Liverpool (A) PL - Post Game

[Roachy]

We've been staring at an obvious cliff edge for about two years or so and done very little about it.

I've written far too many times on here about succession planning at all levels of the club. It's been poor, and coupled with Pep's 'preference' for a small squad, it was clear to me that problems lay ahead.

Ive watched City for 64 years of my life and seen highs and lows. I can honestly say that I don't remember being as disappointed with the performance of a City team as I have been over the last few weeks.

We have a squad full of elite level, international, multimillionaire footballers who look like they've all downed tools. They're worn out, lack proper on-field leadership, and it seems too much of a coincidence that they've all 'lost form' at the same time. As supporters, we should expect more from them, not looking for excuses or feeling sorry for them.

I doubt very much that Pep's lost the dressing room, but there's definitely something not quite right about the current situation.

We're carrying far too many passengers (i.e. KDB, Gundo, Bernardo, Walker) and players who aren't yet good enough (Nunes, Doku, Gvardiol, Savinho, Lewis) for this level. This impacts negatively on the team, particularly in the midfield.

I think that the club, in general, rested on its laurels after winning the CL. That was the point where significant changes should have been made. It is to the squad's great credit that our fourth successive PL title was won last season, but the price is now being paid.

I'd honestly prefer to have seen a major overhaul of the squad last season rather than the 4th title... But hey ho...

I just hope that the club get it right when Pep finally leaves. It's the hardest act to follow in football, and I definitely don't want us to go down the same route as the rags.

The attitude towards the scum in the cup final was an indicator. Should have wiped the floor with them twats for a double.

 

[paulchapo]

Anfield provided the perfect example of what happens when you increase the capacity, but don't do anything about the transport infrastructure. It will be just as bad at the ETIHAD next season, but at least we've got the option of walking to Piccadilly.

We weren't kept behind afterwards (which was probably a mistake) and there was a horrible dark bottleneck with scousers goading for a reaction and sadly a few blues accepting the challenge. Plenty of shouting and screaming, and the odd cheap rabbit punch.
A Liverpool fan was completely sparked out in front of the City coaches and receiving medical attention from some sympathetic Cheadle blues, one of whom just happened to be a nurse.

Naturally there weren't any Police on the scene. They were probably too busy trying to catch anyone singing FEED THE SCOUSERS (which didn't happen).
A horrible end to a horrible day and probably my last visit to Anfield.

The Liverpool police missing or turning a blind eye to trouble has always happened there, it's a horrible place. Years ago the reply used to be, "You shouldn't have come then should you?" If you complained about a lack of protection.

 

[Doctor Jimmy and Mr Jim]

An ageing, slow burnt out team that is further hindered by an injury crisis and the loss of the worlds best midfield player. We are still dominating most games but are too easy to run through and score against and we're missing decent chances when we're on top in games.

I've just kept this part to respond to.....I think you've summed it up really well, a well considered and balanced opinion. Teams tend to go in cycles and I think this cycle is nearing the end. I have no doubt we will at some point soon come back, as we always do. Might see an interesting January transfer window coming up though.

 

[Bluemart]

Put me on ignore, what the @@@k was lighthearted yesterday, we were pathetic.

Our team is old and broken, do you enjoy that?

This fall is not all down to injuries, it down to some monumental cock ups by some senior people at the club.

If you don't want or can't see that I would question you.

Far too many on here worry about certain players, they simply can't accept those players are finished in our shirt.

What is wrong with saying that?

I am old enough to remember seeing the great 69 side grow old and fade together and look how long that took to sort out.

We are an elite club now, we need to act like one on and off the pitch, fans included.

After Liverpool scored yesterday, I thought we got back into the game, Doku looked lively and although no end product certainly had Liverpool rattled.
I think that’s the best we have played for a while and don’t think long term Liverpool will stay that far ahead.
We make mistakes in games and get punished, unfortunately we don’t punish teams when they slip up like KDB yesterday.
I think over than Ortega, Lewis & Silva, the rest of the team have just come back from injury or carrying knocks.
Onwards and upwards, we can improve & will

 

[paulchapo]

I've just kept this part to respond to.....I think you've summed it up really well, a well considered and balanced opinion. Teams tend to go in cycles and I think this cycle is nearing the end. I have no doubt we will at some point soon come back, as we always do. Might see an interesting January transfer window coming up though.

If you think back we all thought when we lost key players at different times, like Ya Ya, Silver, Aguero and Kompany we would struggle, but we went on to bigger and better things. The difference was we gradually replaced them individually. Now we have Walker, KDB, Gundogan and probably Stones to replace and all at once. Left back we haven't replaced for years but we've got away with it. Gvardiol isn't the answer there but he's done a half decent job until recently.
Those first four I mentioned would now be squad players if we'd gradually replaced them and slowly allowed to leave. Instead we're having to play them almost every game and they just can't cope anymore, not in the high intensity system we play.

 

[nellyonthewing]

The attitude towards the scum in the cup final was an indicator. Should have wiped the floor with them twats for a double.

100% that . It was a huge indicator that the’killer instinct’ had fallen away . The players were given a free pass on that Wiganesque performance. IMO it was thoroughly unprofessional and stemmed from ‘upstairs’ where the narrative that it’s not important you’re all tired permeated the dressing room..,
As you can tell I am still tetchy about handing the scum a free trophy.

 

[supercity88]

Put me on ignore, what the @@@k was lighthearted yesterday, we were pathetic.

Our team is old and broken, do you enjoy that?

This fall is not all down to injuries, it down to some monumental cock ups by some senior people at the club.

If you don't want or can't see that I would question you.

Far too many on here worry about certain players, they simply can't accept those players are finished in our shirt.

What is wrong with saying that?

I am old enough to remember seeing the great 69 side grow old and fade together and look how long that took to sort out.

We are an elite club now, we need to act like one on and off the pitch, fans included.

I don't disagree with what you say, but as fans there's nothing we can do about it other than support the team as best as we can. What's done is done. The board should have gone stronger in summer 2023 and taken the same mindset you would when you win the league for the first time - you have a target on your back so you can't rest on your laurels. We did enough to win the league again, but there was another treble there for us - a shootout loss to Real and a ridiculous loss to the rags in the Cup final. A few more quality additions and both results could have changed. Maybe it wouldn't have made a difference but we'd have at least managed to be in better shape this season.

Last summer was poor. Summer tournaments on the back of another intense season. It was naive to think the squad could go again. No back-up for our critical players and a reliance on others who simply haven't produced enough to deserve that at this point in time.

But it is what it is like I said. Without an injury to Rodri we'd be well in the race still. Could have happened at anytime, and it's better now we've made history than in a previous campaign. It's whether the board now act. If they don't then the extreme concern is warranted. If they do, and they invest appropriately and cut those that need cutting we move forwards.

We're an elite club and we've proved that by breaking records. If this was happening after 1 trophy in 4 years then you could be more concerned. But if the board fix these issues and it's one season too many for some, then in the grand scheme of things that's not too bad and not worthy of hysteria.

 

[nellyonthewing]

Anfield provided the perfect example of what happens when you increase the capacity, but don't do anything about the transport infrastructure. It will be just as bad at the ETIHAD next season, but at least we've got the option of walking to Piccadilly.

We weren't kept behind afterwards (which was probably a mistake) and there was a horrible dark bottleneck with scousers goading for a reaction and sadly a few blues accepting the challenge. Plenty of shouting and screaming, and the odd cheap rabbit punch.
A Liverpool fan was completely sparked out in front of the City coaches and receiving medical attention from some sympathetic Cheadle blues, one of whom just happened to be a nurse.

Naturally there weren't any Police on the scene. They were probably too busy trying to catch anyone singing FEED THE SCOUSERS (which didn't happen).
A horrible end to a horrible day and probably my last visit to Anfield.

Respect to you for going and having to endure that game .

 

[Roachy]

100% that . It was a huge indicator that the’killer instinct’ had fallen away . The players were given a free pass on that Wiganesque performance. IMO it was thoroughly unprofessional and stemmed from ‘upstairs’ where the narrative that it’s not important you’re all tired permeated the dressing room..,
As you can tell I am still tetchy about handing the scum a free trophy.

As we all should be, dog shit approach to that game tbh.

 

[nellyonthewing]

I don't disagree with what you say, but as fans there's nothing we can do about it other than support the team as best as we can. What's done is done. The board should have gone stronger in summer 2023 and taken the same mindset you would when you win the league for the first time - you have a target on your back so you can't rest on your laurels. We did enough to win the league again, but there was another treble there for us - a shootout loss to Real and a ridiculous loss to the rags in the Cup final. A few more quality additions and both results could have changed. Maybe it wouldn't have made a difference but we'd have at least managed to be in better shape this season.

Last summer was poor. Summer tournaments on the back of another intense season. It was naive to think the squad could go again. No back-up for our critical players and a reliance on others who simply haven't produced enough to deserve that at this point in time.

But it is what it is like I said. Without an injury to Rodri we'd be well in the race still. Could have happened at anytime, and it's better now we've made history than in a previous campaign. It's whether the board now act. If they don't then the extreme concern is warranted. If they do, and they invest appropriately and cut those that need cutting we move forwards.

We're an elite club and we've proved that by breaking records. If this was happening after 1 trophy in 4 years then you could be more concerned. But if the board fix these issues and it's one season too many for some, then in the grand scheme of things that's not too bad and not worthy of hysteria.

Lot of ‘ifs’ in there mate!