Real Madrid v Liverpool (CL Match Thread)

[miller0863]

Mané desperately needs a summer off.

[eggy81]

Mané desperately needs a summer off.

I’d say he’ll be off alright.

[Steveo]

Mané desperately needs a summer off.

Him and a plenty others: More than half the team look wasted.

[CCTV]

Since virgil arrived I'd say there's been about 3 games where he looked a little tired after 60/70 mins. Yet he could recover in time for the next games. Only lost due to hackford

After virgil arrived our front 3s workload reduced, as 19 noted.
Prior to virgil the intensity of pressing was higher. His impact allowed our front 3 to play more like a MSN. We didn't require them to track back or press as much as they essentially could be left up the pitch. Our back 7 would deal with the oppositions attack. There were very few games where we needed them to be like they were.
Prior to virgil solidifying our back line there was a greater need to pressure the balls out of their defense.

The idea peps Barca side were not playing and pressing at a high intensity is imo a ridiculous claim. They were a ferocious side.
5 seconds to recover a ball after a turnover is not achieved at a canter.
The idea messi was a lazy player at the height of his powers likewise.

[Steveo]

If only Jurgen was similarly in touch with finer details of the game as our resident “experts”.

[Steveo]

Current wisdom is then. If Messi can do it - so can Salah - Mané and Bobby perhaps they are acting...?

Seems Pep’s Barcelona had the same quality to work ratio as Jurgen’s Liverpool.. (chuckle)

I suppose Hendo, Gini, Milner and Fabinho can put themselves alongside Iniesta and Xavi, Busquets and Fabregas too? .

Just the same midfield that saw Spain win the World Cup & European Championship - but naturally in a far less physically demanding league than the Prem we should be comparing their workloads

I may be wrong but I think it was between 7 and 8 Barcelona players in each of the World Cup winning and European Championship winning finals:

[scientificred]

I'll never agree with your musings on this Steveo, logically it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, if you're playing the game almost exclusively in the opposition half for 2 seasons, at it's very best your press is as good as when Hendo was at CM, you're not being run into the ground, you're not making nearly as many long sprints as practically every other team.

Our issues are missing key players, Jurgen fucking about with things he should have left well alone because they were our strongest sets and VAR has robbed us of around 12 points this season and that has definitely has an affect n form and confidence too

If you were making a post like this and we were still splaying as we did from when Jurgen arrived until the end of the 17-18 season, which obviously was a lot more running, a lot more long sprints, the press not as organised, then yes, you'd absolutely have a point, but we haven't played like that for the last 2 seasons

Like people waffling on about how we play being found out, well, it was working absolutely fine at the start of the season and we were still top at Christmas despite VAR having robbed us of 9 points by that stage

I think when we were at our best Trent was essentially a right winger with Hendo operating occasionally as CM but more often at RB covering for Trent

[jinky]

Time to reflect from the comfort of a few days out from the RM debacle.
3 changes from the arsenal match. Why would Klopp do that. What goes on that he sees that we don't.
I can only guess he thought legs were the key. Modric getting on a bit now but what he lacks in youth he more than compensates with guile.
The young Brazilian up front. Is he the real deal or did it all just fall nicely for him on the night.
Things looked dicey from the kick off. We can always be relied on to hit 15 passes to advance 15 yards but even this deserted us. Nerves are the problem. The team sensed there was quality all over the pitch wearing white. Fear spreads and it needs leadership to extinguish it. Where's Gerrard, Souness Case or Smith when you need it. Without Virge or Henderson we're stuffed. Robbo might be the next candidate but he'll know after the shite he's delivered lately he can hardly ball anyone out.
We have a 20% chance of making the semi with our most guess able line up. Thus why not play a totally left field selection. One last hurrah for Ox, shaquiri and origi. They'll know its now or never.
Ps I switched to the City Dortmund game for the 2nd half. Fear had spread through the City team too. Haarland didn't score but he's so good just knowing he was on the pitch put the shits up the bunch of them

[CCTV]

Current wisdom is then. If Messi can do it - so can Salah - Mané and Bobby perhaps they are acting...?

Seems Pep’s Barcelona had the same quality to work ratio as Jurgen’s Liverpool.. (chuckle)

I suppose Hendo, Gini, Milner and Fabinho can put themselves alongside Iniesta and Xavi, Busquets and Fabregas too? .

Just the same midfield that saw Spain win the World Cup & European Championship - but naturally in a far less physically demanding league than the Prem we should be comparing their workloads

I may be wrong but I think it was between 7 and 8 Barcelona players in each of the World Cup winning and European Championship winning finals:

Peps barca side is the best I've seen, worked their arses off, better quality overall, same high intensity football and work rate.

Ps you're the expert claiming klopp ran the players into the ground. Claiming a better understanding than Klopp.
Just not sharing your knowledge precisely.

How many minutes do you think a player, take Mane as an example, can actually play in a season under Klopp without being knackered?

Heres Manes minutes since 16/17
17021

Heres sterling's minutes since 16/17
18295

The gap between these 2 is largely down to Manes injurys/afcon 16/17 season

Heres carragher minutes over a few seasons.
Carragher
5 consecutive seasons 24216
6 - 28940

[Steveo]

No no no. Play a game of football CC and stop trying to read your way into an understanding of the game.

This is where you and 19 miss the bleeding obvious entirely.

The players have been run into the ground.. this is what we are witnessing. This is what has to happen to win what we have!

It simply does not happen unless they are pushed that hard and for that time. It’s called a chase - a race. You try to win the league - you end up in a CL final. You lose it.

You promise to come back next year and win it. You do just that and take 97 points into the bargain missing out on the title by... drum roll... 1 sodding point!

You then get told you cannot buy any more players because you have to... wait for it... “pay the bills”..

So no new signings but the drive is there to take a title. The squad is capable IF only we can just escape another season without any majors injury...

And we go on a run from the start of the season until well into February where we make the league totally un-winnable.

Then the team crashes..

These are the hard facts.

Klopp could have tried to take it easier on the squad - no argument but we likely miss out on both number 6 and number 19.

He needed backing.. he needed far better backing than to have to do all this from the sale of Coutinho.

Those citing injury and we have had some rotten luck this season following huge luck the last 2. May I remind you - if we win today it will be our first win at home in 2021!

Is this the level we can expect while missing Gomez and Virgil? Nothing else at play?

Come on - the team has run out of gas, we are all upset. It is tragic really no fans to see our Champions and City will get the parade we haven’t had for 30 years, but a lack of investment means we could wait another 30 amigo.

For the record... Comparing Klopp’s workhorses with Peps Barca IMO shows a mahusive lack of football knowledge. Stop digging.