More Liverpool Posts 3

Liverpool Article 05 Nov 2024
Liverpool v Brighton & Hove Albion A Liverpool Perspective







A dreadful first half performance, followed by a much improved second half performance which was enough for a comfortable win in the end. I just hope that Slot's perseverance with Mac Allister will either pay off or be ended before it costs him. Right now, the midfield combination is really not working, with Gravenberch having to cover far too much ground most of the time and is given little help defensively. The times it makes sense are when one or either full-back is inverting to help out at the base of midfield, then it gives Mac Allister that bit more freedom to get forward and play where he is useful. The problem is that Mac Allister is not adapting his game to circumstance and holding back when there is no cover in midfield to allow him to attack. Right now, it feels like the best thing to do would be to drop him altogether, while Jones is fit and playing well, though it is unlikely he can manage to play every game.



One thing that particularly stood out about about the game were the similarities with the games against Nottingham Forest. Brighton had clearly taken cues from that game and set out to try and bully Liverpool in midfield, just like Forest did. Like the Forest game, Mac Allister did fail the challenge in the first half, but he did come out much stronger in the second half, as did the whole team. Brighton were simply just not as good as Forest and unable to capitalise on the lead they had gained. Where Forest were always a genuine threat on the break, with widemen able to offer an end product, whereas Brighton lacked the same threat from their wingers. In fact, they were very well dealt with by the defence, in the main. I did like that Slot learnt from the defeat by Forest and set out to win the midfield battle in the second half, bringing on Endo once a lead was taken, to help hold onto it.



I know there is a bit of discontent on the Liverpool site with the way Slot chooses to revert to his more controlled way of playing as soon as the team takes the lead, I have even seen someone say it "is not the Liverpool way". Clearly they have no idea what Liverpool's success of the 1970s and 1980s was built upon! Back then, Liverpool played an even more controlled and slower way of playing. The 'Liverpool way', and in fact the sole reason Liverpool were created, was to win things. Clearly the Anfield crowd appreciate that as well, as they were excellent and created a very good atmosphere for this game, driving the players on. It was great to hear and made the game even more exciting to watch.



I have to also say well done to the referee, who tried to let the game flow as much as possible and allowed a lot more physicality than is usual in the modern era - I really enjoyed that he allowed players to actually tackle and not give a foul because someone brushed past someone else and messed up their new hairdo in the process. Football is so much better when it is a contact sport! Even when we were terrible in the first half, I still found myself really enjoying the match. I really hope he is commended for his performance and asked to continue in this vein. Even more so, I hope the other refs take notice of this and try and follow suit.







Brighton & Hove Albion





I have to admit, I found the hyperbole over their performance in the first half way over the top. The commentators on the stream I watched were talking about how brilliant they were, which I thought was complete nonsense. They created very little, almost everything good came as a result of loose passes in dangerous areas from Liverpool players, giving it away under little or no pressure. If those poor passes had been because of good pressing, then I could understand the hype, but as they were contributing little to force bad passes, it feels odd to give them so much credit. Especially as they were very easily opened up at the back when Liverpool did manage to string any passes together. The one time BHA did manage to put together a good move, they scored from it, which I think fooled the commentators into thinking they were "brilliant". If they had been as good as was being made out, they would have created much more and could have easily run up a cricket score against a Liverpool team that were, at times, helping them. They were still clearly the better team in the first half, just that it was as much down to Liverpool being poor as it was to anything they were doing well.



Personally, I was a little disappointed with the Seagulls, they had a team at their mercy and yet were unable to really put pressure on them. Tactically they were decent on the ball, constantly overloading wide areas, looking to exploit the gaps left by Mac Allister usually being too busy rolling around pretending to be hurt to even try to get back and help Gravenberch out. They struggled to make the most of the overloads as both Liverpool full-backs had a solid defensive game, a lot of their attacks either broke down or ended with a shot from the edge of the box. They just needed to make that one more pass or hold possession, but they were handing over possession too easily.



That left Welbeck mostly reduced to chances from free-kicks, when he was often in place to receive a ball in the box, where his good touch is likely to have enabled him to take good control of the ball and create a chance or make Liverpool risk giving away a penalty. Once Liverpool improved in the second half, they had little real answer other than hopeful balls to their wingers, in the hope that their pace would make something happen. Once Liverpool took the lead and settled back again, they had a chance to fire back, but all the changes left their side unsettled and disjointed. Instead of looking to build up and overload one wing, it was lacking in any real tactical plan that could be made out, as the players did not seem to know for sure what they were doing due to all the changes. Brighton are just missing that bit of quality to allow them to step up and compete at the next level. They are good on the ball, but the decision making in dangerous areas is poor and their wingers have pace but lack end product.







Liverpool





Kelleher - really needs to work on the accuracy of his longer passes, as he is often closed down and needs to play it further forward when the opposition are pressing well, but you can almost guarantee the ball will go nowhere near a team-mate if kicked more than about 20 yards. That is a major weakness for a team that wants to be able to pass it around at the back under pressure.





Alexander-Arnold - defensively solid, dealt very well with a tricky customer in Mitoma, allowing him very little chance to really attack the box. Unfortunately, his work on the ball was nowhere near the same level. His passing was mostly terrible and his deadball delivery was not at its usual level.





Konate - once again he was playing well defensively before picking up an injury on the stroke of half-time. Losing him would be a big blow, as he has been having an excellent season and showing signs of maturing into a great defender. Just a bit of bad luck, not a pull or strain, as he had so often been prone to in the past, hopefully that is a good sign for the future and that he is over his regular niggly injuries.





van Dijk - he has very much become the leader of this group since taking over the captaincy. Even when not playing at his best, his presence is very important to the team.





Tsimikas - mostly very good, looks like he has now moved ahead of Robertson in the pecking order. However, he did make a major mistake on the Brighton goal, positioning himself to cover an overlapping run, when there was no one outside of the player on the ball, and so failing to close down and put the player on the ball under pressure. That was a lack of awareness as he just ran across, rather than towards the guy about to shoot. It might have made no difference, but putting the player under pressure makes it a more difficult shot to take.





Gravenberch - once again he was left fighting fires, trying to be everywhere at once as he got little help from his partner in midfield in the first half. He is playing well, but he needs a more solid partner alongside him than Mac Allister. Someone to help him in the defensive end.





Mac Allister - in the first half, he was utterly abysmal for almost the full 45 minutes. In between the play acting, complaining, dallying on the ball and allowing it to be taken off him and poor passes, he did show flashes of ability. Unfortunately, it was mostly followed by him taking 6 touches too many and losing the ball, then falling over in the hope of winning a free kick, rolling around on the floor leaving the team a man down until he eventually realised he was not getting a foul and then he would spend the next few minutes complaining. He did improve slightly in the second half, but his performances are becoming a real concern now and he is not offering enough in terms of controlling the play and getting forward to make up for being such a weak link defensively. He was lucky to come out for the second half. I think it is time to accept that it is not going to work playing him in the deeper position and giving him Endo's minutes, at most, and not in the deep-lying position. In fact, I think I would prefer to see Morton given a chance over Mac Allister playing like this. It is not a lack of effort, at least in my opinion it is not, it is just that he is channelling it in the wrong way.





Szoboszlai - while he is still not at his best on the ball, his work off the ball and defensive responsibility is key to Liverpool's good form. If he can refind his form, added to his exceptional workrate, then Liverpool will go up a level.





Nunez - he links the play up so well, gets back and helps defend, particularly after the changes had meant Liverpool were essentially playing with four forwards for a short period. He does need some better service though.





Salah - not at his best, but still pops up with a cracking goal when needed. Probably should have scored earlier after breaking through to face the keeper one-on-one though, but who can complain when he wins the match for you?





Gakpo - a good game for Gakpo, he is a constant menace with pace and power on the ball. He lacks Diaz's skill and trickery, but he is much more direct and that can often be enough.





Gomez - replaced the injured Konate at half-time. He was excellent, very solid defensively and could have added a couple of goals. It is little wonder the Kop were chanting his name at the end. To have played so little football this season and then just step up like that is extremely impressive. While I did say losing Konate would be a big blow, if he continues to play like this, it would be less of a blow and more of a tickle with a feather.





Jones - came on for Mac Allister in 66th minute. Immediately the midfield looked much better for his arrival, despite Szoboszlai going off and being replaced with a forward. Jones, despite having a similar tendency to Mac Allister of wanting too many touches, is much more defensively responsible and better at protecting the ball when under pressure.





Diaz - took Szoboszlai's place in the 66th minute. Is facing a major battle to keep himself in the team and is showing a real desire and willingness to earn that place. I have been very impressed with him this season and he caused Brighton problems every time he got the ball.





Endo - was brought on in place of Nunez in the 77th minute. In a match like this, with the referee allowing both teams to be physical and make proper challenges for the ball, he was an ideal player to bring on and shore up the midfield once the lead was taken. It was so good to see him getting a few more minutes than usual as well.





Bradley - substituted in for Salah in the 91st minute. Had very little time to do much.

09 Nov 2024 10:54:11
Wonderful article, many thanks.

{Ed001's Note - thanks Neggy.}

Liverpool Article 30 Oct 2024
Arsenal v Liverpool A Liverpool Perspective







Not exactly the most exciting of games, with tactical play ruining any moments when the game started to veer close to a good game breaking out. Slot got his initial team selection wrong, probably waited a little too long to change it, but the changes he made did make a difference and meant Liverpool took the midfield over and controlled the play. The first half was very much in favour of Arsenal, they were the better team, but Liverpool defended well and did not give up many clearcut chances, despite the scoreline. Arsenal overloaded the midfield, Havertz dropping in there to add an extra body, and were able to win the midfield battle as Liverpool's midfield was so lacking in mobility without Szoboszlai. Gravenberch has been mighty this season, but he can only do so much on his own. Make no mistake about it, he was pretty much on his own as Mac Allister was little more than a traffic cone on the pitch for large parts of the match and Jones is not quick enough to get back and help.



It meant the defence was worked hard and showed how far off the pace Robertson is right now, as he was given a bit of a doing by Saka. Luckily for him, and the rest of the team, the centre-backs were on top of their game and restricted Arsenal's chances. The result was probably a fair one overall, as Arsenal were better in the first half, Liverpool in the second, though both managers made tactical mistakes. Slot got the first 66 minutes wrong, but his subs fixed the mistake and really took control of the game. Arteta got it wrong by setting out his team more defensively at the start of the second half, allowing Liverpool to be the better side by sitting a little deeper and not continuing to overrun the midfield.



What was nice was to see Liverpool use a high press without the ball, though the old basic error of not dropping off when the press was broken returned from last season, leading to Robertson being dumped on his backside by Saka at one point after he was caught out trying to hold a line when the man on the ball was under no pressure. If he had just dropped off, there is a good chance he just sees out that danger, rather than being caught sprinting back to catch the Arsenal winger. Overall, a fair result I would say, but both managers will go away thinking they should have won it and that they only got it half-right tactically.





Arsenal





The whining over injuries overshadowed the fact that they went into this game missing just two players who would have started the game and only one of them was actually injured. Hardly a crisis and, after spending over £700m since taking charge, you have to wonder how come Arteta has still not built a squad at Arsenal that is capable of coping with two first choice players out. Putting that aside, Arsenal did well in the first half, winning it without really creating much in the way of good chances, but were far too ready to sit back and try and hang on to a 2-1 lead in the second half against a Liverpool side that they had been overrunning in midfield. It seems like Arteta has made a conscious decision this season to be more pragmatic. Understandable as he just needs to win something now, but it does not seem to be working as well as he probably hoped.



Added to their diving, whining, time wasting etc, it is starting to make them thoroughly dislikeable as a team, a bit like Brentford, but with much better players. But, if you are an Arsenal fan, you will not care about that one bit if it finally brings them the Premier League title back. It does feel like a waste of the potential there, this team is not at the level of the great Wenger teams, admittedly, there is no Henry (but then where is a player of that quality these days anywhere in the world?), Vieira or the sublime skills and touch of Bergkamp in this team to play the game the way he did. But it still feels like there is more to this team than sitting back and holding onto a one-goal lead. Still, if Arteta does a George Graham and grinds out 1-0 wins all season and they get to lift the Premier League trophy at Ashburton Grove, the fans will be as happy and enjoy their celebrations as much as if they had won every game 5-4. In fact, they would probably enjoy it all the more because pretty much everyone else will hate it!





Liverpool





Kelleher - he had a decent game, the problem is that he is being compared against the best and it is fair to say that Alisson would probably have saved one of the goals. Kelleher is a very good goalkeeper, but he is nowhere near Alisson's level and it shows in games like this, when small margins make the difference. Also, it is clear that, despite the commentators talk about how he played midfield back in Cork, he is simply not as good with the ball at his feet as Alisson is. Kelleher's passing is not as accurate and that point of attack is a big part of the system Slot has set up, with the passing around at the back mainly to set a trap for the opposition, to create a space for him to play the ball into. Unfortunately, Kelleher is not able to maximise the potential there to launch attacks, so it often just ends up with pressure on the backline or the ball given away.





Alexander-Arnold - had a poor game, he was struggling badly with his passing (perhaps a consequence of carrying an injury), with his usual accurate passes just ending up sliced and given away. Despite that, his ball out to Nunez to set him away for the second Liverpool goal, was delicious.





Konate - a very good game, he defended solidly, covering up the gaps as the midfield was overrun. He and van Dijk ensured Arsenal had very few real chances and just one corner in the entire match. In fact, I think he has to be man of the match for Liverpool.





van Dijk - also very good, his long range passes usually finding their mark. Defensively he was solid too.





Robertson - sad to say, but he looks like a fading force right now. It very much looks like his legs are going and he is a weak link for any winger to target now. Replacing him is going to be incredibly difficult, mainly because of his outstanding personality and personal drive to give everything to the cause. He is one of those personalities that is great to have around the place for the youngsters breaking through as well.





Gravenberch - his worst game of the season, though he still had a decent game. It was just that he was being overrun as there were no legs in there other than him. He spent most of the game covering the gaps Mac Allister was leaving, which then left a gap where he should have been that normally Szobszlai would have dropped back to cover, but Jones has nowhere near the mobility needed to get back in time.





Mac Allister - terrible performance, a couple of bright moments aside when he got the ball at his feet and picked some nice threaded passes. It is little wonder he was replaced, though I would have replaced him at half-time personally or even sooner. Yes, he has the ability to pick nice passes, yes, he can always be counted on to work hard, but he drifts forward too far constantly and leaves a huge gap behind him which he lacks the pace to get back into. It should be either him or Jones in the team, not both.





Jones - struggled to get involved until the triple substitution on 62 minutes. Then he was much better. He has much more of an all-round game than Mac Allister, as a defensive midfielder anyway. It seemed odd that Slot decided to play him in front of Mac Allister, rather than the other way around. I would have to call that a mistake and it held Liverpool back badly.





Nunez - linked up well with Salah when the opportunity came, but was very much starved of service for most of the game. He did press well and kept Arsenal from being able to make use of their dominance in midfield, with Havertz dropping in to give them the edge in numbers, as well as mobility. Nunez was always willing to drop back in and cover gaps. His workrate is a very important factor in tight matches like that.





Salah - once more adding to his tally and giving their defence a really difficult game. When he is sharp like that, even though he has not got the blistering pace he used to have, he is still incredibly difficult to handle for any defence.





Diaz - unfortunately for him, Partey was very adept at diving to win free kicks every time he was near him, so he never really got a chance to do anything. It was incredible how strong he must be to throw Partey about the way the referee seemed to believe he was doing. It was little wonder he got fed up.





Szoboszlai - replaced Mac Allister in the 62nd minute. Immediately improved the midfield and got involved in pretty much everything. For all he has not been at his best this season, his workrate and particularly his tracking back, have been essential to the team's performances. If only he would shoot when the chance arises!





Gakpo - came on for Diaz in 62nd minute. He had obviously been watching what happened with Diaz, as he made sure not to physically engage with Partey and instead used him movement to get space.





Tsimikas - took Robertson's place in the 62nd minute. Looked much more solid than Robertson and offered more getting forward as well. It might well be time to swap over which of them is the first choice.





Endo - was brought on in place of Jones in the 90th+1 minute. It was far too late for him to have any real effect. It is a shame to see him so massively underutilised, similarly to how Klopp wasted Minamino a few years ago. I could understand him being out of the picture if Mac Allister was not playing so badly in the deeper role. At least Endo offers competitiveness.

Liverpool Article 25 Oct 2024
RB Leipzig v Liverpool A Liverpool Perspective







Another tweak in tactics from Slot, as he kept up his incredibly impressive record, which has seen him have the best start of any new manager in the club's history, with 11 wins from 12 matches so far. This time out, the drop off and sit back defence that was adopted against Chelsea was discarded, in favour of a press, led by Nunez. With the forwards and midfield pressing, the backline had to stay pushed up, meaning there was space in behind but it was not exploited, instead RBL were caught offside repeatedly. The system was also altered slightly by allowing the left-back to operate like a full-back, raiding forward rather than sitting in the backline as a third centre-back. And it worked well, in what would have been a dominant win but for a string of poor passes from Liverpool players, particularly early in the game. Almost everything good created by the east Germans was as a result of Liverpool giving the ball away and putting themselves under pressure.



It was concerning how many passes went astray, especially the longer ranged passes - mainly that is Alexander-Arnold attempting them, so it was also almost all him that was misplacing them. The strange thing is that these are passes that he would normally make very easily. There were so many going astray that I was beginning to wander if the players were suffering from some kind of depth perception issue, maybe due to a lack of training and playing at that stadium or changes since the last time they were there? I remember interviews with players about how it affected the team's results when they changed to a new stadium, West Ham United and Arsenal players mainly, and what was the main issues they found. While fans talk about the atmosphere, they were mainly talking about the difficulty in finding the range of passes due to the landmarks they used, subconsciously and consciously, no longer being there. It is why away teams like to train the night before the game on the pitch they are to play on, to get their eye in so to speak.



To be fair to RBL, a lot of the loose passes were down to their pressing early on, but it was still happening when Liverpool players were not being pressed. A lot of the shorter loose passes were laid off into space, expecting a Liverpool player to be running into it, but only finding a Leipzig player there, which suggests an issue with the players' understanding of each other. Despite the poor passes, I would still consider this a performance of the kind that Pep Lijnders was wanting from Liverpool when he was with the club. No, I am not referring to intensity, but to his main buzz word when he was being interviewed - control. He was looking for the team to control games. It never happened under Klopp, but the control is now there and the results are bearing out that he had the right intention, it was just application that failed over the last couple of seasons.





One quick note about the officials, who were terrible enough that they could well have been English Premier League officials! Not sure how both the ref and VAR missed the penalty on Nunez, you do not get much more clear and obvious.





RB Leipzig





RBL are a well-drilled, well-organised pressing unit under Marco Rose, but they lack real quality, which is being badly exposed in the Champions League. Simons is simply nothing special at this level. Sesko needs to be the focal point of their attacks, using Openda's pace more to push the defence back and create space to play in. Though they will need better quality across the midfield to do that as Nusa, Vermeeren and Haidara were poor, only slightly less poor than Simons. Defensively, they are a typical Bundesliga outfit - weak. Defending in the Bundesliga is often shambolic and, though they have one of the best defensive records in the division this season, you could see that defending was not a strength for this team.



Having not seen them at all this season, I would question whether this is their full first team, playing their usual formation and tactics, or whether they are saving their best for a proper assault on the Bundesliga title this year? They just played with so little confidence after the goal went in that it did not seem like a team that is fighting for a title.





Liverpool





Kelleher - a much improved performance, though he did start off with a needless rush out of the area to try and deal with a ball that Konate was easily able to deal with. After making a mess of his header and nearly conceding due to it, I was worried that it would set the tone for his night, but he was very good in the main. Though I would want to look at how easily he conceded the one-on-one chance to Openda, despite the Belgian being offside and it ruled out. There was none of the intimidation that forwards get as Alisson bears down on them, nor did he look like getting anywhere near to putting pressure on the forward.





Alexander-Arnold - a very solid defensive display but it was badly marred by his mostly terrible passing, oddly enough. There were a number of times he gave away the ball very softly. You expect a few of the difficult passes he attempts to go astray, but even some simple lay-offs to the side of him were straight to an opposition player. However, what really pleased me was how hard he worked to win the ball back and showed good reading of the game to position himself in a position to retrieve it with an interception very quickly afterwards.





Konate - it seems RBL have forgotten he played for them, gifting their other former player in the Liverpool ranks, Szoboszlai, a red bull statue but not him, however they will no doubt wish he still was in their team. He had a very strong performance and is settling in nicely this season now that he is not being rotated from week to week.





van Dijk - not just a great defender any more, he is really growing as a captain and becoming a strong leader of the team. The captaincy has really brought out the best in him and he has become more important to the team than ever.





Tsimikas - after a rocky start, where he also gave the ball away with a bad touch, he played very well, though not well enough to deserve the man of the match award that he got. His crosses were not accurate enough for him to deserve it, though I was pleased to see how well he got into positions to deliver. His corners were very good though and put RBL under intense pressure to deal with.





Gravenberch - once again excellent and, for me at least, the man of the match. He was everywhere and broke up play, protecting the defence, as well as using the ball well when he had it.





Mac Allister - when he gets forward, he plays some very good passes through the defence, but he is very little help defensively, often getting caught in no man's land without the pace to get back or the reading of the game to pick up a position to block a possible pass. I am not convinced by him as a partner for Gravenberch at all. Also, I feel that he deserved his booking for diving as he does go down far too easily looking for a free kick. While he was fouled, he also did dive dramatically to try and ensure the referee saw it. It should have been a free kick to Liverpool and a booking for Mac Allister really, but it is his amateur dramatics that made the referee think it was just a dive with no contact.





Szoboszlai - a much better game from the Hungarian captain, who always does the dirty work for the team, but this time out he offered much more help offensively and his passing was better. Still passed up a perfect opportunity to hit a shot from the edge of the box though, which leads me to believe he is under instruction to avoid shooting.





Nunez - was very good, setting the press and caused their defence so many problems all night, as well as scoring a tap in at last. He was also very unlucky not to be awarded a penalty for a clear foul on him in the box.





Salah - also had a good game, though he was unable to get his goal, he did at least get an assist. It was a much more restrained performance than normal, with him sitting a bit deeper than he usually does. He was really unhappy to be subbed off though!





Gakpo - a very good game, he caused them lots of trouble throughout the game, though he really does need to work on his shooting.





Diaz - surprisingly replaced Salah in the 66th minute. Unfortunately, he had not long got onto the pitch before the control went missing after the triple substitution, so he never really got the chances to deliver that he would have liked. He was very obvious in his hard work, switching positions and getting in good positions.





Robertson - came on for Tsimikas in 74th minute. He was not on long but he looked ready to go and played well in the few minutes he got.





Jones - another surprise substitution as he took Nunez's place in the 74th minute. Worked hard and got around the pitch getting involved but really needed more time to have any genuine effect.





Gomez - was brought on in place of Alexander-Arnold in the 74th minute. Looked very good at right-back, and it was satisfying to finally see Liverpool get some use out of that excellent long throw of his when he first came in and caught RBL out by throwing it right in behind their defence. That throw is such a good weapon, I have no idea why Klopp and his coaches failed to make use of it when he was on the pitch. It is akin to not letting Alexander-Arnold make long passes, it just makes no sense not to utilise it. I just hope that, if the chance comes to get a throw around the edge of the box with him playing, that it is treated like getting a corner and bodies are put into the box. With dominant aerial presences like Konate and van Dijk, it could be a route to a few goals during the course of a season.

Liverpool Article 23 Oct 2024
Liverpool v Chelsea A Liverpool Perspective







Slot had clearly looked at Chelsea and seen that, while they score goals if the game is stretched, they struggle when teams just sit in the middle and stay compact. It is simple to just sit in and hold station, waiting for them to hit and hope from range or deliver a cross to no one in the middle and recover the loose ball. He had also clearly spotted how poor they are at the back and open due to their disorganised press, which is very similar to the one Marcelo Bielsa employed at Leeds United. It is great when it works, but any error by them defensively leaves them wide open. With it being man-to-man throughout the team, it leaves the opposition keeper with time on the ball, unless someone leaves their man to close him down, which usually gives him an easy out ball, or he can look a bit longer, as their team gets drawn high up the pitch to leave a 1-on-1 constantly. That play should have seen Tosin sent off early in the match, as he clearly hauled down Jota, who was running free.



The tactics did not lead to a vintage, attractive, attacking performance, but it was very solid and it was clear Chelsea did not really have the quality in their play to break down the defence. The emphasis on possession by Maresca leads to there being plenty of time for the defence to get back and regroup on most attacks. When they do break quickly, they lack bodies to cause problems, so balls in tend to be very easy for the defence to deal with. All in all, if it had not been for one bad mistake by van Dijk (who really is human after all), they would not have scored. There is such a major improvement in the defending this season from last season, the organisation and understanding of their roles is much better under Slot, added to the emergence of Gravenberch, that the team is defending so much better.



In fact, one thing that gives me hope for the season being a close run thing is the defending of both Liverpool and Manchester City. Liverpool, because they are tighter and give away less genuine chances. Manchester City simply because they are playing like Liverpool last season, open and loose at the back, in fact their defensive set up is very similar to the way Liverpool set up. You can only get away with conceding first so many times before it catches up to you, unless you tighten up. It is not down to Rodri being injured either, as the problems are down to the centre-backs simply not being able to cover the wide spaces behind them, with both full-backs advancing too soon and not being able to recover quickly enough. Having Rodri there shores up the centre a lot, but that is not an issue without him either, it is the flanks that are wide open and vulnerable to quick forward balls to runners down the sides of the centre-backs. It is a long season, with City having such a strong squad compared to everyone else, it does require them to slip up in order for others to capitalise and this does look like a season where they are more capable than ever of doing so.



Liverpool, while defensively solid, do have work to do in the attacking third, with there being times when it looks so disjointed, especially with Jota up top. He does not link up anything like as well as Nunez, which often sees quick attacks break down before they can really get started, leaving the team playing a slower, more possession-based style, passing around at the back to try and draw the opposition in. The difference once Nunez came in, which was not just because of his exceptional tracking back and more intelligent pressing, was also in the way he links up with Salah, in particular. Those two are a genuine threat when in tandem, always driving the team forward with quick one-twos between themselves, which are almost impossible to defend against. The problem is that, just as Nunez establishes himself in the team, there is an international break and he is back late, while Jota is back with the rest, due to the time zone differences.



One of the more pleasing aspects of this game is that it came on the back of one-such international break, leaving the team a little disrupted, but it was still able to get a result without really having to get out of first gear. It was a very controlled and low-intensity win, which will not have taken too much out of the players ahead of the Champions League game. Playing the game at a slower pace does favour Liverpool, as Chelsea are at their best when the game is more like a basketball game, as their defensive inadequacies are then cancelled out to a large degree by having space to attack at the other end. Slow it down and their youth and energy is not able to give them an edge.





I do have to mention the referee, John Brooks, who was utterly abysmal and gave some shocking decisions. He is amongst the worst of a very bad bunch of officials in the English Premier League, and he was 'helped' on VAR by one of the few who can be said to be on a similar level of ineptitude. It must be so difficult for a linesman of the quality of Darren Cann (probably the only decent official in the Premier League at the moment) to work with these clowns who are in the middle. The training really needs to be questioned as not one Premier League official is improving, in fact they all seem to be regressing each season. They have put the bar on the floor already, it is astonishing they can slither under it still and drop it further down for each new season, but they certainly manage it. They are extremely well-paid professionals, yet they are worse than amateurs.





Chelsea





I have seen a lot of praise for how Maresca has this team playing compared to Pochettino, but they seem to be comparing the team Pochettino took over, rather than the team he left behind, to this current Chelsea team. I do think that is a little unfair on Pochettino, even though I am not a big fan of his. Personally I think Maresca has benefitted from taking over a team, because Pochettino had gradually moulded Chelsea into one, from the numerous individual players he inherited. They are better this season, but a lot of the credit should be given to Pochettino for it. Despite the money spent, Chelsea are a long way away from the finished article. One thing Maresca, like Pochettino before him, struggles with, is grinding out wins when needed. Tactically, he has a system and he sticks to it, no matter what, similar to Vincent Kompany last season, but he has better players to use to play that way. He also seems to lack tactical acumen to a degree, though he is still learning so that may come in time, but right now it is not there.



I particularly refer to his decision at half-time to make a change to bring on Neto in place of Sancho - on the face of it a very good decision as Sancho is not as good as Neto and was having little success, but he then had the team attack down that side constantly. It was very strange because Robertson had been struggling badly against Madueke, who had been able to get past him very easily, and now Madueke barely saw the ball. It would have made more sense to continue to press the attacks down that flank but bring on Neto to look to get on the end of balls pulled across. It just made the game easier for the Liverpool defence, instead of ramping up the pressure.



Also, it does feel like there is a lack of football intelligence in the Chelsea team (partly explained by having so many young, fairly inexperienced players), particularly Palmer, who often fails to shine in the big games due to lacking the brains to figure out how to deal with the attention he gets. When he does improve this aspect of his game, then he will become the player he is often heralded to be, rather than just a very good player whose stats are padded massively against the weaker teams, a bit like Harry Kane was doing at Tottenham Hotspur. While I know Palmer is not the brightest bulb in the box away from the pitch, that should not stop him learning and developing his game as it is clear that he is a football obsessive and is willing to put the work in.



With Palmer almost anonymous, it did feel like Chelsea offered very little other than maybe the hope of a mistake from Liverpool's defence or a good set piece, because they mostly played in front of the Reds, who were happy to just sit back and wait for them to give the ball back and hit them on the break. They really created very little in the way of good chances, even the goal came from an error by van Dijk. It just felt like they were hoping for a chance to break, rather than making one happen. Their is a lack of incisiveness to their passing that gave Liverpool time to get bodies back and deal with anything played into the box quite easily. Jackson works hard and is a willing runner but he does not get enough of the ball, though that was in part due to Liverpool's tactics offering little space for a ball in behind for him to run onto.



I do have to say that Chelsea are always going to struggle with Sanchez in goal, he is simply not Premier League level at all. He possesses very little in the way of redeeming qualities to make up for his dodgy keeping. It was a very odd signing, one that has not made them any better than if they had just kept Kepa in goal until they found a top class keeper. It is by far and away their weakest link and you have to wonder why Maresca sticks with him, rather than giving a chance to one of the young keepers in the squad.





Liverpool





Kelleher - not a good game for him, as usual when he first gets into the team, which is why I find it strange that many consider him the best back-up keeper around. For me, the best back up will come in and be solid immediately, which he is not. He always needs a run of games to get his confidence up and play well. He needs to go somewhere to be a first choice. In this match, he was very diffident and stood rooted to his line on a couple of occasions when he should have been straight out to clear the ball. Both times ended up causing a problem with the defence, who were waiting for him to act. Also his kicking was very poor, though a large degree of that was probably due to the conditions, he never seemed to adjust to suit them, which is worrying.





Alexander-Arnold - a decent game overall, but particularly defensively, where he handled first Sancho and then Neto, despite them having a pace advantage. He never gave either an easy time to deliver the ball, so much so that neither finished the game facing him. Sancho was hooked at half-time and Neto was moved to the left to try his luck against Robertson instead. The system played did not give him the usual freedom on the ball, so he was not as effective in creating play as normal.





Konate - solid performance and decent enough on the ball. He is really settling in to the team well right now and is not making so many rash errors as he was prone to in the past. Though it must be pointed out that he and van Dijk did have an easier time of it due to Chelsea failing to commit bodies into the box when a cross was played. Usually it was just Jackson on his own trying to get on the end of it, Palmer wants to hang around the edge of the box in the hope of picking up a loose ball to hit, Caicedo sits too deep when there is Lavia and the full-backs covering the midfield and the opposite winger is usually waiting out wide, rather than trying to get on the end of the cross.





van Dijk - made a big error when he pushed out into midfield, leaving a huge hole behind him for Jackson to run into and score. Apart from that, he was very good. It felt like the error was more of a result of having spent years playing a more aggressive defensive style under Klopp and he just automatically rushed out to engage, rather than dropping off as Slot was looking for.





Robertson - struggled badly against Madueke's pace in the first half but then had a much easier ride in the second half when Chelsea shifted the emphasis of their attack to the opposite flank. It is quite worrying how exposed he is looking defensively when left one-on-one with a forward, even when out in the full-back area, so it is not a consequence of the change in style he is being asked to play.





Gravenberch - I am not sure it even needs to be said any more this season, but he was once again very good, one of the best players on the pitch. Some of his forward runs are mesmeric and reminscent of Moussa Dembele at his peak in the Fulham/Spurs midfields, where he seems to glide around challenges, almost dancing around players. The way he changes pace with such ease also reminds me of Dembele. He is a joy to watch right now, with his hard work chasing back and making challenges as important as his quality on the ball.





Jones - for me he was the man of the match, despite still having a tendency to take a touch, or more, too many. Doing that in the penalty box nearly led to two penalties, though I do think he went down far too theatrically on the first one for my liking, but it was a penalty. The second one is usually left to the referee's discretion, they are often given and VAR normally keeps out as it is not really a clear and obvious mistake. In fact, we have been often told that sendings off/bookings/fouls given for similar offences are because it does not matter if the player gets the ball first if they follow through by cleaning out the opponent, but the PGMOL changes its tune game by game so who can actually be sure any more? But, it is one of those that you just have to accept either way, as it seems to be very subjective and vary from game to game, team to team and individual to individual as to whether it is given or not. Despite a poor touch, he was able to score with a lovely finish and it came on the back of a performance where he was defensively excellent and showed some lovely touches to wriggle out of tight areas.





Szoboszlai - another indifferent game from the Hungarian captain. He works so hard for the team, he offers so much workrate tracking back and breaking forward, but he is not using his greatest asset to its full capability, or at all right now. Szoboszlai is one of the best strikers of the ball in the current game, but he regularly passes up the chance to shoot around the edge of the box in favour of an extra touch or three or a pass to someone not in a dangerous position. You have to think that is an instruction, as he does it so often. Perhaps it is about keeping possession, but there is nothing wrong with a dig when you have a clear sight of goal and the ball is sat up nicely for you to hit.





Jota - worked hard and the foul on him, when he was away, should have resulted in a red, but other than that, he was pretty ineffective. That could have been down to picking up a knock, which saw him coming off after half an hour.





Salah - looked extremely sharp and, of course, got on the scoresheet. His link up play was excellent, particularly with Nunez after he came on. He also added an assist, with his pass leading to Jones scoring. His numbers are just insane and he shows no sign of letting up yet.





Gakpo - not at his best, but he did provide excellent defensive cover. Unfortunately, going forward he was not quite at it and made some poor decisions at times. His shooting was off as well.





Nunez - replaced the injured Jota in the 30th minute. His arrival made the team play better, partly down to his workrate winning the ball back deep in midfield and partly because he links up much better than Jota does, allowing the team to build possession up. He also showed vision and ability to pick a pass I had no idea he had within his locker. Also showed good team spirit by seeing Salah getting manhandled by Veiga and inserting himself between. He did get caught offside a couple of times, you have to wonder though why the ball was not released earlier on one of those occasions.





Diaz - came on for Gakpo in 66th minute. A decent cameo, but the game was fizzling out by the time he came on, other than needle between players. He did get involved and did about as much as anyone in the last half hour, but it was a game that was petering out.





Mac Allister - took over from Jones in 81st minute. Managed to get a booking but not much else to show for his efforts.





Gomez - was brought on in place of Alexander-Arnold in the 81st minute. Barely able to get involved at all.

Liverpool Article 05 Oct 2024
Liverpool v Bologna







Apologies as once again I was only able to watch the game once, in a crowded bar, sat next to a group of Italians raucously cheering on Bologna. Though it did get much easier to focus after Salah added the second, as the Italians became subdued for the rest of the match.



What should have been a comfortable and routine victory, was made into an uncomfortable and difficult win by Liverpool themselves and their insistence on trying to play out from the back at a snail's pace. It made for an extremely frustrating watch. I know I will be told that we were playing it slowly to try to draw players in, but they were not being drawn in, so all it achieved was to give them plenty of time to close up the press. They were happy to keep on their man and wait for someone in red to make a mistake, which happened with an alarming amount of regularity. At least if the ball had been moved quickly, it would have made it a struggle for them to set their press. Instead it was usually rolled back to Alisson, who was then strolling about looking for an option, any option to pass to. It did improve a little after half-time, thankfully.



When the pace was increased and the ball played forward, instead of sideways and backwards, Liverpool were able to cut through Bologna fairly easily and created chances to shoot. It just was not happening enough and instead the game was lacking in real quality for large portions.





Bologna are not the same team they were last season under Thiago Motta. The attacking play lacks the quality it showed under the exciting leadership of Motta. Italiano has kept the same defensive set up, but going forward they lack the patterns of play that brought the success last season. They had little threat to offer, their chances coming from Liverpool's poor play and they lack the quality of player to really compete at this level. Such a shame that they were unable to hold on to Thiago Motta, as it would have been interesting to see how he could have got on with this team, which were so entertaining to watch under him. Without him, they look a little out of their depth at Champions League level.





Quick notes on the players:





Alisson - was called upon far too often to bail out Liverpool, usually after their slow paced passing got them into trouble. Often he was the worst offender for dallying on the ball, though he had an excuse as every player was man marked and unavailable to receive a pass. The movement in front was poor, but he was taking too long to play a ball out, allowing pressure to be put on him. However, his saves kept the clean sheet intact.



Alexander-Arnold - not his best night, he was part of the general malaise at the back, but he is always a threat when he gets the ball. The problem was that he gave the ball away too easily on occasions in dangerous areas. The winger opposing him lacked real quality, which helped a lot.



Konate - defended well, but he was a part of the defence that played the ball round too slowly. On the ball, he needed to look forward more quickly, instead of just rolling it across to Alisson most of the time.



van Dijk - failed to make use of his passing range enough, when his big diagonal pass would have been useful to open up the play and push the Bologna defence back. Instead he was mostly happy to also just roll the ball across the backline.



Robertson - looked a bit lost. Got forward occasionally, but did not link up as well as he often does with Diaz. Looked a bit leggy and I was not surprised he was taken off to be honest.



Gravenberch - drove forward at every opportunity and was once more Liverpool's man of the match. He did lose the ball a few times, but he lost it trying to make things happen, rather than because he was aimlessly rolling the ball about.



Mac Allister - a much better performance from the Argentine, his best of the season so far. He did play a little deeper than he has been, in the main, which contributed to his better play. He was still able to get forward and score.



Szoboszlai - also much improved from his previous performances this season. It finally looked like a midfield that was developing an understanding.



Diaz - caused them no end of trouble but just lacked that end product, similar to the way he was playing last season. He was just teetering on the edge of really taking them apart, without ever quite doing it.



Nunez - the team looks so much better with him in it, his link up with those around him and his runs to drag opponents around, help so much with the overall play. It is still a work in progress, but there are good signs there.



Salah - an assist and a goal but there was so much more in the game for him. He messed up a couple of simple balls across on counters, but it does seem churlish to complain when he has provided the assist for the first goal and then scored a beauty for the second!



Jota - came on for Nunez in the 61st minute. He tried hard but he was mostly receiving passes that were aerial balls to battle for, which is not his strength. Standing leaps against a much bigger man are never going to end in his favour, though he is good in the air, his skill is in timing a running leap to take him above the defenders.



Tsimikas - replaced Robertson in the 71st minute. The problem with only getting to watch a match once, and that in a busy pub, means that sometimes you just fail to notice things. I have to be honest, even after hours trying to run it back through my head, I simply cannot remember what Tsimikas did or what impact, if any he had either positively or negatively.



Gakpo - took Diaz's place in the 71st minute. What makes me feel worse about not remembering Tsimikas in this match, is that I can remember Gakpo looking dangerous and causing Bologna problems, when he came on at the exact same time as the Greek.



Bradley - was brought on in the stead of Alexander-Arnold in the 85th minute. Had little time to impact the game.



Jones - subbed on for Szoboszlai, also in the 85th minute. Never really had time to have an effect.

Liverpool Article 30 Sep 2024
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Liverpool







First off, just to point out that I only got to watch the game once and in a busy bar, so apologies for anything I have missed. It was not helpful that it was such a tough watch as well, as the performance was poor, by both teams. It was worrying how so many players could have an off day at once, though a fair bit of that is down to Wolves being able to nullify them. The defence was the difference between the two teams - Liverpool's played well (one horrible error aside) and allowed Wolves almost no real chances, and were able to build up play from the back fairly comfortably. In fact, other than that error allowing Wolves to equalise, this would have been a very routine and comfortable win, despite not playing well.



It does ring a warning bell over the way of playing though. Just a reminder, rather than a need for a rethink, that a one goal lead is very rarely enough in this league. I appreciate the thinking behind more control in the play, and agree, but when the lead is just one goal, the team still need to be looking to score a second. Against Wolves, it felt like the team were too content to just knock it about, feeling safe in the knowledge they had the measure of the opposition's attack. I felt the same way, it did feel like the defence were easily able to deal with whatever Wolves could throw at them, but, and this is a very big but, playing this way does increase the chances of making a mistake. In a game you are comfortable in, those chances increase further as players mentally relax. That was happening a fair bit yesterday, with sloppy passes turning the ball over in dangerous areas.



Overall though, this is still a team in progress, with a lot of players not quite adapting well enough. To be top of the league, despite not really hitting your stride, and with a number of players struggling, is one hell of a position to be in. If Slot can get those struggling players to hit form, this could be an extremely exciting season. If those players do continue to play poorly, he is going to need to make a few changes before it does cost LFC when playing the better teams in the league. So far, the fixtures have been fairly kind to Slot, he has to make sure he takes advantage of that kindness to get his team right for the more difficult games coming up.



What I have enjoyed about Slot being in charge is that his substitutions usually improve the performance, Jones and Gakpo immediately lifted the team and allowed Mac Allister a bit more freedom. That was rarely the case with Klopp in charge, much as I love the man and will be forever grateful to him, his substitutions rarely impacted the games. Normally they tended to just be like for like. Though I would like him to make more use of substitutions, to rotate in some players who need a bit of gametime to keep them sharp.





Wolves looked like what they are, a team in a poor run of form and badly lacking in confidence. There are a lot of good players there, particularly in the midfield, which looks almost as strong as any team in the league's, but they are not matched for quality by the attack and defence. Larsen tries, but he offers almost no goal threat and no ability to run in behind. His strength was no use against Liverpool's centre-backs, who were able to outmuscle him, so he had little to offer. Bellegarde has no real skill or pace to cause problems with and so Cunha was their only real threat up front, but he was poor and failed to use his pace and skill to anything like their fullest. In fact, it was odd that he played up against Robertson in the first half and was not immediately switched over to play up against Alexander-Arnold the moment he got booked, with instructions to just run at him constantly.



Their biggest problem is the goalkeeper and defence, they get a lot of protection from the midfield but once that is broken through, they are very poor. Worst of all though has to be their belief in passing out from the back with this unit. They are so bad at it, it is almost comical. Not quite Burnley last season bad, but close to it. That is going to cost them a lot of goals if they continue to try and do so, unless they make massive improvement in their passing choices. Though I do think Johnstone in goal is a lost cause on the ball and it would be better to simply keep the ball away from him. He either passes people into trouble or gives it away more often than not and is a liability in this system.





Quick notes on the players:





Alisson - never really put to much work, Wolves could not even manage a corner in the first half. He could do nothing with the goal, which was just down to a catastrophic error by Konate.



Alexander-Arnold - apart from a silly yellow early on for kicking the ball away, he had a good game, and did not allow Wolves to build up much of an attacking threat down his side of the pitch. As always, his main strength is his ability to put telling and dangerous balls into the box and he did that once again.



Konate - apart from that stupid error he had a really good game, scoring his first Premier League goal and defending well most of the time. He was covering when Alexander-Arnold got forward. On top of that, he played some good passes. It is impossible to overlook the mistake though, it was horrendous.



van Dijk - for me, he was man of the match, imperious like only van Dijk can be. While Konate defended well, van Dijk defended effortlessly. He bullied the Wolves' attackers.



Robertson - his performances are improving as he gets the hang of his new role, which will make it a worry that he went off injured.



Gravenberch - his worst performance of the season so far, as he was up against it with Wolves' midfield being so strong. His worst performance was still good enough for him to be awarded the official man of the match award. He did give the ball away trying to make things happen sometimes, but he was very good and showed how well he fits this new role he is playing.



Mac Allister - an awful performance. He just is not suited to the position. His strengths are in getting forward and slipping through passes at the top end of the pitch, which he is rarely able to do. I would like to see him and Szoboszlai swap over positions.



Szoboszlai - another who struggled badly. He takes too long to release the ball, either as a shot or pass, in vital areas. I wonder if the pressure on him as the main man for his nation is telling on him, as he plays like a man who is too tense to play with freedom.



Diaz - not at his sparkling best, but he still caused lots of problems for Semedo and popped up all over the place, rotating well with Jota at times.



Jota - it was a proper Jota performance - truly awful but pops up with an excellent cross for Konate to score from, then is terrible again until winning a penalty. Such a frustrating player!



Salah - not a good game for the Egyptian. Put his penalty away well, but most of the game he was struggling. I think Slot needs to look at rotating him more with Chiesa, to try and freshen him up. At the start of the season, while fresh, Salah is always incredible, then fades. He rarely misses a moment of football, for club and country, I think it is time that he did get a bit more rest. It would benefit him, Liverpool and Egypt to keep him fresher.



Jones - replaced Szoboszlai in the 73rd minute. The arrival of Jones and Gakpo saw Liverpool's game step up. He controlled the play much better than Szoboszlai was doing.



Gakpo - came on for Diaz, also in the 73rd minute. He has looked really good this season on the left, it is turning into a really difficult choice for Slot.



Gomez - was brought on for the injured Robertson in the 89th minute. Never had a chance to really get involved in the game.

Liverpool Article 24 Sep 2024
Liverpool v Bournemouth







A really odd game, littered with errors, which makes it very difficult to judge tactics by either side. So much of the attacking play was a result of silly, usually unforced, mistakes. One of Diaz's goals resulted from a terrible, unforced error by Bournemouth's keeper Kepa, though he might very well have scored if Kepa had not rushed out and got himself caught in no man's land like that. It was just made easier for him. But it does make it so hard to discuss this game. On the face of it, looking at the stats would make you think Bournemouth must have been really good going forward to be able to get so many shots off. However, a large number of them were down to mistakes and a lot of the rest were hitting and hoping from range, rather than really dangerous attacking play. On the overall balance of play, Liverpool were certainly the better side and their attacks were more dangerous. It was not down to luck or mistakes that they won, they were just better all over.



It probably could have been a bigger score, but Liverpool did not really go all in to attack after gaining the lead. It was a much more controlled performance, waiting for Bournemouth to be drawn out of position by moving it around before getting it forward. The counter was a particularly effective tool, the more Bournemouth pushed forward to try and get back into it, the more exposed they were leaving themselves at the back and they paid for it. The trio up top of Nunez, Salah and Diaz were always a threat and even more so when Liverpool were pegged back. And the only time Liverpool were exposed at the back were when players made individual errors, dallying on the ball in dangerous areas mainly.





I have to say I am a little disappointed in Bournemouth this season. Last season they ended so well and it looked like Iraola had the measure of this league, I was expecting the Cherries to push on and really light up the Prem. Instead they have struggled and it was clear to see why watching this game. Their forwards offer pace but very little else. The end product, game intelligence etc is abysmal. Lots of running very fast and just hoping for the best seemed to be the plan for the wingers. It will be interesting to see if Iraola can improve their wide players, as they have lots of pace and workrate but so little quality it is painful to watch. If they gain any kind of end product, they will be a really dangerous team.



Overall Bournemouth play some very pretty football, but they lack a cutting edge at the moment. Evanilson looks a quality forward, with some of the qualities of Diego Costa, but a bit more refined with it and he gave Konate a torrid time early on with his clever movement putting the French defender off balance when Konate tried to smother him. Just a little body roll as Konate got close to him was effective initially but, once it lost its surprise element, it was of less use. He does need to do more though, as he was shut out of the game as Konate grew to understand what he was doing and his attempts to take on van Dijk saw him completely shut down. I can see him growing into a very decent link man up front, but he does not look to have lots of goals to his game. In fact, that is the big problem with this team, there does not seem to be a lot of goals in it at all.





Quick notes on the players:





Kelleher - he will have wanted a busier day, to show watching suitors how good he is, but the Cherries lack of accuracy left him to have a fairly simple day. When called upon, he made a save but it was not a day for him to really impress.



Alexander-Arnold - he was caught dallying on the ball a couple of times, I would put that down to how easy it was for him on the ball most of the time. Bournemouth's press fell off so badly that it is little surprise Liverpool players got a bit too relaxed, he certainly was not the only one to get himself into trouble for it. His passing was excellent at times and he got himself yet another assist, to equal Robertson as the Premier League's all-time assist record holder for a defender. Defensively he did well, Kluivert was unable to do much against him and swapping him out for extreme pace also created very little. Alexander-Arnold just positioned himself to block the route to goal, gave himself a bit of space, so that he would not be beaten easily for pace and concentrated on just holding up Ouattara until cover arrived, before forcing him to run into traffic. A really good test for him, which he passed well.



Konate - was caught out a couple of times early on by Evanilson, who surprised him. Soon got the measure of the Brazilian though and grew as the game went on, producing some excellent defensive play to recover from errors made by his teammates. One block in particular showed his desire to put his body on the line for the victory. Also picked up an assist by providing the ball over the top to Diaz that drew Kepa out of goal. I enjoy seeing a player who is given a new challenge and, despite initially being beaten by an opponent, figures out how to deal with it and keeps his head up, rather than losing it after being beaten.



van Dijk - he was Virgil. I think no more needs to be said, as it was prime Virgil out there, dominant in a way very few defenders have managed to be in this modern era.



Robertson - under Slot he is definitely a lot more reserved, but he does still pick his moments to get forward. He is getting better as he grows into his new role and the understanding with the midfield grows, so they know when to provide cover to allow him to get forward.



Gravenberch - I will have to dig out a thesaurus to find new superlatives to use for his performances this season. His problem is going to end up similar to Salah and van Dijk's if this carries on. The level of expectation will rise so high that he will need to be superhuman to get any credit, or to get near to being in the running for a Ballon d'Or, while others will get nominated after a couple of standout moments in a season. He is quickly making himself undroppable. Another superb, all-round performance. Just, and I do mean just, beats out van Dijk and Diaz for me as man of the match. Diaz would probably have got it if he had played the full 90 though.



Mac Allister - some of his forward passes are exceptional, but I still feel he is being a little held back by this role and would like to see him play where Szoboszlai is, to make the most of his strengths. Overall a very good game though.



Szoboszlai - his pace, power and workrate are providing a great platform for the team to build upon, but he still is not playing at anywhere near his best. His game feels a little stilted, like he is too busy thinking about what to do, rather than just doing it. Hopefully that will change over time as he develops into this system of play.



Diaz - I had thought before the game that it might well be time to give Gakpo a run on the left, but I was completely wrong. Diaz was excellent and scored two goals to cap off his performance. He does mesh much better with Nunez than he does with Jota. They seem to have a much better understanding and can rotate very easily.



Nunez - Liverpool look much more dangerous up front with him there, rather than Jota. It is not just runs in behind, his movement and link up play is better. What a goal as well! Last season, he was hitting the post but they were bouncing out, hopefully a sign of things to come with that one going in off the inside of the post. I do like that he always tries to aim for the corners, even if it did lead to so many bouncing back off the woodwork last season. His workrate and desire are infectious, not just amongst his teammates, but the crowd feed off it too.



Salah - not at his best, but still a decent game, giving Kerkez a really tough day and linking up with Nunez, particularly for Nunez's goal. Another assist for a player that is so often derided in the media for being selfish as well.



Jones - replaced Szoboszlai after 61 minutes. Where the Hungarian tends to play more to the right, leaving space for Mac Allister to get forward on the left side of midfield, Jones tends to drift over to the left instead. In some respects that worked better, as Jones would drop deep at times to allow Mac Allister freedom to stay forward. It certainly provides an interesting option for Slot, if (and that is a huge IF, though not quite a Reece James size IF) Jones can avoid injury. Jones is comfortable in the deeper role and the more forward position, that could be invaluable later in the season. Again though, you always have to qualify it with Jones with regard to his tendency to be missing through injury.



Chiesa - came on for Nunez in the 72nd minute. A few more minutes for the Italian to impress. Starting off down the centre, he was not particularly effective but, after swapping over with Salah, he looked much better down the right.



Gakpo - replaced Diaz in the 72nd minute. Another good performance from the Dutchman, but it is not enough to get in the team when Diaz is playing so brilliantly.

22 Sep 2024 15:21:07
Hi eds, i ask this respectfully. I just got a feeling Slot has his eyes on Mitoma of Brighton. Correct me if i am wrong. When will Liverpool make a move for Mitoma? I said when, not if.

Liverpool Article 20 Sep 2024
AC Milan v Liverpool







A very good, professional team performance, after losing an early goal. Admittedly, this is not a great Milan side, maybe not even a particularly good one in their current form, but you can only beat what is front of you. Initially, it was a bit of a struggle to break the high press when trying to play out from the back, but once that was broken a couple of times, Milan dropped off and gave up trying to win it high. Liverpool's press did fall off once they had a 3-1 lead but, for most of the game, it was more of a soft press on the passing lanes but always giving the Milan players an option to play it to Pavlovic, who was never pressed. It was clear he had been identified as the weak link and Liverpool were happy for him to have the ball as much as he wanted. It did not take long for Pavlovic to show why the Reds were so happy to let him have the ball, he could be relied upon to give it back to them more often than not!



Another tactic that had clearly been decided upon was to put dead ball deliveries into areas in or around the 6-yard box, where you would normally expect the goalkeeper to come and claim, but not right on top of him. Maignan was covered in tape before the game kicked off, you could see it up on his neck, which suggests he had come into the game with an injury issue which was obviously hampering him. Delivering the ball into those areas, where defenders would normally expect him to charge out and deal with it, asked the question of his fitness and confidence in his own body to cope with the buffetting. He was found badly wanting and the defence never adjusted, allowing the Liverpool centre-backs to score two quite simple goals from dead ball deliveries. That pleased me, as you have to be capable of spotting these weaknesses in your opponents and exploiting them at the top end of the game. These small measures make a huge difference over the course of a season.



A slight tweak that I did notice was in the way the left-back played. Robertson has been at times playing as a third centre-back this season, being much more reticent to charge forward than usual and often cutting inside when he does. Tsimikas, on the other hand, played very much as a conventional modern left full/wing-back, charging forward at will and wasted multiple chances with wayward shots. I would be interested to know if that was a conscious decision by Slot, or if Tsimikas simply is not as capable of following the tactical instructions and new style of play. Judging by the way Tsimikas continued to play exactly the same way in the second half, and Slot's lack of any kind of adverse reaction to it, it does seem like a decision to play that way against Milan. Whether that is because it was Gakpo ahead of him, rather than Diaz, or whether he just felt it was better suited to this game, is another question.



It is interesting that, since this game took place Liverpool have withdrawn their advertisement for a set piece coach. Newly arrived coach Aaron Briggs had been filling in and has been so successful LFC have decided to give him the role on a long-term basis. Briggs was hired to be a First Team Individual Development Coach, replacing Vitor Matos, who left along with Jurgen Klopp in the summer. It is hard to disagree with the decision, especially after this result!





I have to admit, I was surprised at Milan. I know they have not started the season well, I know they are not a particularly good Milan side, but they were handed a blueprint by Nottingham Forest of how to handle Liverpool's midfield at the weekend, but they totally ignored it. Fofana is fully capable of being the physical brute that Yates was, even Loftus-Cheek has the power and strength to do it, but they tried to be technical and outplay Liverpool instead. They did not need to drop deep and defend, but those two could have been much more aggressive, especially with the referee allowing a lot more physicality in the play than is usual in European football. That was probably the biggest problem Milan had, they showed little aggression and allowed themselves to be bullied in a similar way to Liverpool at the weekend against Forest.



Tactically, Milan tried to press high early on and put the pressure on Liverpool, but that died off as it failed to really work. They were far too reliant on Leao to create something from nothing, when he usually creates nothing from something. He has insane pace, good skill and technique, but has no idea how to put it together and seems to lack a football brain at all. All he does is run and hope for something to happen, rather than start out with an aim in mind. It is a real waste of ability as he should be ripping teams to shreds. Instead he is just falling over in the hope of a free kick. Though that is a problem throughout their team, a lack of ideas leading to an attempt to just buy a free kick, which failed miserably due to the referee being happy to allow physical play.





Before I move on to the players, I have to make a quick comment about something that Livebird brought to my attention, thanks Doc. Mark Clattenburg actually suggested during the match that the referee should have given some soft decisions in favour of Milan, simply to get the San Siro crowd off his back! Astonishing comment. Maybe you do that in Gladiators, because it is all an act, but this is meant to be a fair sport, where referees are in place to ensure the laws of the game are adhered to. Collina did not win respect by being a homer. He did it by being fair and giving the decisions as he saw them. That is why Clattenburg will be remembered by many as Clattenturd, while Collina is a legend of the game. It is no wonder Forest got rid of him for being more of a hindrance than a help - the guy is a moron. A corrupt moron.





Quick notes on the players:





Alisson - had almost nothing to do in the game, though the one time he did have something to do, he raced off his line and fluffed his kick. It must be said though, he was moving like a guy who had been stood around too long doing nothing and all his muscles are stiff. Which is entirely possible with the amount he had to do. It was certainly totally different from the performances he regularly had to put in last season, where almost every attack led to a chance for the opposition.



Alexander-Arnold - a decent game, shutting down Leao when possible, but when the winger was running at pace he made sure not to give him any excuse to dive and just positioned himself to force Leao into traffic. On the ball, he had a good game, delivering some excellent deliveries from corners and free kicks.



Konate - a mostly good game, though he did pick up a booking that he probably did not need to do. Overall, he was mostly solid defensively, rarely giving the opposition a sniff and bullying Morata when they were in contact. Also worked hard to get back when Leao did manage to beat him on the dribble. Scored a really good goal as well to equalise and I loved the way both him and Virgil threw themselves in the way of a shot.



van Dijk - scored an excellent header and was always a threat on deadballs and was good mostly defensively. However, he did make a very bad error on the goal. He has to spot the runners going past him and not run forward into the opposition half to try and challenge for the ball. Normally he is very good at dropping off and covering, but he was badly caught in behind him and was nowhere to be seen when they scored due to that. It was two runners as well that were running into space, so there is no excuse for thinking he could leave them for Konate to come across and cover. It might seem harsh to pull him up on that, but van Dijk has set a standard as the best in his position, so simple mistakes like that are not something that can just be ignored, as we know he is better than that.



Tsimikas - other than his assist, he was fairly poor. His constant attempts to hit it and hope a goal would come were reminiscent of Gomez last season. Both of them really could do with getting a goal, it does not matter how, but just to get that monkey off their back as it is affecting their performances. Tsimikas has always needed a run of games to build his confidence and sharpness and produce better performances, so it is not really a surprise that he was nowhere near his best. Coming on as a sub is not enough for him to get going. While being in and out of the side, he always seems a bit hesitant in his play, but one thing you can never fault is his heart and desire, which makes him valuable as a back up. He may not have the best game, but he will not stop running and will not give the opposition an easy game as he will always be trying to get in their face.



Gravenberch - once again, he was excellent. It is not just how well he does on the ball, nor when running forward, but the effect he is having defensively as well. He fully deserved his man of the match award as he was key to the result.



Mac Allister - a decent performance, played some nice passes but his lack of mobility was a key contributor to the goal conceded. He was chasing back the entire time, but never able to make up any ground to have any effect on the play. He is very much a point of weakness for opponents to attack when they have the ball due to that lack of mobility, unless he reads the play better or sits deeper. Sitting deeper negates his best qualities, so he will have to learn to read the play better and anticipate where to be as Gravenberch cannot do it all.



Szoboszlai - other than the goal, not the best of nights for the Hungarian. He works extremely hard, but right now most of the things he tries to do are just not coming off. Maybe he just needs a rest, but his physicality and workrate, along with the injury to the obvious rotation option Elliott, are very important to the side.



Gakpo - was absolutely outstanding, gave his full-back a torrid night and would almost certainly have been man of the match but he was taken off with over 20 minutes still to play. On that performance, it is going to be a real headache for Slot picking between him and Diaz each week, as the Colombian has also started the season in good form.



Jota - another poor performance from Jota, who played well in the first game of the season, but since then he has just got worse each game. We rarely get to see Jota getting a run of games, normally he makes a few sub appearances, a couple of starts and then picks up an injury. This is his first time to be given his head as a starter and he is not impressing. He is so effective of the bench, but when starting his lack of ability to help with build up play or link up with his teammates is really hampering the team. It is not like he is Haaland, who makes constant runs to push the defence deeper and so provides more space for the midfield to operate in. Jota just seems to flit around, far too deep to effect the play when Liverpool have the ball. I think it is time to give Nunez a chance and let Jota do what he does best, come on late and stumble through challenges to score from nowhere. If he is going to stay in the team, he has to offer more. Or anything. He is not doing enough right now, he is not making runs in behind or across defenders to catch their eye when the wide players have it. He seems to just want to hold station and let Szoboszlai run in behind him, but he is not good enough on the ball to provide any kind of link to the play for this role. It is just not working.



Salah - a good performance, which just needed one of his shots to go in rather than hit the bar. Always a threat and caused them so many problems, even though they were usually able to double up on him. People were writing him off after the Forest game and once again he showed that he is too good to be written off.



Diaz - arrived in the 68th minute in place of Gakpo. Failed to have anything like the impact on the game that Gakpo had and the attack lacked the directness with him in it. He needed to really just run at the defence and force them into making a challenge, but he did not do enough. Strange when it is what you can normally rely on Diaz to do.



Nunez - also brought on in the 68th minute, he took the place of Jota. As usual, Nunez worked hard, but never really made a mark on the game.



Gomez - subbed on for Alexander-Arnold in the 79th minute. He had a bit of a disaster. It was like he had his boots on the wrong feet at times.



Chiesa - made his debut for the Reds when he was brought on in the 90th+2 minute to replace Salah. It was just a cameo appearance but it was good to see him make his Liverpool bow and get his first couple of touches in the shirt.



Endo - also came on in the 90th+2 minute in the stead of Mac Allister. In my opinion, he should have been on much sooner, Milan had been running off Mac Allister every time they got the chance. Their plan seemed to be to get the ball to Leao to use his pace and then put it into the space between the defence and Mac Allister, as the Argentinean struggles to keep up with play when it is moving at pace. There was often a gap there for Pulisic et al to exploit, which they used to the full on the goal. Endo would have shut that down, in my opinion, so it would have been sensible to bring him on the moment LFC got their third. Instead, Milan were allowed to build up a head of steam and mount a few attacks after going 3-1 down. By the time Endo came on, the game was pretty much over.

Liverpool Article 17 Sep 2024
Liverpool v Nottingham Forest







The first bump in the road for Arne Slot to overcome since arriving at Liverpool and it is a big one. Not big in terms of who Liverpool lost to or how they loat, but because expectations had risen on the back of three wins, with three clean sheets. It is not a big thing to lose to Forest because they have come on in leaps and bounds, particularly this summer, with a real rise in quality throughout their squad since promotion. Not big because of how they lost either, because the team were losing this same way under Klopp at times as well. In fact, it was eerily reminiscent of the way the team would often underperform after an international break, added to the struggles to break down a low block side under Klopp. The big thing was that people were getting carried away, thinking that Slot had come in and fixed all the issues from the previous regime and would sweep all before him.



The big worry is that this was so similar to the way things were under Klopp. There was a real lack of quality in the final third, with the team playing like a bunch of strangers, which should never happen with players who have been playing together at least one full season. There was not one new player in that team, which should mean that the inability to work together should not be happening, but it was constant. Balls were being played to a player who should have been making a run already, but instead they were waiting and only ran after the ball was played, so that it ran out of play. But the biggest issue for me was the attitude, which was exemplified by Mac Allister. He completely blew the midfield battle by bottling it, choosing to play act, dive and throw tantrums rather than standing up and taking Forest on. Mac Allister came back with the same attitude of the entire Argentina team in their final game of the international break, when they were all busy throwing tantrums and so lost the game. That is something Slot will have to deal with quickly.



At least Slot tried to change things up in game, something Klopp would rarely do. It might not have worked this time, but I am sure he will have learnt a lot from this game. For starters, I am sure Slot will realise that there are a few players that rarely come back from international football in good form, Salah being the standout example. The pressure he is under to carry his nation in every match they play must weigh on him mentally and take a lot out of him. In future, I hope Slot will consider changing things up in that regard. For Salah, starting on the bench could have given him something to take his mind off that mental strain he had suffered and instead left him fired up to come off the bench if needed and change the game. The one thing I will say is, in my opinion Slot has to accept that he needs to use Endo for games like these. Endo playing in Mac Allister's place would have been a completely different game, as he would not have allowed himself to be bullied, he would not have reacted, play acted, dived or anything but continued to give his all. Slot has to learn that you need a fighter in there at times, as you have to win the battle to earn the right to play football.



I do think that Slot really needs to be more pragmatic in games like this, though I can understand his reluctance to change a winning side. In fact, I fully understand that as I am usually in the camp of 'if it's not broke don't fix it', but there is a whole history of similar Liverpool performances and Premier League games to look back on and see that there is a need to change things up for games like this. Not to put out a weaker side to save legs for Milan on Tuesday, but to mix things up for a game like this. Similar to how Forest set out to play a certain way for the first 60 minutes, Liverpool needed to play to counter that and then, when they came out of their shell for the last half hour, then you can put a ball-playing midfield in there to control the play. There is no way the same XI are going to be able to play every game over the next few weeks anyway, so changes were going to be needed at some point, it just would have made sense to make that change for this one and then revert to his chosen team for Milan. It worries me that Slot, after watching the first ten minutes was not thinking that this was a match to bring in Endo and make that substitution at the earliest possible opportunity.



For me, that is what worried me, the possibility that Slot might be too wed to his style of play to consider that sometimes you have to mix it up. Their full-backs had completely shut Liverpool's widemen out of the game, but he made no attempt to change things to deal with that. I would have liked to see him narrow off the wingers, to pull the full-backs inside, and free up the full-backs to overlap and provide more of an attacking focus there. Instead, neither full-back really tried to make a run outside their winger, making it much easier for the Forest defence as they were not being asked different questions. I do wonder why Liverpool do not make more use of that anyway, all three starting forwards and Nunez are strong in the air. I know it can mean turning over possession, but you have to score to win games and that requires creating chances, not just keeping the ball for 90 minutes. When the passing in the final third is so poor, surely it would make sense to just keep it simple and get it wide to players with good delivery and then put bodies in the box to attack those crosses? At least there is a chance doing that, whereas what was happening was simply giving the ball away trying clever passes.





Forest, unlike Liverpool, were excellent. They came with a game plan, keep it tight for 60 minutes and then look to catch LFC on the break in the final 30 minutes, and worked it extremely well. They asked Liverpool the question of whether they were good enough to break Forest down or not, then played their hearts out to ensure that Liverpool would need to be at their best to get anything from the game. Without a doubt, in my opinion Yates was man of the match. He may not be the best player in terms of skill or technique, but he has heart, desire, drive and will run himself into the ground for the team. He bullied Mac Allister and completely cut him out of the game. To be fair though, all of their players turned up to be counted and gave a good account of themselves, including the subs. They did not allow the match to become free flowing and open, taking Liverpool out of their stride at every opportunity and slowing things down when the ball was dead. Every time they had a throw in and goal kick they took as long as they could, to the point they picked up some bookings for time wasting over it, frustrating Liverpool and killing any momentum before it could build.



There has been a bit of complaining about the tactics, but they are not there to make it easy, they are there to make it as difficult as possible for their opponents. They did that really well. Yes, it did make it an extremely painful watch for those of us who support Liverpool, but you have to give them credit where it is due - they played their part in the game and cannot be faulted. Nuno had taken a bit of a gamble on being able to hold Liverpool without anyone on to stretch the play for 60 minutes, it paid off handsomely for him. His substitutions changed the game and won it for Forest. It was not just that he made the right subs either, it was also the timing of them, they came just as LFC were running out of ideas and were there to be picked off. Though his heart must have been in his mouth when Sels tried his best to fluff his lines by dropping a simple ball right by the goal line! That is how small the margins are in this sport - one silly error could have turned it on its head. It would have been especially galling for Sels, if that had gone in, as he had been having a nice easy day up until then.



Overall though, Forest got three points and fully deserved it, maintaining their unbeaten start to the Premier League season. They are a much better side than they were last season, in terms of players, and should comfortably avoid relegation this time around.





Quick notes on the players:





Alisson - he had absolutely no chance with the goal, which was cleverly bent around Konate to keep it hidden from his view until the last second. As usual, Alisson was good, though he had little to do.



Alexander-Arnold - was completely off his game after two man of the match performances for England. There were a few moments where his usual passing accuracy let him down on the final ball. It was a strange choice to shift him into midfield when his passing was so off. You move him in there to pick out those passes, so it did not really make sense to do so in this game, much as I am happy with the idea of him moving into midfield in the long term, so that Bradley can be in the team as well.



Konate - I think he was unlucky to be the one sacrificed to change up the team to chase the result. Of all the defenders to take off when switching to a back three, it seemed odd to take off the one who actually has plenty of experience in that system. Even if that experience did come from prior to his move to Liverpool. Also, he was not having a bad game, though maybe he could have come out sooner to help out Bradley and close the space on the goal.



van Dijk - not his best game, but also he was not particularly bad. I was just disappointed in him for joining in the moans at the referee over nothing, when he should have been telling Mac Allister to get up and stop embarrassing the team with his play acting. Sometimes you have to be unpopular with your team mates as a captain, there are times they need a kick up the backside, this game was one of those times.



Robertson - had a poor game. I think the word to use is indecisive. He was making runs but then stopping them just at the point that a ball was played for him. When he did get forward, he did not provide the quality that he can do. This was very like his performances last season, where he never seemed sure of his role.



Gravenberch - he was pretty much playing against Forest's midfield on his own. A decent performance, but he was also guilty of loose passes in the final third.



Mac Allister - I know people are going to think I am picking on him here, but he was utterly abysmal. An embarrassing petulant performance from a player who has shown he is so much better than this. He was lucky to last until half-time, let alone 60 minutes. His constant pretence of being hurt was pathetic, he was handing the initiative to Forest each time he did that. Every time he went down crying, I just kept thinking how lucky he was that he did not have my mother, as she would have run on to 'give him something to cry about'. He let the team down badly. I was going to say fans as well, but they let themselves down with the terrible atmosphere, which was on a similar level to Mac Allister's performance.



Szoboszlai - the best I can say of his performance is anonymous. Lucky not to get taken off as he offered nothing in this match, other than mindless running around. He looks in need of a rest to me, but maybe is just suffering from an international hangover as, like Salah, he has the hopes of his entire nation on his shoulders as captain and talisman of the team.



Diaz - normally he is full of running and skills but not against Forest. He looked sluggish and not at the races at all. Struggled to make any positive impact on the game.



Jota - the last couple of games have seen him struggle to get involved, but that would have been an improvement on this performance. Another one who was poor. You have to wonder if it would not have been better to start with Nunez to tire out the backline before bringing on Jota. He is better as a sub than Nunez is, usually. Against a team that was always going to sit in deep, Nunez's willingness to run, harrass and harry would have been more useful I feel. Jota just did nothing to stretch the defence and did not work hard enough at putting pressure on them.



Salah - he has been so sharp this season, but not in this game. He looked slow, tired and struggled to cause Moreno any trouble at all, except for one moment when he cut outside on his right but hit the shot from a difficult angle.



Gakpo - came on in the 61st minute for Diaz. He is not at his best as a substitute and this was not really the right game for him to come in to. There was no space for him to run into, no quality play through midfield to get him the ball in dangerous areas and he ended up spending most of his time chasing after the ball, rather than getting on it.



Nunez - brought on in place of Jota in the 61st minute. Was unable to affect the game at all. I do not think he really suits coming on a substitute, he really struggles to get into the game most of the time, when coming off the bench.



Bradley - also arrived in the 61st minute, when he replaced Mac Allister. His first poor performance. He was badly at fault on the goal, allowing Hudson-Odoi to cut inside far too easily, never getting tight enough to even give the winger a problem. It is a performance he needs to learn from, but that is not bad for a young lad in just his second season of top flight first-team football, to have just one poor performance.



Tsimikas - replaced Robertson in the 75th minute. I am not sure he understood what he was meant to be doing. The tactical switch just did not work.



Curtis Jones - also came on in the 75th minute as Slot changed the shape of the team to try and recover from the goal. Jones replaced Konate, as Slot converted to a back three of sorts. He was also very poor. At times he actually hindered attacks, rather than being a creative influence on the team.

Liverpool Article 04 Sep 2024
Manchester United v Liverpool







From a Liverpool fan's perspective, there is not much in life that can compare to beating Man Utd at Old Trafford, even more so when it is as easy a win as this one. And, make no bones about it despite what the stats may suggest, this was a very simple victory. Shockingly so really. Slot has been left an excellent team by his predecessor, and so far at least, he looks to have the tactical edge to use it to its full. Liverpool's team, and squad, are better than United's, but last season showed that can be irrelevant if the tactics are not right. Slot is getting the tactics right, after an initial half against Ipswich Town in the first game, turning games from struggles and into cruises. His challenge now will be maintaining this run and, the biggest one of all, getting things right back on track after a defeat. There will always be blips, but it is how a manager copes with the problems and bad times that tell you how good he actually is. So far though, Slot cannot be faulted for the way he has taken an excellent team and made them better.



Last season, LFC were wide open at the back, with Endo having to firefight constantly trying to protect huge open spaces and a defence that was left confused by the tactics and unable to cope with covering all the space. Now there is a return to an older system of play at the back, as they return to the way it was before wing-backs became en vogue. There are two full-backs in place when the team is set up to defend, but when attacking, only ventures forward at a time, leaving three players back to cover across the pitch. Usually it is Robertson that sits in, while Alexander-Arnold is given freedom. That provides much better coverage across the back, without overly large gaps appearing.



In midfield, Liverpool were very chaotic, despite Pep Lijnders' obsession with 'control', showing very little control for large periods of the game. Lijnders idea was simple, and could easily have worked fairly well if organised properly, he just wanted an extra man in there to give that control. His thinking being that Alexander-Arnold moves inside when LFC were in possession to provide an overload in there compared to the opposition. A sitting midfielder - usually Endo - would patrol in front of the backline, and in front of that would be two midfielders that could get up and down the pitch. The problem was that, in transition, there would be two midfielders high up the pitch and full-back sat in midfield who was never sure whether to return to the full-back position or stay in the centre and provide an overload in the centre. That left gaps everywhere, and often led to soft goals being conceded by opponents counter attacking quickly. Now the team understands their roles much better and the second deeper-lying midfielder, when out of possession, allows the full-back to just get back to his position as quickly as possible. There is not then a gap in midfield, as there are two dropping in, rather than one.



Other than that, most of the set up is changing game by game to attack pinpointed weaknesses. Against Man Utd, the wingers stayed high to exploit the space left behind full-backs, similar to the way teams were doing against Liverpool last season. But it is the fluidity of the whole team that is most impressive when attacking and the workrate when defending. Szobszlai has a free role, playing as a number 10 if you prefer that terminology, almost alongside Jota/Nunez up front at times, but he was also chasing back if a gap was left behind him, or if he gave away a loose pass. On one of Robertson's rare forays forward, even though the game was really over at that point with LFC 3 up, he raced back to fill the gap left and front up the winger and it was Nunez who got back to help and put the ball out for a corner. The desire is there from this team so far, even without the legendary motivation skills of Klopp to fire them up for everything.



For me though, it feels like the main difference is the clear direction from Slot, compared to the previous Klopp/Lijnders tactical plan. Having watched lots of footage of the training and dressing room build ups etc, it feels like Slot has an excellent way of describing what he wants and give out his instructions. Even just in interviews he is very clear and concise, making it simple for the players to follow the plan and play the game without spending their time overthinking things, which can lead to hesitation. Klopp was never the tactician in his coaching team, so the job of giving tactical instructions came from others within the staff. The last few years had seen that responsibility gradually handed over more and more to Pep Lijnders, who had a very similar tactical ideology to Slot but was obviously not able to communicate that ideology in such a way that players could understand it easily. In fact, judging by footage, he is now trying to be more like Klopp at Red Bull Salzburg, with his dancing and geeing up of the players. It will be interesting to see how he gets on as a manager second time round, though Salzburg is not exactly a difficult place to start, it allows him to develop his own way of playing and managing with little pressure as their team is so far ahead of the rest. The trouble he has is that mistakes will rarely get punished, so bad habits can form easily and it can be difficult to learn how to adapt and improve when you are light years ahead of your opposition.





What can I say about United? It took them until 40 minutes in to actually have a proper shot at goal and it was their only real threat of the half. Even that was more of a hopeful shot from distance than a well manufactured chance. They did create some better chances later on, but the game was 3-0 by then and Liverpool had slightly taken their foot off the gas, so it is difficult to put that down to an improvement from them. In fact it is difficult to see any improvement in this team from last season's at all. The team will no doubt significantly improve when Casemiro is replaced in the line up by Ugarte, but there are still so many issues that Mainoo is beginning to look almost beleagured in their midfield, trying to do everything himself. It is little wonder he made a mistake in the second half - he must have been knackered trying to be an entire midfield on his own! The defence is the biggest worry, no matter which back four is playing the full-backs advance too early and are easily caught out of position. Worse is the disorganised nature of the defending against crosses. Why do the centre-backs both go so far over and leave the centre of the goal empty for a deep cross? It is like watching schoolkids, all running to the ball rather than watching their individual positioning and adjusting to deal with opposition runs.



The worst for me is the lack of real fight in the team. There is plenty of petulance, we all know about Fernandez' tendency to pet his lip when things are going against them (and waste possession constantly trying ridiculous things), but he is not the only one. Both De Ligt and Martinez showed petulance with pointless challenges, that were late and offered nothing other than a sign of weakness. They both just kicked out rather than having to continue to chase back. At least with Maguire, for all his lack of quality, keeps going and you can never accuse him of not trying to do his best. There seems a real lack of team there right now. So many players just seem to go through the motions far too much, there feels like a lack of real desire, that will to win that can carry you through when things get tough. It would have been easy for Ten Hag to sub off half the team at half-time, as there was so little coming from anyone. Rashford has not been anywhere near his best for a long time, but Garnacho was even worse in this match. Certainly questions need to be asked of the manager, and his tactics, but if the players are unable to motivate themselves for a game against United's bitter rivals, then they do not deserve to wear the shirt.





Quick notes on the players:





Alisson - what can you say about him? He comes up big when it matters. It does not seem to matter whether it is about quick reactions or quick foot movement to get across and make a block or whether the ball is to his right, left, down low, up high, wherever and whatever is thrown at him, if it is physically possible to save it, he will save it. The best I have ever seen. His contribution was key to making it such a clear win.



Alexander-Arnold - defensively he looks so much better under Slot, with it clear he understands his role and knows what he has to do. On the ball he has always had special vision and passing range, but even that seems to be improving. Now though the opposition have no idea where he will pop up to pick his passes from. There are times it is like the flying Alexander-Arnold of old, out on the flank putting dangerous balls into the box. Other times he is pinging the ball about from the centre. With plenty of movement to pick out, it is allowing him to get the most of his undoubted quality. Just a shame his goal was ruled out.



Konate - since returning to the side, he has been excellent, except when in the opposition box! He is the perfect foil for van Dijk, they compliment each other almost perfectly and it is key to keep him fit now.



van Dijk - he is defending really well still, using his experience to help with that, while being less prone to the lapses in concentration he could often be plagued by earlier in his career. He is helped massively by having Konate alongside him, with his more aggressive style of play requiring van Dijk to be more alert and ready to cover. Added to that, he is showing real leadership as captain. It not just the moments such as telling Martinez to try that with him after his late challenge on Szobszlai, but the moment when he embarrassed Onana after the goalkeeper gave him a slight dig with his elbow. He is not just intimidating opponents with his defensive ability, now he is becoming a real intimidating force with his personality and using his size and power to make opponents think twice, making them dither and commit errors.



Robertson - once again he is showing that he can adapt and learn. He has improved massively since he joined from Hull City, but it did look last season like this more restrained role at left-back did not suit him at all. He has improved once again, adapting his game to suit the new system like it is natural to him. Garnacho was almost completely shut out of the game by Robertson and he is still able to get forward at times. This new set up is much less physically demanding on him, something that was needed, even if he was younger, as he would often struggle physically to maintain his workrate as the season entered busier periods. There should be no such problems this season for him.



Gravenberch - the ability has always been there, apart from an occasional tendency to overplay at times, but he was lacking in workrate and had a tendency to shirk a challenge. Now the workrate is excellent and he is not shirking challenges, he is shining in midfield and looking like a genuine superstar. Bringing the ball forward from deep suits him much better than a higher starting position as it gives him time to spot a run and pick the pass, rather than dallying on the ball at a crucial moment. It really does show how much difference you can make to a player's game simply by putting him in a role that suits his game completely. The key for him now is to maintain this form and not allow his workrate to dip. So far, and I know it is very early, but he has been Liverpool's player of the season. But there are 35 more Premier League games for him to keep this up.



Mac Allister - another good game from the Argentine, his best of the season. Produced some really good passes and worked so hard for the team, but he is being overshadowed by Gravenberch's performances. It does feel like he is growing into the system and getting better by the game, especially his defensive contributions, which made such a difference in this match. His performances are effective without being showy, so can often go under the radar as he wins the ball back with a simple foot in at the right time, rather than a lunging tackle.



Szoboszlai - along with Diaz and Jota, Szoboszlai was having a poor game until the first goal went in. Though all three were working hard, they were just not playing well in the early parts of the match. It just seemed like he grew after that goal and his game went up a few levels. At times he is almost playing as a second striker, but he is great at chasing back to make up for mistakes - whether his own or somebody else's. The freedom of his new role seems to suit him and it feels like he is playing a more natural game this season, similar to how he began last season. I just wish he would take the shot sometimes. I get ducking under the ball for Diaz to open the scoring, even if Diaz had missed, he was in the better position to score. But there were a few times he got into position to score and he passed the chance up.



Diaz - his workrate is always phenomenal, but it was end product that was missing. This season that has changed, he still has the workrate, but now he has added end product and he is looking like the player we thought we were getting when he pushed Mane aside after arriving. He did struggle with his dribbling in this game, which meant he was poor early on, but he never stops and now he is scoring goals you just have to feel sorry for Gakpo and his chances of getting back into the team.



Jota - the only starter who did not have a good game, I feel that was down to his lack of involvement in the game. Despite a 3-0 win that could have been more, the centre-forward was barely in the game! It shows how well the system was working, as it is not reliant on any one player.



Salah - two assists and a goal, he must absolutely love playing against Manchester United! He is really forcing people to sit up and take notice of his all-round game. All the pundits have stopped talking about how selfish he is at last and realised that he is just a genuinely brilliant player. Yes, he may well have lost a tiny bit of his blistering pace now, but he is adapting and is just as dangerous. It has been a genuine pleasure to watch him each week and I just hope that he continues on like this for a few more years yet.



Gakpo - came on in the 66th minute for Diaz. He is finally getting the chance to play in his favoured position but the form of Diaz has meant it is only limited minutes. But what a great option to have, and he was once again good in his limited time. Working hard, getting involved and trying to make things happen. I like his desire to win the ball back and willingness to track back. However, it is not enough to push him ahead of Diaz in such form.



Nunez - brought on in place of Jota in the 76th minute. Like Jota, he struggled to get involved, but he did showcase his incredible desire, tracking back into the left-back area to shut down a United attack.



Bradley - also arrived in the 76th minute, when he replaced Alexander-Arnold. He is such a totally different proposition for a defence to deal with from Alexander-Arnold. He gets himself into such dangerous positions, charging forward and getting at the opposition, but is very rarely found wanting defensively, which is extremely impressive for a youngster. While Alexander-Arnold is more likely to hang back around the edge of the box, knowing that he can create havoc with a pass or shot, Bradley is more of a bull who charges in there to cause that havoc. Both brilliant players in their own right, and great to have such alternatives to alter the play without needing to change too much.



Tsimikas - replaced Robertson in the 83rd minute. Tsimikas is a great personality, but it does not seem like he has that same adaptability that Robertson has. He does not seem able to just adjust to playing with restraint. Always a willing worker and tries his best, but he does not seem to understand when to charge forward and when to sit, he just seems to always want to get forward.

02 Sep 2024 10:52:31
This is more a theory (conspiracy ) than a rumour and is nothing to do with Liverpool. But may be worthy of discussion.

1. Oasis set to earn around £1billion from surprise reunion tour

2. Man City facing 115 charges of improper financial dealings

3. Man City relegated and banned from European football

4. Mansour puts club up for sale

5. Gallagher brothers make 'opportunistic' purchase of Man City.

You heard it hear first 🤔🙄😱🤣😂🤣.

03 Sep 2024 22:40:50
Maybe.

{Ed025's Note - "Definitely Maybe".. :)