Liverpool 2016/17 - Performance and chat thread.

[Cristiano Lell]

Spot the guy who hasn't seen him much this season and is going by former seasons for opinion .

I'm proud to say I've seen probably 3/4 of all Liverpool games this season.
Palace was IMO the first one where Coutinho's game was really great on the whole, not just in doses or moments of individual brilliance.
So he seems to be improving, but for my taste, for a supposed playmaker he used to make ridiculously little play for his team. He quelled every criticism by scoring a clutch worldie every 3 weeks though.

 

[TheReligion]

I'm proud to say I've seen probably 3/4 of all Liverpool games this season.
Palace was IMO the first one where Coutinho's game was really great on the whole, not just in doses or moments of individual brilliance.
So he seems to be improving, but for my taste, for a supposed playmaker he used to make ridiculously little play for his team. He quelled every criticism by scoring a clutch worldie every 3 weeks though.

You're not seeing things you're absolutely right. He's a great little player but regularly goes missing in games which is why he isn't in the bracket of the worlds big dogs.

 

[montpelier]

I agree with what was said above, if one was a Madrid or Barca scout you'd definitely be recommending that some kind of 125 million bid goes in for Lallana as the priority wouldn't you?

 

[johnny boy]

I'm proud to say I've seen probably 3/4 of all Liverpool games this season.
Palace was IMO the first one where Coutinho's game was really great on the whole, not just in doses or moments of individual brilliance.
So he seems to be improving, but for my taste, for a supposed playmaker he used to make ridiculously little play for his team. He quelled every criticism by scoring a clutch worldie every 3 weeks though.

I haven't seen much of United's (apart from when they played us) but I don't tend to watch mid table teams.
How is Alonso doing at Bayern?

Coutinho has a reputation for being a 'one trick pony' individual moments of brilliance - that's a heck of a trick though to have seeing some of the goals he has scored this season.
His overall team play has improved considerably and any team would drool over having a player like that in their side.
The blend Klopp has and the way the players interchange positions makes it very hard for defences, so far this season his overall performances & consistency have been very good - long way to go though.

 

[Cristiano Lell]

I haven't seen any of United's but I don't tend to watch mid table teams.

Coutinho has a reputation for being a 'one trick pony' individual moments of brilliance - that's a heck of a trick though to have seeing some of the goals he has scored this season.
His overall team play has improved considerably and any team would drool over having a player like that in their side.
The blend Klopp has and the way the players interchange positions makes it very hard for defences, so far this season his overall performances & consistency have been very good - long way to go though.

First of all, you don't insult me by insulting United I'm a Bayern fan, but clearly rooting much more for Liverpool than for United, as for the PL.

It is a heck of a trick yes, he is indeed a 'great little player' as @TheReligion puts it, but I still think he has been frustrating too many times. I agree he seems to be improving and looks like he might have a good season. Still, the season is just barely 10 games old, surely not long enough to throw all judgement and experience from earlier seasons over board.
I still need some convincing from Coutinho, as @SalfordRed1960 has said, Lallana's development, and contribution, for example has been much more impressive since Klopp took over.

 

[johnny boy]

First of all, you don't insult me by insulting United I'm a Bayern fan, but clearly rooting much more for Liverpool than for United, as for the PL.

I know mate....

 

[Fridge chutney]

The humble pie bit wasn't the funniest part of his post. It was the bit where he said Anderson was world class.

On the pens v CP no one seems to be mentioning the handball from Coutinho's header which was just as good a shout as any of the others.

On Pogba. His price tag means shag all really, any player is worth what the buying club is willing to pay and if United can get most of that fee back through merchandising alone then what does it matter how much they paid.

Thanks for taking my post out of context.

Anderson is definitely not world class. If anything I was having a dig at him by meanly (but kinda correctly?) calling him fat. He had a wonderful 2008 season and many of us thought he would be a natural Scholes replacement. He quickly proved us wrong by lost form and injuries, as well as a general lack of fitness.

My argument was trying to highlight our deficiencies in midfield. This is why i think we need Pogba over Coutinho, who are very different players, in my opinion, and i stand by what I said, I would not take Coutinho over Pogba. I am not doubting the former's ability, though.

 

[Fridge chutney]

I didn't think any of them were 'stonewall', I agree some ref's may have given one of them but I thought Marriner had a decent game overall.
You cannot also gauge the whole match purely off 10 minutes, we should have been out of sight by half time and could easily have scored another 4 or so goals overall.
But yes it was another instance of a game that was closer than it should have been.

As for Pogba, nothing to do with Liverpool and you cannot compare him to Coutinho , different types of players. No doubt Pogba is very good, but he hasn't fully settled into his role yet and is currently playing in a mid table team who are under performing a little, Coutinho is playing in a side performing very well in role that suits him and the way the team play.

He is also playing to a more consistent level, his overall play has improved this season, especially his link up, passing, and movement. He has scored goals too. Clearly a very important player for us.

I never portended to gauge the match by 10 minutes.

Maybe Pardew is trying to avoid a fine? Like Mourinho, he has been on thin ice so managers are best not to talk about officials at all, especially those with a history. Mourinho should bloody well learn from Pardew, and i never thought that's something i would say!

I'm not saying Liverpool deserved to not win, or that Palace didn't get lucky too. They may have. But during the 10 entertaining minutes i watched, there was a stonewall penalty where Liverpool got lucky. That's just my perspective.

I'll make one clarification in response to myself above:

1) of the top 5 teams, Liverpool have gotten the least lucky (say, compared to City or Arsenal especially) in terms of calls, maybe along with Spurs. So they are where they are by merit. My observation was not meant to detract from this.

2) I think both Pogba and Coutinho are fantastic players. Pogba has more individual accolades, but Coutinho is hitting the form of his life. I think both players have higher ceilings than they are currently displaying, and both clubs' fans will appreciate their respective players while they are able to. Hopefully Spain clubs do not come and ruin our party.

 

[Cassady]

This seems to be the case with most opposition fans on here these days.

Get a grip!

You lot come on our forum and give it out, Dumbstar and Cassady always on the wind up. Take it when you get it back or feck off elsewhere. Simple.

Klopper is one of the very few who you can actually have a conversation with about the game without the ridiculous subjectivity.

Read through the thread. We were discussing Coutinho and your lot derailed it to start on Pogba. Same old.

I only go on the wind up when people speak a bit of cack now and then and clearly have a bee in their bonnet over something.

A chin that sticks itself out will get the odd smack every now and then.

 

[Righteous Steps]

He reminds me of Giggs in the latter part of his career. He can literally do very little, but then do something magic (in Coutinho's case that usually means a bloody good shot, in Giggs an exceptional defense splitting pass) and he becomes MOTM. Of the Liverpool games I have seen so far, which is only 6, he has hardly set the world alight. Lallana has been the player who has been more impressive.

I think this is wrong, even in the 13/14 season he was very involved in general player, including tackling playmaking and assisting. After that his general play suffered because he became hell bent on scoring on every occasion, but this season has seen him gone back to some of the selflessness he displayed when he first came to Liverpool i think, that is matched with the work ethic and goals he has added to his game in the last couple seasons, very complete player especially so this season.

 

[Dumbstar]

Indeed, can these people not read!? Amazing.
Homework needed I think.

Internet shrills

 

[bio202]

I was wondering when this tread would go into wum overdrive. I was expecting Xmas if pool kept playing well but Hey ho.

 

[johnny boy]

I never portended to gauge the match by 10 minutes.

Maybe Pardew is trying to avoid a fine? Like Mourinho, he has been on thin ice so managers are best not to talk about officials at all, especially those with a history. Mourinho should bloody well learn from Pardew, and i never thought that's something i would say!

I'm not saying Liverpool deserved to not win, or that Palace didn't get lucky too. They may have. But during the 10 entertaining minutes i watched, there was a stonewall penalty where Liverpool got lucky. That's just my perspective.

I'll make one clarification in response to myself above:

1) of the top 5 teams, Liverpool have gotten the least lucky (say, compared to City or Arsenal especially) in terms of calls, maybe along with Spurs. So they are where they are by merit. My observation was not meant to detract from this.

2) I think both Pogba and Coutinho are fantastic players. Pogba has more individual accolades, but Coutinho is hitting the form of his life. I think both players have higher ceilings than they are currently displaying, and both clubs' fans will appreciate their respective players while they are able to. Hopefully Spain clubs do not come and ruin our party.

Fair enough.
You are entitled to your opinion on the penalty decisions, I had one of them down as debatable and the others as definitely not - but I would imagine many would have different opinions, so that's what the game is all about.
I still honestly didn't think any of them were and that the ref had a good game - I admit on another day one of them maybe could have been given by a different referee. But yes like you say the best team won.

I think we have made a good start - I don't think any of the LFC fans on here are getting carried away by that, the season has a long way to go.
I don't think any of us have said we are going to win the league and still stand by that - not that we aren't excited at the way we are playing.

Pogba and Coutinho are different types of players, clearly Pogba hasn't found his stride yet and obviously Coutinho and Liverpool as a whole have done.

 

[Trikie]

Thanks for taking my post out of context.

Anderson is definitely not world class. If anything I was having a dig at him by meanly (but kinda correctly?) calling him fat. He had a wonderful 2008 season and many of us thought he would be a natural Scholes replacement. He quickly proved us wrong by lost form and injuries, as well as a general lack of fitness.

My argument was trying to highlight our deficiencies in midfield. This is why i think we need Pogba over Coutinho, who are very different players, in my opinion, and i stand by what I said, I would not take Coutinho over Pogba. I am not doubting the former's ability, though.

I know what you meant regarding Anderson mate, It was just the way you had worded it that made it sound rather funny and couldn't resist.

As for the Pogba Coutinho debate like you said two different types of players and I'm sure for a lot of fans it's one of those that because the player plays for their team he is the better player.

 

[TheReligion]

I only go on the wind up when people speak a bit of cack now and then and clearly have a bee in their bonnet over something.

A chin that sticks itself out will get the odd smack every now and then.

Likewise, although it does seem that you lot are very sensitive, even when valid points are made. It's as if unless you're towing the 'Liverpool are brilliant line' you're not allowed to post in this thread without having a load of absolute nonsense thrown at you.

Last week there was a decent discussion going on about Liverpool's back 4 and I think your response was 'oh well I'm glad we got Klopp over Mourinho'.

Today people dare question the 100m valuation of Coutinho and the response is 'oh well if Pogba is worth 89m then he's worth more'.

Either you guys are on a United forum to discuss football or you're here to talk bollocks and try and wind everyone up.

If it's the latter you're only going to invite piss taking and it all gets rather silly and boring.

 

[PickledRed]

Of course Liverpool fans are going to be excited about football right now. So many reasons to be cheerful. What does seem a little churlish are the overt negative comments about this side, as if they're the main takeaway discussion points when they're just asides. These include:

1) Liverpool can't defend. Yes they can - still improvements but they defend all over the pitch to such an extent that open play garners so few chances for the opposition. Saturday was the first time they'd conceded two goals in a game since August. How many other sides can say that?

2) Liverpool will burn out soon. Why? Their average distance covered is not so different to other sides. Plus one game a week (with 11 changes for EFL Cup) isn't a hardship compared to European matches.

3) Liverpool have average players. They don't in the main and the squad has decent depth. Who has two quality strikers as good as Liverpool on the bench?

4) Coutinho is an inconsistent one trick pony. 2013 just called, it wants its lazy analysis back. He's coming of age, he's playing brilliantly and he's doing it a lot. His array of tricks is plentiful.

5) Wait till lesser teams park the bus. This was the naysayer's early season analysis that's not held up. So many defensive set-ups put to the sword.

The point of all this is that the above points seem to dominate much of the discussion around Liverpool even though they are peripheral factors at best. The dynamic, free flowing football that consistently tires opposition teams is the central factor right now. Winning against a range of opposition and scoring huge amounts without any player scoring loads...these should be the main takeaways. These are the main things to be looked at.

 

[bio202]

Likewise, although it does seem that you lot are very sensitive, even when valid points are made. It's as if unless you're towing the 'Liverpool are brilliant line' you're not allowed to post in this thread without having a load of absolute nonsense thrown at you.

Last week there was a decent discussion going on about Liverpool's back 4 and I think your response was 'oh well I'm glad we got Klopp over Mourinho'.

Today people dare question the 100m valuation of Coutinho and the response is 'oh well if Pogba is worth 89m then he's worth more'.

Either you guys are on a United forum to discuss football or you're here to talk bollocks and try and wind everyone up.

If it's the latter you're only going to invite piss taking and it all gets rather silly and boring.

Some good points there mate.

What you need to remember that Liverpool fans have seen a lot our top players leave over the years. Suarez and sterling for example. Utd fans haven't had to suffer that frustration.

So when we see reports saying courtinio wants to leave. We get, as you say "sensitive." What's courtinio worth I have no idea but when someone says 100 mil. What they really mean is it better be something stupid like 100mil or I'm going to be right pissed off with lfc.

We want to win trophies just like you do and losing courtinio would definitely hinder that.

 

[B20]

I still need some convincing from Coutinho, as @SalfordRed1960 has said, Lallana's development, and contribution, for example has been much more impressive since Klopp took over.

It really hasn't. Lallana has been good. Coutinho has been a different level. Not a contest really.

 

[BlueCelery]

Imo their best players so far this season are as follows

1. Coutinho










2. Lallana
3. Mane
4. Lovren
5. Henderson

 

[Rafateria]

Of course Liverpool fans are going to be excited about football right now. So many reasons to be cheerful. What does seem a little churlish are the overt negative comments about this side, as if they're the main takeaway discussion points when they're just asides. These include:

1) Liverpool can't defend. Yes they can - still improvements but they defend all over the pitch to such an extent that open play garners so few chances for the opposition. Saturday was the first time they'd conceded two goals in a game since August. How many other sides can say that?

2) Liverpool will burn out soon. Why? Their average distance covered is not so different to other sides. Plus one game a week (with 11 changes for EFL Cup) isn't a hardship compared to European matches.

3) Liverpool have average players. They don't in the main and the squad has decent depth. Who has two quality strikers as good as Liverpool on the bench?

4) Coutinho is an inconsistent one trick pony. 2013 just called, it wants its lazy analysis back. He's coming of age, he's playing brilliantly and he's doing it a lot. His array of tricks is plentiful.

5) Wait till lesser teams park the bus. This was the naysayer's early season analysis that's not held up. So many defensive set-ups put to the sword.

The point of all this is that the above points seem to dominate much of the discussion around Liverpool even though they are peripheral factors at best. The dynamic, free flowing football that consistently tires opposition teams is the central factor right now. Winning against a range of opposition and scoring huge amounts without any player scoring loads...these should be the main takeaways. These are the main things to be looked at.

Nice.

I'll add to your points :

1. A lot has made of the goals we've conceded but we've only played an unchanged backline ONCE this season and 5 of those goals came in the first 2 matches (without Matip and with Moreno and Mignolet), with 8 in the following 8 (a PL winning team statistically should be at 0.97 so it's not like we are a million miles away and can't recover that with some defensive stability and with easier opposition to come). We are obviously getting there with Milner, Clyne, Matip and Lovren and Karius may just need time as do so many other players new to the PL and the UK.
Hate to keep banging on about the fact that he was rated #2 in the BL last season but if we were to use his first few games here (and it is just very few) as an indication of his quality then obviously he'd have been nowhere near getting voted #2 by his peers last season.

2. Again it should be mentioned that the Liverpool players will (even with runs to say the semis of both FAC & LC) play around 10 games less than most PL teams involved in Europe this season. So why would LFC players burn out and not those of other teams ?

3. Nobody watch our poor squad players put away Spur's last week ? Lots of good players in that Spurs B team. Many of those LFC squad players are more than capable of coming in and doing a good job.

4. Coutinho has 4 MotM match awards so far this season. Never mind those matches where he still rated in the top 3 without winning it.

 

[Klopper76]

Imo their best players so far this season are as follows

1. Coutinho










2. Lallana
3. Mane
4. Lovren
5. Henderson

So many people overlook Firmino's importance as the lone striker in our system. His work rate is as good as anyone's and his contribution since January has been excellent in terms of goals and assists. If you watch him over 90 minutes he does so much work off the ball and our pressing game starts with him. We used to be so concerned with getting Sturridge fit and keeping him in the side but now it's not a concern at all because Firmino's better suited to how Klopp wants us to play.

Matip has also been a very good signing considering he was signed on a free. I'd say he's been better than Lovren this season.

 

[TheReligion]

Some good points there mate.

What you need to remember that Liverpool fans have seen a lot our top players leave over the years. Suarez and sterling for example. Utd fans haven't had to suffer that frustration.

So when we see reports saying courtinio wants to leave. We get, as you say "sensitive." What's courtinio worth I have no idea but when someone says 100 mil. What they really mean is it better be something stupid like 100mil or I'm going to be right pissed off with lfc.

We want to win trophies just like you do and losing courtinio would definitely hinder that.

I understand that, we have experienced losing Cristiano and it upset everyone, but not sure why certain posters are so uptight when any kind of criticism is leveled at Liverpool (It's a United forum FFS, you get far better treatment here than in other places!)

If you want to engage in debate great but a few here spoil it for the rest and are gradually morphing into GlastonSpur..

 

[Cassady]

Likewise, although it does seem that you lot are very sensitive, even when valid points are made. It's as if unless you're towing the 'Liverpool are brilliant line' you're not allowed to post in this thread without having a load of absolute nonsense thrown at you.

Last week there was a decent discussion going on about Liverpool's back 4 and I think your response was 'oh well I'm glad we got Klopp over Mourinho'.

Today people dare question the 100m valuation of Coutinho and the response is 'oh well if Pogba is worth 89m then he's worth more'.

Either you guys are on a United forum to discuss football or you're here to talk bollocks and try and wind everyone up.

If it's the latter you're only going to invite piss taking and it all gets rather silly and boring.

Mate.

Iam an individual and think ( or at least try ) for myself .

You lot ? Fookin hell that's what SYP called us so I trust your ignorance on that.

Quote my / repost my comments on our back four as I don't remember it .

Ta la .

 

[Kraftwerker]

Likewise, although it does seem that you lot are very sensitive, even when valid points are made. It's as if unless you're towing the 'Liverpool are brilliant line' you're not allowed to post in this thread without having a load of absolute nonsense thrown at you.

Last week there was a decent discussion going on about Liverpool's back 4 and I think your response was 'oh well I'm glad we got Klopp over Mourinho'.

Today people dare question the 100m valuation of Coutinho and the response is 'oh well if Pogba is worth 89m then he's worth more'.

Either you guys are on a United forum to discuss football or you're here to talk bollocks and try and wind everyone up.

If it's the latter you're only going to invite piss taking and it all gets rather silly and boring.

I don't think you can expect much by way of balanced conversation here. On one hand you have many United fans who treat any sort of Liverpool 'resurgence' with a healthy dose of cynicism and almost an ingrained expectation that it will collapse. There is a comedy perception of the club that some can't shake even when it's fairly justified to take them more seriously. See also - Spurs. Because it always collapses, United fans look for the obvious reasons (rightly or wrongly) why it will collapse this time. That skews the debate.

Then on the other side, most of the Liverpool fans here lack credibility when it comes to discussing LFC. Many are just droning PR mouthpieces for the club, on some kind of obsessive mission to infiltrate a Man United forum and try to convince people who shouldn't matter to them that LFC are great.

Obviously one or two exceptions who I think mark themselves out as good posters (e.g. Klopper) but unfortunately they often get drowned out in the over-sensitivity to minor criticism and the tireless crusade to bite on every comment regardless of context.

If you want fair perspectives on Liverpool from normal LFC fans (outside the decent one or two here) I'd suggest following a few select ones on twitter or something. Even RAWK would have a fairer more balanced view on the club because what they say doesn't have to go through some bullshit PR filter (though obviously the place is fairly mental too).

 

[whatagoodname]

Imo their best players so far this season are as follows

1. Coutinho










2. Lallana
3. Mane
4. Lovren
5. Henderson

Firmino's been arguably our best player.

Matip's also been better than Lovren for me.

 

[B20]

It's more like

1. Coutinho


2. Firmino

3. Lallana
4. Mane

5. Matip / Milner / Henderson
8. Wijnaldum / Clyne

Looking at that, it's only really the keepers and maybe Lovren that I think haven't done really well so far though .

 

[amolbhatia50k]

First of all, you don't insult me by insulting United I'm a Bayern fan, but clearly rooting much more for Liverpool than for United, as for the PL.

So that's Dortmund and Bayern fans here rooting for Liverpool. Because of your rival teams ex manager ?!

No wonder this place seems so pro Liverpool these days also taking into account the overdoze of promotions of Liverpool fans into the mains.

 

[Rafateria]

So many people overlook Firmino's importance as the lone striker in our system. His work rate is as good as anyone's and his contribution since January has been excellent in terms of goals and assists. If you watch him over 90 minutes he does so much work off the ball and our pressing game starts with him. We used to be so concerned with getting Sturridge fit and keeping him in the side but now it's not a concern at all because Firmino's better suited to how Klopp wants us to play.

Matip has also been a very good signing considering he was signed on a free. I'd say he's been better than Lovren this season.

Firmino is arguably the most critical asset to our attack. He glues everything together and has simply amazing stats for possession, passing and chance creation, all in the opposition box. He's been in superb form most of the season.

I can not fathom how anyone could rate Lovren above Matip. There is simply no comparison. Matip is in excellent form and is just what we needed.

 

[Rafateria]

It's more like

1. Coutinho


2. Firmino

3. Lallana
4. Mane

5. Matip / Milner / Henderson
8. Wijnaldum / Clyne

Looking at that, it's only really the keepers and maybe Lovren that I think haven't done really well so far though .

And Moreno of course Actually i think I'd rate Mane's total performances this season below those of Matip / Milner / Henderson in terms of influence on our performances and results. Milner especially.

 

[Rafateria]

I understand that, we have experienced losing Cristiano and it upset everyone, but not sure why certain posters are so uptight when any kind of criticism is leveled at Liverpool (It's a United forum FFS, you get far better treatment here than in other places!)

If you want to engage in debate great but a few here spoil it for the rest and are gradually morphing into GlastonSpur..

Mate, you are a real Jekyll and Hyde. One moment you are a massive WUM and the next indulge in logical debate. It's called being a fan of the opposition and no one should be surprised if any of us waver from the straight and narrow from time to time !.

 

[johnny boy]

Indeed - after all if someone doesn't like what we say then just stay out of the thread. Nobody is forcing anyone to post in it and there is also an ignore tool (I use it quite a lot), that's what it is there for.
When the RAWK thread is in full flow none of us ever read it if people feel the same about this thread then just stay away.

It's also a bit ironic some of us are labelled as WUMs given the amount of crap we read on here. The answer to that is in my first comments, you don't have to read anything you have the choice.

 

[johnny boy]

Firmino is arguably the most critical asset to our attack. He glues everything together and has simply amazing stats for possession, passing and chance creation, all in the opposition box. He's been in superb form most of the season.

I can not fathom how anyone could rate Lovren above Matip. There is simply no comparison. Matip is in excellent form and is just what we needed.

Still can't believe we got Matip for free, been really impressed with him. I think they could be a good long term combination for us, even after saturday's horror mistake from Lovren, he has improved so much under Klopp.

Depending on how Gomez fits into the plans assuming Sakho is gone it might be a position Klopp will look to strengthen again in future windows.

 

[LFC-Fans]

Can is a headless chicken with no brain or technique.
Ings first touch isn't good enough.
Origi is also a headless chicken who relies on his pace.

Sturridge will throw a fuss at any time, he has a shocking attitude and is a ticking timebomb. He is one of the most unlikeable players in the game.

Ouch.

 

[montpelier]

Most Important Players for You Lot So Far This Season looks something like this for me

1 - Firmino - value now £175 million minimum

2 - Lallana

3 - Mane

then Phil or new England skipper Hendo !!!

Milner's played very well, defence had been better until Albie re-appeared innit?

 

[johnny boy]

Most Important Players for You Lot So Far This Season looks something like this for me

1 - Firmino - value now £175 million minimum

2 - Lallana

3 - Mane

then Phil or new England skipper Hendo !!!

Milner's played very well, defence had been better until Albie re-appeared innit?

'Albie' actually had a decent game against Palace, his link up play in our attack was really good.
He still needs to improve a lot defensively but as a back up to Milner he did okay.

Against better sides his defensive weaknesses are more likely to get exposed, against less sides he can get forward more and contribute to our attack.

There has been some suggestion of actually playing him in front of Milner.

 

[VorZakone]

I've been impressed with Firmino lately, he has that Ozil-esque quality of maintaining possession when pressed and his passing is very consistent.

 

[montpelier]

'Albie' actually had a decent game against Palace, his link up play in our attack was really good.
He still needs to improve a lot defensively but as a back up to Milner he did okay.

I was just half-joking wondering if his re-appearance might have had some de-stabilizing effect on the collective solidarity.

Moreno is what he is, quite fascinating really. A defender you much prefer to be in action up the other end. He can play, is quick, competitive & nice left foot. In your own box / last third, not so much of an asset.

 

[Liver_bird]

Still can't believe we got Matip for free, been really impressed with him. I think they could be a good long term combination for us, even after saturday's horror mistake from Lovren, he has improved so much under Klopp.

Depending on how Gomez fits into the plans assuming Sakho is gone it might be a position Klopp will look to strengthen again in future windows.

Aye, Matips been quite the steal, good on the ball too. Our weaknesses from crosses and set plays are really annoying given how proficient we are in preventing open play chances. For the most part we dont allow crosses in to the box all that much, especially with Clyne and Millie at FB. Moreno is pretty abysmal for that and most other defensive things. As for Lovren hes a good/decent defender who has the odd brainfart and can on occasion have exceptional games. If we are selling Sakho, I'd love us to try for Van Dijk or Sule, both excellent in the air.

 

[Liver_bird]

I've been impressed with Firmino lately, he has that Ozil-esque quality of maintaining possession when pressed and his passing is very consistent.

He's one of those players for all his chaotic play, when he gets in to the final third he's extremly good at alway picking the right pass and option which results in a higher quality chance, too often in previous seasons we looked to always force the ball in the final third. Coutinho used to be guilty of this big time, his short passing in the final third was woeful for the most part, but over the last 12 months he's been excellent and this season has gone up another gear.

 

[montpelier]

I like Firmino a lot, finds an easy pass a lot of the time when there doesn't seem to be one. Because the easy pass is very often the right pass, this is a very good ability to have.

Thought Coutinho did this on Saturday & I also think it's quite a new thing for him too. As an alternative to shooting from 30yds especially.