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Liverpool are on the brink of being a top team but they won’t get there on the back of a flakey defence. There’s no shame in losing at the Etihad and although 5 nil is a difficult pill to swallow nobody will go to the Etihad and get an easy game and going down to 10 men didn’t help and if City don’t win the title this season they will go very close to winning it as they have the strongest squad.
If I was a Liverpool fan though I would be concerned that going into Klopp’s third season the same defensive frailties remain that Rodgers couldn’t cure and spending £70m on two attacking players and virtually nothing on the defence two seasons into us tenure looks bad management by Klopp.
Until the defence is sorted as good as Liverpool are going forwards they are likely to concede a goal or two, they will still win more games than they lose and play some lovely football along the way which will be a joy to watch especially for the neutral but a real title challenge will remain beyond them because teams that win titles do so on the back of having strong defences and a top Keeper and Liverpool remain a long way from having that.
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I think you could also put the same argument forward for City under Guardiola 999. We will lose games playing three at the back especially with Otamendi in there.
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I mentioned in my assessment we missed Coutinho and now we essentially have a problem with somebody who is quality at set-pieces. Can at times is a pretender for us. On another day, he plays like a key component.
I fancied us at the start and I still would expect even away from home to at least compete and get a result, but as mentioned, we sat deep and didn’t push out as we should have. Plus, we need players to be more close to each other and pass the ball effectively. Instead, like the England team, we’re passing the ball backwards – why?
Responsibility lies within the management team as to how to deal with different sets of circumstances during a game such as being a man down. But, Henderson is a total let down for me when it comes to leadership. When the chips are down, he has no sense to be proactive, liaise with the Manager and make reinforcements. Too many players in fear and hiding behind each other when in a negative situation. Jurgen Klopp does have it in him to galvanise the team and fire a rocket, but he chose to take a back seat and effectively place an open invitation to Man City to just score more and more.
I didn’t previously mention the defence, but they themselves are just growing from bad to worse allowing practically every other cross to reach a City player it’s a sorry state of affairs.
A shake up and reorganisation needed before we can think about any aspiration at the moment.
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Concern for Liverpool under Klopp so far is this: when the players are all up for it, there are few better sides around. However, because much of the defensive side of the game uses all 11 players with pressing, it only takes a few of them to not perform for the plan to come apart (like some of the dropped heads after Mané’s sending off). Hence I don’t see VVD as being the silver bullet – rather an all rounder like Keita would have had a bigger impact today IMO. Until he comes in, losses like that seen today will always be possible.
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Wow! That hurt yesterday. Didn’t understand why Jurgen made two defensive changes from the Arsenal. Trent and Klavan in for Gomez and Lovren, I didn’t understand. Suppose he’s keeping them for Wednesday night, but against a team with the attacking power of City, it was a huge risk. And why no Robbo? Same reason, I guess.
I think the sending off undoubtedly hugely affected the game, and the second goal before half time was effectively gaame over. But the capitulation in the 2nd half was nothing short of pathetic. They, and I include the manager in this, showed no pride in the 2nd half, and consequently were humiliated.
On the bright side for Klopp, Mane’s 3 game suspension makes it easy to re-integrate Coutinho!!
Crap day…move on!
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City fully deserved that. Poor from us but it’s one game. Enjoy Jim, fully deserved mate
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Sean, you’re right it is only one game and going down to 10 men had an effect on the scoreline if not the result.
But you get the feeling that as great as Liverpool are going forwards they won’t be genuine title challengers until Klopp gets to grips with some of Liverpool’s defensive frailties.
Liverpool are a joy to watch in attack mode particularly when they are in the ascendancy as they were last week v Arsenal but in tighter games against more difficult opponents there’s every chance that defensively they’ll be vulnerable.
Credit to Mane for his tweet and whilst I can understand the sending off splitting opinion because there was no malice intended by Mane the guidelines to Referees on dangerous play left Moss with no alternative but to send Mane off. Shame because a difficult game then became impossible for Liverpool.
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Sending off changed the game – from that point on City deserved the win.
Up until that point City were fortunate to be leading – was really disappointing how we crumbled when down to 10 men. The injustice should have spurred them on rather than deflating them
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Hightown, second paragraph is spot on. I mentioned Jurgen just taking a back seat and handing City practically free reigns – goodness we were down one man and had an entire half. If the Manager can’t galvanize us what hope do those players have?
I don’t feel as bad as I did yesterday, wow, that defeat really hurt and I allowed that to set a precedent of what began as a really depressing evening. I was chatting to a couple of locals at the bar last night and they were pretty much highlighting everything that’s already been posted on here.
What’s even more disappointing is that prior to the sending off, Salah actually came close to scoring and we also had a free-kick on the D which we should have made the most of.
I said in my mind once Mane left that we don’t want to concede another goal before half-time. One is ruled out for off-side, then bang, I just knew we wouldn’t hold our nerve and why would we with defenders like Moreno and Klavan? Matip looks helpless and TAA is just a kid who’s counting on support and people to show him the way.
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Top four and challenging for the Championship is an expectation engraved if you are a Liverpool supporter, but essentially, it’s building a platform and trying to put a sequence of wins together to progress.
Make no mistake, I had hope of us beating City and going top of the table. I knew in the back of my mind there was a chance United might find it tricky to beat Stoke and they ended up drawing.
Around this time last year we lost to Burnley, but improved and grew consistent. We have to instantly eradicate that defensive line and bring in reinforcements. I don’t know what’s going through the Manager’s mind, but he either plays Robertson or he reverts back to James Milner because that full-back position along with the other side with TAA is where we were exposed the most yesterday.
De-Bryne was having a field day with his crossing. Until we don’t stamp out this problem along with setting up our midfield more compact away from home and supporting the defenders, then we’re only end up being a liability and won’t be able to build a sequence of wins.
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Putting Mane’s sending off aside what surprised me most was liverpools lack of desire and commitment in the second half. The players heads went down and they gave up? For me this is unlike a Liverpool side. City lost Walker vs Everton about the same point in the game. Whatever Guardiola said at HT in that game galvanised City and they took the game to Everton equalised and were easily the better side 2nd half. Sure we had home advantage and it was Everton but they were composed and well organised first half, but Liverpool showed none of that fight yesterday. Also why take Salah off, he was exploiting our defensive weakness in every attack. Strange one. But you could just say it was one of those games, it happens. Also why no Coutinio ? Didnt he play an international. Letting him sulk in the stands is pointless, Klopp wanted to keep him so why not play him. Finally I don’t think Henderson is a particularly good player he’s ok but not a match winner for me. Sure he had big boots to fill in Gerrard but for me he is miles off Gerrards quality. Should have gone for yaya on a 2 yr deal as I cant see him getting much time at City but hes still an excellent passer of the ball. Jim
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Jim, you’re right. That was unusual, in fact very unusual of Liverpool. I am sure we have won a game in recent times playing with 10 men (can’t remember off the top of my head who it was).
The feeling I took from watching the second half even on 62 minutes that players wanted the final whistle to blow.
It’s purely unprofessional and disservice to players and supporters if a Manager is in resignation. If Klopp’s not happy with the decision, that’s fine, but he has a job to do and he had the half-time break to reshuffle the pack and implement an alternative game plan.
I would have been more content under the circumstances if we didn’t concede the second goal before half-time and tried everything we could to keep it to 1-0 and try and snatch a late draw – failing that, lose the game to a smaller margin.
This is the worse humiliation for us since losing on the final day at Stoke. I like Jurgen, a lot, but this is just a real hammer in the nuts for us.
I did check our injuries Jim, and only Clyne, Bodgan and Lallana officially registered as injured, so Coutinho not selected is a mystery.
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Nine, any sane minded Liverpool doesn’t think we can win the league
We are a very good side and we will challenge for the top 4. You love net spend and did convert me lol so klopp has a net spend of 29m. If we get top ahead then it’s more progress. Our aim should be cementing a top 4 place for a few years and winning a domestic trophy then we can build from there.
It’s one defeat. We were well in the game until the sending off but I agree with jim. The lack of fight and klopp giving up was poor. You knew by the subs klopp was taking players off with Seville game in mind
Problem is, at the back we have no leader. No one knows what they are doing. We play offside and a high line yet it looks like the defence has no idea how to play that system spurs play it to a tee. It’s either the coaching or the defence is always chopped and changed.
I’ve no doubt we will have a good season. This is one set back which we will get over
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Couthino hasn’t trained probably in weeks. He will play a part soon. He played a few mins fir Brazil here and there but I’m sure he will be back in the squad soon especially since mane is out
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It’s been reported Liverpool wont appeal for Mane’s red card; Burnley and the 2 visits to Leicester he will miss. Next month for the trip to Newcastle it shall be.
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Cheers for the replies fellas. I’m still flat out on the floor bored and cursing my luck at a ruined weekend. You are right about a leader at the back Sean. When Kompany is in the team not only is he a top quality defender but he gets us so much more organised and solid. He is a natural leader and you can see the confidence in the other players. I didn’t realise Coutinio was really injured if you know what I mean. Honest question what are your thoughts on Henderson. You cleary watch alot more of him than I do. Has Klopp bought Chambrrlain in to give him more competition possibly?
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Sean, the net spend was low but so was Chelsea’s £80m less the £60m for Oscar taken in January.
But turning back to gross spend though for a minute Liverpool spent £70m on two attacking players and bar Robertson at £8m who is a primarily an attack minded wing back nothing was spent on a defence that has been crying out for attention all the way back to Brendan Rodgers.
The chase for VVD went t’s up early in the window and there was no plan b and Keita who will be a Midfield asset to the defence won’t arrive until 2018.
Perhaps Klopp remained convinced getting VVD was achievable, perhaps he’s being wise and keeping his powder dry for VVD until January or the summer and it will prove a shrewd move but currently Liverpool despite their attacking potency still look frail defensively and even achieving a top 4 spot looks more challenging for all this season.
Liverpool are very close imo to being real title contenders had Keita and VVD been recruited this season I think they would have a real chance of the title, my fear if I was a Liverpool fan would be that Klopp seems to have a bit of a defensive blind spot and going into what effectively is his third season he should have solved the defensive problems by now.
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nb, red cards are rarely if ever over turned the football authorities don’t like undermining the Referees and the current laws of the game require Refs to give red cards for dangerous play which despite no intent that’s what Mane’s challenge was.
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Somebody’s kindly posted MOTD highlights on you-tube – hope it doesn’t get wiped off
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