31 May 2023 07:39:01
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new article entitled, Factors Affecting Liverpool's Performances This Season

1.) 31 May 2023
31 May 2023 09:12:02
Great article Ed, and one that I whole-heartedly agree with. I have a feeling also that the coaching team decided to start the season at a lower intensity in view of the World Cup and our supposed burn out the past couple of seasons. This backfired on us spectacularly as all the other teams we played against worked harder than us during games, something which was unheard of since Klopp came in. We then struggled to play catch-up throughout the entire season.

Tactically, I can see how the inverted full-back system can work but I am of the view that we just don't have the right players to play that system. It would be much easier to stick to how we have been playing all along but with Trent moving into midfield and another RB taking his place. We seem to be stuck between the old and the new now, and our playing identity was lost from the moment our season started.

It will be interesting to see what happens moving forward and I can only hope that Klopp and his team gets it for next season.

{Ed001's Note - I do agree with you on it being a conscious decision to go with the lower intensity. That was a huge error and it cost us a place in the Champions League imo.}

2.) 31 May 2023
31 May 2023 09:46:39
Awesome read, Ed01. I was listening to a podcast on the weekend when this was talked about (not a granular nor in detail as you have stated) and they said the preseason was not done right and the Asia trip was mentioned as a handicap for the players. In addition, to the mental fatigue of not completing the Quad or losing both big trophies killed the team BUT this, we kind of already knew in real time when the season started.

Suffice to say that we were behind the 8 ball and playing catch-up from jump this past season. We never looked on it. Never looked prepared and never looked ready from beginning to end. The factors you have laid out are things we all have discussed on here thru out the season.

On another note, I did notice that you never mentioned transfers as a problem we had last season which was interesting cos many a fan things all we needed to do was bring bodies into midfield and voila, we're good. Many on here always felt that transfers would help BUT even then, the malaise was so deep within the club as a whole that a Tchouameni or Bellingham would never have fixed, IMO. Hopefully, lessons learned and we do better next season. Up Da Pool!

{Ed001's Note - I just didn't want to get into the transfers as it has been done to death on the net already.}

3.) 31 May 2023
31 May 2023 10:25:07
Great article, Ed.
If missing out on the big trophies was such a disappointment, why did the club not sign some top players who’d have come in and perhaps reignited the flame that had clearly been extinguished by such near misses? The whole situation just reeks of the club feeling sorry for itself rather than making the changes needed. We didn’t miss out on those trophies due to luck, too many players were simply not good enough and it cost us.

{Ed001's Note - to be fair, you have to remember we have Mane throwing his toys out of his pram to force a move from the club, which caused a rethink in the recruitment department. That did mess with a lot of the plans, even though they had known for a while he wanted out. I guess they hoped he would change his mind after a season like that, but he has done this so many times they should have known he wouldn't.}

4.) 31 May 2023
31 May 2023 10:37:01
So do you think this would explain someone ike Fabinho's huge drop off in terms of starting the season unfit and because he was having to play all the games due to injurys to others never really having the chance in between games to work on it or do you see Fabinhos season been more just where he is as a footballer right now? Just can't believe someone so good and still only 29's legs can go so suddenly.

5.) 31 May 2023
31 May 2023 11:06:48
Thanks eds1
That is a good read.
Can I just ask, are you saying that we changed our preseason training last year compared to previous years. I can’t even remember where we went last preseason or who we played.

{Ed001's Note - yes, we had a much gentler pre-season than usual and went away on a tour of Asia much earlier than would normally be the case. This season we are leaving the tour until later in the programme so that most of the fitness work is done.}

6.) 31 May 2023
31 May 2023 11:52:42
Jude, you can use that logic for a lot of our other players, not just Fabinho.

7.) 31 May 2023
31 May 2023 12:00:56
Brilliant as usual. Glad you are getting back to writing.

{Ed001's Note - thank you mate. I am glad to be back to it, I missed it.}

8.) 31 May 2023
31 May 2023 12:19:33
Thanks for the article Ed!

{Ed001's Note - very welcome mate.}

9.) 31 May 2023
31 May 2023 12:46:31
Great read Ed mate. It’s telling that one of Klopp’s team’s signature i. e the press, was absent for most of the season due to a few weeks of taking it easy.

Wanted to check with you specifically on our medical team and what’s happening with it; I mean it beggars belief that our players are injured or stay injured for a longer period of time. Any issues there you think?

{Ed001's Note - yes, the AI software they used to help did not work at all. There were a number of clubs that utilised that suffered similarly to us. We should have just recruited the best personnel instead of trying out a half-baked prototype AI system when AI is nowhere near ready for this kind of use. It is people's health that you are risking.}

10.) 31 May 2023
31 May 2023 12:51:09
Superb Ed001 personally I can’t see Liverpool ever playing high intensity and full pressing game again like the year we won the PL etc possibly because of the players we have or if even Klopp will go back to training and keep Lindjers at it but even with possible new younger players coming in via the youth players or transfers I don’t think it will happen Once again mate thanks for posting and like as said before we love these posts.

{Ed001's Note - I think you are probably right, but I hope not. It worked. It gave us a chance against any team in the world.

And thank you mate I really appreciate that.}

11.) 31 May 2023
31 May 2023 13:06:11
Nice write up, Ed. Thanks!

Do you think there was also a dose of arrogance in there too?

1) We arrived into the season thinking only about City and took our eyes off improvements across the league
2) We assumed that most oppositions would play a low blocks against us and got a shock when they chose to overrun us instead.

{Ed001's Note - I think you are right. Also I think they expected every other team to work at a lower intensity than normal due to the midseason World Cup. It was a whole series of misjudgements and errors. Arrogance I think played a large part in it.}

12.) 31 May 2023
31 May 2023 13:25:50
That a great article Ed1. Never thought about how our last pre season is such a contributing factor to our mess this season. I always thought that since Klopp take over, we always have a tough pre season programme. that's why i thought that we look a bit better than other team in term of fitness level. Not this season though, we look a bit lacking in fitness compared to others.

{Ed001's Note - exactly. Our pre-season messed it up and the ridiculous decision not to have a reset during the World Cup meant the damage carried on far too long.}

13.) 31 May 2023
31 May 2023 14:08:23
With all the missteps and mistakes we made from top to bottom, it's starting to feel like it was a small miracle we even had any chance of getting top 4 near the end there. Sad state of affairs last season, for sure on and off the pitch.

14.) 31 May 2023
31 May 2023 14:28:37
That’s a very good point Flypelicanfly.
I hope with signing nunez, gakpo and the summer signings we will have younger legs plus a good preseason we will be back to fighting for the league next season.

15.) 31 May 2023
31 May 2023 18:53:11
Class replies Ed, really appreciate you and all the Eds for your knowledge.

Interesting bit about the AI too. Do you know if we have ditched it or planning to?

{Ed001's Note - as far as I am aware we are sticking with it. I would hope that is because it would learn and improve over time.}