Topic: The PL run-in

[UntouchableLuis]

The next 3 games could be an important block.

Newcastle A
Southampton A
United H

Very tricky on paper but maximum points would see us in a brilliant position, especially with City having a few games stacked up behind us.

[Nick110581]

The next 3 games could be an important block.

Newcastle A
Southampton A
United H

Very tricky on paper but maximum points would see us in a brilliant position, especially with City having a few games stacked up behind us.

No point getting ahead of ourselves.

Take one game at a time.

[Jookie]

Well, as shite as we've been, we're 3 points clear at the top with the new year on our doorstep.

We haven’t been ‘shite’ this season though. We’ve had a few poor performances amid a crammed fixture list and an increasing injury list.

I was disappointed with our attitude 1st half against Fulham and thought 2nd half against West Brom was a performance that lacked footballing intelligence. Apart from that there isn’t much I’d complain about. Villa was a freak result and Atalanta at home was just a day we didn’t turn up on.

Agree we need to keep on plugging away. Front 3 have played well in patches but been more matches than normal were 2 or 3 have been ineffective. How those 3 play (and maybe an upturn in Trent’s form) could be the key in the next 4-6 weeks.

[deano2727]

Get the win tonight and a two-week break would work in our favour. Top of the league and an extra couple of weeks to get players back to fitness. It might also work against the likes of United who have built up some momentum.

[Smellytrabs]

We haven’t been ‘shite’ this season though. We’ve had a few poor performances amid a crammed fixture list and an increasing injury list.

I was disappointed with our attitude 1st half against Fulham and thought 2nd half against West Brom was a performance that lacked footballing intelligence. Apart from that there isn’t much I’d complain about. Villa was a freak result and Atalanta at home was just a day we didn’t turn up on.

Agree we need to keep on plugging away. Front 3 have played well in patches but been more matches than normal were 2 or 3 have been ineffective. How those 3 play (and maybe an upturn in Trent’s form) could be the key in the next 4-6 weeks.

I agree, we've put in a lot of great performences. Arsenal, Leicester, Chelsea, Wolves, Ajax (H - though away was professionally dealt with as well) Atalanta (A), Spurs, Palace. We've been a joy to watch for the most part with a sprinkling of flat games where we should have done more.

[Mighty_Red]

The one thing that has been a general theme in our draws have been a lack of intensity and focus as well as complacency seeping in at times.

Getting the first goal against bus parkers is always the hardest task our side will face in games which makes it even more frustrating when you consider we have taken the lead against the likes of WBA and Spurs and have then conceded goals that could've easily been avoided.

It's insane that Utd are even in the same ballpark points wise as us but we can only blame ourselves for this as most of our dropped points have come against the poorest sides in the league again highlighting the lack of focus at times. We have brushed aside our rivals which shows the gulf but its smashing the crap sides that will put real distance between us and the rest.

Tiredness is going to continue to be a factor especially if we keep letting games get to the last 15min with points still up for grabs.

We do have a couple more bench options so we need to use them a bit earlier esp if we lose impetus like we did against WBA.

[BobPaisley3]

Depending on the state of the Jota injury, and whether he’s back as expected in January, a way forward to give a rest to the other front players and give us an option off the bench might be to go with four in midfield from time to time. We’re suddenly welcoming back all of our midfielders apart from Keita, so we could, for arguments sake, play Hendo or Thiago deepest in a diamond with Milner, Ox, Gini, Jones and one of the aforementioned two to the sides and Shaq, Minamino or Ox off the front. Obviously if Jota isn’t far away then it’s less likely but it would give sides a different problem.

[mickeydocs]

We’re suddenly welcoming back all of our midfielders apart from Keita, so we could, for arguments sake, play Hendo or Thiago deepest in a diamond with Milner, Ox, Gini, Jones and one of the aforementioned two to the sides and Shaq, Minamino or Ox off the front. Obviously if Jota isn’t far away then it’s less likely but it would give sides a different problem.

If we don't address the problem of lack of central defenders then we could find ourselves in a battle for the top four, never mind retaining the league. Klopp has done incredible work to get us to the top of the table and into the next round of the cl. We cannot rely on Matip as our only centre back, especially as we are also struggling with numbers in midfield.

[Fromola]

Our season has been like City's last year. Capable of hammering a side and then fucking up the next week, unable to string a run of wins together. However, City's level last season would still be more or less enough this season as only we finished above them.

We won't be achieving even that without capable defenders, though. You cannot carry anyone at this level.

[Barrow Shaun]

Let's just get these three points tonight. If it's not postponed at the last minute of course.
Don't know about you lot but I sense another pause coming, unfortunately.

[nittinivala]

Let's just get these three points tonight. If it's not postponed at the last minute of course.
Don't know about you lot but I sense another pause coming, unfortunately.

Looks inevitable.

[Snail]

Not like that we won't.

[rawcusk8]

Lacking a bit of luck with all that has gone on this season but there is no arguing that our performance levels are not quite up to the standard we’ve seen in recent times.

[him_15]

We need Jota back badly.

[Stockholm Syndrome]

We'll need to improve a lot, and have other teams drop off a bit, or we are not winning.

[bornandbRED]

Concerning trend of dropping points to absolute shite continues. Villa, Brighton, Fulham, WBA, Newcastle. We were getting over the line in those every week the last two years. 

We did enough to win 3 of those games. Expecting our finishing and general luck to see a slight uptick soon, but the next month is big. Thiago looked an absolute cut above when coming on - hopefully he can put together a consistent run of games now. We’re well in it but there are some big games coming up in the next month.

[The-Originals]

We need Jota back badly.

especially against palace...

come on lad its not that simple   

[Snusmumriken]

Was thinking we wouldn’t have to be to nervous against United since they surely would drop 3-6 points against wolves and villa while we’d probably gain 6 against WBA and Newcastle (two out of the three worst teams in the league). I’m starting to get a bit nervous now..

[Copenred]

With our growing troubles against low-block teams we probably need to beat City and ManU at Anfield.... good thing that we are perfectly capable of doing that.

[skipper757]

Having trouble getting over the line this year.  You think about some of the aways last year (Sheff United, Villa, Palace, Norwich, etc), it wasn't exactly great stuff.  Likewise, sweating out a 2-1 at home against Brighton, 3-2 against West Ham, etc

But we got over the line.  3 points is what mattered.

Just not quite getting there this year.  We created enough chances today, and while Darlow made a few decent saves, he handed us an open goal on that corner but Firmino just couldn't get his timing right.

We're still class in the "big" matches, and can raise a level (even with all the injuries and inconsistent play), but we're missing that ability to get over the line in matches like this one.

Jota back will be a huge-plus as he's proven to be a match winner already.  When our front 3 aren't quite on it, you'd love to see him off the bench getting on the end of one of these chances.  If we want Shaq or Taki to make an impact, we should also give them some more time if we do throw them on (the sub today only sapped any remaining momentum).

Every top half side this season has gone through these patches, and we're still top, which is nice.  But we've missed an opportunity to open the gap even further with 2 points against WBA and Newcastle.

Some really poor results away from home.  The performance doesn't have to always be great, but it's been a disappointing lack of killer instinct too.

[Simplexity]

I think we need to win both against Soton and United now, if we do not I have trouble seeing how we are winning the title.

[Haggis36]

That decision to play Jota in a completely meaningless game looks worse by the second. Klopp clearly doesn't trust Origi or Shaqiri, so we need to ship them out ASAP and bring in players who can actually feature.

[Reeves]

World class GK
World class front three
World class full backs
World class centre backs (who are not fit so we need to sign 1-2)
1-2 World class midfielders, and we need to sign 2 CBs to release another (Fabinho)
Until we sort those problems we won't win the PL again which we should do

[Reeves]

That decision to play Jota in a completely meaningless game looks worse by the second.

Careful. You and me may have watched enough football and want to speak the truth but say that and you'll get the 'proper reds' on here have a go at you because they're 'proper reds' and you're not

[killer-heels]

We will still win it. We have players coming back and having a wobbly period right now isn’t a problem.

[MD1990]

next 6 weeks realy are crucial.
Some tough games but they seem to suit us more.

[Haggis36]

We will still win it. We have players coming back and having a wobbly period right now isn’t a problem.

We should be focusing on consolidating our top four position with the way we're playing at the moment...

[Nick110581]

We should be focusing on consolidating our top four position with the way we're playing at the moment...

What a positive couple of posts.

[killer-heels]

We should be focusing on consolidating our top four position with the way we're playing at the moment...

How do we that?

Plus, we are top.

[macmanamanaman]

We should be focusing on consolidating our top four position with the way we're playing at the moment...

At least relegation looks like being averted.

[slaphead]

That was frustrating especially so soon after the WBA game. I'm fed up at the minute and in a mood and trying to snap out of it.
We've been shat on all over the place, robbed of our star players and had shit decisions not given out way. You have opposition fans, media and phone in's lighting up and getting ready to condemn us and say its all over yet every single club in the league and their shitty fans want to be where we are right now so that kind of stuff is just laughable.
No one is great this season but we're top of the tree, that'll do for me going into 2021, we will get better.
We're top and we'll improve, we're without doubt the best team in the league so that's as good a combination as you'll get

[clinical]

He's right about Jota playing in a pointless game tbf. Such a bad decision in hindsight.

[red whine]

Gutted we can't get 100 points now. On the plus side, if we win every remaining league game we will finish on 99 points again! 

[Zlen]

It’s a shame we failed to capitalise from the easiest and least cluttered holiday period in years. I can hardly imagine more things going wrong for us than this half season, yet we’re still on top, so it’s in no way a disaster. Nothing a good slapping of Ole’s boys won’t fix.

[CS111]

Next 2 games could be pivotal. Saints away and mancs at home

[Nick110581]

Mad that a team with our horrendous luck is top.

United could go joint top if they win Friday so adds pressure to Monday.

[macmanamanaman]

The only positive:
Giving false hope to Man U.
Either us or Man City are going to win it

[Reeves]

City win their two games in hand and they’re one point behind us.

Utd win their game in hand and they’re level (were better on GD).

We could do with a neat run of results now....

[CS111]

City win their two games in hand and they’re one point behind us.

Utd win their game in hand and they’re level (were better on GD).

We could do with a neat run of results now....


I thought this current crop of games would have given us a 6-8 point gap, now it’s basically nothing
Going to have win the hard games now

[Snail]

United could go joint top if they win Friday

What a disgusting prospect.