Matchthread: AC Milan v Liverpool FC

[southernboy]

[teesred]

I don't watch loads of it (or them) but that was a poor performance from them. Yes, their League is not what it was, but they had a poor game anyway, plus we're boss, plus it's also a League in transition as well.

In years gone by you would often see low-scoring games, but there's a shift (better late than never) towards more progressive coaching in that League, though without the talent surplus or the funds to buy the very top players, which are hoovered up. You'll see quite a lot of high-scoring games in Italy generally and Atalanta have shown that you can play exciting football whilst having a tight budget, which is rubbing off on the rest of the League.

It will take time and I hope Serie A continues to recover. Juventus missing out on Champion's League football would be good for their League actually - they could do with the two Milanese clubs doing well, amongst others.

If you were a scout watching that match tonight you'd be more excited by our young midfield talent moreso than Kessie - it's easy to forget that we're a dodgy half of football v Brighton from being top of the League, bossing Europe and through to the quarters of the League Cup.

Its a long road back for Serie A though, I know football goes in cycles but it's hard to see where or when the Premier league gets dislodged by any of the others as the go to destination. Barca and Real will always have pulling power but their league is and has been on the slide for a while in terms of its competitiveness.
Your last paragraph is true and also very frustrating. A mate of mine said the other day it's absolutely mental how well we are doing yet aren't top of the league. We could be this good all season and miss out on silverware.

[redebreck]

All the twats in the Premier League, FA and refs association who applied so many stitch ups to so many and held English football back for 20 years doing so to prop the filthy up want rooting out of every single official body in the English game

Good luck with that.

[redebreck]

Considering Origi has got zero match rhythm, I don’t think he’s been too bad. It will be interesting to see if he gets a run of games in January.

Unless AFCON is cancelled, he's nailed on to have a run of games.

[CCTV]

Think Div will start tomorrow, apparently Jota has a small knock.

[Nineteenx]

Unless AFCON is cancelled, he's nailed on to have a run of games.

Not if we get the forward we need in early in January - I love Divock for the goals he's scored unexpectedly, against Barca through them not really taking him seriously as a threat in any way shape or form and other players putting both his goals on an absolute plate for him for example, but after 6 years he still hasn't grasped what it is he needs to do to help the team play at its highest levels and he doesn't understand basic triggers he should be responding to with appropriate movement and where he should be moving and never has and I don't think he ever will

The vast majority of all Divocks goals haven't come through any great team play involving him or him reading the play and making great movement to be found to finish, the vast majority of them have just fallen to him or been presented to him by sheer rub of the green and bounce of the ball good fortune of it falling kindly for us and him.

He is an infuriating player to watch, the ball will go to Trent or Robbo, or to a midfielder wide advanced of them that practically everyone watching will know is going to go back to Trent or Robbo in space to cross and Origi will be running back away from goal coming short congesting the area they are looking to receive the ball in space in for a first time cross, instead of understanding and having learned what's about to happen and getting in a great position to attack the ball in that is going to arrive, he just doesn't get it, he really lacks game intelligence, I genuinely, without being offensive think he is a bit simple