Now the season is over!

[Steveo]

It’s so hard to choose between two players you love.

I want both to stay but obviously that can’t happen forever. On pure footballing terms I believe Mo is the better player. Every man and his dog describing him as the best in the world just a few months ago.

Lots of people ready to ditch our most dependable source of goals in decades because of a poor second half of a season where he still won the golden boot.

[3underpar]

There’s no point to being romantic about what players have “done for the club” when they can both resign contracts but choose not to. Mane and Mo are Liverpool greats, but they are both likely leaving by their own choice. Pick the player in form to stay if that choice must be made.

[Crimson Dynasty]

So what Ancelotti is saying is we looked at how they play and decided to sit deep. Like about 80% of premier league teams who play against us. It's not rocket science or some advanced progressive football philosophy just because it comes out of the mouth of a great and deservedly respected coach.
But most teams when pressed high just hump a hopeful ball beyond our centre backs, whereas Real Madrid have Modric who under pressure can still find pin point long passes.

He basically did the same thing he did with the Shites when he was managing them and playing them against us - simply because it works.
To the tune of them actually beating us at Anfield for the first time in a long age,
(yes, that was the COVID-affected season, but still)

Teams play that strategy because it works.
Plain and simple.

Play any other way against us (or against City) and you're almost guaranteed to get battered on our best days.

They also do it against our team because they know that managers like Klopp and Pep never change the way their teams play just because some team has adopted that sit-deep/long ball-"hoof it up field" strategy.

I guess there is something to be said about the fact that he's admitting this, and possibly even a compliment to be taken from the fact that he's essentially admitting that he realized they couldn't have beaten us in any other way than how a rentford or a Burnley would play us.
But that's little solace coming from the loser's position and he of course comes off looking like a genius.

I believe with a fully fit Thiago and a somewhat half-firing Mo and 'not-nervy' Diaz, we would have broken own their low block.

But what's that they say about "woulda, coulda shoulda...."?

[Nineteenx]

So what Ancelotti is saying is we looked at how they play and decided to sit deep. Like about 80% of premier league teams who play against us. It's not rocket science or some advanced progressive football philosophy just because it comes out of the mouth of a great and deservedly respected coach.
But most teams when pressed high just hump a hopeful ball beyond our centre backs, whereas Real Madrid have Modric who under pressure can still find pin point long passes.

Ancelotti knows how to play Jurgen, he's always given him severe issues, did it 2 seasons running with Napoli, even caused us issues with a piss poor bitters side last season - We overplay, are too tappy crappy, play in front of sides far too much, lack variation through not having runs in behind and not getting players who can create from areas other than LCM, like Hendo, Virgil and Trent on the ball in the right areas the more regularly Thiago plays

I don't know who is responsible for this designated playmaker and trying to be almost exclusively tappy crappy nonsense, but it's made us less effective against top sides, our record against top six prem sides this season was worse than it's been for years, and it certainly isn't evolution, it's very clearly making us lose our edge against the very best sides

It won't improve next season, we won't be miraculously better against top six sides and other top sides continuing with Thiago at LCM and Fab at No6 and with Thiago being designated playmaker by Jurgen's choice or him self appointing himself the role, we need to regularly get our other players who can actually release a player to score or assist on the ball, one player trying to dominate with the ball for us is absolutely fucking useless and makes us far weaker

We have thrown the baby out with the bath water as I warned of us doing very early last season with the overplaying and tappy crappy and spending too much of games playing in front of sides - CIty on the other hand, added a great deal of what we threw out with the bathwater, most of it aimed at drastically improving their ability at being more direct when they wanted to, to their game

[Crimson Dynasty]

There’s no point to being romantic about what players have “done for the club” when they can both resign contracts but choose not to. Mane and Mo are Liverpool greats, but they are both likely leaving by their own choice. Pick the player in form to stay if that choice must be made.

A hundred times THIS!

If they wanted to be here they would have signed extensions a long time ago and been done with all that drama before it became a focus for the media.

Mo was forced to admit he's going to be here next season, because reality probably dawned on him that there are no suitors out there willing to pay the 500k or 400k wage he was looking for from us, that the club refused to budge on giving him.

So clearly it seems like the club weren't wrong in their valuation and decision to stand firm.

And its not like his form in these last 5 months gave any prospective suitors reason to think otherwise or the club to change their minds on this.

He still probably leaving on a free which will hurt, but as long as we're not getting rinsed by someone breaking up our wage structure while on the wrong end of their career and age trajectory, it's a loss I'll take.

I'm more forgiving of Mane not just because it seems like we might have a chance to recoup something from his departure, but also because I believe a large reason for him wanting to leave now is because he doesn't want to be in Mo's shadow any longer as the focus of our attack.
I can sympathize with that.

The number of chances that would be created for Mo or fall to him only to get wasted....
...and not be reciprocated from his end.
The number of times he would get subbed out of games while Mo gets full 90 minutes while playing like crap.
The entire media narrative of the season being about whether Mo would extend his contract of whether he wouldn't - all while forgetting that Mane was in the same situation but nobody bothered to make the same fuss about his situation.
The whole Balon d'Or discussion - despite the fact that it's him (Mane) that's actually helping his nation win their first AFCON cup and taking them to the World Cup, and at the expense of Mo's Egypt, at that.


Who would want to keep playing second fiddle all the time like that when you feel like you've paid the dues to get some more of the limelight than you're getting?

I can't begrudge him wanting to leave all that and wish him all the very best in his next adventure.
A great servant for the club.

[Nineteenx]

Agree with it being completely understandable if Mane didn't want to keep playing second fiddle to Mo, I've always preferred Mane personally, scores more different types of goals and vital breakthrough goals, he isn't quite pre covid Mane now though, maybe he wants to move to a league where that won't make as big a difference as it has

[CCTV]

Vinicius is not the only player free - Kroos is also free on the edge of our box. they completely dragged our entire setup right across to the left side (right side for them) and well out of position before finishing the move into the net.

call it a failed shot or whatever - we are done by that play.

In real time I thought hendo was lazy as the ball was on their right. Said he'd be pivotal in us keeping a clean sheet.

Reals right side was deeper and very compact against our left side.
Our right side pushed up more so against their more dangerous left side.
Little Vinny bested Mo

[scientificred]

In real time I thought hendo was lazy as the ball was on their right. Said he'd be pivotal in us keeping a clean sheet.

Reals right side was deeper and very compact against our left side.
Our right side pushed up more so against their more dangerous left side.
Little Vinny bested Mo

Lots of things are happening on the pitch in 'real time' at pitch level differently to what we perceive from the stands or on tv. Perception of time and space change the nearer you get to the pitch and the point of action.

[CCTV]

Lots of things are happening on the pitch in 'real time' at pitch level differently to what we perceive from the stands or on tv. Perception of time and space change the nearer you get to the pitch and the point of action.

In this case I'm laying blame on Hendo's actions at that point in time. Adding to the discussion at hand.

I posted it as the play developed. But I've not been in the mood to watch it back yet

[CCTV]

Who stays?
Who goes?
who comes in??

go ahead

Who stays gk & defense: I'd keep Philip's & Neco here next year unless there are realistic offers.

Ali Kelleher
Trent Neco
Matip Konate
Virgil Gomez Philips
Robbo Tsimi

Back 5 above is a good situation. Should probably work on a back 3/5 shape in the summer.

Hendo Fab Thiago stay and hopefully one arrives.
Ox probably most likely to leave for minutes.

Keita will stay imo klopp is patient, Jones is doing well enough and will stay, maybe Elliott leaves for a loan move to play but Klopp rates him so might stay.

Forwards
Origi leaving, Mane rumoured to be off, possible Salah leaves on a free next summer, people in for Bobby potentially this summer too.
I think one of our front 3 will leave, maybe 2 !! Hopefully just 1

My guess Mane leaves

Diaz Jota for Lwf
Jota Bobby for 9
Salah Taki for Rwf

Think we're looking for 2 signings here rwf nineteen used to say Chiesa I think for rwf role & goalscoringCF Nunez
In addition to a TouchyFeely type to supplement Hendo and his two incompetent regulars

Ox, Mane & Origi making way

That would on paper be an improvement and a realistic type of scenario. Future proofing the side to a reasonable extent