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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 4,279
Under 23 Player
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Under 23 Player
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 4,279 |
We've been stuttering for a while but managing to get results. The hope was that at some point we'd get the tuning right and start performing more smoothly. However, it doesn't seem to be happening.
Instead, we continue to leak goals and are now seeing quite a few players with niggles. There's also the possibility that teams have a clear idea of how to get a result against what is now a very predictable team sheet. They know our key strengths and have blue prints to neutralise them.
I'm starting to think that the tournament in Qatar might be a blessing. It will give the players a mental winter break - albeit just for a week. They can get away from the grind of the league where every game feels like a must win. Only problem is that they'll come back needing to go straight into an away game against Leicester.
Oh well. Let's see what happens. Saturday is an opportunity to put in a really positive, vibrant performance.
'I was only in the game for the love of football - and I wanted to bring back happiness to the people of Liverpool.' Bill Shankly
'We should have made a signing or two in the last couple of transfer windows.' Vish
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 9,605
1st Team Squad
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1st Team Squad
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 9,605 |
Don't forget we were good against City!
But it was a long time since the front 3 were performing at their top level.
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Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 22,394
Liverpool Legend
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Liverpool Legend
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 22,394 |
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,542
Under 23 Player
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Under 23 Player
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,542 |
I'd like to see Ox get a few starts as AM, hopefully rejuvenate the front 3 and give the team a bit of swagger back.
We've got a very winnable league run until Leicester so be nice to overwhelm a few of the lesser teams like last season. Blow them away in the first 30 then play keep ball.
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 8,595
1st Team Squad
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1st Team Squad
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 8,595 |
What's the story with Fabinho? Is it a serious injury or not? We obviously missed him last night when he went off, and can't afford to be without him for long.
We created enough chances to win that game twice over, but squandered them all ineptly, with the exception of Lovern's header, which was well taken. Neither Salah nor Mane was themselves, partaciluraly the former. Also our much lauded defence is starting to look decidedly ordinary too. Pity that, as the final game away is now far from a dead rubber, lose it and we're out.
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 9,605
1st Team Squad
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1st Team Squad
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 9,605 |
We're not out if we lose - we have the Thursday Blues League to look forward to if that happens! 
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 8,595
1st Team Squad
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1st Team Squad
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 8,595 |
[qutote=van Gogh]We're not out if we lose - we have the Thursday Blues League to look forward to if that happens! [/quote] That's like a jail sentence van, I know we were shyte, but we hardly deserve that fate!
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 9,605
1st Team Squad
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1st Team Squad
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 9,605 |
Yup true that.
But both Napoli and Salzburg have been good in the group.
We have been far from convincing.
If we lose in Salzburg we deserve it and have to endure Thursday away games in Faraway City and the likes.
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 22,926
Liverpool Legend
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Liverpool Legend
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 22,926 |
We've been stuttering for a while but managing to get results. The hope was that at some point we'd get the tuning right and start performing more smoothly. However, it doesn't seem to be happening.
Instead, we continue to leak goals and are now seeing quite a few players with niggles. There's also the possibility that teams have a clear idea of how to get a result against what is now a very predictable team sheet. They know our key strengths and have blue prints to neutralise them.
I'm starting to think that the tournament in Qatar might be a blessing. It will give the players a mental winter break - albeit just for a week. They can get away from the grind of the league where every game feels like a must win. Only problem is that they'll come back needing to go straight into an away game against Leicester.
Oh well. Let's see what happens. Saturday is an opportunity to put in a really positive, vibrant performance. If we look at the way we are playing, definitely yes, no intensity. Against City we had the required intensity and it showed, maybe because they were not all defending as well. It's normal though that players are tired (even mentally) or not fully fit with the number of games they are playing, especially Salah, Mane could quickly get in that situation as well again given the number of games he is playing. We cannot carry on like that, we need quality to rotate.
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 3,746
Under 23 Player
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Under 23 Player
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 3,746 |
With Keita back from illness, Shaqiri back from injury and Ox firing in goals (without playing exceptionally well) then we have what we need.
Teams are stepping up their performances against us. Both Villa and Palace supposedly played their best games of the season against us. Man Utd too.
This is what we have to expect. Not everyone is going to lay down and let us trounce them. Not many have so far.
Are we stuttering? No more than anyone else. Probably only our nearest rivals are playing better than us at the moment. Teams win titles by getting the results we have been getting. We have played all the top teams bar Wolves and beaten them.
What we don't do is put teams away early. We need to do that a bit more often.
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