Liverpool thread 2019/20

[gordondaviesmoustache]

He says that because Boris Johnson just comes out as ****

 

[alexmcity]

I think the key to Liverpool's success has been their work rate. Yes, the manager is great, they have also very talented players, etc. but this is what other top teams have too. Where they excel is that they have exceptionally fit players which helps them to bully teams, tire them down and maintain a high level over many months.

Pep's City could do the same the last two seasons but we rotated much more. Nevertheless, we suffer more injuries than them.

Sport medicine is utterly important in today's football. If you can't run and can't recover quickly, you can't compete. So, there is some secret in the way Liverpool manage to keep those exceptional fitness levels for many months, despite half of their players (and all of the key players!) participating in international competitions as well. How are they doing it?

There are some possibilities. They might have introduced revolutionary methods wtr training and recovering. Or they are signing exceptionally fit players. Or they are using (secret but) legal substances for recovering, i.e. substances which are not banned but are highly efficient. I think it's a combination of those things. The possibility of doping I'm not going to dsicuss. Think most big clubs are using ways of preparing and recovering players on the border of illegal methods. Liverpool are doing something a bit different than the other big clubs though. Van Dijk and Mane have played incredible amount of minutes in 2019 and are constantly fit, full with eneregy, quick. I'm sure the other clubs are wondering wtf is happening there.

 

[Drubas]

I think the key to Liverpool's success has been their work rate. Yes, the manager is great, they have also very talented players, etc. but this is what other top teams have too. Where they excel is that they have exceptionally fit players which helps them to bully teams, tire them down and maintain a high level over many months.

Pep's City could do the same the last two seasons but we rotated much more. Nevertheless, we suffer more injuries than them.

Sport medicine is utterly important in today's football. If you can't run and can't recover quickly, you can't compete. So, there is some secret in the way Liverpool manage to keep those exceptional fitness levels for many months, despite half of their players (and all of the key players!) participating in international competitions as well. How are they doing it?

There are some possibilities. They might have introduced revolutionary methods wtr training and recovering. Or they are signing exceptionally fit players. Or they are using (secret but) legal substances for recovering, i.e. substances which are not banned but are highly efficient. I think it's a combination of those things. The possibility of doping I'm not going to dsicuss. Think most big clubs are using ways of preparing and recovering players on the border of illegal methods. Liverpool are doing something a bit different than the other big clubs though. Van Dijk and Mane have played incredible amount of minutes in 2019 and are constantly fit, full with eneregy, quick. I'm sure the other clubs are wondering wtf is happening there.

From day one Klopp worked on recruiting Andreas Kornmayer (fitness and conditioning) from Bayern, as well as strengthening the medical and psysio staff. Kornmayer has been very influential in both the individual fitness training as well as the development of the general training regime.

But also, the way Liverpool play since Lijnders took over from Buvac, is different. They number of max runs has decreased steadily, and Liverpool have become more potent in controlling the tempo and dictating pace.

Some players are naturally fit. Sterling is similar to Mané, for instance. And VVD is hardly the first centre back that has played a couple of seasons without injury?

 

[alexmcity]

From day one Klopp worked on recruiting Andreas Kornmayer (fitness and conditioning) from Bayern, as well as strengthening the medical and psysio staff. Kornmayer has been very influential in both the individual fitness training as well as the development of the general training regime.

But also, the way Liverpool play since Lijnders took over from Buvac, is different. They number of max runs has decreased steadily, and Liverpool have become more potent in controlling the tempo and dictating pace.

Some players are naturally fit. Sterling is similar to Mané, for instance. And VVD is hardly the first centre back that has played a couple of seasons without injury?

Sterling has been rotated much more than Mane and still has looked a bit tired recently, at least mentally. Mane has started all games since the final in Quatar where he played 120 minutes. It's not as natural as it may seem to you. Can you tell me another CB who has played as much football at the highest level as Van Dijk in 2019? Firmino played a lot for Brazil too, Mane with Senegal. Their fitness levels are unique. So much physical and mental effort and no injuries and no dip in form the whole year.

 

[Fiftyyearsandcounting]

According to the Sunday Express, some Liverpool fans are concerned that developments in Iraq could lead to WW3 and deny them the PL title.
Some are even suggesting Trump has acted deliberately to thwart them.
Surely they can't can't be serious. Can they?

 

[Whymewhynot]

According to the Sunday Express, some Liverpool fans are concerned that developments in Iraq could lead to WW3 and deny them the PL title.
Some are even suggesting Trump has acted deliberately to thwart them.
Surely they can't can't be serious. Can they?

Sounds like a paranoid story we’d make up!

 

[mexico1970]

Can those selfish bastards not wait until the season finishes until they start a war?

 

[Drubas]

Sterling has been rotated much more than Mane and still has looked a bit tired recently, at least mentally. Mane has started all games since the final in Quatar where he played 120 minutes. It's not as natural as it may seem to you. Can you tell me another CB who has played as much football at the highest level as Van Dijk in 2019? Firmino played a lot for Brazil too. Their fitness levels are unique and suspicious. So much physical and mental effort and no injuries and no dip in form the whole year.

I would say that they are pretty similar. Add FA cup, League Cup and World Cup of Clubs, and I'm not even sure Mané is the front runner in terms of games and minutes.

Liverpool hardly playing any of the first team players in League Cup and FA Cup surely has helped.

Chelsea went almost the entire season without rotation, when Conte won the title. Same with Leicester. Most fit player award has to go to Azpilicueta.

I agree that there are some fit players in Liverpool, but it's not the least rotated team, nor the least injured team, if you look at the last decade.


Sterling :
Playing time and matches
Injury record

Mane:
Playing time and matches
Injury record

 

[Fiftyyearsandcounting]

Sterling has been rotated much more than Mane and still has looked a bit tired recently, at least mentally. Mane has started all games since the final in Quatar where he played 120 minutes. It's not as natural as it may seem to you. Can you tell me another CB who has played as much football at the highest level as Van Dijk in 2019? Firmino played a lot for Brazil too, Mane with Senegal. Their fitness levels are unique. So much physical and mental effort and no injuries and no dip in form the whole year.

Can't say I've studied VvD especially, but I have noticed that when he receives a pass he generally is in open space and usually gets rid of the ball fairly rapidly, with a short side pass, before a tackle comes in.
When he is challenging for the ball he often just uses his height and strength to shove over or barge the opposition away, again avoiding a proper tackle.

 

[alexmcity]

I would say that they are pretty similar. Add FA cup, League Cup and World Cup of Clubs, and I'm not even sure Mané is the front runner in terms of games and minutes.

Liverpool hardly playing any of the first team players in League Cup and FA Cup surely has helped.

Chelsea went almost the entire season without rotation, when Conte won the title. Same with Leicester. Most fit player award has to go to Azpilicueta.

I agree that there are some fit players in Liverpool, but it's not the least rotated team, nor the least injured team, if you look at the last decade.


Sterling :
Playing time and matches
Injury record

Mane:
Playing time and matches
Injury record

Chelsea weren't in the CL or EL when Conte made them champions, it's incomparable.

Sterling didn't play in a long international summer tournament like Mane. AFCON started Juni and finished on 19.07 with Mane playing in the final after playing in June with Liverpool in the CL final. Sterling's season finished earlier and he had 2-3 games with England. Despite having much more rest than Mane in the summer, Sterling has experienced a dip in form since November. Mane has been as good in April, May, June, July, Ausgust up to January. Indestructible and absolutely consistent without having much rest at all.

Edit: Last season, in the PL and the CL, Mane played about 600 minutes more than Sterling which is more than 6 full games. Sterling had more games in the cups but there the physical and mental effort isn't comparable. After that taxing season Sterling had much more rest and still hasn't looked as consistent as Mane.