Some thoughts… 1. Great to still be in the tie2. Dreadfully sloppy at times with that ball out of the back and into midfield 3. Midfield 3 can’t get near City’s midfield - not big enough, not strong enough, not quick enough, not been good enough with the ball4. We have no pace anymore. We have some fast lads who could run 100m quite quickly but we don’t play with pace anymore and in games like this it shows 5. We desperately need another forward 6. Definitely need midfielders with presence, strong, quick, big - that midfield 3 tonight is almost too technical… they can’t play against this type of midfield and I appreciate it’s a cup game with few bodies available but I’d quite like to go through. I’d like to see Henderson on for Bajctevic 7. Phillips v Haaland should be interesting 2nd half 8. Gomez… he is so far from him peak. Only concerning for this game as it feels he is 4th choice now.
Robertson is really poor when he’s pressed. Has given the ball away so many times. They’ve made it very difficult but the defenders have got to have faith in the midfield 3 and give them the ball when it’s tight. Definitely shows why we need new midfielders, there’s just no athleticism in there.
What's going on with Ramsay by the way? Behind Milner in the pecking order, who then comes on injured, but Klopp would rather Nat Phillips play in a high line against Haaland than put his right back on.
Nice to see normal service resumed where Rodri can kick and shove someone and get nothing done about it.
Midfield is wide open. Even goalkeeper hoofs are bypassing them and leaving the fullbacks exposed. Gomez at rb should give us more stability in the second half, but midfield reinforcements are needed.
Our midfield frequently get swatted like flies. They are slow and weak. Good on the ball but offer little in the way of defence. It’s been a glaring issue for over a year now and needs to be sorted out.
Robbo is a good player but was clearly elevated by having a word class player in mane play ahead of him. Looks easy when you can receive the ball deep in the left back position and know you only have to hoof it down the line and mane would be on it in a flash.
Yellow? That was a red for me. Kicking out like that.
It won't be sorted out.
Nunez reminds me a lot of Balotelli, similar styles and technique
Bajectic is great technically, but another midfielder who isn’t good athletically, just like Elliott and Jones, big reason why I’d prefer Bellingham to Enzo.
I suspect that you are correct. It’s by far the weakest part of our squad but hasn’t been addressed.
Is EF not very robust then? Don’t know loads about him.
