Liverpool (a) post-match thread

[bobbyowenquiff]

The injuries caught up with us but we would still have got a result without the bent penalty decision. Moving forward some big decisons need to be made with the squad. We need a centre back (Koulibaly?) a left back (Chilwell?) and we should go all out for Kante from Chelsea (a tall order). I would sell Mendy, Sane, and the fringe players who will never be good enough. If Mahrez doesn't improve I would sell him as well. Foden should be playing most games now as we need his energy. This all needs to happen while Pep is still here in preparation for the next manager. We were bloody unlucky yesterday but we have not been playing well enough this season. We can still get three trophies though.

 

[badaz52]

I know it's opinions but I didn't see Bravo at fault for any of the goals. The 3rd I felt he did well to even get a hand to. A crossed ball dropping on to an attackers head and he has to chose where he needs to go, split second stuff. High, mid, low and he got to the ball just couldn't get enough to keep it out. I agree he's been poor but Bravo is not to blame for that defeat. Take your pick, Oliver, PGMOL, the non existent VAR, poor finishing or poor selection to shoot and not pass. Yes I'm as pissed as everyone else but I don't blame Bravo.

Totally agree. Poor clearance from Gundo for the first one lined it up perfectly for Fabinho and at the right pace too. Nothing Bravo could do and the 2nd and 3rd were just good crosses against a very poor defensive line again Bravo can't be blamed.

 

[worsleyweb]

The injuries caught up with us but we would still have got a result without the bent penalty decision. Moving forward some big decisons need to be made with the squad. We need a centre back (Koulibaly?) a left back (Chilwell?) and we should go all out for Kante from Chelsea (a tall order). I would sell Mendy, Sane, and the fringe players who will never be good enough. If Mahrez doesn't improve I would sell him as well. Foden should be playing most games now as we need his energy. This all needs to happen while Pep is still here in preparation for the next manager. We were bloody unlucky yesterday but we have not been playing well enough this season. We can still get three trophies though.

A trophy every season is amazing.

 

[Father Paul]

I know it's opinions but I didn't see Bravo at fault for any of the goals. The 3rd I felt he did well to even get a hand to. A crossed ball dropping on to an attackers head and he has to chose where he needs to go, split second stuff. High, mid, low and he got to the ball just couldn't get enough to keep it out. I agree he's been poor but Bravo is not to blame for that defeat. Take your pick, Oliver, PGMOL, the non existent VAR, poor finishing or poor selection to shoot and not pass. Yes I'm as pissed as everyone else but I don't blame Bravo.

Maybe but perhaps he should not have come for the ball and covered the post. Your right not to blame him but he is a very poor cover for Ed and I would not like to see him back in sticks long term again. More than a few ghosts from his time in goal in Pep's first season emerged yesterday imo.

 

[sir baconface]

I still think we'll win the league.

Well, we aren’t giving up just yet although it’s hard to see where a 9-point gain will come from.

Three titles on the bounce is a massive ask at the best of times, let alone with key injuries and the dippers’ persistent “good luck”.

With a few tweaks, we have a squad that will be right up there for several years. That’s where I draw comfort this morning.

 

[alexmcity]

We are an outstanding side who have injury problems, and ran into some bad luck with the refereeing. Who knows what would have happened had the ref or VAR made the correct pen. calls? The first one is arguable. The push on Sterling is obvious but only with VAR. In real-time the ref has no chance of seeing that.

But in terms of general play, here are my over the top instant over reactions:

Angelino played very well. Why was he playing? Mendy is a long term doubt for me. He looks way short of where he was. It's not just rust, because I have seen players like Grealish leave him for dead. I haven't made up my mind on Mendy, but his game is worrying me.

Obviously the central defence hangs on Laporte. That is not a problem. We have two outstanding young central defenders coming through. I think we did the right thing in passing on Maguire. I think Pep should have just played Garcia in there and used Fernandinho in midfield.

Gundogan - always makes mistakes and goes missing. He's not consistent enough.

David Silva - finished. Start to play Foden. He should have started against Liverpool.

Aguero - slowing up. Start to play Sterling, Jesus and Bernardo.

Is Rodri good enough to play the deep central midfielder. He is nowhere near as mobile as Fernandinho? He may just need time.

Pep: Completely unable to change tactics to cover a team hurt by injury. We went to the best counter-attacking side in world football with only one proper central defender and laid siege to them. Liverpool just picked us off. They did though get the breaks in regards to scoring a worldie at the right time, and getting 50/50 refereeing calls.

Rodri was one of our stand out performers before his injury and was decent yesterday. If you think Dinho was excellent all the time in that role you are mistaken. Dinho was so poor in the 2nd half of the 16/17 season that Pep benched him and used Toure who was far less mobile than Rodri. Dinho missed half of the 14 consecutive games we won in the league last season.

Pep "completely unable" to change tactics to cover a team hurt by injury"? How exactly could he change tactics in order to compensate for Ederson's and Laporte's absences? To play like a small team with 10 men behind the ball and pray to football gods that we survive at Anfield? What's the point of those cheap (or deliberately obtuse) criticisms? You want from this team to do much better despite Liverpool gettingbreaks, luck, referee decisions in their favour?

We won 198 pts with make-shift FBs on the left and with one of the best players in the world missing many games. Because we didn'tchange tactics but continued to play the same way. City have an identity and can't go to Anfield and play for one game a completely different tactics. This much should be obvious.

And you don't understand much about football if you think we could start with Garcia at Anfield where Liverpool could put 3-4 goals past any team in the world when on song.

 

[mick10]

Maybe but perhaps he should not have come for the ball and covered the post. Your right not to blame him but he is a very poor cover for Ed and I would not like to see him back in sticks long term again. More than a few ghosts from his time in goal in Pep's first season emerged yesterday imo.

He couldn't come? Watch it again, the 3rd. He'd have missed that totally then he'd definitely been called out. Yes he's had some mares but I'm glad you agree I'm right not to blame him. Guys confidence must be shot to pieces.

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

A trophy every season is amazing.

Agreed and we are stil good enough to do more than this but we can't be complacent. The stats don't show it but I believe both Liverpool and City are worse this year than last season and we have seen more competition from teams like Chelsea and Leicester. We also need to manage the loss of Sergio, Ferdy, and David Silva as we move forward and this is a challenge. I think both Rodri and Cancelo will be great players for us but we will have to adjust our style and this can't happen overnight as we saw in 2016. I remain very optimistic for the future.

 

[Petetheblu]

The injuries caught up with us but we would still have got a result without the bent penalty decision. Moving forward some big decisons need to be made with the squad. We need a centre back (Koulibaly?) a left back (Chilwell?) and we should go all out for Kante from Chelsea (a tall order). I would sell Mendy, Sane, and the fringe players who will never be good enough. If Mahrez doesn't improve I would sell him as well. Foden should be playing most games now as we need his energy. This all needs to happen while Pep is still here in preparation for the next manager. We were bloody unlucky yesterday but we have not been playing well enough this season. We can still get three trophies though.

Mahrez has been one of our better players so far.

 

[Sky Blue]

No it's not. It's a realistic assessment that his game is no longer good enough otherwise this would not be his last season.

You always do this. You attack people for having and expressing valid opinions.

If he was finished he wouldn't be in the squad, never mind the team. Pep doesn't do sentiment. Saying he is finished is complete bollocks as far as I am concerned. Maybe, not as good as he was but still enough quality to play at a high level. As I said, disrespectful.