understand how transfers work. Just because Coutinho is the 2nd most expensive player ever does not mean LFC are sitting with all that cash in the bank.

Just because the papers were reporting that a deal for lemar was imminent did not make it true either. Just because some wanted us to sign Insigne does not mean the club was going to do that.

What a mess this club would be if some of the fans on here became manager of LFC. Ha ha. Ed002 would have a field day :-)

29 Jan 2018 18:45:27
You're blinkered in my opinion by your own personal negativity I'm afraid Mr. Dennis - you haven't stopped moaning since the summer mate.

Are you forgetting how bad Arsenal have been, about 7 or 8 of our starters would get into their team, ask the Gunners' fans themselves?!

Even Cech has been poor for them on a number of occasions recently, there's something fundamentally wrong at that club right now - maybe the new signings will help them, but if not, they're in serious trouble.

Spurs are hardly having a great season yet either are they?!
We're above them if I'm not mistaken.

Chelsea are apparently in crisis, yet lie 3rd and are only ONE WIN ahead of us.

Take off the negativity blinkers and open your eyes mate, if you're not sitting pretty at the top of the league and all your players playing perfect 10's, you're having a bad season is it?!

City (the giants of football that they are) lost to us recently, we dominated them for long periods of the match - their first league loss of the season and some of their fans were beginning to question their players, tactics and so on, it was unbelievable.

There will always be ups and downs at every football club, it's unavoidable!

Get used to it or get into another sport - maybe not a sport where another team or teams have the cheek to beat you from time to time or you have to work for and earn your titles, including the fans (who may I add were muted on Saturday evening again right from the start) - my god that would be awful wouldn't it?!

29 Jan 2018 18:46:45
That is why fan ownership will be the slow death and eventually the end of this club.

Anfield may as well be demoilshed in place for a Mcdonalds if that is the case and that way everyone can be happy with buying a super size me happy meal.

Big smiles all around and thankfully fan ownership at Liverpool will unlikely ever come to fore :-)

29 Jan 2018 18:47:04
Mr Dennis what do you hope to gain just writing and writing how terrible we are? I agree with many issues but enough is enough. There is a time to call for change and tell some players some home truths but there are also times when you have to support.

NOW is the time to support. We are under pressure and have a massive game tomorrow night. We will win tomorrow the mood will change a little and we will go after Spurs at the weekend. This week the team needs support so leave the negative stuff until after Spurs.

29 Jan 2018 19:06:16
Spot on, Max. Dennis, I think you are missing the point here. No one is and has ever been satisfied with us not winning silverware. Do not mistake measured comments, laced with reality, perspective and level-headedness as acceptance of mediocrity. That is the mistake many fans often make. You or I moaning and panicking after each defeat (5 in all comps this season, a complete disaster, lol) will not make the team play better. It never has and it never will.

You have to accept the season for what it is right now and NO, our season is not on the verge of fizzling out at all IMO. We have a chance to make hay vs Hudd and Spurs so it is in our hands. We have worked too hard as a club to get back into contention after the Spurs debacle, to allow panic to set in or are you going to say you thought we would go 18 unbeaten and put 4 past City after that Spurs game? I doubt it, my friend. We have to make tjhe most of every opportunity to win that we get and fight for what we want. Cos you want something does not mean your opponent will give it to you if you ask nicely. You got to go get it, end of.

Regardless of what is happening good or bad, it is essential to keep a level head and remain grounded cos this is football where games are won, drawn and lost. It is up to the team to manage these situations, cut the bad results to a minimum and to us fans, to believe in the team even in the midst of a couple of bad results. If you give up now then might as well stop watching us play. Had those fans given up in Istanbul the way many on here are being so fatalist, you think Istanbul or Dortmund happens? Keep the faith, man!

29 Jan 2018 19:08:56
Well said max 👍🏼.

29 Jan 2018 19:48:50
Now that's what I'm talking about, Mark. Let's GO!

29 Jan 2018 19:55:58
Champions of Europe 2018 👍.

28 Jan 2018 16:33:12
Klopp originally said he's sure he could get us a trophy in 4 years. Will he stick to his words? If not will he go?

29 Jan 2018 16:55:30
this year and next to still achieve his goals - 50% of the way still to go.

29 Jan 2018 17:05:54
Have some belief, he'll win it and the CL this year, don't worry about it mate.

29 Jan 2018 17:16:12
I genuinely think there are only 2 people who could improve lfc. Jose mourinho and the guy with the dancing eyebrows carlo ancolotti sorry about spelling.

29 Jan 2018 17:34:41
Thad he spirit Salah, hoping for champions league win myself. We can beat anyone gid, just the rubbish sides we can’t.

29 Jan 2018 17:53:08
Mourinho is a football winner no doubt, but no thanks (not even if he begged) .

Not at the expense of the reputation of the club I support, no thanks!

He's a nasty soul.

{Ed001's Note - and Ancelotti is so good the Bayern players had to go train on their own in the park because the training was so worthless under him. Ancelotti is a spent force at best.}

29 Jan 2018 17:59:35
Ancelotti isn’t as good as people think.

29 Jan 2018 19:09:51
And what did you expect him to say? That we would be crap after 4 years? The fact of the matter is that FSG are all in with Klopp and it will be up to them in the end, not anyone else.

Mou and Ancelotti (who I have loved since I watched him play at Milan) are spent forces and those clamoring for him need to get out of the past and get into the present. The guy is finished and Mou is a none starter for us and this, since 2004 when we slammed the door into his face and gave Rafa the job. Klopp, all dy long for me.

29 Jan 2018 20:03:31
Can't disagree there Ed001 from what I heard of Carlo's time there.

{Ed001's Note - it is quite bizarre some of the things.}

29 Jan 2018 16:13:38
Lads,

Not sure if you could help but please post on site.

Been let down last minute for two tickets vs Huddersfield away tomorrow and was wondering if there was anybody who'd be able to help us out.

Two of us are travelling over from the Isle of Man tomorrow so any help would be very much appreciated.

Nice one fellas and YNWA.

29 Jan 2018 15:10:53
Dear Ed002,

Can you enlighten us on Sturridge exit and replacement plans? He is not injured, is not getting game time (he should've got at least 10 mins against WB and Swansea) - which makes me think he is on his way out.

If that's the case, fair enough - but shouldn't he play for us while he is still on the books?

And, if he is going, do you know if there is a replacement on board?

Thanks!

{Ed002's Note - Yes, he wants to leave for game time and is available to play but Klopp sees no use for him. I would not expect a replacement.}

29 Jan 2018 16:10:43
That makes me sad - also makes me think to times when Ngog was used as our sole striker after Torres left.

29 Jan 2018 17:33:44
Poor Ngog, I actually liked him.

29 Jan 2018 19:22:09
lol walter please tell me you are joking? I can't tell mate apologies lol.

30 Jan 2018 14:25:55
Good feller was Ngog I think with the right coach he had the potential to do OK for himself.

{Ed001's Note - he was a terrible striker as he had no anticipation. He was always on his heels which is why he so rarely got the striker's bread and butter goal, the tap in.}

29 Jan 2018 15:21:22
Klopp says the solution to our problems is not out there in the transfer market. Let’s hope he has the solution for the rest of the season and then we can further build in the summertime for next year.

29 Jan 2018 15:47:06
There are hundreds of solutions for the GK problem.

29 Jan 2018 16:30:37
Want to know the solution for goalkeeping problems?

Play like Everton with ten defenders.

29 Jan 2018 19:14:19
He simply means there is no one out there that he thinks can help us. You may disagree with tht BUT that is the reality cos if there was and were available, we would have bid for them. Not hard to figure out.

29 Jan 2018 20:01:14
Well if that’s what Klopp thinks he’s in the minority. There are plenty of Goalkeepers out there to improve us.

29 Jan 2018 15:01:33
Hope Henderson gets fit soon, it's so clear we are nowhere near as good without him.

29 Jan 2018 15:37:52
He is fit.

29 Jan 2018 16:34:38
I can’t be sure off the top of my head how many games of the unbeaten run we just went on was without Henderson but I think I’m right in saying it was the vast majority of it. that being said him and milners introduction from the bench certainly added some control to the midfield battle which we was losing on Saturday night.

29 Jan 2018 19:21:06
We lack control w/ o Hendo in the team cos he is the one that is tactically and positionally aware and most of the time, he gets no help fro m "The Ghost" Wiji or the inconsistent Can or the headless Milner. I hope he gives us a good boost cos based on a stat (not sure if it is true), we have won more games with Hendo in the team than without him since last season.

29 Jan 2018 14:25:35
Good afternoon all, just like to say I think It's funny how so many of our fans use the term YNWA or rejoice in singing our famous song. But when it actually comes down to it, haven't actually got a clue about the concept of what they're saying. YNWA was like our prayer. Now it's just a hashtag for hipsters. #LFC.

29 Jan 2018 14:39:30
Wait, what?

29 Jan 2018 15:12:20
What?

29 Jan 2018 17:40:17
I have previously asked about it getting banned and got a lot of dislikes for that. For me it's lost its meaning and is too outdated.

29 Jan 2018 19:54:00
NRW, I wouldn’t worry about dislikes that much mate. We are all fans and all have our own opinion on things. Not everyone is going to agree with you mate.

29 Jan 2018 13:52:20
Ed this has got nothing to do with us .......

{Ed002's Note - Wrong page.}

29 Jan 2018 12:29:56
It’s natural to be disappointed about Saturday’s result, the FA Cup was our best chance of silverware this season, we were at home, we played almost the strongest team we could have and we lost against a team that’s struggling. There’s been a lot of blame placed, Klopp, the owners, the defence, the midfield, Mignolet and the truth is that a whole bunch of factors combined that resulted in us crashing out of the cup.

What’s really disappointing is the high hopes we had for the season, not just back in August but just 10 days ago, we really thought that Klopp’s plan was coming together. Klopp came into the 15/ 16 season after it started, that season was about consolidation and adaption to his philosophy. 16/ 17 was Klopp’s first full season, it was about progress, about his shaping his squad, both in personnel and application. 17/ 18 was when the team was really supposed to kick on, the title was a hope rather than a target but we wanted to be competing and if Klopp could get a piece of silverware then that would have been brilliant.

Just 10 days ago we considered ourselves the second best team in the country and maybe much closer to City than the league table suggested. Today we’re out of our second domestic cup and we have a precarious hold on the top four, things change really fast in football.

What’s gone wrong? Well the good news is its quite clear. The biggest problem is our midfield but the truth is that we’re playing second stringers at the moment. Can and Wijnaldum are not, and I don’t think ever where, supposed to be regular starters and AOC is a project that wasn’t meant to be a leading player this year. This season Klopp wanted Henderson, Coutinho and Lallana as his midfield, a brilliant combination of discipline, creativity and tenacity. Sadly Henderson and Lallana have struggled with injuries and Coutinho left, any team would have problems if it lost its first choice midfield.

There is still plenty to fight for this season, Henderson and Lallana will hopefully return to the forefront, we’re in a battle for the top four but it’s a battle we can win and I’m looking forward to some epic nights of European football. I don’t want to talk about winning the Champion’s League, we’re not amongst the favourites and it would be as extraordinary as 2005 if we did win, but there isn’t a single match I’m scared of. Klopp’s brand of football is built for this stage, Messi, Neymar and Ronaldo will not have experienced anything like the pressure we’ll put them under and Anfield will once again be the greatest stage in Europe. We’ll take each match as it comes and enjoy the ride because it’s going to be great, and if we’re still involved come May then that’s just a bonus.

I get why people are upset, I get why the lack of midfield reinforcements seems like an oversight on the clubs part, but we’ve been here before. After the Spurs game things looked bad, I was one of the ones openly questioning Klopp but I learnt a lesson then, we are moving forward but we’ll face bumps along the route, we have to ride those out. Don’t get down, don’t give up, because our team won’t. There are no guarantees in football but it’s about giving yourself the best possible chance of succeeding and that’s what we’re currently doing, keep the faith.

29 Jan 2018 12:41:52
Very good post that mate.

29 Jan 2018 13:04:06
Although I agree with some of the general sentiments, I have to disagree on some of the player assessments. Can was inherited so it's slightly different but Chamberlin and Wiji were the marquee midfielder signings of their summers and really of Klopps reign. If you disregard them as players never (or not immediately) meant to be in a regular starting XI, that would mean that in nearly 3 years Klopp has chosen not to buy a single starting midfielder. Sadly I think we just have to accept that Wiji isn't as good or useful as Klopp hoped and has his early promise showed, and Chamberlin is better than we feared but is letting himself down slightly with what looks to me like over-eagerness to be the hero. However, I still firmly believe these players have more to give then they have done over the past 10 days (they've proved it many times) and Klopp either needs to get them proving it or justify why players like Grujic are going out on loan and Woodburn isn't even getting onto the bench because whether they are ready or its too soon or whatever, they will not be doing worse than the ones that played the last two games have done. Maybe not better, but certainly not worse.

29 Jan 2018 12:41:52
Very good post that mate.

29 Jan 2018 13:06:40
Great post, hope you typed that on a laptop/ pc rather then a phone 😀.

29 Jan 2018 13:13:11
Putney, I may have missed it BUT the owners don't play neither are they responsible for the lack of drive and desire shown by the team in general so why you are including them in your otherwise fair/ solid assessment of the situation, is beyond me. Care to explain?

29 Jan 2018 14:01:20
Lack of drive and desire? What match were you watching?
Is this the stage where you start slagging the team instead of individual players?

29 Jan 2018 14:07:56
Out of all the midfielders we have, they are all attacking . Only hendo and can I’d consider as central midfielders, and they are both too similar to play together

I’d only be playing 3 of Llalana, aoc, winji, Bobby, mane and salah

To me on Saturday we lined up with a 4-1-5 :-/


Kieta will help sure, but we still need a mascherano figure and a striker infront of the attacking midfielders otherwise we will carry on conceding and passing teams to death without scoring.

29 Jan 2018 14:30:57
good post Putney, but, Klopp picked wrong Keeper and wrong full backs,
what I can't believe is that when Klopp took over, we were conceding way too many goals, and many were placed on the heads of Migs and Moreno,
after getting beat by Swansea, he decided to play both these players, you could almost predict that we would be letting in a couple of goals, but three goals conceded into the Kop goal was a game killer,
what does this mean, well, no silverware is what,
yes, good to read that we have some big Champions League games to come,
but, to be honest, without a decent Keeper, and a couple of dodgy and injured defenders, how far will we go,
and just to finish, Klopp will get some backlash if we finish this season badly .

29 Jan 2018 14:40:23
Ultimately we lack the ability to adapt to situations within a game. I had hoped that the hard fought wins against Leicester and Burnley were an indication of increased maturity but it seems like there's some way to go. Whilst many may say that it is down to player mentality, some has to be down to the recruitment and some down to the coaching. It's a shame we can't transplant the attitude of Henderson and Lallana into Emre and Gini. Instead for various reasons it looks like we need to replace all four of them. Keita being the first step.

29 Jan 2018 15:05:42
"Plenty to fight for this season"? I think against better sides than Porto we will likely get dumped out the Champions League and since there is now a blueprint on how to play us, pretty much everyone is going to try that. If you stop Mane, Salah and Firmino, you stop us and since we can't defend or keep a lead then we are a soft touch. Can easily see this season fizzling out with an early champions league exit and a finish well outside of the top four. Last season we were able to stiffen the midfield and defence with Lucas Leiva, but we don't have the luxury of a player with his intelligence or defensive nous.

29 Jan 2018 16:04:47
Enjoyed your post Putney, nice one mate.

29 Jan 2018 11:41:56
Hi Eds, you think we may have a signing or two come deadline day or we shouldn't hold our breaths?

{Ed002's Note - I have no idea.}

29 Jan 2018 12:15:59
I'd put money on it that we don't. I think we're done.

29 Jan 2018 12:19:56
Hold your breath and let’s see 😜.

29 Jan 2018 12:23:22
we should do, but we won't so now we have to hope salah and firmino stay fit and in form, its one hell of a gamble klopp is taking imo.

29 Jan 2018 12:58:12
united and Arsenal have definitely strengthened. We're risking falling out of this top four what a stupid decision selling him mid season.

29 Jan 2018 13:06:04
Major signing announcement - we're about to sign with Tesco as the official grocery store of LFC!

29 Jan 2018 13:24:05
No, it was not a stupid decision selling him mid season. What is unhelpful and dishonest, is to continuously blame the club for trying to hold on to a player who acted horrendously and dreadfully, threatening to go on strike and make the DR a living hell, just to get a move. Klopp did the right thing and that is that. Nothing is new here as the Ed's told us all that was going on behind the scenes BUT feel free to moan about it cos hey, that is much easier to do.

29 Jan 2018 13:28:00
Arsenal got rid of their top scorer and bought a moody midfielder, he's good on his day but I think if they had a real choice of Sanchez or Henrikh they would have taken the former. don’t see how that makes them stronger.

As for utd, all they’ve done is bought another bus conductor to shore up their defence :)

29 Jan 2018 14:23:54
Give it a rest Brover, you do anything to back up either ridiculous decisions made by the club or are always pulling down other peoples opinions,
He should NOT have gone in this window, he was under contract and should have been told he was staying till the summer, if you think carrying on without our best player or replacing said player is a good idea then you are wrong.
Any club would miss their best player but to sell him when we have momentum is daft, i suppose we're going to bring the kids in are we? Oxlade is maybe as good? Klopp has a plan and knows what he's doing? The goalkeepers aren't as bad as people say they are? Lallana can do his job?
Ive been a fan for 40 years and as much as i've seen some cracking football this season i've also seen the usual nonsense that happens season in season out, ill always support who we have at the club through thick and thin but i won't blindly champion anyone who thinks sub standard is good enough for Anfield as it isnt.

29 Jan 2018 14:41:37
Bro, your right in that we just had to sell Couts, and we did get a very good price for him, but looking back, would it have been better to have sold him last summer, giving us time to find a suitable replacement,
as it stands, Klopp is looking like a fool, for having a lot of money, but a really un balanced midfield,
these last two defeats has put a lot of pressure on Klopp and the team, and we seem to have gone from great team to a team about to lose ground fast .

29 Jan 2018 19:33:10
Happy, Klopp wanted Cou sold in the summer as he was fed up with his disgraceful conduct and had Lemar been there and all went well, Lemar would be here and Cou would have been sold. It did not happen that way, regardless of how you or I may feel about it. This was already spoken about on these boards.

Now you or I saying Klopp looks like a fool for not signing players he does not want to make him not look like a fool, is just hilarious. No manager or leader worth his salt, thinks that way and if he does, he's in the wrong job. Klopp is not that insecure, my friend.

As a manager, you do what you think is best for the team. If you go against what you believe and do things others want and things go south, who do you think is getting the blame? YOU! The same people you tried to please, will say "well, he's the manager it's up to him to do what is best for the team". See how that works. It is hard to be a manager and if you start doing what other people want then you might as well quit. I don't wan Klopp to do what I want. I want him to do what is best for the team and we will have to trust him cos we trusted him before the two losses so what changed? Nothing, IMO.

29 Jan 2018 19:37:17
Super, The info I have is the same one you have. The one the Ed's give us. All the stuff you just spouted about us needing to have forced Cou to stay cos he has a contract blah, blah, blah shows how little you know about football's inner workings or how much of the truth (per, the Ed's) you choose to ignore so you can moan and slate the manager and the owners. BTW.

29 Jan 2018 10:40:28
With the january transfer window hasty .......

{Ed002's Note - He caused so much trouble with his post we are not opening that up again. It led, as it always does, to a massive amount of abuse for me. So move on.}

29 Jan 2018 11:01:29
I recall the havoc it made and I fully understand you don't want to get this started again. I was just being curious. Thank you guys so much for yet another beautifully covered transfer window. You are the best!

{Ed002's Note - You are welcome.}

29 Jan 2018 12:09:55
I can only assume we don't see a 1/ 10 of the abuse due to deleted posts.

I hope you are already aware as I see many support posts come in for you Eds including some from me but it is no harm saying again:

You are truly truly appreciated by many on this site.

{Ed002's Note - We appreciate it Davey.}

29 Jan 2018 10:30:02
Ovie Ejaria is making some serious waves this season. Earlier in the season he scored a goal against Man United u23's which was labelled Messi-like. Well he's just done it again against Derby u23's now. His composure and quick feet in the penalty area are remarkable at times.

In a team which has featured Brewster, Wilson, Grujic, Ings and Woodburn at times this season, Ejaria has been the guy to step up with a moment of sheer class when they've been struggling to break teams down. It must be a matter of time before the likes of Ejaria and Woodburn start getting some minutes in the first team. Our first team midfield is embarrassing, and I'd prefer them to Milner, Gini and Can on current form!

On a side note, gutted for Juanma who is injured again.

29 Jan 2018 10:36:24
Judging by what’s been dished out to Gomez and TAA recently I’ don’t think you’d want kids anywhere near the first team. If they perform anything below a 50 mil player they will get destroyed.

29 Jan 2018 10:38:26
Kids MK, against kids. Would love to see him step up but no way throwing him out to the firing line of anfield just yet.!

29 Jan 2018 10:44:51
Could not of said it better myself mate great post
people on here cry out for more home grown youth to come through
then when it does and they have a bad game (after showing real class in other games) they hang them out to dry
pathetic imo.

29 Jan 2018 10:48:11
Anyone who pulls on a red shirt for us is there to be shot at, Joe Gomez is a centre half playing out of position and constantly makes errors that lead to conceding, TAA is simply not ready for this level and was almost as bad as Moreno against Wba, put the worst GK in the league behind all that and you are asking for trouble. Time is running out in this window and if we do nothing now we have wasted the first half of this season.

29 Jan 2018 11:03:34
I'm not calling for them to be first XI regulars, just for them to start getting minutes like Arnold does.

Swish is right though. One mistake and they'd be lynched by the hate mob. Sometimes, managers just have to be strong enough to ignore the fans and instil confidence in the youngsters. Man City's first choice front 3 next year will probably be Sane, Sterling and Jesus. They're all 20-22 years old. Pep believes in them so much though, that do you honestly think a knuckle dragging arm chair managers opinion on twitter will bother them? No chance. If your manager backs you, that's all the matters.

Klopp already made the mistake of bending over to fan pressure with Karius, and look how that worked out 😫

Ejaria and Woodburn should be getting chances off the bench and to cover injuries. Especially Ejaria. Woodburn is still only 18, but Ovie is nearly 21 so he needs his chance. He's too good for u23's and we will never know if he can play at a higher level if he never gets a fair shot!

29 Jan 2018 11:10:17
Mk I said this yesterday and got slated for it by a few people I’d rather be Ejaria than Gini at the minute give him something to think about I like Gini and against the big teams he’s great but when we are midfield to make something happen vs the lesser teams he takes the safe option most of the time like u said Ejaria makes things happen give the lad a chance.

29 Jan 2018 11:28:09
Spot on, Faith. The same people saying give youth a chance seem like the same people slating them for not being world class from jump as if world class players were born world class.

Nimrod, your post makes no sense. So to you, a kid who pulls on a red shirt playing for a big/ boyhood club and giving his all, is as much fair game and to in your own dreadful worlds shot at as a more experienced player from whom much is expected? Really? And you wonder why Ed02 calls some LFC fans the absolute worst with the right bile they spout.

29 Jan 2018 11:45:34
If you are not good enough it don't matter how old you are, we have had full back issues for years now, and never addressed the problems. We have the worst full backs and keepers in the top 8 in the prem league, if you are happy with that then i hope you will be happy with mid table obscurity, im not happy with it and another transfer window has almost gone and no sign of proper fullbacks or a goalkeeper who is holding us back, if you just want to blow smoke up players butts who are not good enough then we will never improve.

29 Jan 2018 14:21:18
Nimrod, your moaning is only matched by the complete lack of perspective in your post. Who is blowing smoke over anyone's butt? You are just using hyperbole to make a point that is irrational and that does not make you right. It only makes you sound irrational. We have the worst GK's and FB's in the PL. That is your opinion which is all it is. They are not fcts and cos you use hyperbole will not make them any more factual. So we are mediocre whereas we are 4th, 3 points from third. Again, opinion and hyperbole at it's best. Carry on, fella cos you seem to know everything and think we are mediocre cos the club is not doing what you want.

29 Jan 2018 15:06:01
Nimrod, your first line, about being shot at is so wrong, we are fans, supporters, meaning we should support our team,
but I do agree with you, on our keepers and Moreno, they are in the wrong league for me, and we while we continue to play them, we will nothing, and struggle, just like we are now, last January, was one of the worst months in LFCs history,
to be honest, I am having second thoughts on Klopp .

29 Jan 2018 16:40:26
The GK issue is an obvious one, not much to say on that regard. With respect to full backs, I think we have a proper LB in Robertson. His positional sense is very good and he has a decent delivery. His drive and determination is spot on. I think he should play as long as he's available.
The right side is where I think the club needs to look at. We are all aware that Gomez is a CB, and a promising one at that, but if we believe that challenging for titles and trophies is where we should be then he can't be playing at RB. The only other player whose individual mistakes have been as costly this season is probably Lovren.
So, that leaves us with TAA as our 1st choice specialist RB, and the fact that Gomez has been playing more games in the position says a lot, almost as much as Milner playing LB last season.

The truth is while we clamor for a Coutinho replacement we seem to have forgotten about a replacement for Clyne. To be fair, maybe when the club realized just how bad his back was the summer window had already passed, but now the end of the winter transfer window is upon us and RB should have been close to the top of the agenda.

We don't always agree with each other but nobody can argue against our defensive frailties. How are City 18 pts ahead of us when our attack is perhaps the only one comparable to theirs and we are the only team to beat them in the league? They have scored a lot of goals this season and won almost all their games, bot how often have they needed more than 2 goals to win a game?
The simple fact is they did their summer recruitment mainly in defensive areas where it was needed and now are reaping the benefits.

We have the most discussed defense in the country and while some may say our defense has been over scrutinized, it couldn't have been if there was no need for scrutiny in the first place. Let's hope for the best for the rest of the season but let's not be surprised if it turns out to be another very disappointing one.

29 Jan 2018 09:01:37
Question for the Ed0001. What is your personal opinion about our chances of making top 4?

{Ed001's Note - our chances? Sorry I don't see what chance has to do with anything, despite my superstitions. We are good enough to finish top 4 and we should do so. It is not about chance, it is making the most of what we have.}

29 Jan 2018 10:38:00
If we keep playing fullbacks that don't have a clue, and goalkeepers that couldn't stop a pig in an alley, and centre midfield captains that already think they are in Italy, then we have no chance.

29 Jan 2018 09:44:39
Chances are covered in odds calculation, you can check them easily and we're favorites to make it, with United, City and Chelsea.

29 Jan 2018 10:16:52
Thanks Ed, I think that we can do it as well. They’ve showed that we can be up there with our unbeaten run, yes we had 2 bad games, yes it would have been nice if they’d had a replacement for Couts lined up before he was sold. At the end of the day, all it takes is for some of the players to step up and show that we got some balls about us and that despite 2 bad games, we’re still a team that can challenge for that top 4 spot.

29 Jan 2018 10:49:45
Fair one ed, It’s my poor choice of words, I should have asked if you think that we’re good enough. But I get what you mean, now it’s up to the players to step it up and show that we can come out of the 2 bad games stronger.

On another subject, I’ve seen stuff on Twitter about a protest tomorrow, what’s that all about? We’ve got an important week ahead, I think it’s poor timing from some fans to protest now.

{Ed001's Note - I had seen this about a protest, haven't had a chance to see what this one is about. I have kind of given up on keeping track of them. I am hoping it is another one about the away ticket prices being so high, which is an ongoing fight that I do fully support. Not often I am in agreement with SoS, but the issue of ticket prices around the Prem is one we fully agree on. Away fans are being fleeced in English football and it should be stopped.}

29 Jan 2018 11:43:10
Spot on, Ed. The ticket price issue should be fixed and I am all for that cos fans are getting destroyed financially and it needs to end.

As for our Top 4 chances, of course we are good enough to finish top 4. ABSOLUTELY! We have a better team overall than we did last season and we have picked up more points this Jan than we did last Jan as well. We are definitely good enough and should make it.

I know the last two results are frustrating and I get the whole anger behind it BUT last time I checked, WE ARE 4th and have a good chance to stay there or extend our lead over Spurs (who are not that great right now either) in the next two games.

All we have to do is make the most of what we have and the chances we have in games, show up with a plan and full desire to fight for every ball (my main concern over the last couple of games), defend with grit and determination and do what we know we can do. Our boys have shown that they can perform esp. after adversity. It is time to do it again and the game tmrw vs Hudd should be THE opportunity for the team to remind us of what they are capable of. Keep the faith, lads!

29 Jan 2018 11:45:57
From what I’ve read it doesn’t look like it’s about the ticket prices, seems to be the “FSG out” lot complaining about the last 2 results and lack of transfer business. If that’s the case I thinks it’s a bit of an overreaction. I’m sure you’ll find out what’s the actual reason ed. Hopefully it’ll be for a good cause and not just a strop.

29 Jan 2018 12:09:54
I’d love to be next to you every week Nimrod. Your the sort of bloke who would win the lottery and moan about how to spend it.
We’re Liverpool football club. What happened to our truely great unconditional support to all.
There footballers who have bad patches. Give them support to help them through it.
Y. N. W. A.

29 Jan 2018 13:00:12
That’s what I meant mate, “the overreaction” is if they are indeed having a protest about a bad patch, it’s not cool and not the right time to do it. Now more than ever we should be behind the team and not against them.

29 Jan 2018 13:08:15
Spot on, Gaza. Nimrod's post is just one that needs not be taken seriously cos like many others who don't offer solutions to issues, they are just moaning about the bl**ding obvious which solves NOTHING.

29 Jan 2018 13:09:14
Adrien, if they are indeed protesting about two defeats in 20 games, all things being equal then boys and girls, LFC is in trouble big time with fans like these.

29 Jan 2018 13:11:39
This protest is your generic FSG out parade where the state of our defense, Coutinho going on strike, global warming and the over-fishing of the north sea are all blamed on them.

29 Jan 2018 08:11:41
ED001 what do you make of Klopps demeanour the last two games. He seemed pretty subdued to me and wonder whether that rubs off on the players. It was almost like he was resigned to defeat by half time in both games.

{Ed001's Note - it does worry me that he is not himself, not sure why. Maybe he is fed up of the criticism he takes, being called a clown etc for the way he acts? Either way he should just carry on being himself and showing passion, the team plays better when he does. It must have an effect of some kind, even if just a small one.}

29 Jan 2018 08:25:41
Was thinking about this recently and hoping klopp would just go back to being himself. But I wonder if he has recoiled somewhat cos the team are so up and down his theatrics in celebration can so often be letdown by the team. Case in point WBAs first goal a few seconds after we scored.

29 Jan 2018 08:42:38
When he first come he was screaming at the players and it was great. Now when we concede he just stands there smiling with folded arms, it pisses me right off.

29 Jan 2018 11:15:27
Aside from the defeats klopp negative attitude have been a positive for me. I hope and feel he has or will try and calm the clowning around a notch.

29 Jan 2018 12:14:22
I think he should just go back to being himself and whipping up the crowd to get behind the team the way he normally does. He should not totally change his ways (maybe tweak them a bit) BUT he should never lose who he is to satisfy others, not even the fans. Klopp is an open book and like it or not, that is who he is and brought him success. It does show that he is just as frustrated as we are and we don't need him shouting at the players after we concede to know that. A lot is said when nothing is said. I hope he gets out of it cos the players and fans feed off his enthusiasm.

29 Jan 2018 15:19:11
Yeah but as a manager there will come a time you don't want to have to shout from the sides and force play or passion. By now the players should understand what is expected from them and not need klopp going mad to get them to act.

Same as being a dad, at some point you want to be able to trust your kids and not have to baby them there entire life.

29 Jan 2018 06:20:58
Apparently out of the last 10 shots on target against us we've conceded 9 of them. I know this has been done to death but until we get a top class keeper then we won't win any trophies. Even the best defence and midfield can't stop every shot against us.

29 Jan 2018 07:12:13
Whilst I think stats are useful have a look at those 9 goals and figure out how many of them could or should have been saved. Sometimes keepers don't have much say in it.

29 Jan 2018 07:41:48
Those stats are severely misleading as if you don't take into account the quality of the shots, the collection of defensive errors that may have led to them and if there is a higher probability of the GK making the save. Again, stats like that are meaningless w/ o context.

29 Jan 2018 07:47:48
Should have been saved? Well 4 out of the 5 goals West Brom scored could and would have been stopped by an average keeper. Their second was hit straight down the centre but Mignolet has shocking reflexes. Their 3rd was a header from 4 yards out that Mignolet literally didn't even attempt to claim. Their 4th doesn't go in if Mignolet is in position on his line, and not in no mans land, and their 5th was just weak goal keeping. How can a 6ft4 keeper not win an aerial duel in a one on one situation where he can use his hands?

West Brom's first goal was a screamer to be fair.

In terms of the Swansea and City games, Karius should really have done better at his front post from Sane, but he had no chance with the others.

Karius in my opinion, is not the long term answer. He's had a lot of games this season, and although he's not made loads of mistakes, he still doesn't make those fantastic saves you need your keeper to make in order to challenge for things regularly. However, Karius is still 5 times the keeper Mignolet is, and if he gets a sustained run in the second half of the season, who knows? I still think we'll be after a new keeper in June.

29 Jan 2018 07:53:29
The keeper is the last form of defence and should be better protected imo.

29 Jan 2018 08:18:04
Better protected? The keepers have faced 10 shots in 3 games. If you want it reduced to less than that, then kiss goodbye to attacking football.

Our defence is error prone and on the whole, not good enough but that is highlighted and exaggerated because we don't have a keeper who can save even 50% of the shots they face. Let alone the 70-80% that guys like Nick Pope and David De Gea are averaging. Man for man, our defence is at least as good as Man United's. The difference is they have a solid DM in front of them and a world lass keeper behind them. The sad reality is, there isn't a lot of good defenders about. However there is a lot of good DM's and keepers. I understand if Klopp doesn't see a DM in hos philosophy, but it would be nice to have a guy in between the sticks because we might as well not have one right now. Every time they are called into making a save, it goes in. At least Karius can kick and catch a ball, i guess. He's no shot stopper though.

29 Jan 2018 08:44:21
Both keepers are gash. Stop trying to cover it up when th excuses and sign a new one like city did when they bought a bad keeper, just get a new one.

29 Jan 2018 08:46:33
Our best form of defence is our attack right now. If teams negate our attack then we have little or no defence at all because we're too busy trying to crack a team open. We need to learn to be patient and grind results when this happens. We seriously need a plan b for teams who sit back. I think the problem ultimately lies in our midfield. When we can't create attacks, we become more vulnerable to their attacks Against Huddersfield we need to play lallana, hendo and ox in midfeild. can and winaldum have been bang average against stubborn sides and ox is clearly the better of the 2.

29 Jan 2018 10:22:34
BRover the fact that we have conceded 9 goals from 10 shots is hardly deceiving. And it's not like it is making good keepers look bad. I don't need to look at them stats to make up my judgement about our keepers.

29 Jan 2018 12:48:49
Disagree, Jay. Your stats does not prove any of that, IMO. If the ten shots that led to goals were the ones the GK had no chance with like the first one from Jay Rod, or the tap in from Jay Rod, or the own goal which would have been a tap in had Matip not scored mistakenly, or the final two goals City scored with our defence all over the shop leaving our GK exposed or the Swansea goal were the shot was tow inches off the post where the keeper sees it thru a raft of bodies and reacts late cos he sees it late then your stats lack context hence, are meaningless if you want to use them to judge the GK's. What should bother you is the way the midfielders went AWOL and never tracked runners from midfield which made the defenders cover for them hence, drawn out of position and leaving huge gaps for attackers to runt thru. That is the main prob, IMO cos if that is fixed, the Gks and CB's are in position and are protected. And if the GK screws up with a shot he has a chance with then you can criticize like Karius should have done better with vs City tho, it was a fierce bullet from him.

There are other ways you can judge the GK's that would be fair and sensible BUT throwing out stats that lack context, is just blowing smoke. There's a reason why people say stats are meaningless, overall as they do not tell the whole story which yours don't, IMO.

29 Jan 2018 13:02:42
Having Migs in goal just encourages teams to have a pop at us. It’s like when you’re at school and you’re keeper gets injured so you chuck in goal your worst outfield player who’s is usually overweight and has zero football intelligence. Opposition start taking shots from the halfway line.

29 Jan 2018 15:16:41
Mk, I think you are way OTT with your assessment of the WBA goals here. I agree with Rover here. For me it is not about Migs or Karius. It is about the collection of errors and lack of fight that led to the goals that are my issue. Of the ten goals we conceded only the first City goal can be at best attributed to a GK error tho Sane took a belter. The others were well taken goals especially vs WBA with Rodriguez that no GK would have saved esp of they are that exposed, IMO. The fact of the matter is that we were brilliant defensively for four months cos out boys tho made the odd mistake, were solid as a group. That is not happening right now cos there are top many poor performances from midfield defensively as well as a lack of desire and fight as a whole. THAT is the real issue, IMO.

On a side note, the fact that you think Karius is five times better than Migs just shows how much of a miracle it is that we are where we are in the table, lol.

29 Jan 2018 17:19:01
Ok BRover mate disregarding those stats I'd still say Mignolet is crap and although Karius is better he is still not good enough. No stats needed there just eyesight.

30 Jan 2018 09:11:39
The team balance is so attack orientated that no defender coming in or keeper will stop the leak look at our attack to defence stats our shots on goal how many on target and how many scored out of that now look at what we conceed in the same stats we must have at least 15 shots per game and teams probably get 5 off against us so we are wasteful with our chances and sloppy at the back.

29 Jan 2018 03:16:17
I'm a big Klopp fan and i think he should be here next season regardless of what happens this season but i'm getting a little tired of hearing how we will fill glaring holes in our squad next transfer window.

Last January we desperately needed a left back and a quick attacker, we got neither.

Last summer we got a left back and a quick attacker but we also needed a quality central midfielder and centre back, we got neither.

This January we have signed the central defender and have Keita coming next summer but we now need a creative midfielder to replace Coutinho and its glaringly obvious we need a new goalkeeper, again we will probably get neither.

I have no doubt that we will sign these players in the summer but what other positions will we need to fill? Right back? another CB? another left back? Will we sign these players or will we be told again that the players we want are not available?

I'm not advocating buying for the sake of it or massively overpaying for a player but surely there has to be a happy medium, why are we continually waiting for the next transfer window to fill the glaring holes in our squad?

29 Jan 2018 07:02:08
Perhaps we should go back to the good old days of buying for the sake of it when our primary targets aren't available?

29 Jan 2018 07:30:18
So we persisted and eventually got pur targets in the next window? I suppose we could just go and sign a Caulker-type for each position need.

29 Jan 2018 07:33:55
Seems like our main targets are never available. However, the second, third and sometimes even our fourth choices, over the past season or so, have worked out quite well. Most of them have been in their mid-20s as opposed to buying unproven potential as we did in previous seasons.

29 Jan 2018 07:43:09
Smeg, we could always sign a Markovic or Balotelli to satisfy you, can't we?

29 Jan 2018 09:47:27
I agree with Smeg. If you don’t address your weaknesses then they will be targeted by opponents.

If you can’t sign the requisite players then oh have to adapt your tactics to suit your squad. We should have been playing with a player sitting in front of the back 4 and not joining in with the press.

29 Jan 2018 00:58:14
Hi everybody, long time reader, first time poster. So here goes my 2 cents.
My take on the Coutinho replacement shambles. We need to buy a big name player to replace the big gaping void (quality) that Coutinho has left. The team morale is down and if we don't replace him now and don't qualify for Champions League, then the quality of player we can attract in the summer will be lower. I don't believe players are not available, money talks full stop, and we have £145M to invest for a replacement which might not make us stronger then we were in Dec but at least the hierarchy have been pro active. We can't be seen as a selling club, need to show money ambition and power. So the Reals and FCB's can't just wake up in the morning a decide to take our best players. They won't be able to do this to City or Utd, and we used to be bigger than both.
Clubs that win silverware don't care about spending over the top, if it's the right quality player, I don't care if they spend £20M or more extra to get him over the line, it's not my money.
The owners need to back the manger to the hilt or if they don't have the stomach, just take your profit and sell the club to someone who can compete with your Man City and Utd every step of the way because they can attract player and the last time I checked the were not in London.

29 Jan 2018 04:13:23
Chelsea and arsenal have the resources.

29 Jan 2018 04:45:18
Didn't know we had a Coutinho replacement shambles. When did this happen exactly?

29 Jan 2018 07:05:27
So throw money recklessly to buy anyone just to fill the gap?

29 Jan 2018 07:44:59
Slowdog, And when the player flops, these same people will be moaning about how Klopp should have just waited for who he really wanted instead of panic buying that way, they are always right and Klopp is always wrong. Talk about having it your own way 3o times over.