1.) 21 Feb 2021
21 Feb 2021 17:47:19
Ed, would you consider dropping either Mane or Firminio? I know, replace them with who. I think you said a while ago about leaving them in the side to play their way back into form, correct me if im wrong.

Thanks for the reveiw by the way. Always love reading them.

{Ed001's Note - that is the issue. Unless Jota is back, there is no real replacement for them. Letting Minamino go on loan was a big mistake.}

2.) 21 Feb 2021
21 Feb 2021 18:01:48
The Phillips one is very strange as he’s looks miles better than kabak who at this rate will not be getting a contract at the end of the season as he looks like he doesn’t know the basics in defending. I guess klopp has his hands tied on the gini situation otherwise he would be dropped. Another player driving me crazy it bobby. I can’t get my head around the fact he can do a lovely back pass flick back he can’t kick a ball at goal without scuffing it even with no power. I can’t wait for jota to come back.

3.) 21 Feb 2021
21 Feb 2021 18:07:59
I agree Ed001 about Minamino but as you said yourself JK probably didn't think he's ready yet.

4.) 21 Feb 2021
21 Feb 2021 18:21:04
I’m still baffled at that decision Ed, thought he was good against Palace, then got dropped and wasn’t seen again! He’s shown as Southampton he’s a decent player. That goal against Chelsea was composure personified. To stick the keeper and defender on their arse before slotting it away as cool as you like.

5.) 21 Feb 2021
21 Feb 2021 18:25:48
Cheers ed001. You could see Hendo seemed desperate to go into midfield and get stuck in, I was watching him get into midfield and was wondering if it was because he was watching Gini doing absolutely nothing. Hendo was playing CB and doing Ginis job on top of it, little wonder he got injured.
Gini in the 6 is absolutely destroying the whole balance of the team for me, he’s the worst offender, he unsettles the defence, he stops TAA and Robbo being able to do their thing and when he does have the ball he slows it down so much that any runs the front 3 make have been wasted because the ball hasn’t got forward quick enough.
Fabinho needs to go straight back into midfield when he’s back for me, just drop Gini off at the airport now. I just hope Kabak finds some kind of form and quickly so Klopp isn’t tempted to put Fab back in defence.

{Ed001's Note - it is a shame because Gini was fantastic at the start of the season and now he is a hindrance.}

6.) 21 Feb 2021
21 Feb 2021 18:58:49
Thanks ed. I find it baffling that Gini hasn't been dropped, been terrible for several weeks now and hinders our midfield massively.

7.) 21 Feb 2021
21 Feb 2021 19:10:18
I enjoy reading these but this one leaves me in knots of frustration.
Can you tell me what Thiago’s role and position is exactly Ed?
Because I am genuinely confused, he spends a large part of his time around the centre circle, ambling around. He plays a ball and then makes zero attempt to follow it and go.
Is he more advanced or isn’t he?
No passes into dangerous areas, no attempts on goal.
I must say that after Coutinho left, and everyone was bemoaning the lack of creativity, you were one of the first to get what Liverpool’s midfield had become.
This current midfield, I am not getting at all.
And yet their performance against Leipzig was everything we’d recognise, then back to this?
The entire front 6 were poor yesterday though but certainly Everton deserved their win.
It’s so difficult watching Liverpool at the moment.

{Ed001's Note - he gives it and then immediately moves to present an angle for the ball to be played back if needed. The problem is not Thiago, just look up front when he gets it and there is nothing, nobody makes a run, what is he meant to do? The problem is that the players do not know his game. With Fabinho he had months to develop an understanding in training, first in preseason and then in the first half of the season itself. Thiago has had none of that. Trying to learn it within the match itself is very difficult. In training you can repeat movements so a forward knows what to do.

When he first came in, he would immediately play passes in behind the defence, people complained as it would go to no one, but the problem was that the forwards were not acting. As soon as the ball is heading towards him, the forwards should be immediately looking to make a run. That way he has time to see it before the ball arrives at his foot and play the ball first touch. What is happening is that there is no movement, the ball reaches his foot, he looks around, still no movement, so he ends up laying it off or trying to bring it forward.

Players are hiding because they lack confidence, which makes things worse, as no one wants to take responsibility for the ball except Trent, Robertson and Henderson at the moment. So what do you want him to do? It is a team game and the team is not in sync, so it is struggling.}

8.) 21 Feb 2021
21 Feb 2021 19:19:29
Great read, Ed. Kabak has some rough edges so hopefully he can come good but I agree, he is making some basic mistakes.

As for Minamino, I was surprised we let him go but still gave Klopp the benefit of the doubt even tho I found it strange. We will see if he is proven right or wrong at the end of the season.

For me, Everton deserved their win but it seemed we were just unable to compete with them for the very reasons you gave in your review and frankly, I feel for everyone of a red persuasion even tho, I felt we were not too bad in the game overall. got to keep chopping that tree and sooner or later, it will fall. YNWA!

{Ed001's Note - it is a good thing for Taki to go and play regularly, but not so sure it is as good for us.}

9.) 21 Feb 2021
21 Feb 2021 19:33:14
I'd agree with what's been said, Fab needs to go into midfield when he's back and cbs need to play at cb tbh. We look so weak in midfield and don't have the pressing or protection for the cbs or fbs that we used to as a result of playing Fab and Hendo in defence.

10.) 21 Feb 2021
21 Feb 2021 20:53:46
Ed's. Due to our injuries and the lack of form of front 3 are you surprised klopp hasn't tried a different formation maybe a 4-4-2. Playing our best 2 midfielders as centre back has given us very little protection at the back. Now they are bothered injured anyway. Would be nice to see Davies given a start with Phillip's. Foe me Phillip's should be starting every game at the moment anyway. Kabak looked nervous against everton. And maybe having 2 english centre backs they may at least be able to communicate with each other. For me would also like to see maybe Shaqiri start on the left or Ox. With Gini and thiago in the middle and Jones out on the right. Then have Mane and Salah up top. Give Firmino a rest. Or try and get Keita a game. So many of our players look like the are in desperate need for a rest or a little kick up their backside. Mane Firmino Gini all look like the need a break. Our only blessing is 4th place is still very much there for grabs. But Leicester and United pulling away from us now and look so much more confident.

{Ed001's Note - we don't have the players for a 4-4-2. Shaq and Ox can't be trusted to stay fit and neither is a winger anyway. And how could he get Keita a game when he has (as usual) been injured? I don't understand why people obsess over Keita, he would be the first player out the door for me.}

11.) 22 Feb 2021
21 Feb 2021 22:34:47
Thanks ED001 for the report and perspective. Selfish of me but I really can't wait for this season to end and start again next season to see the real 'us' again. Small matter of a Top 4 place or CL - otherwise possible Thursday night football looming not to mention a massive hit financially.

12.) 22 Feb 2021
21 Feb 2021 22:58:29
This was a discussion yesterday on live chat Ed001 about change of formation. I said we don't have the players for a 4,4,2 set up and that limits Klopp from making many changes.

I agree Keita just hasn't worked for us, its like he's never even been in the team so wouldn't miss him at all.

I think Bobby is great at link up play, but I think we need to either have a back up for him, put him under pressure to fight fir his position.

Hopefully with a few sales come the summer we can make a few shrewd signings and improve the squad.

For me Origi, Shaq, Ox, Wilson, Woodburn, Gini, Rhys Williams as a minimum need moving on. Philips maybe too as looks like Klopp doesn't rate or trust him.

13.) 22 Feb 2021
22 Feb 2021 11:29:19
I'm not having that its a tactic to get Firmino coming so deep, we literally have no one in that centre, every match it happens, we need to go back to basics with our Central Striker, tell them to stay on the last man and just be available to get the ball to feet and lay it off, or spin off the last defender, i'd be putting Mane or Salah central until Jota is back and keep Bobby out the team, he has gone to the Rodger's Firmino where he disappears for 75 mins a game, he is breaking everything down for me, Mane did more in 10 second half minutes being in the centre than Bobby did all game, he needs to be told not to come back deeper than our midfield.