The Footie Thread

[Hobbit]

Dropping two points at Palace was a blow -to have a chance we need to be near perfect now and prob can only afford to drop a couple of points. Konate is back and Diaz a week away will give us a full squad but it’s a heck of an uphill task. We did it before but this maybe just out of reach

I think losing Mane has caused a good number of problems. He made it easier for Salah. He carried the ball well and made the midfield look very good. TAA has played most of this season the way he finished last season - watch him (not) tracking back when he loses the ball - he takes lazy to a new level - he’s done a Rashford, and needs to find his way back. That’s the right side not working very well. Nunez is a player for the future, like Elliott. Henderson is not playing well, and Milner is past it. VVD isn’t too far off his best but is horrendously exposed by poor partners, and unfairly made to look average. The keeper hasn’t got the usual protection.

That said, I think Robertson has really gone up a level.

Losing Wijnaldum the season before, and Mane this + players ageing + injuries… I’d love to see them make 4th but, sadly, I think they’ll finish closer to 10th.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

I think losing Mane has caused a good number of problems. He made it easier for Salah. He carried the ball well and made the midfield look very good. TAA has played most of this season the way he finished last season - watch him (not) tracking back when he loses the ball - he takes lazy to a new level - he’s done a Rashford, and needs to find his way back. That’s the right side not working very well. Nunez is a player for the future, like Elliott. Henderson is not playing well, and Milner is past it. VVD isn’t too far off his best but is horrendously exposed by poor partners, and unfairly made to look average. The keeper hasn’t got the usual protection.

That said, I think Robertson has really gone up a level.

Losing Wijnaldum the season before, and Mane this + players ageing + injuries… I’d love to see them make 4th but, sadly, I think they’ll finish closer to 10th.

That’s why losing Diaz so early was a big blow - he was the Mane replacement

The right side relied on Henderson as much as anyone covering for TAA - but he has played more deeper with Elliot playing that right side role a bit more and he hasn’t provided the same level of protection.

There is huge drop in confidence right now as well and it’s up to Klopp to find a way to rebuild that

I’m resigned to finishing out of Europe this season whilst it’s not great financially might be a blessing next season to give them a bit of break

Whilst we were playing yesterday with an Arsenal and Utd fan we all felt the same that teams just can’t sustain year after year challenges beyond City - and we have spent the last 4/5 years alongside them and it’s taken it’s toil as it will do with Arsenal and then any other team. City managed to “cough” recruit two pretty much full teams that helps them continue to go again and again each season

 

[Hobbit]

That’s why losing Diaz so early was a big blow - he was the Mane replacement

The right side relied on Henderson as much as anyone covering for TAA - but he has played more deeper with Elliot playing that right side role a bit more and he hasn’t provided the same level of protection.

There is huge drop in confidence right now as well and it’s up to Klopp to find a way to rebuild that

I’m resigned to finishing out of Europe this season whilst it’s not great financially might be a blessing next season to give them a bit of break

Whilst we were playing yesterday with an Arsenal and Utd fan we all felt the same that teams just can’t sustain year after heat challenges beyond City - and we have spent the last 4/5 years alongside them and it’s taken it’s toil as it will do with Arsenal and then any other team. City managed to “cough” recruit two pretty much full teams that helps them continue to go again and again each season

I hope they do get European football. That way they’ll attract better players. I play/socialise with a fantastically knowledgeable footie fan. He watches football every day and 2/3 matches on Saturday & Sunday - he’s single. And he’s a Liverpool fan. Short version of his view; keep Salah till the end of next season. Replace Henderson & Milner. Buy another VVD level CB. Find competitive cover for TAA that also drives him to focus. He does question the poor selling and very poor buying in the last 2 summer windows, specifically the rubbish they’ve kept too long.

I sincerely hope they don’t disappear into the wilderness like Utd but if the buying doesn’t improve I fear that’s where they’re headed.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

I hope they do get European football. That way they’ll attract better players. I play/socialise with a fantastically knowledgeable footie fan. He watches football every day and 2/3 matches on Saturday & Sunday - he’s single. And he’s a Liverpool fan. Short version of his view; keep Salah till the end of next season. Replace Henderson & Milner. Buy another VVD level CB. Find competitive cover for TAA that also drives him to focus. He does question the poor selling and very poor buying in the last 2 summer windows, specifically the rubbish they’ve kept too long.

I sincerely hope they don’t disappear into the wilderness like Utd but if the buying doesn’t improve I fear that’s where they’re headed.

I think we will see three players arrive in the summer

2 Midfielders to replace Ox and Keita who will leave

1 CB who will replace Matip

Don’t see Henderson going and expect Milner to get one more year -all depends on how young Morton has done

As for right back - they won’t bring in one - we have Ramsey and Gomez that can fill in there plus young Bradley who is doing very well at Bolton

The transfers over the last couple of years - Konate , Diaz , Núñez , Gakpo will be very good players but there is the belief that there should have been a midfielder arrive , the issue is Klopp and the recruitment team appear to stick to their targets and wait until they are available- Tchoumeni was the main target and it seems Bellingham the other. I think we will still be able to attract this summer - and with Klopp there I’m confident it won’t be wilderness time like Utd

 

[ColchesterFC]

That’s why losing Diaz so early was a big blow - he was the Mane replacement

Suggestions in the Italian papers today that Liverpool are looking to sign Rafael Leao from AC Milan and might be looking to include Diaz as part of a swap deal for him. I know it's just paper talk at the minute, and I haven't seen very much of either player to make a judgement, but is that a deal that you'd be happy with?

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Suggestions in the Italian papers today that Liverpool are looking to sign Rafael Leao from AC Milan and might be looking to include Diaz as part of a swap deal for him. I know it's just paper talk at the minute, and I haven't seen very much of either player to make a judgement, but is that a deal that you'd be happy with?

Not sure much of Leão and the times we did play against Milan I can’t recall him

Diaz has been superb for us so I can’t understand why they would look at that swap deal.

Leao is supposed to be out of contract next year and not signing a new one so I guess it’s start of the silly season with him.

 

[Deleted member 29109]

Just because the other European leagues are less competitive than ours, doesn’t make ours a competitive league.

Rugby Union is far more competitive. More than half the teams in the league would have felt that they were in with a chance of winning it at the beginning of the season.

In a league with only 11 teams? That’s still only 5 teams, which is the same as the number of EPL teams who would hope to be in with a chance.

 

[Swango1980]

Many players have a drop in form but even with his he is still scoring goals and contributing, he isn’t reaching his own high standards of the previous 5 season but he will get it back just like your own Rashford did when he was written off by many

That’s the way the sport is nowadays you have some people who analyse to death and write players off at the drop of a hat

Salah even when we aren’t playing well is still there involved but he put himself up on a pedestal when he became one of the best in World and people will look at every opportunity to knock him down

We are having a poor season for a number of reasons and there is no doubt Imo that the manager and the players will turn it around and go again and that includes Salah topping the scoring charts again

Will he get it back though? He is 30, maybe his peak has gone? Utd waited for Pogba to come good. He didn't. Sanchez was amazing for Arsenal, awful at Utd. Did Torres drop off a cliff at Liverpool, or Fowler?

Yes, Salah has done well before, maybe he will again. But, since signing his new contract he had been nowhere near the level he was, that is all I'm saying. He has a different team dynamic around him, maybe he doesn't quite have the same motivation when he was younger.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Will he get it back though? He is 30, maybe his peak has gone? Utd waited for Pogba to come good. He didn't. Sanchez was amazing for Arsenal, awful at Utd. Did Torres drop off a cliff at Liverpool, or Fowler?

Yes, Salah has done well before, maybe he will again. But, since signing his new contract he had been nowhere near the level he was, that is all I'm saying. He has a different team dynamic around him, maybe he doesn't quite have the same motivation when he was younger.

Fowler - serious knee injury
Torres - ruined by ankle injury
Pogba - never produced in the Prem

Not sure how any can be compared to Salah’s situation and Sanchez changed clubs to play in a system to style that didn’t suit him

Salah will end up scoring 30 goals for us this season and will prob be top scorer for us next season - his worst season so far for us was when we won the league - 23 across all comps , he will prob beat that this season

 

[Tashyboy]

Will he get it back though? He is 30, maybe his peak has gone? Utd waited for Pogba to come good. He didn't. Sanchez was amazing for Arsenal, awful at Utd. Did Torres drop off a cliff at Liverpool, or Fowler?

Yes, Salah has done well before, maybe he will again. But, since signing his new contract he had been nowhere near the level he was, that is all I'm saying. He has a different team dynamic around him, maybe he doesn't quite have the same motivation when he was younger.

36,382, that’s the post where I questioned as to whether Salah could be sold. From Liverpools point of view they need to rebuild, Salah is now at an age where Liverpool could still get a sizeable fee. Be gobsmacked to see him in a Liverpool shirt next season.

 

[BrianM]

Virgil with his Green Jacket after winning the Masters

Shamelessly Stolen

 

[Deleted member 15344]

The 2022 FIFPro Men's #World11

Thibaut Courtois

Achraf Hakimi
Virgil van Dijk
Joao Cancelo

Kevin De Bruyne
Luka Modric
Casemiro

Lionel Messi
Erling Haaland
Karim Benzema
Kylian Mbappe

 

[hairball_89]

The 2022 FIFPro Men's #World11

Thibaut Courtois

Achraf Hakimi
Virgil van Dijk
Joao Cancelo

Kevin De Bruyne
Luka Modric
Casemiro

Lionel Messi
Erling Haaland
Karim Benzema
Kylian Mbappe

Manager: Kevin Keegan?!

 

[Swango1980]

The 2022 FIFPro Men's #World11

Thibaut Courtois

Achraf Hakimi
Virgil van Dijk
Joao Cancelo

Kevin De Bruyne
Luka Modric
Casemiro

Lionel Messi
Erling Haaland
Karim Benzema
Kylian Mbappe

No Salah, even though he is doing better than his worst season when he won the league?

 

[Aztecs27]

Rashford fell off the same cliff.
Hes managed to come back.

Mo is having a bit of a slump but still scoring .( not his biggest fan by the way) but his record speaks for itself.
The team are struggling atm but will sort it soon I hope.
Half a season to go ,so top four is not impossible given a nice run.

Yes, not impossible, in the same way Forest finishing in the European places isn't impossible.

Doesn't mean it's happening.

 

[Bdill93]

Many players have a drop in form but even with his he is still scoring goals and contributing, he isn’t reaching his own high standards of the previous 5 season but he will get it back just like your own Rashford did when he was written off by many

That’s the way the sport is nowadays you have some people who analyse to death and write players off at the drop of a hat

Salah even when we aren’t playing well is still there involved but he put himself up on a pedestal when he became one of the best in World and people will look at every opportunity to knock him down

We are having a poor season for a number of reasons and there is no doubt Imo that the manager and the players will turn it around and go again and that includes Salah topping the scoring charts again

He's never topping them while Haaland is at City... But I do expect top 5.

 

[BrianM]

Just read that Casemiro has played in 17 finals and won 16
Getting to 17 finals is some achievement on its own, never mind winning 16, Phenomenal record at the level he’s playing at.

 

[Billysboots]

Just read that Casemiro has played in 17 finals and won 16
Getting to 17 finals is some achievement on its own, never mind winning 16, Phenomenal record at the level he’s playing at.

And it’s very obvious that he still enjoys winning. Having seen his first few months at United, I hope those who suggested he only came for the payday realise now how patronising they were.

A consummate professional.

 

[ColchesterFC]

And it’s very obvious that he still enjoys winning. Having seen his first few months at United, I hope those who suggested he only came for the payday realise now how patronising they were.

A consummate professional.

Have you seen the video clip of him after the final at the weekend complaining to Bruno that he hadn't passed to him at the end when they were already 2-0 up?

 

[clubchamp98]

Fulham v Leeds good game cracking first goal.
Leeds need to score goals but they are making chances just not taking them