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Sam McGuire @sammcguire90.bsky.social · 2h

Wirtz on the bench again then

Sam McGuire @sammcguire90.bsky.social · 3d

Liverpool spent £40m on a roadrunner in Milos Kerkez. Think it might be time for the champions to use their left-back properly. www.sportinglife.com/football/new...

It's time for Arne Slot to allow Milos Kerkez to play his natural game

It went a little under the radar last season but Milos Kerkez gatecrashing the Premier League Team of the Year was a remarkable achievement.

www.sportinglife.com

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Sam McGuire @sammcguire90.bsky.social · 9d

Ermmm, I think we might need to talk about Elliot Anderson.

[Via @gradientsports.bsky.social ]

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Sam McGuire @sammcguire90.bsky.social · 10d

Comfortably the best centre-back in the Premier League. An absolute colossus.

Virgil Van Dijk, ladies and gentlemen.

📸 @gradientsports.bsky.social

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Sam McGuire @sammcguire90.bsky.social · 10d

Mate I grew up watching Steven Gerrard ping passes about. You think I'm not forever turning possession over trying risky passes when I play football? 😂

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Sam McGuire @sammcguire90.bsky.social · 10d

He's always been more of a carrier than a passer, Steve. I'm not cherry picking examples either. It's a theme during our build up, and that's why there's a disconnect at times this season. The forward players want the ball released quicker. The defensive players recycle possession.

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Sam McGuire @sammcguire90.bsky.social · 10d

Look for an internal option first.

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Sam McGuire @sammcguire90.bsky.social · 10d

Konate tries a pass over the top for Ekitike and gets it wrong. The opportunity is wasted and Liverpool turn the ball over.

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Sam McGuire @sammcguire90.bsky.social · 10d

Now Konate doesn't have any obvious forward passes on because Wirtz made the run from right to left thinking Grav might make that pass.

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Sam McGuire @sammcguire90.bsky.social · 10d

Doesn't move at real pace and eventually cuts back inside, rolling a pass back to Konate.

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Sam McGuire @sammcguire90.bsky.social · 10d

Love Gravenberch as one of the double pivots but we really need to be building out from the back with a passer in there alongside him. He escapes the initial press here and could 1) carry the ball or 2) thread a pass into the path of Wirtz, who is already on the move.

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Sam McGuire @sammcguire90.bsky.social · 11d

Appreciate that mate, nice one

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Sam McGuire @sammcguire90.bsky.social · 11d

There's more of a burden on Gravenberch when Kerkez is in possession and he has to vacate the middle of the pitch. This hurts Liverpool during turnovers as there's too much ground for Grav to cover.

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Sam McGuire @sammcguire90.bsky.social · 11d

The left side was at least functional last season. With Robbo out of the team, we've lost progression on that flank. Doesn't paint a pretty picture.

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Sam McGuire @sammcguire90.bsky.social · 11d

Without Trent in the starting XI, Salah wasn't anywhere near as involved. And Liverpool weren't anywhere near as much of a threat.

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Sam McGuire @sammcguire90.bsky.social · 11d

Liverpool's final nine league games of the 2024/25 campaign looked remarkably similar to their opening seven league games this time around. The fullback issue is impacting, well, everything. A look, for @squawka.bsky.social. www.squawka.com/en/features/...

Liverpool analysis: The 400-yard problem behind the Reds’ sudden slide

Liverpool have slipped to three consecutive defeats, but what's the story behind the reigning champions' sudden loss of form?

www.squawka.com

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Sam McGuire @sammcguire90.bsky.social · 14d

It got swept under the rug a bit because of the situation (league was basically won) but we struggled to get Salah involved when Trent had that injury. He had just three shots across four matches with an xG total of 0.6 against Newcastle, Everton, Fulham and West Ham.

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Sam McGuire @sammcguire90.bsky.social · 14d

Even last season when he'd phoned it in, he still topped the charts for Expected Assists per 90, he was second for Big Chances Created and third for Chances Created. Only Salah managed more assists in the league for us.

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Sam McGuire @sammcguire90.bsky.social · 14d

Seen a few on here try to downplay how much we're missing Trent. We've gone from having a cheat code at right-back to not knowing who is going to start there. Even when he was 'awful', he was the best in the world at what he did.

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Sam McGuire @sammcguire90.bsky.social · 14d

I'm more angry at you suggesting a cup of tea rather than a coffee

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Reposted by Sam McGuire

Gregory Janks @gregoryjanks.bsky.social · 14d

A humble suggestion. Pick an approach & stick with it. Don't tweak the system game to game. Be more consistent with selection. Wirtz has to play (you know my biases). Kerkez has to play. We've made a mess with the 9s, but it's going to be Isak so let it be Isak. Make a decision at RB. 4231. Forward!

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Sam McGuire @sammcguire90.bsky.social · 14d

Cowards. Let the fume dominate.

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Sam McGuire @sammcguire90.bsky.social · 14d

No

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Sam McGuire @sammcguire90.bsky.social · 14d

We'd changed three of the back four and two of the midfield three by 56 minutes today. So haphazard with squad management right now.

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Sam McGuire @sammcguire90.bsky.social · 14d

Said it the other day but we lost ~500 progressive passing yards from our back four and failed to add a line breaker in midfield. We're not letting the full-backs carry the ball so what exactly is the plan?

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