Manchester City 2-1 Liverpool: In game and Post Match discussion

I think if we'd have started with the same team that played arsenal we'd have won today.

Why would anyone think this? Arsenal are a team in transition that have an imbalanced team and they are trying new formations every so often to try and see what works and what does not given their injuries, lack of wingers.

City are title contenders who knew that this was a game that they needed to win and they came out and played like that. The problem was not just the selection, it was the setup. Give possession away, press and see what comes. It generated good chances for Mane in the first half, and Salah in the second, but by and large it felt like a draw was what Klopp had set up to get. Anything else was going to be a bonus.

City did have two chances to push the game to a score of 3-1, but apart from that, they did not have vastly better chances which was to be expected given that these are the best defenses in the league too. Maybe Klopp opens up the attack and it leaves the team wide open to the pace of Sane, Sterling and Aguero. Maybe it wins the game........there really is no way of knowing.

It has taken 21 games for this team to finally lose a game. The lead at the top of the table is 4 points. The reaction is what is important right now. Get a few wins in and focus on winning the title instead of getting caught up in this loss.

Lovren was dire but for now he's what we have available. Daft talk to say play Milner there.

Interesting to see who Klopp actually finds to play CB at weekend if nothing else.

Watch it . Pure bookie controlling bas**rds

Are you high?

Please u fools need to watch the Manc ref for the first goal

Okay.. I see that.. but don't get the point?

The ref is telling him to get on his feet and stop moaning as he's not giving a penalty. He could hardly have been setting up a goal?

We may have lost the battle, but surely the overriding aim is to win the war....
No true red blooded Liverpool fan would have been left anything less than irritable  and frankly disappointed losing tonight.
They harried us off the ball, didn't let us think let alone settle, doing 'us' better than we usually do 'us' and made sure life was thoroughly unpleasant for over ninety minutes. Then again, what were we expecting? Signposts laid out clearly marking the way to goal?
We were deeply unlucky with our inch from being a good and clear goal, goal. A lot of 'what ifs' and a fair few scripts could have written off that one going in.
But on a night where City must have paid somebody else's fanbase to provide a hostile environment, and some of our players forgot just how  to turn up for games of this magnitude, what's done is done. We lost. We certainly don't need to like it, but accept it we surely must. Games still need to be won and points still need to be gathered and then best protected. We are the kings on top of the hill as it stands, we can't afford for the crown to slip. But even a king hiccups. The trick is to do it with some sense of style and humility. They were better, but thing is, Man City aren't the ones who've given us the lead. We have played out of our skins on occasion this season and on others, gotten rather fortunate leading up to this loss.
Man City will also not be the reason we fail to go on to grab our long awaited title. We focus on this game and on them, we would be letting ourselves down massively. We focus on getting wins in all our remaining matches, and I bet you they will still drop points and get twitchy in a run in that's rather more difficult for them in juxtaposition to us.
Man City are one of nineteen other teams we 'have a problem with'. Thankfully, and a tad unfortunately under today's circumstances, we're done with them.
Let's stop with the tactics wrong this, and defensive midfielder that. This is our club. That's our team. Klopp is a damn fine manager!
Armchair punditry and managerial skills are all well and good, but get behind the team that's left everyone for dust. Need evidence? Just look at how that table reads and you can only but respect our current form.
We need to get back up and go again, take it out on someone,  and keep asking everyone that same question "are you good enough?". Pretty much guaranteed,  if complacency doesn't set in, that answer should almost always favour us. This game is not going to define our season. It's three points. Not thirty.
We need to get a grip before our implosion happens long before the finish line is in sight.
Oh by the way, if you were looking for some solace, I'd definitely say Man City were pretty much at maximum today. They turned up for us like their lives depended on it. If you think that was 'Pool at maximum, think again.
Yes they won the battle today. Sadly for them I'm fairly sure they'll not be winning  the war.
#weareliverpool

All i can say is i hope the squad handles this better than supporters and don't lose their collective heads over a 1 goal loss to a fantastic team.

Better team won on the night, although there wasn't a huge amount in it.

Thought we were a bit too passive - tried to sit deeper and hit on the counter and it didn't quite work. That said, their winner came somewhat against the run of play ( Fabinho was instantly our best CM when he came on. I'm generally a defender of Hendo, but I thought he did live up to his overly conservative tag tonight - was a bit surprised he didn't go off instead of Milner). It was a great counter-attacking goal by Sane, and none of our guys particularly at fault.

Our MOTM contenders were Robbo and VVD ( seems like it has been between those 2 in the majority of our games this season) - gave it to Robbo.

Wasn't a bad performance, we just got shaded by a very good team at home. Like I say, think we should have been a bit more aggressive from the off, but it's easy to say in retrospect. Was close. And we are still top.

Really don't feel that disappointed. Was never likely to be easy winning the league, and, in a way, I don't want it to be. Bounce back strong next game.

I think we needed to be at our best to get a result tonight, City away is a tough fixture and tonight we were good but not good enough to get a result. Salah and Lovren really had a tough go tonight, either one of them were up for it which was disappointing considering the good form they were both going into the game with. I figure the the tactics were going to be a little negative as our team is more focused on keeping things tight and maybe if we went out with attacking we could of got something out of the game but right now we are in good position playing more tight and if we continue to do so the second half of the season we will be in the title race. Positive performance I thought were VvD, Robertson and Firmino (didn't see much of the ball but when he did good things happen).

I think overall we had a successful festive period in extending our lead to 4 points and getting GD back on our side. Now we got a 9 days off for most of the first team players to recover after intense period of game then we have good run of fixtures to get things back on track and get another winning run going.

Game of small margins Sane hits the post and it goes in, Mane doesn’t.

Overall City probably edged it and Klopps conservative midfield didn’t help, seen Milner too often against top midfielders completely bypassed and not sure how Henderson stayed on for 90mins.
We looked much better once Fab came on and he probably should have started.

Might get slated for this but had Trent improved defensively at all both goals came from his side and not even going to mention the disastrous Lovren, the sooner Gomez is back the better.

Alisson was top class again.

Agreed with your point on conservative midfield. Pep must be smiling silently once he saw our midfield trio. And i put it down to klopp to be fully responsible. Why do we need to repeat rhe Belgrade thing, i just dont understsnd klopp. Looks like he has too much confidence in those failure situations. None of the 3 could hurt city.

On TAA, he could have been better but i dont blame him fully as he was under constant presurre throughout the game with city's battling ram down that side to cut off supply to Salah and launch those atracks from there. And klopp continued to allow that to happen.

Why klopp did not switch Salah with Mane and Furminho around for 90 minutes against a top side??? Too one dimensional for 90 minutes. Once Salah switched position more centrally, city struggled for a while. And why we did not explore Robertson's side more when our goal started from that side, again i failed to understand.

None of the 3 could hurt city.

They weren't meant to. It was a defensive selection that paid City too much respect. I believe his idea was keep it tight until 70, let City run themselves out, then make tactical substitution for more attacking players with pace who could hurt City. It isn't what I would have done but in fairness it almost worked. Took a worldie (and then some) from Aguero to break us down.

I don't usually post, but read the forum always.  I feel I want to make a couple of points tonight.  Firstly, Klopp's post match interview was good management of the club, as is usually the case from him.  A level-headed response to a set back - City had one of those against us in 2014, at a more critical point in the season, don't forget.  We lost away to City, a superb team, champions at a canter last year, and expected to walk the league again at the start of the season.  The fact we are four points clear at this stage is a bit outrageous, given City's dominance last year, but totally deserved.  I'm grateful to Jürgen for bringing us to this level, and he has now raised two teams to world class level - I hope no-one is short-sighted enough to forget this.  It doesn't make him above criticism, but it should afford him respect.

As to the game, I think they showed more aggression, and we lacked a bit of ambition, but still could of got at least a point if luck had favoured us.  We've had our moments of fortune this season, so I'm not complaining too much, and City got their tactics right on the night.  I was uncertain around the starting midfield three, and hindsight maybe suggests that it was too conservative - who knows for sure.  Fabinho is gradually earning Klopp's trust, but he went for experience tonight, which didn't work out perfectly - although fine margins tipped the result, and we all would have been praising the team selection if  Mane's shot goes in, and Sane's rolls across the line.

Bottom line now is, can our lads do what winners do, and dust themselves down, and continue doing what they have done all season by finding ways to win football  matches?  I think they can.  This Liverpool team are as good as I've seen since the 1980's, and there are leaders in this team, and a great manager who has experience of competing for titles against a dominant force.  Game on.  I look forward hearing the proper version of Allez Allez Allez on May 12th at Anfield against Wolves.

8/9 points we dropped have been when starting that midfield trio. This is a fact.

I don't usually post, but read the forum always.  I feel I want to make a couple of points tonight.  Firstly, Klopp's post match interview was good management of the club, as is usually the case from him.  A level-headed response to a set back - City had one of those against us in 2014, at a more critical point in the season, don't forget.  We lost away to City, a superb team, champions at a canter last year, and expected to walk the league again at the start of the season.  The fact we are four points clear at this stage is a bit outrageous, given City's dominance last year, but totally deserved.  I'm grateful to Jürgen for bringing us to this level, and he has now raised two teams to world class level - I hope no-one is short-sighted enough to forget this.  It doesn't make him above criticism, but it should afford him respect.

As to the game, I think they showed more aggression, and we lacked a bit of ambition, but still could of got at least a point if luck had favoured us.  We've had our moments of fortune this season, so I'm not complaining too much, and City got their tactics right on the night.  I was uncertain around the starting midfield three, and hindsight maybe suggests that it was too conservative - who knows for sure.  Fabinho is gradually earning Klopp's trust, but he went for experience tonight, which didn't work out perfectly - although fine margins tipped the result, and we all would have been praising the team selection if  Mane's shot goes in, and Sane's rolls across the line.

Bottom line now is, can our lads do what winners do, and dust themselves down, and continue doing what they have done all season by finding ways to win football  matches?  I think they can.  This Liverpool team are as good as I've seen since the 1980's, and there are leaders in this team, and a great manager who has experience of competing for titles against a dominant force.  Game on.  I look forward hearing the proper version of Allez Allez Allez on May 12th at Anfield against Wolves.

Great post!

Skys coverage was particularly poor tonight. Missed a lot of action while they were showing some replays about some previous bollocks or panning to Guardiola being a gimp on the touchline. Pay a good wedge to them so the minimum I expect is for them to show the game and track the actual football.

yeah the coverage was pretty sh*t. There was one Mané volley that I don't think I've seen at all, only heard about it from the commentator whilst they were showing some stupid replays. There was one point that the game was ongoing but they were zooming in at some player bitching about everything (more likely Bernardo Silva the annoying c**t).

They weren't meant to. It was a defensive selection that paid City too much respect. I believe his idea was keep it tight until 70, let City run themselves out, then make tactical substitution for more attacking players with pace who could hurt City. It isn't what I would have done but in fairness it almost worked. Took a worldie (and then some) from Aguero to break us down.

I don't mind klopp put 2 defensive midfield cover but not 3, it gave city a bit more confidence to attack us knowing we can't hurt them from midfield and it showed in the game and it showed until Fab came in and before that our supply to the front line were cut off, a big part of the game. If klopp had a keita or lallana there, city's defence will struggle a bit more.

They weren't meant to. It was a defensive selection that paid City too much respect. I believe his idea was keep it tight until 70, let City run themselves out, then make tactical substitution for more attacking players with pace who could hurt City. It isn't what I would have done but in fairness it almost worked. Took a worldie (and then some) from Aguero to break us down.

defend for 70 minutes against city with Lovren? What a sh*te tactic, they have defensive weaknesses and were there for the taking. Keita didn't even get on the field and he is probably our best midfielder.

defend for 70 minutes against city with Lovren? What a sh*te tactic, they have defensive weaknesses and were there for the taking. Keita didn't even get on the field and he is probably our best midfielder.

Keita has shown nowhere near enough to be considered our best Midfielder

8/9 points we dropped have been when starting that midfield trio. This is a fact.

Agreed, You can't play that slow mo midfield trio that do not move up the field against a world class midfield. We hope for a draw we got beaten, if we had a bit more ambition to  go for a win, we would probably get a draw. Once, i saw that midfield line up i was like sh*t, it's gonna be a long night. Pity the front line, supply cut off big part of the game,

8/9 points we dropped have been when starting that midfield trio. This is a fact.

But it's Jurgens go to midfield, it's a bit troubling, almost hope for an injury to Milner and/or Hendo to force his hand. that midfield is way to passive against good midfielders, why can't Klopp understand that?

I don't mind klopp put 2 defensive midfield cover but not 3, it gave city a bit more confidence to attack us knowing we can't hurt them from midfield and it showed in the game and it showed until Fab came in and before that our supply to the front line were cut off, a big part of the game. If klopp had a keita or lallana there, city's defence will struggle a bit more.

Gini was the attacking midfielder. At least on paper.

defend for 70 minutes against city with Lovren? What a sh*te tactic, they have defensive weaknesses and were there for the taking. Keita didn't even get on the field and he is probably our best midfielder.

Lovren played very well tonight. In fairness he's played very well since he came into the side, and as I pointed out, it took a worldie from Aguero to break the deadlock. Before their first goal they hadn't had a single shot on target.

Keita has shown nowhere near enough to be considered our best Midfielder

And the trio today has?

Gini was the attacking midfielder. At least on paper.

Lovren played very well tonight. In fairness he's played very well since he came into the side, and as I pointed out, it took a worldie from Aguero to break the deadlock. Before their first goal they hadn't had a single shot on target.

Sorry but Lovren was far from good today putting clearances into the middle of the box, failing to mark players properly etc, as usual he choked in the big game

defend for 70 minutes against city with Lovren? What a sh*te tactic, they have defensive weaknesses and were there for the taking. Keita didn't even get on the field and he is probably our best midfielder.

Agreed. We simply gave their defence too much respect but our slow mo midfield trio can't get pass their midfield most of the time, let alone getting the supply to our front line. I have watched teams beat city this season and it is no fluke, they close the space down fast and put city's defence under constant pressure and it paid off but we did the opposite today. Pep is pretty much aware they have to avoid the ball getting into their box with a weak defence and we simply allowed that.