David

I was trying to find a metric to show this yesterday. How many second and event third balls do we win after a long ball duel. Seems like a chronic problem

🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯 #lfc #redsky

Absolutely bullied all over the pitch. How has our physicality declined so much, two or three years ago we were physically dominant and earned the right to play the football. That Liverpool team would have eaten this one for breakfast #lfc #redsky

Exactly this

Duels, duels, duels - lost every single one #lfc #redsky

Great article, it seems clear we have a second and third ball problem. VVD and Konate still win the majority of duels but as the ball breaks we are second to the ball too often, basics around getting around the first challenge aren’t happening.

Blood In The Water How and why opponents have changed the way they play Liverpool

open.substack.com/pub/dankenne...
New post from me looking at how and why opponents have changed the way they play #LFC

Watch the interview - he very much included himself

Far too early to worry about where we will finish or even to worry too much about results but I am very worried about how we are approaching games and how easy we are to play against

Salah, Endo and Robbo all just too passive, it’s last minute bodies on the line time and we just don’t seem to have the legs or intensity to do it

Exactly this

Intensity is no longer our identity #lfc #redsky

Poor on the ball again but the main issue for me is how passive defensively we are. It can’t be intentional to allow that much space and time when the other team are in the ball, major turnaround from the intensity in defence of Klopp teams #lfc #redsky

Worst performance under Slot?? And I’m including Plymouth in that #lfc #redsky

Pretty bad at the fundamentals there, poor shape, lack of pressing and pressure on the ball, lack of sharpness, no connection between defence, midfield and attack. First touch and passing both off. #lfc #redsky

Nope - never has been, bet we are making our own trouble

When did we start letting midfielders turn and get their head up against us? You can’t play a high line if you don’t press the ball #lfc

It’s purely practical for me to be honest, their main threat is Grealish and Bradley’s a better defender plus they will be throwing the ball in the air every set piece and Bradley’s much better there. Won’t lose too much going forward as Everton will sit deep anyway

I’d start Bradley at RB but other than that I agree, Isak, Kerkez and macalister can get match sharpness in the week

Plus at 22 he needs to play every week to develop, I’m positive that’s the way he sees it as well or I’m sure he could have chosen to stay

The gap between the u21 Euros and trying to win the premier league and champions league is astronomical though

Trouble is he has to be that level now to get in the team. If he doesn’t play that can’t happen so he needs a move, if it works and he reached the level then we exercise the buy back clause

I know you like him a lot but you just can’t coach athleticism, great player and a great lad but unless he can get to David Silva levels on the ball he will never work for LFC with his physical limitations. brilliant servant though and deserves a great career

He is much tidier in possession than Konate but miles off his physical aggression and dominance. Given that most teams seem to go route one at us or focus on set pieces against us I don’t really get it either 🤷

Im still not sure Guehi is stylistically right for Liverpool so not too fussed to have missed out. The four we have plus Endo in the cups will get us through but I still feel sorry for Guehi - really poor from Crystal Palace #lfc #cpfc

Now when fans question players who try to force a move think of Guehi who has been the model professional and gets royally fucked by his club as a result of it #lfc #cpfc

Autocorrect failing me in a moment of joy 🤣

We all do, he’s the old faithful

Yes well said…and have we played well yet?