Topic: Liverpool's Midfield

[fallenhd]

Our fans have been awful all season, won't blame him if he can't be arsed with them anymore. 

They just moan constantly, there's no support, no loyalty, no reasoning...

Most just want new players, money spent, act like an oil club and couldn't care less about anything else.

YNWA means nothing now days to many fans.  It's just something sung before the game. 

We sign Gakpo, what was most of the comments under his signing?  "He's not a midfielder" - disgusting!

Klopp deserves better, FSG deserves better, our players deserves better.

Our 'supporters' are the biggest issue with LFC.

Agreed to be honest, one of the reasons. Some of the criticism is justified to be honest. The MF needed investment since our title winning season imo.


The bolded part rings thru. Just look at the criticism trent, fabinho has received this season for instance. Yes, they havent been at their best but they have been excellent for the past 3-5 season. Just last season, Fabinho was stil larguably the best and imo the best DMF in the world. 15 games into a new season with him not at his best, He's finished. Same with Trent. I think supporters forget, some probably don'y know what the word support even means. It's the reason why Van Dyjk always say the same line about praise in the media. It's something I also subscribe to.

[TwitterJayy]

Agreed to be honest, one of the reasons. Some of the criticism is justified to be honest. The MF needed investment since our title winning season imo.


The bolded part rings thru. Just look at the criticism trent, fabinho has received this season for instance. Yes, they havent been at their best but they have been excellent for the past 3-5 season. Just last season, Fabinho was stil larguably the best and imo the best DMF in the world. 15 games into a new season with him not at his best, He's finished. Same with Trent. I think supporters forget, some probably don'y know what the word support even means. It's the reason why Van Dyjk always say the same line about praise in the media. It's something I also subscribe to.

They’ve been criticised because they haven’t been performing and mainly from the media not fans. However Fabinho needs support and same with Trent.

Actually that second half against Brentford, shown how playing Keita, helped Trent. Now imagine another midfielder who could run to take the burden of Fabinho? This midfield discussion will always go back to transfer discussion and then we know what the next discussion is.

[SamLad]

They’ve been criticised because they haven’t been performing and mainly from the media not fans.

you're joking right?  look at the player threads.  some of the comments would make you wanna puke.

[LiamG]

Our fans have been awful all season, won't blame him if he can't be arsed with them anymore. 

They just moan constantly, there's no support, no loyalty, no reasoning...

Most just want new players, money spent, act like an oil club and couldn't care less about anything else.

YNWA means nothing now days to many fans.  It's just something sung before the game. 

We sign Gakpo, what was most of the comments under his signing?  "He's not a midfielder" - disgusting!

Klopp deserves better, FSG deserves better, our players deserves better.

Our 'supporters' are the biggest issue with LFC.

Well said, which is quite strange for a new(ish) account

[LiamG]

Going back to topic, i'm not sure how this midfield copes from now till the end of the season, it's gonna be a long slog let's just hope they all stay fit

[Fromola]

Our fans have been awful all season, won't blame him if he can't be arsed with them anymore. 

They just moan constantly, there's no support, no loyalty, no reasoning...

Most just want new players, money spent, act like an oil club and couldn't care less about anything else.

YNWA means nothing now days to many fans.  It's just something sung before the game. 

We sign Gakpo, what was most of the comments under his signing?  "He's not a midfielder" - disgusting!

Klopp deserves better, FSG deserves better, our players deserves better.

Our 'supporters' are the biggest issue with LFC.

I remember the fans being mocked and complained about all summer for saying how essential it was to sign at least one midfielder who could step up. They weren't wrong were they? The fans have seen the club needlessly throw away a position of great strength (after 30 years of frustration and false dawns) out of either pigheadedness or a steadfast refusal to adapt the sell to buy policy/rigid transfer budget.

A lot of fans saw this coming last summer, while those in charge were busy bringing out books explaining how amazing they are and a guide for dummies on our whole tactical approach and way of doing things. Maybe not to this extent (i.e. top 4 increasingly unlikely) but at least in terms of major trophies.

[Eeyore]

Our fans have been awful all season, won't blame him if he can't be arsed with them anymore. 

They just moan constantly, there's no support, no loyalty, no reasoning...

Most just want new players, money spent, act like an oil club and couldn't care less about anything else.

YNWA means nothing now days to many fans.  It's just something sung before the game. 

We sign Gakpo, what was most of the comments under his signing?  "He's not a midfielder" - disgusting!

Klopp deserves better, FSG deserves better, our players deserves better.

Our 'supporters' are the biggest issue with LFC.

It wasn't the fans who brought in Arthur Melo as the solution to our midfield woes. It isn't the fans who will walk away with 3 to 4bn whilst failing to back the manager

[Zlen]

Klopp deserves better, FSG deserves better, our players deserves better.

Our 'supporters' are the biggest issue with LFC.

Like fuck we are.
Oh and ‘FSG deserve better’, seriously? Most supporters saw the writing on the wall for what is unfolding long time ago. Still we were told to trust in the system and are told the same again. You set it up as if we’re brimming with quality across the midfield and are just crying out for the flavour of the month, when in reality most are advocating not pursuing big stars but making targeted, clever buys to provide FUCKING LEGS to run the needed miles.

Shit post man.

[Coolie High]

It wasn't the fans who brought in Arthur Melo as the solution to our midfield woes. It isn't the fans who will walk away with 3 to 4bn whilst failing to back the manager

Yeah bizarre comment.

[Cafe De Paris]

If anyone believes fsg will spend £250 million on a new midfield you’re living in cloud cuckoo land. We haven’t spent that in 4 years. Klopp will be told to get on with what we have… and the man he is he will accept it and try his best with what we have.

[Usman1987]

They don't care about Jurgen
They don't care about fans
Liverpool football club
Is in the wrong hands


A song from when LFC was on the brink. But if the fans fail to act now, what odds another 30 years in the wilderness

[SamLad]

A song from when LFC was on the brink. But if the fans fail to act now, what odds another 30 years in the wilderness

and do what?

[BarryCrocker]

Interesting article from The Echo on our midfield.

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/liverpool-midfield-xabi-alonso-rule-25964154

“Tackling is not really a quality, it’s more something you are forced to resort to when you don’t have the ball.” - Xabi Alonso

[TwitterJayy]

Going back to topic, i'm not sure how this midfield copes from now till the end of the season, it's gonna be a long slog let's just hope they all stay fit

Truthfully that team on paper should be finishing 3rd. But it’s so dire atm, the Leeds game was the game that clicked for me, that this midfield is done.
I’d love to find a place for stats, would love to know how many games we have been outran in. I can only think of Bournemouth and Rangers at home, we’re we have looked comfortable.

It hurts so much because we must be the easiest team to play against.

[Xanderzone]

and do what?

A bit of dissent at Anfield will see the value of their precious "brand" go down and could accelerate the sale process.

At the end of the day we have a once in a lifetime manager and we're watching his era fizzle out to nothing while they preach about balancing the books and all that twaddle.

[SamLad]

A bit of dissent at Anfield will see the value of their precious "brand" go down and could accelerate the sale process.

difficult for me to express how much I disagree with that.

[Eeyore]

Truthfully that team on paper should be finishing 3rd. But it’s so dire atm, the Leeds game was the game that clicked for me, that this midfield is done.
I’d love to find a place for stats, would love to know how many games we have been outran in. I can only think of Bournemouth and Rangers at home, we’re we have looked comfortable.

It hurts so much because we must be the easiest team to play against.

We have a top 3 keeper, defence and attack. Unfortunately a lack of investment means our midfield is midtable.

[mattD]

Interesting article from The Echo on our midfield.

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/liverpool-midfield-xabi-alonso-rule-25964154

The midfield three are all substitute players, not first team players - they should be phased into a Milner type role. And all those Thiago stans on here showing off his tackling figures claiming it as proof that he's a solution rather than a problem have nothing to say. As I've said, he, along with the rest of them, doesn't cover the ground or cover the space that other teams are exploiting tackling or no tackling. Everyone is culpable and until we face that fact, we'll continue to be weak in midfield. It's also alarming that the likes of Mane and Firmino, who cover that ground, must have been papering over cracks in the midfields deficiencies last year. Nunez is a work horse, but is he a counter presser in the way like Mane or Firmino? Same goes for Gakpo? They weren't brought in to do the same job as those players though, so what is the plan with them, because they are all at sea with a midfield like that. They just seem very different types of strikers however, and does their quality require better midfielders?

That midfield is the root of the problem right there, and until new players come in who can provide a burst of energy and cover the space, then nothing is going to change. That and our obsession with just keeping the ball these days as opposed to counter pressing. This is one to mull over, but are there serious question marks over Lijnders contribution here, and if Klopp needs to have a tactical and coaching shake up??

[RedDevo]

Yes we need fresh blood in Midfield. But the problem I see is as much tactical. Henderson seems to have more freedom to get forward and is frequently to be found up field turning into an extra attacker. Thiago wanders and drifts into pockets of space to receive the ball. Both vacate the centre of Midfield too often. Add to that Trent and Robertson playing high and wide and your left with just Fabinho and two centre halves to cope with any turn over in possession.

We can find ourselves exposed four against three in a moment.

It doesn't surprise me that our midfielders look awful. One is trying to do the work of two and the other two spend half the game caught out of position having to bust a gut 2 get back.



 

[Samie]

Car crash of a thread. 

[TwitterJayy]

We have a top 3 keeper, defence and attack. Unfortunately a lack of investment means our midfield is midtable.

On current form, the midfield is probably around 16th in the league.
Madrid at home is going to be fun when they rip that midfield apart…

[Usman1987]

difficult for me to express how much I disagree with that.

It was the fans that forced our previous owners out. It's our club, they are just mere custodians.

With the reaction to the furlough scheme and the ticket price hikes, the owners have shown they do react to the fans voice.

[TwitterJayy]

Yes we need fresh blood in Midfield. But the problem I see is as much tactical. Henderson seems to have more freedom to get forward and is frequently to be found up field turning into an extra attacker. Thiago wanders and drifts into pockets of space to receive the ball. Both vacate the centre of Midfield too often. Add to that Trent and Robertson playing high and wide and your left with just Fabinho and two centre halves to cope with any turn over in possession.

We can find ourselves exposed four against three in a moment.

It doesn't surprise me that our midfielders look awful. One is trying to do the work of two and the other two spend half the game caught out of position having to bust a gut 2 get back.

That’s it though, we haven’t changed the way we play. If we don’t sign a midfielder, we best get some good drugs for the lads so there legs work again at least until the summer.

[Fromola]

They don't care about Jurgen
They don't care about fans
Liverpool football club
Is in the wrong hands


A song from when LFC was on the brink. But if the fans fail to act now, what odds another 30 years in the wilderness

'The reds have got no money, we'll win the Conference League'

[Fromola]

Interesting article from The Echo on our midfield.

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/liverpool-midfield-xabi-alonso-rule-25964154

The thing with Alonso is he struggled a lot in the PL before Sissoko signed to do all the donkey work (not to mention CL final before Didi came on).

Then Sissoko was upgraded with Mascherano after the eye injury. We also had Gerrard.

Alonso had the midfielders around him.

[RedDevo]

That’s it though, we haven’t changed the way we play. If we don’t sign a midfielder, we best get some good drugs for the lads so there legs work again at least until the summer.

I disagree. How we play has evolved this year and it hasn’t worked from day one. Before the WC we had Trent playing in the space vacated by Henderson. Since the WC it is just vacated space.

[Eeyore]

Yes we need fresh blood in Midfield. But the problem I see is as much tactical. Henderson seems to have more freedom to get forward and is frequently to be found up field turning into an extra attacker. Thiago wanders and drifts into pockets of space to receive the ball. Both vacate the centre of Midfield too often. Add to that Trent and Robertson playing high and wide and your left with just Fabinho and two centre halves to cope with any turn over in possession.

We can find ourselves exposed four against three in a moment.

It doesn't surprise me that our midfielders look awful. One is trying to do the work of two and the other two spend half the game caught out of position having to bust a gut 2 get back.



 

Hendo is getting further forward because Trent isnt confident enough to push on. That means the onus is on Hendo to create overloads. It is no coincidence that Trent's assist numbers have fallen off a cliff.

Thiago is being exposed because we no longer have Mane on the left who covered huge areas of the pitch.

We have made personnel changes which should make us better in the long run. However those changes needed a physical monster in midfield to give us balance.

That is what we are missing.

[Mighty_Red]

I disagree. How we play has evolved this year and it hasn’t worked from day one. Before the WC we had Trent playing in the space vacated by Henderson. Since the WC it is just vacated space.

I think this is the case, a change was made and Elliott was part of that vision. The benefita are clear but it hasn't worked as other parts are not working because of injury, loss of form or leaving in the case of Mane.

We have found the workload is just too great for Fabhino to handle alone. We would probably need a peak Kante (or at least a peak Fabhino) to carry this out.

There's been some realisation that the changes haven't worked and we've gone back yet that hasn't worked either due to fitness and physicality issues.

Not sure why we tried to go back to the Elliott experiment since the break but yet again we've found the "1st choice" midfield cannot hack it either.

Our previous strength was being able to rotate the midfield and keep the same level of performance. We are sort of getting the same level of performance just that level is bad.

I don't see how this gets fixed if we are intent on not spending money. Perhaps we deserve to finish where we finish if we still can't bring ourselves to act.

[SamLad]

this whole discussion reminds me of Carragher's comment a few years back while he was still playing, when asked what LFC needed to turn around a run of poor results. 

He nailed it:  "Better players".

can't fault his honesty.  I wonder if today's team feels the same way?

[RedDevo]

Hendo is getting further forward because Trent isnt confident enough to push on. That means the onus is on Hendo to create overloads. It is no coincidence that Trent's assist numbers have fallen off a cliff.

Thiago is being exposed because we no longer have Mane on the left who covered huge areas of the pitch.

We have made personnel changes which should make us better in the long run. However those changes needed a physical monster in midfield to give us balance.

That is what we are missing.

Agree with all that apart from the suggestion that one new Midfielder will solve the problems we currently have.

We look tactically naive to me. Kamikaze at times. We can't even even counter-press because we often have too many bodies ahead of the ball when we lose it.

[Mighty_Red]

this whole discussion reminds me of Carragher's comment a few years back while he was still playing, when asked what LFC needed to turn around a run of poor results. 

He nailed it:  "Better players".

can't fault his honesty.  I wonder if today's team feels the same way?

Might've been relevant then but nonense now. We aren't being carved open only by elite players or elite teams, we're being opened by mid to lower tier teams who are using fitness and intensity against us. Those are traits that we should be able to find in the market. A Bellingham might take our game up a level but I'm not sure he can help pkug our gaps.

It could be one strong midfielder could allow the other two to flourish again.

[SamLad]

Might've been relevant then but nonense now. We aren't being carved open only by elite players or elite teams, we're being opened by mid to lower tier teams who are using fitness and intensity against us. Those are traits that we should be able to find in the market. A Bellingham might take our game up a level but I'm not sure he can help pkug our gaps.

It could be one strong midfielder could allow the other two to flourish again.

don't really disagree but my point wasn't very clear - should have said "I wonder if the players would feel that we need better legs / runners in midfield"

ie do they not see the lack of physicality as a core issue that needs to be be resolved?

[slimbo]

Our fans have been awful all season, won't blame him if he can't be arsed with them anymore. 

They just moan constantly, there's no support, no loyalty, no reasoning...

I remember when Jurgen first arrived at the club many of our fans were feeling similar to they do now, frustrated and expecting more. Jurgen's response to the media was direct,  and I'm paraphrasing... It's not the responsibility of the fans to create the atmosphere it's the responsibility of the team. If the team performs the fans and atmosphere will follow.

The fans response is predictable because this team is performing well below expectations and what it should be capable of.

To be honest, I don't think you can blame the fans or the team. The responsibility lies with Jurgen and the owners. It feels very similar to Rafa's last years with us. Jurgen needs to put a line in the sand to the owners re resources or else he is complicit in the problem. He has said many times there isn't a player available that suits what we need. It's either BS or it's true that he's calling the shots re recruitment according to his template. Either way, he is the manager and has an influence.

[Barneylfc∗]

Car crash of a thread. 

This last page is cringe as fuck. It's like Fromola and Al have reproduced a thousand mini versions of themselves and are spreading their shit faster than covid took over the planet.

[Mighty_Red]

ie do they not see the lack of physicality as a core issue that needs to be be resolved?

I'm sure they do but I guess as players you just get on with things as best you can. I'm sure they thought similar things about our defence in 2017 or even 2021.

We gambled in 2021 and we were lucky it came off due to Leicester collapsing. Doubt we'll be so lucky this time, so haven't got a clue what our plan is now!

[Hysterical Fool]

and do what?

Buy

[TwitterJayy]

Mad shout this but if he’s fully fit, would you start Jones alongside Fabinho and Keita? Give Thiago a rest and surely that 3 can run and press against Brighton.
I rate Jones but he needs to consistently perform now and get a run of games in the middle. I thought he was sound at home against Napoli.

[smurfinaus]

If there no new midfielder during this window, would moving to 4-2-3-1 be part of the fix?.I'd play Jones and Bajectic more..might as well if we continue to be like swiss cheese...

[AmanShah21]

If there no new midfielder during this window, would moving to 4-2-3-1 be part of the fix?.I'd play Jones and Bajectic more..might as well if we continue to be like swiss cheese...

Our problem is not the formation but that we dont have the legs in midfield to prevent the counters at source as often as we used to. What we'll need to do is play a bit deeper than we are used to in order to protect the back line. We had to do that in 20-21 when we ran out of centre halves. The high line only works when you have that quality everywhere. Right now we dont, so a middle block might help get us back to basics. Might as well pull back a bit and forego possession but get a little more space for the forward line and some protection in defense.

[Fromola]

this whole discussion reminds me of Carragher's comment a few years back while he was still playing, when asked what LFC needed to turn around a run of poor results. 

He nailed it:  "Better players".

can't fault his honesty.  I wonder if today's team feels the same way?

They're not daft. Virg was imploring the club to sign a midfielder in the summer. That likely spoke for the dressing room. Not getting that then deflates morale as well.

It's like 20/21 where not signing a CB unravelled the whole season. It's just sheer negligence. In both seasons not signing one in the summer is one thing but then ignoring the problem in January compounds that a lot worse.