The OFFICIAL Liverpool FC thread - Jurgen walks - Stallion vindicated

[AZOffaly]

You are right there J70. We will prob only see the same 14 or 15 players for the rest of the season injuries permitted. Sturridge is finished at Liverpool. I really think Sakho should be given another chance.

I'd have Sahko in the starting team as the left sided centre back every time. Wish Koop would bring him back in and forget about whatever happened.  He's miles ahead of the other options in a position that we've struggled all season. Think him and Matip would be a good enough pair - though Matip was poor the other night in all fairness.

The situation with Sakho is a strange one alright. I'm not convinced he is better option than Lovern though.  Sakho is capable of the odd brainfart also.  I do agree though he should have at least been brought back into the squad when Matip was out.

He's a better option than Lucas at centre back though. Whatever happened there though is gone and I don't think sahko is any solution to the current slump. Nobody was calling for sahko when liverpool were playing great stuff and winning games. He played very well in that run to the Europa cup final but he's not exactly a steadying influence.

[Minus15]

No we weren't calling for Sakho AZ because the team was doing fine without him. I do rate Lovren but Klavan and Lucas as back up options are not enough. Sakho would challenge Lovren and Matip for a place whereas at the moment Lovren and Matip know they are first choice.

When things start looking thin and Klavan obviously not goof enough, with the manager admitting there are no options in the transfer market, I feel that Sakho should have been brought back in for rest of the season anyway.

[manfromdelmonte]

Long Ball tactics have been found out

teams just let Liverpool have the ball, they cannot break down a well drilled team, they don't have a target man to get crosses into, then hit the pool on the break

[Minus15]

Liverpool were well fit to break down teams that sat back earlier in the season, teams like West Brom, Watford, Hull and Swansea and Sunderland all tried their best to frustrate but Liverpool were able to come up with the answers. The problem is that they could not cope without Coutinho and Mane or with Firmino being forced to the left in Coutinho's absence, stifling his influence. Lallana has suffered a similar situation leaving an ordinary, safe midfield of Henderson, Wijnaldum and Liverpool Can, who has been very disappointing this season. Losing key players has led to players playing out of position, unable to replicate the duties of the person they replaced. If Liverpool can keep their first 11 fit, they will find their rhythm again.

Team for rest of season should be:

Mignolet
Clyne
Matip
Lovren
Milner
Henderson
Wijnaldum
Lallana
Mane
Firmino
Coutinho

The good news is that they are now in a position to field that team for the first time in maybe 15 games.

With one game a week from next week onwards, keeping that 11 fit and regaining confidence is key. Start with a win on Tuesday and things could change for the better again.

Moreno, Sturridge, Lucas will all be gone in the summer as they are clearly not trusted to perform the job that their positions require in the system.

Others such as Can, Origi and Klavan have had chances but just aren't good enough to play at the moment. Can and Origi have the potential to come good though.

The kids are not ready at all. I would doubt Ejaria will do anything at the club. Easy on the eye but not much else. Stewart is not up to it. Woodburn and Trent look good prospects and have started well.

[The Stallion]

Origi absolutely does not have the potential to ever be good enough. He's rubbish and always will be.

[The Stallion]

Can has some ability but he tends to be very sloppy at times and is lacking in pace.

[Maroon Manc]

Blessing in disguise getting knocked out, you've a small squad that will now get plenty of rest between games but more importantly you'll have better preparation for league games than any of the other top 6.

[AZOffaly]

Blessing in disguise getting knocked out, you've a small squad that will now get plenty of rest between games but more importantly you'll have better preparation for league games than any of the other top 6.

It would be if the form was better. There are a lot of important lads out of form at the moment, and/or low in confidence. Lallana, Sturridge, Can, Origi, Firmino (albeit he was decent against Swansea) and even Coutinho. Mané coming back is a boost, but they need more than just one player coming back, they need the players they have to regain their form.

I agree with a lot of what minus15 said above, and if you could get that first XI playing and in form, then top 4 will be achieved. If they continue to labour, then they will fail in that I think. I'm sure it will be turned around, I just hope it's not before they've given themselves a mountain to climb to even get into the top 4.

[AZOffaly]

Would agree with pretty much all of that minus15

Same as that. I'm disappointed in what I've seen of Ejaria. He has been touted, but I don't really see any spark in him at all. He looks like a bit of a one paced, tall midfield link man, but not someone who is equipped to be as creative as you'd like. I know he's young, and maybe he's just undercooked, but I don't see the 'divil' in him that you'd like to see. TAA has it, and Woodburn shows it sometimes too. Ejaria not so much. Kevin Stewart is older than Emre Can. If he was a viable option, he'd be pressing a lot more at this stage. I'd say he'll move on too.

Ojo is the puzzling one for me. In a game against the likes of Southampton or Swansea where you are struggling to get in behind them, and being frustrated in your attempts to play through them, I'd have thought a quick, skillful ball carrier, with the ability to both cross and finish, would be worth trying. Klopp doesn't seem to fancy him, and I wonder why.

[Minus15]

AZ is on the money there in that as good as it is to have players back, they need to find some form sooner rather than later. The record against the big teams has been good and that needs to continue, starting with a win tomorrow night.
If that happens, Chelsea host Arsenal at the weekend with Arsenal in form so a lot still to play for at the top if Liverpool can find their rhythm again.

I had forgotten about Ojo and his injury where he missed the first few months of the season has set him back but as you say AZ with his pace, he should really have been primed to come in as an alternative when Mane was away. Klopp hinted after the Plymouth replay that there were issues with his application in training so a big opportunity spurned for him if that is the case.

[TabClear]

Real feeling of anti climax about the game tonight.  It should have been an opportunity to put a marker down for the second half of the season against a title rival but the recent results and form means it feels  almost like a meaningless end of season game which is ridiculous given the table.  Title chances might be gone but need to start stringing results together to consolidate the top four spot that was always the season goal.

[Orior]

It will be good to see a team come to Anfield and not park the bus.

[J70]

It will be good to see a team come to Anfield and not park the bus.

I don't know... Chelsea did an expert job on City a couple of months ago, sitting back and hitting them on the break (albeit aided by appalling goalkeeping and the miss of the season from DeBruyne).

[Mikhailov]

What has happened Marko Grujic ?

Surely if he anyway decent he would have played some game time in last few weeks.

[J70]

What has happened Marko Grujic ?

Surely if he anyway decent he would have played some game time in last few weeks.

He was out injured for a while before xmas.

Can only assume he's still not fit, otherwise he would have been bound to have played in some of those cup games.