GWT: EPL Matchday 26

YNWA14

Onbreekbaar
Dec 29, 2010
34,543
2,560
I think blaming the level of talent of the players is incredibly lazy. Liverpool are undefeated against the rest of the top 6 in the PL (actually the top 8). People rag on their defence constantly but how many goals have United, City, Chelsea, Spurs, Arsenal or Everton put by them?

The issue isn't with the players' ability. It's an issue with the approach from the manager, the organization of the defence and the mentality of the team. All of which is largely in control of the manager.
 

hatterson

Registered User
Apr 12, 2010
34,950
12,220
North Tonawanda, NY
I think blaming the level of talent of the players is incredibly lazy. Liverpool are undefeated against the rest of the top 6 in the PL (actually the top 8). People rag on their defence constantly but how many goals have United, City, Chelsea, Spurs, Arsenal or Everton put by them?

I was actually curious about this so I ran through their schedule real quick:

Against other top 6 (Chelsea, City, Arsenal, Spurs, Unite):
8 games, 12 goals for, 7 against. 1.5 for/game, .875 against/game

Against teams 7-13 (Everton, Web Brom, West Ham, Stoke, Burnley, Watford, Southampton):
7 games, 15 goals for, 8 against. 2.14 for/game, 1.14 against/game

Against bottom 7 (Bouthnemouth, Leicester, Swansea, Middlesbrough, Palace, Hull, Sunderland):
11 games, 30 for, 17 against. 2.73 for/game, 1.55 against/game

That might be off a little if I fat fingered a game, but should be pretty close.
 

bleedblue1223

Registered User
Jan 21, 2011
51,758
14,662
There was a stat that I saw earlier that basically showed that Chelsea is leading because they dominate the sides they should dominate, and none of the other top clubs do that. The reason that the other clubs in the top 6 are not on top is because they don't collect all the points they should from mid-table and bottom-table clubs.

The issue there has nothing to do with talent because all of those clubs are more talented than the mid and bottom table clubs. When you have players taking it easy out there and managers looking past those games, then you have issues. You have to execute every week against every club.
 

YNWA14

Onbreekbaar
Dec 29, 2010
34,543
2,560
That's just it. It's also why I think the 3 man backline and playing a more structured, organized system is beneficial in terms of getting results out of the games you're supposed to. Unless you have unreal talent in your team I think playing the way that Klopp sets up his team game in and game out is almost asking to be upset.

Like why would you encourage both fullbacks to push up high, and play an extremely high line, leaving Matip and Lucas isolated on the half way line against Jamie Vardy (especially Lucas) when he can easily burn them for pace on any long ball out of the parked defensive block? We were lucky they only got 1 goal out of that set up.

Klopp seems to approach every game the same, with very few tweaks, and it just isn't working and doesn't allow a lot of room for error. The set-up obviously works against the top teams and other teams that are willing to open up and play against us, but it just doesn't allow for consistent results against teams that play very defensively and we're incapable of breaking down.
 

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