Early days.....UP THE CHELS !

last week the media line was "Leeds have shown Liverpool how difficult it will be playing as champions" - this week ; Chelsea's inferiority complex gave Liverpool one of the easiest games they'll have all season..... 

Thiago Alcantra completed 65 passes in one half more than other midfielder today?

Talking about setting in .

5 minutes ago, Gol15 said:

It's a mental game as well, by the time we got the penalty he knew the game was lost anyway and that probably played a big role as well.

I f**king well hope not. What an awful mentality that would he for a professionally sportsman to have.

We faced Liverpool at the worst time. Lot of injuries, players not in form and new guys not ready. We can absolutely win them this season. We are so early in the season nothing has won or lost. Can't wait us to play again. 

LOn a positive note Tomori and Zouma looked great as a CB pairing, Kai Havertz looked a rolls Royce of a footballer and Kepa actually collected a few crosses. 

Moments change matches. The red card killed any chance of getting anything from the game, we were well in it till that moment

Christensen is prone to switching off even when having a good game

Zouma is our best central defender at present but isn't comfortable on the ball

Thiago Alcantara is exactly the type of player I thought we would be getting when we spunked 50m on Jorginho

With the keeper now having to stay on his line for penalties, put your bloody laces through the ball when you get a penalty kick

Werner had some good touches and is mobile. Havertz had a few good touches. Tomori did well when called upon in difficult circumstances

I would personally have brought Giroud on at about 50mins to get us up the park

And then there is Kepa, could he have got to the ball before Mane with a sprint? at least he's good with his feet...

 

Not surprised. These jammy bar stewards always manage to get their way. 

Have to beat West Brom. Anyhow. 

Just now, carrickblue said:

last week the media line was "Leeds have shown Liverpool how difficult it will be playing as champions" - this week ; Chelsea's inferiority complex gave Liverpool one of the easiest games they'll have all season..... 

No lies were told, that will be one of the easiest games they will have all season 

1 minute ago, ZouMan said:

Thiago Alcantra completed 65 passes in one half more than other midfielder today?

Talking about setting in .

It makes you wonder why Liverpool have waited until he was 29 to move him from their academy in to the first team doesn’t it. 

Edited September 20, 20205 yr by Munkworth

Just now, EdinburghBlue said:

I f**king well hope not. What an awful mentality that would he for a professionally sportsman to have.

Everything that happens in a game affects a player on some level, the game was over after the red card that much was clear for me as a fan let alone to a professional player. Penalties are a mental game as well and make no mistake if Liverpool wanted to they would have stuffed us even more, it took them less than 5 min to score once the second half started and we kicked it off... 

6 minutes ago, Gol15 said:

It's a mental game as well, by the time we got the penalty he knew the game was lost anyway and that probably played a big role as well.

Don't make excuses for him. It was a poor penalty and he had a poor game all round. He scores that and we could have put them under pressure and nicked an (undeserved) equalizer.

When everyone is fit I don't think we will see the Jorginho, Kovacic, Kante midfield as there was zero creativity. Kante was the pick today by far. 

1 minute ago, Stim said:

Guy has one of the top top penalty conversion rates just because it looks silly the very rare occasion gets saved it would be the epitome of knee jerk to then abandon it. It's just kneejerk.

I'm just annoyed. I'm not saying it's a technique that doesn't work because clearly (as evidenced last week and prior), it does.

My criticism of it is that I've always preferred the Shearer/Kane approach to penalties and I'd rather a player smash it hard. At least that way if the keeper does guess right, it'll be harder for him to save it.

It may come off for Jorginho and Hazard a good chunk of the time, but every single time it leaves the keeper with an easy chance if they guess right.

Saying that, I almost had a heart attack when I saw David Luiz's run up in the CL final.

I thought Timo was absolutely brilliant, He's going to be top top drawer for us.

Excellent from Tomori too, Should be a starter.

Silva Hakim Ben Christian

These first few matches are effectively our pre-season so it’s not surprising we look so disjointed. Liverpool didn’t exactly blow my mind either, and considering the chances created and the penalty miss, we could well have got a result here if Christensen hadn’t lost his head.

When we conceded the second goal I was convinced we were going to be humiliated so I’m just relieved the shoreline isn’t a complete embarrassment.

 

5 minutes ago, reparto corse said:

Yes, it was a horrific mistake by Kepa once again.

What worries me more is that Mendy is not known for being good with the ball and if we keep passing the ball around our own box the entire game these mistakes will happen regularly. Say what you want about Kepa but he is decent on the ball and Mendy will be more of a downgrade in that regard. 

I'll be honest I don't know where this Kepa decent on the ball comes from. He has absolutely nothing about him. He can put his studs on the ball and clip a lazy pass to the wings providing he is under no pressure. Any pressure at all he clips it straight into the centre circle to nobody in particular or he has a howler. This theory that Kepa is a ball playing keeper is completely unfounded with no historical content to back it up. I just don't see it, sorry.

30 minutes ago, BlueDay said:

Had a good season in a 3 under Conte

He had a good half season. He deteriorated after the barca game and has been Average ever since

Just now, Nibs said:

Don't make excuses for him. It was a poor penalty and he had a poor game all round. He scores that and we could have put them under pressure and nicked an (undeserved) equalizer.

When everyone is fit I don't think we will see the Jorginho, Kovacic, Kante midfield as there was zero creativity. Kante was the pick today by far. 

It's not an excuse, it's just the truth. Game was lost after the red card, on some level every player knew it. Everyone was poor today, Jorginho had a much better last game but it still doesn't make it any different that we lost the game by Christensen's blunder, which isn't the first time that he has ruined us either...

Just now, WhiteWall said:

I'll be honest I don't know where this Kepa decent on the ball comes from. He has absolutely nothing about him. He can put his studs on the ball and clip a lazy pass to the wings providing he is under no pressure. Any pressure at all he clips it straight into the centre circle to nobody in particular or he has a howler. This theory that Kepa is a ball playing keeper is completely unfounded with no historical content to back it up. I just don't see it, sorry.

I agree. Plus call me old-fashioned but I want my keeper to actually be good at their goalkeeping duties first and foremost.

3 minutes ago, Gol15 said:

Everything that happens in a game affects a player on some level, the game was over after the red card that much was clear for me as a fan let alone to a professional player. Penalties are a mental game as well and make no mistake if Liverpool wanted to they would have stuffed us even more, it took them less than 5 min to score once the second half started and we kicked it off... 

If that is how mentally fragile he is - he should never play for us again. Fortunately I don’t think he thought that at all. If anything, it should get his tail up knowing if he scores that we’re back in the game. No elite sportsman has the mentality you’re referring to, giving up at half time.

1 minute ago, forbzy said:

There is also an argument that perhaps AC doesn't make that challenge on Mane if he has more confidence in the keeper behind him. If Kepa plays for this club again it will be pretty clear he is being forced on the manager because of his price tag.

I dislike Kepa as much as anyone but this was Christensen's fault 100%. Just a shocking decision making and it cost us the game. 

27 minutes ago, EdinburghBlue said:

He was nowhere near Mane when he headed in the first.

Thanks for putting this and taking all the flak! Spot on comment

Anyone actually surprised? Anyone thought beforehand we would get anything other than a lose?

Given we played a half with 10 against them that scoreline is respectable at least.

Still though shame on our attackers. Liverpool have to play a midfielder at the back and we do not score even one goal, and miss a penalty to boot. Jorgi found out. New taker please.

Kepa panics Andreas how then makes a brainfart choice. Big surprise there.

Kepa drops another howler. Big surprise there too. 

We had as little a chance here as we did turning the tie around in Munich a few months back.

Their attack, our defence and keeper. Our best CB, RB and LB out, the keeper we hope is at least competent not even signed. Our two best creative players injured.

That against the Champions who bar one average CB are at full strength.

Not surprised, not disappointed. All of it was inevitable.

7 minutes ago, ZouMan said:

Thiago Alcantra completed 65 passes in one half more than other midfielder today?

Talking about setting in .

75 actually. But no shock, he's literally the best midfielder in the world.

Apparently he was offered to us but we declined. That was one stupid decision if we intended to compete for the title this season. With him we actually could have.