Topic: The PL run-in

[deFacto please, you bastards]

If we can get Becker back, keep Matip and Thiago fit, we still have a good chance

[1892tillforever]

I don’t bet on Liverpool the emotional ups and downs are enough - but us at nearly 3/1 is an incredible bet / price

Almost 7/2 on Betfair exchange. Well 4.3. City are 2.02.

[Stockholm Syndrome]

I Alisson comes back shortly, Matip stays fit, Gomez and Trent sort their defensive minds a bit, and Thiago comes back soon, we should be fine. Especially if we possibly get someone in January.

If the defense is a bit suspect though, we'll struggle this year.

More my worry now is CL. In the coming weeks we basically have 2 games a week, with only 2 fit CB's who both have histories of injuries. Surely they can't play every game for the next 2 and a half months minimum.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

I Alisson comes back shortly, Matip stays fit, Gomez and Trent sort their defensive minds a bit, and Thiago comes back soon, we should be fine. Especially if we possibly get someone in January.

If the defense is a bit suspect though, we'll struggle this year.

More my worry now is CL. In the coming weeks we basically have 2 games a week, with only 2 fit CB's who both have histories of injuries. Surely they can't play every game for the next 2 and a half months minimum.

Fabinho will have to rotate. And with the group we have, we should be able to

[Clint Eastwood]

Shades of what happened to City this time last year. Tried to get through the season with a few CBs, best CB gets a long injury. Matip and Gomez are excellent defenders and we are lucky to have a player like Fabinho who can fit in if required. Although it’s a big ask. Matip can’t be relied upon to keep fit.

[Stockholm Syndrome]

Fabinho will have to rotate. And with the group we have, we should be able to

He'll have to yeah, but that plays in to Thiago too.

If he is out for a few months, we are quite thin in terms of midfielders who play in the 6 position. Usually that's not too bad, but with a potentially shaky defence and missing Alisson, I would say we should have Fabinho in the middle to protect the defence.

The other option of course is go full on 13/14 for a few months and just outscored teams.

[redk84]

The defence will have to be tweaked a hell of a lot now. Klopp and his team will need to get thinking.

Virgil martial's the defence, sets the tempo in and around our half, is an attacking option with his passing range and threat on set pieces.
He also allows us to take so many risks by being so good in a 1on1.

Mammoth task to replace with another player so our system will have to adapt also....interested to see what we do.

This is obviously pivotal for us this season,  and I can't think we still won't be challenging atleast right to the end. Just can't see us dropping off that much EVEN now...

It all depends on how we adapt however

[MJD-L4]

I'm kidding myself here and trying to look at any silver linings on the Van Dijk situation.

Does anyone think now that he's out, teams will try to attack us more openly and thus leave themselves vulnerable to the front 3?

The fact that teams could attack more confidently could slightly negate Virgils absence by providing us with more opportunities? Or am I just trying to make myself feel better?

[UntouchableLuis]

Ultimately someone needs to lead that defence now. It's going to be bumpy until Becker returns, no doubt about that. We should manage vs Sheffield United and West Ham but City away is going to be a tough one. Adrian is going to have to play his best ever game if we are to get something there.

After that we just have to get on with things - we should still beat most teams. I think the narrow wins like the 1-0s will be really tough now when we are just holding on at the end.

[Melbred]

If Gomez and Matip can stay fit until January.. then we're still in it.

Alisson needs to come back ASAP though.

[aggerdid]

In a season where we’re seeing about 3.8 goals a game And we’ve conceded 13 with/without van dijk I’d say may be able to mask this with goals. We concede around an extra goal per game without van dijk in the team(had a look during lockdown) but thats comparing the team pre-Alisson aswell. Basically the stabilisers are off and we’re riding the same bike as every other team now re:defence. Maybe we might see a more conservative average position for trent and robertson to compensate.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

Shades of what happened to City this time last year. Tried to get through the season with a few CBs, best CB gets a long injury. Matip and Gomez are excellent defenders and we are lucky to have a player like Fabinho who can fit in if required. Although it’s a big ask. Matip can’t be relied upon to keep fit.

Except all of their cbs aside Laporte are awful

[BobPaisley3]

If Gomez and Matip can stay fit until January.. then we're still in it.

Alisson needs to come back ASAP though.

Still in it? An injury to Virge is terrible news but we’re still head and shoulders above the rest bar City.

[kloppagetime]

I can't believe people don't think we can challenge, Man city got 100 points with otamendi and stones, we are still going to win the majority of the games we are too dominant as a side and have too many threats.

[BobPaisley3]

I can't believe people don't think we can challenge, Man city got 100 points with otamendi and stones, we are still going to win the majority of the games we are too dominant as a side and have too many threats.

We absolutely smashed the Ev yesterday without Virge and had proper decisions been made, we’d have won 4 or 5-1. That’s probably in our top 5 hardest games of the season too. The goals we conceded are the main concern as they were both from crossed balls but as you say, the majority of matches this season will still be won.

[Haggis36]

I Alisson comes back shortly, Matip stays fit, Gomez and Trent sort their defensive minds a bit, and Thiago comes back soon, we should be fine. Especially if we possibly get someone in January.

If the defense is a bit suspect though, we'll struggle this year.

More my worry now is CL. In the coming weeks we basically have 2 games a week, with only 2 fit CB's who both have histories of injuries. Surely they can't play every game for the next 2 and a half months minimum.

The worry is we have THE worst defensive record in the entire league, since resumption of the PL in June. I don't mean that in an exaggerated figure of speech way, I mean it as a statistical fact. And that is with VVD in the side, who is our best defender by quite some distance. Clearly people wanted to chalk it up to us winning the league early, but our record so far this season is actually worse than post-lockdown 19/20 (even if you take out the Villa drubbing).

Now I don't know what impact losing VVD will have on our defence but I don't think it's controversial to suggest our record will only get worse, not better. Problem is, our starting point is already pretty grim. Trent and Gomez look woefully short of their best form, Matip is injury prone, Fabinho looks handy back there but probably doesn't have the pace to play a high line for us (which necessitates a change to our entire set-up).

We need to hope that:
a) Alisson is back soon and does not miss any other games for rest of the season
b) Trent and Gomez find some form
c) Matip stays fit (at least until Christmas)
d) we become more prolific/clinical (despite the fact we'll probably have to approach games more conservatively now) to cover up our defensive deficiencies

It feels a lot to ask. But honestly, the defence needed a lot of work before we lost VVD, so it's time for the coaching staff to earn their bacon.

[duvva 💅]

It’s still happening this season

[Kekule]

We get our shooting boots on and we’ll be cracking.  No more side footing it at the keeper, Salah’s needs to just keep giving it a welly as they’ve been flying in, instead of trying to place it.

Would be a good time for Bobby to start knocking a few in again too.

[him_15]

Keeping both Matip and Gomez fit at least until December are crucial for us now. Letting Lovern leaves without replacing another CB is now biting us now.

[cdav]

Time to pull up the drawbridge and create a siege mentality- if we get no help or protection from the people in charge of the game we need to use that for our own benefit. Back to last year's mentality- 33 cup finals left

[Samio]

Look at our team even without Virgil. It’s fucking immense.

We’ve the best GK, LB and RB in the world in our back 4. England’s best centre half too. And IF Matip isn’t fit, we’ll just put Fabinho in there who will be colossus.

We’ve a central midfield with endless possibilities now, especially with our Spanish wizard.

We’ve the best front 3 in the world, too.

Oh... And we have the best manager in the world.

We can be sad for Virgil right now but let’s get behind our Championship winning side!

[killer-heels]

Look at our team even without Virgil. It’s fucking immense.

We’ve the best GK, LB and RB in the world in our back 4. England’s best centre half too. And IF Matip isn’t fit, we’ll just put Fabinho in there who will be colossus.

We’ve a central midfield with endless possibilities now, especially with our Spanish wizard.

We’ve the best front 3 in the world, too.

Oh... And we have the best manager in the world.

We can be sad for Virgil right now but let’s get behind our Championship winning side!

We have the best midfield in the world. Yesterday all three were immense.

[Samio]

We have the best midfield in the world. Yesterday all three were immense.

And we had Gini on the bench. Naby lad who can be a baller as well!

[Nick110581]

Is there an argument to move Fab back to CB as he is more reliable fitness wise than other two?

[jepovic]

I don't think it'll take 95+ points to win the league this year, so I'm still optimistic. No team looks particularly good. Playing without fans clearly affects the players too, with a lot of odd results akin to a preseason.

[killer-heels]

Is there an argument to move Fab back to CB as he is more reliable fitness wise than other two?

Use him as a rotation option but we have to let Matip and Gomez play. Both are brilliant.

[duvva 💅]

Is there an argument to move Fab back to CB as he is more reliable fitness wise than other two?

I guess with schedule about to move to two games a week there’s a possibility that Fabinho, Gomez and Matip will be rotated to try not to run any of them into the ground or over risk one getting injured.
On the other hand we might want to build that Matip/Gomez partnership so they can really gel and just stick with them two for now

[duvva 💅]

Use him as a rotation option but we have to let Matip and Gomez play. Both are brilliant.

Both are brilliant as you say. Although it’s hard to imagine not having Virgil we still might have the best CB pairing in the league even without him

[Nick110581]

Use him as a rotation option but we have to let Matip and Gomez play. Both are brilliant.

We also have to manage their fitness.

[Samio]

We will dip into the market in January.

11 league games left until the window opens. So not ‘too’ bad.

Looking at the fixtures themselves... City the big one. 3 ‘decent’ sides - Spurs, Leicester, Wolves. Rest shite.

We can do this.

[Wingman]

We’ve the best GK, LB and RB in the world in our back 4. England’s best centre half too.

Let me make very clear that I’m still expecting us to win the league, AND I am not having a dig at Joe ... but “England’s best centre half” is not exactly a title with much competition right now is it?

[Nobby Reserve]

I'm feeling so fucking crushed right now.

Hard to muster any optimism.

[killer-heels]

I'm feeling so fucking crushed right now.

Hard to muster any optimism.

Why not? Compare any side to ours and tell me who has a better side?

[slaphead]

I'm feeling so fucking crushed right now.

Hard to muster any optimism.

That's ok, I'll help out there pal. We have the best keeper in the world, and full backs, we also have probably the best front 3 in the world and midfielders who have a shout for that title too. Our back up CB's are as good as any pair in the league. And we have undoubtedly the best manager in the world. We won the league by a million points last season, and are frightening in Europe.

[Studgotelli]

Absolutely gutted over VVD but still we are good enough to challenge for the league (with Allison back and Matip staying fit!)

It’s the elite CL games and games vs City etc where losing VVD will hurt us for me. A lot more teams will also try to hit us aerially I would assume but I hope Matip will rise up as the leader in the back 4.

[Kekule]

I'm feeling so fucking crushed right now.

Hard to muster any optimism.

The days of us being a one man team are gone. At least for a while yet.  Yes we’ll miss Van Dijk, any team in the division would miss Van Dijk, that’s because he’s easily the best central defender in the league.  What we have now is a defence that, at worst, is on a par with everyone else. With Allison back it’s arguably still better.

We have Sadio Mane. We’ve got Thiago Alcantara, We’ve got Trent Alexander-Arnold.  We’ve got Bobby Firmino to come back into form.

We’ve got Mo fucking Salah.

We’ve got half a dozen others that can be match winners on their day and numerous solid 7/8 out 10 performers most weeks.

We’ve got Jurgen Klopp till 2024.  So if it doesn’t quite happen this year it will again soon.

There’s plenty of other things in the world to be down about right now, but letting some tossers from Everton fucking Football Club being the ones to ruin your mood? Fuck that.

[JC the Messiah]

You missed Henderson. We've got Jordan. He's boss.

[Kekule]

You missed Henderson. We've got Jordan. He's boss.

I’d have been typing all night if I listed everyone. They’re all boss. 

[Redcap]

Guys, we've got an incredible team.

No doubt we will not get as many points without Virg as we would with. But if anyone looks at our squad and thinks: "Nah, that squad isn't good enough to win the league", they're either deluded, smoking something fierce or a dejected Liverpool fan after Virgil got injured. Doubly so if they think we're less likely than pretty much any squad but City's.

Let's have a bit of perspective. Our 2 remaining CBs, and Fabinho, are comfortably 3 of the best CBs in the league. To fill in when Fabinho is required at CB, we have potentially the best defensive midfielder in the world - no joke.

The start of this season has it been a bit mad, but I expect it will settle down, and when it does our quality will shine through.

[Bobinhood]

The team will galvanize around the challenge, watch and see.