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#628517 23/10/19 04:35 AM
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It's a strange one. top of the league, 6 points clear with 8 wins out of 9 BUT.... it does include a some stuttering performances (Sunday, Sheffield United, Leicester), the defeat to Napoli and we don't quite have the momentum. I'd give ourselves a mark of 8/10.

I sense that we're in what could turn out to be a critical 6/7 week period. Sunday's game; Spurs at home this weekend; City on 10/11 and Everton on 04/12... with away games at Villa and Palace in between. Will we fall back with the rest of the pack or will we maintain the gap or even extend our lead?

We have a great chance to achieve the ultimate in the league. It could be our last chance with this team as I suspect that, given this team has been together 2-3 years, things may start to change at the end of the season. Can we hold our nerve, keep raking the points in and get some decent points out of the Spurs, City and Everton games?

After last weekend's draw, this weekend is huge for us. City aren't at their best, they haven't built a run yet and something doesn't seem quite right in their camp. What an opportunity we have to keep extending the lead.

But I guess that's just easy talk and it's not going to be that easy at all. Dropping points on Sunday was annoying and now Spurs will probably raise their game against us too. I also fear that our lack of strength in depth will cost us at some point - did it cost us on Sunday already? On the other hand, you just never know... it may all come good and we could be in dreamland before Christmas smile


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Unfortunately "if" we don't win the PL this season or retain the CL, I can see a break up of the team in some capacity.

VVD will be 29 next July, Salah will be 28 next July, Bobby has just turned 28, Mane will be 28 next April...crucial stages of these players futures approaching 30 wanting to set their legacies with winners medals. It'll be nigh on impossible for Klopp to appease everybody if we go empty handed and buy into what he's been trying to build for what will have been 5 years with 1 CL trophy to show for it.

Hamann is saying we are showing a growing interest in Sancho which could mean we are planning for at least 1 of Salah or Mane leaving next season.

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Originally Posted By TheMightyLFC
It's a strange one. top of the league, 6 points clear with 8 wins out of 9 BUT.... it does include a some stuttering performances (Sunday, Sheffield United, Leicester), the defeat to Napoli and we don't quite have the momentum. I'd give ourselves a mark of 8/10.

I sense that we're in what could turn out to be a critical 6/7 week period. Sunday's game; Spurs at home this weekend; City on 10/11 and Everton on 04/12... with away games at Villa and Palace in between. Will we fall back with the rest of the pack or will we maintain the gap or even extend our lead?

We have a great chance to achieve the ultimate in the league. It could be our last chance with this team as I suspect that, given this team has been together 2-3 years, things may start to change at the end of the season. Can we hold our nerve, keep raking the points in and get some decent points out of the Spurs, City and Everton games?

After last weekend's draw, this weekend is huge for us. City aren't at their best, they haven't built a run yet and something doesn't seem quite right in their camp. What an opportunity we have to keep extending the lead.

But I guess that's just easy talk and it's not going to be that easy at all. Dropping points on Sunday was annoying and now Spurs will probably raise their game against us too. I also fear that our lack of strength in depth will cost us at some point - did it cost us on Sunday already? On the other hand, you just never know... it may all come good and we could be in dreamland before Christmas smile


I would say 9.5/10 on results and 7.5/10 on quality of football and of course results is more important. That said, I don't think we can win the league by having the same kind of performance through the season, we need to step up. The big risk for me is the squad quality, especially in attack and VVD cover, we lose one or 2 players we will suffer.

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There's two ways to look at it IMO. Those games where we stuttered over the line can be seen as evidence of a strong ("Monster") mentality, or they can be seen as luck or happenstance. I'd like to think it's the "monster", given how we kept going and fought for those narrow wins.
For me whether or not we can keep that fighting mentality going over the entire season, especially with those additional games this season, will be decided by the depth of our squad, and that's a worry. There was a glimmer of hope with the performances of Ox and Keita last night, and that'll help. However the lack of reliable quality backup for our front three including the likes of VvD, Robertson and TAA is a major hostage to fourtune, and could prove fatal.
However having said that, we went largely injury free (1st eleven) last season, so who knows?
My fairy friends were muttering about bubbles bursting, fatigue and all that shyte, but sure what do they know?

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People mention quality back up for the front 3, but what teams actually have that?

When Barca had MSN, they didn't have anyone of the same quality to replace those three, but no one cared, because those 3 were so boss. Similarly, when one was out, the others stepped up.

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Originally Posted By redordead13
People mention quality back up for the front 3, but what teams actually have that?

When Barca had MSN, they didn't have anyone of the same quality to replace those three, but no one cared, because those 3 were so boss. Similarly, when one was out, the others stepped up.


City has Aguero, Jesus, Sterling, Sane, D.Silva, B.Silva, Mahrez for 3 to 4 positions. Yes, some are much better than others but the gap is not as big as Origi or Brewster and our 3 forwards. They are our main opponents. Even Spurs have got Kane, Son, Eriksen, Lucas, Alli, Lamella as forwards maybe only the latter probably worst than Origi, Barca has Messi, Greizman, Suarez and Dembele and they are in less competitions than us in a softer league.

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You’re forgetting Ox, Shaq and dare I say Lallana for ourselves to add to a Origi and Brewster. Gini has also proved he can be effective further forward, for the national side at least.

The basic fact is that if any team lost one or two of its main front men they’d struggle.

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Originally Posted By wilkij1975
You’re forgetting Ox, Shaq and dare I say Lallana for ourselves to add to a Origi and Brewster. Gini has also proved he can be effective further forward, for the national side at least.

The basic fact is that if any team lost one or two of its main front men they’d struggle.


We might have the players but none are of the level of City players or our forwards despite Lallana scoring in the last game. Shaq doesn't even get games, maybe Ox but that's really maybe for quite some time. That we really missed a good forward was so obvious at OT. Good thing is that Lallana is so invisible that nobody saw him running to score.

Last edited by EnergisedReds; 25/10/19 06:33 PM.
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I don't think it was a forward we missed at OT... it was a creative midfielder. Someone behind the forward line who can either play a pass, go past players, score goals. i.e. give the opposition someone else to worry about if their plan is to neutralise our front three and the deliveries from Robertson and TAA.


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Originally Posted By EnergisedReds
Originally Posted By wilkij1975
You’re forgetting Ox, Shaq and dare I say Lallana for ourselves to add to a Origi and Brewster. Gini has also proved he can be effective further forward, for the national side at least.

The basic fact is that if any team lost one or two of its main front men they’d struggle.


We might have the players but none are of the level of City players or our forwards despite Lallana scoring in the last game. Shaq doesn't even get games, maybe Ox but that's really maybe for quite some time. That we really missed a good forward was so obvious at OT. Good thing is that Lallana is so invisible that nobody saw him running to score.


Yeah and we’re still a way ahead of them. If only we’d bought a player. Any player cry

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