I used to rule the world...

[rurikbird]

It’s really remarkable how quick and abrupt our fall has been. You can argue things have been building up to this for a while: the diminishing effectiveness of the front 3, chopping and changing at the back affecting the midfield cohesion, just the cumulative effect of all the challenges this season has thrown our way. But all of that was still pretty much the case in the end of December and we were top of the league - then with that first home loss to Burnley the team suddenly looked down in a classic Wile E. Coyote cartoon fashion and realized there was no solid ground under our feet.

Getting the team out of a free-fall must be the hardest thing to do in management and I’m not sure there is any general rule that applies to all situations. You can’t tell a pilot caught in a tailspin “just pull and hold the lever this way and everything will be OK” - he will have to jerk that thing every possible way, but somehow do it in a deliberate and strategic fashion to gradually regain control. Many fans are advocating for drastic changes in personnel, tactics and formation - and that may well be necessary at this point, however if you don’t get that drastic change right and immediately improve the results, this will amount to destroying what’s left of your foundation with nothing gained in return. When a manager is chopping and changing constantly while the results are consistently bad, you know the team is in deep trouble.

So far Klopp has resisted making too many changes, trying to keep stability as much as possible amid all the enforced changes the team had to endure and adjust to already. But now it seems like we’ve passed the point where there is any realistic hope of getting back to the kind of dominating, confident ultra-modern football that has been our trademark for the last 2-3 years. The players have lost the underlying belief in playing and winning the same way and it won’t be until next season when we have a chance to restore it - a few decent results amid the slide just proved to be last gasps of the playing model that’s no longer working, for multiple reasons that can’t be just attributed to a single factor like losing Van Dijk or Jota or Henderson from midfield.

I think the time is right for a sharp turn - but it has to be the right one and lead to something positive right away - otherwise we’re going to be in real trouble. Maybe it’s 3 at the back or a flat 4-4-2, like in Klopp’s first few games as LFC manager, where it was all about establishing a baseline of effort and aggressiveness and making it hard for the other team rather than playing expressive football ourselves. Klopp will need to decide on that new model and take a look around the squad to see who fits and who doesn’t - and be ruthless. If we keep treading along, I’m afraid the only way is down.

 

[davud graham]

I think if he doesn't change something dramatically whether that be formation, personnel or tactics it'll look like he's too stubborn or he really doesn't rate the fringe and young players who are available but haven't had opportunities. Obviously making too many changes could be counter productive and make things worse if that's possible but a few tweaks here and there could help.
He certainly needs to change something in our home games as that has been the real problem lately where we just can't seem to break down stubborn defences and with the attack looking so one paced and ordinary, maybe being able to outscore teams would mitigate our leaky and ever changing defence.
Also having the likes of Keita, Fabinho and Jota back soon should give us a boost too.

 

[rurikbird]

 

[Squiggles]

------------------Alisson
Trent---Phillips---Kabak----Robertson
------------Keita----Fabinho-----
----Mane---Shaq/Thaigo---Jones/Jota
---------------------Salah-----------------

I think 4231 is the way to go. It's not so different to 433 that the transition back will be damaging. It provides the CBs with more protection, allows us to finally drop Firmino, and puts our best goal scorer closer to the goal. I usually rate Mane as a better CF than Salah, but Mo is just in clinical form.

Whatever though, Neville is right. Klopp has to make changes for the next game.

 

[Frogfish]

I like his commentary - he's usually quite fair and this piece is too, up until he says about the injuries (et al) and then says it's the same for everybody. Like fuck ! Let's see you take the top 3 CBs and top 2 CMs out of each of the top 8 teams and see how they get on without them**.

I'm constantly amazed at how 2-3 games per week, no pre-season etc. is rolled out but so little made of our horrendous injury list. Other teams have had it bad too : Leicester, Brighton, Sheff Utd and I think West Ham at one time, but not one team has seen such a sustained impact on the '1st team' or so many players out for such prolonged spells.

** Just to see what that would look like, the impact would be massive, as it has been for us. Just look at those starters.

United : OUT - Maguire, Lindelof, Baily, Fernandes, McTominay = Starting each game - Jones, Tuanzebe, Pogba, Fred

City: OUT - Diaz, Stones, Laporte, De Bryune, Gundogan = Starting each game - Ake, Fernandinho, B. Silva, Mahrez.

Leicester : OUT - Soyuncu, Fofana, Evans, Maddison, Tielemans = Starting each game - Morgan, Amartey (round peg square hole), Choudrey, Praet (?).

Everton : OUT - Keane, Mina, Holgate, Allan, Davies (?) = Starting each game - (a real struggle because Everton only list 4 CBs) : Godfrey & Doucoure dropping back ? Sigurdsson, Delph (assuming Gomes ia always a starter too).

 

[Best Believe It]

I dunno why we haven't tried 4141tapani_iodine yet