Match Thread: Galatasaray v Liverpool

[Kev0909]

As is well-documented, Konate is probably our biggest liability. Should we try Gomez there for a bit? I wouldn't mind trying that. Gomez is not exactly Mr Stability either.

didn't exactly impress v southampton

£446m spent, still no good backup for grav/maca.. still no good CB with VVD... and now we have no pace in attack.

[Kev0909]

The numbers suggest Liverpool have only been statistically better than their opponent in two of their six Premier League games so far this season, with newly-promoted Sunderland the only side in the division to have overperformed by a higher margin.

Ouch

Only West Ham, Leeds and Nottingham Forest have conceded more set-piece goals than Liverpool in the Premier League this season. A closer look at the numbers shows the Reds are allowing significantly more shots and expected goals from set-pieces than last term.

Underlying performance data suggests Liverpool are fortunate to be top. In fact, the Sky Sports expected table, which is based on our xG formula, has the champions seventh, on nine points, behind struggling Manchester United on expected goal difference.

[Red October]

I can well believe that but as we know stats don't always tell the whole story. We have often found ways to win under both Slot and Klopp in recent years despite not being as good as we might have been. I'd rather we kept the league ticking over for now at least till November and by then you'd hope the new players would be finding their feet. In the next month we have Chelsea away, Man U at home and Brentford away. You'd hope we could get 6 points out of that or 7.

Arsenal have West ham home, Fulham away and Palace home. They could take all 9 points but you never know. Maybe Palace could get something there. So we might be neck and neck by the end of this month but one month closer to integrating those players. Isak maybe to improve and get a goal or two.

[Steveo]

Never liked him.. but he nails it for me does Carra

[Red October]

Yeah. He's probably right. I do think it's a product of the constant over-analysis that we have these days. It's not rocket science that 4/5 new starters in the team would take time to bed in. Unfortunately if a team loses a few games it's a crisis these days. Had Liverpool scraped the draw with Palace (unjustified) and equalised last night, we'd probably be saying "yeah they're not playing great but they're getting the results".

I agree with him that Slot is going to earn his money now. He needs to create an identity for the team. Are we moving away from the workman-like midfields that Klopp liked? If so, will we be too open as a result? He needs a plan.

[Steveo]

I think he was saying we were workmanlike last season. But it’s also true that we had workmanlike midfields under Klopp, but the football was anything but workmanlike. Blood and Thunder - all out - go for it.

I maintain that last season wasn’t too difficult for Slot. Low expectation, He had an entire squad left to him. Couldn’t land the one player he seemed to insist on landing - Zubimendi… Had simply to pick from the strongest players at his disposal. He played them religiously, He admitted this just days ago.

Only works IF you don’t get any injuries mind. But he played them in a more pragmatic way, less intensity with what I thought was an attempt at a higher quality game.


Funny how we all see these things different

[Red October]

Yeah I think under Klopp we had Wini, Hendo and Fabinho at our peak who did a lot of the donkey-work in midfield. None of them were renowned for attacking though Wini popped up with some crucial goals. But they allowed the flair players together with the wing-backs to bomb on, interchange and create chaos for defences on our day. Was a joy to watch.

Slot needs to figure how he wants to play. Is he going to want more flair in midfield or is he going to keep them as workers who allow the others to perform in front? If had our solid 3 behind Wirtz (and if Macca is firing), maybe Wirtz could be more free to do the creative things? We'll see how Slot wants to play it.

[Martyboy]

Never liked him.. but he nails it for me does Carra

He's spot on as far as I'm concerned....Klopp's way of playing with that 433 high press was still ingrained into the players there last year.....New system with the new guys just isn't working...We've almost gone tika taka in midfield without being good enough to do it well...Its boring and its too slow....

[Steveo]

Yep - to play that way you need world class technicians right across the middle 3z
… does that really sound like our midfield? Very good players - high intensity but world class technicians… no.. And Wirtz doesn’t make that so