1.) 04 Oct 2018
04 Oct 2018 21:37:19
Sorry you had to watch it again ed, think we went with the mentality to get a draw (think that showed in klopps subs) and it backfired. Think we also looked past them thinking it was an easy game, hope it’s a lesson learnt and we see a different side Sunday.

2.) 04 Oct 2018
04 Oct 2018 21:59:49
I read a stat earlier that out of the combined 87 passes Wijnaldum and Henderson played last night only 12 of them were forward. We are clearly missing that creative spark In midfield to drive the ball forward.

3.) 04 Oct 2018
04 Oct 2018 22:10:19
JK23 stats like that mean little without context.

How often were Henderson/ Wijnaldum closed down and therefore unable to pass forward? How often was the sideways or backwards pass perhaps the best way to spread the opposition defence, maintain possession, pass to someone in more/ better space? How often was there actually a decent forward pass available?

I must say that one thing I noticed about the game was that even our front three rarely had the beating of Koulibaly in a race, and therefore balls forward in behind the Napoli defence were often wasted as he was first to them or at the very least there quickly enough to stop Salah breaking through.

4.) 04 Oct 2018
04 Oct 2018 22:37:59
It was unfortunate that Keita had to go off. He could have offered a creative outlet and may have given napoli something more to think about.

Losing in the last minute was hard and we didn't really create much but we were close to getting a point. Looking at this run of games napoli away always looked like the most difficult. I think we will out class napoli at home.

5.) 04 Oct 2018
04 Oct 2018 23:19:53
Brilliant assessment, RR. Passing stats or stats in general without context, mean nothing. you can't pass the ball forward if there are no forwards making runs forward into space OR if you are being closed down in midfield by the opposition.

Also agree on the Khoulibaly tip. I have never seen a CB keep up with Salah in a foot race even tho I must admit, Salah was not put in the right situations all game. Khoulibaly is a beast of a defender. If Gomez is fast then Khoulibaly must have sprinter speed or at least, that was what it looked like.

6.) 05 Oct 2018
04 Oct 2018 21:54:15
Ed01, I commend your courage for having to watch that game a second time. Now, I know how much ou are valued on this site cos trust me, you could not pay me enuff dough to whatch that shambles and as you said, the fact that you watched it again made the game even worse so mad props to you, man. A s for the game itself, I see why you think Napoli was poor all round based on the points you made cos indeed in the first half, it was an even game which shows how poor both teams were.

The pitch as well now that you mentioned it, was also poor as well BUT not the reason we lost. I am worried about our FB's tho esp. Trent. He was doing the same thing he did that led to the Hazard goal at the weekend where he would press tuck in and press deep into midfield, leaving a chasm at the back that Napoli could have taken more advantage of BUT didn't. Is it Klopp telling the FB's to do that or are they just free-lancing?

Also, Klopp did not help Salah or any of the front three at all cos he changed nothing nor switched things around to give them something else to deal with. We kept doing the same things and Mane was not helping either with his selfish play. Also, Your ratings as well, are the lowest I have ever seen for an LFC game review so that was wierd as well. All in all, great assessment as always and now the hope is that we will improve vs City come Sun.

{Ed001's Note - Klopp is not telling him to do that or Robbo would be doing the same thing. The problem is that Trent is still thinking like a midfielder and getting himself involved in the press, rather than like a defender and getting into position. It really was an awful game to watch.}

7.) 05 Oct 2018
04 Oct 2018 21:56:31
Quite generous I thought with them ratings there ed.
It’s quite normal for one or two players to not show up, but for 9 players is really quite something, especially for a Klopp team, what happened to heavy metal football? That was about as heavy metal as a rock star dying of old age.
You think it was a case of both teams playing for a draw and not really trying to win?

{Ed001's Note - no, I don't think Napoli could afford to go for a draw having failed to win their first game against the weakest team in the group. I just don't think they are a good side under Ancelotti, they have been struggling all season and playing this badly. We looked jaded and sluggish after Keita went off. Too many players probably already mentally preparing for Man City, if you ask me.}

8.) 05 Oct 2018
04 Oct 2018 21:56:55
Thanks for that Ed. Can’t have been easy to write that about such a poor display.

Can I possibly pick your brains as to why you think we were so lethargic and off the pace? You mentioned the pitch in the review and also the fear of opening up and allowing Napoli space to play in but that’s just so unlike us under Klopp. Normally we’d happily go toe to toe and look to exploit spaces ourselves.

It’s not a good sign ahead of our biggest game of the season so far against the defending champions. If we play like that on Sunday it’ll be a much heavier defeat.

Do you think it was a one-off poor display or is there a reason for it, in your view?

I understand if you don’t want to say too much on a public forum given that anyone from our future opposition could read it and use it against us going forward. You’ve already been told not to give lineup info away on here so I’m not asking you to say anything that could hurt Liverpool in any way!

{Ed001's Note - for me, I think too many players were trying not to overdo it and save themselves for the weekend. That is what it looked like.}

9.) 05 Oct 2018
04 Oct 2018 22:06:03
Agree with everything you said Ed. In fact you probably went easy on most.
At the start of this run though if you’d asked me what 2 games I wouldn’t have minded losing it would’ve been Chelsea in the cup and Napoli away. Neither should have too much impact on our season overall. For me we seemed to approach this game as a bit of an inconvenience.
We now have to get ourselves back up for the small task of beating City on Sunday. A win there and I’d say it’s been an excellent start to the season.

{Ed001's Note - you are probably right there, but that does suppose we win on Sunday.}

10.) 05 Oct 2018
04 Oct 2018 22:31:44
Fair review ed. The truth hurts and that one hurt badly. Today there’s been a lot written about the midfield missing Someone like Couts or Fekir. What are your thoughts? Knee jerk reaction or do agree?

{Ed001's Note - knee jerk. The players were just not at their best. If they were Liverpool wins.}

11.) 05 Oct 2018
05 Oct 2018 01:27:03
What are your thoughts re Ancelotti's comments ed, that playing us in pre-season allowed him to work out the tactic needed to beat us? Is that something to worry about? Have we been 'worked out'?

{Ed001's Note - he is just talking crap. Tactics never beat us, it was nothing to do with that. It was a bunch of individual poor performances that allowed them to win. Ancelotti's tactics have been heavily criticised for years and so he says something similar every time his team gets a result.}

12.) 05 Oct 2018
05 Oct 2018 02:02:11
Im really sorry ed. but it hurts to even think about it. must have been difficult for you to watch it again.

{Ed001's Note - nightmare mate. Still it is the only game so far this season that has been an issue.}

13.) 05 Oct 2018
05 Oct 2018 05:20:08
I didn't watch the game, but it's quite an interesting review from you Ed01. I think this is the first time I saw you rated all the subs higher than the most of the first eleven.

Hopefully that was just their off day, and will return back to their usual selves in the weekend.

{Ed001's Note - and most of that was because they were not on long enough to lose rating! I judge it as 5 is getting on the pitch. When they get below that, they have been so bad so much their performance was negative, above is positive.}

14.) 05 Oct 2018
05 Oct 2018 05:29:11
Got it Ed01.

{Ed001's Note - I probably should have explained that when I started doing the ratings to be honest.}

15.) 05 Oct 2018
05 Oct 2018 06:01:29
It could be worse Ed - you could be a Man Utd fan and having to watch every one of their games twice!

That was an exceptionally poor performance and I am surprised Klopp didn’t rotate going into this match. Missed opportunity to freshen up our front three, add some fresh energy and competition and reward Sturridge and Shaqiri for some decent cameos. I was fully expecting Fabinho too.

Not a disaster but let’s hope we be Citeh or we’ve had a really poor couple of weeks!

{Ed001's Note - they did ask me on there about doing match reviews for their games, but I haven't yet seen one of their matches I would want to watch a second time. In fact there have been a few I didn't manage to stay awake the first time through!}

16.) 05 Oct 2018
05 Oct 2018 07:20:52
It was the forwards fault that Hendo and Wijnaldum never passed it forward to them. Be it behind the defence or even too their feet. The midfield didn’t pass it forwards between themselves much either by the looks. The defence managed to find the front 3 with forward balls so they couldn’t have been that bad in showing. I’m pretty sure though if my original comment had only mentioned Wijnaldum and not Hendo then he would have got hammered and the stat would have counted. To get the best out of Hendo perhaps the front 3 need to be replaced with players who show more for him to pass to them.

17.) 05 Oct 2018
05 Oct 2018 10:40:34
I think that we easily forget that these guys are human and are prone to bad performances. this game seemed like one we just didn't quite turn up for. and the reality is that this will happen to all teams, but the elite teams minimize stringing these together.

the stat about forward passes so hopeless. mane and firmino and salah weren't offering a lot in this game.

18.) 05 Oct 2018
05 Oct 2018 10:47:16
I didn’t read Ancelotti’s comments but it’s funny that he says that the preseason helped his preparation. Putting 5 in the back and us playin our worst match of the season was his strategy? Brilliant.

19.) 05 Oct 2018
05 Oct 2018 10:52:29
No one likes losing but if we’d got beat by PSG and won here don’t think to much would be made if it?

20.) 05 Oct 2018
05 Oct 2018 10:59:26
When the forwards are not finding space behind the defense the midfielders should take the ball and run with it straight to commit a few players towards them which will open up the space.

Struggling to understand the stupidity of “Forwards not
making runs “ and “Salah being triple marked”
If Salah is marked out by 3 players then there is space left out by those?
Mane is playing the withdrawn role so he isn’t running behind the defense.
Firmino drops deep to pick the ball as the three CM couldn’t stringe a forward pass!
So that’s 3 out of the front 3 in the midfield anyways.

We don’t feed Firmino! Firmino feeds others!

21.) 05 Oct 2018
05 Oct 2018 11:19:47
Cheers for the review Ed001, assume this means the TV box is fixed. Though as high as I'm sure the picture quality is, I have no idea how you managed to watch that match again. It was painful enough the first time.

{Ed001's Note - yeah it was just a software problem. Sadly nothing that that meant I would miss the game.}

22.) 05 Oct 2018
05 Oct 2018 14:58:19
Hi Ed, do you ever take much notice of the comments after performances?
would you lean towards anger from the manager in a hope of a reaction? or the rogers of old where it was the same "we were the better team" after every bad performance? I worry when managers like Klopp and poch for example when they aren't freaking a bit after an awful game!

{Ed001's Note - I don't take any notice myself.}

23.) 05 Oct 2018
05 Oct 2018 20:41:32
Thanks for the clarification, Ed. If that is the case then Trent REALLY needs to shape up and know his role. He is no longer a midfielder and has to get it drilled into him that if his opponent goes into midfielder, you drop deep and hold your position cos if the player turns and runs at him, he can back-pedal, drop off and see him coming, which allows his midfield reinforcements to arrive and help him. We can't allow that vs City come Sun cos we will get done. Robbo should also focus, ore on his defensive duties as well as improving his passing and decision-making when he goes into midfield.

{Ed001's Note - but is Trent no longer a midfielder or is he just filling in at right back to learn the game before reverting to midfield?

24.) 06 Oct 2018
06 Oct 2018 10:03:20
Good question, Ed. I have no idea what the answer to that is. A Dear Jurgen question, I think?

{Ed001's Note - probably mate, though time will tell.}