27 May 2018 06:23:21
An unusually long post with important opinion on Karius

Reflections:

Ramos pulled down Salah on purpose. A dislocated shoulder effectively ended Bryan Robson’s career over a period of 6 seasons. He’d come back, play a few months, almost get fitness back and his shoulder would go again. I hope Salah has not done any long term damage.

Karius will be feeling terrible. To be honest I think the first goal is a piece of genius by Benzema. Karius didn’t throw the ball at a stationary player, Benzema anticipated the quick throw and deliberately moved to block it. I can only applaud him, he studied Karius and spotted an opportunity. I feel terrible for Karius but it wasn’t his fault.
On the 3rd goal it was a complete f-up, but the game was almost up anyway.

TAA - kept giving the ball away. He’ll have learnt a lot from that game.

Robertson - outstanding tackle on Ronaldo

VVD and Lovren - both casually watching Bale be completely free 12 yards from goal for the 2nd

Wijnaldum - best reds player on the field by far. His best game for us.

Milner - got found out by the pace of the game. He looked gassed.

Hendo - had no time on the ball, credit to Madrid for that.

Lallana - should not have come on. Looked like a stranger to the rest of the team. Skin looked soft though.

Mane - second best reds player on the field, brilliant goal. Our best chance of scoring all night.

Bobby - credit to Madrid they marked him tight and closed his space down quickly. They did a job on him.

Overall - the Salah injury changed the dynamic of the game. Madrid started very quickly and closed us down well. But we had 2 threats with Mane and Salah. Once Salah went off we were back to last season minus Coutinho. We are a totally different proposition when all you have to do is mark Mane. They played really well, they prepared really well, they deserved to win.

On the keepers - I think you have to give Benzema more credit for the first goal. I said for years “we’ll never win anything” with Migs in goal. I thought I would eat those words when Klopp got us to 2 finals in his first season but I was right. I thought the same about Karius version 1 but he has improved in his second spell. However, it is still one of the most important positions on the field and the position we can improve on the most. Oblak has a buy-out fee. I think it’s €100m. Just pay the money and have a top class keeper for the next 5 years plus.

1.) 27 May 2018
27 May 2018 06:39:08
Ron, Oblak signed a new deal with atleti just a few days ago. Release clause is now 175 million euros. Cross that off the list.
Go all out for Alisson now.

2.) 27 May 2018
27 May 2018 06:40:11
Ron all the blame lands at karius hands.

Benzema kept in his eye sight all the time why he didn't turn to left to lose him then throw it to someone else I don't know.

Got to be his last game for one his confidence will be rock bottom and secondly I can't see the players wanting anything to do with him after that performance.

3.) 27 May 2018
27 May 2018 06:42:49
Nice post Ron but i disagree on a few things, its not Brilliance from Benzema the ball could have went anywhere after he blocked the pass, its lack of awareness of where he is moving from Karius. I can't blame VVD or Lovren for Bales second, Bale is in the area infront Robertson which before Salah unfortunately went off youd have found Mane who actually gives Robertson more protection than he got from Lallana. I can forgive Karius more for that goal then the first as it moves and dips alot, but i think its caused by the first mistake in a way his head is still in the clouds from it and if you watch his feet its like playing chess he's already thinking he's catching it and giving it back out to our players to try quickly get back up the field.
Trent Arnold only gave the ball away because of a lack of options after he settled down i can't recall Marcelo, Ronaldo orIsco skinning him so thought he done well.

4.) 27 May 2018
27 May 2018 06:44:47
Agree with most of that but to lay blame on VVD and Lovren for bales Worldy whilst at the same time saying the first wasn’t Karius fault makes no sense. I don’t care how many time Benzema has studied Karius distribution that was 100% Karius’s fault. How many times do you see goals like that scored at a professional level? Hardly ever cos most keepers would never get caught making such a basic error.

{Ed025's Note - im with you swish..

5.) 27 May 2018
27 May 2018 06:59:02
Guys I didn’t blame VVD and Lovren for Bale’s goal, but they were just stood there whilst he was free in the area.

I’ve seen Gary Crosbie head the ball out of Andy Dibbles hand to score. I’ve seen George Best kick the ball off a GORDON BANKS kick to score but have it disallowed and I’ve seen Sander Westerweld kick a ball straight at an Everton player (forget who) and see it rebound into the net for it to be wrongly disallowed.
Crosbie was genius, Best was genius and Westerweld was a complete f-up. Last night was a bit of both.

6.) 27 May 2018
27 May 2018 07:15:36
I can’t believe anyone is still defending Karius. Benzema stuck a leg out because Karius tried to throw it across his path when he was less than 2 yards away. It was as if he never even saw him in his excitement at catching a harmless through ball.

I said in a post 2 weeks ago that Karius was an accident waiting to happen. Unfortunately it happened in the biggest game of all - twice!

7.) 27 May 2018
27 May 2018 07:16:21
Being caught out by a playing sneaking up from behind is one thing, throwing it at a players foot who’s standing 3 feet in front of you is totally different.

8.) 27 May 2018
27 May 2018 07:24:11
He didn’t throw it at his foot, Benzema moved his leg to deflect it.
We’ll never agree on this but I’ve seen a lot worse eg Westerweld in the last minute of a 0-0 Merseyside Derby.
Graham Poll wrongly saved our skin that night.

It’s moot now. The media has decided: it’s Karius or Klopp who goes. If Klopp doesn’t replace Karius then the blame for everything will be on Klopp.

Good luck to Loris YNWA.

9.) 27 May 2018
27 May 2018 07:25:50
I don't think it was genius by Benzema, it was opportunistic. Karius was way too casual and Benzema took advantage. It was good by Benzema but never in a million years should be have been given the opportunity.

As for Bale's first, there is no criticism that can be leveled at the CBs, there is just no accounting for a goal like that. That one we just need to stand back and applaud.

10.) 27 May 2018
27 May 2018 07:02:01
Agree with Swish. Schoolboy errors don't even cover it for me. Shocking by our keeper, absolutely horrendus! A worldie by Bale which no player could do anything about. Our keeper hung us out to dry.