WASN’T that just a right kick in the gut?
A dispirited, dishevelled and disappointed Neil Atkinson is joined by Melissa Reddy, Gareth Roberts and Rob Gutmann for this week’s big show.
Did the Red’s deserve to get beat?
Were they simply unlucky?
With problems at the back AND up front, what has changed only a week after besting the champions on their own patch?
The manager might be big on development, but can Liverpool’s problems be fixing simply by coaching and more coaching?
Can Klopp turn Mignolet from Cringer to Battle Cat?
Can Can stop passing the ball across the face of his own goal?
Did Liverpool actually play ok?
HAVE YOU VOTED FOR US IN FSF AWARDS YET?
This was just one of the losses you have to take when your strategy is always to go for the win. If we can turn all draws into 50-50 wins/losses I’m much happier, then we can work on upping that percentage later
Disagree with Neil on the centre backs and I’m someone who rips Lovren and/or Skrtel a lot because generally speaking they’re not good enough. The goals do happen in the middle of goal but it’s not like they’re on the edge of the box. Both goals were 6ish yards out and there’s a goalkeeper. A goalkeeper…
On people getting off, the collective idea from manager, players and fans that we’re never out of a game and late goals are possible left town with Rafa Benitez. That can come back under Klopp but we’ve *all* got to want it bad enough. Everyone in the ground needs to ask themselves how much they’re willing to sacrifice (half an hour of traffic tops) to help and reap the benefits of witnessing, late goals happen again:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=x8mwIwG1FME
“The idiot flank”. You utter b##t##ds, I almost choked on me dinner cracking up at that. So apt’, this phrase simply has to be added to the lexicon. To hell with the negative connotations, class is…class. :)
There was loads I nodded my head to. Glad I wasn’t the only one who buzzed off Lallana killing it out the sky and maybe I’m turning into me da here but Lovren does need to sort those bright boots out tbf.
Great show, lads and lasses.
If we’re pulling back all ten for corners, I fail to understand how we’re not putting people on front and back posts, especially given the known weakness our keeper has coming off his line to claim crosses. A Moreno or Clyne on the back stick and the second one doesn’t go in.
On the Firmino marking Dann thing, I disagree with Melissa in the sense that it’s almost certain individual players will have been given marking details for Palace’s major threats at set-pieces. Dann is certainly one such threat. My guess is that Can was originally given the task of marking Dann but once he’s been subbed, we’ve sort of winged it and wound up with Firmino on him for that final corner. If I could be arsed, I’d watch the game again to see who picked up Dann on the earlier Palace corners.
I also think that Mignolet doesn’t deserve the pelters he’s getting. It’s not that he’s not shit at the things people are saying he is shit at, rather it’s that – shit or not at kicking and distribution – none of that has anything to do with why we lost on Sunday. We’d all probably prefer a De Gea, Cech, Lloris, Hart or even Begovic, but none of those are playing behind defences doing what Moreno and Can did for that first goal. And for my money, Mignolet won us both points again Everton and Spurs with 2 or 3 worldie saves in both games. So as obvious as his failing are, he is not the reason we only have 17 points so far this season. The main contributory factors there are profligacy in front of goal and individual defensive errors.
Mignolet punches a header that is straight at him, straight back out to the one who headed originally. He also manages to fall on the ground after doing so. This prevents him from getting back up to save the rebound header.
He has no excuse as an international goalkeeper for punching that header. He doesn’t palm it out, as was said on the podcast. He tries to punch it out, gratuitously. He even fails at doing that well AND he inexplicably falls right after.
He’s not a good goal-keeper, period, regardless of how many shots he stops. A ball that he can catch comes to him, he doesn’t catch it, tries to dribble with it, gets pressed, passes it to the opposition or gives a hospital pass to one of the CBs or Lucas.
He, at the very least, needs to warm the pine for a while.
Nope, the initial header is from six yards. The fact that it is straight at him but below shoulder height is what makes it difficult. A yard either side and that’s a comfortable take, but with it being more or less straight the hand adjustment required to take that ball in within the fraction of a second reaction time available is a big ask. Most keepers are doing what Mignolet is doing at that point and simply trying to keep the ball out. I’m not saying there are no keepers out there who couldn’t have done better, but even if you believe that it is still not the egregious error some are painting it. Believing that Mignolet is not up to it is one thing, but the criticism he’s getting here is unjustified and nothing more than the extension of a narrative. I’m actually surprised Lovren isn’t getting more of the blame for the same reason.
On the Mignolet pass to Sakho, if Sakho is crocked then not only should he not be back on the pitch (pace Neil), but why is he showing for Mignolet? He has pulled wide and deep, at which point Mignolet is entitled to assume Sakho is able to receive a ball. Mignolet is also the furthest player from Sakho when he originally goes down and off. Asking him to assess the extent of Sakho’s injury when he returns to the pitch showing for a pass, is harsh to say the least.
Whilst I totally agree with you on most of what you say on your post David, and especially in regards to the furthering of particular narratives (something that actually drives me ’round the twist, especially in the age of social media, a medium which both facilitates and gorges on that sort of thing) -Ridiculously long sentence alert!!!!- I feel I must disagree with your argument re: the Migs’/ Sakho pass. I get the impression that Migs’ is a bit of an ‘over-thinker’ and is at his best when trying to keep it simple. I find that when he tries to be spontaneous, he often ends up being rash and the pass to Sakho is a case in point. You are absolutely correct in that Salho bears some responsibility but it is still a matter of common sense I feel. If Mignolet had maybe thought for a second or two, I don’t think he makes that pass. The dichotomy is that when he is taking his time and playing to his strengths (I think Melissa alluded to this) then it can be to the detriment of a fast-paced transition and of course, the crowd becomes frustrated. It’s a difficult one, I really like the guy and am willing him to do well, like all our players.
Apologies for long-windedness, (I probably could’ve summed all that up in two or three lines but, where’s the fun in that eh?). :)
Re: Tina Charles I had to rewind it to see if my ears had played tricks on me. My favourite bit of the show. So casually done.
Enjoyed listening to the podcast today, however one comment was made that annoyed me. I think it was Neil that made it, could be wrong, but it was when they were discussing the weakness at corners.
The comment was something along the line of “the manager only get 3-4 hours to work with the players a day.”
Why only 3-4 hours???
Surely the manager can work with the players as long as he wants, obviously within reason. For something as fundamental to the game as set pieces, I don’t understand why the manager couldn’t schedule an extra couple of hours every couple of days.
Its not like set piece training would be intensive work?? It might be boring, but at the end of the day, if it needs working on, then put the work in.