Reds to play friendlies against Stuttgart, Salzburg & Blackpool.

Got some talented kids in the squad aven't we!

I dont know if its just me, but when Bobby moved deeper, I thought he started to run the show.  Taki and Nabi were really good, but he made things happen

Sorry but being able to score against Blackpool at home is kind of important and 7 will do very nicely. Very much a game of two halves and we have some very exciting young talent, some of the seniors could maybe take notice and remember what effort and commitment looks like.

So in the first half the sky is falling and then after the 2nd we have done something important.

I swear man, this is you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohDB5gbtaEQ


Scoring at home in a friendly against League One Blackpool is NOT important.

Most of us already knew we had exciting young talent.

Jürgen's take on the friendly:

Yeah, it was because of a lack of aggression from our side, a lack of desire a little bit for this game – that’s how it is, playing around. The goals we conceded, yeah, that’s mistakes – it’s typical for pre-season games. But so far I think we conceded pretty much all the goals in similar situations; losing the ball in the build-up, then it’s a counter-attack, it’s a free chance pretty much. We know that and it’s clear we cannot do it like this. We have to improve that. But we have another week to get the legs fresher, again an intense week. We have to use the weeks, we cannot change that. I would love to have always fresh boys with super fresh legs in the games, but that only can work over the year when you do the hard work in the pre-season. That’s what we are doing. We scored a good goal after a nice set-piece in the first half, then all the rest was pretty much like it should be [in the second half] – much more aggressive and we could bring in other fresh legs. That helped obviously. The opponent changed as well. I think Critch has a really good team there; the first XI was really, really good, had a good, nice plan. We played a little bit into their cards. But in the end it’s a pre-season game, important that we have it. Some of the boys could have 90 minutes, which helps as well. Now another week until Leeds – good.

So in the first half the sky is falling and then after the 2nd we have done something important.

I swear man, this is you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohDB5gbtaEQ


Scoring at home in a friendly against League One Blackpool is NOT important.

Most of us already knew we had exciting young talent.

That's just like your opinion man, an opinion, not a fact, do you recognise the difference, its kind of like our two halves of football today which were polar opposites.

That's just like your opinion man, an opinion, not a fact, do you recognise the difference, its kind of like our two halves of football today which were polar opposites.

Isn't almost everything on here an opinion?

Isn't almost everything on here an opinion?

That was kind of my point ;-)

My take on yesterday's friendly.

Positives

It was great to be able to squeeze in another friendly at short notice. That's 4 including a competitive game last weekend in the Chazza Shield. I know we like to read into things during pre-season but lets not forget it's about physical preparation above all else so in that sense i think we are in as a good a shape as anybody, particularly when you consider the likes of Chelsea and both mancs finished their season 2 weeks after our lads.

Minamino - Started to look like a player now, playing with freedom, has looked really sharp in pre-season and has now bagged a couple of goals. Interesting to see what he can bring this season.

Jones - We've got a player here. Technically he is excellent, also very calm and composed on the ball and he is quite a big lad aswell so physically he could grow into an imposing player. Could save the club a fortune. I think he could be a starter by mid-season.

Hoever - A few have said it, looks like he could be a better option than Neco Williams as cover for Trent but i'd stick with Milner as first option for now.

Keita - Played well yesterday, probably our best player in the first half. I've been saying/thinking for a while that he should play deeper and that's what we saw yesterday. He has a great touch, can wriggle his way out of tight areas, plays with composure and keeps things simply. In a deeper role he is also capable of beating the press and driving forward with the ball (bit like Emre Can used to do when he played as a centre-half from time to time). I think we will see the best of Keita in a deeper midfield role as one of 2. Also good to see him putting some tackles and being more physical yesterday.

Negatives/concerns

Front 3 still look rusty. Bobby looked much better when he dropped deeper in the last 20 minutes. Salah played a few nice passes but didn't get into the game and didn't really threaten. Mane's touch has not looked the best during pre-season.

We beginning to see just how reliant we are on the 2 full-backs, if they are injured or not performing we need to find a way to overcome this.

You would be worried if we had to rely on any of the kids to play at CB in a real game, Phillips, Van De Berg or Hoever are all a year or 2 away from senior football at that position so the sooner we get some genuine cover the better. In the mean-time I would assume that Fabinho is the likely choice.   

Take nothing away from our kids and Blackpool. They came here to put up a good fight and all our players had to work to get those goals.

To say that putting seven past Blackpool is a given, and we should be doing it, is a bit of a disrespect to them.

To say that we could have done more than to put seven past them and our performance is not a big deal, is also a big disrespect to our players. What more would one expect our players to do? Put another seven past Blackpool blindfolded?

Certain fans want nothing but big big big big wins. If possible, win blindfolded or with 7 men against 11 or by a rugby scoreline and humiliating the opponent. Not most of us. Certain people amongst us.

But we don’t know the exact objectives of the coaching staff. Perhaps it is some game time for certain players, perhaps it is to experiment with different formations and passages of play. We know too little. If you’re part of the coaching staff, own up. Identify yourself as Pep or Peter Krawietz and we’ll all listen to you. Because you know everything.

Otherwise, respect what the coaches are trying to achieve. Respect the players for the efforts. Respect the opposition as much as Anfield respects every visitor, players and staff. Respect our team and our club.

I’d just say it was a good friendly and a good run out for everyone. It’s a friendly. We have little right to demand how the players play.

Football heritage. Respect, Respect.