Re: 2021/22 EFL League "Pep Carabao" Cup & FA Cup Thread

[Nishankly]

Klopp got his tactics wrong IMHO, one man advantage for the best part of 70 minutes and yet Liverpool failed to threaten Arsenal's defence until the dying minutes.

The issue was trying to get everything through the middle against Arsenal's triple CB formation and not really having the player profiles to penetrate them that way. And they kept trying to do so with no success.

Playing right footed players on LW and left footed players on RW was adding to this problem because they were trying to cut in and face a very crowded central area.

Jota and Minamino should have switched sides, have the wingbacks bombing and crossing. The crosses on their own may not have worked so well but what crosses would have done is create chaos in an otherwise organised backline for second-ball opportunity. Against a team defending with 10 men it would have been the right thing to do but Liverpool insisted on passing the ball through the middle with a bunch of donkeys like Henderson and Minamino who lack the skill to do so. It's only until Neco Williams was brought in and put a few dangerous crosses in that we saw instant improvements in Liverpool's attacks. Alas, too little, too late.

The issue is that Klopp has not bought in any wingers and the only other guy who offers us width Origi is injured since a month. Jota, Firmino, Minamino play in the same area of the field regardless of playing them wide on paper, they will drift instinctively to the center and be way too close to each other, it made it extremely easy for Arsenal to defend, we offered no threat throughout the game.

We used Jones and Ox to force some width today and it worked against Brentford. Only Jota and Firmino were getting in the way of each other rather than having 3-4 players in the same area like against Arsenal unless we had the best midfielder at the club aka Thiago who would enable that type of close passing game to help those 5 center forwards but that fam is just unlucky with injuries.

[Nishankly]

I don't want Kpop fans on my ass for not focusing only on the positive things.

Reported

[Thimmy]

Klopp got his tactics wrong IMHO, one man advantage for the best part of 70 minutes and yet Liverpool failed to threaten Arsenal's defence until the dying minutes.

The issue was trying to get everything through the middle against Arsenal's triple CB formation and not really having the player profiles to penetrate them that way. And they kept trying to do so with no success.

Playing right footed players on LW and left footed players on RW was adding to this problem because they were trying to cut in and face a very crowded central area.

Jota and Minamino should have switched sides, have the wingbacks bombing and crossing. The crosses on their own may not have worked so well but what crosses would have done is create chaos in an otherwise organised backline for second-ball opportunity. Against a team defending with 10 men it would have been the right thing to do but Liverpool insisted on passing the ball through the middle with a bunch of donkeys like Henderson and Minamino who lack the skill to do so. It's only until Neco Williams was brought in and put a few dangerous crosses in that we saw instant improvements in Liverpool's attacks. Alas, too little, too late.

The issue is that Klopp has not bought in any wingers and the only other guy who offers us width Origi is injured since a month. Jota, Firmino, Minamino play in the same area of the field regardless of playing them wide on paper, they will drift instinctively to the center and be way too close to each other, it made it extremely easy for Arsenal to defend, we offered no threat throughout the game.

We used Jones and Ox to force some width today and it worked against Brentford. Only Jota and Firmino were getting in the way of each other rather than having 3-4 players in the same area like against Arsenal unless we had the best midfielder at the club aka Thiago who would enable that type of close passing game to help those 5 center forwards but that fam is just unlucky with injuries.

I tried to point this out in my last post, but it's not up to Klopp whether or not the club brings in players. He can make requests, but ultimately, he's not in charge of the club's finances. Before every transfer, there's a meeting between several people that influence who and how they go about attempting to secure transfer targets. If the financial department says no, then it's a no. I'd be surprised if Klopp doesn't actually want to strengthen the team.

[Nishankly]

Easy even without Salah, Mane, Allison, Keita and my man Thiago. Hate playing Chelsea's in finals though

[Nishankly]

Arsenal would have gone 0-0 over 120 mins if Partey was sent off in the first minute just saying

[silver]

Can we buy a midfielder now before Lokonga gets red carded.

[BarcaLearning]

Will Salah n Mane be back in time for the final?

[Nishankly]

Will Salah n Mane be back in time for the final?

Yes, assuming Klopp plays them.

[Casciavit]

Liverpool absolutely dominating City. This is probably the worst City performance I’ve seen in years.

Zero progression, inability to build up, individual mistakes, and awful positioning from the front players.

[Casciavit]

These games are usually cagey affairs and it felt like both teams figured each other out. Usually the team playing at home had the advantage but a lot of the games in the last few years ended in draws.

Last week saw City use a 2-2 shape and spam long balls to overlapping fullbacks when they normally invert them. This week they tried doing the same but with less individual quality. Progression took a big hit with Steffan, Ake, and Fernandinho. Zinchenko can’t overlap. Grealish is completely lost out there and can’t get the ball at all. Sloppy passes from everyone both short and long.

Credit to Liverpool for the way they adjusted from the game earlier in the week. Normally they let City CB’s have the ball then swarm the midfield. Today they are pressing up to the GK to prevent City from spamming long balls behind Liverpool’s fullbacks. Anfield’s completely rattled them too.

[Myesyats]

I knew to go all in Liverpool after City got depleted versus Atleti

Gonna be a rich man

[Nishankly]

Anfield’s completely rattled them too.

It's at Wembley

[Casciavit]

Anfield’s completely rattled them too.

It's at Wembley

Atmosphere had me thinking it was Anfield. I heard nothing from City supporters.

[Nishankly]

Game on!

[Casciavit]

I love Diaz man. There’s just something about these South American flair attackers. You never know what they’ll do next.

[danyjr]

Boring 2nd half.

[Myesyats]

City almost turned it around with a reserve squad tbh. Jurgen Flopp.

[BarcaLearning]

Whats with B.Silva always playing in CM or even like DM nowadays? The commentator were saying his limited in attack n so being relegated to more defensive role due to his ability to run non stop I always thought hes more like a ball dribbler attacking AM or winger type, so not sure if true...

Again a GK completely gifts a goal to the opposition, dunno why this trend lol... n after all Man C just lost 2-3 with half a B team... no I guess not too bad after all?

[Nishankly]

Whats with B.Silva always playing in CM or even like DM nowadays? The commentator were saying his limited in attack n so being relegated to more defensive role due to his ability to run non stop I always thought hes more like a ball dribbler attacking AM or winger type, so not sure if true...

Again a GK completely gifts a goal to the opposition, dunno why this trend lol... n after all Man C just lost 2-3 with half a B team... no I guess not too bad after all?

Depends on the quality of the changes, City still played Grealish and Ake, that's 150M right there. Steffen and Zinchenko were the only question marks, Fernandinho has been here long enough to put in a shift when expected. Liverpool changed 3 first choices 20 goal scoring Jota, captain Hendo and main CB Matip, so maybe the question is that does Liverpool have a better squad than City at this moment?

[Myesyats]

I dont get why Pep plays Bernardo so deep either. Seems like a waste of a bunch of talent.

Liverpool clearly doesn't have a better squad/depth but on the day you put out your strongest XI from the get-go and Pep rested Mahrez, Ederson, KDB, Rodri, Laporte, and Walker was out because Peps priorities are CL and EPL. City, well, not that great without them. Sterling, specially, whom I never rated and dont get me started on Steffen who messed up 2/3 goals essentially.

Replacing Sterling with Mane was a genius move from Pool.

[BarcaLearning]

Been impressed by Ake last couple of games, definitely better than the likes of Stones lol... LFC definitely have continued to strength, Klopp n LFC knows what players he should guess, in contrast to Barca management XD, so to be able to challenge Man C n now beat them to the FA Cup likely n possibly CL too, pretty remarkable stuff.

[Nishankly]

Mahrez does not start for City. He's started like 10 PL games this season.

Liverpool strongest 11 has Jota, Hendo and Matip in the eleven. Diaz, Keita and Konate maybe in 2 years but when we saw that FA cup team, everyone knew it was weaker than the PL game against City. It looked better yesterday because Klopp adapted his tactics based on what worked for City in the PL game. Unlike that day, we did not allow them to spray long balls behind us by pressing them from the front including pressing CBs even through our midfielders. In our squad, players fit like for like in the system so you can tweak the front 6 a lot and there is not a drop in the style of play.

[Nishankly]

Both teams starting extremely cautiously here

[Nishankly]

Shameless dive from Havertz, gets booked deservedly

[Nishankly]

Chelsea vs Liverpool for the second time at Wembley. Really annoying since Chelsea's system means they enjoy our full backs pushing up more than any team in the world and also the fact that we've played 330 minutes against each other and both teams have not won it in normal or extra time. Will be interesting.

Also why the fuck is this game in the middle of the PL and not at the end of the season like always, what the fuck FA?

[Casciavit]

Liverpool is lucky to not be losing right now

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