Those Merseyside teams are starting to give us an annual reality check whether we like it or not. This year we didn't have to wait until December until we were given a thumping and thankfully the red half have given us a "kick up the backside" much earlier in the season. From my perspective it was plain to see that despite our endeavour, determination and hard work we were outclassed by a team that had all our fighting qualities but added pace, skill and flair to the extent that we were outplayed in almost all areas of the pitch. Throughout the game our long ball tactics were totally predictable and nullified by the combined expertise of Van Dijk and Matip and who on earth coaches our close ball control because we couldn't trap the proverbial "bag of cement" yesterday.
I wasn't too upset coming away from the game yesterday (We don't have to play the Champions of Europe every week) certainly not as despondent as I was last Boxing day after seeing the demolition handed out by Everton but I really feel that SD has to rethink his tactics. 4-4-2 did not work IMHO and the acres of space in midfield, exploited expertly by Firmino and Mane, cannot be allowed against these big boys. Time for the occasional 4-5-1 methinks.

Did you really expect a different outcome yesterday? Liverpool are one of the top 2 teams in the country and one of the top sides in Europe, we lost to a freak goal and a mistake from one of our best players. Nothing can be read into that defeat.

Can’t believe people are reacting this way to a defeat by the European Champions. Admittedly our game fell away in the second half yesterday, but up until Mee’s mistake (they happen even to the best of players) we were matching them. The only reality check from yesterday is that we aren’t going to be challenging for the top two spots, but I think that’s a reality we were already aware of.

They won’t drop many points at a guess this season to many of the other teams. Games like last night will not define our season.

"we were outclassed by a team that had all our fighting qualities but added pace, skill and flair"

And this is why they will push City all the way for the title and we have to pick up points from other games. No reality check needed and isn't a kick up the backside. We were playing well until the fluke/error for the first and error for the second. The top teams punish you and then it's very difficult to get anything from the game.

A reality check? For who?

Liverpool are European champions and a very good side with title aspirations, Burnley are not.

4 points from 4 is a good start for us. Next 4 games are ones where we will be competitive and have a chance of getting something.

Reality check

Outclassed in many ways but we still got through 1v1 on two occasions. A freak goal and a rare mistake took the game away from us in a matter of minutes. Until then we were very much in the game. Unfortunately, we are not strong enough to take the game to Liverpool when 2 goals down although I think most people already knew that reality.

Interestingly, expected goals on MOTD last night showed both teams with less than one.

The season we finished 7th we got completely outplayed at home by Tottenham. Just got to accept it can happen against the top teams and move on. Although not gifting them goals like the second yesterday would help.

Rileybobs wrote:Unfortunately, we are not strong enough to take the game to Liverpool when 2 goals down although I think most people already knew that reality.

Whilst true, Southampton very nearly got a draw against them, despite being 2-0 down and Southampton aren't a better side than us!

NL Claret wrote:A reality check? For who?

Liverpool are European champions and a very good side with title aspirations, Burnley are not.

4 points from 4 is a good start for us. Next 4 games are ones where we will be competitive and have a chance of getting something.

Reality check

You have your opinion and I have mine. We've had a lot of TV coverage of late and I believe that one or two players have started to believe that they are indispensable. Cue the reality check. As I say it's my opinion gleaned from a seat in the JHU Block 3.

we were doing fine until their freak first goal. A very rare mistake from mee and our game plan was well and truelly f-cked. Only 2 teams can win the league this year and they are one of them. The season starts at Brighton and 4 points from our opening 4 games ( could easily have been 6 or 7 ) is job done.
Some excellent performances so far. utc.

A bit better clinical finishing from us and we could have had a couple of goals yesterday.

You can see their class all over the pitch and on another day would could have got something from that game.

I was not disappointed when walking off the game yesterday.

Judging by some of the ridiculous posts on here since yesterday, the only reality needed is from a handful of so-called supporters who appear completely clueless.

Have to agree with Capt John opening post. We cannot play 442 every game. When we finished 7th we did deploy 451 to some success when it suited us. We may have lost Defour but a combo of Westwood, Cork and Drinkwater is a strong force on paper. We also could drop Jay wide left/or right in that 5. Other than McNeil we don't offer much on the flanks

Its easy to say we were up against Liverpool, but there is some qualitythroughout the table, capable of punishing teams. Most play three recognized midfielders. I was at Leicester yesterday and they were quite a force with a midfield of Maddison, Indidi and Tilemans.I think they are all under 22 years of age. A midfield of Westwood and Cork leaves us very exposed particularly with our poor ball retention

I would have gone 4 5 1 from the start. The chipped up floaters to Wood playing against Van Dyke were to easy for them. I would try Lennon at the front of the 5 as he is the only one with any pace, to try and use him as an outlet from defence, much in the same way Leicester break out through Vardy. I'm not saying Lennon is Vardy but he has the pace to give us an option other than the long hopeful ball up to Wood.

Losing against Liverpool....... a reality check.



Irony.

We were very predictable yesterday and Liverpool were prepared for it. They played a high number of long balls (for them) and showed us how it’s done. Having said that we were competitive for a long time but the error cost us

So "we're playing....whoever we believe to be better than us" and we just accept defeat.
Great

It's not a reality check, it's just a game in the premier league against a top side, where if you make mistakes and you're luck's not quite in you'll get beaten. It's a reality Sean Dyche is well aware of.

There are things we did poorly, when we did have opportunities to attack them we gave the ball away cheaply. I don't mind trying to be direct either against Liverpool but you have to be clever and avoid Van Dijk in the wider channels. We didn't. Ho hum. But the system wasn't the problem, the execution just wasn't there and against sides like Liverpool it's hard to impose your game.

We were doing well without the ball however, before that freak goal. If you get into half time 0-0 the confidence grows a bit and who knows.

Surely, the reality check is that after less than a handful of games pundits are already saying that the PL is again just a 2 horse race. The Championship will again be the League for a more competitive feel about it.

CaptJohn wrote:Those Merseyside teams are starting to give us an annual reality check whether we like it or not. This year we didn't have to wait until December until we were given a thumping and thankfully the red half have given us a "kick up the backside" much earlier in the season. From my perspective it was plain to see that despite our endeavour, determination and hard work we were outclassed by a team that had all our fighting qualities but added pace, skill and flair to the extent that we were outplayed in almost all areas of the pitch. Throughout the game our long ball tactics were totally predictable and nullified by the combined expertise of Van Dijk and Matip and who on earth coaches our close ball control because we couldn't trap the proverbial "bag of cement" yesterday.
I wasn't too upset coming away from the game yesterday (We don't have to play the Champions of Europe every week) certainly not as despondent as I was last Boxing day after seeing the demolition handed out by Everton but I really feel that SD has to rethink his tactics. 4-4-2 did not work IMHO and the acres of space in midfield, exploited expertly by Firmino and Mane, cannot be allowed against these big boys. Time for the occasional 4-5-1 methinks.

I agree with just about everytihng you say apart from the conclusion. It wouldn't have mattered what formation we played, Liverpool would still have had more pace, skill and flair. And if a side with more pace skill and flair plays at their best, the side with less pace skill and flair will lose (barring a lot of luck) regardless of formation.

Better than the times when Tranmere used to give us a reality check

From my vantage point in the JHU the amount of space in the middle of the park that Liverpool had was very apparent. When we attacked our defence did not move forward, obviously on SD instructions due to pace of Salah & Mane, thus the wide open spaces appeared. That's where we needed the extra body in midfield hence my 4-5-1 suggestion. Perhaps even a 4-1-4-1 with a sweeper in front of the defence. A lot of teams in the PL have pace to burn and unless we figure out how to keep the space in front of the back four to a minimum, we are going to be exploited.

Be careful CaptJohn to some people on here being critical of our team is not acceptable in any circumstances. Your comment about some players starting to believe they are indispensable unfortunately is even more applicable after the display against Sunderland as nobody is challenging them for a place in the team.

CaptJohn wrote:From my vantage point in the JHU the amount of space in the middle of the park that Liverpool had was very apparent. When we attacked our defence did not move forward, obviously on SD instructions due to pace of Salah & Mane, thus the wide open spaces appeared. That's where we needed the extra body in midfield hence my 4-5-1 suggestion. Perhaps even a 4-1-4-1 with a sweeper in front of the defence. A lot of teams in the PL have pace to burn and unless we figure out how to keep the space in front of the back four to a minimum, we are going to be exploited.

Sometimes you think it's going to be your Day...tails were up after the wolves game.I agree with the 451 against the better teams ..buts ifs and maybes against Liverpool though. Woods miss early doors...the deflected goal and Ben Mee making a rare error. Luck was with Liverpool unfortunately.

CaptJohn wrote:From my vantage point in the JHU the amount of space in the middle of the park that Liverpool had was very apparent. When we attacked our defence did not move forward, obviously on SD instructions due to pace of Salah & Mane, thus the wide open spaces appeared. That's where we needed the extra body in midfield hence my 4-5-1 suggestion. Perhaps even a 4-1-4-1 with a sweeper in front of the defence. A lot of teams in the PL have pace to burn and unless we figure out how to keep the space in front of the back four to a minimum, we are going to be exploited.

Actually I think we do keep the space between back four and midfield to a minimum and therein lies one of our problems - we cannot get people up quickly enough to our front two when we continue to just pump high balls up to them

Van Dyck and Matip had an easy day Sat just knocking our long balls down for their midfield to pick up

Westwood and Cork are under clear instructions to play nearer to our defense than attack, Lennon and McNeil were concentrating more on additional protection to our full backs, which just encouraged Robertson and Arnold to bomb forward

We would have been far better off playing balls down the channels for Wood and Barnes (over the heads of their advancing full backs)
as we did against Wolves with success

4 points from 4 games. Looking at the fixtures before we kicked off the season that was what I predicted and said I would be happy with. So from someone who is used to targets we can say up to now we are doing fine (the less said about Sunderland the better). We now have 3 'winnable' games ahead of us. Brighton would be a decent draw but I think we can win that. Norwich at home I would be bitterly disappointed if we didn't get 3 points. Villa is an odd one, I'd take a draw there as well but if we assume a win then we could be on 11 points from 7 games. I'd take that. If we won all 3 I'd be in dreamland. I'm gonna predict 11 from 7 though, whatever the combination of results.

Liverpool are a fabulous side these days, packed with class and managed by one of the best managers in the world in my opinion. We can't take anything from this result any more than we can our annual hidings by City (why have they always hammered us even when they weren't good and playing in the lower divisions?). Slightly disappointed by 3-0 at home but the actual result is no surprise and I don't think there will be any alarm bells ringing at Gawthorpe. I really do think Liverpool will do it this time and I hope they do, be nice to see a new name on the PL trophy. Felt for them last season, they got enough points to be champions any other year.