GWT: EPL - Matchweek 10

[Savant]

There’s two separate issues with TAA.

1.) his lack of defensive skill/awareness. That was on display on Arsenal’s 2nd goal where he rushed over to try to be the hero for the tackle instead of staying in his lane which left acres of space when the attacker cut back inside.

You can coach/train that a bit, but ultimately it’s something that’s really hard to develop if a player doesn't have. Liverpool used to cover/minimize a lot of that by having a very mobile midfield, CBs, and LB so that either a midfielder could drop back to cover, a mobile CB could range over to cover, or the LB could basically play a more LCB role for a bit and let one of the CBs move more towards an RCB role. Basically when possible, they shifted so the right half of their defense looked a lot more like a back 5 with TAA at RWB instead of a back 4 with him at RB.

As we saw yesterday, Henderson/Thiago in 2022 is not a remotely mobile midfield, Tsimikas was providing very little defensive shape, and the CBs were far less mobile as well, in part because the midfield wasn’t able to drop as much meaning they had to stay more central, and in part because it looks like VVD has lost a step this year.

2.) His lack of defensive effort. This has come and gone over the years, but it was in full force in the Napoli game and at times yesterday. It’s this that would be the real concern if I’m someone like Southgate and should be a bigger concern than Klopp seems to be making of it.

Trent has absolutely regressed defensively. He was never great at it but you lived with it because of his playmaking. He was never THIS bad. We can say why it has happened but the team as a whole is a mess right now. He does need to play further up the field though. He should be playing further up the pitch right now.

Gomez should be playing RB. A lot of teams are playing a more CB style player at one of their fullbacks. Arsenal is doing this with Ben White for example. Will see what happens when Trent is healthy though.

It was bound to happen and still Klopp decided to start Alexander-Arnold. Maybe he’ll learn something from it so that’s good for you.

kudos for Martinelli but this isn’t exactly a scalp anymore. Thought Gomez did pretty good on him though.

Trent has regressed but he has still won every trophy at Liverpool and been a part of multiple 90+ point teams as a right back. That’s not too shabby.

 

[maclean]

Can't even tell one Gabriel from another smh

 

[phisherman]

 

[King Makar19]

All other fanbase are jealouse of our Wonderkid who cost 6 millions

 

[Savant]

The officiating report for the Arsenal - LFC game is wild.

Ian Wright and Gary Neville both think Oliver had a shocker. Especially the former says it all.

Also VAR failed on the 1st goal. VAR would have ruled in LFC favor on handball and penalty if it was checked.

What a nightmare

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

The officiating report for the Arsenal - LFC game is wild.

Ian Wright and Gary Neville both think Oliver had a shocker. Especially the former says it all.

Also VAR failed on the 1st goal. VAR would have ruled in LFC favor on handball and penalty if it was checked.

What a nightmare

Would it? The question must be asked why wasn't it checked? In any case those Arsenal conspiracy theories should be put to rest... well actually not since its was always nonsense.

 

[Savant]

Would it? The question must be asked why wasn't it checked? In any case those Arsenal conspiracy theories should be put to rest... well actually not since its was always nonsense.

first One was worse six Hawkeye cameras and literally none could find Saka

 

[phisherman]

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

What a strike Young

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Gerrard is just out of his depth… he shouldn’t be coaching a team with so much talent

 

[HoseEmDown]

Gerrard is just out of his depth… he shouldn’t be coaching a team with so much talent

So much talent? They are average at best talent wise. Strikers aren't top half quality, Coutinho is too inconsistent, Buendia hasn't proven anything in the premier league, if McGinn is your best midfielder you aren't challenging for anything, Luiz is a bit overrated for me. The defense isn't anything special and Martinez isn't either. They've spent like a top half team but have bottom half players.

 

[JPBolts]

Gerrard is just out of his depth… he shouldn’t be coaching a team with so much talent

spot on, no clue what our plan is at all.. woeful and alienating players left & right. making the worst player in the squad captain..

 

[JPBolts]

So much talent? They are average at best talent wise. Strikers aren't top half quality, Coutinho is too inconsistent, Buendia hasn't proven anything in the premier league, if McGinn is your best midfielder you aren't challenging for anything, Luiz is a bit overrated for me. The defense isn't anything special and Martinez isn't either. They've spent like a top half team but have bottom half players.

I think we're at least mid-table to top half level quality. The strikers are out of form, yes, but there isn't another club that has the "pedigree of strikers" that we have. Ings & Watkins both have scored 10+ goal in multiple seasons. Buendia doesn't get enough regular playing time and when he does, he usually is our best player. McGinn is one of the worst players i've seen wear a villa shirt and stevie makes him captain? Should have been playing Luiz/Sanson/Kamara but no we didn't. I think Ming's is top 10 quality for a CB, not convinced by Konsa & I -- biased forsure-- think Martinez is a top 5 at worst PL keeper.

 

[Savant]

So much talent? They are average at best talent wise. Strikers aren't top half quality, Coutinho is too inconsistent, Buendia hasn't proven anything in the premier league, if McGinn is your best midfielder you aren't challenging for anything, Luiz is a bit overrated for me. The defense isn't anything special and Martinez isn't either. They've spent like a top half team but have bottom half players.

Aston Villa spent a shitload this summer

 

[hatterson]

Aston Villa spent a shitload this summer

Not really.

34M on Diego Carlos, 22M on Coutinho, 16.5M on Dendoncker, and 4M on a backup keeper.

They spent pretty good the summer before that but also made a lot of it back from robbing city on the Grealish sale.

 

[HoseEmDown]

I think we're at least mid-table to top half level quality. The strikers are out of form, yes, but there isn't another club that has the "pedigree of strikers" that we have. Ings & Watkins both have scored 10+ goal in multiple seasons. Buendia doesn't get enough regular playing time and when he does, he usually is our best player. McGinn is one of the worst players i've seen wear a villa shirt and stevie makes him captain? Should have been playing Luiz/Sanson/Kamara but no we didn't. I think Ming's is top 10 quality for a CB, not convinced by Konsa & I -- biased forsure-- think Martinez is a top 5 at worst PL keeper.

I don't think Ings and Watkins are that bad I just don't think they're that much better than other strikers in the mid table and below level. I would take them above anything Bournemouth, Southampton and Palace have up top. Dennis had 10 last year and Awoniyi scored a lot in Germany last year so it's early to tell on them. When healthy Bamford is kinda level to your two, Jimenez pre injury was better but not anymore, Calvert-Lewin is better when healthy. I would take current Mitrovic, even though he sucked his last times in the EPL, and Toney over them. Vardy was and I still trust him more, I like Antonio's complete game better too. So I would say your 2 are kinda in the middle of the mid to lower table teams.

Maybe it's the setup but I never watch Villa and look impressed by how the midfield plays. Occasionally McGinn or Coutinho does something special but they usually look second best. The defense is kinda similar but I think Cash is a very good RB. As for Martinez is he really better than say Leno, Raya or Sanchez? The English group of Pickford, Ramsdale, Henderson and Pope all have just as good and bad moments as Martinez. I really think there's a clear top group of Allison, De Gea and Ederson then everyone else and lastly Danny Ward. But really there's about 10 goalies who I couldn't pick a difference in and really wouldn't care which one was on my team.

 

[bluesfan94]

Aston Villa spent a shitload this summer

Their net spend was ~30M.

Over the last two years, their net spend is about half of Liverpool's

 

[Savant]

Not really.

34M on Diego Carlos, 22M on Coutinho, 16.5M on Dendoncker, and 4M on a backup keeper.

They spent pretty good the summer before that but also made a lot of it back from robbing city on the Grealish sale.

They also added Kamara on high wages on Bosman. They have have quite a bit of reinvestment.

Their net spend was ~30M.

Over the last two years, their net spend is about half of Liverpool's

So Liverpool getting compared to the Villa level teams of the league then? When it comes to expenditures. That kind of says it all doesn’t it

 

[HoseEmDown]

Their net spend was ~30M.

Over the last two years, their net spend is about half of Liverpool's

In the last 5 years they have the 7th highest net spend of all the premier league teams and that includes being in the championship 5 years ago. Their highest finish has been 11th in that span. They aren't getting the return on their investment like they hoped. Not sure it's on the manager, they've had 2 different ones, or the players?

 

[Live in the Now]

In the last 5 years they have the 7th highest net spend of all the premier league teams and that includes being in the championship 5 years ago. Their highest finish has been 11th in that span. They aren't getting the return on their investment like they hoped. Not sure it's on the manager, they've had 2 different ones, or the players?

Sorry but around here some people selectively use the years in which transfer spending occurs in order to manipulate the conversation to their benefit. Villa's net spend the last five years is more than TWICE what Liverpool's owners put in, they've spent tons and Gerrard is doing a bad job with the resources they've put into the team.

 

[bluesfan94]

Sorry but around here some people selectively use the years in which transfer spending occurs in order to manipulate the conversation to their benefit. Villa's net spend the last five years is more than TWICE what Liverpool's owners put in, they've spent tons and Gerrard is doing a bad job with the resources they've put into the team.

I know this is a wild way to do it but when talking about the performance of Steven Gerrard I thought it made sense to limit it to when he was manager. On the other hand, the other part of the conversation was their spending this summer, so certainly your five year look back makes sense too.

 

[Live in the Now]

I know this is a wild way to do it but when talking about the performance of Steven Gerrard I thought it made sense to limit it to when he was manager. On the other hand, the other part of the conversation was their spending this summer, so certainly your five year look back makes sense too.

He got hired because the last manager couldn't do well when they spent a ton of money so the previous spending has to be some kind of factor.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Ya atm he’s worse than lampard who I don’t rate at all.

 

[Live in the Now]

The one thing I will say in his defense is that at Rangers it wasn't really important for them to defend because they had a lot of great, repetitive attacking patterns that always worked. But in a league where you don't have the ball as much you can't play that way, and as such he has no applicable experience he could use for coaching Villa. It going badly is not that shocking.

 

[Savant]

The one thing I will say in his defense is that at Rangers it wasn't really important for them to defend because they had a lot of great, repetitive attacking patterns that always worked. But in a league where you don't have the ball as much you can't play that way, and as such he has no applicable experience he could use for coaching Villa. It going badly is not that shocking.

The assistant manager left too. Michael Beale, right?