Flasher

I mentioned that yesterday I think. It's mad that managers don't even try this during a game to beat a low block. John Barnes was right all along.

The reality is Ekitike was excellent in the games before that, he wasn't carry us, but he was close to it. Of you remember the games where he started then was subbed off, we looked to poor after he was substituted. Ekitike really works the oppositions defence, has them battling and chasing all over the place, nobody else is doing that now Diaz is gone and Dom finds himself at right back. Dom tried against Utd, but he was all alone. Our best players so far this season are Dom and Ekitike, build an 11 around them for now.

Had some sort of eureka moment with Dembele and signed Kvaratskhelia. Our moment of reckoning involves starting Isak, Wirtz and Ekitike i think, with Gakpo or Salah missing out. Gakpo was OK yesterday though, he was a threat at least.

Generally speaking, games are won and lost in midfield over the course of a season (IMO). The team with best midfield wins the league in my eyes. Our midfield is constantly getting bullied, it's easy to play against us again. Although we started with last seasons midfield again, the shape is different. I prefer the double pivot when both Grav and Macca stay deeper.

Has his favourites, and doesn't trust a lot of players. Klopp had more faith in more players. Ekitike suspended himself. Slot dropped him despite being in great form.

Something that annoys me, with all managers not just Slot, is against a low block, when nothing is working, they STILL play inverted wingers. Frimpong's cameo highlighted how getting round the outside is the way to go in that situation. Think even Chiesa's assist was him wide left using his left foot to cross. Try Salah left, even if only for 15 minutes and see what happens.

It's not mad on paper, but essentially it's a completely new front 4 from last season which is the mad bit.

We're soft. We don't get in the refs ear when we're wronged and we don't do cynical fouls. We're a push over. Virg has always been laid back, and it runs through the team.

He's a great player. Think he's caught everyone by surprise as to just how good he actually is. Has to start.

Though he did do more in 10 mins than Salah did in 80. Created a sitter for Gakpo

3 biggest differences I can see are missing Diaz energy, workrate and pace, Trent's distribution and our midfield is a different shape. Grav or Macca or both seem to be playing much higher.

Gakpo header and Isak through on goal first half, both relatively easy chances, both should have been scored.

Don't think so, and let's be honest, they are s***e.

We're really bad. So soft in everything we do.

Out thought, out fought. We've no midfield again. We're s***.

Shaw normally has Salah in his pocket, lets see today. They'll double up against him so going to be tough for Mo.

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Watch the 7-0 again. Before Gakpo's goal they looked better. They completely melted 2nd half. What a day that was.

Yeah, that’s it in a nutshell. It got overally complicated very quickly, when in reality we just needed to be normal and we would have won.

I think Slot lost the plot a bit to be honest. His first real stinker.

I posted it in the Kerkez thread, but the more I think of it the more I think it's mad. The team we finished with vs Chelsea vs the team we could have finished with. Chelsea looked so much stronger at the end, and I don't think it was necessary. Assuming we subbed 5 players, what we had vs. what we could have had (gakpo looked goosed to me so would have taken him off). Feels like Slot lost his way here in terms of the 11 on the pitch and positions they were in.. Finished with Mama Dom, Grav, Virg, Robbo Jones, Endo, Wirtz Mo, Hugo, Gakpo Could have been Mama Firmpong Gomez Virg Kerkez Dom Grav Wirtz Mo, Hugo, Chiesa I know which of those 11s I'd rather have seen finish the game. Everyone in their correct position and a much stronger midfield to compete with Enzo, Caicedo and Lavia.

The 11 we finished with on Sat and the positions they were playing was mental. A midfield of Wirtz, Jones and Endo isn't stopping anybody. Meanwhile Chelsea had Enzo, Lavia and Caicedo bossing us. All unnecessary as well. Once Connor got booked and Konate got injured and with Gakpo struggling, we should have finished the game like this, and won. Mama Frimpong, Gomez, Virg, Kerkez Grav, Wirtz, Dom Mo, Hugo, Chiesa Assuming Isak couldn't go on.

I know he got injured, but the lack of game time for Frimpong is weird. Slot seems to have pulled back on how many newbies he has in the starting 11 (understandably). Not sure Dom at RB was the plan at start of season though, given we have Connor, Frimpong and Gomez that can all play there comfortably..

I'm talking about the role he played (Hendo) which protected Trent an awful lot. Nobody is doing that currently. Exactly

He's exposed by Konate and Salah currently, whilst Grav is often further forward than he used to be last season, and not covering the right like Henderson used to back in the day.