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We win it easy, maximum points from our remaining games
We win it handily enough
We win it in a slugfest - 1 point clear or similar
We win it if we add 1 signing in January - say a cb
We win it if we add 2 signings in January
We win it if we add 3 signings in January - centreback midfield attacker
We aint winning it - top 4
We aint winning it - EL Spot
We aint winning it - Top Half finish
We aint winning it - Bottom half finish
If you're not sure what to do with the ball, just put it in the net, and we'll talk about the other options later... Bob Paisley.
I saw this - thought it made some interesting points. Make of it what you will.
Liverpool’s biggest strength is now their biggest weakness…
Monday 15th February
Mentality Monsters to Moshi Miniatures
They say that writing can be cathartic, so hopefully this will make me feel better. Lord knows it is needed at the moment – Liverpool have gone from the only bright spot in the unremitting doom of covid existence, to an anchor dragging me deeper and deeper into the abyss. But enough whining, I don’t want to sound like just another Pool fan looking for excuses – VAR is the worst thing that has been intentionally done to football EVER, but is equally appalling for everybody eventually, it’s just Liverpool’s (and Southampton’s) turn to suffer every game at the moment. It’s not a conspiracy, it’s just making a difficult job (refereeing) impossible, and multiplied the potential for subjective error exponentially.
It is pretty clear that this Liverpool team are currently incapable of recovering their confidence, composure, resilience and poise. Maddison and Rodgers both mentioned in the post-match interviews that they knew specifically which weaknesses to go after – Thiago and Liverpool’s propensity to capitulate in the last 20 minutes respectively. In addition to this, Leicester kept attacking down Liverpool’s right knowing that TAA’s defending isn’t worthy of even an out of position Djimi Traore. Credit to Leicester and Rodgers for devising and executing such a devastatingly effective game plan, to go with the low block / wait for a mistake method as guaranteed ways to beat Liverpool in this form.
Why have Liverpool dropped off so far? They are no longer even a shadow of their former selves, but the weird stain on the wall that might have been something once, but now just looks faintly disgusting. It is impossible to describe this season as a title ‘defence’ – it is nothing of the sort, Liverpool are actively helping other teams achieve their own objectives, whilst beating themselves twice a week. What has happened to turn one of the strongest outfits mentally into one of the weakest? Robbo said that they hadn’t become bad players over night, but that is in fact exactly what has happened. But why?
I believe this is down to what was Liverpool’s biggest strength, but has now become our biggest weakness – emotion. Klopp has always drawn on emotion as a tool – ‘become believers’, ‘mentality monsters’ etc etc – this is how he was able to draw such insane levels of performance out of this group for so long. However, it is a double-edged sword – if you use positive emotion as the foundation for over-performance, it shouldn’t be a surprise that when that emotion turns negative, you get disastrous under-performance. The following evidence supports this theory:
It is why Klopp’s excuses are so corrosive, they prick the balloon of self-confidence and replace it with victimhood
It is why VAR decisions going against Liverpool have such a negative effect – it feels so much more unjust and unfair, rather than just something to be moved on from
It explains why Liverpool have suffered so much with empty stands – the Anfield crowd were a fundamental fuel for the team’s emotion and confidence
It is why the team can collapse from untroubled control to complete and utter disaster and calamity at the first sign of anything going against them
It is why the collapses happen so quickly and are so devastating – we are basically a bipolar team – from calm to despair in minutes
It is why injuries have more impact – you can swap out cogs in a machine relatively easily, it is harder to change around fundamental elements to an emotional heartbeat
This Means More = this is exactly the problem, it really shouldn’t
The bad news is that the above makes it much more difficult, and take much longer, to turn this situation around – you are talking about rebuilding the emotional currency built up over 3 years, in a few weeks. Aint going to happen.*
I mentioned in a recent email that it is time to rest the first 11 for next season, I’m now more sure than ever that this is the right thing to do – otherwise the cycle will not be broken, and we will spin further and further out of contention.
Last edited by Steveo; 16th February 2021 at 02:41 PM.
This? Why, I can make a hat or a brooch or a pterodactyl...
It's not brilliant by any means but a few good points made, that some have alluded to in here.
Like how the atmosphere being stolen - has drastically affected that trinity...Manager/Players/Fans...that Shanks so famously spoke about.
Jurgen tapped into that and has maximised it - the team fed of it - but BCD is shite..!
Amazing how things change isn't it?
4th of jan, new year hope and dreams
People predicting mostly we'd win it by the looks of it
a month later.........
only 16 pts behind man city (if win game in hand**)
It is amazing how things change but as football fans, life's sufferers, we don't see it happening to our rivals.
Agreed, what a load of absolute horseshite, I remember doing the World Cup site and just absolutely wiping the floor with Holt, Maddock and all the other know nothing established football journos, I got literally everything exactly right England wise, while they were just pissing in the wind as they always do
"If Everton were playing at the bottom of my garden, i'd close the curtains”
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