Match Thread : Bournemouth v Liverpool

[Steveo]

Even Real are rebuilding with players of a type I'd consider to be Hendo and Gini upgrades that would have represented evolution for our team, the 2005 Milan way of playing Steveo's dreams are made of needs to be firmly left where it belongs, long in the past

Oh yes. We can all see Hendo making it at the Bernabeu.

You do come up with some funny ones 19…

[Steveo]

Thiago is our best mid, and by a distance. Enjoy it, no need to let it eat you up.

[Steveo]

35 games 95 points - 10 of them without Virgil or the Captain, ANY senior CB’s or any fans!

But… Thiago is the problem.

[teesred]

How long do you think it takes to rebuild an aging squad?

How long is a piece of string? It could be done fairly quickly if there's enough investment.
A couple of seasons ago or maybe even only last season we were not looking at our squad and thinking it was ageing, probably the opposite. It looked healthy and strong after almost winning 4 comps but this season has changed that view I think. It's clearly coming to an end of a cycle.
We have a few players who look leggy now. Milner, Hendo,Matip, Fabinho and even Virgil. They're still good players but not what they were and I'd say atleast three of those need to be replaced in the starting 11 and by doing that it brings down the average age quite a bit.

[Nineteenx]

Oh yes. We can all see Hendo making it at the Bernabeu.

You do come up with some funny ones 19…

What ARE you talking about? You don't think Tchouameni and the other French lad aren't in the Hendo/Gini mould, box to box, athletic and both more sought after for what they bring a team without the ball than with it with both's passing more in the range/style of Hendo's balls over the top, long diagonals and switches to best serve Real's inside forwards than anything you'd expect from Modric?

That is EXACTLY what they both are

[toshin]

Let me be more clear then. In a very slightly alternate version of today's game Nunez scores a header, VVD scores a header and Mo scores a penalty. Konate is a couple of inches further foward and clears a dangerous cross into the box. Liverpool win 3-0.

It's exactly the same game. The only difference is a few inches here and there. In which case, there is exactly 0% chance you are on this thread trying to convince everyone that Bournemouth were the better team.

See while this night be true, we were overall passive and had a lack of effort and urgency for large parts of the game. After the first 15, mins where it looked like a goal was definitely coming, we relaxed because that's exactly what the lads thought too.
Then we didn't -really- try again till the 70th min but by that point we hadn't shown any incisiveness or quality all game and that wasn't going to change..
Even if we scored the pen, we'd have pushed for another and there's no reason they couldn't have scored again. Our defending, whenever they actually attacked was poor.
Trent was diabolical in letting his man shoot without any pressure.
Just awful.

[miller0863]

Absolutely

[Steveo]

What ARE you talking about? You don't think Tchouameni and the other French lad aren't in the Hendo/Gini mould, box to box, athletic and both more sought after for what they bring a team without the ball than with it with both's passing more in the range/style of Hendo's balls over the top, long diagonals and switches to best serve Real's inside forwards than anything you'd expect from Modric?

That is EXACTLY what they both are

Hmm.. I would simply ask back:

What ARE you talking about? Mould? That has no meaning.

If you are suggesting that a player with Hendo’s level of technique gets to hold
down a berth at the Bernabeu, then you have totally lost the plot,

To even try to suggest such a thing highlights the chasm that exists between what you know and what you think you do. This gigantic reaching you consistently attempt in here on a daily basis, can be amusing at times, but at others it’s just a waste of time.

As for Tchouameni - you honestly believe that Jordan Henderson was EVER at that level? At 22 he was the most sort after Midfielder around. And “the other French lad”? Well the those 4 words alone highlight your own standard of thinking.

This consistent pretence that Jordan Henderson is some kind of world beater is laughable.

He became a good leader and captain. Klopp moulded him into something. In a footballing sense we STILL don’t know what that is. He has never been good enough in any position to own it. But he learned from one of the best players we ever had, used his abilities and has worked with some amazing talent and one of the best managers around. However - playing in a Liverpool midfield, is not the same as doing that at Real.

This is a club that has won 3 La Liga titles and 4…. Count them 4 European cups in an era that isn’t considered golden by those fans AND an era where we were supposedly at our Zenith. A time when Gulf States are owning clubs.

You have to be world class to play and stay at the Bernebeu. .

Again - “mould” is entirely open to interpretation, it doesn’t go beyond your impression of a players style and has nothing to do with their actual ability.

Steve McMahon was great in our midfield for a time. Had stability at the club remained in the run up to and wake of Kenny’s departure he too might have played for years in a successful side. He sure as shit isn’t ever going to Madrid to play at the very pinnacle of the sport.

[Insidious]

How long do you think it takes to rebuild an aging squad?

Couldn't put a timeframe on it - we've already started though.

Diaz, Núñez and Gakpo all arrived within a 12-month period. That's quite an activity (and quick) contribution to the rebuild and age reduction of an attacking unit.

So if (and it is just an "if" until it happens) we were to acquire two really good midfielders for our system in the Summer, we'd have acquired 3 attackers and 2 midfielders within an 18-month period in terms of acquisitions via transfers. Bajcetic has every chance to be part of a 25-man squad too, then we won't know who else will be brought through (Doak in attack as 6th choice? Morton in midfield as 7th/8th choice? Van den Berg as 5th choice at centre-back?) to supplement any transfer activity we might conduct.

Do I think we can become a 90-points side next season? Probably not. Do I think we can become a side that comfortably finishes in the Champion's League spots with a view to stabilising and continuing the rebuild? Absolutely yes - we're still in with an outside shout despite being largely shit this season, so see no reason why we can't improve when we add mids and factor in that Gakpo and Núñez will be better-adjusted to the set-up.

[JockStrap]

See while this night be true, we were overall passive and had a lack of effort and urgency for large parts of the game. After the first 15, mins where it looked like a goal was definitely coming, we relaxed because that's exactly what the lads thought too.
Then we didn't -really- try again till the 70th min but by that point we hadn't shown any incisiveness or quality all game and that wasn't going to change..
Even if we scored the pen, we'd have pushed for another and there's no reason they couldn't have scored again. Our defending, whenever they actually attacked was poor.
Trent was diabolical in letting his man shoot without any pressure.
Just awful.

I agree with a lot of that. Both VVD and Trent were poor for the goal. I don't think it was a lack of urgency as much as sloppy mistakes in possession. We had a great break at one point with Gakpo running at them with Salah and Jota either side and he misplaced the pass. Fabinho put an easy pass out into the stands at one point. I could go on and as I said before there was a lot wrong with the performance but we still could and should have won that game.