Liverpool Match Posts 3

18 Apr 2024 22:36:12
Didn't really understand tonight. Was scratching my head a lot.
I think it was clear that we could not play a passing game and credit to Atalanta for that. However, why then did we not understand that it wasn't possibly to play that way. Why didn't we play longerand get players closer toegtwr to win the 2nd and 3rd and 4th balls. Why not try to force the issue abit because we were not going to score goals with passages of play.
Very confused tonight.

18 Apr 2024 22:52:34
We simply didn’t go for it. Could not for the life of me understand why Jones was picked after he was woeful in the first leg and not much better at the weekend against palace as he looked off the pace and may as well not have been there. Even when time was slipping away we didn’t try anything different (why not try to go 424 and be more direct? ), just the same insipid sideways and backwards passing. Awful end to the season. Only hope we have enough to get a champions league place.

18 Apr 2024 22:57:55
Our exits at the moment are so slow and basic.

Exiting is one of the key components of football and right now ours are slow, pondourous and lacking ideas. We are playing around at the back against set defences. Today was the worst yet.

18 Apr 2024 23:05:52
Atalanta were very frustrating to watch. Lots of little cynical fouls and shirt pulling, tackling from behind and snide trips. The ref was letting them get away with it though so fair play to them.

We just needed to fight fire with fire and not allow ourselves to be bullied. We needed a Carra or a Stevie G crunching tackle just to show them we meant business.

In truth they physically bullied us over both games and we just didn’t stand up for ourselves. Whenever they got close and roughed us up we just gave them the ball back until in the end we were scared to get on the ball because we didn’t want the physical battle.

It was the same against Palace in the first half on Sunday. Too weak and too submissive.

Normally that points to a lack of confidence and judging by our finishing that’s exactly what we are experiencing. Let’s hope Klopp can get them up for Fulham on Sunday because that won’t be easy.

19 Apr 2024 12:14:16
BP - agree with that. Atalanta were a prime example of what I call 'Anti Football'. Lot's of cynical fouls and the rest of what you say.

That said they played to a plan to which we had no idea how to play. We were slow and ponderous and had no press or cut and thrust - or weak and submissive as you say.

We need to show aggression and attacking threat which we have not had for the last number of games.

We need to go all out press and attack for the last few games, sure we may concede goals but we'll do that with how we are playing at the moment. At least if we press and attack rather than this passing and faffing around square across the back we will score goals - and hopefully more than we concede.

18 Apr 2024 22:32:55
Is Szoboszlai a midfield 3 player?

18 Apr 2024 23:12:55
He has the tools to play there that's for sure.

18 Apr 2024 23:44:10
Honestly haven’t seen anything of him that makes me think he’s worth sticking with, if anything he’s gifting the ball away and costing goals. He’s got ability and really needs to start showing it. That RCM is vital for us as it is supposed to help the right back which he’s not doing. Needs to up his game.

19 Apr 2024 06:30:35
Agreed sailor Jerry. He’s very average.

19 Apr 2024 17:55:43
First season in a new country in a tougher faster league. Give him a chance.

18 Apr 2024 22:29:12
Absolutely pesh yet again lijnders tatics is a joke. And Klopp just keeps playing same old crap tatics. Where's the high octain football gone? Not winning naff all this season now. Roll on next season new manager new tatics. Goodbye Klopp you was good but now you've lost it. And see ya sh@t lijnders who's destroying us.

18 Apr 2024 22:52:15
Do me a favour. When it’s good Klopp gets praise when it goes tits up it’s Pep’s fault. Yeah that makes perfect sense.

18 Apr 2024 23:32:41
I never got that either Mark. Klopp is the boss so if you have beef with the tactics it’s him you should criticise not someone who takes their orders from him. Even if he’s allowing Pep to dictate tactics to him that’s still on Klopp not his coaches.

Myself I find it difficult to criticise Klopp. I can obviously see the flaws everyone else can see but I think we have to remember where we were before he walked through the door and the giant strides we have taken since.

We were going nowhere fast until he came in and took us back to the top table in Europe for the first time in 30 years. He made us feared again and I will be forever grateful to him for that.

Without Klopp I hate to think where we would be right now but it would probably be top 8 with the odd cup run here and there like we were before he arrived.

Let’s just hope that him leaving doesn’t send us straight back there.

19 Apr 2024 12:49:32
Mark - Here’s one for you…
I was at Spurs away for Klopp’s first game, with a bunch of inferior players…

The difference in tactics and application shown that day to what we witnessed all last season and most of the game yesterday

I’ll leave that with your Linders comment.

19 Apr 2024 17:56:36
Touche drogie.

18 Apr 2024 22:28:52
Cant believe I've just seen us score early like we needed and then instead of throwing the kitchen sink at then we've spent the rest of the game passing the ball back to Alisson. What was that all about?

{Ed025's Note - very frustrating Will..

18 Apr 2024 22:27:08
What has happened these past 6 weeks? The players look so lethargic it’s ridiculous!

Some of klopps decisions tonight were bordering on certifiable! First there is the tactics, we started well and then once we got the goal, the press disappeared and we were back to playing the ball around the back and pumping it hopelessly long!

Starting gakpo when we needed to come out the blocks firing was the wrong call. Starting jones, who has looked so rusty since his injury, was the wrong call.

Then there were the substitutions. Taking off diaz and salah when you’re chasing goals is ridiculous, regardless of how they’re playing! And then to top it all off, he throws gakpo left back! I genuinely don’t know how a season which showed so much promise has derailed so quickly!

18 Apr 2024 23:41:09
Diaz and mo was right subs for me. We could play til midnight and they wouldn’t have had a shot on target let alone score.

18 Apr 2024 22:18:56
Got what we deserved.

When your keeper has the ball for half the game (exaggeration Iknow) your not going to get a good result especially in Europe.

Shame really.

Heres looming forward and a fresh start,

18 Apr 2024 22:15:07
What’s the point of this constant passing back to Alison and he just stand’s there wasting up to 20 seconds each time! Watching it on the TV there is no movement or desire from any Liverpool player to want the ball. Van Dijk just stands there screaming at players to pass it back to him and Allison. Both of them use to play some brilliant long range passes but they seem to have no interest or maybe the forwards aren’t making the right runs. It was a terrible performance with the subs coming on performing worse than the players they replaced.
Well done to Atlanta because they turned up in both games with a brilliant attitude and were clinical in the first leg while also creating some great chances tonight.
It looks like Klopp will leave without a whimper. In my opinion he has under achieved. I know a lot of people will disagree but he has left behind at least 2 Premier league titles and 1 champions league along with the Europa League and league cups.
He’s given the club some of its best nights in history but unfortunately hasn’t added enough trophies.
I saw a quote recently from him saying people shouldn’t ask him about what it takes to win in England because he normally finishes second. It breaks my heart hearing him speak like that because he gives his absolute best. He just doesn’t seem to get the luck when it really matters.

18 Apr 2024 22:51:02
It’s all relative Jarjar.

If someone had told me when Klopp took over that within 8 years we’d make the Europa League final and Champions league final 3 times, be in a title race most seasons and win a league title, champions league, FA Cup, League Cup twice, European Super Cup, Club World Cup and a Community Shield I’d have absolutely snatched your arm off!

We had been searching for a manager to take us back to the top of the league since Dalglish left in 1990. We had sporadic success in cup competitions but never truly ever looked like winning the league or even challenging for the league consistently.

For one man to come in and take us straight back to the top of the league consistently and to make us one of the very best teams in Europe again is nothing short of spectacular.

You can look at his trophy count if you like and say he’s underachieved but the fa t he achieved half of what he has is unbelievable and something we all should be eternally grateful for.

{Ed025's Note - hear hear BP. Well said mate..