Liverpool Banter

25 Apr 2024 08:20:04
This is one of the only times in Klopp's tenure, barring the very early days, were the players can be accused of fight, effort, or drive. Shirking challenges is unacceptable and Salah and Szobo were 2 of numerous players guilty. Getting beat is fine, getting completely outfought and out worked isn't. Don't think it will just be Klopp leaving at the end of the season.

25 Apr 2024 08:40:59
Seano, you took these words right out of my keyboard. Absolutely spot on. Our guys didn't want anything to do wth Everton last night. The lack of fight was already palpable from the off. It seemed like someone forgot to tell them they were going into ai Merseyside derby with all the blood and thunder that goes into it. Not good, at all. I can accept that we lost. I can't accept that we did not fight.

25 Apr 2024 08:45:50
Folks I have seen so many opinions here
Peps book
Klopp announcement etc etc

The simple fact is
Everton have been so poor this season
A few good games

But Liverpool are not playing well since jota and jones got injured in that game … remember when someone fell on jota knee

Also szbos is a strange one I feel he’s not playing in his right position

The defence tactic is not good we ship goals

We always concede first

It feel like a very new team that’s not drilled and wil be hit and miss

So that’s why I have to give them a break

Next season I won’t

But for this game I can’t understand why they didn’t feel like it was a must win game in effort

That part is inexcusable.

25 Apr 2024 08:49:13
Agree with you there, Seano. I was there last night and Salah and Szob were getting pelters. Szob in particular doesn't have enough brownie points to prance about like a show pony, and that was made clear by people around me. At the moment he doesn't offer any more than a poor Henderson, and he needs to step up next season under our new manager. And I know that can be levelled at many more players. In fact, apart from Alisson, I don't know any player who escapes criticism.

25 Apr 2024 09:07:33
It is very concerning going forward that some players have down tools to the point of embarrassment. just because the going has got hard they have let the club and fans down. I understand that with Klopp leaving there’s going to a reaction weather it’s good or bad but there is no excuse for what has happened! What a very sad way for Klopp to leave.

25 Apr 2024 09:32:43
I don't think they've downed tools.
It's a combination of not being good enough, loss of confidence, tiredness and tactics.
I think the best example is TAA.
He's told to drift infield which leaves us exposed at the back. He bottles out of header which leads to their first goal, does nothing for their second, jibbed out of a tackle in the second half and jogged back.
But that's Trent. He'll never be Tommy Smith but he played some delightful balls in the first half, three of which should have led to goals. He needs to play but not in a dodgy defence with a flaky midfield in front of it.
The team tried but it was a team without the physicality or mentality to match Everton. They also don't have those attributes to play like City or the great Barcelona side.
The only positive is that we should have enough points to get top four and that was my aim at the start of the season.

25 Apr 2024 08:01:53
been super busy at work and just caught up with various news (so really, don't know how Ed002 can keep up with his/ her day job, help in this site, and have some much info about many things)

1. Wow! I thought Chelsea may give Arsenal a game. the only match I see them potentially dropping points is now against Spurs. There is no way we can overturn the GD now. The loss to Palace at home is looking increasingly a very big missed chance for us.

2. City also doesn't look like dropping points, and hoping Spurs (again), may do some damage. The rest they have in between games is also adequate since they are out of CL. it really is theirs to lose now.

3. Arne Slot it seems will be our new manager. Know nothing about him, but am hoping he turns out good. From what I read, seems a nice guy, great man mgmt, attacking football. Let's hope he does well even though he was 3rd choice. Salah, the 4th choice turned out half decent yea?

Also, if he sticks by 4-2-3-1, will it be:
Alisson
Robbo (or new / younger LB)
VVD (or Hacko? )
Konate
Bradley
Endo
TAA (may allow his desire to be MF and utilize his passing range w/ o needing the inverted FB that is confusing and make use defensively vulnerable, but does need to do more defensively)
Gakpo / Diaz (I actually think the former may do better in this role)
Macallister (imagine the damage he can do to opposition as a 10)
Sobozslai (may bring out the best in him)
Nunez (but he does need to be a lot more clinical) .

Yes, I am thinking Salah will be off and probably should given how he has declined this season.

4. Derby day! following what Ed025 commented on another thread, I am sure he has kidnapped Gakpo so that the impending hat trick won't be happening. But here's hoping a good game and a win for us of course!

25 Apr 2024 08:30:01
A few of my mates say Arne slot is nothing without his assistant Marino Pusic (they won the league together last year ) And this year he left and Slot is losing to PSV managed by Peter Bosz who is notoriosuly famous for not winning the league. I don't know how much of this are actual truth but just putting it out there.

25 Apr 2024 08:42:09
Beekeeper only 1 football team in world football relies more on their assistant manager than their actual manager.

And that is us when we are not winning.

25 Apr 2024 07:07:39
I just wanted to congratulate Ed25 on his victory last night.

It's a pleasure to have helped you lot stay in PL. I admit it wouldn't be the same without you

As for us. I'm starting to worry that we might even lose out on top 4 right now.

Klopp looks lost and the players seem to have downed tools. Recipe for disaster

It's going to be a tough and nervy end of the season for us.

{Ed025's Note - you just never turned up JLC, you did have some good chances mind but your confidence looks shot, Liverpool will finish top 3 im sure of that mate but we all know it could and should have been so much better..

25 Apr 2024 07:27:13
To miss out on top four spurs realistically have to win all their games, they may beat us but they won’t beat both city and Arsenal.

If you look at the season purely as a result, top four and a trophy we’d have bitten your hand off in August. However we had hope of winning the lot and now it’s going to end on a flat note.

Really starting to question if there are any leaders in that dressing room as they should of spurred the team on after losing in the fa cup. Instead we have wilted, it’s like the mentality was 4 or nothing. A real shame to see klopps final season end like this but it’s been one hell of a ride.

And ed025 your boys simply wanted it more last night, you must be on cloud 9 this morning. Now excuse me, I’m off to live under a rock until next season starts.

{Ed025's Note - i was dreading it WYred but we bullied you mate and you ran out of ideas in the end mate, still a good season for the reds i feel ...but it could have been so much more..

25 Apr 2024 07:29:42
JLC I’ll be honest mate making such a suggestion that LFC players have downed tools for Klopp would usually be blasphemy.

But the truth is if we took off our red tinted glasses and watched last night and last few weeks as a neutral and it was another club with another manager I know my conclusion Would be it looks like they’ve downed tools (lost the dressing room etc) .

Klopp should be going out on his shield but currently he’s going out with a whimper.

Finishing above Spurs and Villa isn’t quite as nailed on as we imagined. Especially as we have both still to play.

{Ed025's Note - the fall out from last night may just be the kick up the arse you needed JK, you will easily make top 4 mate..

25 Apr 2024 07:40:00
I don't think the players have downed tools. Like Ed said, they are just lacking belief and confidence. I do agree that Klopp and his coaching team looks lost and can't seem to turn this around.

Personally, I feel that we are already out of the title race after last night's results. A bit of a downer after what was expected to be Klopp's farewell. Nonetheless, I would still wish for us to go all out for the last four games and get the maximum number of points still available.

25 Apr 2024 07:40:41
I cannot see us beting west ham, villa and Spurs. how are you so confident we will get a top 4 place ED025? Villa themselves are aiming for a CL spot and as is Spurs.

{Ed025's Note - because you are a better side mate, they will be more scared of you than you are of them, of course you will have to buck your ideas up but they are too far behind to be a real threat..

25 Apr 2024 07:40:45
We won't lose top four but I'm struggling to see the leaders in our side, at the minute. VVD and Mac, maybe but after that?
I never thought I'd be saying this but Gomez has to come in at right back against West Ham; at least until Bradley is back.
TAA is good enough to build a team around but not in the system or with the players we have.
I'd also consider playing Salah through the middle but only because of a lack of options and to get him closer to the goal.

{Ed025's Note - i would leave Salah out altogether Rigsby, he looks shot mate and has not been the same since the AFCON, great player of course but contributing very little at the moment im afraid..

25 Apr 2024 08:08:10
I forgot spurs had City and Arsenal to play to be honest.

Bit that tells a story that we are confident of getting top 4 because Spurs won’t over our capabilities.

Even dropping below Villa now will be seen as failure in my eyes.

And anyone who argues that it’s not I’ll just counter argue that a week ago we were going for the title in a 3 horse race so to then finish 4th can’t be seen as anything else.

25 Apr 2024 08:08:19
I'd leave him out, too, Ed025 but with Jota injured that only leaves Nunez whose confidence also looks shot. I can't have Gakpo there and I don't know whether Danns is ready to start on the run we are having.
It may be wishful thinking but get Salah through the middle, hope he takes a chance and finds some form.

{Ed025's Note - i would actually play Danns there Rigsby, yes hes still a bit raw but the guy has talent mate, lets be honest he cant do any worse than mo at the moment..

25 Apr 2024 08:39:25
Congrats Ed 25, reckon you guys will be safe now. Regarding this been the kick up the arse we needed, I was hoping Atalanta and Palace would have been enough of a wake up call. Hope we can put in some good performances before the season is out, at least finish playing some exciting football.

{Ed025's Note - with the announcement of the new manager it will give the team a bit of a boost i think Mic, mind you i thought with Klopp leaving it would have had a similar effect mate..

25 Apr 2024 08:41:28
@Jk
Then they will argue "if you told me at the start of the season" lol.

25 Apr 2024 09:04:11
The way we’re playing we could easily end the season and not win another game and finish behind both Spurs and Villa. Fulham were on the beach already, and we looked like that against Everton last night. Poor performance, no fight, too many mistakes.

25 Apr 2024 09:44:28
Players very rarely ‘down tools’. Not often do footballers consciously decide they can’t be bothered. Don’t like that phrase being used so liberally.

No, what this looks like is a group of players who have lost all confidence in what the manager is telling them to do. We have powered through this season on enthusiasm and vibes but when that runs out you need a solid way of playing that you can fall back on.

You can’t go back to basics if you don’t know what the basics are. We have routinely conceded first all season long. It is unforgiveable and we have got away with it for ages. When you have a knock in confidence like in the United cup game, you need to have some solidity to depend upon, a base to work from.

We don’t have that. The system is stupid and leaves us vulnerable. We never feel in control. That puts pressure on our forwards who, as we can see, are not good enough to deal with that pressure. So begins the vicious cycle; concede baffling goals at one end, balloon chance after chance at the other, heads drop, we lose/ draw, rinse and repeat. This is a psychologically draining way to approach football matches week after week.

The players are a reflection of the manager and his coaches. Fed up, checked out, mentally exhausted, but most of all lacking faith in what they are doing. The management don’t have any answers or impetus to provide those answers, and the players can feel it.

If people want to refer to it as ‘something behind the scenes’, whatever that means, i think that’s all it is. Nothing sinister, just a manager and coaches who have run their course and can’t take this group any further.

24 Apr 2024 22:25:07
Credit must be given tonight to Everton, their game plan was effective and we had no answer.
Congrats Ed025 you look save now.

{Ed025's Note - i hope so Dave...cheers mate..

24 Apr 2024 23:00:40
Yep we were beaten by the better team and no complaints. Klopp looks like a beaten man!

{Ed025's Note - i dont think we were the better side Longthing, i just think we wanted it more mate..

24 Apr 2024 23:01:38
Well done ed25,use fully deserved the win.

{Ed025's Note - you had chances Digger but again the finishing was awful mate, we possibly deserved it because of the effort we put in..nice one..

24 Apr 2024 23:16:09
I thought klopps subs were very strange tonight. We were supposed to be going for the league so why bring on 4 defensive players. There were kids on the bench that are desperate to show what they can do so at 2-0 why not just let them have a go or was Klopp scared of getting beaten even more.

24 Apr 2024 23:36:33
I bet Everton's midfield were licking their lips at the sight of Mac, Szob and Jones in midfield.
From the beginning of the season we haven't focused enough on defending.
TAA comes back in and it gets worse!
He's been told to vacate the right back position and is half hearted when he is in position to make a challenge.
When we don't defend and don't finish our chances we were never going to win the League.

24 Apr 2024 23:57:57
Two poor teams out there today.
Everton’s tactic of falling over like a wet fish anytime they were in our half combined with a pitifully soft referee gave them endless dead ball situations which is how they score goals. TAA showed no interest in defending anything either so Everton deserved their win.
Liverpool’s tactic of lumping the ball long and slowing down every counter attack by passing backwards meant they deserved to get nothing out of the game.
Its a poor end to the season and Klopp looks utterly lost right now. Salah is stealing a living, Nunez is getting progressively worse, Alexander-Arnold needs to have zero defensive duties.
Congrats to Everton but Liverpool are currently looking like a sick dog that needs to be put out of its misery. Klopp is leaving possibly a year too late but fingers crossed the next manager can come in and add some energy and enthusiasm into a talented but down-trodden team.

25 Apr 2024 00:43:08
Pathetic from Liverpool. Everton deserved the 3pts. we had nothing. no fight. you'd think we was miles away from the title . I can't wait for the new manager to come in n get rid of the front 3. iv got so much to say but end of the day I'm gutted n nothing will make a difference. at least we be in champs league. that's the only bonus.

25 Apr 2024 00:45:05
I must say I honestly enjoyed this derby, the first 30mins especially, more than most others in the last few years
It brought back memories
The atmosphere was great, chances on both ends, lots of 50-50s players had to fight for
And from then you knew if we can’t finish, Everton will win because they were up for it whole game
Was annoyed at some of their diving around and referee giving away free kicks too easily, more annoyed at the latter, but you did except some gamesmanship in these games
Congrats to Everton and Ed025 for winning the game and securing safety
Sadly, we were not up for it and now our title challenge is over. I think Klopp was really honest when he announced he was leaving. He had ran out of energy, and possibly ideas. Man is legend and he needs to move on and rest.
Looking forward to the reset next season.

25 Apr 2024 02:59:18
So much for the mentality monsters. Klopps leaving and prior to the Cup game against United we had the title in ours hands, since then we've fallen apart in all comps and this with our full squad basically back.

Things that need sorted by the new manager

Vvd needs a proper defender beside him who's not going to get injured every other game

Trent is not a defender and has never been. Either play him in midfield or sell him for 120 million and buy.

We need a proper DM to protect the defence.

We also need at least 2 strikers who can actually score. Salah is a legend and I will always love him but he's done, get as much as we can from the Suads and buy.

25 Apr 2024 06:30:27
Sgynwa klopp looks tired and needs a rest, I'm tired and need a rest but I can't get it because I love in the real world, highly paid wants for nothing and this is the excuse? These people need to get in the real world and do a proper days graft and then they'll know what to tired is, instead of just sitting there at the end with a gormless grin watching the game play out while making bizarre substitutions. These people are not gods they are very well paid who live in a bubble, you are allowed to o criticise them.

25 Apr 2024 00:10:47
I wouldn’t say you wanted it more Ed I just think we are playing nervously at the minute and goals change games.

If Nunez and/ or Diaz score their chances we gain confidence and it’s a different game. As it was we started to think ‘oh no not again’ and that made us even more tense and nervous.

We are nervous on the ball, nervous in the tackle and nervous in front of goal. Nobody wants to take responsibility so they pass it slowly sideways and backwards to keep possession then when we lose it we don’t win it back quickly enough and when we create chances we snatch at them.

Then the second goal just killed any confidence we had left.

I feared for this game because lately we’ve been very nervous and passive which you just can’t be in a derby. Atalanta bullied us and a thought Everton could do the same. As it happened you did to a point but every time we gave you something back the ref gave you a free kick. I could see why Klopp was livid in the first half the ref was a joke.

That said we basically handed you the first goal on a plate and didn’t take some really good chances we had so we deserved nothing from the game. We played right into your hands which is concerning when every man and his dog knows how Dyche plays football. We did nothing to stop it, so we got exactly what we deserved.

{Ed025's Note - you were nervous BP but the reason we got more free kicks is that we were quicker to the ball mate, for me you played the wrong team and dont get me started on the substitutions, i think Jurgen may have lost the plot, not only with the constant moaning but there seems a lack of motivation and belief, that last night did not look like a side that is challenging for the title to me..

25 Apr 2024 00:11:49
Everton were slightly worse than average but they were easily the best team on the night.

Liverpool were dire. They never laid a glove on Everton.

Congrats Ed025 👏.

{Ed025's Note - it was more about a poor Liverpool performance than a good one from Everton Ron, yes we battled hard but it looks like some of your players have downed tools im afraid mate..

25 Apr 2024 05:37:44
Cheers Ed25, a good one for you. We are so bad Everton fully deserved to win. Can't believe this is how Klopp last season going to end. Kinda sad for Klopp to be honest.

{Ed025's Note - it is sad that you seem to be going out with a whimper mfahmee, i thought the announcement of Klopp leaving might inspire the team, but it seems it has had the opposite effect mate..

25 Apr 2024 07:13:03
I agree Ed025 the Klopp announcement looks like it’s taking affect now probably just human nature to think this manager now has no impact on the future so what’s the point. Not saying they have downed tools out of spite but subconsciously it must be an issue
Well played EFC thoroughly deserved the win
Up the pool.

25 Apr 2024 07:14:23
You can't blame Everton or the ref for the free kicks. That's what happens when you can't tackle, are too slow to challenge and panic by hanging a leg out or pushing the opponent in the back. They played into Everton's hands.
That Liverpool side wasn't capable of playing fast counter attacking football. Or a possession based game either, for that matter.

25 Apr 2024 07:16:55
All over the place in midfield and defence, Mac as a number 6 simply doesn’t work and he’s being played out of position, Jones and Szobo offered nothing, Jones in particular was a passenger. Defending was dire, both centre backs not taking any responsibility or leadership, fullbacks were both poor, but TAA was particularly guilty of poor defending and dereliction of his duties. As for the attackers, well they may as well not have played. All it showed is that a lot of work and difficult decisions are needed in the summer. I’d happily sell Diaz, Salah, Nunez, Jones, TAA, Robertson, VVD at this point and bring in two new wingers, a new striker, a new defensive midfielder, new centre defender, new left back and promote Bradley at this point.

25 Apr 2024 07:38:44
Mac as a number 6 simply doesn’t work and he’s being played out of position,

You keep repeating this under every thread. who exactly do you want to play there may I know? Endo? he would be bullied left right and throuh center.

25 Apr 2024 09:19:50
Thebeekeeper, on the basis of the entire season it’s a matter of irrefutable fact that Mac isn’t a number 6. The only player we have who is able to play there is Endo, and it looks like his legs are going. The harsh reality is that we didn’t adequately replace Fabinho and are paying the price at the business end of the season. We’re a soft touch in midfield and opponents know this. If you legitimately believe that Mac is effective at number 6 then I can’t help you. The evidence is clear to see that he’s being asked to do something which isn’t in his game. The summer before last we should have started replacing our midfield, but we left it til last summer and it looks like we’ve done a half arsed job. Unfortunately not everything is rosy in the garden and lots of difficult decisions on the squad need to be made,