19 May 2016 05:10:01
Ed001, do you blame the second half more on tactics or bottle? For me, it's bottle. The first goal had NOTHING to do with tactics. Emery's revised tactics didn't influence us to ball-watch en-masse and let them score a goal. After that, we froze. Could he have brought on Allen earlier? Perhaps, but if his team didn't bottle it he wouldn't have had to do have done that in the first place.

{Ed001's Note - why would you want to bring on Allen? He offers nothing and was the wrong substitution. Tactics were a big problem, Emery changed his and it worked, though luck and a team of officials who favoured them helped.

I mean 3 handballs in the box, 2 clearly deliberate and within full view of officials and one that was clear, though accidental, but the ref pretended not to see so gave them a goal kick rather than a corner, like it should have been.

Then there was the 'advantages' the ref was playing. At one point one of our players was fouled deep in their half, a great place for a dangerous free kick to us, the ball broke from the foul back 30 yards or so into our own half, yet the ref threw his arms forward to indicate he was playing the advantage. I am sorry, but what advantage is gained by keeping the ball in your own half over having a free kick within ten yards of the opposition box? The changing decisions every time their players disputed them etc, the refereeing team were appalling.

That for me was why we bottled it, which is why I would agree with you that it is mainly bottle, but it was the combination of all those things together. We lost the tactical battle in the second half, poor subs (why bring on Allen when our best midfielder is there on the bench? Allen should not even make the bench, he is hopeless and I am sick of the love in for a player who offers nothing), officiating, all contributed to the feeling we had lost it. The players just seemed to lose heart. That is unforgivable to me.

The likes of Milner, Clyne, Allen, Lallana, that run around a lot but offer absolutely f all else, they have to go. I am not even going to get into Mignolet and Moreno, who are little short of embarrassing. At least Toure turned up and kept going, last night showed we need to keep him, he was one of the few with the right attitude, chasing back to run past Can to throw himself into a block. That is what we needed more of. Shame he was almost alone in his attitude.}

1.) 19 May 2016
19 May 2016 05:31:56
You've said it perfect Ed, sums up my thoughts on it exactly.

{Ed001's Note - I would like to point out, I am not blaming the officials for us folding or losing, I am saying the players bottled it and that contributed to it in a major way. Top players use those times as a push, something to make them work harder, a stick to drive them on. Last night our players did exactly the opposite. It reminded me of the way the Man Utd players reacted to their team bus being attacked, the way they failed to seize upon it to drive them on and instead lost focus due to it. That is exactly what was wrong last night and, as captain in the game, Milner has to accept the blame in a large part. He is a highly experienced player, yet who was he screaming at to pull their finger out? Who was in the face of forcing the play? No one. Not geeing up our players or trying to get at theirs. He is simply not a captain, or good enough for Liverpool.}

2.) 19 May 2016
19 May 2016 05:40:18
Ed I agree wholeheartedly with your post but for your criticism of mings who I believe must go ASAP but last night I found him blameless for any of the goals. Did I miss something that you felt contributed to us losing the game.

{Ed001's Note - seriously? He dithered and dallied and nearly cost us more a couple of times last night. Sorry but to suggest he is blameless, when he gives the whole team the jitters every game, is ridiculous. How many times is that now that the first shot on target the opposition have is nestling in the back of our net? Worst first choice keeper we have had in my lifetime. In fact, many of our numbers 2 choice keepers have been far better than him. He is utterly and completely hopeless. Oh and what kind of moron keeps lumping it long to Sturridge against two defenders that are dominating him in the air? Oh yes, that would be Mignolet. His kicking is appalling and showing no signs of improving.}

3.) 19 May 2016
19 May 2016 05:50:22
He brought on Allen because he was changing it To bring on two frontmen and wanted Allens composure on the ball and his ability to retain possession with his passing. We were being run over in the midfield and we were giving the ball away too easily.

Firmino had a shocker, gave away the ball that much. Coutinho was ineffective. Worst by far was Moreno who can't defend to save himself. Lallana ran a lot but didn't do anything.

{Ed001's Note - but Allen has no composure on the ball, hence why he scores so few, and he does nothing to cover defensively. He was a terrible sub, that was a mistake, much as I love Klopp, it was a clear error to choose Allen when Hendo is available. Allen offers nothing.

Couts had a poor game, worse than Firmino, who at least kept their defence working, he should have been given the hook. Lallana did everything he does every week. Ran a lot but did nothing bar spoil promising attacks with pretty turns and hanging on to the ball far too long.}

4.) 19 May 2016
19 May 2016 06:05:47
To be fair to Milner ed, he's been our most productive player this season in getting assists, so that IMO warrants him at least a place in the squad. But no, he's not a leader. He may lead by example with work rate but he's got no battlefield voice. The only player you can genuinely call a leader is Toure. I know Lucas is a leader off the field but like Milner, doesn't have the battlefield voice.

Yeah I agreee Henderson should have come on instead, but I guess what I mean is that if you were to bring Allen on, it should have been earlier. The Allen love-in does have me a bit perplexed. All he's done is just come on against tired bodies and run around like a mad man.

If Liverpool held their bottle, they still could have won despite the tactics. I blame it maybe 80% on bottle and 20% on tactics. If the players didn't choke, perhaps a midfield change wouldn't have even been necessary anyway. I think our loss of nerve just made their tactic changes look a lot better than they actually were. I can't even remember what they did tactics-wise. But I just didn't see Sevilla as a particularly great side, we were just awful.

I'm hating the doom and gloom from some though. We lose a final and all of a sudden it's so much harder next season? I tell you what, I think Gotze is coming regardless of UCL or not.

And yes, Migs should be criticised. Distribution woeful. Keeping for the third goal especially woeful, it's like he dived out of the way.

It's just so bitter. We beat Man United, Dortmund, Villareal, and when you realise all of that emotion and excitement built up over the 3 ties has amounted to nothing, it's hard to digest. I almost convinced we were destined for champions league next year. 'Sevilla aren't even great, we should beat them' I thought. : (

{Ed001's Note - Milner has been our most productive player because most of our team is not good enough, not because he is worthy of a place. Milner is utter dross in the centre and barely average out wide. He is little more than a fringe back up player, the kind of player you put on the bench just to cover for injuries.

I just don't see the point in Allen, I mean in even having him on the bench. I don't get it.

I am with you on the fact we should have won, but our team let us down in the second half. Winners stand up and fight for victory, they just meekly surrendered.}

5.) 19 May 2016
19 May 2016 06:17:11
Yep still in complete agreement with Ed. In relation to your comments Ed (about us lacking fight and Milner not being good enough), as either a captain or player) I can only concur. We rolled over in that game. I know we harp on about it but you look at Istanbul, and the players reactions in the 2nd half, we had the likes of Carragher, Gerrard, Hamann and even lesser players like Smicer and Traore all leaving everything they had out on the pitch. There was a noticeable absent of that fight, of that drive and of any sort of inspiration from within the team to really change events last night.

Milner is a poor player, in my opinion, and if it were me he'd play on the wing only and even then be a rotation option at best (I know his wages mean that is not feasible) but the lad just doesn't have what it takes. The game was screaming out for a Henderson, not an Allen. If we talk about mentality and look at the players in the squad there is a handful, at best, who have the mental fortitude required: Henderson, Toure, maybe Lovren (? ), Lucas. Everyone else is lacking. I still don't understand why Lucas wasn't starting in central midfield - he is 10 times the defensive midfielder Can is. I think players buckled under the weight of the occasion and that says everything about what Rafa would term the "winning mentality" - we don't have enough players with it, maybe the summer will amend this?

P. s Having said that no quantity of a winning mentality can help a team who play Clyne, Moreno and Mignolet week in week out - it's been said a thousand times but you play those players and you run the risk of conceding sloppy goals and changing results. I can imagine a far more productive season without these 3.

p. p. s Sorry to chat your head off ed, but I remember Flanagan doing very well at left-back before his injury - is he worth putting back in that position? Or would you give it to Smith to try and make his own?

{Ed001's Note - I would buy one and let Smith challenge him for the left back slot. We need Flanno to step up and replace Clyne.}

6.) 19 May 2016
19 May 2016 06:20:25
don't think its milner's fault that the rest of the team is dross. He getting his.

{Ed001's Note - what did he do as captain on the night that absolved him of any blame?}

7.) 19 May 2016
19 May 2016 06:25:10
See this is why I don't see the hesitation about signing someone like Gotze. The guy is just a winner, he wouldn't have gone missing in a game like this. How many people in the world can say that they rose up to the occasion and won their country the world cup at less than 25 years of age? He's very talented and is a clear upgrade on, IMO, all of our attacking midfielders. And Bayern are letting him go for a relatively cheap price. Hopefully Klopp learned a lot of lessons about our team's personality. He was probably fooled, like most of us, by the Dortmund game.

8.) 19 May 2016
19 May 2016 07:28:51
Nick, I agree with you, and most of the comments here, esp ED01's.

Goetze is a winner and would be an upgrade certainly on Lallana, imo, and on yesterday's showing, on both Couts and Firmino too (although they did have bad games) .

Also, he won the world cup aged 22, and is only just about to turn 24, so younger than you think.

9.) 19 May 2016
19 May 2016 07:48:55
Ed001 the lack of leadership thing is something that you see in pretty much every team these days. Is it just me or do players not care as much as they used to. When the ball is in the air you don't see players fighting to win the header like they used to. That intensity isn't there anymore.

It feels like i'm watching a different sport these days. Where are the Keanes, Vieiras, Gerrards etc?

{Ed001's Note - young players come through academies with everything put on a plate for them, they no longer have to fight for it. That is what Leicester did differently, they put together a team that has had to fight for it and they used that fight to win the title.}

10.) 19 May 2016
19 May 2016 07:48:58
Thing is Nick is Goetze cannot help an inept GK and rancid fullbacks and they have been the biggest source of conceded goals/ mistakes this season. If we are going to flash the cash we should be doing it in area's that need the most attention, not in positions were we are already well stocked.

11.) 19 May 2016
19 May 2016 08:04:07
Seano, I get where your coming from, mate, but I still believe that if we can get a winner in a position where he will be an improvement on what we've already got, and he's happy to come to use without UCL, and Klopp knows him, we should go for it.

I believe we will have a bit more money than people think, and we will (if Lallana goes, for example) get back a chunk of the Goetze money for that sale. So the (I'm making up numbers here, sorry Ed002!) £5m or so additional outlay on Goetze over keeping Lallana is worth it.

Completely agree we need to look at our fullbacks, and Ed002 did a good round up of LB targets further down the page. I think Flanno will stake a claim to the RB slot next season, and I have slightly more faith in Clyne learning to defend than Moreno.

From a keeper point of view, if Karius is coming, and based on Ed002 repeatedly stating that we are looking for a Bogdan replacement who can push Mignolet, not a Mignolet replacement, I think Karius is it, at a relatively cheap price and with good potential. I'm happy with that.

12.) 19 May 2016
19 May 2016 08:49:35
Mate Goetze won't come cheap (agents fees, transfer fee, salary, etc etc) and it is in a position we already have a number of players. I know the allure of a "big name" is strong but we honestly have far more pressing area's of the squad that must be sorted out. If we fail to recruit a good goalkeeper and at least 1 fullback then we will have the same problems next season. How is a team supposed to string together consistent results when, at any given moment, the GK or the defender are liable to make a hash of something and gift an opponent goal. It has happened so many times this season I mean just take the 2 games at home vs the Tyne/ Wear side clubs - both of them 2-0 up, both of them get a draw due to awful defending and the drop in confidence that brings. That 4 points dropped and there have been at least another 10! We'd be in the CL without this nonsense. The defence is an absolute priority for me - Goetze is a luxury signing and is one that I wouldn't see having a huge effect on our performances next season - if we can sort out our defence we will not only pick up point but we will be consistent week in, week out - this must be the priority.

13.) 19 May 2016
19 May 2016 10:09:48
You said his numbers aren't that impressive because the rest of the team is dross. My point is that ain't his problem. and further his numbers are perfect to compliment other stars who should be delivering more than him. He is a complimentary player.

About tonight ye, he could have yelled at someoe or something. Barely seen stevie lead that way but milnercould have donesummin like that especially as he ain't cracking in 30 yarders!