Last thing I'll add is this; the goal Sesko scored in the first half pretty clear briefly comes off his hand, and shouldn't have counted imo. But honestly who cares at this point in the season. Just finish top 5 and be done with this.

AG@RICE said:

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Lots of poor performances today. There was a moment where I was worried about a 7-0 revenge game...

Unfortunately, united didn't beat themselves, because we sure were not going to do it.

Tough luck having no attackers, but I can't understand why Rio only got 15 minutes.

Slot ball continues to be uninspiring, boring and ineffective.

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Agree with this. Got home and did a quick rewatch. As we have said, this whole thing needs a reset. This game was a rinse and repeat of everything wrong with this team. Besides the injuries, just old and slow looking almost everywhere. Attackers missing or not, the D and midfield was shambolic again. Why didn't Rio start...again? He got 15 minutes and we had more attacking from him than everyone else combined.

First time in 10 yrs lost both games to Man U. Amazing what Carrick has done...and thoroughly better than us sadly. Just hold on to 5th and end this season. I'll say this for the 100th time, this isn't all on Slot but him staying is not the answer imo.

The only reason I can come up with for why you wouldn't fire him is the chance that when we was hired, he sat down with FSG and the Liverpool front office and they developed a legitimate 2-3 year plan to change this team, and knew there would be real ups and down while doing it. It just so happens we've experienced about as up and down as you can get. And they believe that another offseason will transform the team more into whatever that vision is.

Frimpong is a good example imo. The guys makes absolutely no freaking sense playing in a back four, and not much more sense playing as a forward. So maybe their 2-3 year plan for him was to go to a back 3 and use him as a true wingback. I have no idea if that thought process is true or not, just offering the idea, because I've got nothing else really. Frimpong was a horrible purchase in basically every other scenario.

We are so bad lol

We're like a slow Mac Truck hurdling towards an end. We have no pace or speed and it's so freaking obvious in games like this. Our decision making is also numbingly slow.

Some boos at half after audible groans during that half. It's just a complete mess, looks like we are playing against 13. Once again can't get or keep the ball. If we got the ball we we straight back. Frimpong got a deep ball in their box and 4 seconds later we had passed it back to Mama. Chelsea went to a high press and we were toast.

I hope fans understand why we're seeing what we're seeing. A lot of fans have been saying "why aren't we pressing more" or being more aggressive? Well in games like this, with what we have at our disposal, we'd be down 5 or 6-0 if we high pressed. We have no athletes in this team right now, and if they break the first wave they'd put goals in our net faster than you can blink.

Defensively we're so disjointed between CBs, wingbacks and midfielders it'll make your head spin. Because of this I think Slot is thinking "well I'd rather just let them have the ball in front of us because we can't least defend that" and we still can't. I hate it as much as anyone, and I expect changes to be made at half formationally and tactically.

Gosh the defense is so bad.

Pathetic

I don't understand what Curtis and Frimpong are doing at all, whatsoever.

Lucky. We are just getting run through with ease. Everyt other team has done that to Chelsea. And completely screw up a counter.

Get jones off the field or move him into midfield. Hes so bad.

Rio the only player worth being on the field

How are you offside Gakpo?

Premier league needs to do something about "boxing" out players from the ball. It's a real problem.

Crowd isn't going to like that move but I think as this one gets to crunch time you're going to want some more height and aerial ability.

Slot has completely lost Anfield. Isak in for Rio instead of Gakpo and boos and chants for Rio break out.

I get this one though honestly. We're in get a result mode and having a guy out there to defend set pieces etc. is valuable right now.

Hope you are right, but Rio is the only player/attacker doing anything or pushing forward and causing havoc. Isak and Gakpo are just statues.

Completely fair. Again I hate what we look like but we're in a get this thing over the line mode.

Or you take both Rio and Gakpo off lol

Yeah, now it makes no sense. Although Gakpo has been awful.

Rugby in the box again

And now the game is just going to be foul on foul on foul.

The beautiful game is gone. What's happening in the boxes in every game is a freaking shame and disgusting.

Team is just dead and standing around now. Anfield not happy.

Forgot Isak was in the game. Sure glad we pulled Rio

I don't think Anfield understands how many games we've blown this year and how fragile this team is hahah. On top of that they're spent. We all want them to go for it, of course, but at the cost of losing the game which we've seen them do a dozen times this year, no thank you.

I just get the feeling that Anfield and most of the fans still expect Klopp ball and we're not equipped to play Klopp ball in any way shape or form. Again just get this thing over the freaking line and move on (from Slot hopefully).

Definitely didn't even consider waking up early for this game. I spent a good chunk of the replay simply fast forwarding. The team is absolute crap. So much standing, very few forward passes, no chemistry...its just awful to watch. We played like 6 midfielders and still felt undermanned in the middle of the park.

There were a few games where Arne really felt like his job was on the line and he managed with a much more emotion...today he (and the team) were just standing around. I can't pick out a single good performer.

I'm certainly not waking up for any early games the rest of the year. I used to set alarm clocks on saturday mornings just to watch Jurgen's team. Now I won't even consider turning on the TV even if I happen to wake up at 6:30am to pee...time is better spent in bed.

Sorry for the TLDR post/rant...it was more therapy for myself LOL!

Forget Klopp, Anfield and all fans just want see some progress, movement, energy/effort, and not look like junk at home against a reeling squad (that just got obliterated by NF's second string) for the umpteenth time. The booing was a culmination of a year's worth of awful, passionless football with a whopping 11 losses so far in the PL.

I mean they scored early and instead of taking that energy and momentum they just completely parked the bus (again) and get completely carved up, have another awful defensive lapse and it's immediately tied. Regardless of the injuries and terrible roster, there is no intent to attack, no build up, no movement, creativity, energy, or purpose. What are they trying to do? What's the plan? It's constantly side to side, go back and then lose the ball. Then Slot subs Rio, the one bright spot of the whole year (who hardly plays) and this game in particular. Than that was the final straw. Slot said he did it based on fitness, but he has lost all benefit of doubt and rightfully so. In extra time Mama couldn't even get an outlet pass going because all the players were done and just stood there. Twice!!

I do think there is a massive rebuild that fans are struggling with though. It's hard to cope with what was, but winning a title last year to this is too much, and understandably so. The regression of players (father time related or not) and play is just not acceptable.

This club has made some massive mistakes recently, but step one is changing managers. Slot has to go at this point. He simply can't come back next year (although he will most likely). He has lost the fanbase, I think a majority of the locker room, and is not capable of leading this club going forward for many reasons imo.

Not sure how they recover from their massive signing mistakes last year though. Frimpong ....why even sign him? What an awful fit. Kerkez? Meh at absolute best so far. Wirtz? Incredible player, but a massive disappointment this year minus a couple moments of brilliance. Slot has no idea how to unlock him. Isak, an absolute $$ killer and complete waste. May go down of one of the worst signings ever on an injury prone player. Going to cripple this club in actually getting the multiple quantity players we need. I get it's only year one, but there is zero improvement here on any of these guys throughout the year (besides the one good signing in Ekitike...and he fell back down to earth as well, along with some signs of laziness). Do they need a new coach/system or a different league or team? Don't know.

We obviously need a ton of signings too. Who and how? Players like Olise are in general not going to come here even if the financial realities allowed it. They aren't coming to this mess or probably even a new coach. And it looks like a ton of players could/will be leaving. Mac, Jones, Alisson, Robbo, Salah, Chiesa and others are leaving or could leave.

Anyways, we could all go on and on, but there are big, worrying future concerns here. Salah's latest interview hints at the standards dropping and other behind the scenes issues and why he wanted to leave (I get that it's best for all parties, but there seem to be red flags everywhere).

We will see, but there may be some lean times ahead. But at least take step one, fire the mgr that is completely lost instead of having to do it next year and delay the start of a path forward.

So much spot on here. ALSO, Burnley did us a huge favor in drawing with Aston Villa.

The lack of any progress made by this team this year is the most frustrating aspect imo outside of the absolutely piss poor recruitment by Hughes and Edwards. The Isak debacle is going to set us back and the Frimpong signing is one of the dumbest you'll ever see if they don't go to a back three next year. I am going to hold out on Wirtz and Kerkez. I think they are both very very talented dudes who just haven't fit in with this team this year.

But the lack progress made from this group is incredibly infuriating. Every time they've taken a step or two forward they've taken two or three steps backwards. Sometimes I think it's been Slot not getting the team and tactics right; sometimes I think the players have been as flat as you can possibly be; and sometimes I think it's because we just don't have the players or caliber of players available anyone.

I too would love to see Slot gone because I think it's gotten toxic to a point of a detriment to the team, even if I don't think it's all his fault. Truth is you can can a manager and some coaches. You cannot get rid of and replace eight players as easily.

Honestly though I think my biggest concern as we move into the summer is just how much this team needs to be turned over. As you said, I think fans are struggling with the idea of a rebuild. Some of which is caused by winning a title last year and some of which is caused by Liverpool FC. It's sort of frustrating at times honestly because it comes across to me as a serious level of entitlement, but I also get that they use to a level of success and dominance that is hard to find in the United States.

But as you stated this team is going to need at minimum another 5 or so real deal first team players, and imo first team players that can run and get up and down the field. And that to me seems like a TALL, TALL task unless FSG just say F-it here's the black card go get what we need.

Last thing I'll add is this; I also question Slot's leadership abilities and it's one reason I'd fire him, but where the heck is the player leadership? The lack of any player leadership is SERIOUSLY concerning and another reason we need turnover. Where is the player leadership committee in all of this? At the professional level you have player leadership that is equally as important as anything and I think we have NONE.

I haven't lost complete faith yet, as I do believe Slot and Co. are aware of how awful we've been this year. But if they don't do anything but small tweaks and changes this summer instead of major changes (like the manager or brining an entire new wave of player) then I'm completely out.

The premier is league is so gross. They should be ashamed.

Monday Morning Musings

Fair Warning: This is just gonna be a word vomit

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Drawing this iteration of Chelsea is disappointing. I would say infuriating but this season has really diminished my fire for Liverpool FC. Don't get me wrong, I still love LFC and I will support them until the day I die, but the lackadaisical performances on the pitch as of late have been really uninspiring. For the better part of the last 8 or 9 years, I have seen every minute that Liverpool Football Club have played. Like many on this forum, I would set alarms on Saturdays for the inevitable early Saturday kickoff we always seemed to get and I would plan my workday around when we played in the Champions League. When we won, I would be in a great mood and conversely would be in a sour mood the rest of the day when we didn't. This season, I have noticed a change where my mood is largely unaffected by results. I just think "meh, here we go again" and I go do other things. And I think that is reflected by Anfield's response from the weekend. There was no passion, no fire, no desire. The people of Liverpool are tenacious and dependable blue-collar type people. They work hard to put food on the table and roofs over their heads. At Liverpool, more than any club I know, you have to connect with the fans. Their connection to the club is at very deep, personal level. If you've ever been to Liverpool, you know that town absolutely breathes football and Liverpool FC (with the occasional weird stepchild of Everton every now & then). But that passion is something that Klopp, Milner, Henderson, Salah, Firmino, and co. understood very well. The fans want to see a reflection of themselves on the pitch. Wijnaldum's relentless pursuit of the ball, Salah's tireless work rate in attack, Firmino's consistent willingness to sacrifice himself for the team, Robbo's unwavering engine. These are the traits that get the Kop going (winning also helps). We had that last season. Driving and pushing forward to get a positive result, no matter the odds. What is the most disappointing to me is the drop off. These players did not forget how to play football over night. Did their passion and drive dry up though? Without a charismatic manager to help them out of a tough time, have they lost the ability to dig deep and fight for more?

I am on the "Slot Out" train, but, sadly, it does not look like that train is leaving the station this summer. Slot was a master last season of doing minor tweaks (especially at halftime) to get the best out of the players. But this season, now that he has had to develop much bigger picture type things, he looks out of his depth. Without TAA's line breaking passes and Salah's corresponding form dropping off a cliff (yes, I think the two are related), we have not been able to get the most out of the team. We are lost without those two. Wirtz is a world class player, but Slot cannot figure out how to use him. Gravenberch was untouchable last season, but has become a shadow of his former self (along with his midfield partner Macca) this season. Szoboszlai has undoubtedly been our best player this season and our only real consistent attacking threat, yet he has played half the season at RB. Rio, the only other bright spot, has sparingly seen the pitch. As many have pointed out, this team needs more willing runners and passionate playmakers. If we want to be a high pressing team, we need more athletes across the front line besides just Szoboszlai. Rio needs to be taught how to do that bc he has every tool needed to be a successful in attack.

And Tksymm7 hit the nail on the head on one of the other things lacking from this season's team. And that is leadership on the pitch. As much as Slot is at fault for the aforementioned points, he isn't the one on the pitch and, at some point, the players have to hold each other accountable. I'll reiterate what ithers have said and draw attention to the red flag that Salah has ben waving. He has largely been the one to set the standard. Being the first one at the gym and the last one to leave Kirkby. That extra work ethic is what made Liverpool great and it seems those standards might leave once Salah is gone and that should be a huge concern. Henderson and Milner were the perfect captain and vice-captain as no one could outwork them. They may not have been the most talented or gifted, but you definitely were not outrunning or outworking them. They were vocal in their leadership and made sure the little things were done. Something that the manager cannot do for the team, it has to come from the players.

This is another big summer for Liverpool. With FFP rules going out the door and SCR coming in, all the financial advantages we had were going to be thrown out the door which is why I think you saw the big purse that Liverpool wielded last season. With SCR, it is more of a season-to-season basis and the "savings" from previous windows don't really carry over. So it's a new financial landscape. We will see how Liverpool approach this.

Well said. We are all feeling/seeing the same thing really. Disheartening and worrisome for sure.

Xabi Alonso to Chelsea?

Tsimikas to replace Robbo as backup for Kerkez?

Becker wants to go to Juventus and we let Kelleher go last year?

Will see what happens of course, but woof so far.

Idk what to believe anymore with anything. So many of these rumors and reports have my jaw on the floor lol.