Rory Fitzgerald

What's the first 15 minutes looking like ? 7:2 demands a big response The boss has had 2 weeks to think about it He has limited time to tell the players what he wants Its Everton, so not just another game The first 15 minutes and how we start might tell us the message that the players have carried on to the pitch. What has Klopp told them ? Dominate from the start - Be aggressive, move the ball very fast and defence pushes right up to support the front players in that aggressive press. Attack from wide - Let the full backs make their own decisions on attacking but hold at least 2 midfielders at home Don't take chances - kick it long rather than play to Adrian and then push up and see if Everton can play out Feel our way into the game - Keep giving Thiago the ball and let him move it around the park, if we dont get anywhere, keep possession and get the ball back to him and see how Everton are approaching the game A surprise - Klopp starts 1 or 2 players from Milner/Origi/Jota/Jones/Shaqiri or uses a different formation/set-up and we do something a bit unusual that has us all talking after the game - like Leicester at home last season when Mane went left, Firmino right and Salah through the middle I just wonder what message the players are carrying on to the pitch because of all that has gone before it.

Are you trying to gently break some inside information that Van Dijk isnt fit !

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Christ, there is alot of words in that article Macca. Thanks for sharing though. I remember Atkinson being the ref in something like 2006 or 2007 for a game that got called off versus Arsenal at home due to fog/mist. The players started firing balls at him from a distance when he was being interviewed on SkySports. I never thought that was a good idea but doesn't seem to have impacted his refereeing of Liverpool around that time according to that article. I forgot he was the ref that didnt give Keita the penalty at Anfield when we drew 1-1 against Leicester. I dont particularly agree with the strong opinion about the foul on Origi at Old Trafford or the Brighton free kick being taken too quickly, I thought both of them 50/50 calls that you might or might not get. Otherwise, sounds like a tremendous amount of digging to the get the stats in general for Atkinson. I might pay more attention to him now and the fouls he gives - or doesnt give.

Klopp is 53 and has a contract to 2024. I think he'll leave around then (maybe extend to 2026 but leave around 2024). If there is big money all around - Real Madrid will be there in 2025 when Mbappe is 26 but Klopp's uniqueness maybe taking a break. We're a strong European team with a top manager. If the cash is there, we're a good draw.

I've no idea either mate, only put it up as we work on throw-ins and the throw-in had an impact on the 1st goal. Given Robbo's stronger foot, and body shape at the time of the "pointing" - Virg seems ok for him to play a right footed (less controlled/accurate ?) ball forward whereas Gomez is pointing for a left footed (more controlled ?) ball to the keeper. I think a right footed ball to Gomez/Trent is 'out'. I dont know the right answer, Keita turns with that ball and plays it to Trent and its a quick "out", or Adrian shifts it out of his feet and clips it to Trent and we're "out" - maybe Trent is crossing it then and we're scoring and the throw-in looks genius. But after the decision not to throw up the line, the decision of Keita to shift it right back to Robertson, then he had 2 options and Van Dijk seemed to be saying "Trust your right foot more than trust either of Adrian's feet"

Funny thing is (is it ok to say funny)it was a throw in. For all the talk of throw in coaching, Robbo looked up the line and shaped up to throw it down the line. He turned in field with nothing on. Gini and Fab were almost stuck together. Keita had a chance to turn on the ball and open the pitch. The ball back to Robbo boxed him in. Some pictures here - I only pull out given its something I know the coaches pay big detail to so wondering how Robbo got boxed in on his left foot with really only 1 safe option, back to Adrian.

Probably the one whos agent has been talking to FSG the most about options next Summer. Both will be 29 with 2 years left. Negotiations of some sort will be on their agents agenda. Without having a clue how this all works, whichever one we sell, I reckon will be more down to the player/agent stance than us forcibly moving them. But I do think this one will be different to others, as in we would welcome a good offer so we can reinvest in a similar quality player but at a much younger age. Suarez was the oldest (decent) player we sold in recent times and we got him to sign a contract just 7 months before he left - given he was looking to move the Summer before, maybe that might be something similar whereby we worked with a player to smooth their exit. I don't think Torres/Coutinho/Sterling were anything similar.

4231 - Gomez, Wijnaldum, Keita, Firimino all get a "rest" for the Everton game. Adrian TAA Fabinho VVD Robbo Thiago Hendo Jota Jones Mane Salah

With the high line being linked to the front press, I wonder what will come out of the analysis and our "press" from that game. We'll see about 10mins into the Everton game if we are doing anything differently I suppose.

On top of everything, it was Aston Villa and after our best performance in ages - its completely inexplicable, or put another way, difficult to easily explain without thorough review. The inexplicable will become more explainable hopefully after a few days by the coaches of reviewing everything. I'm delighted they have 2 weeks cause they'll need it. Shame they dont have the players for the 2 weeks though.

The next 2 weeks gives the coaches an opportunity to scrutinize everything about that game, second-by-second and see how much of this was bad luck and how much of it was bad decisions by the players, or even a litany of bad decisions that can might be seen as a bad habit. 2 weeks gives the coaches time to understand and digest it - hopefully they can then rectify it. Some things to be thankful for - it doesn't feel like a fatal blow to a title challenge. City are still chasing us. Had we received that in another year and we fell behind City, it would feel way worse. Also, I am so glad we hit a high level against Chelsea and Arsenal. Had we not had those performances, we'd feel like this seasons performances were an extension of the post-title winning games. Lastly, the coaches have 2 weeks to absolutely pull that apart and then plug in Thiago and Henderson to enforce higher standards on the pitch. Everything about this season will be "[first defeat / first time conceded more than 2 or 3 goals / its been X games without defeat]........ since that Aston Villa game". It needs to be extensively understood what happened. Everything.

Every decision of every player, whether on the ball or off the ball, needs to be evaluated/analysed. When thats done, group them together and consider each moment so that it can be seen how the 4 defenders reacted to each moment and how the midfield helped/didnt help them in that moment etc. The first goal is Adrian's fault but does Robertson need to pass it back. How do the 2 centre backs react (Virgil peels away, Gomez doesn't, Trent was well wide on the other side), what was Gomez expecting because he didn't react to the pass, why did Adrian pass it to the side and not to feet, was there any communication. What was the right decision in that case, try and hoof it, Adrian is right footed so a sweeping left footed pass to Trent was out. It feels like there is loads for Klopp to use from this game. The 1st, 5th and 6th goals were us being sloppy in possession. There is a big 2 weeks to get into this and then bring Henderson/Thiago back in as his leaders to enforce those standards. A list of actions, in-actions, decisions, non-decisions, that are never to be repeated. Its great that we are not playing catch up against and still have points on them. Now, can this game be used as shock factor and get standards back up and keep them there.

Klopp is getting a break along with the coaching staff. I'm sure they'll want that time pour over this game. They will have time to break down every single minute of that game, and I mean that, every single minute. They can then see the patterns of problems. Whatever that may be. 1st, 5th and 6th goals were extremely cheap loss of possession in our half. 2nd, 3rd and 7th all got done on the balls behind. 4th was a set-piece with Trezeguet at the back post, something Villa and him do alot. We can work on the cheap passing and deflections are unlikely to be as unlucky again. The worrying part was the other goals and Villa left a few out there too like when Watkins got in one-on-one. Its this part I hope the coaches will be tearing apart and looking to improve performance so players come back and get grilled/drilled on cutting out those mistakes.

Villa were ready for that high line and even during the 1st half it felt like rope-a-dope. They played it very well. I don't know if there was enough pressure on the ball to stop the pass but their passes were consistently in behind us and the attackers were ready to chase them passes. Seeing so many chances conceded from the same approach from Villa, there was no learning/adaptation to the game, we kept walking onto their punches.

I'm absolutely convinced on absolutely nothing that we are tapping him up and have him coming in 2022 when he has 2 years left on his contract. I think Klopp's contract is until 2024 and I think he will stick around, maybe 1-2 years more to see a transition of the team and give the new players coming in that comfort that they are playing for him (i.e. he wont sign and then leave the next season). There is a transition needed in the next 2 years and some players have quite high values. Haaland would be a great player to get in along with Mbappe knowing that Mbappe can be sold in 2025/26 when Klopp leaves and we still get our money back.

The standard has been really high - these have been the first league games that have mattered in such a long time. The challenges were all different but we got 2 teams that have given us "games" last season and a new team that also gave us a game - a bigger Chelsea squad, a clearly evolving Arsenal team and then Leeds. Its reassuring that after such a short spell, no one is asking "Can we get that level back" and that its not a case of City smashing everyone and we've dropped points. After 3 games, the questions hang over City and we've shown we can suffocate good teams and give them scraps in a game.

Might be less ceremonial as they won’t be gathering in an auditorium you suspect (maybe)

Was just going to ask - there is no official word on his absence, is there ? But is he definitely out of Villa on Sunday ?

When I saw @Gethin post, I was thinking also if we could go that way, but instead of going Jota as he says, or Shaq/Jones as you say, I was thinking Minamino and let him and Firmino go hunting them on to press their play from the back (goes to show the variety of opinions :)). But I'd love to see a same-oulde 433 but with Thiago in there !

That Mirror piece is a joke ! They found a clip on Reddit and took 5 comments from users of which one said that Thiago's skill brings a tear to his eye. Sad that its deemed worthy to piece cobbler together enough words to give it its own URL and post to social media.

Great question from Patrick Davidson - it just needed the right question to let Brendan get into a flow about his set up. It'll be replicated at Anfield when we play them on November 21st

Rodgers gone 3 at the back and brought back in Amartey for his first start in 2 years Schmeichel Amarty Evans Soyuncu Castagne Tielemans Mendy Praet Justin Barnes Vardy

Ederson, Walker, Garcia, Ake, Mendy, Rodrigo, Fernandinho (C), De Bruyne, Mahrez, Sterling, Foden