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ECHO Comment: "Fears of Witch-hunt Against Liverpool FC" part 2

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davek said:
This summer has all the hallmarks of a big spend disastrous season for them. Loads of pressure on a team that'll need 6 months to gel into an outfit capable of competing.

They'll win nothing and Klopp will be fighting for his job before the end of the season.

It's all so laughably predictable.

Just let the big gobbed nobheads set themselves up for a fall and enjoy the implosion.

30 'kin years without the title. What 'big' club whose fans have a sense of entitlement over the title carries that weight of shame around with them? Imagine Milan or Inter or Juventus in Italy calling themselves a big club without winning the Scudetto for 30 years; or Barcelona and Madrid not winning La Liga for that long? They'd be laughed at. But Liverpool sell a few thousand replica shirts, lampshades and duvet covers to the gullible in south east Asia and think that entitles them to being described as a global colossus. They're a nothing club in world terms and an also-ran club here at home.

That's the reality.
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I don’t think they’ve improved any position except goalkeeper. They’ve effectively swapped Can and Coutinho for Fabinho and Keita. The first two are now first choice for Juventus and Barcelona so I don’t buy the line that Fabinho and Keita are going to give them an irrepressible midfield. The front three can’t get better in my opinion, last season they all stayed fit and all had best ever seasons. I don’t see Salah hitting the record goal number again. They’ve not done anything in preseason or the transfer market to suggest Klopp is preparing a plan B to overcome previous short comings. He’s basically added a keeper and is hoping that he can flog his plan A a bit harder again. With the World Cup exertions in their legs on the back of a long season last time I wouldn’t be surprised if they run out of steam again. An injury anywhere to their front three and you can write them off.
 
Saint Domingo said:
I just don’t see why there’s such a casual neglect of the rest of the top 6’s chances. Mourinho with a United team that has strengthened and finished a decent points difference ahead of Liverpool last season. There’s no logical argument as to why they won’t be up there again, they have a fantastic squad and a far better manager than Liverpool. Spurs have been in the top 4 every season Pochettino has been there challenging for the title twice. Why would they suddenly just disappear out of the equation even when they managed it plying at Wembley? Chelsea still have a remarkable playing squad Hazard Kante Willian Azpilicueta these are some of the top players in the premier league who have won multiple titles. Add in Jorginho and Kovacic and they could do anything from coming 6th to winning it depending on Sarri. It’s the same with Arsenal. The inconsistencies of the Wenger years may not be there. They have a breath taking attack capable of beating the majority of teams easily so why would they not be in the shakeup for top 4?

Liverpool meanwhile have swapped Can and Coutinho for Fabinho and Keita and brought in a good keeper. They’ve finished fourth the last 2 seasons so deserve their place in the conversation around top 4 but nothing they have done at any point over the last few seasons or in this transfer window suggest that they are suddenly going to put a gap between themselves and 4 of the top 6 to get up with City. Nothing. That is pure media invention.

In reality Liverpool were a bit fortunate Conte had a meltdown last season otherwise they’d have been out of the top 4. Salah and Firmino only missed 3 games between them yet Chelsea’s half arsed stars not even playing for their manager pushed them close. There won’t be a Wenger team to take out the equation this time either.

The battle amongst the top 6 will be far closer than people are making out and the strengths of each before a ball has been kicked look unknown. In no way though is there anything that suggests it will be Liverpool City and 2 others. If they have a tough CL run (unlike last year) they could even have a worse season.
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I would just add to that assessment that they also now have a massive weight of expectation that Klopp, even at this stage before a ball is kicked in anger, cant handle. There is a view widely held that this is the season Liverpool finally get the PL right. I dont fancy them for the reasons you outlined, and neither do I fancy them as a team with that manager to have the mental toughness over 38 games to be anything like serious contenders. Klopp will be taunted throughout this season over the cash spent and the gap that remains exactly the same.
 
Saint Domingo said:
I don’t think they’ve improved any position except goalkeeper. They’ve effectively swapped Can and Coutinho for Fabinho and Keita. The first two are now first choice for Juventus and Barcelona so I don’t buy the line that Fabinho and Keita are going to give them an irrepressible midfield. The front three can’t get better in my opinion, last season they all stayed fit and all had best ever seasons. I don’t see Salah hitting the record goal number again. They’ve not done anything in preseason or the transfer market to suggest Klopp is preparing a plan B to overcome previous short comings. He’s basically added a keeper and is hoping that he can flog his plan A a bit harder again. With the World Cup exertions in their legs on the back of a long season last time I wouldn’t be surprised if they run out of steam again. An injury anywhere to their front three and you can write them off.
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Keita I watched closely all last season. Now either he was soft peddling and not giving everything, or he was trying 100% and not showing why anyone would pay £50M+ for him. I just dont see him being a big fish in this league, tbh.

It'll also be interesting to see what happoens at the two FB slots. I rate Robertson. But he's not top top class. Same goes for Alexander-Arnold. I think they both show defensive frailties at times and clearly both feel more conmfortable in the opponents half. I look at Trippier and Rose and see them wanting in comparison. I'd expect a second season dip from the Liverpool pair.
 

I think Mourinho is worried about them. Hence his recent baiting of Klopp. He must be worried about them as United's main rivals for something critical this season. And I think that's for a top 4 spot. Out of Spurs, Chelsea and Arsenal who are the most likely candidates for those spots (City are going to win this at a canter), then Klopp's the weak link mentally.

Always thought (And probably wrote here) that the big test for Klopp is how he'll handle the intensity of criticism in England if he has a bad spell. Might see that this season. I think it'll be an epic meltdown followed by a collapse by the team. Especially with no Buvacs to steady the ship.
 
Saint Domingo said:
It’s as much an overexaggwration as the Liverpool media and some fans who were labelling it the best attacking football in Europe. This was not 09-11 Barcelona scything teams open with unbelievable one touch football from some of the best attacking players of all time. This was a midfield who worked tirelessly to rush the opposition into mistakes hoping they could then get the ball quickly to three very quick front players. It was very effective particularly at Anfield against teams that played straight into your hands but your record away from Anfield to top sides showed it could be dealt with fairly normally.

Despite this the talk before the final was how it could be 3 or 4 before half time, Madrid were old and couldn’t live with your pace etc. Madrid will never have experienced pressing like this. You can say most fans didn’t think this if you want but the media and social media image you gave out (and thus what would have been picked up by the players) is that you did believe this.
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Absolutely nailed it.
 
Skamp said:
Not really no. It was attempting to continue doing what they'd done all season.

Before the Palace match, Liverpool & City were level on points, but City had a superior goal difference of 7 or 8 (from memory). Once they were 3 up, they decided to go after the goal difference and go picked off and it all went t**s up!

Just beating Palace wouldn't have been enough as City were always likely to win their last 2 matches (which they did).
And I look forward to you slating Everton should they ever narrowly lose out on the title.
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Do you think Utd would of won it if they was in the same position?
 

Benitez colluding with the Red Menace and the EPL to ship Dwight Gayle out to the Championship and ensure another April 5 point lead doesn't slip.
 
edge said:
Think Liverpool will be a lot stronger this year if the keeper is as good as people say, plus there midfield has got more depth.
Definitely top 4 with City, Man Unt, Spurs or Arsenal( don't know if they will get that new manager bounce, if they do them instead of spurs) , City to win it again , but expect the RS to be there main challengers
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How good do people say the keeper is?

Most people with knowledge of him (i.e not jamie redknapp) say he's massively overpriced and can't believe he went for that much. You wouldn't know as it wasn't Everton who signed him.
 

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