maguskwt » Wed Feb 22, 2017 3:51 am wrote:That's a good point about Lewandowski. He was the fulcrum of Dortmund's attack. Maybe that's why Dortmund was more successful than we are now. Maybe that kind of player is exactly what we need. I consider him a proper out-and-out striker. If I were you, I wouldn't be so cocky about our current front triumvirate. They have been so blunt in attack after teams have found out how to nullify Klopp's tactics. They have only played well for the win against Spurs. It remains to be seen how our attack will fare from here on out. Good out and out strikers like Ibra could make things happen when nothing else is working. Just by his presence alone up front, the other team's defense is put under pressure. We don't have that. In alot of the games, we have Coutinho dribbling left and right and not being having anyone running in space to pass to. He would then attempt his long range shot which probably goes in 1 out of 30-40 attempts. We have Firmino flicking and turning without getting anywhere when met with the concrete wall of a defense. We have alot of players passing around the opponents penalty box without knowing what to do, and attempting to penetrate through the middle time after time just to meet abject failure. After that it is Henderson trying to immitate Gerrard with long range efforts that always goes to row z. It's not just our attack though, our midfield lacks so much creativity. Maybe it is Klopp's tactics. We keep pushing forward into opponents' packed defence, the space becomes so congested. Our midfield doesn't have the ability nor the talent to hold the ball, and pass around in the middle to create some space and release the pressure up front, and initiate a sudden attack that skillful players like coutinho and firmino could make use of.
Like I've said before Mags nobody sussed Klopps tactics, the players just stopped working with the same intensity of last year, lets see how that same triumvirate works in the next few months now that Mane is back. As for our midfield I think you have to give credit to Henderson and Wjinaldum for dominating the middle against a very good Spurs midfield to the extent they stifled and practically snuffed out any spark of an attack. I also think that the predominant fork of our attack was dulled because we started passing the ball out wide and not working to our strengths which is quick football right through the middle , I believe the crux of our problem was we weren't direct enough and the zest that usually accompanied a winning performance was replaced by laboured football when the ball somewhat predictably ended up at the feet of either Clyne or Milner to cross.
Anyway lets see what the rest of 2017 brings, no excuses now what with our potent three back in place, so if we revert back to the tepid stuff we played in January then the criticism of Klopp and the team will be validated, until then we see what unfolds.