Liverpool Football Club - It is time to end the 30 year wait

[Fooblack]

useful 3 pts to ease the pressure to make it to the knock out stage but hardly vintage win by any way you measure it.  

Klopp as expected, rung the changes in all areas of the team. Milner as LB, Gomez as CB. Keita as CM. Ox as LWF and Origi as the CF.  I felt the team looks disjointed but kept the ball well with almost 80% possession. 

Defensive weaknesses wore it head once again and for all the possession, a simple header off a corner created an unlikely equaliser and Pool was forced to sweat to find a winner in the 2nd half.  Ox was on hand to find that winner but then Pool struggled again to make the game safe.  Thankfully, no further drama and Pool hung on for the win.  Salah's overall form and finishing remains a concern.   Against consensus views to rest him, Klopp allowed him to play the entire game.  He must be fully fit otherwise this decision would look odd.  

The likes of Lovren, Robertson, Henderson, Mane and Firmino was given a fair bit of rest which will hopefully help them to be much fresher this coming Sunday. City play at Altanta tomorrow and they will have less time to recover, including travelling time.  The energy factor may well be to Pool's slight advantage.  

With Napoli failing to win in its home game, Pool now has the group destiny in its hand.  If it wins against Napoli in the next home tie, Pool would be through and will top the group.  Pls pls pls do not make things difficult for yourselves again! 

[Atrecord]

23 minutes ago, Picnic06-Biante15 said:

Be it 2-1, 1-2. 0-1 or 1-0

Its the 3 points Pool fan wants ...  

If from now until end of season in all competition and the score is this way.

Pool will win 5 Cups = League (Carboro) Cup, FA Cup, League Champion, UCL Cup and World Club Cup ....   

This will be an unprecedented dream come through.

But let's be realistic, and one thing at a time.

Give me the EPL first and foremost...

[Wallaw819]

27 minutes ago, Atrecord said:

This will be an unprecedented dream come through.

But let's be realistic, and one thing at a time.

Give me the EPL first and foremost...

Yup. EPL all the way!

[Shorty]

one concern i hv when pool is defending a freekick. the way they set up the defensive line, i'm not sure why they are choosing to stick to it. it's high line, almost at the top of the penalty box. n always the players cluster in the middle or near post. leaving the far post empty. 

 

villa got their goal when this setup failed. n genk had some good freekicks in with this setup as well. so why r they still doing it? it takes a fast attacker to sneak in behind n pool will confirm concede. 

[Fooblack]

1 hour ago, Atrecord said:

This will be an unprecedented dream come through.

But let's be realistic, and one thing at a time.

Give me the EPL first and foremost...

no need the rest of the cups..  EPL title will do.  

Klopp needs to prioritise this above all else.  period. 

CIty should focus on the UCL and pass the EPL title to us.  that will be greatly welcomed. 

[Atrecord]

3 hours ago, Fooblack said:

no need the rest of the cups..  EPL title will do.  

Klopp needs to prioritise this above all else.  period. 

CIty should focus on the UCL and pass the EPL title to us.  that will be greatly welcomed. 

yah, if can strike a deal with Pep, will be win-win...

talking of which, really suay, how come must have 2 good managers/teams around at the same time???

if no Pep/City, i think got chance Klopp can bring Pool to clean sweep of titles leh...

[Jamesc]

I am just happy Pool score 1 more goal than the other team for the last 5 or 6 games. 

[Jamesc]

Napoli are another team just like Man Utd. They save their best game against Liverpool.

All they have to do is beat Genki sushi and the other small team from Austria with a name like Iceburg.

This also they cannot do. And I know the reason why.

The manager of Napoli is Charlie Anchovy Loti. He was the manager of AC Milan in 2005 in Istanbul.

When they were 3-0 up at half time his team was signing in the dressing room We are the Champions we are the champions and Liverpool are the losers Liverpool are the losers.

As we all know at the end of the game all his big name star players had their head in their hands and crying like little babies.

Till this day he cannot forget and every time he plays against Pool he will make sure they go all out to beat us.

Charlie Kaya Loti walking past the CL trophy in 2005 ins Istanbul.

[Jamesc]

In the next round if Liverpool beat Napoli and Iceburg beat Genki

then Pool should play their kids because of fixture congestion

and still finish top of the group.

And if Iceburg beat us then they go thru as the second place runners up

and Napoli plays in the Europa Cup.

[Jamesc]

Ex-Liverpool attacker Luis Garcia has joked that he is available to play for his former club in their Carabao Cup quarter-final clash against Aston Villa in December.

[Cauldron]

Cracks in Naples

Napoli's players call in their lawyers as they REFUSE to be locked away at chairman's training camp... with manager Carlo Ancelotti backing them and skipping his media duties after Red Bull Salzburg draw

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7654833/Napoli-boss-Carlo-Ancelotti-refuses-carry-post-match-media-duties.html

[Fooblack]

If we are skeptical about Pool's unconvincing form going into the crunch match this sunday, CIty's form could be a greater issue following last night game at Atlanta. 

The game finished 1-1 and City down to with 10 men.  Ederson was withdrew at half time and his replacement, Claudio was shown a straight red card.  Kyle Walker finished the game as the GK!

Ederson was subbed due to "precautionary" muscle injury. Not sure whether he will now make the game at Anfield.  If he can't, it would be another major blow to City's defence whose is already so thin that they can't play 2 regular CBs together for a couple of months.  

[Maxus-MIFA9]

Just like 90.5 .....

Always listen to good news ...

[Si4dr]

6 hours ago, Fooblack said:

If we are skeptical about Pool's unconvincing form going into the crunch match this sunday, CIty's form could be a greater issue following last night game at Atlanta. 

The game finished 1-1 and City down to with 10 men.  Ederson was withdrew at half time and his replacement, Claudio was shown a straight red card.  Kyle Walker finished the game as the GK!

Ederson was subbed due to "precautionary" muscle injury. Not sure whether he will now make the game at Anfield.  If he can't, it would be another major blow to City's defence whose is already so thin that they can't play 2 regular CBs together for a couple of months.  

I rather Ederson play with injury cos many times stand in keeper in God-mode against Liverpool🤐

[Fooblack]

17 hours ago, Si4dr said:

I rather Ederson play with injury cos many times stand in keeper in God-mode against Liverpool🤐

City's defense has been pretty makeshift in recent months due to various injuries.  Hence any form of further disruptions and changes will just make things worse. I think none of their defenders or GK are used to being bombarded and under severe pressure for a whole game.  Pool should do this type of welcome this time round when they host City. 

My sensing is that City will play tactical and keep things tight. Something which they did with a significant amount of success last season. The biggest risks which Pep would want to avoid is that during transition, City will get exposed and with its defence in all sorts of confidence issue, will likely buckle under Pool's counters.  I expect City to play a very different game as compared to its usual rhyme. I dun think Pep will stick to its usual possession and high line defence for this game.  It wont be a surprise that they will allow Pool to dominate possession so as to mitigate transition risks when they lose the ball in Pool's half. 

 

[Atrecord]

1 hour ago, Fooblack said:

City's defense has been pretty makeshift in recent months due to various injuries.  Hence any form of further disruptions and changes will just make things worse. I think none of their defenders or GK are used to being bombarded and under severe pressure for a whole game.  Pool should do this type of welcome this time round when they host City. 

My sensing is that City will play tactical and keep things tight. Something which they did with a significant amount of success last season. The biggest risks which Pep would want to avoid is that during transition, City will get exposed and with its defence in all sorts of confidence issue, will likely buckle under Pool's counters.  I expect City to play a very different game as compared to its usual rhyme. I dun think Pep will stick to its usual possession and high line defence for this game.  It wont be a surprise that they will allow Pool to dominate possession so as to mitigate transition risks when they lose the ball in Pool's half.

Indeed the logical decision is for Pep to avoid going 9 points behind at this early stage, as there are still many more matches to go, and he'll hope that he gets his injured players back soon and also hope that we lose points along the way like last season.

This is still a safer option than taking risks to go all out to close the gap to 3 points, with the worry that the makeshift defence might be pressured excessively when we counter.

On our part, let's hope that Klopp can find some ways to breach their tightened - if as expected - defence, at the same time avoiding any speedy counters of theirs.

[Fooblack]

49 minutes ago, Atrecord said:

Indeed the logical decision is for Pep to avoid going 9 points behind at this early stage, as there are still many more matches to go, and he'll hope that he gets his injured players back soon and also hope that we lose points along the way like last season.

This is still a safer option than taking risks to go all out to close the gap to 3 points, with the worry that the makeshift defence might be pressured excessively when we counter.

On our part, let's hope that Klopp can find some ways to breach their tightened - if as expected - defence, at the same time avoiding any speedy counters of theirs.

another intriguing battle ground would be middle of the park.  With Rodri, David Silva likely out through injury, Fenandinho likely required to deputise at CB, City's midfield would be another major concern for Pep going into the this game.  Gundogan will likely start at the base and KdB will be the other CM. There isn't another workhorse in the squad which can  complement this duo.  Phil Foden or Bernando Silva can play them however they are traditionally no.10 (kdB is also in the same bracket). 

Bearing in mind, Pool's midfield 3 is the engine room of the team and will counter press with the usual intensity. So, this part of the pitch must be owned by Pool to stake an important advantage in this game whereby the margins will be so fine between the top 2 teams.  

[Si4dr]

Just hope Klopp take more risk in order to win the game. Last season Pool play conservatively  and nearly lost the game if not for Mahrez missed the penalty kick.