Liverpool Banter Archive January 03 2017

03 Jan 2017 21:52:11
If Spurs win tomorrow they will be just two points behind us and we head to OT for our next game. We ll need to beat UTD on 14th else we ll drop out from top 4 as other 4 clubs have easier fixture.

03 Jan 2017 22:20:35
You don't win anything in January mate.
It's where you finish, not where you are after 21 games.

03 Jan 2017 22:21:11
United have been playing awful. It has completely gone under the radar that their 6 game run has included at least 3 offside goals, Rojo getting away with a blatant straight red, a lucky comeback at home to relegation fodder, and the opposition receiving a completely outrageous red card.

11 days break until then (as the kids should face Plymouth) so we should have a fully fit team out at OT. I can't see them living with us myself. Although I would not be surprised to see Mourinho bottle it as usual and play a back six. Hopefully at home they have a bit more ambition and try to give us a game.

If we do (god forbid) lose the game, then we'll still have 17 games left to play and I personally won't be going into melt down.

03 Jan 2017 22:36:29
MKS absolutely spot on imo.

Exactly my thoughts. They've been let off the hook quite a bit the last few games and the wins haven't been at all convincing, I think a lot of people may have seen the results but they don't reflect the bigger picture. Before that I thought they were starting to look decent though.

I still expect it to be a very hard game. If we have Couts/ Hendo and Milner back by then I think we should have enough to overpower them. Need our stars to turn up big time like Phil did last time round.

03 Jan 2017 22:38:37
oh dear. bro we'll need to beat manU no matter what happens tomorrow.

03 Jan 2017 23:29:08
Harry, stop yielding to panic as it doesn't suit you. MK nailed it. Klopp tries to win any game he plays no matter where it is played and Utd is no different and he owns Mou in his head to head games against him so if anything, he should be scared of Klopp. Had he yielded to panic, would we be leading the head to head table vs our rivals or would we have beaten Arsenal, Chelsea and Everton on their own patch? We'll b fine regardless of the result.

04 Jan 2017 00:39:52
The utd game is just like any other, we need to go into it aiming to win, simple as that.

04 Jan 2017 01:21:14
Agree with MK but united have a hx of winning ugly so we can't take the lightly. They are not playing great but they showing signs of promise unfortinately. The top six is going to be tight. If couts and matip can come back and stay healthy I think we will get top 4.maybe even (won't jinx us)

04 Jan 2017 02:45:22
If you guys wait til April to start whining, it will be too late. As fans we have the right to start whining when the team is not performing to expectation NOW.

{Ed001's Note - no we don't. Whining is childish, spoilt brats. Criticism is different.}

04 Jan 2017 04:50:06
MK

We have Saints away on Wednesday 3 days before the UTD game which is a League Cup Semifinal.

04 Jan 2017 06:43:27
As a United fan I spend most of my time over on our pages but i do enjoy reading the the mojority of the other teams pages especially this one. Within one sentence of that post I knew it was MK Scouser before id evenue seen his name. Reeks of over confidence and excuses. The fact of the matter is, we've had some awful decisions go against us in the games leading up to our recent run of wins. I wouldn't use them as excuses when we lost/ drew and I wouldn't use them as excuses when we win.

The fact is, a month ago we were languishing way off the pace and not getting results. Now we are team playing with style, cohesion, ruthlessness and flair. You can paint it any way you want but we're not 6th because of luck. Likewise, yous are not 2nd because of luck. Thump your chest all you want but right now we're just getting into our stride.

Yous have played some beautiful attacking football but there's a reason Klopp hasn't won anything in 7 years. And there's a reason he finished 8th last year and lost 2 cup finals. Klopp is just like the big bad wolf who ran out of breath when he huffed and puffed, very much like all his teams. Your bench against Sunderland was laughable for a team with Championship aspirations, considering you've only had a few injuries.

I don't think the match in 10 days will be an easy one to call. Yous always up your game against bigger teams. We've had our worst start to the season in decades and your lot are talking title challenge. We've been utter tripe for the majority of this season and yous have been playing out of your skin, yet just past the halfway point, we could be 2 points behind. Funny old game this football.

04 Jan 2017 07:08:51
Mumbles

Easy man easy, If you loose then you ll find closer to Everton than Chelsea.

04 Jan 2017 07:35:52
Mumbles AKA mouriniho wow
Up the pool.

04 Jan 2017 08:56:18
Mumbles - that match against Sunderland we had Coutinho, Matip, Henderson, Ings and Grujic all injured. A few? Put Lucas and Moreno in there and that's a bench - and one of if not the best benches in the league!

When your fans are still celebrating winning multiple games by offside goals, I wouldn't talk about over confidence or style and flair. All your style and flair so far has shown is that refs aren't paying attention!

04 Jan 2017 09:06:04
Mumbles I hear the Sam tripe every year from Man U fans were playing crap but we are still up there blah blah blah, no doubt about it you've caught back up but it's January let's see what happens at the end of the season.

04 Jan 2017 09:30:37
Mumbles what happens when the Europa kicks back in and you have to play Thursday and a sunday? Everyone seems to forget this run of games is because you ain't playing twice a week. Out of 12 points over the Christmas period we have took 10 and played Everton and man city it was always plausible we could drop a hell of a lot more points as for having a pop at klopp we both know who has the better manager but you won't admit it seen as though he's Liverpool's manager . What would you rather watch either playing heavy metal attacking football like a certain red nose used to play or boring boring mourinho with any sniff of loosing pulls a back 9 and just hoofing the ball away . how much have you spent last summer again? Pogba cost more than all of our transfers in the summer and we have a solid CB which we got for free btw a YOUNG winger who pops up with a goal and can only grow more these transfers fixed problems in our team where your defence still looks shakey your midfield can still be cut open like a knife through butter and if zlatan is injured who do you have to go up top for a team who spent nearly 200 million now tell me who's got the better manager? mourinho has never had to rebuild a squad he's always had the spending power and half a squad to work with where yourselves where in tatters when he come in and when he leaves I see it been the same just with a bigger chunk of cash missing out of your bank balance.

04 Jan 2017 10:37:55
Lads just don't bite. Mumbles lost all credibility when he said the ref mistakes are not excuses for their victories. Because of course, playing 75 minutes against 10 men has absolutely no advantages to it. Nor does having an offside goal flicked on by a handball allowed to stand, apparently.

04 Jan 2017 11:19:53
Having watched man u the last few games they are playing much better. I still feel personally they are looking to ibra to ignite them almost every game which is way too much of an over reliance but when they get going they have been playing well.
And mk his point was they might have been unlucky with decisions early in the season and as most say they get balanced throughout the season so they might have got good decisions but so do half the teams each week debatably although the ref last night in the arsenal game had a notably fantastic game imo.

All that being said I think man u back 4 can still be got at and if we as almost is the usual now overpreform against the big sides I think we could have another magical 1-4!

03 Jan 2017 23:31:14
Just something to bear in mind guys.

We finished last season on 60 points, 16 wins, 10 losses as well.

We're only halfway through the fixture list pretty much and we're not a millions miles away from that point tally.

It's been a great season so far and I expect a lot more smiles before its played out. 13 wins and 2 losses at this point of the season makes for good reading for where we are as a club.

I know Ed002 likes to a have a little chuckle about the 'transition' (which is warranted tbf, have to give him that) . But in terms of how pesimistic and borderline depressed I was towards the end of the Rodgers era. to think we've come this far is enough to perk any reasonable supporter up surely?

We're 2nd in the league and the buzz around the club is nuts. Sometimes i find myself having to pinch myself that Klopp actually joined the club if I think back to seasons past.

Anyway, my point is. cheer up :)

04 Jan 2017 12:17:10
welcome mumbles,

i don't think I've seen you on here this season until now?

a slightly different spin on your wind up. if you lose against us you'll be 8 points behind despite winning 6 games on the bounce.

you should of held your tongue until the game because if you lose you look a right fence post.

04 Jan 2017 13:36:53
Mumbles must be losing his mind knowing that even having won 6 in a row (with a plethora of pathetic ref decisions in their favor), Utd is still 5 points behind LFC. I would be losing it as well if I was him. As for the game in 10 days, we will be ready cos there`s no one Klopp like to beat the most than Mou as their head to head record suggests (3 wins 2 draws and a loss for Klopp) .

04 Jan 2017 20:32:30
He is right though. Decisions might have gone his way in last few matches but they weren't at beginning of the season. And despite what I think of him, Mourinho has got them playing a much better style of footy than the turgid rubbish they were forcing their fans to watch last year. So Im not surprised the ManU fans are feeling better about their team now. Let them. We should be concentrating on our team. And we've got 2 game to go before we have to worry about ManU.

03 Jan 2017 18:56:28
To put the season so far in perspective. After the city game, we had the most number of points we have ever had after 19 games of any premiership season. In Klopp I trust.

03 Jan 2017 21:01:04
True, Swansea-red, BUT with the comments I read on here and on other fan blogs after every negative result, you would think that the facts you just posted were made up or nonexistent or just fake news.

03 Jan 2017 21:19:12
Well said. In the last 2 seasons we were in 7th/ 8th place after 20 games, on 29/ 30 points. It's pretty obvious we're in a much better place now, some 'fans' just don't get it though. For me, 7 points from 9 over Xmas is actually quite good!

03 Jan 2017 21:56:43
Exactly, even when we finished 2nd in 2014 we only had I think 37 points and were in 4th or 5th if i am not mistaken after 19 games. We are in a great place, and the club is moving forward, we are playing amazing football. The result yesterday, was disappointing, but we didn't lose, and every single team will drop points. Arsenal have dropped points tonight by drawing with Bournemouth, this is the most competitive league in the world, and we are playing the best football, we need just sit back and enjoy, i for one am not thinking anything about the title, not even top 4. we do much better by looking at the next game, the next game for us is Plymouth in the cup. let's not think the world is over after 1 game, or that we will win the league after 1 game also. One thing we need to learn from our last time in a title race is to stay grounded, not get carried away, I felt that we did when we played on saturday against city. there was a calmness to our game. Sunderland is always a tough game, especially when we were missing a few players and tired from playing only 48 hours before hand. But still we did not lose. We need remember where we were when Klopp took over to where we are now and see the difference. let's stop slating our players for one bad game or thinking the world will implode because we drew. Just sit back and enjoy the ride Klopp is taking us on. YNWA.

04 Jan 2017 00:45:25
Kevlaw, yours is the most brilliant post I`ve ever read in quite a while. Take a bow, Monsieur!

04 Jan 2017 04:04:13
Well said Kevlaw. you don't win or lose the league by any one result and yet our emotions (myself included) tend to swing based on each performance and that's reflected in the comments. We can all learn to take each result in our stride better, appreciate that we won't be always able to perform at our peak, and appreciate just how far we've come in the last 18 months.

04 Jan 2017 13:42:44
That`s the spirit, Zimbo. I love it. We are SIXTEEN points better at this stage last season. We are the best attack, 2nd best Good, most points taken off other members of the top 6 (11), most chances created, least shots on target conceded (149), under Klopp we are undefeated in the PL vs Spurs, Arsenal, Chelsea and City. Even Rafa couldn`t manage that at any period in his tenure. I mean, the list goes on and on so let`s just learn from each negative result and always remember who and where we were before Klopp came to us and turned us into believers again. Up the Pool!

03 Jan 2017 13:55:11
Happy new year all,

Just wondering if Eds or someone can update me with regards Sakho? Is he not getting a looking due to the shenanigans in the summer or does Klopp just not rate him? Personally I still rate the lad.

{Ed002's Note - There is no update - try the search engine.}

03 Jan 2017 14:42:15
You still rate him? I don't rate his attitude, sooner he's gone the better. He doesn't deserve to be in a side like Liverpool.

03 Jan 2017 13:00:59
Hi eds happy new year to one and all .
Bad day at the office yesterday, all to apparent and firmilar slow play preventing us from breaking down Sunderland more than we did . Firstly missed Hendo unbelievably, Can is too slow and wasteful in possession which allows teams as much time as required to set out their stall defensively, I like the young lad but I don't think his reading of the game is all it should be and I don't think he'll ever get there to be honest you can't teach pace and although his reading of the game may improve he is still too slow to adapt to Klopps pressing style of play . Defensively we are still very suspect and without Maltip (what a piece of business superb player ) at the helm anything can happen, Lovern has improved but Kalvan is extremely slow like Can and prone to making silly mistakes . Sturridge injured again surprise surprise what's new guess we won't be moving him on this window no doubting his ability but attitude and work ethic or lack off beggers belief sometimes . I personally don't think he is a Klopp like player, basically what I'm trying to say in a nut shell is we have maybe 11/ 12 great players that play extremely well in Klopps preferred system but outside of them we lack real quality in our squad and our fast paced pressing game suffers as a result . Do you see Klopp addressing some of this in this window or do you think he will persist with what he has and re access in the summer sorry for harping on a bit but I think this is all too apparent and needs to be addressed if we want to fufill our potential and reach the holy grail that has illuded us for far too long .
Cheers and keep up the super work.

{Ed001's Note - how on earth can you question Sturridge's attitude and work ethic? He has had injuries that he is struggling with, but he has worked damn hard to get over them. His attitude has been excellent, he has not thrown his toys out of the pram despite the crap in the media.}

03 Jan 2017 13:19:55
The only way to know the quality of your bench is by giving them chances. The bench struggles coz they hardly get a sniff on the system of first eleven.

03 Jan 2017 13:33:07
Was going to do a post on Studge but will reply to this instead. Klopp clearly rates Studge, every time he gets fit he brings him back into the team either as a starter or a first reserve. People try to say he's 'not a Klopp player' but the team does better with him in it and Studge has scored plenty of goals for Klopp.

This season alone he's on a goal every 101 minutes, that's stupendously good. The only reason it's questioned is because the goals are clustered in the league cup.

The simple fact is that when he's fit he's brilliant. What everyone forgots is that the club employs experts to evaluate his injuries. If he was a lame duck he'd have been replaced by now. Klopp has faith in him, the doctors back him and he's still scoring goals for fun.

03 Jan 2017 13:13:12
Yes ed Sturridge is a quality player and the media will have a go at him people for it . It's a easy cheap shot at someone at people need not to believe the media all the time.

03 Jan 2017 15:29:07
''I like the young lad but I don't think his reading of the game is all it should be and I don't think he'll ever get there to be honest you can't teach pace and although his reading of the game may improve he is still too slow to adapt to Klopps pressing style of play''

Tony Adams showed you don't need pace to be a ''decent'' player, If he can get his timings when to go close, when to st etc right, he should be ok.

03 Jan 2017 13:13:31
Cheers eds for the quick response maybe I'm being harsh on Sturridge no doubting his ability and that he has worked hard to get back fit and fair play to him I am just stating that he doesn't put in the shift that is required by the system we play, I think we are missing the whole point of the post and that was the lack of real quality in the squad and if it would be addressed .
Cheers.

{Ed001's Note - but there is no lack of real quality in the squad. We have quality, expensively acquired quality, we also have some grafters, and a lot of youngsters who need to be developed through playing time. Try patience.}

03 Jan 2017 18:04:57
Your probably right Ed patience is what is required I do realise that their is a abundance of young raw talent at the club that just needs to be nurtured and given time hopefully this will all come to good and we'll be able to reap the rewards but do u think we might possibly add maybe one addition to the squad and if so where do u think is the most critical position to be added too . Sorry if the original post was terribly critical of Sturidge it's just frustrating for us all and the lad himself that he is having a horror time of it with injuries
Cheers.

{Ed001's Note - it is not just the young talent. Sturridge needs time on the pitch to get his form back. Origi needs it to develop as a player. Firmino needs to keep playing to develop teamwork with the others. Henderson is still learning his role. I could go on. A small squad is beneficial to winning trophies, which is why the top managers work with one.}

04 Jan 2017 02:25:46
Sound response Ed
Cheers point taken on board.

{Ed001's Note - thanks mate, glad you thought so.}

03 Jan 2017 11:01:10
Imo these 2 cup games have come at the right time. Squad rotation will come in. Ed am I right in thinking Couts Hendo Matip should be back for the Utd game?

{Ed002's Note - The club have yet to say.}

03 Jan 2017 11:30:06
Hope so, these three would be a massive boost and give us our best chance of nullifying Ibrahimavic, Mkhitaryan, Pogba.

03 Jan 2017 10:00:11
hi all ed001 what is going on with Marko Grujic he does not even make the bench anymore?

{Ed001's Note - he is injured, well he is back in training now.}

03 Jan 2017 10:08:03
cheers ed.

{Ed001's Note - welcome.}

03 Jan 2017 12:34:53
Ed1 why has grugic not played before his injury? Ed2 alluded to him and his father making a bit of a stir about it. I ask as it would seem like the club are making broken promises yet again to players.

{Ed001's Note - because he wasn't ready.}

03 Jan 2017 07:53:56
I felt we did enough to win the game yesterday, their keeper made a couple of decent saves to keep out Sturridge in particular.

Having said that, you can really see the difference when Henderson is out of the team, Emre Can did ok but was off the pace IMO.

I also felt at times, Klavan and Lovren struggled with Defoe and Januzaj, especially Defoe'a pace, he should have scored when he split right through our defence.

I really hope Matip is back for the United game as they have pace in their team and they'll be sending in diagonal balls for Zlatan to knock down into the path of those runners ( the likes of Rashford ) something we failed to deal with at times yesterday.

We are still second though, if you'd have offered me that at the start of the season I'd have taken it all day long. It's just a shame we couldn't quite get the three points yesterday and I'm sure we will encounter a few more set backs between now and May.

Come on you Spurs tonight! 😎😎😎.

03 Jan 2017 09:31:02
Looking forward, Klavan and Lovren should fare far better against Ibra than they did Defoe and Borini, which tells its own story, but Mkhitaryan could cause us real problems without Hendo. Doesn't happen very often, thankfully, but it was a bad day at the office by Klopp yesterday.

03 Jan 2017 10:15:13
Spurs play Chelski tomorrow Nicky.

03 Jan 2017 13:53:20
I fully expect Chelsea to beat spurs and pull away even further, we need to make sure we stay in the top 4.

03 Jan 2017 14:57:42
Keep the faith boys as Nicky said. Yesterday was always going to be tough regardless so I`m not surprised about the difficulties we faced. Sunderland had the same issue but they were at home so they had the fans to spur them on. Either way, nothing has been won nor lost yet especially with half a season to go. Just keep our heads down and focus on the next game and let the media do their thing cos frankly, that`s their job.

03 Jan 2017 06:29:30
Ed01, March review?

{Ed001's Note - I am putting it together now.}

03 Jan 2017 10:33:09
Its only just January.

{Ed001's Note - shows how awake I was, I never even noticed that!}