1 hour ago, Ernie_blue said:

I said this in the match thread but you could tell pretty early that Giroud was needed. We managed to get in at half time 0-0 and that was the time for the change. CHO is good at crossing and had no targets, Hazard is best on the left which he showed in the second half. Higuain came on and was awful again, Giroud is the in form striker, I don't rate him generally but atm he is our best bet. Keeping Willian on was pointless. 

 Today was a defensive mistake by, and I hate to say it, Hudson Odoi. Not closing down the wide attacker on his side. As well as a wonder goal by Salah. Apart from that we were in the game and also had chances. Hazard central was probably a poor decision in hindsight, but I'm sure there were reasons for it. Giroud was bossed by VVD last time we played Liverpool, so not sure how hoofing the ball up to him in a 1v1 with Van Dijk would have helped. Starting Hazard wide may or may not have made much of a difference during the course of the game. I don't think Klopp expected us to start with Hazard centrally. By the sounds of things before the game in his presser he was planning to double mark Hazard out of the game. 

Sarri doesn't have much in his sleeve but to play 4-3-3 with or without a false 9. Having the best player in the league and using him as a false 9 is sad as well.

Maybe if we were to play a 4-2-3-1 we would have more options in the counter attack and an actual plan, this last game was very bad it was obvious from the first 20 minutes that we simply don't know how to score a goal, nobody in the box, 2 wingers trying to cut inside against 3 players guarding them...Yes Liverpool is better but we didn't really try to test them today.

Higuain, the gamble signing of Sarri is slowly proving to be a big mistake, Giroud looks better out there on the pitch but Sarri doesn't trust him for big games.

If Sarri wins Europa League he should stay and continue working with the team, if not then I will vote Sarri out once again.

44 minutes ago, bisright1 said:

You know we beat man city when hazard played in that position right?

Are you a parrot? All you’ve got to back up your point is a result from December? Even a broken clock is right twice a day. It doesn’t mean it’s working.

 

Can you honestly say that we look our best with the false nine? Do you honestly believe it gets the best out of hazard?

By the sounds of things before the game in his presser he was planning to double mark Hazard out of the game. 

and to give him a good kicking early on.

1 hour ago, enigma said:

 Today was a defensive mistake by, and I hate to say it, Hudson Odoi. Not closing down the wide attacker on his side. As well as a wonder goal by Salah. Apart from that we were in the game and also had chances. Hazard central was probably a poor decision in hindsight, but I'm sure there were reasons for it. Giroud was bossed by VVD last time we played Liverpool, so not sure how hoofing the ball up to him in a 1v1 with Van Dijk would have helped. Starting Hazard wide may or may not have made much of a difference during the course of the game. I don't think Klopp expected us to start with Hazard centrally. By the sounds of things before the game in his presser he was planning to double mark Hazard out of the game. 

We only had chances once a centre forward came on and Hazard moved to the left, before that we literally had nothing going forward. If Giroud plays it doesn't mean you have to hoof the ball forward or that he is going to bossed, it gives you an option for crosses plus puts Hazard in his best position. There's literally no point in playing wingers today if the only option was to go backwards.

I have a couple of questions, all dealing with the bad manners of Sarri in not shaking hands with the opposing manager at the end of the match.

1)  In Italy, is it the norm for managers to shake hands right after the match ends?

2)  Irrespective as to the answer to 1) above, did Sarri shake hands with the opposing manager when he was the manager of Napoli?

To me, it just stinks that he has such bad manners, and shows that he is a poor loser, and for that alone, I want him out.

4 hours ago, abramovich said:

True. What new information came to light recently that helps those in the  "Sarri in" camp? I'm genuinely curious.

I do like the potential of his system, we play out from the back with ease even against elite sides and we had a blip in the winter to say the least but either side of that i feel we have by in large played reasonably well, infact since the cup final i feel we are playing with a lot more speed and creating a lot more chances (although some would argue that ain't hard) and Sarri has improved his squad management, those two reasons have brought me back to Sarri in as i did want him out in February due to the embarrassing capiluations but as i alluded to new information and all that. Also what has to be factored is he has come in tasked with changing an entire clubs culture with a broken pre season and hardly any free midweeks (think we have had like 2/3 since August which is obscene).

All things considered i want to give him a second season to see if we can build on the groundwork he has laid, half because i do see potential in the end game and half because i fear we will panic and reboot to reactive football which unless doing well is soul destroying to watch (i'd take us this season over 10/11, the last days of AVB, the Robbie/Rafa season, 15/16 and last season any day of the week).

10 hours ago, Gol15 said:

Sarri doesn't have much in his sleeve but to play 4-3-3 with or without a false 9. Having the best player in the league and using him as a false 9 is sad as well.

Maybe if we were to play a 4-2-3-1 we would have more options in the counter attack and an actual plan, this last game was very bad it was obvious from the first 20 minutes that we simply don't know how to score a goal, nobody in the box, 2 wingers trying to cut inside against 3 players guarding them...Yes Liverpool is better but we didn't really try to test them today.

Higuain, the gamble signing of Sarri is slowly proving to be a big mistake, Giroud looks better out there on the pitch but Sarri doesn't trust him for big games.

If Sarri wins Europa League he should stay and continue working with the team, if not then I will vote Sarri out once again.

Depressingly we won't win Europa, you know it's destined for us to lose to Arsenal, there manager has already won it three times, so know what it takes, our managers greatest achievement is to take City to pens in League cup, and then he f**ked up when he didn't have the authority to substitute our keeper for one of the best penalty savers in the world. 

10 hours ago, EdinburghBlue said:

Are you a parrot? All you’ve got to back up your point is a result from December? Even a broken clock is right twice a day. It doesn’t mean it’s working.

 

Can you honestly say that we look our best with the false nine? Do you honestly believe it gets the best out of hazard?

Against a team much better than us. Yes. 

Best out of hazard? Considering when we play a top team and hazard is on the wing we can be exposed as he doesn't defend. I'm not sure if you watched the 6-0 against city. 

When the line up was announced, lots of fans were happy. It didn't work out, we lost to one of the best sides with better players at their place. It happens. 

We were in the game in the first half and at half time we should have taken off CHO because he was clearly not up for it. Had he been a bit more willing we could have caused some problems. 

I'd have brought on Pedro for CHO at half time and then brought on giroud for willian around 60. 

10 minutes ago, chi blue said:

Depressingly we won't win Europa, you know it's destined for us to lose to Arsenal, there manager has already won it three times, so know what it takes, our managers greatest achievement is to take City to pens in League cup, and then he f**ked up when he didn't have the authority to substitute our keeper for one of the best penalty savers in the world. 

Lol. Their manager won't be playing. There isn't a secret formula for winning a cup final. Don't blame Sarri for kepa being a prick. 

1 minute ago, bisright1 said:

Best out of hazard? Considering when we play a top team and hazard is on the wing we can be exposed as he doesn't defend. I'm not sure if you watched the 6-0 against city. 

That 6-0 wasn't because Hazard was playing wide left, it was because we suicidally played a high line with a back four containing Alonso and Luiz against one of the best attacking sides in Europe. 

6 minutes ago, bisright1 said:

Lol. Their manager won't be playing. There isn't a secret formula for winning a cup final. 

But surely you acknowledge that good planning and management are essential? 

That's why some managers are able to display level of consistency with winning trophies. Emery has shown that having won three European finals and four domestic ones. 

30 minutes ago, bisright1 said:

There isn't a secret formula for winning a cup final.

Yes there is. Have a Drogba. 

31 minutes ago, bisright1 said:

Against a team much better than us. Yes. 

Best out of hazard? Considering when we play a top team and hazard is on the wing we can be exposed as he doesn't defend. I'm not sure if you watched the 6-0 against city. 

When the line up was announced, lots of fans were happy. It didn't work out, we lost to one of the best sides with better players at their place. It happens. 

We were in the game in the first half and at half time we should have taken off CHO because he was clearly not up for it. Had he been a bit more willing we could have caused some problems. 

I'd have brought on Pedro for CHO at half time and then brought on giroud for willian around 60. 

When you have the best player in the PL, you don't concern yourself with his defensive capabilities. It's Sarri's job to get the best out of our best player and work out what to do with the other 10. Playing him in a position where he is not effective is NOT the answer.

Yesterday a better idea would have been to start Giroud and Pedro or Willian and then bring on CHO in the second half. He is our best crosser of the ball and yet when we introduced a striker who could get on the end of crosses - he was taken off! 

5 minutes ago, Nibs said:

When you have the best player in the PL, you don't concern yourself with his defensive capabilities. It's Sarri's job to get the best out of our best player and work out what to do with the other 10. Playing him in a position where he is not effective is NOT the answer.

Yesterday a better idea would have been to start Giroud and Pedro or Willian and then bring on CHO in the second half. He is our best crosser of the ball and yet when we introduced a striker who could get on the end of crosses - he was taken off! 

I doubt CHO would have had a good game regardless of what the set up was. He looked out of place yesterday, frightened. 

Not surprising, he's young and it's anfield.

28 minutes ago, ForeverCarefree said:

But surely you acknowledge that good planning and management are essential? 

That's why some managers are able to display level of consistency with winning trophies. Emery has shown that having won three European finals and four domestic ones. 

Good planning and management gets you to finals. It doesn't win them.

Emery is a good manager. But so is Sarri. Sarri wasnt managing a team trying to win the Europa League or a domestic cup in Italy. He was trying to win the league. It's why Napoli got 90+ points despite having no financial advantage. 

Now it looks and feels like he will have got us to two finals in his first season. That's a great result. I think we would beat arsenal in a final. Their players aren't used to the pressure like ours and I think that is more important. It's why we nearly beat man city who are league's ahead of us. it's how we beat Tottenham over two legs. Players count more than managers in a final. 

10 minutes ago, bisright1 said:

Emery is a good manager. But so is Sarri. Sarri wasnt managing a team trying to win the Europa League or a domestic cup in Italy. He was trying to win the league. It's why Napoli got 90+ points despite having no financial advantage. 

Eh? Sarri wasn't trying to win the competitions he was in? 

So he sacrificed everything, focused on the league and still failed in his objective? 

The only way fans will reach acceptance with Sarri is if he becomes the conduit for young players to find their way into the first team.

If we are say, in top 6 next season, but starting with Hudson-Odoi, Loftus Cheek, Christensen and (by way of circumstances) Tammy Abraham (with maybe Reece James and Ampadu featuring enough so that they're not being neglected), and you can see that as a team, we are growing and developing into something good, then I think we as a fanbase would accept that.

However, unless he 'grows' too, his in-game management will always prevent us from truly challenging.

 

 

1 hour ago, bisright1 said:

Lol. Their manager won't be playing. There isn't a secret formula for winning a cup final. Don't blame Sarri for kepa being a prick. 

Totally blame Sarri for Kepa incident he had no authority in that situation, imagine a player doing that fergie of yester year or klopp of now a days, players have no respect for him. As for managers and winning things, as a player your in a cup final with a manager who has been there and done it numerous times or manager who has never experienced winning a thing, I know what manager I'd prefer

22 minutes ago, Le Fantôme Noir said:

The only way fans will reach acceptance with Sarri is if he becomes the conduit for young players to find their way into the first team.

Will even that work? We have in general improved a lot since the cup final and Hudson Odoi is getting a lot more games and the vultures are still out when we lose a game, even away to one of the best teams in PL history when we didn't actually play that badly.

We have the most stubborn fanbase and honestly I think only a season that could hold up on Conte's first or Jose's first spell could win them over.

14 minutes ago, chi blue said:

Totally blame Sarri for Kepa incident he had no authority in that situation, imagine a player doing that fergie of yester year or klopp of now a days, players have no respect for him. As for managers and winning things, as a player your in a cup final with a manager who has been there and done it numerous times or manager who has never experienced winning a thing, I know what manager I'd prefer

How can you blame Sarri for the Kepa incident? He handled that perfectly imo. 

6 minutes ago, Argo said:

Will even that work? We have in general improved a lot since the cup final and Hudson Odoi is getting a lot more games and the vultures are still out when we lose a game, even away to one of the best teams in PL history when we didn't actually play that badly.

We have the most stubborn fanbase and honestly I think only a season that could hold up on Conte's first or Jose's first spell could win them over.

I think some of the criticism Sarri has received has been harsh. But then a lot of it is justified and let's not forget all the praise he received early in the season on the unbeaten run.

We had a very good record at Anfield. That was our first defeat there for 8 seasons. Sure' Liverpool have improved but you're saying we "didn't play that badly" but we really didn't compete. There only ever looked like one winner in that game and it wasn't us. These things do happen, but when you look at our record against top half sides this season, you do see a pattern. That has to be down to the coach for not recognizing that and addressing it. I just don't think he has the ability to install the right mentality / fighting spirit. whatever it is, can't put my finger on it, but something he's doing or rather not doing is having an effect and we are too easy to beat. His continual selection of Jorginho who is clearly too lightweight for these big games is not helping and as for whatever he does in the half-time team talk................again, NOT working!

Just now, RIP Mourinho said:

How can you blame Sarri for the Kepa incident? He handled that perfectly imo. 

What, by nearly walking off down the tunnel and then letting the player stay on?

5 minutes ago, Nibs said:

I think some of the criticism Sarri has received has been harsh. But then a lot of it is justified and let's not forget all the praise he received early in the season on the unbeaten run.

We had a very good record at Anfield. That was our first defeat there for 8 seasons. Sure' Liverpool have improved but you're saying we "didn't play that badly" but we really didn't compete. There only ever looked like one winner in that game and it wasn't us. These things do happen, but when you look at our record against top half sides this season, you do see a pattern. That has to be down to the coach for not recognizing that and addressing it. I just don't think he has the ability to install the right mentality / fighting spirit. whatever it is, can't put my finger on it, but something he's doing or rather not doing is having an effect and we are too easy to beat. His continual selection of Jorginho who is clearly too lightweight for these big games is not helping and as for whatever he does in the half-time team talk................again, NOT working!

I don't doubt a lot has been justified and I have criticized at times myself (mentality especially which is why I was actually pleasently surprised at our immediate reaction to going two down), but I feel there's a big case of mental gymnastics going on which is making him the villian of the piece for everything. I even came across someone not long again ignoring CHO's recent spout of appearances which include a cup final and trying to pass them off as an odd ten minutes here and there.

I think it's a bit harsh blaming losing our Anfield record on him, in a one off game a record is vaunlrable to getting broken even if the team on the right side of that record is vastly superior, for example we lost a near two decade unbeaten league record at WHL under Mourinho the first time round.

10 minutes ago, Nibs said:

What, by nearly walking off down the tunnel and then letting the player stay on?

What should he do, enter the field of play and drag him off by the scruff of the neck? The blame is on Kepa, not Sarri for that. 

Dealt with it behind closed doors, punished the keeper and moved on from it.