Barcelona 3-0 Liverpool: In game and Post Match discussion

Don't think the lack of back up was really the problem. Jürgen could've played Mo up front and Milner (or Shaq) out wide. He made a tactical choice to go for the most hard pressing CF option he could think of. I don't think it entirely worked myself (although it wasn't too bad - since we still created a fair bit), but I think it was more a tactical choice than a lack of options.

Fair enough but change should have made earlier 60 mins max

Don't think the lack of back up was really the problem. Jürgen could've played Mo up front and Milner (or Shaq) out wide. He made a tactical choice to go for the most hard pressing CF option he could think of. I don't think it entirely worked myself (although it wasn't too bad - since we still created a fair bit), but I think it was more a tactical choice than a lack of options.

Yea, agreed. And maybe tactically it didn't work as well as some other options might have.
But we'll never know, and hindsight is a great thing.

Don't think the lack of back up was really the problem. Jürgen could've played Mo up front and Milner (or Shaq) out wide. He made a tactical choice to go for the most hard pressing CF option he could think of. I don't think it entirely worked myself (although it wasn't too bad - since we still created a fair bit), but I think it was more a tactical choice than a lack of options.

Theres a definite lack of options. He doesn't trust Shaq. Milner cant play out wide. If Firmino was fit he plays and if we had a decent back up then they may too. If Sturridge was his old self hed be picked but hes not. Any genuine option would have been used today.

Thought the free kick was a cracker too, not Alissons fault for me.
We knew before the game Messi was the one to watch, but he showed why he is the best player in the world  [ever imho]

Yeah. I thought we handled him pretty well mostly (especially Fab and Robbo), but he is a special player. No fault whatsoever from Alisson - he did well to get near it, it was a guided missile.

How the F**k we didn't score with the amount of chances we had over the 90 minutes is truly beyond me..
Their back four are pretty sh*te and are there for the taking for sure.
If we can grab two early goals at Anfield it's game on!! and based on what I have just witnessed we can be 3-0 up by half time.

It's gonna take an almighty performance but it IS do-able..

THE DREAM IS NOT OVER !!

The boys have just gotta group together and turn Newcastle over on Saturday now.

Totally unjustified score line, no way Barcelona where 3 goals superior.

Fair enough but change should have made earlier 60 mins max

At 60 minutes only one team.looked like scoring and I think youd be hard pressed to find a manager who'd want to make changes there to risk changing momentum

Don't blame him for holding what he had st that point

At 2-0 it became tricky because momentum is gone with little time to change it again

Messi then bends in that free kick and we wonder what the F**k has just happened

This was such a painfull loss. Klopp made a few mistakes. Starting a rusty Gomez out of position who has only played half an hour of football since his return against Barcelona is plain stupid. Especially against Coutinho who has been sh*t this season. Starting Gini as a 9 was a mistake as well. I don't understand why we just didn't play with Keita on the left and Mane/Salah as a striker. It has worked multiple times this season.

We had 4 big chances to score and should've scored atleast 2 of them. Barcelona only had 2 chances and scored both of them. That was the difference today. And Barca has Messi which is just unfair. It is ridiculous how good he is. I still believe we can win this tie. Barcelona are terrible in away games, but the team and Anfield has to be at their best of this season. I really think if we start like against Roma and City last season we'll score many goals.

Perhaps he'd have been terrible. Perhaps he'd have scored.

We'll never know.
Yet put himself about when he came on and arguably did as much as Gini did for the entire time he was on.

I lean heavily towards Stu being terrible.

If you call Origi running aimlessly along the wings and causing zero threat productive then Gini must have been sitting down all game.

He done next to nothing all game, we had kept him quiet and everything he tried was easily dealt with. But he was in the right place at the right time for his first goal and then his 2nd, well there’s nothing to say, sometimes you just have to tip your hat and accept the brilliance.

It’s funny because just before that, he took a free kick and they ended up going all the way back to the keeper, I was thinking to myself that we’ve got them here and we were going to snatch something. Then he does that.

And at the very end too, from a corner I think on the break at speed, he drew our guys over to the left and cut it back/across perfectly leaving two of their guys in space. The guy hit it at Alisson, should have been 4.
He can be out of the game for periods, but he can change a game in seconds.

Yea, agreed. And maybe tactically it didn't work as well as some other options might have.
But we'll never know, and hindsight is a great thing.

Yep. Bottom line we played well, so can't moan too much about the tactics. Finishing was the difference. But it's not like Mo and Sadio are exactly poor finishers. One of those nights.

F**k it lads just like the league it's not over till the fat lady sings.

I lean heavily towards Stu being terrible.

If you call Origi running aimlessly along the wings and causing zero threat productive then Gini must have been sitting down all game.

Origi done nothing when he came on and I struggle to see how anyone can see a meaningful contribution from him.

Gini was poor first half but a lot more involved in the game in the second half and you could see what the manager was thinking.

Really need to go in hard in the transfer window.
Will be crazy to assume the front 3 manage to stay fit for so many games.

F**k it lads just like the league it's not over till the fat lady sings.

I wonder what the odds are of us doing the double? Might throw in £10-£20 if they are ridiculous like the Leicester 5000/1 odds in winning the league before

Despite the shoreline, I honestly think we were the better team, and throughout the game I kept thinking we will destroy these at Anfield, just got to not get fought on the break

At 60 minutes only one team.looked like scoring and I think youd be hard pressed to find a manager who'd want to make changes there to risk changing momentum

Don't blame him for holding what he had st that point

At 2-0 it became tricky because momentum is gone with little time to change it again

Messi then bends in that free kick and we wonder what the f**k has just happened

So who do you think the opposition would rather see up front a Midfielder or Bobby ? If the momentum was with us that's the time to make it more momentum we needed a goal and he almost provided it

Extremely unlikely we will go through.  I'm talking the low single digit percentages.  But not impossible.  What was last years semi-final on aggregate? 7-6 to us something like that.

Clutching at straws though because I expect Barcelona to score at Anfield.

In my opinion, we had to get an away goal there to give us any realistic chance.

Can't really fault the performance as such.  Fabinho impressed, Robbo did very well, VVD and Matip did well.  Can't really criticise the keeper.  Salah was lively, Mane started well. 

Shame Keita got injured and Firmino couldn't do the 90 minutes.  Almost scored in the 10 minutes he was on.

Ho hum. 

Salah had loads of time to pick his spot.

The Barca Defenders were laying on the goal line. Hits the target only way they keep it out is by a handball. Just panicked.

Some nights luck just doesn't go with you. We had none tonight.

Surely if there any justice in football we beat Newcastle and Leicester hold City Monday night.

So who do you think the opposition would rather see up front a Midfielder or Bobby ? If the momentum was with us that's the time to make it more momentum we needed a goal and he almost provided it

Bobby clearly wasn't fit

I F***ing hate football.

We're, 25/1 to win now and about 20/1to get to the final

Probably, we don't have a Stevie, Hazard or Aguero that made the difference. A world class game changer. If we could have one next season, it will be a big upgrade.

These bas**rds are certainly beatable, just that we need more speed and aggression in our gme. And please no more origi. Why play him at the flank, he is no Steve Heighway. Kept knocking the ball backwards instead of taking on defenders. He should be inside the box harassing defenders with his height and open up space for Mane and Salah. It was done on a few occassion and didn;t yield the results and Klopp got this wrong.