Billy Talbot

Smokescreen for a few days rest.

Yeah, I totally agree. Also makes the failure to buy another battling midfielder all the more baffling. And the thought process of playing Elliot at RCM, especially given Trent at RB. We might have got away with it once or twice against teams that sit back, but any team that is physical enough and wants to play through that will tear that to shreds. As we've seen. Yeah do it you mother f***ers. Do it now.

Yeah, I agree. There's something not right and he's had fingers pointed at him by staff that have left, but that doesn't mean he's the root of all evils. As I said, there's problems with the medical team that look very similar to the recruitment team and that has nothing to do with Lijnders... Employing plenty of expertise, which is what Klopp says is the root of his success is pointless if there's a culture at the club where expertise is ignored.

Yeah, the midfield thing is utterly unfathomable. It's obvious that we need and have needed specific reinforcement there and yet window after window, it's not been addressed, despite a series of suitable players being seriously linked. Someone isn't doing their job correctly or there's no-one doing the job. Klopp must know that we need players there despite his public proclamations and if Lijnders has managed to scupper recruitment there then that's a systemic failure.

Beyond Lijnders being cited as a big reason why Edwards and Ward have left we don't know that committee works, who is "in charge" and if Klopp has anything to do with how that structure was built or operated. But yeah, when push comes to shove Lijnders is Klopp's assistant, so the buck stops with him, but beyond firing and replacing him, who knows? And Lijnders doesn't have much to do with the medical team (?) which seems to be having the same problems.

It's not really a matter of if he agrees with him or not though is it? Lijnders is clearly allowed some say in transfers and that's part of Lijnders' job, as it is for everyone involved in the "committee". That he's managed to alienate some of the other actors in that isn't really Klopp's to deal with. That's structural. Clearly the coaching team are viewed by the recruitment stats guys as having too much power within that structure. Maybe a better the devil you know situation.

indeed. He doesn't run the football club. There's not really a lot he can do is there? Fire his assistant? Then what?

Does all seem a bit odd. You would think that organising a sports company would be something that they're actually good at.

I’ve heard pretty directly from both Edwards and Ward (through people I know that know them both) that lijnders is a major reason why they’ve quit. They both have fallen out with him, transfers being a particular area of disagreement. Got his head up his own a***. it’s not just lijnders though, we have the same sort of problem in the medical team, not being bake to recruit and retain because the stats guys and experts aren’t being listened to. It’s a lack of leadership from the board and the club execs. Stuff not getting done and people overstepping their remits. People quitting and leaving.

**** them. **** them all. That was f***ing ****. I can't remember saying that and it was kind of liberating. That was ****ing ****. Back to front and start to finish. The ref(s) were also ****s for a massive change.

If the ref sees that hit mee’s hand, he gives handball. the implementation of VAR is a f***ing joke.

I dunno. My money is them losing twice to city and then wondering why when they were going so well they’re not ahead, whilst running into a wall of much harder fixtures.

They've played 16 games, only played 4 games vs top 6 sides, played us and Spurs at home and haven't played Man City at all.

Yeah, I would too. But that would be us, not them ;) Their fixtures have been really kind so far. Their payback starts in mid-Jan with Spurs away followed by the mancs. They've got a soft March but other than that their fixtures don't really relent. 9/10 of their last games are all vs teams either right in the relegation fight or against us, Chelsea, Man city, who they've still yet to play. All three of those are away games. I watched the one where we had a stonewall pen not given and they won with one of the softest you'll ever see. I'm not saying they don't deserve to be where they are BTW, they do, but they've had some generous slices of good luck and a kind fixture list, so they should be right up there. I think it's fair to expect some luck to even out and the fixture list definitely will.

Arsenal have barely played any hard fixtures. https://www.arsenal.com/results-and-fixtures-list Their hardest has been us at the Emirates, which they could have easily lost. They lost away at Old Trafford in their other stiffest fixture. Won away at underperforming Chelsea and won their home North London Derby. Most of their numbers are padded out by beating the likes of Brentford and Forest. Which we didn't do TBF, but its not like they're pulling up trees.

Proper %@#t.

Who said that they were upset by it? :) I do think it's a bit odd (like a lot of stuff is tbh, it's just a matter of degree) to host the WC in a country where a lot of people pray at certain times and then time the KO's meaning empty seats. It's not a good look and It just doesn't make any sense to me. And tbh, it's a very minor issue in comparison to the rest of the criticisms that have been levelled. And thinking that is certainly not ****ing racist.

Eh yerself.

Certainly a lot of hidden racist strawmen.

Yeah, I get that. So it’s a bit of an either or isn’t it? either do the prayers or watch the footy. In which case, why so keen to host the world cup?

Yeah, and it's **** and because those people have apparently got better things to do other than watch the football. It's ignored because it's become a necessary evil. The idea that because of that, it's perfectly normal to slope off for a quick pray whilst at the match is utterly ludicrous. Yeah, it's okay to slope off and do whatever you like, but doing that AND making you're dead into the football at the same time. Nah.

Me too. Probably cos I put Aromat on everything when cooking. At least I don't leave it on the table like a condiment.

Ah, whatever, I'm not that arsed. If people want to pray, that's up to them. Just don't do it during the match and make out they're massive football fans at the same time. Oooooh, come round to my house to watch the footy... oh by the way...