Topic: Naby Keita Watch

[Yiannis]

Well said, Jookie.

[Charlie Adams fried egg]

Well said, Jookie.

+1

[phonic]

Imagine how shit a mood I'd have been in if City would have won.

I think the Keita hype and people looking too far ahead in the title race are one and the same. People are too quick to jump to an opinion. To claim this player is best thing since sliced bread or that the title race is now nearly over because City lost a game.

I'm tempering against that. I've been round the block enough times to know that we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves. Whether that be judging a player or thinking the title race could be nearing an end.

It's not that I'm scared of getting egg on my face or shying away from the challenge. Following this team for nearly 40 years has brought it's fair share of disappointments and 'egg on my face'. I just think this type of unnecessary bravado heaps unwanted pressure on an individual player or the team as a whole.

There's a long way to go in both the title race and Naby Keita's Liverpool career. At the moment we need to calm down about the both. I'm seeing way too many proclamations from parts of our supporter base and it worries me how this may permeate through to the team when it comes to match day. It's the time for coolness in both the stands and on the pitch. Let's get behind all the players tonight and let's not let our nerves or any over confidence get the best of us.

Absolutely spot on.

[royhendo]

you don’t know shit about football if that’s your opinion.

C'mon now. Be all you can be.

[KingKolo]

C'mon now. Be all you can be.

Well said

[Mutton Geoff]

Some of our very best players took a while to settle at this club.

I think the lad has massive potential but did we expect an instant fix with him because of the hype and the fee?

He will come good and when he does it will be good to watch,

[royhendo]

Struggling to highlight which parts of this post made me laugh the most. Please don't ban him. Top draw entertainment.

He's being all he can be. Naby has an extraordinarily high ceiling. Gucci? Above him only sky.

Stop being Negative Nancies. Start being Reasonably Ronnies.

And Jookie. That was very nice of you.

[JerseyKloppite]

Nice rant, care to explain how the highlighted bits in Green, totally contradict the highlighted bits in red?

Ignore him, he’s taking a short holiday.

[El Lobo]

[rawcusk8]

Dont see the point in having those prick ex refs in the BT studio when all they do is back the ref. Atkinson bottled giving that foul on Naby.

[Flaccido Dongingo]

Not happening for Keith so far, have to say I've been disappointed with him to be honest.

[martinsquirtle]

Was starting to get into the game, all he needs is the balls to run forward.

[WhereAngelsPlay]

Only slightly stamped on his toes.

[RyanBabel19]

Nice of Atkinson to ignore him getting booted when in on goal

[iamnant]

Am I the only one who thought Fabinho should have come on for Gini instead of Naby? At least Naby tries to break the lines, as we saw with that pen against him.

He looked gutted to be coming off, and I can only think that's going to kill his confidence, which already looked a bit shot.

[number 168]

Dont see the point in having those prick ex refs in the BT studio when all they do is back the ref. Atkinson bottled giving that foul on Naby.

Quite right and with the blatant sending off. Just another BT gimmick.

[Keith Lard]

He really came alive 15 mins before being taken off ... Lallana should never have been brought on when Keita was starting to find his confidence and make driving runs. This lad will come good big time eventually.

[Studgotelli]

Dont see the point in having those prick ex refs in the BT studio when all they do is back the ref. Atkinson bottled giving that foul on Naby.

So fucking irritating

Have to say though I don’t think we can carry him whilst he’s finding form. We have a league title to win no passengers allowed at the moment.

[zip]

Should've had a pen

[mrantarctica]

Thought it was a mistake to bring him off. He looked really fired up and was one of our best players in the final third today. Lallana did F all as usual.

[El Lobo]

Dont see the point in having those prick ex refs in the BT studio when all they do is back the ref. Atkinson bottled giving that foul on Naby.

The in studio refs are literally just there to go ‘yep it’s the right call that’. I could do it. It’s a fucking stonewaller, utterly ridiculous.

[Upinsmoke]

Should of had a pen. That being said his game isn't based around breaking down teams who sit 11 men behind the fucking ball. Yes he should do more, yes more well come from him but he needs the room to operate, he's constantly looking to thread a ball on the deck but his game is take on's and getting into the final third, fucking impossible some games

[RedSince86]

That burst  into the boxis what i've seen him do in those amazing Youtube montages.

Came into his own in the second half and unlucky to get subbed.

That was a deffo Pen, and Atkinson showing how shit he is again.

[tubby]

Thought he played well tonight, not sure why he was subbed, unless he wasn't doing something tactically.

[stockdam]

Dont see the point in having those prick ex refs in the BT studio when all they do is back the ref. Atkinson bottled giving that foul on Naby.

Yes all they do is to justify why a penalty isn't given. Keita was fouled and there's no option of saying "was it enough for a penalty"........it's a foul and therefore a penalty. Compare that to the ball bouncing up and hitting Sturridge on the hand......he gave a feekick for that but didn't have the bottle to award a penalty for the foul on Keita.

[LallanaInPyjamas]

Should of had a pen. That being said his game isn't based around breaking down teams who sit 11 men behind the fucking ball. Yes he should do more, yes more well come from him but he needs the room to operate, he's constantly looking to thread a ball on the deck but his game is take on's and getting into the final third, fucking impossible some games

We should probably have signed a different player then as that's 80% of our games.

I don't agree though. That move leading to the should-have-been-penalty is his (rather niche) skillset. Find the forward's feet for the one-two and drive into the area. He really needs to work on his left foot to capitalise on these situations. It's horribly substandard at this level.

He seems to have a trend of being atrocious in first halves before coming alive a little in the second. An impact sub going forward for me. The issue is, Shaqiri should be too. We're a quality player light in this system.

[FlashGordon]

Shouldn't have been taken off.

[Upinsmoke]

We should probably have signed a different player then as that's 80% of our games.

Not really because all last season we were most dangerous when we won the ball back and then had the space to damage. This season teams sit back but they hardly commit when they win the ball, we can't counter press if the opposition plays how they have.

[OOS]

Shouldn't have been taken off.

I could see the logic behind it, but a 2019 Lallana replaced him who is crap frankly.

[JackWard33]

Shouldn't have been taken off.

Totally mystified me.
The only midfielder (including shaqiri) who looked capable of finding the front 3

[Keith Lard]

I could see the logic behind it, but a 2019 Lallana replaced him who is crap frankly.

Lallana isn’t crap - be respectful bud. I don’t think he should have been brought on because he needs some games to find some rhythm.

[Ratboy3G]

Should've had a pen

All day long mate

[Jack Barrels]

Totally mystified me.
The only midfielder (including shaqiri) who looked capable of finding the front 3

Thought Shaqiri barely did anything all game to be honest. Been too anonymous as of late. Agree about Keita though.

[J_Kopite]

Should have made the crucial difference with a game-changing pen, fuck the haters.

[him_15]

How on earth that was not a pen? Has football rule changed?

[PhaseOfPlay]

Totally mystified me.
The only midfielder (including shaqiri) who looked capable of finding the front 3

Are you sure? Because he had 0 key passes. 0 Throughballs. 2 successful dribbles out of 4 attempted. 0 shots. 0 successful tackles out of 3 attempted.

I'm not sure what he did other than that dribble (that he took a needless extra touch for and definitely should have had a penalty for!) that warranted him being kept on.

[Ratboy3G]

How on earth that was not a pen? Has football rule changed?

Atkinson had a narrative and wasn't going to budge, I've never seen a ref waste time before. Ridiculous

[JackWard33]

Are you sure? Because he had 0 key passes. 0 Throughballs. 2 successful dribbles out of 4 attempted. 0 shots. 0 successful tackles out of 3 attempted.

I'm not sure what he did other than that dribble (that he took a needless extra touch for and definitely should have had a penalty for!) that warranted him being kept on.

Well given we had zero chances in the second half who did have a key pass???! Thought he looked far more likely to produce one than shaqiri or Wijnaldam as I said
When you say ‘other than the dribble’ - it should have won us the game
Personally I didn’t get taking him off when we needed a goal but there you go - each his own 

[Schmohawk]

Definitely agree that we should have kept Keita on (Firmino as well btw) but that's easy to say now. Shaqiri, unfortunately, was a total passenger. Even though Henderson was one of our best players, we missed him in midfield tonight. A midfield of Gini, Keita and Shaqiri is too light weight.

[PhaseOfPlay]

Well given we had zero chances in the second half who did have a key pass???! Thought he looked far more likely to produce one than shaqiri or Wijnaldam as I said
When you say ‘other than the dribble’ - it should have won us the game
Personally I didn’t get taking him off when we needed a goal but there you go - each his own

We had 6 shots, 5 of which were unblocked, 1 of which was on target. So we had chances. Although they all came after Keita went off.