Or gods know, who knows.
Liverpool assistant Buvac leaves after dispute with Klopp
- Thread starter Zoo
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They were all adamant they didn't miss Coutinho though. In fact, they were better without him because it meant they were more balanced and it gave Salah, Firminho and Mane more freedom, or something.
Their defense is much more solid this season and as a result the attack suffered a bit,this was always going to happen with Klopps system and style of play as they pressed high up the pitch last season.
Just someone who’s been a close follower of Klopp throughout his career.
Salah is just as bad as Sanchez but doesn't get the stick....
I think he is worse, Klopp cant do anything to the Egyptian God.
But, but... Sanchez and Lukaku are always shit, and Salah and Firmino played Champions League Final...
Looks more and more like he was the brain behind their attacking play.
Seems like it. Either way, Klopp wanted to change the approach and this guy disagreed so he left. That much has become clear, because Liverpool has clearly changed.
Or they just burnt out like they did in January onward for the past 2 years.
Don't say that... you'll have every liverpool fan on here quoting stats at you for the next three days
Maybe. They seemed to try to compensate for last season's gung ho style, which made them slip up a few times, but have overdone it. They didn't need to do that. They just needed to adapt once ahead in games and strengthen the defence/keeper like they did. They don't seem to have the same motivation this year though. They looked like they were all top of the world last season.
On another note you can also say Jose's pal leaving was the end of him too?
Yeah. A team on pace for over 90 points come end of the season has "overdone" it
?
Last season they were great from January onwards.
Well, Domenec Torrent, the guy who was Guardiola's second hand since the days at Barcelona B also left his mentor at the beginning of the season to become coach of New York City...
In one tournament in reality
Not really, they lost 3 league games from November onwards. Away to Chelsea, United and Swansea. Few draws at the end of the season after they started focusing on CL.
They were a scary team to face in the second half of last season. They're not at all this season, and they've had a lot of fortune. Every team that does well in the league needs to grind some results, have the odd favourable decision etc, but they've barely had a game where they've looked particularly good in attack, points or not. It won't last.
Certainly was a major factor Id bet.
Definitely lost a lot of fluidity in their play but it was also extremely unlikely Firmino and Salah would continue to play at such a high level for such a long time. The three holding midfielders in there have clearly helped them be extremely solid, but relying on three attackers to carry all of the attacking threat is bound to present problems at some point. You just gotta hope they find form at the right time.
Here's hoping the exact opposite happened!
Here's hoping the exact opposite happened!
This blatant falsehood again. The great Liverpool got 40 points in the 2nd half while the tumescent United got 39 points. Getting done by an Allardyce special, losing to an organised Swansea under Clement, West Brom of all teams being a bogie team (got knocked out of the FA cup at Anfield). Liverpool against the top 6 in the 2nd half of the season managed 5 points from 5 games, an abysmal return.
Are they really on pace for 90+ points?
They were playing at 2.7 points per game up until the end of last year and on course for 102 points.
Since the new year they have been on 1.8 points per game and with that trajectory they are on course for an 86 point season. If that is the case, I don’t see it being enough to win the league.
a bit like Mou once Faria left.
Using the New Year as the starting point is arbitrary, isn't it?
86 points won't be enough to win the league because of the brilliance from City, but I've seen enough of Liverpool to know that they're a better attacking team than this run of 4 wins in 9 league games suggests.
That’s only because it’s not an accurate thing to say.
Why isn’t it ok to say that this City side is very good? Maybe we’re not terrible, bottlers, burn out after January etc. Maybe City are fantastic which is why they’re on course for 197 points over two seasons, making them the first side to retain it since United in 2009.
If both City and Liverpool win every remaining game they have left, they’ll end up on 97 & 96 points respectively. Crazy idea I know but maybe it’s not that Liverpool under Klopp aren’t very good. Maybe Guardiola’s managed to build a juggernaut capable of dominating the premier league despite us closing a 25 point gap from last season.
Maybe they’re just really REALLY good?
Honestly, don't bother.
If you don't win the league you're automatically bottlers/serial losers to some. Doesn't matter if the team you're facing is a Guardiola led juggernaut who spend hundreds of millions on squad players and amassed 100 points last season, you're still bottlers for not beating that, even when nobody else is even capable of getting near the feckers.
I don't like Liverpool and I hope you guys feck this up big time, but there's no shame in losing the league to City. That side is unbelievable and to beat it any team would have to be insanely consistent.
Criticism of them seems a bit odd when they're just a point off an incredible City team 28 games into the season, have lost 1 league game all season and might yet win the league. Even criticism of their attack is odd when Salah is well in the mix for the golden boot and they just smashed 5 in their game against Watford. They aren't as exciting as last season when they were just blitzing teams but they definitely seem to have turned a profit out of changing their style.
It’s ridiculous how desperate some are to use that word. It’s the worst word in football at the moment, constantly used to put down a rival whenever they lose a game.
If we end up on 96 points and City beat us by a point I don’t think I’ll be able to show any disappointment in how Liverpool have done. I’ll just be impressed that City have managed to get a ridiculous points total again.
The crazy thing is that even in the games they’ve lost they’ve had the better of their opponents. Guardiola’s brilliant (even if he needs a big check book to do it).
I suppose it’s hard to say for sure but I was thinking about that as I was watching the game today too. Seems like a pretty big change from the past either way.
They're more solid defensively now. They don’t have to “outscore the opposition”, they can actually get clean sheets now.
Alisson, Van Dijk and Fabinho were massive additions. And Arnold, Gomez and Robertson developing into 3 of the best defenders in the league also helped.
Alisson, Van Dijk and Fabinho were massive additions. And Arnold, Gomez and Robertson developing into 3 of the best defenders in the league also helped.
I think losing oxlade-chamberlain has had a big impact. His drive from midfield was superb last spring and wijnaldum isn't quite as dynamic.
Liverpool convinced us that he is their best CM and one of the best in the league.
Their defensive solidity is also helped with the fact that they play a midfield of Wijnaldum Henderson and Fabinho ahead of their back four.
Indeed KM. Maybe part of the reason their attack seems a bit blunted as well? Struggle with creativity through the middle.
I've no doubt. Their midfield options(Fabinho, Keita, Henderson, Milner and Wijnaldum) have combined for a total of 6 goals and 6 assists in the PL. That's an exceptionally poor record for a team chasing for title also highlights how well their front three have played but yeah it's easy to look defensively good when you've got three defensive minded midfielders ahead of your defense all the time.
Very true. It's a big reason why their defence is really solid and their atack a bit uncreative at times.
But people tend to explain their defensive stability with individual peformances, especially with the likes of VVD and Robertson. Put them in a more adventerous team leaving huge spaces in behind the midfielders and they wouldn't look that great even though VVD is currently the best CB in the league. He's good but the protection they get from their midfiield makes them look incredible defenders.
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Yeah, it's quite interesting. Their attack seems much blunted through a combination of poor form and a lack of creativity from midfield. I think Pogba alone has better numbers than all 5 of those combined.
They'll just about scrape the 90 point mark because they got gifted points left right and centre earlier in the season. Since the city loss they have played 8 league games and 2 cup games. 4 wins, 5 draws and 1 loss. This is not a dip in form it's a new level for them that has lasted 2 months.
If you look at the period when Man City lost 4 games they won 11 games in the same period. 11 out of 15 is a damn good dip to have, that's more points per game than everyone except Liverpool so far in the season.
Are you taking the 29 games or last 10 as your pacer? I think they may well not hit 90 myself.