Topic: PL: Liv 4 vs 2 Spur Mo 16’ Robbo 45’ Gakpo 50’ Elliot 60’ BS 73’ Son 77’

[Fromola]

Yeah I said to my brother yesterday that it's such a shame that THAT Liverpool shows up once the pressure is off. But I try really hard to just remember that at the start of the season, no-one thought we'd be this close. Maybe it was always a hurdle too far. Maybe a couple of them just aren't up to it mentally or otherwise. But I'm sure we'll be better for it next season.

Not sure it's about pressure but the fact we'd had 8 days without a game. A first free midweek since January probably.  If we'd gone through in Europe we'd have been in a semi final in Marseille on Thursday and then we aren't as fresh and it's more of a slog from the start.

Our previous 4 games were all away over the space of 9 days - not conducive to cohesive performances, especially with key players off form.

[wipeman]

From the limited angles I've seen it looked like Richarlison was miles offside when the ball was played down the right for their first. Was someone playing him onside out of shot or do I just not understand the offside rule these days.

[stockdam]

From the limited angles I've seen it looked like Richarlison was miles offside when the ball was played down the right for their first. Was someone playing him onside out of shot or do I just not understand the offside rule these days.

The ball wasn’t passed to him so he’s not offside. Yes he was standing well “offside” but was behind the ball when it was crossed to him. It’s one of those occasions when the ball is played behind our line then the player standing offside is in a brilliant position and just needs to remain behind the ball. Under the old rules he would have been offside but that was years ago.

[Bobinhood]

Yeah I said to my brother yesterday that it's such a shame that THAT Liverpool shows up once the pressure is off. But I try really hard to just remember that at the start of the season, no-one thought we'd be this close. Maybe it was always a hurdle too far. Maybe a couple of them just aren't up to it mentally or otherwise. But I'm sure we'll be better for it next season.

That is exactly right, Rhi. We have massively overperformed expectations, not underperformed them, and this with the brand new "first year" edition of 2.0. We did lose our edge very late on here when the pressure and the long slog both caught up to us at the same time. I will tell you exactly what we missed at the very end, and people wont like it, but it was Jordan Henderson running through brick walls and being the heartbeat of invincible in the middle of the park. For a number of years there we very rarely lost a game that Jordan played in.

However, in Klopps first year Jordan couldn't provide that either, nor would he have been able to this year . Its a matter of top end experience married to prime career arcs and 2.0 is a baby team in that regard compared to the team that walked the league. It is fair to say we are the 3rd best team in the league at the moment. Arsenal have been great and are in the fifth year of a growth curve that saw them get mostly stronger towards the end and scoring for fun, and the cheats pay the best mercenary's about million quid a week over and under the table as always and are going to pip L'arse to the 7th in 9 boring cheating totally invalid title as they continue to suck the joy out of football. 

No shame in it at all. Been a great year and the future is bright and the new guy has a lot of canvas to paint on. In terms of 2.0 gathering experience and battling through adversity and even winning a trophy, all near perfect. Very pleased with the whole thing, late fizzle and addressable issues notwithstanding.

[Le Westalero]

There's a difference between playing under pressure and playing when the pressure is off.

Yea of course, that's true!

Salah will not get a better opportunity than the one he miscued out of play.

I really do not want to remember the Salah of the second half.

Couldn't understand either what he tried to do 

But still he was more involved, reminded me of his Brighton performance. And that's an improvement to the last weeks imo.

[KevLFC]

The ball wasn’t passed to him so he’s not offside. Yes he was standing well “offside” but was behind the ball when it was crossed to him. It’s one of those occasions when the ball is played behind our line then the player standing offside is in a brilliant position and just needs to remain behind the ball. Under the old rules he would have been offside but that was years ago.

Thinking about it that is a very poor goal to concead. I know we try to play offside but to let someone through like that...

[KevLFC]

Not sure it's about pressure but the fact we'd had 8 days without a game. A first free midweek since January probably.  If we'd gone through in Europe we'd have been in a semi final in Marseille on Thursday and then we aren't as fresh and it's more of a slog from the start.

Our previous 4 games were all away over the space of 9 days - not conducive to cohesive performances, especially with key players off form.

People go on about the number of games, free week etc. Don't forget we played a full strength team against Sparta Prague when we didn't have to. Isn't this the reason why we have a big squad? I know we had injuries but I felt we played our best football when the likes of Salah, Trent, Sboszlai, Jones, Robertson where all injured. When they came back and we had more options they seemed to have underperformed. A few have been way off their levels and it can't be just tiredness.

[Mighty_Red]

Was a brilliant 2nd half till we lost the plot. Gakpo's header was delightful, that's the kind of finishing we need to see more of. Harvey showed he can play that midfield role. What a strike that was.

I have no issue with the subs - if you can't put Baj on at 4 nil up when can you? The main issues is that we stop pressing and let them play through us. What was worse was the 2nd goal, we had numbers back but we were basically ball watching.

We just don't seem to know how to keep possession and control in games when ahead. We learned this skill between 2018-20 but its gone and we can't shut games down without it.

Darwin continues to frustrate, he should've had a goal and an assist but just isn't cold and ruthless in those situations.

[stockdam]

Thinking about it that is a very poor goal to concead. I know we try to play offside but to let someone through like that...

It's not easy to defend against especially when there's a quick counter-attack. The centre half cannot go deep with the centre forward as that will play everybody onside. The full back might have been supporting the attack and is out of position and it's possibly the defensive midfield player marking "space". Their wing will stick out on the touchline and if our defender goes out to meet him then he's exposed to the pace of the winger. A simple ball into space and the winger will run pass his marker and then then needs to outpace the centre half also and once he is ahead of the centre forward then he crosses the ball.

The only real way to stop it is to have a centre half who is lightning fast and who can cover back before the ball is crossed. Sometimes the keeper can come out and cut out the cross.

It was a very good execution buy Spurs and there's little that we could have done. Once the ball is played into space to a fast winger then the centre back needs to react and get back to cover. The centre forward will have been 10 yards offside when the original ball was played and just needs to time his run off the winger.

It's a tactic used by counter-attacking teams against a team that plays a high line.

[Elzar]

The ball wasn’t passed to him so he’s not offside. Yes he was standing well “offside” but was behind the ball when it was crossed to him. It’s one of those occasions when the ball is played behind our line then the player standing offside is in a brilliant position and just needs to remain behind the ball. Under the old rules he would have been offside but that was years ago.

It's one of those that shows how they have broken the purpose of the offside rule. Sterling used to do it well at Man City, it's goalhanging in a better way. Stand offside then all of a sudden you are 'onside' and no defenders anywhere near you, without having to move very much.

[wipeman]

The ball wasn’t passed to him so he’s not offside. Yes he was standing well “offside” but was behind the ball when it was crossed to him. It’s one of those occasions when the ball is played behind our line then the player standing offside is in a brilliant position and just needs to remain behind the ball. Under the old rules he would have been offside but that was years ago.

Looks like I haven't fully understood the offside rule for years then! Thanks for clarifying

[Draex]

Looks like I haven't fully understood the offside rule for years then! Thanks for clarifying

Are you a current member of PMGOL operating var?

[wipeman]

Are you a current member of PMGOL operating var?

Rumbled!

[fowlermagic]

That is exactly right, Rhi. We have massively overperformed expectations, not underperformed them, and this with the brand new "first year" edition of 2.0. We did lose our edge very late on here when the pressure and the long slog both caught up to us at the same time. I will tell you exactly what we missed at the very end, and people wont like it, but it was Jordan Henderson running through brick walls and being the heartbeat of invincible in the middle of the park. For a number of years there we very rarely lost a game that Jordan played in.

However, in Klopps first year Jordan couldn't provide that either, nor would he have been able to this year . Its a matter of top end experience married to prime career arcs and 2.0 is a baby team in that regard compared to the team that walked the league. It is fair to say we are the 3rd best team in the league at the moment. Arsenal have been great and are in the fifth year of a growth curve that saw them get mostly stronger towards the end and scoring for fun, and the cheats pay the best mercenary's about million quid a week over and under the table as always and are going to pip L'arse to the 7th in 9 boring cheating totally invalid title as they continue to suck the joy out of football. 

No shame in it at all. Been a great year and the future is bright and the new guy has a lot of canvas to paint on. In terms of 2.0 gathering experience and battling through adversity and even winning a trophy, all near perfect. Very pleased with the whole thing, late fizzle and addressable issues notwithstanding.

I think the team is back where it should be as massively underperformed last season due to aging legs in key parts of the field which we saw coming but for various reasons didn't spend the necessary funds on those key areas. No disrespect to the past midfield as they were amazing workhorses on their day but to go into the 2022/23 season with the likes of Ox, Keita, Tiago who were always injured, Henderson n Fabinho aging legs was naive at best which caused us to fall off the cliff in terms of performance. Thankfully we righted the ship by injecting most of our funds into the engine of the team and we are back on track. The new manager will have some key players to replace in the next two seasons so can see us spending quite a bit on central defense, left back and Salahs ultimate replacement by 2026 ish. We should start the process this summer and have it finished by 2026 otherwise we'll be in the same situation as last summer scrambling to rejig too many parts at once.