Liverpool FC Forum

johnbarnes » Sun Dec 11, 2016 8:11 pm wrote:Just one of those days...
IMO Firmino is one frustrating player. The guy goes awol when he's most needed.
If he spent as much time concerning himself about football as he does his hair we'd have a world classer on our hands. 

Gone off the boil since Coutinho has been out.

Doeboy » Sun Dec 11, 2016 8:19 pm wrote:

johnbarnes » Sun Dec 11, 2016 8:11 pm wrote:Just one of those days...
IMO Firmino is one frustrating player. The guy goes awol when he's most needed.
If he spent as much time concerning himself about football as he does his hair we'd have a world classer on our hands. 

Gone off the boil since Coutinho has been out.

He's nowhere near as effective out wide. He's much better when he's played through the middle.
Saying that we have scored 5 goals in our last 2 games so our front line hasn't been doing that bad.

I'm gonna start by saying Clyne was absolutely USELESS today. He gave the ball away more times then I care to count.. and every decent move ended up with him on the ball stopping all momentum going forward. I don't dislike Clyne at all but his form in these last week's has been very frustrating to watch.

I think we've thrown away 5 points in 2 of the most comfortable games this season.. Infact we battered Burnley aswell. We definitely need some reinforcements at the back in January and I wouldn't mind that Quincy Promes to replace Mane when he's off on international duty.

redshade » Sun Dec 11, 2016 8:39 pm wrote:What ive noticed is our attack has become less fluent. The nippy quick passes, forward plays has gone since Couts been off. Even though Origi has scored few goals recently i would stick Firmino uptop. He plays a alot better there. Origi can score but to be honest he doesn't offer much. May shift him out wide.

It might be worth a try, Firmino hasn't really got the pace to play out wide but Origi has.

Maybe Firmino being moved out wide has disturbed his game. Think Origi will do a better job out there. Can run at people and make more of a nuisance  of himself when he has grass in front of him. Shame Sturridge is out. Wouldn't have bet against him coming on and getting a goal or two

The false number 9 is the best position for Firmino. I'd play that shape on Wednesday, with Origi out wide. I doubt Sturridge will be back and it'll be the same line-up we had today. Either that or throw Woodburn in.

As disappointing as today's result is, we're still performing much better than I thought we would at the start of the season. I think top 4 has to be the goal this season. Anything else will be a bonus.

Could have been very different had that Hendo shot went in. Thought for all the world that was in. So sweetly struck and that really was one hell of a save by their keeper

7_Kewell » Sun Dec 11, 2016 9:22 pm wrote:The false number 9 is the best position for Firmino. I'd play that shape on Wednesday, with Origi out wide. I doubt Sturridge will be back and it'll be the same line-up we had today. Either that or throw Woodburn in.

As disappointing as today's result is, we're still performing much better than I thought we would at the start of the season. I think top 4 has to be the goal this season. Anything else will be a bonus.

Yeah, I must admit after we beat Watford 6-1 (and given we'd already beaten the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea away and played Spurs off the park on their own patch too) i was really starting to think that this could be our year but the last fortnight has been a huge reality check.
So as you say mate we should make finishing in the top 4 our main priority now but even that won't be easy, you'd imagine Chelsea, Arsenal and City are pretty much nailed on to finish in the CL places so that leaves us battling it out with Spurs and United for that last spot. Yes we have a decent cushion on United but given we have games against Everton, United, City and Chelsea coming up on the horizon and we are struggling to get past Bournemouth and West Ham we can't take anything for granted.

ycsatbjywtbiastkamb » Sun Dec 11, 2016 9:51 pm wrote:

7_Kewell » Sun Dec 11, 2016 9:22 pm wrote:The false number 9 is the best position for Firmino. I'd play that shape on Wednesday, with Origi out wide. I doubt Sturridge will be back and it'll be the same line-up we had today. Either that or throw Woodburn in.

As disappointing as today's result is, we're still performing much better than I thought we would at the start of the season. I think top 4 has to be the goal this season. Anything else will be a bonus.

Yeah, I must admit after we beat Watford 6-1 (and given we'd already beaten the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea away and played Spurs off the park on their own patch too) i was really starting to think that this could be our year but the last fortnight has been a huge reality check.
So as you say mate we should make finishing in the top 4 our main priority now but even that won't be easy, you'd imagine Chelsea, Arsenal and City are pretty much nailed on to finish in the CL places so that leaves us battling it out with Spurs and United for that last spot. Yes we have a decent cushion on United but given we have games against Everton, United, City and Chelsea coming up on the horizon and we are struggling to get past Bournemouth and West Ham we can't take anything for granted.

That's the strange thing though, in that run of games you can bet your bottom dollar we will probably go on pick up a good number of points. Infact, i'm coming to a stage where i'm more worried about games v team midtable and below and quite confident of beating the teams in an around us

Doeboy » Sun Dec 11, 2016 10:02 pm wrote:

ycsatbjywtbiastkamb » Sun Dec 11, 2016 9:51 pm wrote:

7_Kewell » Sun Dec 11, 2016 9:22 pm wrote:The false number 9 is the best position for Firmino. I'd play that shape on Wednesday, with Origi out wide. I doubt Sturridge will be back and it'll be the same line-up we had today. Either that or throw Woodburn in.

As disappointing as today's result is, we're still performing much better than I thought we would at the start of the season. I think top 4 has to be the goal this season. Anything else will be a bonus.

Yeah, I must admit after we beat Watford 6-1 (and given we'd already beaten the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea away and played Spurs off the park on their own patch too) i was really starting to think that this could be our year but the last fortnight has been a huge reality check.
So as you say mate we should make finishing in the top 4 our main priority now but even that won't be easy, you'd imagine Chelsea, Arsenal and City are pretty much nailed on to finish in the CL places so that leaves us battling it out with Spurs and United for that last spot. Yes we have a decent cushion on United but given we have games against Everton, United, City and Chelsea coming up on the horizon and we are struggling to get past Bournemouth and West Ham we can't take anything for granted.

That's the strange thing though, in that run of games you can bet your bottom dollar we will probably go on pick up a good number of points. Infact, i'm coming to a stage where i'm more worried about games v team midtable and below and quite confident of beating the teams in an around us

True mate, but given Mane will be at the ACN and Coutinho won't be 100% fit those fixtures have come at a bad time for us.
We mustn't look too far ahead though, this game at Boro midweek won't be easy, on his day that Traore can rip any defence to shreds.

Back to reality lads.

We look a far different team without Coutinho in our side. Yes we scored 2 goals but as most of you have pointed out we look nowhere as near fluid and dangerous as we did a few weeks back.

The defensive and mental fragility is still very much there and Kaurius cost us 2 points in the end with an insipid 1st half display. But to be fair he did stop us from conceding 3 with that vital punch over Carroll towards the end of the game. His confidence will shot to pieces tho.

Klopp and the players will now need to dig deep and run their a**es off at training and re-calibrate our attacking movement without Coutinho.

We need to get a win against Boro and then follow that up with solid performance against the Bitters.

I see the following week as vital as we will either get back on that bike or stay on the ground and feel sorry for ourselves.

That's true. Worry about being without both Coutinho and Mane at the same time because thing those two are the ones that make us tick. Mane was looking very tired by the end today. Sometimes do wonder if we may we may need be flexible in the way we play because games are coming thick and fast this month and I believe playing our gegenpressing game takes it's tolls on the player and don't think we have the squad to make wholesale changes for the game. Klopp's players at a whole month off in the winter break in Germany which makes a massive difference imo and have a slight worry we may run out of gas at some point, even without europe

So we need to reinforce during the January transfer window?