ECHO Comment: "Fears of Witch-hunt Against Liverpool FC" part 3

[catcherintherye]

Again, we are in lots of agreement in terms of last season and the lack of sympathy, specifically for Klopp. But, last season did conclude as farcical as it was and arguably this one is the same. Reality is it did go ahead and so is this season and the changes are needed to accommodate that - my point isn't specific to them, or Klopp's whining, but the inevitable car crash that is on the way

Yes I mean we can agree it is ony going to get worse. A lot of Liverpool fans seem to think they will magically only get better while everyone else follows their pattern. I mean it could happen. My suspicion is, for sides who already have more "miles in the legs" with European games and who are having to go heavier at this point will just get worse. It's really not a good season to be coming back into half fit or recovering from an injury.

I think you see this with Thiago as well. A small injury but still out. At his age, he probably needs 3-4 weeks worth of being eased into a single game per week to slowly get his match sharpness or he will risk breaking down again. He's also probably a player, at 29, who needed a full 6-8 week pre-season, alongside a few week break at the end of the last and then maybe even a season to acclimatise. I remember saying at the start of the season, he's a great player, but they can probably only get away with him in the 10. He's playing him as an all pressing 6 and he hasn't got the body to do it now.

City and Liverpool top the injury league and I'm not surprised. They have ageing squads, lots of guys getting towards 30. It's just too intense, especially with the systems both managers want to play. So I see it getting worse for both to be honest.

We have a similar issue with James, but at least we can give him an entire week off between games. But you can see, he gets to 60 minutes most weeks and is done. And he is a world class player, who in honesty isn't being relied upon for physical effort to get through games. He just floats around as a luxury player. Most of our other players yesterday were early to mid 20's. You couldn't play James how he played latterly at Madrid/Bayern in an 8. He'd just be over run.

As a final aside, I do think Klopp and Pep are suffering from the end of a process for them both. They have flogged their teams to death, not moved enoygh on and brought enough young blood in and this is the consequence. It's absoutely wide open this season.

 

[number4.]

Yes I mean we can agree it is ony going to get worse. A lot of Liverpool fans seem to think they will magically only get better while everyone else follows their pattern. I mean it could happen. My suspicion is, for sides who already have more "miles in the legs" with European games and who are having to go heavier at this point will just get worse. It's really not a good season to be coming back into half fit or recovering from an injury.

I think you see this with Thiago as well. A small injury but still out. At his age, he probably needs 3-4 weeks worth of being eased into a single game per week to slowly get his match sharpness or he will risk breaking down again. He's also probably a player, at 29, who needed a full 6-8 week pre-season, alongside a few week break at the end of the last and then maybe even a season to acclimatise. I remember saying at the start of the season, he's a great player, but they can probably only get away with him in the 10. He's playing him as an all pressing 6 and he hasn't got the body to do it now.

City and Liverpool top the injury league and I'm not surprised. They have ageing squads, lots of guys getting towards 30. It's just too intense, especially with the systems both managers want to play. So I see it getting worse for both to be honest.

We have a similar issue with James, but at least we can give him an entire week off between games. But you can see, he gets to 60 minutes most weeks and is done. And he is a world class player, who in honesty isn't being relied upon for physical effort to get through games. He just floats around as a luxury player. Most of our other players yesterday were early to mid 20's. You couldn't play James how he played latterly at Madrid/Bayern in an 8. He'd just be over run.

As a final aside, I do think Klopp and Pep are suffering from the end of a process for them both. They have flogged their teams to death, not moved enoygh on and brought enough young blood in and this is the consequence. It's absoutely wide open this season.

a lot of accurate points there and not a lot to disagree with; there is definitely a problem for Klopp and Pep with ageing squads & the challanges that come with it. But I argue it's probably not going to blow it wide open this season but rather the other way. Injuries will catch up with all and I think the gap between the big squads and the rest with two games a week for everyone will be huge.

 

[catcherintherye]

a lot of accurate points there and not a lot to disagree with; there is definitely a problem for Klopp and Pep with ageing squads & the challanges that come with it. But I argue it's probably not going to blow it wide open this season but rather the other way. Injuries will catch up with all and I think the gap between the big squads and the rest with two games a week for everyone will be huge.

There is no doubt that the coming period will be challenging. But you really don't want to be going into that period, with a threadbare squad. Every squad will suffer further injuries, but Liverpool are 3-4 away from having to play teenagers now. If Klopp doesn't radically re-think thats where it will end up.

The other point is, them refusing to use substitutes has been really dumb.

 

[number4.]

There is no doubt that the coming period will be challenging. But you really don't want to be going into that period, with a threadbare squad. Every squad will suffer further injuries, but Liverpool are 3-4 away from having to play teenagers now. If Klopp doesn't radically re-think thats where it will end up.

The other point is, them refusing to use substitutes has been really dumb.

Definitely, but again the flip is they now have a few starting to come back. The other Left back, Chamberlain, thiago, salah, Henderson and T-AA will all have had a decent rest. that said - you do feel a matip or fabinho injury is nightmare for them & they are both injury proni

 

[catcherintherye]

Definitely, but again the flip is they now have a few starting to come back. The other Left back, Chamberlain, thiago, salah, Henderson and T-AA will all have had a decent rest. that said - you do feel a matip or fabinho injury is nightmare for them & they are both injury proni

Well yes to a degree. But I think this is not a season whereby it will be easy to just come straight back and start playing again. As indicated above, there isn't the same "base fitness" that has been done via pre-seasons. Say what you want about Klopp but he is very precise about how he uses pre-seasons, and having that reduced to 3 weeks, from say 7 or 8 will have a bit impact. You get the sense now that a lot of teams just haven't done the foundational work thats needed for a long season.

Many of the players coming back are also a bad age to be doing it as well, I.E mid late 20's. Of the names you said above, Henderson, Thiago, Chamberlain etc fit that paradigm. I'll be frank, I'm not sure Chamberlain is ever going to be fit long term, he's never been fit his entire career so it's unlikely in this of all seasons he will start. The Greek left back will really struggle to find his feet too. No pre-season, just being dripped in screams further injuries to me.

Arnold has a chance, as long as Klopp doesn't bring him back too soon, as thats when muscle injuries are in play.

What is more likely, is more players go down injured as they are asked to play 2 games per week. Keita was the latest. It can't be long until lads like Firmino/Mane get injured too, being asked to continue this workload at 30. Fabingo and Robertson are carrying knocks and Matip is a liability fitness wise. Only a matter of time before those lads pull up unless Klopp manages them say 1 game every couple of weeks.

I think Liverpool and City will continue to be ravaged, as they haven't given people the rest thats required this season (and by that I don't mean recovery from injuries) I mean people who are training fully fit every day but used sparingly.

 

[Daveysgingerlovechild]

Jurgen Klopp: Liverpool boss urges Sky and BT to fix schedule - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55038298

Hahahahahaha. Next he'll be after permission to clone players. They all building up tolerance to the Speziale Brau Jurgen?

 

[blueconverse]

Runs his players into the ground, doesn't use his squad in pl unless as forced through injury not as strong as his first 11

"DE FIXTURES ARE CAUSING MEIN INJURIES"

 

[catcherintherye]

Jurgen Klopp: Liverpool boss urges Sky and BT to fix schedule - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55038298

Hahahahahaha. Next he'll be after permission to clone players. They all building up tolerance to the Speziale Brau Jurgen?

I have no idea how he wants them to "fix" it.

 

[Brett Angell Delight]

I have no idea how he wants them to "fix" it.

Tin hat time, but I agree with him.

I think that Sky/BT could easily revert to the "red button" format where they still televise multiple games per day but fans can choose which one they want to watch. Teams that play in Europe - as has been the case for a while - should play on Saturday evening or Sunday, certainly not Saturday lunchtime.

It isn't as though it is going to act as some great equaliser - Liverpool will still end up running away with it, maybe putting up with a Spurs challenge until 3/4 through the season - and even if it did, I think it's a bit grim to be jeopardising players' careers for decent ratings.

 

[catcherintherye]

Tin hat time, but I agree with him.

I think that Sky/BT could easily revert to the "red button" format where they still televise multiple games per day but fans can choose which one they want to watch. Teams that play in Europe - as has been the case for a while - should play on Saturday evening or Sunday, certainly not Saturday lunchtime.

It isn't as though it is going to act as some great equaliser - Liverpool will still end up running away with it, maybe putting up with a Spurs challenge until 3/4 through the season - and even if it did, I think it's a bit grim to be jeopardising players' careers for decent ratings.

Well a couple of questions. Firstly why would playing games all on a Saturday help?

More to the point, the reason why they won't put them all on at the same time is it doesn't maximise money for them. It's quite easy to understand. They pay a huge sum of money so it's understandable they want to maximise money out.

 

[Brett Angell Delight]

Well a couple of questions. Firstly why would playing games all on a Saturday help?

More to the point, the reason why they won't put them all on at the same time is it doesn't maximise money for them. It's quite easy to understand. They pay a huge sum of money so it's understandable they want to maximise money out.

I don't think they should all be played on a Saturday; teams in European comps should play Saturday evening or Sunday.

I understand WHY Sky do it, but like Klopp said - Clubs and their players are expected to make compromises to get around the current predicament, so why shouldn't the broadcasters? Also there's nothing stopping Sky from playing reruns of the games at the existing time slots, so those so inclined can get their multiple match fill.

 

[brigadier]

Dermot Gallagher proving once again how corrupt the league is.

 

[GP_Monty]

I'm not sure on that at all. Leicester like Liverpool were heavily hit by injuries and Liverpool had the game sewn up, yet the likes of Mane stayed on for 90. It's just stupid from Klopp. Likewise, if he had any sense midweek he would rest all 11 he played on Sunday and just play the kids, they are all but through. Fabinho and Matip (one injury prone the other who has been rushed back from a hamstring) should be rested. Whats the betting he doesn't do that though?

No idea why anybody would care this much about them. Do you reckon lads on RAWK are sat there dissecting the injury proneness of Andre Gomes?

 

[catcherintherye]

No idea why anybody would care this much about them. Do you reckon lads on RAWK are sat there dissecting the injury proneness of Andre Gomes?

If they are as weird as they come across, almost certainly. The difference would be, whereas we wish Thiago well, they will be celebrating people being injured.

 

[Hello there 1983]

I and most blues celebrated Van Dijk getting injured so we are both as bad as each other in that respect.

Wouldnt say many of their players are close to 30 like...pretty sure Alisson, Gomez , robertson, Arnold, keita, jones, jota, Fabinho are 20-25. Mane and Salah are only 28. Think it's only Milner over the age of 30.

Not too sure what Klopps moaning about though what else can be done. It's an unprecedented season injuries will happen to everyone.

They will probably just swerve the cups anyway as per usual