26 Jan 2019 10:56:24
Just been looking at our squad depth and I came across something unbelievable (well, to me anyway) . Lallana hasn't scored a goal for us since 21st May, 2017 (20 months! ) . He's played about 800 minutes of football in the time period since that goal. Just wow.

Looking back to that 16/ 17 season when we had Lallana, Hendo and Gini in midfield, and beat beat pretty much every top 6 team we faced, who'd have anticipated such a spectacular decline for Lallana? He looked like he was finally improving and then his hamstrings just failed him. A bit sad really.

1.) 26 Jan 2019
26 Jan 2019 11:30:09
Our win rate against the top 6 was 50% that season.

While we were very good against the top 6 that season (unbeaten), it is a bit misleading to suggest that we beat pretty much everyone.

2.) 26 Jan 2019
26 Jan 2019 11:33:52
MK, our team has evolved in to a true juggernaut, a beast that knows how to hunt for it's prey in diff. ways, which is what makes us difficult to handle in the PL. Lallana has been left behind during this great revolution due to his injuries and frankly, his skill set. His skill set no longer works in the type of midfield we now have and due to his age (and lack of pace), not sure he would have been able to cut it. Hence, I'm not even sure he could have made the next step up to where we are now even if he was not injury-prone. Just my opinion.

3.) 26 Jan 2019
26 Jan 2019 11:51:19
Goals and assists from our midfield players is probably our weakest area. I know Milner got a lot of assists in the CL last season but anyone got idea how many goals or assists the midfield (not including Shaq) have got this season. I can’t really remember Hendo’s last goal. I think Fabinho was our last midfielder to score.

4.) 26 Jan 2019
26 Jan 2019 12:32:38
He’s barely played though, not his biggest fan by any means, but most of those mins are probably either coming on as a sub when we are winning and not going for another goal as such.

5.) 26 Jan 2019
26 Jan 2019 13:31:57
John I don't understand your point. I said "pretty much every top 6 team we played" not "literally every top 6 game we played". 5 wins and 5 draws from 10 games is a great record whatever way you dress it up. No offence mate. Your reply just seemed like you were splitting hairs.

I agree RedWolf. He's not really suited to the way we play now. His best asset his relentless pressing but we don't press relentlessly for 90 minutes anymore.

JK23, our midfield isn't really lacking goals this season. Firmino has played behind Salah as virtually an attacking midfielder and he has 11. Milner has 5. Shaqiri and Mane have pretty much played as right and left midfiekders and they have 6 and 9 respectively. Playing a 4-2-3-1 like we do most games now, it is the lead striker (Salah) and the 3 attacking midfielders behind who should get the goals. Fabinho and Gini are, in Klopp's words, a "double 6". Neither are expected to score so any they do get is a bonus. They have 1 each btw.

6.) 26 Jan 2019
26 Jan 2019 13:40:13
To be fair a fully fit lukaku, playing as striker, went longer without scoring!

7.) 26 Jan 2019
26 Jan 2019 13:45:06
Lallana's injury has near ruined his Liverpool career. If he had not been injured he would have evolved with thd rest of the team. Klopp knows how to get his players playing at their best. Before his injury he was one of our best players, he would have gone to the world Cup and things would have beden very different for him. Look at gini 3 yrs ago to gini now.

I actually think his link up play would work well with our front three. And, like Firmino he was excellent at the high press and a decent tackler for a small lad.

Not only that but he is versatile and can play in 5 forward positions.

But, like I said: his injury has made him the forgotten man. The team HAS moved on and new stars are shining (quite poetic that) it was a serious injury and often players come back not the same player. Danny sturridge is another one. Danny ings maybe.

I think his race is run at Liverpool. I still think he will contribute something to this season. He has played well once or twice already. But then he will take that step down to mid table, upper mid. He may even move abroad.

Personally I hope he recuperates and finds his old form because every good player we have helps.

8.) 26 Jan 2019
26 Jan 2019 14:04:10
Am amazed he’s played 800 mins in 20 months. I would have thought it would be half that at the most! He’s not had it easy with injury’s to be fair to the lad.

9.) 26 Jan 2019
26 Jan 2019 14:04:49
MK I like your way of thinking mate but I think you have moved the goal posts ever so slightly to make your point. I get what you're saying and for me Bobby and Mane have not been playing in midfield this season. Yes they do both drop deep but they’re still forwards. Shaq also quite similar. I’m sure our midfielders go into the opposition box for corners and free Kicks so being a double 6 shouldn’t effect what they do in there for them.

10.) 26 Jan 2019
26 Jan 2019 14:28:56
JK, the season that Chelsea won the league playing this system they had Matic and Kante in the "double 6" and I'd be amazed if they scored 5 goals between them over the whole season.

Go back to when we had Alonso and Mascherano and they rarely got 5 between them even though Xabi took free kicks and penalties occasionally.

I'm not sure it constitutes "moving the goal posts" to point out that we play with 2 holding midfielders and a front 4 this year. I think people may just be expecting too much from Fab, Hendo and Gini. They're not in the team to score. It's not a high press 3 man midfield anymore.

The midfielders letting us down in terms of goals scored (so far) are Lallana and Keita because they play in the 3 behind Salah and so far they have 0 goals and 1 assist combined.

11.) 26 Jan 2019
26 Jan 2019 14:36:44
Mk so are we playing a front 4 or just Salah up front and Bobby and Mane in midfield? Interesting debate mate and I take your points onboard. For me though I’d like to see our midfielders contribute a little more on the assist and goal scoring front. Not being critical of them just an observation.

12.) 26 Jan 2019
26 Jan 2019 15:01:11
JK23, it's a front 4 but there are 3 attacking midfielders behind a lone striker that make that up. That is what a 4-2-3-1 is. Some people call it a 4-5-1 but you'll never see anyone call it a 4-2-4.

The terminology is tit-for-tat really. The point is that the holding pair don't score many goals in this system. In fact, both Gini and Fabs only goals have come from corners. They just don't get far enough forward in open play to be genuine goal threats consistently. If they did, with the way our wing backs play, we'd start conceding loads of goals again.

13.) 26 Jan 2019
26 Jan 2019 15:27:18
let's not bash players just because we're bored and this is the popular one to bash. A certain other midfielder hasn't scored in a far longer time frame despite being on the pitch far more often and players in his position scoring goals or a goal. Obviously that player is beyond criticism because its frowned upon but yes lallana is fair game.

14.) 26 Jan 2019
26 Jan 2019 15:29:50
Mk happy mate. I totally get your point and I know what you mean by the no6’s don’t get as far forward but surely they can still assist from a midfield position their in and I’ve seen Fab and Wijnaldum have plenty of shots at goal. Wijnaldum (28), Fab (13), Milner (19), Kieta (19) and Hendo (10) to be exact. Between the 5 though they have a combined assist of 6. With Fab and Milner getting 5 of those.

15.) 26 Jan 2019
26 Jan 2019 15:42:53
Nun Red, I'm not bashing anyone? Just pointing out how sad it was that Lallana's injury had taken him out just as he started to improve for us and become a key player.

16.) 26 Jan 2019
26 Jan 2019 16:01:13
I’ve not seen any bashing. I’ve seen a couple of fans having a friendly grown up debate 🤔.

17.) 26 Jan 2019
26 Jan 2019 16:23:32
Lallana reminds me of Harry Kewell as in he seemed to play injury free more when he was younger but as he got older seemed to suffer from lots of niggles keeping him
Out for ages. And when he got back he wasn't the same player. Who can forget the CL final in 2005 for example.

18.) 26 Jan 2019
26 Jan 2019 16:39:12
I see your point looking at those figures JK, but I'd be willing to bet that most of those shots came from outside the box. As long as we're scoring goals, it doesn't massively bother me if the holding pair aren't creating or scoring many. Their defensive work gives the rest of the midfield and both wing backs the license to join Salah in the final third. Robbo and Trent have plenty of assists. If they say back to let our midfielders go further forward, we'd lose their assists and struggle for width. Gini with 28 shots though, you could argue he should have 1 or 2 more and Naby should definitely have a goal or 2. It's not a major concern though.

19.) 26 Jan 2019
26 Jan 2019 18:00:30
Very true MK, and I suppose the main stat is we are currently top of the league. As long as it stays that way when the season finishes then that’s all that counts. I’d love one of the midfielders to pop up with a goal or two though. Especially in the bigs games against the likes of City or Chelsea etc when we unfortunately haven’t got the 3 points.