That magic word... Consistency

Sporadic poster, long time lurker here, go easy on me. Supporter since 1990. My opinion only and do not presume any facts in the following... apologies if this topic has been covered elsewhere

From watching the games since Klopp took over and since I started supporting the team, I have seen some outstanding performances, some average performances and we won't talk about the rest. I am happier amount Klopp's appointment than the proverbial pig in the brown stuff. I believe he will take us forward, and watching last night's game you could see the Klopp plan executed almost to perfection last night. Great hassle in numbers, a team that is perhaps greater than the sum of its parts. Yet Sunday was a different performance altogether, and we were lucky/grateful to Raheem* (delete as applicable) for getting to extra time & penalties. For other "average" performances read Watford, West Ham, Sunderland etc..

I have watched the team under various managers raise their game for the "big games" (e.g United/City/Chelsea/Arsenal plus UCL games against Milan/Barca/Real - consistently the top four during my time) and then watched as we are rolled over by (no disrespect meant) teams we should beat on a consistent 9/10 basis - West Brom, Crystal Palace, Stoke, Leicester, Sion, Basel, Besiktas etc.. you get the idea.

My question is thus... how can JK deliver the consistency we require to make top four / five this season and going forward with a team/club that has consistently struggled (during my time and IRO the league campaign) for erm... consistency?
I believe this is a quality that has eluded most if not all the managers I have seen during my time with arguably better teams/squads.

I think the summer window will be crucial and by bringing in more experienced/higher quality players that should help which for me includes a reliable goalkeeper & creative midfielder. A full pre-season under Klopp and co will also help but there is no guarantee. As long as I can see improvement in the team for the rest of this season then the results (on the whole) do not matter to me.

I believe some of the current players are just not good enough for LFC, and, as many more knowledgeable posters on here have already alluded to, Klopp probably has a better idea of who he wants/doesn't want next season. I believe some of the players are good enough but sustaining their best level of performance remains elusive. I do not believe we have any truly World Class players at present based on either performance or fitness issues. I am hoping that the board and JK can attract better players in the summer as a result of the gaffer's higher profile than BR.

One request for the team/management: Please solve this issue prior to the Crystal Palace game at the weekend and then BATTER Utd over 2 legs. That would be just peachy, thanks!! 

Good sensible and honest post.

Firstly mate, I think 4th is beyond our reach this season. I don't think many fans are ambitious enough to cling to that ray of hope.

As you said, or alluded to we're inconsistent. There is no point beating Man. C. twice in a league campaign, only to lose those hard earned points to Watford or Sunderland. I'd sooner see us rack up a haul of points against the other 15 teams in the league, than superficially worrying about beating the top 4 all the time, while  losing to the bottom half of the table's teams.

Actually, I'd like to see us get as many points as possible from the other 19 teams, over the course of a 38 game season. Our last manager showed that for his team attack was the best form of defense and we had a roller coaster of a ride, the best league campaign since we last won it.

I don't think Klopp will work like this, for me it looks as though defense looks like the best form of attack. It seems more important to do our best work without the ball at this stage in time anyway, certianly. That's what I'm seeing at the moment, the hassling the shape of the team etc., which is right up the alley of grafters like Henderson, Milner, Lallana & Ings. Grit is good. And it will give you a solid foundation to build upon, so long as there is grit and steel throughout the spine of the team. We're lacking in quality ball players especially in midfield and for all our running and hassling that we seem decent at on occasions, we'll come up short on others because we cannot compliment that with quality ball players who have the guile and skill to unlock equally rugged and dogged Premiership opposition.

So, as many have already said, it comes down to our recruiting (yet again), to get the right blend and balance of steel and guile that can shut teams out, as well as open them up. Once this happens, we'll regain a resemblance of consistency, until this time comes I think we'll be up and down with our performances and results, which is why I think 4th place is a dream away. 

Your not going to get consistency when your player's are decidedly average,  not all of the players who play regularly will have or find the level required.
You only have to look at Barcelona to see consistency because they are awash with top drawer quality,  we're not,  simples!


YNWA

Simples.

Henderson is usually consistent too when he's fit.

Having watched the three last games he started I'd say that was highly debatable.

I would say the amount of games that are played in England, in various cup competitions play a massive part.

One thing Klopp has mentioned (moaned about) is the constant games. Look at the league this season, Leicester are top, why? is Ranieri that good? is he feck, the amount of games the other teams have to play, play a massive part.

Look at the injuries, not just us but other teams, there are more injuries now than ever. We play far too many games in england. And it wont be long before players realise, sod England, too many games.

This needs to be addressed. It is not just us who is inconsistent, other teams are too, and it gets better results for clubs who are not in cup competitions, as they have fewer games, and fewer injuries.

Everyone classes the Carling Cup as the field a weaker team comp, it wont be long before the FA Cup will be added too, at some point priorities will take precedence, as in "if we win this game, we will have one extra match".

It has been suggested that the FA Cup games could have no replays and be decided on the night in future. Something like this has to happen, there are too many games being played.

One request for the team/management: Please solve this issue prior to the Crystal Palace game at the weekend and then BATTER Utd over 2 legs. That would be just peachy, thanks!! 

Thanks for listening boss! 

Thanks for your responses, I agree with almost everything said , but I'd never support Leeds!! 

Consistency - I have a pet theory (one of many, and pretty half-baked they are too!) that over-rotation and the idea that players need plenty of rest days between games has a part to play in our (and other top clubs') inconsistency.  And luck too.

Over-rotation has been largely forced on us admittedly, because of injuries.  But ask any player at any level at any club.  They all want to be in the first XI every game.  Because they know that regular games = best way to find form and maintain it.  When left out they try too hard (rather than just play their own game) to get back in (= chance of injury) and also again when they do get back in. 
Look at Leicester - sure they haven't had the cup commitments we've had - but they've had a consistent side with maybe the odd one change now and again when it's been forced on the manager.  The result is that the players know their own game and each others' games in the heat of battle; and maintain confidence that the manager, and the team, trusts them.  Leicester have also had incredible luck with so few injuries.  But playing week in, week out tends to reduce the incidence of injury, especially the soft tissue ones we've suffered from so much. 
So I'd agree with some comments above that suggest that we should pick and maintain a corps of 9 / 10 best XI players and keep playing them, maybe allowing more rotation in cups.  Very unfashionable, perhaps, but consistent XI's are just that - a consistent XI.  Ask David Fairclough!

When ever a new manager comes in to any club they always change certain things to suit the type of football they want to bring to the club.  As this will be a change in the way a team (full squad included) play their football and what they are asked to do on the pitch and in training, this will always result in a drop in performance.

The key is practice and time so the players can get used to the new systems etc.  With the summer transfer window approaching and bringing in better players and hopefully a good pre season for the squad, we should see an improvement next season. The longer the players play under the new regime the more consistent we will become.

The common thread in achieving consistency in football is being able to put the same consistent bunch of players on the park every week. This is something we have not been able to do this season. The greatest example is Leicester City who put out the same eleven week in and week out all season. They even substitute the same players at about the same minute every week.
All these guys learn how to form partnerships and know where each other will be. This can turn an ordinary bunch of blokes into an extraordinary team.
With cups and Europe matches and a ridiculous number of injuries this cannot happen. I bet if you researched Dortmund in their successful era under Klopp they would have had a core group of players out there every week. I did read somewhere that Dortmund struggled one year under Klopp due to massive injury problems.

Klopp is going to need to get rid of some players that are not good enough, and then recruit some tough resilient players who can be relied upon to stay fit and not continually miss matches through recurring hamstrings, knees,ankles, backs, etc etc.
Often it has been said this season that our team has played like a bunch of strangers. Go back in time through the successful era's of the 70's and 80's of Liverpool and you will find the same core group of players playing almost every week.
That is what we need to get back to if we want consistency.
Hopefully Klopp can bring it on next season.

Go back in time through the successful era's of the 70's and 80's of Liverpool and you will find the same core group of players playing almost every week.
That is what we need to get back to if we want consistency.
Hopefully Klopp can bring it on next season.

With our annual and continual campaigns in Europe year in year out we were playing two games a week the majority of the time.  They weren't wimp sh*t "group" games when you could afford to have an off day ... they were hard core knock out ,two legged rounds.
No player got singled out to have a free holiday in Jamaica.
Perhaps some whelks on Blackpool beach is where team bonding happened.

A core we had.
One campaign we only used fourteen players all season.
Squad ?

I'm not going back to " I lived in't shoebox in't middle of road"

Everything has now changed about the game... but a core group of players who play week in week out is essential.

The common thread in achieving consistency in football is being able to put the same consistent bunch of players on the park every week. This is something we have not been able to do this season. The greatest example is Leicester City who put out the same eleven week in and week out all season. They even substitute the same players at about the same minute every week.
All these guys learn how to form partnerships and know where each other will be. This can turn an ordinary bunch of blokes into an extraordinary team.
With cups and Europe matches and a ridiculous number of injuries this cannot happen. I bet if you researched Dortmund in their successful era under Klopp they would have had a core group of players out there every week. I did read somewhere that Dortmund struggled one year under Klopp due to massive injury problems.

Klopp is going to need to get rid of some players that are not good enough, and then recruit some tough resilient players who can be relied upon to stay fit and not continually miss matches through recurring hamstrings, knees,ankles, backs, etc etc.
Often it has been said this season that our team has played like a bunch of strangers. Go back in time through the successful era's of the 70's and 80's of Liverpool and you will find the same core group of players playing almost every week.
That is what we need to get back to if we want consistency.
Hopefully Klopp can bring it on next season.

I think the only way to get consistency these days is to have the subs and the reserves playing to the same tune.I would go back to the 1960s when Bill Shankly had the vision to make sure the reserves were able to step up to the first team without any loss of cohesion.Also a thing that should be taken into account is we had players who were automatic selection as we used to see in the Echo on a Thursday night.Also those players wanted to play and win for L.F.C.I think when Jürgen Klopp has brought his own players in  success will return to Anfield One further thing is we need to have a winning first team before we get the rest of the club playing the same way.