There are two things I'm disappointed with. First is Klopp described this game as the biggest of his career and given the sheer lack of intensity and urgency form the players, I think they let him down. Our response to the goal was a shrug of the shoulders as if it was no more important than missing the bus. They just carried on without raising their game levels and moving up through the gears to put what is a very average Chelsea side to the sword.
The second is a wider issue. People have made excuses for this Liverpool team by saying it is understandable that we lacked the intensity not just from this game but from the last three. People have pointed to the semi-final and made claim that its natural that player performance drops in light of such a big game. It is not. If we wish again to be the successful club we once were, we're going to need to learn to cope with being in a lot of important games at the business end of the season. We could, were we to go on and be highly successful, in two cup finals and competing for the league at this time of year and its simply unacceptable for performance levels to drop because players have their mind on the next game.
One thing is for sure, we sure as hell aren't going to compete at this level without a bigger, more experienced, and more talented squad than we have now. It's not going to work taking off Mane and putting on Solanke or Ings, the drop off is too great. We can't rest the skipper and ask a 19 year old to step into his place when he's been playing at right back all season, and we certainly can't be taking off one of, if not the best left back in the country right now and sending on a clown in his stead. If we're lucky enough to finish in the top four, an awful lot of work is needing being done by our recruitment team because we can't go a third season being knackered by April.
I don't agree with you on the idea that the players let him down precisely because of what you wrote later in your post. You nailed it, the squad is simply not deep enough for Klopp or the players remaining to go into games like this one and perform at the same level they did two weeks ago.
The midfield is completely depleted and left with nobody good enough to offer support to the front three. The two players who offered that on a regular basis are both out with injuries. The right-back and left-back positions have no decent back-up in case of injuries or even for rotation. Same goes for the wings and the striker. We knew that going into the season and it's not surprising that when we lost key players to injuries we had nobody to replace them. Can's absence went unnoticed because OX was there, but now that Ox is out too, its a nightmare in midfield.
It's not the fault of the players or even the immediate mistake of Klopp. He's fielding the players he has and it's simply not enough. I would say that I'm disappointed in him not fiddling with the formation before the game in order to hide the weaknesses and bring in some creativity behind the front trio, but then again, if he does that and we lose the game, he's getting crucified.
This is why a lot of fans, before the season started, were raging for more signings, but this is what we're left with for now. Klopp needs to change things in the formation in order to create support for the front three or its all gonna be copies of the games against Stoke and Chelsea.
When you look at it, we oughta be more surprised that this season has gone so well. 19 yo at RB who is performing really good, LB that everybody believed would be a decent addition at most has turned into arguably the best LB in the league, Salah surprising everybody with double the numbers the most optimistic of us had predicted for him.
Key positions have to be filled with quality and depth. Otherwise this is what happens.
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