Liverpool v FC Bayern München Match Thread CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

[Frogfish]

Not too disappointed at all with that. Yes, we should have won, we had enough half chances to have won it in the first half. However with a makeshift CB partnership we still rarely looked bothered. With VvD back that frees Fabinho up to move to where he can do the most damage and surely Robbo, Gini, Mane, Firmino and Salah can't have such meh games again. I don't believe Bayern can stop us scoring in both legs and don't believe they have what it takes to score two .. so we will go through.

 

[Whaddapie]

Still quietly confident that we can go there and get a result. Disappointing, but not desolate. Salah and Roberston cannot possibly be THAT bad again, over there. And VVD will be back, freeing Fabinho up to go back into the middle. We're a good team - We'll sneak this yet.

 

[Frogfish]

I feel like we are all (well, most of us) saying the same thing.

 

[gkmacca]

Well, I thought that was one of the oddest games I've seen for quite a while. We pressed very well but they didn't make any big errors. If only our final ball had been better we could have won by a couple of goals at least. But Bayern were very disciplined, very smart. And when three of our best chances fell to Matip, you know it's probably not our day.

I thought Gini, Fabino, Hendo and especially Mane were excellent. Keita - same old mad passes at times, but he's improving.

Robertson looked a bit naive at times. TAA was a veritable curate's egg - one superb run, a couple of great moves but my god his over-hit passes and crosses did my head in.

I have no idea why Origi was on the pitch. That must be the last time. There's only one reason he gets on ahead of Sturridge and that's work rate. I get that. But to justify it he needs to come on and run around like a blue-arsed fly. He needs to treat it as 90 minutes compressed into 30 - absolutely run himself out. He was shite. A least Sturridge has guile, at least Sturridge might just conjure up a brilliant shot. Origi - nothing.

 

[Khalido]

Bayern sure can ping it about.

 

[MomoWASright]

I’m not too disappointed with that. They had 8 men across the 18 yard box every time we built possession. It would always be hard to score when they set up like that. All our chances were no more than half chances.

Bayern should come out more in the return leg and hopefully we can exploit it.

 

[Frogfish]

Bayern sure can ping it about.

I don't think 'ping' is quite the word/phrase you were looking for. Gently roll perhaps. Maybe 'thump skywards' ?

 

[JurgenKlopp]

Where is @bluebell when you need him? Is that 2pts for a draw?

 

[Dreambeliever]

Will be super tough to go through from here I think.

Bayern had more of the ball in the away leg so will completely dominate it at home.

They also seemed to cope with our press at ease and our counter attacking.

Of course we can go through but after 3 away defeats in the CL this season, Bayern’s strength at home and our forwards not clicking they are firm favourites.

I thought Henderson was superb as was Fabhino.

Mane again our biggest threat. First name on the team sheet for him.

Shame he isn’t a better finisher mind.

Enjoyable game of football even without the goals.

Now 5 days rest and batter Utd.

 

[mwake]

Yeah I've been pissed about this for a while...

Too one dimensional at times

Since Coutinho left how many goals have we scored from outsid of the box? All the intricate play inside the box looks good but I would sacrifice that aesthetic for an ugly stab of the ball or a double ricochet long shot that ends up in the net.

 

[Frogfish]

.......I have no idea why Origi was on the pitch. That must be the last time. There's only one reason he gets on ahead of Sturridge and that's work rate. I get that. But to justify it he needs to come on and run around like a blue-arsed fly. He needs to treat it as 90 minutes compressed into 30 - absolutely run himself out. He was shite. A least Sturridge has guile, at least Sturridge might just conjure up a brilliant shot. Origi - nothing.

I don't get this. He was on for what 15 or 20 mins ?

For me the error in the subs was removing both Keita and Firmino. One or the other but these are two skilful players that were creating space and going past players, if anything was going to happen you felt it would be one of those that created it.

Once they both went off we lacked any guile and I don't think Origi saw the ball in a dangerous area due to overhit crosses /passes from Robbo, Hendo, TAA and everyone else. So it's a bit weird to single him out, IMHO.

 

[Insignificance]

First half was a lesson of football. Second good. We should win this. Look forward to a couple of days in Munich now...

 

[gkmacca]

Will be super tough to go through from here I think.

Bayern had more of the ball in the away leg so will completely dominate it at home.

They also seemed to cope with our press at ease and our counter attacking.

Of course we can go through but after 3 away defeats in the CL this season, Bayern’s strength at home and our forwards not clicking they are firm favourites.

I thought Henderson was superb as was Fabhino.

Mane again our biggest threat. First name on the team sheet for him.

Shame he isn’t a better finisher mind.

Enjoyable game of football even without the goals.

Now 5 days rest and batter Utd.

I agree about the pressing.

But they're not firm favourites. They're slight favourites. With our counter-attacking powers, they probably won't quite know what game to play.

As for 'enjoyable,' crikey, I found it painful!

 

[6TimesaRed]

We won't play like that Sunday..

Need edthat game to blow the cobwebs..

After last break if the game that followed the Leicester shambles is anything to go by we will batter the Mancs..

Once Keita sorts his mistake after every 2 damn good moves we will be dominant in midfield moving forward..

Bodes well for the rest of the season

 

[Dreambeliever]

Since Coutinho left how many goals have we scored from outsid of the box? All the intricate play inside the box looks good but I would sacrifice that aesthetic for an ugly stab of the ball or a double ricochet long shot that ends up in the net.

Ox will sort that.

 

[moron]

I don't get this. He was on for what 15 or 20 mins ?

For me the error in the subs was removing both Keita and Firmino. One or the other but these are two skilful players that were creating space and going past players, if anything was going to happen you felt it would be one of those that created it.

Once they both went off we lacked any guile and I don't think Origi saw the ball in a dangerous area due to overhit crosses /passes from Robbo, Hendo, TAA and everyone else. So it's a bit weird to single him out, IMHO.

Yes I know ... Klopp wants to try out his beloved static failure combination of Hendo,Milner and Gini. That superb combination.

 

[Dreambeliever]

I agree about the pressing.

But they're not firm favourites. They're slight favourites. With our counter-attacking powers, they probably won't quite know what game to play.

As for 'enjoyable,' crikey, I found it painful!

I guess the fact we have Utd away on Sunday and we can go back to the top of the league slightly distracted me. I wasn’t as nervous as I will be Sunday.

My worry is that even when Bayern were attacking and we broke on the counter they seemed to cope relatively easily.

Their right back being suspended could be pivotal as Mane is our biggest outlet these days. Salah simply has people stuck to him.

Such a shame Ox isn’t ready as I think it would be a perfect game for him.

 

[gkmacca]

I don't get this. He was on for what 15 or 20 mins ?

For me the error in the subs was removing both Keita and Firmino. One or the other but these are two skilful players that were creating space and going past players, if anything was going to happen you felt it would be one of those that created it.

Once they both went off we lacked any guile and I don't think Origi saw the ball in a dangerous area due to overhit crosses /passes from Robbo, Hendo, TAA and everyone else. So it's a bit weird to single him out, IMHO.

Firmino went off because he's not well. But do you really think Origi did as well as Shaq would have done, or posed as likely a goal threat as Sturridge? I don't. He didn't take up any good positions, he didn't press, he made the cardinal error in a Klopp pressing team of being fatalistic - one of the things I love about Klopp's style is he trains players NOT to be fatalistic, not to assume opponents won't hesitate, won't make mistakes, and thus pounce on them. Origi is a classic fatalist - as soon as an opponent turns to pass, he drifts in-field and lets them relax. He did that every time tonight. I'd rather have Sturridge strolling around because at least he might find the space for a shot.

 

[Dreambeliever]

We won't play like that Sunday..

Need edthat game to blow the cobwebs..

After last break if the game that followed the Leicester shambles is anything to go by we will batter the Mancs..

Once Keita sorts his mistake after every 2 damn good moves we will be dominant in midfield moving forward..

Bodes well for the rest of the season

The intensity from the Mancs will be huge. It will be frantic.

 

[gkmacca]

Yes I know ... Klopp wants to try out his beloved static failure combination of Hendo,Milner and Gini. That superb combination.

I'm not sure what Hendo and Gini did wrong. I thought some of Hendo's passing was his best all season. Gini was excellent. And Milner immediately made our midfield look a bit more 'smart' in a cynical way.

 

[MomoWASright]

Klopp “I’m not over the moon but I’m ok with that”. Pretty much how I feel.

 

[MomoWASright]

I'm not sure what Hendo and Gini did wrong. I thought some of Hendo's passing was his best all season. Gini was excellent. And Milner immediately made our midfield look a bit more 'smart' in a cynical way.

He’s a moron.

 

[KopRed]

Kimmich had Robertson in his pocket, clever player. He just knew we were going to pass it out to him when we break. We need to be smarter than that, do a fake, take a shot, do a dribble, anything than the obvious route to at least confuse him a lil.

Keita was rubbish in an attacking sense. I mean how hard is it to pass into 30-40 yards of open space? He can't even beat a retreating defender.

 

[6TimesaRed]

The last 3 meetings at Anfield between Liverpool and Bayern have finished 0-0, all have been first legs.

Cup Winners Cup, 2nd round, Oct 1971 - Bayern went through
European Cup, semi-final, Apr 1981 - Liverpool went through
Champions League round of 16, Feb 2019 - [emoji780]

 

[KopRed]

Firmino went off because he's not well. But do you really think Origi did as well as Shaq would have done, or posed as likely a goal threat as Sturridge? I don't. He didn't take up any good positions, he didn't press, he made the cardinal error in a Klopp pressing team of being fatalistic - one of the things I love about Klopp's style is he trains players NOT to be fatalistic, not to assume opponents won't hesitate, won't make mistakes, and thus pounce on them. Origi is a classic fatalist - as soon as an opponent turns to pass, he drifts in-field and lets them relax. He did that every time tonight. I'd rather have Sturridge strolling around because at least he might find the space for a shot.

I don't get how a player gets 15 mins and strolls around aimlessly. I mean run around like crazy, chase down those old and tired legs of the defender. It's only 15 mins it isn't that hard.

 

[Frogfish]

Firmino went off because he's not well. But do you really think Origi did as well as Shaq would have done, or posed as likely a goal threat as Sturridge? I don't. He didn't take up any good positions, he didn't press, he made the cardinal error in a Klopp pressing team of being fatalistic - one of the things I love about Klopp's style is he trains players NOT to be fatalistic, not to assume opponents won't hesitate, won't make mistakes, and thus pounce on them. Origi is a classic fatalist - as soon as an opponent turns to pass, he drifts in-field and lets them relax. He did that every time tonight. I'd rather have Sturridge strolling around because at least he might find the space for a shot.

I agree I'd have brought Shaq. on and moved Salah infield. However I don't get the major criticism of Origi because he was hardly in the game, and that wasn't his fault, when he came on it seemed all our guile and creativity left the field with Keita and Firmino. It seems to me that any #9 would have struggled to make an impact at that stage.

 

[Jack D Rips]

Thought Firmino was excellent tonight.

 

[bkwitche2]

We were the better team and had ample opportunity to win the game. As has been the case on several occasions recently, we relied on Mane. He has come through quite often but he just didn’t quite get it done today.

Without being alarmist or anything if the sort, I think Klopp has a question to answer about where our goals have gone. We are certainly capable of scoring them on occasion but we have also had a good few games where we struggled to make a good opportunity and struggled to finish those we did. Often seems as though what would be the last pass or two before a good opportunity seem to go to no one, get blocked, or just never happen.

I see Salah (not exclusively, but as an example) pass the ball to no one or run into a group of four players with no hope of it working out.

Again, not being alarmist whatsoever just thinking we are going to have to work that out at some point or we will be bitten by it. Truthfully we already have been a couple times.

 

[Frogfish]

I also don't get the praise for Gini and Hendo in the second half - between them they gave the ball away many times on what was the overloaded right, I couldn't understand why they kept pummeling that side (other than Robbo being off form and TAA looking like he could do something). We created most of our chances in the first half going through the middle.

 

[juniormember]

I agree I'd have brought Shaq. on and moved Salah infield. However I don't get the major criticism of Origi because he was hardly in the game, and that wasn't his fault, when he came on it seemed all our guile and creativity left the field with Keita and Firmino. It seems to me that any #9 would have struggled to make an impact at that stage.

The point is, with the fact that it’s hard to make a difference by being on the end of some fabulous passes, his role was obviously to harass like hell, to put pressure on them and make shit loads of runs when we have the ball so it can create some space for others. Putting aside talent, his work rate and guile for a 15 minute runout was worse than a sick Firmino.
I absolutely hate watching big Origi ‘fighting’ for a ball in the air (not today’s game). He never, ever wins. Gets shoved out of position by the defender and doesn’t even try to fight back the position.