This is why we need a new thread after a cooling off period for serious discussion, after all the doubters have said their piece. But the post game discussion is lumped into the match threads, and so this is a multi quote post.
Souness has won it all and senses the nerves in this team.
He's partly responsible for the state we're in. He wasn't all that good himself when he had the chance, this is someone who took us down to Peterborough in the cup in 1991, and lost ffs. So he is not in a great position to criticise Klopp, the team, or the club.
I won't forgive Klopp for those subs if we don't win the league. I'll hold him responsible.
I take it that is Rib speak for "I'm calling for him to be sacked" again. I'll address the subs in the next quote.
I share your frustration, doesn't make any sense considering Keita was coming into form and playing with real confidence.
Milner looked woeful and it was a like for like sub, we needed more going forward so what did Klopp do? Sub a defensive mid for another defensive mid.
If he put on Shaq and we lost, you and others would have said Klopp panicked and left the defenders wide open to counter attacks. And if we did go in front, said midfielders would have had their hands full trying to see it out. We put on forwards to win the game last week against a weakened opponent, and it didn't work. So why would it suddenly work against a full strength opponent this week?
So city will play next home to Watford so we will be 4 behind when we play our next pl game and inferior goal difference. Our away form. Is just not good enough. City are grinding out 1-0 wins 2 in a row. We needed to grind out any kind of a win today as long as we got three points.
And if we win the next two, we'll be at least 2 points ahead. I suppose you'll stay away then as well.
united willnot want to beat city and they wouldn't anyway or draw city are much stronger. Even if they did we would panic and drop points straight after.
You're really terrified about facing a toothless (probably nothing to play for) Huddersfield at home. Even I think that is a 3 point home banker for us.
Watford
Fulham
Cardiff
Palace
Spurs
United
Burnley
Leicester
Brighton
That's City's remaining fixtures. United may hold them to a draw but without a better goal difference equal points is worth nothing. Other than that, can you point to me where you think they might drop another point? Spurs? They've a terrible record against the top six. So yes, I truly believe the title is now theirs.
Most people believed that before a ball was kicked in August. Indeed most expected City to be at least 10 points clear by now, and us to be fighting for the top 4 again. A 1 point lead with 27 points available leaves very little margin for error.
3 of their last 4 games are away, and another one of the above games will probably be rescheduled. Since they played Chelsea at home, they've won games by one goal max. Somebody somewhere sometime soon is going to hurt them. Their injury list is also growing. We just have to do our job, so we're ready to take advantage when the time comes.
Klopp got it wrong today.
Mane and Salah were terrible and apart from the odd wonder goal here and there, they have been struggling for a while. Firmino did more when he came on than the pair of them together. Something is not right and it is costing up BIG time. Trouble is, I still don't fancy Studge or Origi either.
It is now out of our hands. We are now hoping City will drop points. And we should have gone 7 points clear against Leicester - but exactly 31 days later, we find ourselves 1 point behind. That's messing things up on a scale I've rarely seen before.
In February 86, Grob threw the ball in his own net in the derby, and after the game we were 8 points behind the champions. We went on to reel them in and win the double.
In more recent times, City were themselves 8 points behind with 6 games left. They won the league on goal difference. We have 9 games to make up 1 point, and a few buffet games to rack up the goals if necessary. We started that job at home to Watford.
Salah is one of the league's top scorers this season, while Mane had scored 6 in 6 before ko. They are automatic starters atm. Firmino almost broke his leg for the cause last week. It's great credit to Richie Partridge and his medical team, that his absence was not longer than it has been.
Could be worse, we could be Everton supporters celebrating not losing to Liverpool at home.
EDIT: Again.
Indeed. 9 years without a win against us and just because they haven't lost, they think setting a new winless run record against us is something to celebrate. For all their singing and noise, they still haven't scored a goal at home against Jürgen. And you can count the amount of shots on target against us since he took over, on one hand.
Always a small club, forever in our shadow.
We need to really dig deep and fight hard to stay in it. If we do, we will probably get a chance to go back top somewhere between now and May. Not going to be easy, but it never was likely to be.
According to some, it was all over if we went 7 points clear in January, they keep banging on about it. It's over after 38 games, not 1 or 2 months. There's still a lot of football to be played and a lot of curveballs and banana skins for both sides to deal with. Our next chance to go ahead is in two weeks time if we win the next two games, and we're more than capable of that. Then all the doubters can head back to their hideouts for a while.
Who knows what happens from here on in - maybe just maybe chasing might suit us a little bit.
Plenty have made this argument, but I don't buy it. Every team wants to be top with their destiny in their own hands. It has been great been top this season for a sustained period, and giving the fingers to all the pundits who handed the opposition the title by 10-15 points before a ball was kicked. Before this game we wanted a break from elsewhere, now we need a break from elsewhere, and do our own job. Now on to the game.
It was the usual local derby fare over there. A lot of aggression and commitment, but as expected not a lot of constructive football or many chances, and the result would have been a bookie banker before ko. Now that's it happened, it's important to take stock, not make depressing forecasts and rash judgements. It's going to be a long enough period of pundit after pundit writing us off again, without having to see it here as well. It's a 1 point gap, not 21.
A big thanks to VVD who dealt comfortably with everything thrown at him once again. And Alisson for keeping his 17th league clean sheet in his first season in England. Incredible. His integration into the side has been seamless. 5 clean sheets on the spin is something unheard of, not that long ago.
Our toughest away games are now out of the way, we've brought back 2 results from the week and a 5-0 win to top it up, and we're still in a great position to capitalise on any slip ups. It may not be the perfect week, but there are 18 clubs in this league that would love to be in our shoes atm. The initial target has to be win the next two games to go back on top, hopefully with a good bit to spare, and take it from there.