[Nike19]

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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[Nike19]

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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[Nike19]

I have said on the other thread I have no qualms over the sending off. With studs up and against that kind of speed, that collision could have ended with bleeding, injury to an eye socket, and anything surrounding the face.

Clearly if another official out there thinks differently, then there’s your answer to inconsistency.

Regarding the game itself, all is said already on the game thread and the biggest disappointment is not actually putting up a fight after the sending off and just giving an open invitation for goals. How on earth is a young guy like TAA supposed to learn his trade and build any confidence when there’s nobody there to learn from and look up to?

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[Nike19]

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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[Nike19]

A couple of weeks ago we had seen the best of Liverpool and today we seen the worst. I don’t think the score was flattering because we could have lost by even more and congrats and full marks to Man City.

I have no qualms with the sending off because in a 50-50 challenge, if this results to a player being fouled and seriously hurt, then the Referee has to make a big call and Mane unfortunately had to be off the pitch.

Team selection and Moreno to one side, the midfield of Henderson (him especially), Wijn and Can were a total let down. There was no organisation, link or discipline between not to mention leadership.

We gifted City goals. If we’re adopting the mindset of pushing the full-backs forward, then the heart of the midfield have to encourage movement by being proactive themselves. Instead, players were stood static, too deep and trying to play a lazy ball over the top. Why? It was not met and instead, easily cut-out. I really feel somewhere down the line a big call has to be made to either drop Henderson or to permanently move him on, as with Can. Wijn too as he is not consistent but consistently quiet.

I have to shoulder the blame more towards the midfield than take the east way out and lay everything on the doorstep of Mignolet and the defence.

My reasoning comes from looking at both sets of teams and recognising that we lack that little bit extra of cutting edge in Phillipe Coutinho who was missed.

We played too deep too tactically against a team who likes to play football. Had the midfielders and defenders pushed out more habitually, they would be able to provide more support to the attackers.

A purely disappointing day at the office in summary and naturally, we will need to get back on the sadle and bounce back quickly.

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[Nike19]

999, I would agree to be involved in and compete in every domestic competition however not at the expense in my opinion in what is basically a long slog when it comes to both European competitions.

There are excessive games in both the EL and the CL and this I feel should be challenged.

I feel personally strongly about this because as mentioned in my early morning thoughts, both the FA and the League Cup are wrongly mistreated or at the very least regarded by certain clubs at the higher end of the Premier League.

I haven’t seen unfortunately so far in the time spent writing and reading posts any real constructive or positive solutions. So this sort of leaves me with an indication of this matter to accommodate England better being redundant.

Not all lost and positively we can all get our thinking caps on and hopefully thrash out some ideas -problem-solving I’m sure on here can be achievable.

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[Nike19]

Put the Internationals to one side, in my view there is a wider issue in the number of fixtures to be played in the first place when one team for instance is involved in a European Cup competition.

The Europa League is notorious for the amount of games entailed to win a competition and the Champions League after the group phase should then progress as a straight knock out competition.

I have read posts time and time again on message boards relating to these topics and not only do we just go round in circles, but both the FA Cup and the League Cup is quickly picked up on although on this occasion, nothing so far has been mentioned here though, some of us (in reason) have deviated from the original topic and question.

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[Nike19]

If we were to eventually tie up a deal for Van Dijk, bar perhaps the Goalkeeper, (for the first time) we’d potentially be looking at a watertight defence since the days of Rafa’s and Houllier’s earlier and peak years of back 4s fielded.

I say this because Kieta would compliment Van Dijk is probably is the replacement of Javier Mascherano we have long lacked – somebody proactive and not afraid to get their hands dirty to thwart a threat and tidy up play. I know it’s You Tube clips and not to overly read into, but this looks as if this individual does this with such panache and making this playing position his own.

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[Nike19]

The pre-season in recent years is made up of tournaments where there is more of a commercial benefit and build on a fan base so I can’t see whether there would be a compromise there to accommodate a block run of England games.

I do feel to pinpoint of one England’s biggest difficulties is to be able to gell together quickly as a unit and not only perform well, but achieve positive results.

Off the top of my head to my recollection, England struggled in Mexico 86 in the qualifying stages only for Lineker to then find his feet and turn on the goals.

The same with Italy 90 when I think it was a late 1-0 winner over Egypt that paved way for us to qualify.

I don’t remember Euro 96, but we didn’t even make the World Cup in 94.

In 98, we didn’t have a bad team and a blend of players, as with 2002. I think after 2006, it started to go downhill for us and from then on as far as tournaments go, we’ve failed miserably.

When there is synergy between players, we seem to get carried away easily. When it comes to a centre stage battle with one of the top national teams, again, we fail miserably because we can’t put in the performances consistently, or we are just consistently inconsistent.

Would a ‘block booking’ over internationals in succession help and improve us? I don’t know.

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[Nike19]

Blaze Power, good point. I think the way the itinerary is when it comes to internationals is what annoys a lot of the fans.

England games to my recollection used to be played on a Wednesday and then it would be business as usual come the weekend.

In the modern day, they practically take a whole week off and then cram in 2 games be it friendlies or actual meaningful games.

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[Nike19]

I think Liam Gallagher’s simply been wonderful and colossal since going alone. Love Oasis historically it goes without saying, and this man listening to his interviews throughout has simply been top draw not to mention in my view able to relate to the everyday Working Class individual.

Wall Of Glass it is:

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[Nike19]

Snap Big Jim, I honestly put something like this on the Editor’s Predictor Sheet. All healthy and it shows ambition and positivity.

The best bit about this is I’m free from work. That Mobile Telephone will well and truly be switched off hahaha 🙂

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[Nike19]

Thankyou CLFC.

And no Googling anyone; I want to at least be in the top 3 hahaha 🙂

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[Nike19]

A long shot, but Luis Suarez and/or Nando?

Come to think of it now, Sergio Aguero – I’m getting stronger now I think!

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[Nike19]

This is straight off the top of my head CLFC: 😀

Steven Gerrard

Rudd Van Nistelrooy

Thierry Henry

I was going to mention Wrighty, but he exchanged from Palace and not sure your question from the outset is applicable

Is there a Tottenham player some where there haha? Not Les Ferdinand lol 🙂

Matthew Le Tissier I’m going for for player number 4

Did Robbie Fowler join Leeds when they were relegated from the PL?

A little too much overthought, I think I’ll retire there for now 🙂

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[Nike19]

Too right Big Jim: both sets of Managers implementing their own playing styles and that means:

No buses hahaha 😀 🙂

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[Nike19]

Chucky, on 5:59 not sure whether your reply was meant for the Editor?

I was just checking my replies but didn’t mention anything on friendlies itself other than agreeing with you that from an England point of view, just when we think we’ve got it sussed out, we’re pegged back to square one (at least as far as performances go).

As an overview of this topic, I feel from living experience over the last 25 years that the currency/value of the Premier League has strengthened to the point as though playing for one’s country is second best (certainly as far as England goes).

I can try and unearth my thoughts, but not clever enough to offer solutions – that’s to delegate to somebody else 😉 🙂

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[Nike19]

You are right Chucky about the friendlies to a large degree because we don’t really seem to take any learning from it and a lot of the time, we end up back to square one with the same problems.

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[Nike19]

Chucky, with you on that one at 3:25. He’s be perfect to get the players to loosen up and just express themselves with freedom.

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[Nike19]

Chucky, I am embracing the fact that other nations are gradually closing the gap on England and coming good themselves – good to see for example, more of a fight from Scotland and Wales.

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