12 Apr 2024 10:36:44
Last night had been coming. I think you've got to go back to mid Feb and the back to back 4-1 wins over Luton and Brentford to find a match where we looked really convincing. Since then we've been limping along, still winning most of our matches but scraping through unconvincingly in my opinion. A bit fortunate to get past Brighton 2-1 at home. Really unimpressive and leaving it late against Sheff Utd (worst team in the league) at home. Scraping a point with a late equaliser against an absymal Manchester Utd.

If last night doesn't act as the reset to ignite a change for the rest of the season, I think it will be over pretty soon. Fortunately, our next match is arguably the "easiest" of our remaining seven league matches so provides an opportunity to change course and start a charge. If we don't turn up and win with a convincing performance on Sunday against Palace, sadly I think it will be the beginning of the end.

Klopp faces some tricky decisions now. Many players have dropped away at the same time. Gomez is looking more like the old Gomez who always made me nervous. Endo has had a couple of consecutive shockers. Szoboszlai looks a million miles from the player we saw at the start of the season. Salah has been largely anonymous for the last three matches. Critical individual errors are creeping in (Quansah, Kelleher and Szoboszlai all leading to goals in the last two matches) . So the fact we have players returning from injury is timely. However, not many players can come straight back in and be sharp and at their best straight away. Jones last night didn't look sharp and that's fair after a long break. Trent has historically needed several matches to get up and running. We don't have that luxury. Jota actually looked pretty sharp when he came on and he is the one who I think can make an impact straight away. And the other small positive from last night was that Gakpo was looking better again.

1.) 12 Apr 2024
12 Apr 2024 11:00:46
I thought Jota looked really sloppy when he came on to be honest.
I think the injury crisis has finally caught up with us though, too many look either knackered from playing too much and not being rotated or slow because they are coming back from injury.
Hopefully we discover a bit of form in the next one and the blip is short lived.

2.) 12 Apr 2024
12 Apr 2024 11:07:41
What a low point last nights game was. You can’t even single out one player as they all were collectively bad, maybe besides Gakpo who was okay at best. In regards to Klopp. He has been making some bizarre decisions of late. I and a number of other said before on here that going strong in a dead rubber against Sparta when we had United a few days later was baffling from Klopp. But it’s even more baffling now that in a quarter final tie he has fielded a weakened side. I mean, I would love to know his thought process behind that. Because to me it stinks of either incompetence or arrogance. I’m going with the latter, in that Klopp thought we had won the game before it had been played. Which amongst other things explains our poor and quite frankly inexplicable first half performances for most of this season.

That mentality starts from the manager and filters through to the players. But the players have to also take responsibility, because there is a thing called pride and ownership, which has been lacking of late. What also looked worrying from last night was the fact Klopp appeared lost on the side lines and completely out of any ideas on how to turn the game around. We were out smarted tactically, which is not the first time us saying that this season. And those second half late winners that have been masking a lot, weren’t there to save us. Again, whilst many were shouting “mentality monsters” after those late winning performances this season. Many of us were saying that playing poorly and relying on individual moments to save us was not sustainable and the results don’t really tell the full picture.

Another thing I have noticed and could be wrong is how the players appear. Since Klopp announced he was leaving there has been a shift in energy from the players and it’s seemingly noticeable. I keep hearing we are just exhausted and using that as an excuse. What about Arsenal and City? Have they not played just as many games? The players look disinterested and unmotivated is what it is, and that is really concerning. It can’t be coincidence it coincided with Klopp announcing he is leaving a few months back. Late second half winners masked it but it has been evident. It’s almost like Klopp doesn’t hold that fear factor anymore. When you’re in a job and you’re either leaving or you know the manager is going. Naturally you lose some drive. But the number of players that appear to have done that and the level in which it appears to have happened is alarming. Some of the players are probably thinking - I worked so hard and have the trust of this manager and now he is upping sticks and leaving and I have to win the trust of a new manager who might ship me out as soon as he arrives.

Don’t know what the right answer is in when Klopp should have announced his departure. Maybe should have gone last summer instead of announcing in January of all times. However, even prior to his announcement we hadn’t been playing well. But the announcement completely messed up any type of momentum we did or could have had in the title run in. Dare I say it, but it’s almost like some of the players ain’t really listening to him anymore and that’s a major component of Klopp’s success. Now, is it so us to go to Atalanta and out of nowhere beat them 4-0. The answer would be yes. But is it so us to do that then get beaten a few days later in the league against Fulham. The answer would also be yes. So sad to see us finishing this season like this and if we only win the Carabao Cup, this season has been a disaster!

3.) 12 Apr 2024
12 Apr 2024 11:14:14
I thought Jota looked sharp last night.

He misplaced one sloppy pass into touch but he was one of few who seemed to have energy.

4.) 12 Apr 2024
12 Apr 2024 11:20:12
I personally don't get this 'players looked knackered' remark. Yes, they have layed a lot football, but so have all the other top teams in Europe. We also have probably one of, if not the, strongest squads in terms of depth. Players have been rotated and rested throughout the season as well. Performances last night can't be put down to tiredness when most of the team haven't been regular starters.
It was just shambolic, probably the worst performance I have seen in a very long time. How tsimikas is still an LFC player I don't know. The first few minutes he was in acres of space and put a cross in that sailed over everyone and went out for a goal kick. I knew then it was going to be a long night!

{Ed001's Note - that moment set the tone of the night for me.}

5.) 12 Apr 2024
12 Apr 2024 11:33:58
I don't think this season will be a disaster no matter what happens. Champions league football is all bug secured, we won a cup and we brought some talented players into the club and promoted some very important youth players. It would not be a fairytale ending but still a good season in my eyes from where we were last season.

That said, these Liverpool players and coaching staff only no one way. The hard way. We're not done yet.

Like a wise genius posted on the match posts

"Warriiiooors, come out to play"

6.) 12 Apr 2024
12 Apr 2024 11:35:16
I do wonder whether the last 5/ 6 fixtures being very tactical clashes have also contributed to the loss of form.

The games against City, Brighton, United x2 and now Atalanta have been against teams where we have had to adjust the way we play.

Have we overthinked (is that a word? ) our way out of form?

7.) 12 Apr 2024
12 Apr 2024 11:50:18
It was a very bad night no denying that but it doesn’t happen often so let’s not forget how far Klopp has brought us
Up the pool.

8.) 12 Apr 2024
12 Apr 2024 12:09:08
@Coulred. Two things can be true. He will go down as a legend regardless. There is no two ways about it. But, Klopp has made a lot of blunders this season and is not above criticism. Again, the players have to take responsibility in that as well, not just Klopp. Despite all that that we still have time to turn it around by beating Atalanta in the second tie and winning the league.

One things for sure is that we cannot let the season fizzle out on a whimper with just the Carabao Cup. Many laughed at United for having a similar season not long ago and it could happen to us. Despite Klopp annoying me a lot of late with a number of bizarre decisions, he still deserves the best send off possible for all he has done for us. And winning the league and Europa would be the perfect way to do that.

9.) 12 Apr 2024
12 Apr 2024 12:51:19
These lot get a new manager they are in for a shock, kostas and gomez straight out the door for me, had enough of Joe he's bang average. Reminds me of Phil jones. Gravenberch was a bad signing. And give Trent the captaincy or even salah but not virg.

10.) 12 Apr 2024
12 Apr 2024 14:19:40
That was as bad as it could get this season on a collective level. As Ed said, Tsimikas’s wayward play set the tone from the off. Individual mistakes all over the shop, poor decision making, etc. You name it, it was on show. For me, no point singling out this or that player. It was what the French call, a “Collective Wreckage” from top to bottom. I’ve already moved on.