05 Feb 2024 07:43:04
Was at Emirates. Both teams were poor but we didn't event turn up. Really missed Nunez starting and Slobo's energy and drives forward. Oh well, our performances can only get better from here!

1.) 05 Feb 2024
05 Feb 2024 08:35:30
It was a s**t show from the selection to the comedy defending. Why would you play a half fit Trent against Martinelli. And Gravenburch ahead off Elliot just crazy from Klopp.

2.) 05 Feb 2024
05 Feb 2024 08:35:33
Quite frankly the players who replaced the regulars yesterday flopped badly and gave nothing. The flow of the team was not there and they didn’t even make effort like the Chelsea game. If I was on the bench and then selected for arsenal I would play like a rabid dog. For me this results puts Liverpool 3rd end of season cos they won’t win all their games and arsenal an city are far stronger at beating teams away. Liverpool have to beat spurs Man City Villa and that ain’t happening. Also I still believe Bradley Gomez konate vvd is our best back 4 … Trent an Robertson should play only the home games but there’s 3 cups for godsake go for it and stop this half hearted away performances that’s twice at the emirates now and the fa cup was a lucky win which u all saw.

3.) 05 Feb 2024
05 Feb 2024 09:26:53
Longthing76. My sentiments exactly. Down to a tee. Klopp got the selection completely wrong and to compound the matter the boys played beyond poorly. We dust ourselves and move on, starting with a convincing win at Burnley.

That being said, one thing I don’t want to see is Gravenberch anywhere near the starting line up for the remainder of the season. He can come on for 15 minutes whenever we are 3 or 4 nill up. Beyond that he can sit on the bench.

Trent is another one. I don’t want to see him at right back ever again. Yes, he weren’t fully fit but that aside he needs to play midfield going forward. The coaches have to and should have trained him into that role, but they persisted on playing him right back and inverting. Hopefully it’s Alonso that comes in because he will work with him to turn him into a good midfielder.

Again, bad day at the office and one to forget. We have to bounce back with nothing but 3 points up until the City match on the 9th of March.

4.) 05 Feb 2024
05 Feb 2024 10:41:09
Fact is that we have to win every single game until the end of the season. As that’s what City will be aiming to do. The problem is they have form for going on those kinds of runs.

5.) 05 Feb 2024
05 Feb 2024 10:42:47
Bringing on Tiago who had been out since last April instead of giving McConnell some minutes was strange to me.
Don’t buy this not bollocking each other out when a catastrophic mistake is made either. All shrugs and handshakes. Being super-cool doesn’t inspire.

6.) 05 Feb 2024
05 Feb 2024 10:46:29
My sentiments exactly, 1jj. I did not see the game and knew the score already (youtube feed is killing me) so disappointed with the result yet I watched it and oh my goodness, the game was an absolute ship show from both teams.

Arteta actually called the Arsenal perf. as "chaotic" and for once, I agreed with him. Liverpool? The selection was poor. You cannot start Gravenberch at the Emirates in a game with such high intensity. You can't do that. Maybe Szobo was out last minute BUT Elliott should have started. Overall, we were outworked. We started slow for the upteenth time at the Emirates again and again, you can't do that. Tat's on Klopp and the players. The sloppiness was terrible at times.

Arsenal? Apart from outworking us and they did so in the first half as we were on our heels. Now when we came out or the second half, we were better and stemmed the tide and Arsenal didn't do much and seemed leggy. It was an even game till the calamity with Ali/ VVD gave the game away and at that point, it's over. Trent? He wasn't fit but he had to play. We dust ourselves off and move on.

7.) 05 Feb 2024
05 Feb 2024 10:53:08
If trent was seen as a midfielder and capable of doing a job in midfield he'd have been in midfield especially with gomez capable of playing RB.
Is trent taking sob, macs or Jones position because it'd be hard to justify him taking one of their positions. There's a lot to being a midfielder for us than passing a ball 60 yards. Maybe under alonso, he may get his chance and it'll be a different system because imo he's not getting a free role in the team to do what he wants. He has to track back, be physically strong, never stop running and defensively a lot better to get a spot in midfield or we'll be truly exposed through the middle too. I watched the game of him playing midfield for England and he looked absolutely wrecked half way through the match because of the demands of being a midfielder. He lost battles far too easily centrally and sprayed about 3 good balls. Trent is being seen as Gerrard by a lot of fans and he's simply nowhere near that type of player. he's not explosive, near that physically or athleticism. He's a terrific passer and should have been made to improve defensively and become one of the great right backs of the game. He's also less effective in this inverted role. He provides more creativity and assists playing Bradley's role, hugging the touchline.

8.) 05 Feb 2024
05 Feb 2024 11:07:22
Gravenberch was terrible yesterday but so was every other player that started and the subs that came on.

The difference i suppose is that the other players have plenty of credit in the bank with how well they have done over the season or years and Grav doesn't.

When Grav and Gakpo went off and Elliot and Nunez came on things didn't get any better.

Trent looked disinterested to me yesterday of which I've never seen before. Szob's energy in midfield was a big miss but every player was massively off the boil and Arsenal looked far more up for it.

Referee performance wasn't great but the blame will land firmly at Klopp and the players feet.

9.) 05 Feb 2024
05 Feb 2024 11:15:52
MIZER, Trent was not fit and had Bradley been there (hope he is getting all the support he and his fam needs in this torrid time), I think he would have started as he was on a high and I said multiple times that Bradley should start.

My biggest prob. with selection was Gravenberch over Elliott. Im sorry, you can't do that. Elliott knows the system inside out. Knows how, when and where to press and drop deep. And he is an absolute athelete who runs for days, ALL the things Gravenberch simply cannot do right now. That's on Klopp, bro.

10.) 05 Feb 2024
05 Feb 2024 12:32:59
I don’t understand the signing of Gravenberch, not sure what Klopp sees.

11.) 05 Feb 2024
05 Feb 2024 12:43:03
Oli I would totally disagree with that. I love Harvey Elliott but he is a ghost defensively as the Arsenal third goal showed. You simply can’t play Elliott away in a top of the table clash he just leaves his side of midfield wide open.

We conceded against Chelsea because he vacated his position and went chasing the ball across their back line. Love his energy and enthusiasm but you simply can’t start him in a game where you know you’ll be under huge pressure.

Gravenberch isn’t the best option either but given the options available he was probably the lesser of 2 evils for me. At least he’s big and strong and doesn’t just get run through.

I think ultimately if we’d had a full strength team we could’ve controlled the game much better but we had to use a half fit Trent and a not up to speed Gravenberch which cost us. I’m convinced that is why Gakpo started instead of Nunez so he could come deeper and help Gravenberch out a bit defensively but that then left us with no out ball.

Regardless of all of that it was a defensive error that cost us the game. We were in the ascendancy at that point and it just deflated us and gave them energy.

12.) 05 Feb 2024
05 Feb 2024 13:06:04
It’s way too easy to say we shouldn’t have played that player and we should’ve played that player.

The only change I think I would’ve made to the starting line up would’ve been Nunez for Gakpo. That’s just because they were always going to press us high early doors and his pace gives us an out ball when under pressure. That being said with Gravenberch having to start I do understand why Gakpo started as he drops deeper to help the midfield.

It wasn’t a game for Gravenberch to start but he was the only option in my opinion. Elliott would’ve been a lot worse as he simply can’t defend. He’s all energy and running but he can’t tackle to save his life.

We all know that if Endo and Szob were available neither Grav nor Elliott would be considered for a starting spot but we had to go with what we had.

Trent wasn’t good but again he wouldn’t be starting if Bradley was available.

Of the players we had available there was nothing wrong with the starting line up and it was 1-1 with us in the ascendancy until the defensive cock up.

We really weren’t doing as bad as some on here are saying and on another day Ali stays on his line and VVD just heads it back to him and we get something from the game.

13.) 05 Feb 2024
05 Feb 2024 13:50:54
It was certainly a very poor performance, and one that may have gifted City the league. The hope is obviously that we improve from here and finish the season well.

I was also surprised by some of the choices for the starting 11, but I don't know what went into those selections. Unfortunately, it did not work out in Liverpool's favor.

On to the next one.

14.) 05 Feb 2024
05 Feb 2024 14:19:51
VVD should have hoof that ball out of stadium once he go ahead of Martinelli, but it doesn't fit his Daddy Cool persona, so he just shielded it for Ali.

15.) 05 Feb 2024
05 Feb 2024 14:44:58
Beckers pecker'Nunez was a doubt for the game right up to the last minute, so obviously hadn't trained since Wednesday. If things were going better, I doubt Klopp would have even brought him off the bench. The last thing we needed, was him agrivating his foot injury.

16.) 05 Feb 2024
05 Feb 2024 16:38:35
Putting Gravenberch and Trent on our right was always going to be a disaster I felt, giving the fact Trent doesn't do chasing back and Gravenberch isn't up to the level required yet, we had seen previously what Martinelli can do to Trent so thinking that pairing would work was just mad.
I think that clusterf**k between Alisson and VvD will go down as the Gerrard slip equivilent for this team.
Regardless of any individuals play, Arsenal played as they have previously against us but with extra zeal which our players couldn't compete with which is sad.

17.) 05 Feb 2024
05 Feb 2024 17:04:09
Our left hand side was poor though and Grav and Trent couldn’t have been any further away. We were rubbish all over the park.

Grav was crap no denying that but he left the pitch and was replaced by Elliot and things didn’t improve and in fact we conceded 2 more.

But that’s not me blaming Elliot because we didn’t lose yesterday because of an individual but because we were shocking as a collective.

18.) 05 Feb 2024
05 Feb 2024 17:06:21
Beckers, that's your opinion and even then, you are comparing the start of the game with the end of the game where mentally, our heads were gone and the way VVD approached Trossard and swung a lazy leg at the shot going thru Ali's legs was a clear microcosm of the day itself. Absolutely wretched from start to finish. Not bothered with the Chelsea game cos IMO, we conceded mainly due to the 4 changes made in one go and that messed up the dynamic of the game so you blaming Elliott yet saying no need to blame this or that player is a clear contradiction.

Like you, Im not bothered about who was absent and couldn't play cos it is hat it is. My thing is that even tho I agree that we cannot blame this on this or that player ans this was a collective train wreck from top to bottom, it is very important to point out certain head-scratching decisions made by the manager.

Again, I am not blaming Gravenberch. I am blaming the guy (s) who thought it was a good idea to play ad defensively unaware player who is prone to lapses in concentration, does not know the press yet on the side of Trent who needs protection and legs whereas Elliott (as he showed vs Fulham in the EFL Cup) has shown that he can provide these things with Szobo out. That pairing was doomed to fail esp. in transition, simple as. Sorry, you can't do that, end of. Elliott has legs and knows the system inside-out. Gravenberch doesn't, fact and his perf. showed it. Again, Klopp is on the hook for this one again, not Gravenberch.

19.) 05 Feb 2024
05 Feb 2024 17:11:11
"Arsenal played as they have previously against us but with extra zeal which our players couldn't compete with which is sad. "


This!

Exactly what I thought after watching the game. Arsenal were nothing special in terms of play and even their manager called their perf. "chaotic". What they did well was raise the intensity in the first half and outnumbered us in midfield with Havertz/ Odegaard dropping into midfield as the spare guys. And even that, failed in the second half when we took control back of the game. Te game was poised and even after that even tho, we found it hard to create real chances until disaster struck.

As you said, that VVD mistake was SO unnecessary, the more I watch it. It didn't have to be this way and we gifted them 3 points without them actually earning it in terms of their actual play. Frustrating as heck.

{Ed014's Note - no offence but that’s utter bollox!

20.) 05 Feb 2024
05 Feb 2024 17:19:26
Elliott's been average when starting, and again when he came on yesterday, he just needs to find his flow again, he is a class squad player just out of form, Gravenberch was a let down but so were Trent and Gakpo, the second goal has been looked past, Van Dijk was pushed and Alisson kicked him, no push, no goal, they been immense all season it can happen, the only things yesterday showed was if we had a specialist Def Mid we would of been fine, dare i say a Rice and we win, Arsenal really aren't all that and they will finish below us, getting back in CL was always priority 1 with a cup win or 2, the team is a joy to watch and it will only get better, Bradley was also a massive miss, condolences to him.

21.) 05 Feb 2024
05 Feb 2024 18:14:18
Ed014 mate, don't just say that. Please, actually explain what you think is bollox in my post. Keep in mind that my opinion was made based on what I watched (watched it after I knew the result so no emotional blindness here) and what I thought is actually what your own manager confirmed in his assessment of his team's performance as "chaotic". So is your manager chatting utter bollox, as well?

{Ed014's Note - mate we weren’t chaotic, bar the mix up for your goal. Which is no doubt what he was referring too, as he’s never said that about the game as a whole.

As in the cup game we were way ahead of you in footballing terms in both first halves but on this occasion simply kept you from doing anything of note in the 2nd half.

I watched it as it happened and at no time bar that slip was I worried about you at all.

22.) 05 Feb 2024
05 Feb 2024 19:56:38
Ed014, that's a great response and I hear you on some of the things you have said. At no point did I think we were better than you if you have read any of my posts since the game so you saying at no point were you ever worried about us is like preaching to the choir. As for the Cup game, you had no shots on target in the second half and we were a lot better footballistically in the second half and created a lot more attacking phases where the goals came from, shut you down defensively (Bradley shut down Martinelli and Konate was MOTM) in that game than we were in the whole of this game. In fact, you played better in that game than you did in this one IMO, so we will have to disagree on that.

That said, I still maintain that you did not need to do that much to beat us esp. in terms of the actual performance cos well, we were that poor. We lacked the energy, intensity and desire to match you and sometimes, that's all you need if the oppo. is not doing much. Again, not saying you did not deserve it cos of course, you did. Just saying that footballistically, you did not have to break a sweat to beat us cos well, we offerred nothing dangerous all game. No shots on target all game tells the story right there.

{Ed014's Note - let’s be honest about the cup game, we could have been, at a minimum 4 goals up, by half time if we’d put our chances away, we were so dominant. But we didn’t put them away, simple.

I just think we’ve been the better side in all three games this season and finally got the result our football deserved.

23.) 05 Feb 2024
05 Feb 2024 20:05:25
I have to say Ed14 I felt exactly the same about Arsenal. You huffed and puffed but barely laid a glove on us.

The longer it was going on the more we started to take control and Arsenal ran out of ideas. Without the mistake I think we go on to win the game because we have players who can put the ball in the net.

{Ed014's Note - ??? that’s funny as we had Saka, Trossard and Martinelli who can put the ball in the net too!

We rinsed you, get over it! ?

24.) 06 Feb 2024
06 Feb 2024 10:04:27
Arteta was get hounded out 3 weeks ago haha, Arsenaltv is a great watch on Youtube after a game, Arsenal won't win the league with Arteta in charge, sorry he isn't top level, Arsenal are 4/ 5 players away from a big trophy win, like we were before Alisson and Van Dijk came in.

25.) 06 Feb 2024
06 Feb 2024 10:07:20
@Oli, Van Dijk was pushed, it's why Allison kicked him instead of the ball, all that game showed was we are a Rice away from winning the league, Macallister has been sound since coming back injury but he didn't track Havertz for Saka's goal, a top class DM does, controlled in after Jones moved next to Macallister, that should be Trents role from now on.