Definitely our pre-season
Liverpool - 2017/18
- Thread starter Rafateria
- Start date
They do look fecking great atm. But i think it is the typical Liverpool always starting well.
It shouldn't matter. Unlike other sides they share the goal burden evenly in their attack. And if they can finally keep Sturridge fit, he is truly clinical at his best
They're fine against these sorts of sides though. It's when they play a physical hoof ball team that they fall apart and complain.
The weakness of this Liverpool team is their central defence. Not enough quality. The Sakho feud as a result makes little sense
Yep, if they could find a way to break them down they could become very dangerous.
Sturridge must have the best goals per minute ratio by now.
I don't think your characterisation of Liverpool struggling against robust teams is accurate.
Last Liverpool beat Stoke twice, WBA twice, Everton twice, Watford twice plus other wins against dogged sides. They weren't perfect but rarely, if ever, got bullied.
Haven't even considered them for the title weak squad outside the first 11, super intensive style of play lacking the quality for rotation and a European campaign on top.
They never will under Klopp.
Klopp and Pep are managers with visually great football but are in no way pragmatic.
Not sure it still stands but I think he had the best ratio in Liverpool's history
Again, not true. Look at Liverpool in the last 6/7 games of the season. A completely different tactical approach. Hardly conceded, pretty boring tight games built around controlling games rather than the blood and thunder attacking witnessed earlier in the season. Liverpool became attritional and it worked.
Only pre season but they look electric going forward. Mane is brilliant.
Oh and Renato Sanches was awful.
Oh and Renato Sanches was awful.
Despite FSG's lies about spending big, I'll consider this a good pre-season as long as we get VVD.
Would it be a lie if VVD is bought?
Ha that's brilliant. That's one way to appear in the record books.
Yeah, but you still scraped 4th despite having no European commitments and a manager into his 2nd year with the club. And that's because you weren't as efficient as you should be in the other games. I can point to the January period and show a completely different story.
They always look brilliant going forward against the big teams because they have so much space to run into.
I am interested in how they will do against the likes of Burnley and Swansea.
Their CM and back 4 are still lacking.
We struggle against teams who have no intention to attack or even try to play football because we were/are too one-dimensional, we don't necessarily struggle against physical teams. It's just that in some games, opponents get two/three chances on the break and convert them. Our defense needs to be secure and concentrated all game, neutralizing whatever counter attack that may come at us. A great DM (which Keita isn't) would solve that imo, but Klopp seems happy with Henderson as a DM so far so we'll see how that goes. Form or results in pre-season mean feck all though so I don't care that we apparently looked good tonight. It's in ten days time that we need to be clinical up front and solid at the back, and it doesn't look like there'll be another signing until then either. The mind boggles why Moreno started over Robertson by the way or did I miss something?
True. That was their downfall last season. Palace at home 2nd game will be interesting.
Keeping Mane fit will be key also.
I. Am. Scared.
No, but really they look pretty good. With no AFCON this year and the addition/retention of Saleh/Coutinho, they look good.
No, but really they look pretty good. With no AFCON this year and the addition/retention of Saleh/Coutinho, they look good.
People keep mentioning the importance of Sturridge but tbh I think he's finished and hasn't a hope of displacing Firmino. They have a brilliant attack and will be great to watch this season. A better attacking RB and a good holding CM who can pass nicely would be great additions for them along with VVD if he comes.
Guys please stop worrying about Liverpool and someone tell me if this is really happening right now!!
As frustrating as it's been of late supporting us, it would be just as bad for Liverpool fans. They have such a strong foundation for success, playing good football and matching anyone on their day. But for whatever reason they keep failing to address the one or two issues needed to push them over the line.
But there's a fairly good chance that it will matter. Past few winners of the league have all had a talisman up front. Chelsea with Costa (and Drogba before him), City with Aguero (+ Dzeko in 13/14), Leicester with Vardy, United with van Persie. Yeah, if they keep Sturridge fit and he can recapture his form then they will have a fantastic striker. Without him, however, they're relying on players who are not natural number nines, who are not natural killers in the box. Obviously, they are very talented attackers, and they have the potential to all get 10+ goals each, but it's still a potential problem that could prove to cost them over the course of a full season.
But that wasn't your point. You suggested Klopp was "in no way pragmatic". I pointed to a series of games that indicate he is pragmatic at times. I don't think that's really refutable. I never said Liverpool were flawless and didn't drop points. January killed the season but that doesn't mean Klopp lacks pragmatism.
Indeed. I said "if he could"
Depends. Sure, the lack of trophies in the last decade is frustrating but I've really, really enjoyed watching us last season and in 13/14 for example which I think is also important, trophies aren't everything to me. Watching football should be a pleasure and something to look forward to, not a chore like I've read some United fans had since Ferguson retired, especially under Van Gaal. The lack of trophies is less infuriating than our incompetence in the transfer market in the past few years, to me at least.
Thanks for the answer.
Have to agree. Looks like no one is bidding anything near to our £30 million valuation. Sell Klavan, bring back Sahko. It won't happen though.
Yes.
It's all about squad depth for me, and the "spending big" promise was about solving this decade old issue, finally doing things right before what is likely a CL season.
But even if VVD comes in, that bench still looks shaky to me. Beating a weak Bayern team, filled with pensioners that hate each other is no indication of how our season will be.
PL teams probably know our strategy by now, and are well prepared for us. Every other top 6 team appears to have done better deals than us, except maybe Spurs. We are weak, and weakened still by rumours of Coutinho's departure as well as inability to get Can a new contract. It has all to do with penny pinching, and the Echo and other FSG PR machines are well prepared to counter fan revolt with god knows what sorts of ridiculous explanation for the disaster that's looming.
My comment was in reference to over a season though. I was replying to a post where it was suggested they could become dangerous, but I don't see them ever having the discipline or pragmatism throughout a campaign.
Anyone can cherry pick samples to suggest otherwise. In my opinion he's not disciplined enough or tactically astute enough to see enough games through consistently. He's going into his third season now so wel see where he lands up.
It's a worry for sure. Two of Coutinho, Mane or Salah out and you're back to having Origi or Firmino's shitty wing performances dragging down your attack. I'm also not convinced Studge and Origi are good enough back ups for Firmino as a false 9, nor are Lovren and Klavan going to be good enough backup CBs. If Wijnaldum or Henderson are out they struggle in CM.
We will see. Maybe Liverpool get lucky and none of the above scenarios happen much this season. My bet is that they will, and they will drop points in these situations.
You appear to be judging Klopp in harsh terms. Not disciplined enough or tactically astute? He's won league titles. He's got to a CL final with a team of underdogs. Is that cherry picking?
You know, he gets full credit for building and developing that side, but a team with Lewandowski, peak Gundogan, peak Goetze, Reus, Hummels, peak Piszczek and Kuba is fully capable of getting to a CL final.
Trophies aren't everything but I think once you get into 1 trophy in 11 years territory the quality of football doesn't really make up for it. Not for a side as big as Liverpool.
I'm not trying to to wind you up either, I think in 13/14 especially you were incredible to watch but there comes a point where you have to get over the finishing line and win something.
Having European football is going to be tough for us, so you're right to mention that but the rest of your post couldn't be further away from the truth and your not the only one on here to think that Liverpool burned themselves out when this wasn't the case, we had a small squad last season because of the lack of European football and we got absolutely hammered with injuries after Xmas and all long term injuries, Coutinho was out for 6 weeks, we lost Lallana for about 6 weeks, we lost Henderson in March and never played again that season, we lost Mane for the last month of the season thats after losing him for January to the AFCON, we got to the point were we ran out of 1st team players and were starting games with 2 or 3 of the U21s starting games, it had nothing to do with running out of steam or crumbling as you say, lack of squad depth was the problem.
Injuries are part and parcel. Even we lost many players and yet had 3 games in a week. Yes klopp has improved your squad but I still think your squad lacks depth. Like I said injuries are part and parcel and it could happen to your or any other team's squad again ( never like any player getting injured).
Also, I feel klopp's training regime is a bit extreme from what I always hear. Will His gregen pressing brand of football work if there is a game every 3rd day.
That's like saying two of HAzard, BAtshuayi and Morata out or two of Lukaku, Rashford and Pogba out or two of Sanchez, Lacazette and whoever out .... two of any teams best attacking players is going to hurt them and no-one except City have that depth to cover. Lovren is a very good 3rd CB, would much prefer Sakho as 3rd/4th but not going to happen. If Wijnaldum or Henderson are out then we have Can who is very decent however I do agree we are weakest at CB and CM and I'd hope to see those two slots rectified before the end of the transfer season.