Match Thread: Liverpool v PSG

[justme]

The latter! yes that one

[Crimson Dynasty]

Is that 7 or 8 games or 7/8ths of a game?

Yes.

[justme]

If we are going to stick with a 4/3/3 formation.. when everyone is fit and with extra players brought in,
This is how i think we should play and have played like this previously

Alisson( i hope we can convince him to extend)
Bradley/Frimgpong
4 centre backs.. Konate who'll probably stay. Virgil.. Jaquet and Leoni . both hopefully ready for next season

Kerkez who was shit this evening but hope there

A new DM and Gravenberch
centre midfielders . we need another with Macca and Dom

Forward areas need a new attacker for the right.. with Salah leaving.. Not sure on the left.. Because we don't want to slow Rio's progression .. But i'd like us to bring in someone like Gordon. that may see the end of Gakpo
and then we have two number 10s in Ekitike and Isak


Just go back to the traditional 4/3/3 and pass the ball better and drop off a bit. drag the opponents onto you. and break in wide areas.. We have an excellent centre midfielder in Dom who can sit as well and break off the main man. Macca also is quite good at that.

We need a couple of players in midfield so we can rest Macca and Dom from time to time. No more false number 10 come wide player.

We can blame a lot of reasons for our poor showing this season. But again i think the main issue has been Wirzt.
his positioning has ruined our team. In the sense when hes hes in a 3.. we are short behind and that makes the likes of Gravenberch look worse because hes having to do more work. and that ruins our back line . they don't know where to drop off or press

Play a proper 4/3/3. drop off and defend in numbers. keep the ball well when you have it and just have patience . We are all over the shop right now. trying to press and get forward and often playing stupid long balls. that helps no one.

[RedMagic]

We've been as weak as piss in midfield and defence this season. How is that more Wirtz's fault than Mac Allister's? Wirtz definitely hasn't been great, but he's not exactly being used correctly by a manager who is sucking the life out of players as well as playing them out of position. Mac Allister on the other hand is done as a player for a top team. If he's still here and starting games next season we've got big problems.

[justme]

Macca as proven himself? as for the manager not playing Wirzt in his right position hes tried??

[redebreck]

I've been wondering. What position should we play Wirtz? There's a player there but it's not working all that well at the moment.
If he plays midfield then we need 4 4 2 .

[justme]

If we play 4/4/2 we'll get out numbered in midfield and then the likes of Macca and Grav will get pelters for looking average.

Get rid off Wirzt and go back to the tried and tested 4/3/3.

[Steveo]

Formations are made often to suit the players. After losing Coutinho in Jan and bagging Virgil - we still had an embarrassment of riches going forward. This meant we could effectively utilise a solid but very unspectacular midfield - NOTHING like PSG...

Lose those relentless goals and that Uber solid back line - and that midfield gets exposed.


Salah..
Mane
Bobby...

Also
Sturridge
Origi
Brewster
Oxlade

then in the summer we signed Shaqiri


This is why it was a no brainer to sell.... Barca offering £140 million after his superb showings and Klopp making him Captain..and us STILL with that weaponry.. This gave Klopp 1 single chance to go shopping in the department store City and Chelsea were browsing in for years. And look what he made of it. Virgil - Alisson - Fabinho.. Throw in Shaq... Foundation in place... now the rapier like attack can be put into over drive.

There is no coincidence that with the break up (through departure and age) of that spine we see the mess unfold DESPITE the relatively huge outlay last summer. A switch in formation isn't likely to fix our problems.

This isn't happening again under these owners. It just isn't. It's either new owners - another once in a generation manager OR it's at best - 'Back to the Rodgers.'

[Insidious]

I've been wondering. What position should we play Wirtz? There's a player there but it's not working all that well at the moment.
If he plays midfield then we need 4 4 2 .

He can be deployed as the 1 behind the strikers in a 4-1-2-1-2, he can be deployed in a 3-5-2 (he's a 10 in either of these set-ups) and he could be played as the left-sided 8 in a 4-3-3 given how well he does in the left half-space, but the profiling around him needs to be absolutely spot on for that to work.

[jozza800]

Formations are made often to suit the players.

Which is the exact opposite of what Slot is doing.

I think Wirtz is a cracking player and I've not hidden my enthusiasm about him, but i'd make a better Left Winger than him and i'm about 3 stone overweight and haven't kicked a ball in over 20 years!!!

He's being doing it all season, some due to injury but some of it is just baffling. He's changed absolutely everything from last season. Formation, build up, transitional play, pressing and position etc - and don't even get me started again on the midfield.

There's probably only 3 managers on the planet that could do what Klopp did, and he, himself is one of them! But there are plenty of managers that could a better job than what Arne is mustering this season. Even Klopp said he wasn't a 'tactician' but he know how to set up a balanced side.

[Red October]

Formations are made often to suit the players. After losing Coutinho in Jan and bagging Virgil - we still had an embarrassment of riches going forward. This meant we could effectively utilise a solid but very unspectacular midfield - NOTHING like PSG...

Lose those relentless goals and that Uber solid back line - and that midfield gets exposed.


Salah..
Mane
Bobby...

Also
Sturridge
Origi
Brewster
Oxlade

then in the summer we signed Shaqiri


This is why it was a no brainer to sell.... Barca offering £140 million after his superb showings and Klopp making him Captain..and us STILL with that weaponry.. This gave Klopp 1 single chance to go shopping in the department store City and Chelsea were browsing in for years. And look what he made of it. Virgil - Alisson - Fabinho.. Throw in Shaq... Foundation in place... now the rapier like attack can be put into over drive.

There is no coincidence that with the break up (through departure and age) of that spine we see the mess unfold DESPITE the relatively huge outlay last summer. A switch in formation isn't likely to fix our problems.

This isn't happening again under these owners. It just isn't. It's either new owners - another once in a generation manager OR it's at best - 'Back to the Rodgers.'

We have a lot of issues right now. Looking at last night's match, we don't have enough game-changers in our team. Thinking back to our pomp with Klopp, we had the front 3 who could create. We also had Trent and Robbo from FB. We had the solid central three and two CBs keeping everything marshalled down the middle.

Right now we don't have enough up front to occupy defenders. Add to that the predictable nature of our attack. We've seen all season that Cody keeps cutting in and not producing much. I think Cody's okay but as one of many attacking options. Salah will be gone so we need someone to replace that threat.

Attackers:
Rio
Gakpo
Ekitike
Isak
Wirtz
Frimpong

From what we have now I would go with this:

Alisson
Bradley/Other Konate VVD Kerkez
Szobo Grav
Frimpong Wirtz Rio
Ekitike/Isak

What we've been crying out for last summer never mind this, is a DM who sits. This would free up Szob or Grav to get forward. Both of them have loads of ability but tying them down limits their contribution.

Personally, I don't want to waste Frimpong at RB because we need a threat on the RW. Bradley is not gonna stay fit so we need to either sign someone there or get a new RW for Salah.

If we get a DM and a RW I think that could help us a lot. If we occupy defenders and let them worry about us, we won't be on the back foot. Grav showed even last night that he can be great breaking from deep. Szob has shown over time that he can be world class on his day. Wasting him at RB is criminal. Wirtz is a luxury player right now but in a more functional team with threats from the wing, a functioning midfield etc. he could be a real asset.

[Steveo]

Which is the exact opposite of what Slot is doing.

I think Wirtz is a cracking player and I've not hidden my enthusiasm about him, but i'd make a better Left Winger than him and i'm about 3 stone overweight and haven't kicked a ball in over 20 years!!!

He's being doing it all season, some due to injury but some of it is just baffling. He's changed absolutely everything from last season. Formation, build up, transitional play, pressing and position etc - and don't even get me started again on the midfield.

There's probably only 3 managers on the planet that could do what Klopp did, and he, himself is one of them! But there are plenty of managers that could a better job than what Arne is mustering this season. Even Klopp said he wasn't a 'tactician' but he know how to set up a balanced side.

This is not my position BUT:

If you'd make a better left winger than him in his prime - at 22 - playing in an offensive role ...then he isn't close to good enough.


I see a player who FOR A NORDIC (a German - Teutonic) - looks very technical. BUT up against Vitinha and Emery he looks pedestrian. Ineffective. Slow feet - YES SLOW - not fast enough or clever enough compared to the best in Europe yet.

As an example Luka Modric had far FAR more quality at the same age - and from the post war Croatian League FFS.Signed for £16.m.

This is what I mean about those running the club. Klopp would get far more from hi. BUT... I would wager Klopp thinks Wirtz is AMAZING too. He thought Kieta was too... Klopp not the best at spotting talent - just the best at getting the most from the least. As yet - Wirtz really isn't amazing at all not even close. Quality - yes... but there are plenty of quality players around for half his fee with - imo - a higher ceiling. Germany ain;t the hunting ground for such players. Obviously I am basing this on this season and in this league.. Which isn't entirely fair to the lad as it's his first in this country..


What he does he does well but what he does is SO dependent on others tailoring their game for him. Great players do not need this. He needs to be able to adapt HIS game IF he is to work here

[jozza800]

This is not my position BUT:

If you'd make a better left winger than him in his prime - at 22 - playing in an offensive role ...then he isn't close to good enough.


I see a player who FOR A NORDIC (a German - Teutonic) - looks very technical. BUT up against Vitinha and Emery he looks pedestrian. Ineffective. Slow feet - YES SLOW - not fast enough or clever enough compared to the best in Europe yet.

As an example Luka Modric had far FAR more quality at the same age - and from the post war Croatian League FFS.Signed for £16.m.

This is what I mean about those running the club. Klopp would get far more from hi. BUT... I would wager Klopp thinks Wirtz is AMAZING too. He thought Kieta was too... Klopp not the best at spotting talent - just the best at getting the most from the least. As yet - Wirtz really isn't amazing at all not even close. Quality - yes... but there are plenty of quality players around for half his fee with - imo - a higher ceiling. Germany ain;t the hunting ground for such players. Obviously I am basing this on this season and in this league.. Which isn't entirely fair to the lad as it's his first in this country..


What he does he does well but what he does is SO dependent on others tailoring their game for him. Great players do not need this. He needs to be able to adapt HIS game IF he is to work here

I'm not sure how effective Modric would be as a winger...

Klopp would 100% get a tune out of him. Which is half the issue, Slot is absolutely tone deaf.

[Steveo]

I'm not sure how effective Modric would be as a winger...

Klopp would 100% get a tune out of him. Which is half the issue, Slot is absolutely tone deaf.

Far far better than you Jozza and than Wirtz

Don't forget Wirtz has regularly played as an inverted left winger for Germany and Bayer...This is NOT an alien position for him... And this is precisely the point when you are as good as Luka - you don't get put on the wing.

Seriously - if you honestly believe Wirtz cannot function at Premier league level on the wing.. WTF did we spend all that dosh on?

[Steveo]

They thought they were buying this... but you have to be able to do this in the Premier league. And I have yet to se Ze German capable of such trickery.

I have instructed Florian before.. I know - as if he reads hre.. .... but IF he did I would say... watch this fella. Get half way to this and you will be worth the money.

Really watch...True ball mastery... See IF we can see the difference