Match Thread : Liverpool v Real Madrid

[JockStrap]

The first 20 minutes were good.

No-one gave us a sniff coming into the game but Nunez goes past the defenders like they’re not even there and flicks it in and unfortunately it’s wasn't goodnight Vienna just yet.

[ianlfc]

No-one gave us a sniff coming into the game but Nunez goes past the defenders like they’re not even there and flicks it in and unfortunately it’s wasn't goodnight Vienna just yet.

We just shit the bed after going 2 up. Virgil and Gomez were a bloody disaster together.
If ever the owners need a wake up call that in football teams need freshened up season after season it was last night.

[Steveo]

Yeah I worked it out in the end (last post on page 29 of this thread) but it would be ridiculously easy to miss the post as there was so much talking about the match.

I'd be surprised if he walked - he backs himself massively - so I am hoping you're wrong.

Need to get back on the Horse quickly and address the midfield in the Summer to help him out.

Yep we all hope..at least I hope we do.

The thing is Klopp strikes me as the type who demands a huge level of performance, and the second he feels he can’t deliver that, he will say it. Effectively standing down.

It might be an irrational fear on my part, but there it is.

[vin]

Yep we all hope..at least I hope we do.

The thing is Klopp strikes me as the type who demands a huge level of performance, and the second he feels he can’t deliver that, he will say it. Effectively standing down.

It might be an irrational fear on my part, but there it is.

Wouldn't be surprised tbh

[toshin]

Joe Gomez - cannot keep his concentration in a champions league tie vs real madrid. There was an Audiable yell from a fan of 'Joe fockin wake up'. If only that was klopp.

Henderson - a certain someone keeps defending him but it's pretty clear that his age and physical decline means he can't keep up with a classy 37yo modric.
Hendersons skill of 'run' is gone and with it his other skill of 'yell' isn't as effective.

Fabinho - usual average to poor game this season with his speciality: backpasses

Klopp - chose to go with the 'pace' of Gomez. Put him next to trent and the opposition will be licking their lips.
How many more times do we need to do this??

[teesred]

We just shit the bed after going 2 up. Virgil and Gomez were a bloody disaster together.
If ever the owners need a wake up call that in football teams need freshened up season after season it was last night.

Been plenty of wake up calls this season Ian but you're right, that one should be a ramification for them.
We can blame the owners, they do deserve bashing and Klopp isn't blamelesss but the collective drop off of the team this season defies belief. Literally every single one has dropped levels. It doesn't make sense how far we've fallen. That second half was as bad as anything this season, the defending for the third goal was jaw dropping and it was tie over after that.
I expect a reaction in Saturday night for sure.

[Steveo]

Been plenty of wake up calls this season Ian but you're right, that one should be a ramification for them.
We can blame the owners, they do deserve bashing and Klopp isn't blamelesss but the collective drop off of the team this season defies belief. Literally every single one has dropped levels. It doesn't make sense how far we've fallen. That second half was as bad as anything this season, the defending for the third goal was jaw dropping and it was tie over after that.
I expect a reaction in Saturday night for sure.

Sadly...it all makes perfect sense to me.

This is what it looks like when you have a team capable of overachieving - with a core group of WC players in their prime...bankrolled by the sale of another star (Coutinho)...but still punching above their true weight. That side that wins the big prizes but then gets no genuine top level investment. The manager keeps getting 120% out of the same group over and over again. Then they crash... then get back on the horse (last season) for one last hurrah and then they really are done.

#spent

[teesred]

Sadly...it all makes perfect sense to me.

This is what it looks like when you have a team capable of overachieving - with a core group of WC players in their prime...bankrolled by the sale of another star (Coutinho)...but still punching above their true weight. That side that wins the big prizes but then gets no genuine top level investment. The manager keeps getting 120% out of the same group over and over again. Then they crash... then they get back on the horse (last season) for one last hurrah and they they are done.

#spent

Im sure there's examples but I can't think of a team in any sport that's had such a plummet. There will definitely be some though.
My biggest worry now is that even with investment I don't see us returning to the level we were at. Much harder to get back than to retain where you are and very very easy to fall out of things.
We'll need four players minimum to all hit the ground running, wholesale changes rarely work that way and even then we:ll still be left with quite a few players who are either not good enough or way past it physically.

[southernboy]

I still haven’t quite come to terms with what happened last night. I’m still numb, but not surprised.

Mostly, I’m just sad. This squad has achieved so much, and broken so many records… now they’re creating unwanted records. It really has reached the end of the road. The question is, what happens next without major investment?

I really hope Klopp stays. For me personally, he’s irreplaceable. He’s certainly capable of putting another trophy winning squad together given the resources. Arguably the rebuilding has started, but only in the offensive areas, though I still haven’t given up on Konate.

Let’s hope that this setback doesn’t affect our recent improvement. We can just focus on trying to get top four. If we don’t manage that, I hope we can avoid the Europa league.

[Insidious]

Im sure there's examples but I can't think of a team in any sport that's had such a plummet. There will definitely be some though.
My biggest worry now is that even with investment I don't see us returning to the level we were at.

I think it would be extremely difficult for any side to reach the level we were at on a consistent basis - we were a ridiculously good side.

What I do think though is that we should - SHOULD mind you - expect to be able to get to a point where 75-82 points is a realistic expectation and see if we can build on that.

We can talk about burn-out and it's very justified in the case of a number of our players, but a lot of forward-thinking players we have on our books shouldn't be filed under the "spent" category. Lads like Diaz, Gakpo, Núñez, Elliott, Carvalho should be capable of making up the majority of a decent attack and some of our defenders should still be capable of doing a job. Add Jota to that list (he has been here a bit longer and thus arguably suffering some of the mental/physical fatigue around the squad) and we have the age profile of a respectable attacking unit.

After a disastrous result I often ask myself if a match might have gone differently if we had *insert player X into the side using a time machine* and in last night's case I wonder if we get a more favourable result with a peak-Mascherano in that side - and indeed look better in some recent League games when countered upon?

For me the answer to that hypothetical is "yes" and thus the first (and obvious!) thought is to get a high-quality, energetic midfielder in to boost the side. The obvious add to that is that we need more than one and I think most would agree a new central defender would be great.

I genuinely feel if we move some lads on and make some additions (2 top quality mids, a centre-back) then we should be capable of remaining a regular Champion's League side. I mean, we might even nick 4th this season DESPITE an incoherent midfield unit, so I believe it's fair to imagine improvement if we assemble one.