The Liverpool FC Thread XIV

I'll take the point.

I don't think either team deserved a win - we certainly could've (should've?) won in the second half, but what can you do when they have DDG in goal?

17 points from 8 games; that's absolutely fanstastic considering we've faced Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs, Leicester and United.

First clean sheet of the season!!!! :biggrin:

Reply 9762

samir12

Would like that hour and a half back please, dreadful and frustrating game to watch. At least we didn't hand them the 3 points this time round. Hopefully Wijlandum is back for Saturday, we look dire without the midfield of Henderson, Lallana and Wijlandum. Emre Can just didn't fit in and was our worst player on the pitch.

Reply 9763

Original post by samir12

Would like that hour and a half back please, dreadful and frustrating game to watch. At least we didn't hand them the 3 points this time round. Hopefully Wijlandum is back for Saturday, we look dire without the midfield of Henderson, Lallana and Wijlandum. Emre Can just didn't fit in and was our worst player on the pitch.

We were awful until Lallana came on (or Sturridge went off?), but even so we would've won if it wasn't for the fact that United have the undisputed 2nd best keeper in the world.
United tried their hardest to defend but we still found our way through in the last half hour. A lesser team with a lesser keeper and we would've come away with 3 points today. I'm not worried.

It's not that we dropped 2 points either, it's that we prevented united from getting 3 points. With the fixtures ahead we're in a great position.

Reply 9764

The.Joker

14

Can difinitely slowed us down but considering it's his first PL start I don't really blame him since the other lads are used to playing week in, week out. He needs a run of regular games under his belt to start showing his best form, anyway he is only 22 so it's not surprising he found it difficult playing tonight.

I do think the occasion got to the players, the game has been drummed up all week and we were the clear favourites. Obviously Mourinho's tactics to frustrate us and quieten the crowd worked for the most part. But in the first half we were really poor, lots of bad decision making and general sloppiness.

What about the Sturridge conundrum? I feel like he disrupts the flow and balance of the squad, he just can't do what Klopp likes i.e. pressing from the front. Once Lallana came on for Sturridge we looked 10x better and far more threatening, Firmino kept winning and knicking balls which in turn made it easier for the rest of the team to push up and get a counter attack going on. But then again in and around the box he is so clinical and capable of magic, I wouldn't be surprised if he wanted to leave at the end of the season to play regular football.

All in all, 1 point isn't bad, I'd take the same next time at OT. Main thing is to bounce back and win this upcoming weekend.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 9765

samir12

Original post by Lúcio

We were awful until Lallana came on (or Sturridge went off?), but even so we would've won if it wasn't for the fact that United have the undisputed 2nd best keeper in the world.
United tried their hardest to defend but we still found our way through in the last half hour. A lesser team with a lesser keeper and we would've come away with 3 points today. I'm not worried.

It's not that we dropped 2 points either, it's that we prevented united from getting 3 points. With the fixtures ahead we're in a great position.

We barely tested De Gea enough though so it's a bit unfair to the rest of the United team to attribute their draw to solely to him. I'm sure we would of scored if we created more chances but it wasn't to be this time round.

West Brom will give us a very similar test to United so this was probably a good warm up game for that. With Lallana fit for the full 90 and possibly Wijlandum, I'm sure we will create more chances.

Reply 9766

Hugs31

The only positive to take was getting our first clean sheet in the league this season, which is something when Karius didn't look too comfortable. I don't want to get on his back though because his stats in the Bundesliga were only bettered by Neuer so there's clearly potential!

Mourinho did set up the way he usually does when playing a rival away from home, kept the ball in the air, were stronger in winning the second balls and 50/50s (at least until Lallana came on, then we were the better team, much slicker). That challenge from Valencia to deny Firmino and the two saves from De Gea were outstanding. Glad Ibrahimovic fluffed that header :smile:

Reply 9767

Original post by samir12

We barely tested De Gea enough though so it's a bit unfair to the rest of the United team to attribute their draw to solely to him. I'm sure we would of scored if we created more chances but it wasn't to be this time round.

West Brom will give us a very similar test to United so this was probably a good warm up game for that. With Lallana fit for the full 90 and possibly Wijlandum, I'm sure we will create more chances.

Don't get me wrong, United were absolutely brilliant with their game plan, but a keeper has no right to make the saves that DDG makes. It's a good sign that we still managed to get at them in the last half hour, after being so poor for the rest of the game.

I'm not worried about WBA. Pulis is an awful manager to play against but we'll create chances and I'm confident we'll get the win.

Reply 9768

Rk2k14

17

We made you look poor. Kept the ball in your half and closed down the spaces. Your front 3 were non-existent for the whole first half.

Don't see how you can say De Gea was the reason. Jose nullified your game plan.

Reply 9769

samir12

Original post by Rk2k14

We made you look poor. Kept the ball in your half and closed down the spaces. Your front 3 were non-existent for the whole first half.

Don't see how you can say De Gea was the reason. Jose nullified your game plan.

The absence of Lallana and Wijnaldum did make it easier for you though, Lallana coming on made a big difference in that second half but your game plan overall worked. LvG would of won that game for you though :tongue:

Reply 9770

Original post by Rk2k14

We made you look poor. Kept the ball in your half and closed down the spaces. Your front 3 were non-existent for the whole first half.

Don't see how you can say De Gea was the reason. Jose nullified your game plan.

Made us play poor but only to an extent. We let the pressure get to us and made a lot of unforced errors, therefore I feel like we won't be completely unhappy to still come away with a point.

You can't ignore the effect that Lallana had though. Sturridge was useless and is not suited to our style at all - without Lallana and Wijnaldum, we aren't the same team.

United were excellent - their gameplan was to get a point and they did that well. WhatI mean is that although we didn't deserve to win, the chances that DDG saved were just ridiculous. How many times in the last few years have world class DDG saves been the difference in these games?

Reply 9771

Rk2k14

17

Original post by samir12

The absence of Lallana and Wijnaldum did make it easier for you though, Lallana coming on made a big difference in that second half but your game plan overall worked. LvG would of won that game for you though :tongue:

Course, but both sides were missing key players.

Reply 9772

Original post by Rk2k14

Course, but both sides were missing key players.

Were your missing players "key" though?

I feel like the players Mourinho used were perfect for his gameplan, and somebody more attacking like Martial would've ruined the balance.

Reply 9773

Rk2k14

17

Original post by Lúcio

Were your missing players "key" though?

I feel like the players Mourinho used were perfect for his gameplan, and somebody more attacking like Martial would've ruined the balance.

Clearly missing the players who would have had an impact in the final third. Stats show we spent a lot of time in your end of the pitch but obviously it didnt amount to anything. Someone with the creative skill of Martial would have certainly given us an attacking plus.

Even Mkhi coming on would have opened the game more for us, just like Lallana for you.

Reply 9774

bj27

Original post by Lúcio

Were your missing players "key" though?

I feel like the players Mourinho used were perfect for his gameplan, and somebody more attacking like Martial would've ruined the balance.

But he had Rashford starting RW...

Reply 9775

I do think we need to give credit to Lovren and Matip who were both outstanding. They made Ibra look absolutely ordinary and should take pride in their first clean sheet.

Reply 9776

username1214455

Honestly think we need to sell Sturridge in Jan whilst he's still worth something. Likely due to injuries, but he's just not the player he used to be, and he's not fitting in with Klopp's play style.

Reply 9777

bj27

Original post by Obiejess

Honestly think we need to sell Sturridge in Jan whilst he's still worth something. Likely due to injuries, but he's just not the player he used to be, and he's not fitting in with Klopp's play style.

Yeah, I think the play style is an issue, the other issue imo would be just that he needs a lot of game time and Klopp is rotating him. Problem is that he offers a lot different to say Firmino and Origi isn't ready to really take on Sturridge's role.

Reply 9778

Zerforax

OP