The Official Liverpool FC Thread [Vol 18]

[paulrockliffe]

RobDickinson said:

Interesting stat, we started post covid break with 82pts, Man city can now only get 81 points.

I said to someone when the league was suspended that City wouldn't win the league even if we lost all our remaining games. I think if you work back at the end of the season you'll see it was won a good bit sooner too.

[m3sye]

Man City have lost the same amount of league games in their last 5 matches as Liverpool have done in their last 71.

[Pommy]

m3sye said:

Man City have lost the same amount of league games in their last 5 matches as Liverpool have done in their last 71.

fken VAR I tell ya.

[jammy-git]

It's all just a conspiracy because the people that run the Premier League hate Citeh.

[ORD]

Adam B said:

I think a lot of that left with Kompany.

I am still concerned we seem reluctant to invest, when Chelsea have and City/Utd will

I would trust Klopp to force some signings. It would be extremely unwise to go again next season with such a thin squad.

[stuartmmcfc]

ORD said:

I think City’s biggest problem, or at least up there with the weak defence, is that they have nothing like the desire or spirit of most title winning sides.

Well I’m sorry to say I think that’s absolute bks. That’s been proved wrong many, many times over the last 10 years by the “mercenaries “ who have been there for so long.
The point that kompany leaving has some validity though imo.

[Flip Martian]

Any team would miss Kompany, to be fair. Great player and a great leader.

[jammy-git]

Astonishing though, after all the money they've spent, that they're still so weak at the back.

[type-r]

I would say they are just one player short. A quality CB leader to partner a very good Laporte. It is amazing the difference Alisson and VvD had one our entire backline.

I would say the pressure we created by winning virtually all our games in the first half of the season caused City to rack as many losses as they have. They'll be back next season, IF they can find their VvD.

[jammy-git]

There really aren't many VVDs floating around. I'd say Koulibaly is the only real, ready to drop in, back line leader. I expect them to go all out to sign him this summer.

I think it highlights Peps weakness though, that he struggles to form these players himself. I think his time at City has shown he doesn't develop players so much, but buys either readymade superstars or those who will obviously be superstars who are most likely to have developed regardless. Even then there are quite a few very promising players that don't seem to have pushed on under his tutelage.

[Adam B]

jammy-git said:

Astonishing though, after all the money they've spent, that they're still so weak at the back.

TBF they bought Laporte to replace Kompany and he got injured

We have been lucky that VVD has been fit all season as we have lost Gomez and Matip for a few periods, which would have meant Lovren

Pep doesn't seem to have developed Stones or Otamendi

[m3sye]

Adam B said:

TBF they bought Laporte to replace Kompany and he got injured

We have been lucky that VVD has been fit all season as we have lost Gomez and Matip for a few periods, which would have meant Lovren

Pep doesn't seem to have developed Stones or Otamendi

Alison has missed 11 premier league games this season, he is as important to us,as Laporte is for City for me... if he plays against Athletico id guess we're still in the competition.

[Chris Stott]

ORD said:

I would trust Klopp to force some signings. It would be extremely unwise to go again next season with such a thin squad.

I don’t get this comment, particularly coming from a United fan... whose team relies so much on Fernandez for its success, yet whose thread is full of ‘we’ll be competing next season’ comments.

Other than left FB, we are reasonably well covered unless we lose 2 players across the front 3 for a long period. And this would affect pretty much any team.

[jammy-git]

Adam B said:

jammy-git said:

Astonishing though, after all the money they've spent, that they're still so weak at the back.

TBF they bought Laporte to replace Kompany and he got injured

We have been lucky that VVD has been fit all season as we have lost Gomez and Matip for a few periods, which would have meant Lovren

Pep doesn't seem to have developed Stones or Otamendi

I think Mangala was bought to be the long term replacement for Kompany, then Otamendi, then Stones.

[stuartmmcfc]

Adam B said:

Pep doesn't seem to have developed Stones or Otamendi

Stones has had a lot of “women problems” over the last 18 months which seems to affected his focus and as for Otamendi, after a good season, he’s reverted to his normal erratic self.
Peps brought on the likes of sterling (I know he’s a dirty word round here!) quite considerably imo.

[jammy-git]

Sterling has definitely improved whilst he's been at City, but IMO he's only continued the same trajectory he was on whilst at LFC. KDB the same - he's improved under several managers. Sane, Jesus, Walker, Mendy, Rodri, Gundogan... there's quite a few that have stood still or even gone backwards a little under Pep.

[GloverMart]

jammy-git said:

... tutelage.

Great word, Jammy.

[franki68]

Peps teams are always pretty suspect at the back,even his barca team which for me that barca team 2007-2012 are by miles the best team I have seen play football were suspect ,the issue was you didn't get enough of the ball from them to expose it.

Even with kompany under Pep City always looked a bit dodgy,it's the tactics ,the high press leaves the defence very exposed hence pep's 4 second rule ,and it's also why he didn't even get to the ecl final with Bayern.

I also think an ageing silva and aguero have contributed to city not being as effective ,and Silva is going to be one massive player to replace,as much as foden looks good there are very very few players imo at the level of silva anywhere in the world.

[stuartmmcfc]

jammy-git said:

Sterling has definitely improved whilst he's been at City, but IMO he's only continued the same trajectory he was on whilst at LFC. KDB the same - he's improved under several managers. Sane, Jesus, Walker, Mendy, Rodri, Gundogan... there's quite a few that have stood still or even gone backwards a little under Pep.

I don’t fully agree with that tbh.
Sterling was bought to City by. Pellegrini. It was the centurion season before Sterling started to become the player he is now. We all thought we’d bought a dud.
As for the other 6, 3 of them have had season long injuries and that’s bound to affect their development

[jammy-git]

I think the main area Sterling has improved is with his finishing. He was always good at the runs he made, his passing, etc. And personally I think finishing tends to be something that can improve with age or confidence.