Topic: Luis Díaz (Luis Fernando Díaz Marulanda)

[mullyred94]

Was pre much amazing tbf

[PEG2K]

That is a very Diaz performance, if that makes any sense. The heart and desire are all there. Brilliant work rate and individual skills. But he also played like he had to single-handedly do everything by himself. There was very little link up with other players. And in the end, no end products.

[redbyrdz]

All our good build-up game went through him.


Find it baffleing that people can't see what he brings to the team.

[DangerScouse]

All our good build-up game went through him.


Find it baffleing that people can't see what he brings to the team.

Yep, the only player who has consistently performed at an acceptable level over the last fee weeks.

[elkun]

I cannot understand why he got subbed of to be honest.

[KC7]

Slot loves wingers apparently, he will love this fella for sure.

We have really missed intensity in the team over the past month but he has been one of the few who has brought it.

[Yorkykopite]

Our Player of the Season. We need to tie him down now and look to rebuild the attack round him (and Jota).

[Knight]

He was excellent and he created for others. He was very unlucky to score.

[RedDeadRejection]

Work hard on his finishing and we have a monster on our hands.

[David Struhme]

One of the few players to have played well recently

[mattD]

That is a very Diaz performance, if that makes any sense. The heart and desire are all there. Brilliant work rate and individual skills. But he also played like he had to single-handedly do everything by himself. There was very little link up with other players. And in the end, no end products.

No team work, no cohesion, poor link up, lack of synchronicity.

His poor abilities off the ball, regardless of his efforts, is one reason we are so disjointed as a team. If Firmino and Mane were the definition of 'Total Football' modern footballers, what with their ability to link up, help control the midfield by coming deep and provide effective off the ball work, then Diaz is everything they aren't.

It takes a whole level of football intelligence to be the catalyst and offer the presence that Mane and Firmino did, and Diaz has absolutely none of that.

It harms our defensive capabilities and ability to control the match too. When you have players that are no on any wavelength as Diaz constantly shows, then it just produces disjointed football that we've seen so much this season.

I don't doubt his effort, but it's still not good enough, and Liverpool requires more superior, more holistic attackers who offer the package that the aforementioned legends provided.

[Knight]

But basically everything we created today came through him?

[mattD]

But basically everything we created today came through him?

I'm not arguing about his creativity, I'm not saying he's a bad player, but the more holistic aspect of his game, that an elite team needs from every attacker, is woefully underdeveloped. We need 'total footballers' as attackers and we don't have them.

Good player because of the pros you mention. But good enough for a team that aspires to win the league and European Cup? Nowhere close.

[Knight]

I'm not arguing about his creativity, I'm not saying he's a bad player, but the more holistic aspect of his game, that an elite team needs from every attacker, is woefully underdeveloped.

Good player because of the pros you mention. But good enough for a team that aspires to win the league and European Cup? Nowhere close.

Well whilst you’re busy fretting about ‘holistic’ aspects of his game I’m going to pay attention to the things that actually matter from an attacker and Diaz has lots of them. If you’re going to criticise an attacker after today go find the Gapko thread.

[deano2727]

If he was a finisher he would be elite.

Still, a great little player and one of a very select bunch I'd be confident in doing well for us if we can keep hold of him.

[MonsLibpool]

If he was a finisher he would be elite.

Still, a great little player and one of a very select bunch I'd be confident in doing well for us if we can keep hold of him.

He'd be very good with a top finisher carrying the load for scoring. In his first season, he was brilliant when Mane and Salah had that responsibility.

[Sheer Magnetism]

Ultimately, the other forwards need to show for the ball. If Elliott is hugging the opposite touchline and Gakpo isn't in position to receive it, what can you do? It's why he so often made a sideways pass after beating a defender. By far our most dangerous player today though.

[deano2727]

He'd be very good with a top finisher carrying the load for scoring. In his first season, he was brilliant when Mane and Salah had that responsibility.

Agreed. A fit Jota in the middle and someone new from the right and we would have the makings of a good forward line. I still think we need another CF in though. Jota is too injury prone and Nunez is Nunez.

[Keith Lard]

Feel for the lad. Hit the post again today. Happening a lot for him.

[Crimson]

He was excellent and he created for others. He was very unlucky to score.

Hate when that happens

[Knight]

Hate when that happens

Haha whoops!

[MonsLibpool]

Agreed. A fit Jota in the middle and someone new from the right and we would have the makings of a good forward line. I still think we need another CF in though. Jota is too injury prone and Nunez is Nunez.

We need to buy a clinical number 9 this summer. Diaz is doing very well but the results are not reflecting it.

[mattD]

Well whilst you’re busy fretting about ‘holistic’ aspects of his game I’m going to pay attention to the things that actually matter from an attacker and Diaz has lots of them. If you’re going to criticise an attacker after today go find the Gapko thread.

Everything matters, it's not just an attackers job to attack. Ask yourself, is Diaz genuinely on the level of Mane?

If no, then questions are rightly asked.

[PEG2K]

But basically everything we created today came through him?

He's the best player on the pitch today. That is not debatable, but also doesn't have to contradict with what we're trying to say (about Diaz not being a team player).

The thing is there are days like this where he looks electrifying as an individual, and there will be days where it looks like all he does is cut back and pass inside without any purpose. The common thing is in both cases he doesn't connect with anyone else in our team.

Remember the days when Mane used to backheel it to an overlapping Robbo without even looking? Now think about Diaz. Since he took over that LW role, who is the player he's most connected with? I can't think of any. Do you remember many nice passages of play on the left side (individual solo efforts aside)? I think both Diaz and the coaching team share the responsibility for this. He's just not that type of team player and the coaching team doesn't seem to rectify this problem.

[redbyrdz]

Everything matters, it's not just an attackers job to attack. Ask yourself, is Diaz genuinely on the level of Mane?

If no, then questions are rightly asked.

He isn't Mane. Mane could never dribble and win the ball like Diaz does.



Diaz' problem is that Salah seems tired, Jota injured, Gakpo plays more in midfield and Nunez is impossible to rely on. So Diaz is trying to do both build up and the scoring, but you can't do all of that on your own at PL level.










It's like Firmino all over again, years of "sell him", until his last season love-in.

[slotmachine]

Everything matters, it's not just an attackers job to attack. Ask yourself, is Diaz genuinely on the level of Mane?

If no, then questions are rightly asked.

Your argument is illogical. What's next, lets compare Endo to Souness, Macca to Gerrard, Nunez to Ian Rush? Its totally unfair. Mane was an all time great. Who in world football is on Mane's 2016-2021 level who we can bring in? There is no one.

[mattD]

Your argument is illogical. What's next, lets compare Endo to Souness, Macca to Gerrard, Nunez to Ian Rush? Its totally unfair. Mane was an all time great. Who in world football is on Mane's 2016-2021 level who we can bring in? There is no one.

In fairness, that's an unbelievable standard to live up to, I'll give you that.

But a similar type profile to Mane wouldn't go amiss, as PEG2K notes, somebody who offers cohesion and synchronicity up front, and doesn't break down attacks with slow play and decision making.

[Knight]

So after a game where he creates multiple chances we’re told he doesn’t connect with his teammates? I don’t get it.

[StL-Dono]

Everything matters, it's not just an attackers job to attack. Ask yourself, is Diaz genuinely on the level of Mane?

If no, then questions are rightly asked.

Hahaha....   Short Memory Theater at its best.

I loved Sadio.  He was excellent.  But he went through long stretches of criticism because he "refused to pass to Mo" and he was selfish in attack...   

It looks like Diaz is trying to do it all himself because he's seen what form his teammates are in probably.  To make a pass to Darwin or Mo over the last month Lucho could probably just save his energy and pass it to the GK instead for all the good that will come from it.

[mattD]

Hahaha....   Short Memory Theater at its best.

I loved Sadio.  He was excellent.  But he went through long stretches of criticism because he "refused to pass to Mo" and he was selfish in attack...   

It looks like Diaz is trying to do it all himself because he's seen what form his teammates are in probably.  To make a pass to Darwin or Mo over the last month Lucho could probably just save his energy and pass it to the GK instead for all the good that will come from it.

Of course he did, I don't doubt his dips in form but his performance ceiling wasn't in doubt, he gave everything we needed and asked for from a forward right from the word go against Arsenal so we knew what he could offer in terms of the whole package. Diaz has never reached those peaks or ever achieved those all round performances.

[mattD]

So after a game where he creates multiple chances we’re told he doesn’t connect with his teammates? I don’t get it.

No he doesn't because yet again you're only looking at the obvious attacking elements of which we're not doubting. But build up play, phases of play deeper in the field and general combination and link up is not what it should be. And again, deeper in the field his presence is non-existent when it comes to adding numbers in midfield and being part of the gegenpress.

[Bincey]

Probably our best player in tight spaces? Just seems to get out of some tricky press situations with ease.

[Draex]

If he had end product he'd be one of the best forwards in the world.

[slotmachine]

Diaz's build up play and ball carrying is elite. He is a real outlet for us and often gets us up the pitch from the middle third to the final third. The problem is we are playing low blocks 90% of the time and we need more dribblers not just Diaz and technical footballers in these tight spaces(like De Bruyne, Foden, Silva for the cheats, Odegard etc). I think Gravenberch has the skillset and potential to play in tight spaces and is a good dribbler.

We maybe need a more technical type of forward to play in between the lines or we need to play our wingers more outside to in to get around the outside and behind. It will be interesting to see how Slot sets up his attack and his solution to low blocks. I dont see a logical reason why Slot wont be very happy to have someone like Diaz in his forward line. I think Mo will leave and we go for the PSV winger Bakayoko and hopefully Muisala to really freshen up the forward line and add elite pace, dribbling and creativity.

[CS111]

Reminds me a little if coutinho. If we had another diaz on the right wing, and a nunez who could score we would be alot better off.
2/5 of salahs passes are schoolboy, and im serious when i say schoolboy. For a professional player to pass like he does is shocking at time.  You can also add nunez into that equation, which in turn losses momentum, confidence from other players to even pass to them. 

[mullyred94]

If he had end product he'd be one of the best forwards in the world.

Sums up alot of players though to be fair

[Knight]

No he doesn't because yet again you're only looking at the obvious attacking elements of which we're not doubting. But build up play, phases of play deeper in the field and general combination and link up is not what it should be. And again, deeper in the field his presence is non-existent when it comes to adding numbers in midfield and being part of the gegenpress.

He’s a wide forward. Wanting him to be integral to our buildup play misunderstands how we play.

[mullyred94]

He’s a wide forward. Wanting him to be integral to our buildup play misunderstands how we play.

No it is not?

It looks like Diaz has supposed to have taken Bobbys creative mantle, with Darwin supposed to be giving the team the goals that Mane did.

Both have not achieved that.

[Fromola]

Hahaha....   Short Memory Theater at its best.

I loved Sadio.  He was excellent.  But he went through long stretches of criticism because he "refused to pass to Mo" and he was selfish in attack...   

It looks like Diaz is trying to do it all himself because he's seen what form his teammates are in probably.  To make a pass to Darwin or Mo over the last month Lucho could probably just save his energy and pass it to the GK instead for all the good that will come from it.

Diaz's performances are better than certainly 2020-2022 era Mane. Mane did still have a good goal output in those seasons though.

Diaz has improved on that this season. Mane also had Salah and Firmino at their peak (and Jota for those last two seasons). The forward line was a lot better. He also had a peak Robbo down that side and Gini as well.

Diaz is left isolated a lot. He had that bad patch this season around the time of the issue with his father (understandably). In general his performances have been good - Mane's goal output was a lot stronger.

I think we get top 4 if he didn't miss most of last season. Our left side was non existent without him.

[supaerheraw]

Personally think he’s on another level. He needs players on the same wavelength that is not perplexed when he dribbles past four players. Although, as others have mentioned he could improve end product.