Liverpool V Leeds match day thread

[Insidious]

Nothing will change with slot

I'm interested in what the picture will look like at the end of the season.

There's been a lot of concerning stuff (the 9 losses in 12, the sideways passing in front of a packed defence, the apparent lack of creative movement in the forward line) but there's also stuff that looks like it's getting somewhere (full-backs deployment, ability to hold the ball centrally in build-up) and we know Slot has a bit of a cob-on for Enrique's 24/25 PSG side.

We had the slump, we've stopped the rot. It's admittedly not enthralling football right now, so the question will be "is this it?" or is this a stage of development of the side where we ensure more solidity like a Benitez side (in possession in Slot's case, excellent control of space in Rafa's case) for a couple of months before sliding the risk up a touch once we have that solid foundation sorted.

I like that we're getting the control back somewhat after some of the really troubling performances (PSV was.....something!) but we feel like we're stuck in 3rd gear at present with question marks as to whether Slot is going to show us a version of the side where we get up to 5th gear and blow a couple of sides away.

I'd love a larger sample size of having Kerkez and Frimpong in the set-up simultaneously for one thing to see if that gets the extra 5% out of us and would love to see how much (or how little?) impact another pace merchant could have in the side.

The still-very-recent slump of form, the inability to find a title defence and the drop-off in entertainment value are inevitably going to impact how we see it - so right now there's going to be a lot of *long exhale* about the place - it's just whether or not we're only a couple of steps away or not as it felt to me (made a thread on it) that we had a lengthy list of small problems stacked up, rather than 2/3 major ones.

I think in a different context we could have chalked today up as "just one of those days" like the 0-0 matches we seemed to have against Birmingham under Rafa, but knowing that our faint hopes of rekindling a long-odds title push (now 12 points behind when we might have hoped we'd be 7 points behind Arsenal if we'd won a few games on the spin including beating the Gunners) has probably popped the Balloon a bit more than normal.

The distraction of a European game would be bliss right now!!!!!

[Kev0909]

we shouldn't have bought Wirzt.. we should have gotten another midfielder on the likes of Macca or Dom. but with a bit more physicality.. you could have played a more 4/4/2 then and let Szoboszlai get in behind a forward. if teams are intent on being defensive against us. which seems like they have this season. you need an extra player in the box. we have over played too much this season. its always very difficult to break down low blocks.. you just have to get more people in the box rather than try and sit a little off and play. we are open to the counter attack. but we are anyway when teams break on us.

Have you actually got something wrong with you? like..... learning problems?

I read your posts it's literally like reading a 5 year olds shit

you're the biggest fucking retard on this forum

get a grip you stupid cunt

[Kev0909]

Not if what started Troll? The grabbing? It could start between both on the half way line but if the defender wrestling him away from the ball and inside the box he lunges between his legs which is what stops the strike - it’s a penalty.

here he is, the other complete retard, not as stupid as justme mind, you deserve some credit

You're still a complete good for nothing waste of oxygen, do us all a favour and fuck off.

[justme]

Have you actually got something wrong with you? like..... learning problems?

I read your posts it's literally like reading a 5 year olds shit

you're the biggest fucking retard on this forum

get a grip you stupid cunt

you know what i really find amusing and delightful is unhappy drunks. you are destroying yourself and thats the delightful thing. and all i say is GOOOOOOOOOOOOOD ok? is that OK?

[justme]

unhappy drunks are not a pleasant thing sorry to say

[Steveo]

here he is, the other complete retard, not as stupid as justme mind, you deserve some credit

You're still a complete good for nothing waste of oxygen, do us all a favour and fuck off.

Charming as ever Kev lad. What a luck we have to have you in our midst. feel sorry for you I really do.

The mIddle man,,,,

Yosemite Sam jumping up and down as usual between the Troll and the GIMP

[miller0863]

Hahahaha…

[Red October]

Even though it's 8 unbeaten it has been largely unconvincing in most games and feels a bit hollow, we can't say we've turned the corner.
We still start flapping at the back and did so today when Calvert lewin came on albeit not for long.
It's the predictability of our attack that's the main issue, it's very easy for teams to defend against us because they know exactly what we will do
Play it across the 18 yard box constantly, there's nobody taking responsibility and it looks like most of the midfield and attack lack belief in themselves.
Frimpong made a difference today in parts so hopefully more of him might see things change a bit.

I do think Fulham and obviously Arsenal will cause us a lot of problems.

We were decent enough in the first half. I was thinking it's a matter of time. But second half that was some of the worst football I can remember us playing in years! Awful stuff. Seems to be a pattern this season that we're much worse second half. Then slot made changes which took away some of our most threatening attack. Chiesa would have been the only one i would have brought on.

It's hard to see where it goes from here for slot. If this is the kind of football he wants to see then no thanks. Its worse than Houllier who at least was effective. I just think it goes against everything that liverpool stands for. Imagine Shankly watching that crap. He'd be apoplectic.

[Red October]

Also we could have easily conceded late on which would have repeated the same pattern we've seen since September with little improvement.

[teesred]

We were decent enough in the first half. I was thinking it's a matter of time. But second half that was some of the worst football I can remember us playing in years! Awful stuff. Seems to be a pattern this season that we're much worse second half. Then slot made changes which took away some of our most threatening attack. Chiesa would have been the only one i would have brought on.

It's hard to see where it goes from here for slot. If this is the kind of football he wants to see then no thanks. Its worse than Houllier who at least was effective. I just think it goes against everything that liverpool stands for. Imagine Shankly watching that crap. He'd be apoplectic.

Yeah I agree on the point of it being difficult to see where it goes for him. There's different slants on things and some can say we've stopped the rot which I guess we have and are 8 unbeaten. It could end up a springboard but it doesn't feel that way. We're not in any way convincing and like you say awful to watch.
Maybe/Hopefully the second half of the season has a different look by the end?
We have been toothless up front for a lot of this season and I personally don't look at it thinking there's something that's going to bear fruit in how we are playing. I thought early on on the season in the first few games it was like that, glimpses of stuff but not now.
It's the same repeated pattern and it's easy for teams to set up and stifle us. Arsenal and Fulham will likely attack which could provide us with something but they'll also cause us problems at the back.