Real Madrid Home Tues Nov 4th KO 8pm

[threeps]

Noticed during the villa game a a few times tonight too that Szoboszlai was deeper than our two deep midfielders at times, like when we built from the back. Grav and MacAllister moved up a bit.

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[Rob Fort Worth TX]

No coincidence that the team has looked more balanced since our metronome, Mac Allister, has looked back to his best.

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[Adidas20]

D/H, absolutely mate. We have to work hard and every player tonight needed to put a shift in. We have to earn the right. With everything that has gone on, this is the way to respond and restore ourselves.

Clean sheets critical and vital which we have achieved over our last 2 games. Need to now win games on the road with confidence and authority.

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[Rob Fort Worth TX]

Song, the 11 role doesn’t always need pace. All depends on how you set you stall up. He played this position for almost 70% of the games for Leverkusen in their 3421. He’s offers flexibility due to his top-class skillsets and can play anywhere along the midfield attacking line.

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[sean the sailor]

I dont like arne being so honest about why we improved the last two games. We played many games last season againest teams who played long and won.

Long way to go to before saying we are really getting going again.

Macacca and bradley being fully fit, settled team robbo coming back in has certainly helped us

Arne is basically saying we cant defend againest long ball teams. We create enough so its just goals we are conceding

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[fulcrum]

Agree Sean, Slot is very generous with sharing his tactics and processes with the media.
I mean it’s not like other clubs don’t have professionals to analyze the play and they live and breathe football, so will likely know already.
But it does seem to me that he is happy to openly discuss tactics ……should at least make them work for it.
A bit like the Pep Lijnders tactics book while still competing. Could never get my head around it! …..”we are a good team that’s hard to beat….here is why” ….but of a gift really.

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[fulcrum]

Threeps……just a final thought on the non penalty. With the Brentford one the ref had given a free kick, var intervene to say it’s on the line (by a flys mickey)….therefore ref is forced to award a penalty, and var not remotely interested in whether it was a foul or not. However on the basis of last night’s refereeing, he should have downgraded the incident from a foul and gave the keeper a drop ball. All we want is consistency.

Even in the Villa game, they had a player down completely off the pitch (Think it was Onana, the same player could have had 4 yellows and a red) and the ref is stopping play until he is ready to come back, whereas vs utd we had a player down with a head injury on the pitch and ref says play on. (People might say it was his own player that took him out…it was…but remember the Everton game last year, two of their players took each other out in added time and the ref stopped playing even though there were mere seconds left and added another 4 minutes….then they score by a player who should have been off in the first half)

Just want consistency from refereeing. You talk about us not understanding the rules, but who could when they are applied so differently every game.

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[threeps]

How do you know var were not interested if it was a foul or not? It was a foul albeit a tame one but I guess not clear and obvious mistake but it wojld have been checked. I don’t see how that foul is connected to a handball, a handball is a handball in the area or not, same as a foul.

With both instances there are two parts.

Part 1. Is it in the area or not? Both deemed to be.

Part 2. Is it a penalty offence? Brentford deemed yes, handball last night deemed no.
Therefore a pen for Brentford and no offence last night which by the rules means a drop ball to the defending team.

The only thing to debate is if it was a handball or not, everything else is black or white.

If last night was deemed outside the area then var would have stopped there as they do not check freekicks and we would have had one in a good position.

We’ve moved on apparently but I hope that clears it up.

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[fulcrum]

If the Brentford one is deemed to be a penalty then we should see 10 penalties every game.

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[threeps]

Well that’s another story, one that isn’t relevant to last night. Last night, by letter of the law the ref and VAR did everything correct, the only thing that’s open to debate is if it was a handball or not.

I don’t think it was.

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[fulcrum]

It is relevant. In both instances the ref calls a free kick outside the box. In both instances var says that the contact was inside the box. But only in one instance did var suggest to the ref that his initial judgement was incorrect and he should take another look at it.

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[Songman]

“Song, the 11 role doesn’t always need pace. All depends on how you set you stall up.”

Rob, maybe, but context is required.

In the tough, high-paced PL, and if you’re playing 433 or 4231, for me I’ll almost always start with a winger who has pace and strength, hence why Liverpool have been phenomenally successful with Mané and Díaz on the left.

But in certain games, where you’re facing a top-class opponent who will have more of the ball, like yesterday (and on Sunday against City) you have to firstly control the midfield with our tried and tested trio of Gravenberch, Mac Allister and Szoboszlai. And this is the type of game where I can see Wirtz being deployed on the left, as the midfield will be secure.

And the Bundesliga is far easier than the PL, hence why Wirtz was deployed on the left (according to your stats) plus it was a different formation, 3421, from our 4231, even Frimpong was deployed differently as a wing-back.

For me, I still think Wirtz’s best position for us is a 10 BUT I think that this will only happen when we get some real consistency going, and perhaps initially in the easier games.

• This reply was modified 6 months, 1 week ago by Songman.
• This reply was modified 6 months, 1 week ago by Songman.
• This reply was modified 6 months, 1 week ago by Songman.
• This reply was modified 6 months, 1 week ago by Songman.

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[threeps]

Because the other instance was deemed to be not a clear and obvious error, unlike yesterday?

Both instances VAR worked correctly. You just don’t like the decisions that’s all.

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[Red Herring]

<<The only thing to debate is if it was a handball or not, everything else is black or white.>>

Yes, I agree with that in theory and according to the laws of the game; however, everyone knows and accepts that the ‘bar’ for awarding a foul in the box is different from outside the box. This is not necessarily right and proper, but it has always been the case and even VAR seems to be sympathetic to this unwritten law. i.e. everything is not always black or white.

So, would the Ref have given a penalty for VVD’s ‘touch’ on the Brentford attacker’s foot if he’d thought it was in the box – almost certainly no – but then couldn’t reverse the decision of foul when it was proved it happened in the penalty area.

Fast forward to last night and it’s a similar set of circumstances. Would the Ref have given that as a handball/penalty if he’d thought it was inside the box? Probably not, but then when VAR proves that it was…..suddenly handball becomes not handball. Basically, we’ve fallen foul of a total lack of consistency and received ‘the worst of both worlds’ decisions.

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[gingerlfc]

Yes on paper last night Wirtz played on the left but in reality he was everywhere.
The chance he provided for Szobo was a cross from the right.
He was frequently found central also.
Seemed more like a floating role in possession and then tracked left when out.
Whatever works, however if we are caught out/turned over that left side could be exposed.

Seemed like a box midfield at times also with Szobo and him making up the furthest part of the box.
Was hard to pin down exactly.

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[Red Herring]

Yes, there was a debate to be had about booing Trent last season when he was playing in a Liverpool shirt – but a no-brainer when he rocks up in a Los Blancos strip. I think it also had the desired effect as he seemed very reticent to try anything attacking/adventurous in fear of of the level of jeers when/if it didn’t come off. Just like with his long, cross-field pass to Bradley! Real Madrid must be wondering whether they bought the correct RB from us.

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[plastic1]

I’m not bothed about the booing of Trent (although I wouldn’t have) because it definitely put him off

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[Asiansensation]

Watched the game live last night, was a bit disappointed that we didnt put 3-4 goals past them, but hopefully we’re saving them for city this weekend!

I thought connor bradley was mom, just beating szobo whose been a power house this season and deserves all the plaudits. Been complaining about gakpo for some time now, hes powder puff off the ball! Wirtz showed what weve been missing since diaz left… grit, hard work, strength and power(just lacking the pace and skill)! Robertson back in defence has also made us solid again!

Now unfortunately some of my worries… we need a replacement for konate! A couple of times the ball was kicked in the air towards him and his control/clearance put the team in danger! I know, i know a lot of you are banging on about tactics, and im sure youve got a case! However, this isnt Sunday league pub football, we have a continental manager managing worldclass international players on the back of winning a league title, you dont get there with random tactics! I believe weve been let down this year by poor finishing and defensive mistakes. The most culpable being kerkez, konate and salah. Konate is still a major worry for me and the club has to buy another world class defender in the January transfer window who hits the ground running for us to succeed in winning the title! Mickey van den ven at tottenham is one me thinks.. but someone of that calibre!

Great result, just need to get a win at the etihad and then the international break will hopefully help get our injured players readied for the tough winter schedule ahead!

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[threeps]

As Ginger said, wirtz was everywhere. No need to thjnk of an “11” as a tradional winger or inside forward. Its more to do when we don’t have the ball than anything else, with it he was drfting everywhere.

Leverkusen did indeed play a different system, but Germany play 4231 and if Musiala is fit then he plays central and Wirtz on the left. At least when without the ball.

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[Mikus LFC]

“Barcelona’s sharpness and intensity throughout the team has not been the same this season as last year, so opponents have found it easier to take advantage of Hansi Flick’s super-high defensive line. It means they keep shipping goals, especially away from home.”

Have we experienced a similar thing?

https://x.com/theathleticfc/status/1986198212877918414?s=61

• This reply was modified 6 months, 1 week ago by Mikus LFC.

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