07 Nov 2018 14:55:36
About the 2nd goal, would you say it was a collective failure to deal with it? I looked back at the slow-mo replay and it seemed like there was a sequence of things gone wrong:

1. Robbo moved infield when Milner was under pressure; should he have stayed back and offer a passing option back? I know you mentioned Robbo had a tendency to move in.

2. Gini moved to the striker’s left hand side in attempting to tackle; should he have moved to his right side (goal side) instead or was he expecting that either of our centre backs would press up and block the striker from the right?

3. Following from that, should either of our cbs have pushed up instead of dropping off? I know you mentioned in the past, lovren tend to rush and push up and leave gaps, but couldn’t help notice that both matip and vvd just stood off and left the striker with acres of space.

4. Lastly, Alisson; was there anything he could have done? My thinking is he might have expected the striker to curl it to his (Alisson's) left?

I’m not looking to bash our players or anything, but just want to know others' thoughts.


1.) 07 Nov 2018
07 Nov 2018 15:57:15
milner shouldn't of given it away, Gini should of done miles better, the centre-backs should've been far more aware of the danger, and Alisson will likely feel he should've done more. It was a collective failure, as was the entire night.


2.) 07 Nov 2018
07 Nov 2018 19:48:48
OP, Ed01 has addressed this point in his match review.

{Ed001's Note - I actually forgot about this. It was dreadful play by Gini, who only had to get goal side and it doesn't happen. I was screaming at him as well, but he wasn't bloody listening!}


3.) 07 Nov 2018
07 Nov 2018 20:02:04
Gini should have brought the guy down when he realised he was on the wrong side, they would have been no threat from that position. We are not savvi enough, Kante would have taken one for the team. Too soft.

{Ed001's Note - he didn't need to bring him down, he had plenty of time to get goalside, he just lacks the intelligence to think of it and continued to try and make a challenge from the wrong side for far too long.}


4.) 07 Nov 2018
07 Nov 2018 20:11:53
But when he realized that he wasnt going to get back goalside he should have brought him down, just take the card. It was a massive turning point in the game, an experience midfielder would have taken one for the team. Your right about the intelligence, he should never of let himself be in that position, but he did so he should have taken him down.

{Ed001's Note - no he should not have. He never made the attempt to get goalside, that is why he never got goalside. There was absolutely no need to give away a foul. It was all on his mistake in not knowing how to do the basics of defending. He is solely at fault on that goal. It was a dreadful piece of play and there was absolutely no need to give away a foul in a dangerous area, just get goalside and it doesn't happen.}


5.) 07 Nov 2018
07 Nov 2018 20:44:07
Totally agree with everything you say, however if he had brought him down we would probably have still have been at 1 nil. they were never a threat from a free kick. The basics of defending is is to stop the opposition from scoring, as I said when he realized he ****ed up he should have brought him down. I know I would have and did so on many occasions. The old 70s term professional foul come to mind. Phil Thompson 1978 V Forrest, ah another bad memory.

{Ed001's Note - they scored from a dead ball, our defence was terrible last night, they were not attacking the ball, we could not afford to give away dead balls. And it was not until Gini stumbled that he put himself in a position where he could not still have ample time to get goalside and then it was too late. I do agree with what you are saying in a lot of situations, but not that one. Wijnaldum needs his arse kicked round the room for that amateur hour play. Every player should know the basics and the first basic of defending is get goalside. It is not rocket science and there is never an excuse for getting the basics wrong.}


6.) 07 Nov 2018
07 Nov 2018 22:13:25
Gini should b frigging in a more advanced role he shouldn't have too b playing as a number 6, we bought fabihno for that role but there is no trust in him as he adapting, if we playing 3 in the middle we should have a proper defensive mid behind too centre mids one attacking one box too box not playing attacking mids as defensive midfielders.


7.) 07 Nov 2018
07 Nov 2018 23:20:13
'I was screaming at him as well, but he wasn't bloody listening! '

hahahaha! brilliant lol!


8.) 08 Nov 2018
08 Nov 2018 00:13:04
I agree Evered, having not got goal side Gini has to foul him. He kind of had a nibble but then just let him go.
Matip should’ve also closed down the shot as there were no runners anywhere near him so he could quite easily have broken out of the defensive line knowing VVD was behind him to cover if the player had gone past him.
It was indicative of how we played in that they were all just happy for him to shoot as they didn’t think he was good enough to score from there. Just as the whole team didn’t think Red Star were good enough to beat us.
Complacency and unprofessionalism from the entire team.


9.) 08 Nov 2018
08 Nov 2018 00:01:31
Gini could and should have fouled him instead of doing some acrobatic turn to actually get out the way and allow him to shoot.


10.) 08 Nov 2018
07 Nov 2018 23:42:49
Hi Ed - I do think Milner had a big part to play in the second goal. He was the one who passed the ball straight to the guy who scored. Wiji played his part in it too though.

{Ed001's Note - and that would not have mattered if Wijnaldum was capable of doing the basics.}