Liverpool (h) pre match thread.

[HarrytheBlue]

If Guardiola keeps telling us that Vincent Kompany is fit then Vincent Kompany should be on the pitch. I've said numerous times that what we are really lacking is a LEADER on the pitch, but I am beginning to wonder if that is what Guardiola wants. If you saw the highlights of the match last night on TV you will have seen Guardiola thumping Stones in the chest and then slapping Aguero, that is not the way for a manager to motivate players. People were saying that we looked scared last night, well if they knew that that was his reaction wouldn't you be scared? VK motivates players on the pitch with his enthusiasm, his pride and his energy. Zabaleta the same. Let's get Vinnie back, stop telling us he is fit and then leaving him out of the squad altogether!! JMHO

With Vinnie directing operations, no way would we have lined up for that free kick last night keystone cops style. He, like the rest of us screaming at the tv, would have seen that free kick coming in the way it did and probably positioned himself and others to attack the ball. Like Pique, Vinnie's always in the right place. When he doesn't play, who the hell directs operations at the back - the whole team actually ? I mean, if we get a similar free kick against Burnley or West Brom, there's a morass of defenders in layers making life hard for us.

 

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

I would argue that everyone in the league games have been shit - in the LC final we played them off the pitch and other than missing a couple of chances, Sterling did ok from memory

Your memory is failing. He wasnt that great in the final. Missed a sitter that day and even some of our fans were getting on his back.

 

[HarrytheBlue]

Doesn't take a genius mate. Dinho was absolutely incapable of recycling the ball fast enough. Say what you will about Yaya's lack of pace, but passing the ball is not something he struggles with, whereas Dinho played rugby last night when it came to moving the ball.

After a slow start when he was continually fouled, after the KDB switch Silva started to find Sane and Sterling. Yaya would, in all likelihood, while under pressure, have produced a few more balls into the channels for Sane and Sterling to run onto. That's what he does. And a free kick on the edge of the box is almost a penalty for him...

 

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

And the names you've quoted hardly play because they just ain't good enough. If he plays them and we drop points he's slaughtered for it. Fact of the matter is the squad as a whole isn't strong enough, too many passengers.
Big clear out required.

Absolutely. Totally agree. Out of form players can't really be dropped because there is no one to bring in.

Fact is, Pep has had to rely on a player who wasn't even in his thinking earlier in the season to bail us out.

We have eleven players over 30 in the first team squad. crazy.

I wouldn't be bothered from a pure footballing perspective if any of the following went.

Bravo
Willy
Zabaleta
Sagna
Clichy
Kolarov
Ottamendi
Fernando
Fernandinho
Nolito
Delph
Navas
Kelechi

How likely is that? Add to that Mangala, Bony and Nasri and that's 16 players.

If we can get rid of half that it will be a miracle on the wages we must be paying.

We could easily be a team in transition for next season as well as this.

Frustrating after the last 2 seasons when all of this planning could have been done in anticipation of what we knew was coming.

Thankfully plenty of contracts up will help.

 

[deano ou812]

Think for one of the few times I'm gonna give a game a miss,might decide to work,then bugger off for a bite to eat on Sunday and not check scores or anything like that,the Monaco game sickened me,and to be fair that's not normally like me..

 

[HarrytheBlue]

Maybe that's part of the problem. He has actually tried mostly to play the best 11 for most matches particularly in midfield and upfront and now when he has to call on players like Fernando, Nolito, Navas Delph and Kelechi, it is no surprise when they show nothing because they have had pretty much zero game time.

Problem we have is that Fernandinho and De Bruyne are in a very poor run of form and both realistically should be dropped but who do you bring in?

The thing about KDB is that even when he's having a bad day, he'll produce a few raking diagonal precision balls into the box. Up to someone up front to get a toe onto it. Hard to drop him.

 

[The Riot Club]

Time for a reaction here. Players should be fucking hurting and embarrassed by last night's unacceptable bollocks.

Fucking smash the scousers. Stop pissing about with slow football and get in their faces and most of all, fucking shoot!

 

[The Riot Club]

Absolutely. Totally agree. Out of form players can't really be dropped because there is no one to bring in.

Fact is, Pep has had to rely on a player who wasn't even in his thinking earlier in the season to bail us out.

We have eleven players over 30 in the first team squad. crazy.

I wouldn't be bothered from a pure footballing perspective if any of the following went.

Bravo
Willy
Zabaleta
Sagna
Clichy
Kolarov
Ottamendi
Fernando
Fernandinho
Nolito
Delph
Navas
Kelechi

How likely is that? Add to that Mangala, Bony and Nasri and that's 16 players.

If we can get rid of half that it will be a miracle on the wages we must be paying.

We could easily be a team in transition for next season as well as this.

Frustrating after the last 2 seasons when all of this planning could have been done in anticipation of what we knew was coming.

Thankfully plenty of contracts up will help.

It's frustrating and shows just how many poor signings we've made.
For about the same money Chelsea got Hazard, Costa, David Luiz and Kante.

We should just sign Chelsea's fucking scout. Serious.

 

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

The thing about KDB is that even when he's having a bad day, he'll produce a few raking diagonal precision balls into the box. Up to someone up front to get a toe onto it. Hard to drop him.

I agree with that. He can still play a killer pass. He did last night to Silva who then fed Aguero who should have scored.

However. These moments are currently few and far between.

Problem is we have no real alternative.

I would still pick him over Fernandinho currently if it was a choice of the two because he has been garbage this season.

 

[HarrytheBlue]

I agree with that. He can still play a killer pass. He did last night to Silva who then fed Aguero who should have scored.

However. These moments are currently few and far between.

Problem is we have no real alternative.

I would still pick him over Fernandinho currently if it was a choice of the two because he has been garbage this season.

Part of the problem is SM's ambitions have been stymied by Platini's FFP rules. When SM first took over we

Huge challenge this game

My worry is how many of the players minds will start drifting to the summer, especially with so many either coming to the end of their contracts or futures generally uncertain.

If we're not motivated and focused we'll take a pasting.
Pep has to get the team properly prepared and select only those that are totally committed. And by god do we need a leader on the pitch!

You're right. Worrying that we'll be relying on players who won't be here next year to go flat out for us.