Liverpool 0-1 Brighton & Hove Albion: In game and Post Match discussion

Oh come on man, you know damn well Fergie would have changed things, he would not just play exactly the same ineffective tactics in game after game after game, if you disagree then I really think you might be on a wind up here!

BTW I am against putting anyone on ignore Keith, but I do find it irritating to have a supporter of the team I dislike more than any other regularly posting on a Liverpool forum, I'm not sure why that is considered so odd or controversial!

Fergie played players on form and tactics no matter if it was Beckham or Jonathan Greening,big names counted for nothing,no way would lower/lesser teams screw them over constantly in a short space of time playing the same tactic like us recently with no plan B.100% agree about a Manc on a Liverpool forum,very odd,i wouldn't waste one second on a manc forum talking about them.

If as a lot of the sensible supporters were saying we got in the CB reinforcements early they may well have been integrated by now and we could have got Our more dynamic midfielders back into position.

Along with that possibly getting the full backs back up high providing the creativity rather than babysitting.

Thank you HScRed1,at last someone seeing the bigger picture,hopefully we will now see our best players play in their best positions so we have a fighting chance of the top 4 and a CL run.

I agree they looked fatigued but explain to me how a team like Brighton with a much weaker first XI and squad look fresher than us. Also explain how playing a 35 year old makes any sense when you have Curtis and Ox waiting in the wings.

There are more and more questions stacking up against Klopp:

1) Why send Minamino out on loan when you have so few attacking options, and sorry but Origi is NOT a f**king option!!!
2) Why not formulate a way to defeat low block teams, its not a modern phenomenon in football but Jürgen, supposedly the best manager in the world, has not got a f**king clue how to beat it, he should be utterly embarrassed!
3) Realise that his normal formation and players only really work if a team plays open football, and have a different set of players who can play against Low Block, That means having midfielders who can run with the ball and Full Backs who can go on overlaps and also drive into the box AT SPEED!!!  It might also be an idea to buy a striker who is tall who can attack crosses, doesn't need to be the best in the world just a different option, imagine an Origi who actually gets on the end of crosses and uses their size as an advantage.


I am sad to say it but I really am starting to lose faith in Klopp, it just seems that his heart is not quite in it any more, I expect a top class manager to be able to solve these challenges but he seems clueless and that is very worrying.

I think Klopp has become insane, if you agree that insanity is doing the same thing  over and over and expecting a different outcome, which it seems he does.

This was a sensible, reasonable post open to some good debate and then you went and fu**ed it with the last two paragraphs.

Give your head a wobble.

I would think Jürgen will have all the team in at Kirby today, watching the match back and asking them to watch their own performances and say , do you deserve to pick up wages for this ? I can just imagine a thread starting like : what would yo do with a team that under performs ?

Only saw brief highlights, very disappointing to lose at home once again, after two away wins at Spurs & West Ham. Seemingly once again not able to score against Brighton another side in the lower half of the table. Obviously now have a huge mountain to climb to retain the title, starting with Man City, once again at home ! City I think can be beaten, but our strikers must be on target in front of goal from the start, which could be a fascinating game if all the players fit lift themselves for the occasion.

If you don't like him posting on here don't f**king reply to him then.

He's been posting on here long before you arrived, hasn't broken any rules, and if the Mods didn't want him on here he'd be banned.

Get over it.

A point that I've acknowledged.

It was a Pathetic and disgraceful performance that was based on inept tactics of one dimension style of play(only Plan A) that has been dictated by the wired manager, who must take the full blame. The was writing on the wall for this disastrous campaign since 7-2 thrashing against Aston Villa!!  Many football experts have urged Klopp to strengthen his squad in the summer to overcome the new demanding season, but he still believed by his alleged world-class players!! the likes of Salah, Firmino, and Origi who will bring him another title, what a weird style of management. Just a couple of days ago he let Minamino go and kept the disgraceful Origi who can't even force himself in a third division side!! It is total madness.
Brighton left-back Burn has caused us so much damage and he was unlucky not to score in the first half, whereas, our full-backs and wide players have failed to use the wide spaces on the flanks and were trying to put the ball through a wall of defenders, the crosses were useless and infective against giants defending against midgets of Liverpool players!

The champion elect  M. City will win it with ease, however, I am worried they might infect a third successive home defeat
upon us.
Bad times indeed, but we must say Good Luck Lads for Sunday.  

This was a sensible, reasonable post open to some good debate and then you went and fu**ed it with the last two paragraphs.

Give your head a wobble.

OK so ignore the last 2 paragraphs and lets have a debate on the rest instead of another tedious  ad hominem attack!

It was a Pathetic and disgraceful performance that was based on inept tactics of one dimension style of play(only Plan A) that has been dictated by the wired manager, who must take the full blame. The was writing on the wall for this disastrous campaign since 7-2 thrashing against Aston Villa!!  Many football experts have urged Klopp to strengthen his squad in the summer to overcome the new demanding season, but he still believed by his alleged world-class players!! the likes of Salah, Firmino, and Origi who will bring him another title, what a weird style of management. Just a couple of days ago he let Minamino go and kept the disgraceful Origi who can't even force himself in a third division side!! It is total madness.
Brighton left-back Burn has caused us so much damage and he was unlucky not to score in the first half, whereas, our full-backs and wide players have failed to use the wide spaces on the flanks and were trying to put the ball through a wall of defenders, the crosses were useless and infective against giants defending against midgets of Liverpool players!

The champion elect  M. City will win it with ease, however, I am worried they might infect a third successive home defeat
upon us.
Bad times indeed, but we must say Good Luck Lads for Sunday.  

Our players need to pull their fingers out for sure, starting with this game on Sunday !

Our players need to pull their fingers out for sure, starting with this game on Sunday !

Yes, but more crucially our manager and his coaching staff need to do some work, they need to formulate new tactics, this should have happened a long time ago.

We have one point from the bottom six teams and you claim there is no problem!!!! WOW

...because in the long run we look fine. You glued to our latest dry spell but overlook the big picture which looks fine like I prove. Football is an heavily probabilistic game, i.e. few games can be very deceiving. If you don't see that then you are like the owner of a slot machine that wants to close business because some dudes won during the weekend. That happens but it is not a bad sign at all. Therefore your "wisdom" (insanity = doing things over and over again and expect different outcome) is a very dangerous half-truth that is more false than true in life.

Again, after a sample of 21 games we are 2nd in goals - better than City! How can u mumble about that offense? Defensively we have 25 goals against us which is just average (City has 13), but what do you expect when VVD, Matip and Gomet are out, and even Fabinho and Alisson lately? That are facts and not just gossip or feeling.

Would be so Liverpool to beat city on Sunday too

I don't understand this desire to come up with some new tactical plan. You don't throw out what made you the best team in the world over two seasons because of a run of bad games - which can happen to any team, at any time. You certainly try to improve what you do well, work on what you do badly, and try to evolve to become more dynamic and unpredictable, but you don't just say "That's not working anymore, we're starting over" just because you've lost a couple of games.

In terms of Plan A's and B's, that is exactly why we signed Jota and Thiago instead of a CB in the summer. Jota to provide genuine competition for places, and Thiago to help pick apart low block teams. Why we've not been able to do that is a good subject of debate, but it's not for a lack of trying, or lack of foresight by the management team. The huge risk we took in going in with the 3 CB's + Fabi, was mainly because we wanted to focus on being more dynamic and unpredictable, especially against low block tactics. Why hasn't it worked, is a good question.

I think we've been spoilt the last two years and have some very high standards that we've not met at all this season, for many different reasons. To an extent, I did think we'd end up losing more games and winning less this season, simply because the standard of 95+ points we've set last two seasons just isn't possible, or at least isn't likely, every season. Teams have sat deep against us for a while now, and we've found ways to win games. For whatever reason, it's not happening this month and we've put in some of our worst performances of the last year or two (although credit to Brighton last night, they were brilliant). That said, given how good we were before, is that really worthy of throwing the baby out with the bathwater? I don't think so, and although the title race may be over now (beat City and that looks a bit different), I think we need some perspective. World class managers and teams don't become sh*t in a month, they're allowed bad runs and bad form, it's football, it happens. As Klopp says, "the ball is round and rolls both ways".

That said maybe I'm just more optimistic about our future beyond this slump, or less emotionally invested this season, all just feels a bit meh without fans for so long.

OK so ignore the last 2 paragraphs and lets have a debate on the rest instead of another tedious  ad hominem attack!

To be honest with you mate, I quite enjoy your posts overall even though you come out with complete and utter tripe from time to time.

But you know all this victim stuff you constantly post about how everybody attacks you? Have a day off mate. It’s boring.

If you didn’t post sh*te like ‘I have no faith in klopp’ and ‘klopp is insane’ then maybe people wouldn't quote you and call you out on it.

How can you call our manager insane and lose faith in him after he took us from seventh to domestic, European and world champions? Do you not realise how much of a tit you look?

We’re all frustrated with how this season is going and klopp has made plenty of errors which I’ve also stated myself but don’t take him for granted and come out with ludicrous statements. We literally have the best manager/coach in the world.

Next season if spine of team no change just sign Haaland and the world is our!
Liverpool, Liverpool 

...because in the long run we look fine. You glued to our latest dry spell but overlook the big picture which looks fine like I prove. Football is an heavily probabilistic game, i.e. few games can be very deceiving. If you don't see that then you are like the owner of a slot machine that wants to close business because some dudes won during the weekend. That happens but it is not a bad sign at all. Therefore your "wisdom" (insanity = doing things over and over again and expect different outcome) is a very dangerous half-truth that is more false than true in life.

Again, after a sample of 21 games we are 2nd in goals - better than City! How can u mumble about that offense? Defensively we have 25 goals against us which is just average (City has 13), but what do you expect when VVD, Matip and Gomet are out, and even Fabinho and Alisson lately? That are facts and not just gossip or feeling.

I have stated in another thread that we are a very weird team, we are brilliant against teams who play Open football, arguably the best in the world when all players are fully fit etc. We are however f**king terrible against teams who play Low Block, ie the bottom 6 teams in the league and we do not show any signs of improving in that area, in fact we seem to be getting worse. The reason for that is that far too inflexible rigid tactics and not having the right players. For example in the game yesterday we needed to have much more penetration by our fullbacks and midfield but every time they get near the 16 yard box they stop, that must be through orders, if its a lack of confidence then its even more worrying!

I don't understand this desire to come up with some new tactical plan. You don't throw out what made you the best team in the world over two seasons because of a run of bad games - which can happen to any team, at any time. You certainly try to improve what you do well, work on what you do badly, and try to evolve to become more dynamic and unpredictable, but you don't just say "That's not working anymore, we're starting over" just because you've lost a couple of games.

In terms of Plan A's and B's, that is exactly why we signed Jota and Thiago instead of a CB in the summer. Jota to provide genuine competition for places, and Thiago to help pick apart low block teams. Why we've not been able to do that is a good subject of debate, but it's not for a lack of trying, or lack of foresight by the management team. The huge risk we took in going in with the 3 CB's + Fabi, was mainly because we wanted to focus on being more dynamic and unpredictable, especially against low block tactics. Why hasn't it worked, is a good question.

I think we've been spoilt the last two years and have some very high standards that we've not met at all this season, for many different reasons. To an extent, I did think we'd end up losing more games and winning less this season, simply because the standard of 95+ points we've set last two seasons just isn't possible, or at least isn't likely, every season. Teams have sat deep against us for a while now, and we've found ways to win games. For whatever reason, it's not happening this month and we've put in some of our worst performances of the last year or two (although credit to Brighton last night, they were brilliant). That said, given how good we were before, is that really worthy of throwing the baby out with the bathwater? I don't think so, and although the title race may be over now (beat City and that looks a bit different), I think we need some perspective. World class managers and teams don't become sh*t in a month, they're allowed bad runs and bad form, it's football, it happens. As Klopp says, "the ball is round and rolls both ways".

That said maybe I'm just more optimistic about our future beyond this slump, or less emotionally invested this season, all just feels a bit meh without fans for so long.

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome, the very best managers would be changing things but not our Jürgen he's being extremely German about this problem, he's decided on his favourite players and formation and Damn it he'll keep playing them and his system!!
If you guys remember back to last season there were a hell of a lot of games we won more through good fortune than skill, games where we were down right sh*t, just that we had a brilliant defence and an attacking line which would generate just enough chances over 90 minutes to get at least one goal without looking that convincing, well now the table has turned we are still struggling to create chances, against Low Block, but we are the ones conceding that goal. we have to find a better solution to this problem becomes teams have figured out how to frustrate us and ride their luck.

That CT fella been quiet since his point was disproven...

That CT fella been quiet since his point was disproven...

Currently being briefed by FSG how to proceed.

Currently being briefed by FSG how to proceed.

Hahaha nah don't think he's at the level of jaime kanwar just yet!!

Fergie played players on form and tactics no matter if it was Beckham or Jonathan Greening,big names counted for nothing,no way would lower/lesser teams screw them over constantly in a short space of time playing the same tactic like us recently with no plan B.100% agree about a Manc on a Liverpool forum,very odd,i wouldn't waste one second on a manc forum talking about them.

Oddly enough, I for one really enjoy Keith's perspective and humour.  All part of life's rich pageant! 
Brings a nice balance to the knee-jerk ranting and narcissism of some of us on here (not you btw!).

Oddly enough, I for one really enjoy Keith's perspective and humour.  All part of life's rich pageant! 
Brings a nice balance to the knee-jerk ranting and narcissism of some of us on here (not you btw!).

Fair enough,just my view.

I have stated in another thread that we are a very weird team, we are brilliant against teams who play Open football, arguably the best in the world when all players are fully fit etc. We are however f**king terrible against teams who play Low Block, ie the bottom 6 teams in the league and we do not show any signs of improving in that area, in fact we seem to be getting worse. The reason for that is that far too inflexible rigid tactics and not having the right players. For example in the game yesterday we needed to have much more penetration by our fullbacks and midfield but every time they get near the 16 yard box they stop, that must be through orders, if its a lack of confidence then its even more worrying!

I see where you coming from but you are just a victim of your imagination. Look at 2019 and 2020. We did beat the f*ck out of those low-blocking teams, did we? We did it even at the beginning of the '21 season. Just in the last two months do we struggle and we know precisely why. There's no complaining justified other than over fate that made us injury-riddled weak. It seems you cannot cope with fate, but you obviously need some guilt or blame in hope to change (uncontrolable) things. That's human, but that's also delusional.

Let Klopp do his work, enjoy the ride - even the ride thru the valley because it will make you feel much better when we're back on top of the mountain and that will be soon because we have all the pieces.

Oddly enough, I for one really enjoy Keith's perspective and humour.  All part of life's rich pageant! 
Brings a nice balance to the knee-jerk ranting and narcissism of some of us on here (not you btw!).

I just try and take those rose tinted glasses off  a few of the lads that never take them off. 

Thank You.

I should have clarified that it is mental fatigue I'm talking about. I think we're a bit spent in that regard.

Agree with this as well by the way.

I think this side has reached its peak and does need a bit of freshening up. The previous summer should have seen that started and we kind of got away with it and I think we're seeing the impact this has had on this group of players now.

We just got 2 central defenders. We got 3 new players in the summer, so the squad has been freshened up. But they're not much use when they're injured, or as was the case in this game, sitting in the stand locked up in their masks.

I struggle to accept tiredness as a reason for results. Jürgen complains about the schedule, as he has done ever since he took the job, but playing twice a week is normal, while travel is an unavoidable part of the game. If you want to succeed at the highest level, you have to be willing to travel. It's a nice complaint to have though. Travelling anywhere is a relative luxury atm, and to some extent, so is actually having work to do. If they want to see what tiredness looks like, go down to the local hospital and watch the medics 12 hour shifts every day, then the same again tomorrow, and the same again the next day, where levels of fatigue is no defence for not doing their job. And run a household while they're at it. That is tiredness.

For the modern game, a club the size of ours who competes in several competitions, you need a big squad consisting of 22 internationals, covering each position. We don’t have that. Not even close.

I know we can’t compete with city financially but just compare the two squads. They have depth everywhere. It reduces their chances of injuries. Look at Foden this season. He plays one week and then he’s benched the next. Whenever he’s benched, Mahrez comes in for him. But the difference between the two is very little, they’re both quality players and they’re on par with each other.

We don’t have competition for places. Just look at the state of our bench tonight. You could argue Brighton had a stronger bench than us.

We have no decent back up keeper and considering our first choice has a habit of missing a dozen games or so every season then this needs addressing. A bit harsh on kelleher because he’s done alright but because alisson misses so many games then we need a proper backup premierleague keeper.

In midfield we have plenty of options. Fabinho, Hendo, gini, milner, ox, Thiago, Jones. Normally that would be enough to get us through the season and there’s enough quality there too but Thiago and ox have both had lengthy times in the medical room and Fabinho and Hendo have played at the back.

So for a season where we’ve been hammered with injuries it’s been evident that our squad is 1. Short of players and 2. Not good enough anyway.

We have a PL standard keeper, who played in this game, and his superb performance was the only highlight of an awful night. I presume Alisson will play the next game, as long as he can stand up straight, but if he isn't 100% ready, why put him through it? Whoever is in goal will still have a lot of work to do. Kelleher has been exceptional for us this season and may be somewhere else in the league next year, as he's too good to be sitting here getting splinters on the bench for long.

There's not a lot to say about the game itself, but hopefully it is the last we see of the Hendo in central defence experiment. Fabinho is on the way back and we have new centre backs available, so use them. Jota should be back by the Fulham game at the latest.

6 weeks ago, we were 6 points clear and they were saying the league was won. Now we're nearer to 6th place and they're saying the league is done. There's nobody out there atm with any consistency apart from City, who have enjoyed the benefits of a very generous fixture list. For us, the immediate focus is to win the next game, and it will be a totally different game to this one. If we win the next two games, then we're one point behind City and we'll see what happens from there. They're about to begin a run of games against proper opposition who have firepower and will ask questions of them. 

We have 48 points left to play for, obviously we need some breaks but if we win the next one, there's still plenty of time to turn this around. But the first thing we need to do, is believe.