Mark Dearden

2 problems with replacing him now I’d say. 1, with who? And 2, no training time particularly for a new coach so how does he really change much until the summer anyway? The lack of an available top quality coach is probably saving him right now.

The problem for me is I don’t see what the plan is currently with this team. There’s no movement, no press, no creativity and the direction of travel is downwards. If results were bad but we could see what he was trying to implement then it might be different, but that’s not the case. Lacks ideas.

When a manager starts describing things differently to what everyone can see with their own eyes it’s usually the beginning of the end. Sunderland were able to play out on multiple occasions with ease…at Anfield! This should never be the case even with top teams, never mind a promoted side.

Klopp was the master of the high press, and counter press, now we don’t seem to have any structured or organised press at all, just random and individuals which are easily bypassed.

Pep’s football creates chances. This currently doesn’t. At the moment though it feels like he’s just trying to make us solid again, that comes at the expense of creativity at the moment. There’s no press to speak of really, no counter press, just falling back into a defensive shape.

This was my view just before Ko. The ultras’ section down to my left. All went off after about 6 minutes, the proper Ajax fans around us were not impressed to put it mildly! Put a dampener on my long weekend away with my lad in Amsterdam!

I was there! It was insane, and not in a good way!

Help me out here, I missed the first half! 🤷‍♂️😂 #lfc

Because he wasn’t being offered what he wanted contractually, so of course he’s going to look around. That might have been real or it could’ve been a negotiation tactic, but what we do know is Liverpool never made him an offer so we’ll never know if he’d have rejected it.

Wirtz wasn’t signed to be a LW, he was sold on the project by slot as a 10 by all accounts, so he can’t suddenly start him as LW and go back on what he’s told the player, he’d lose all credibility and respect.

Completely disagree, always rated Diaz, even when he was going through a bad spell he always had the x-factor to pull something out. He never stopped either.

I agree with your core point on Gakpo, he’s predictable on the ball and for someone who’s quite a big lad, pretty timid and lacking physicality in duels. He’s a player who can look nice when all is going well but is struggling massively to have any impact currently.

Diaz wanted to leave because the club wouldn’t give him a new contract, which is what I have a huge problem with Hughes over. It was shortsighted and massively undervalued Luis’ importance to the way the team functioned, and stories this week suggest Slot felt the same. Anyway, that’s me venting!

I agree gakpo shouldn’t be a starter, he’s a solid squad player and that’s why it worked so well with Diaz there before. Selling Diaz was negligent without a replacement, which I always said was pretty difficult given the level Diaz was at and is clearly still at now with Bayern.

Gakpo, and salah, are doing nothing at the moment, so what is there to lose by giving Chiesa some regular starts, let’s see what he can do. At the very least we’ll see some energy and fight, he also looks dangerous whenever he gets into the box which can’t be said for gakpo or salah currently

Selling Diaz was monumentally stupid and unnecessary with everything else going on. This isn’t hindsight talking, I was saying this even before the end of last season when people were saying sell him. He was vital and massively underrated/understood by lots, including Richard Hughes apparently!

Even keep the 433 he prefers but just don’t have everyone so far forward leaving us so exposed on the break when we inevitably lose possession.

Oh yeah absolutely, it’s got to be psychological, these lads don’t go from being world beaters to relegation form in a few months physically. What’s causing the mentality is the key, and I’m sure is a myriad of factors.

I wonder how much was in the first half vs 2nd, or when it goes 1-2? Where they’re running, and how is the key context.

He has potential, but he’s being asked to be the main starting LB for Liverpool which he is clearly not ready for. I feel a bit sorry for him, he needs time to develop and learn but he should be gaining experience as a sub, not the main man. His awareness of what’s around him is really poor at times

It’s a fair point, however it doesn’t explain why he’s persisting with a setup that has so many players so far up the pitch that we’re completely exposed to the counter and leaving massive space for the players to try and recover. If guys are knackered then that’s got to play into it. Change it!

He’s not ready to be the main LB at this level yet, he’s not tactically aware enough of what’s around him, switches off, makes poor choices. He’s very young so that’s understandable, but he’s just not good enough, bluntly. He should be back up, not the starter, developing.

That’s the problem though, we’re not seeing a team taking shape and just struggling in the process, we’re seeing a team fall apart and get worse every game, hammered,the direction of travel is backwards. The club can’t afford not to be in the CL either, that would be catastrophic on so many levels.

I think the lack of any obvious replacement might be what gives Slot more time, but he can’t keep losing matches, not just losing but getting hammered too.

Those 3 especially mad me pulling my hair out tonight, just so poor. That 4th goal, they were queuing up to score. Horrendous. I don’t see a way back for the manager from here, we’re an absolute shambles without the ball and unable to create any clear chances I attack.

I’m with you in the middle ground. I’m not sure now is the time to change, however how long can you leave it before even making the CL is out of reach? We’ve been poor since Feb generally, so it’s not just this season, but who else is available anyway? Deserves a bit more time but can’t be a lot

Absolutely no doubt Jota’s death is a massive thing to deal with for the players, no hiding that. That being said, it doesn’t explain the tactics employed by the manager, the way we’re set up to be so open to counters, lack of a press, or the fact we’ve been easy to beat since February really.

The one time we’ve looked decent this season was against Alonso, not sure he’d be the answer either!

I don’t know if now is the time to change with the manager, still feels very early, but we haven’t looked solid or in control really since the spurs game when we won the league, it’s not just a ‘this season’ thing. Xmas might be too late? Who is there available though? #lfc

ffs! International football can get to fuck!