Don't think it's viable long term as playing the 2 in midfield really reduced Firmino's effectiveness I thought. Plus Salah is not a central striker or a false nine either and his best moments actually came from the wing making inward runs like they usually do.

However like you said it worked well yesterday but we were fortunate not to be 2-0 down after a very tight offside call and a poor miss from their young left back. Fabinho has to learn to play in a three because long term you feel it will be him, Keita and Ox in there. Gini has been brilliant this season though.

Fabinho still makes me nervous and is still too slow on the ball.

I dont think it will be the midfield moving forward and it was a bit passive imo.

I think he'll go for

Henderson, Keita and Shaq but with Shaq making way in bigger games for the likes of Milner.

It may simply be the case that we rotate it all season though and it's great to have options.

I find it strange that Milner is not being considered as a starter in your midfield given his performances this season.

I agree with Kav that long term your midfield on paper should be Fabinho, Ox & Keita. Only reason I have included Fabinho is because your midfield needs someone who can control the game and I think he has the potential to do it. Whether he can do it in the premier league is a totally different question.

I say that having seen Xhaka struggle and they are similar sort of players.Xhaka is in his 3rd season & we are only starting to see him show some adaptation to the pace of this league. Even then he is still struggling & if we replaced him I wouldnt lose sleep at all.

With Keita, i think he needs a season but the question mark is Ox. He has all the ability to be a breative spark & goal scorer but dont put your money on him to be consistent or even stay fit.

Its a pity what happened to Lallana as I felt he was one of your best players when Klopp arrived.

I still think you should sign Fekir, Ox is the ideal player but dont bet on him.It is crazy to do that.

I think the midfield 3 of Hendo,Milner & Wij should continue until next season when the new players have adapted to Klopps methods

comment by Robbing_Hoody - as a rule I don't trust a man who doesn't drink but I do trust James Milner (U6374)
posted 6 minutes ago
I dont think it will be the midfield moving forward and it was a bit passive imo.

I think he'll go for

Henderson, Keita and Shaq but with Shaq making way in bigger games for the likes of Milner.

It may simply be the case that we rotate it all season though and it's great to have options.

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In the bigger games against more attacking opposition I think we will see something like Hendo - Shaq - Fabinho as it's quite defensively solid.

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Firmino has been struggling this season because neither Mane or Salah have been playing close to him. Add that the midfield has been somewhat iffy when linking with the attack and you can see why he's been struggling.

He looked so much livelier with Shaqiri as the that attacking midfielder next to him and Salah playing more closely. All his tricks & flicks, passing & linkup was on show.

Given our current midfield options, considering Ox is out long term and we might not see another attacking midfielder coming in until next season. The form of our current midfielders and taking into account the adaptation of the new players into their new roles, Klopp has to change the midfield or risk stumbling along this season until everyone comes up to speed.

Keita has played in a deep midfield two all his career and Fabinho is a specialist as seen in the difference of his performances. Then you add in Shaq who is looking like our most creative player atm...we have to consider it for the now.

When you watch City they play two creative players in a three in midfield. Fernandinho is the only holding player for them.

What they do is when they lose the ball is their fullbacks come inside to help the midfield. The Silva's or KDB are very good with their vertical passing which is quick and accurate.

Our midfield of Gini, Milner and Hendo are slow with their passing and most of the time it is sideways so the opposition get enough time to regroup.

Is Fabinho really looking class in that position? I've onl seen him play twice, most recently Arsenal away, and he was very poor in both games.

Arsenal setup was different to yesterday's game.

I'm not sold on the 4-2-3-1 formation we've used this season. Moving Salah to the middle and Firmino deeper seems to have stunted our attacking play a little and Salah always seem so much dangerous cutting in from the right, like for our first yesterday.

That said, our defence has significantly improved this season so there are benefits to the new system.

I don't know. That's not how I saw the midfield. What I saw most of the time was Salah upfront, Mane left, Shaqiri right and Firmino behind Salah.

For some reason Klopp seems to keep messing around with Salah and Firmino's positions. It's no surprise that Firmino is struggling. The two times Salah actually got out to his proper position on the right yesterday he teared them a new one. Firmino is getting deeper and deeper.

I do however think that we need to play one of Shaqiri or Ox when fit, in the midfield three as we lack the ability to break down teams without them.

Really liked the look of Fabinho. He broke up play excellently and had control of the midfield.

No Lallana made a huge difference

Arnold needs benching

Bobby and Sadio have been well below par

Lovren and Matip hopefully won’t feature

If we stick to the above we may start to play well again

comment by Alisson Wonderland (Formerly LGT) (U13718)
posted 13 minutes ago
I'm not sold on the 4-2-3-1 formation we've used this season. Moving Salah to the middle and Firmino deeper seems to have stunted our attacking play a little and Salah always seem so much dangerous cutting in from the right, like for our first yesterday.

That said, our defence has significantly improved this season so there are benefits to the new system.
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I think if Klopp wants to play 4-2-3-1 then we should play shaqiri behind firmino with Salah on the right. Firmino is coming too deep for my liking and Salah's best moments are coming from the right hand side.

Not really sure why Klopp is playing Salah up top this season.

I still think Fabinho will be a good acquisition but at the moment he is playing it too safe . I thought we were really poor first half and it was just too slow . The way to beat teams like Fulham is to move the ball at pace , we simply didn’t switch it quick enough yesterday . Jordan does move the ball quickly and that’s what’s needed . Think fab and Keita will have important roles still to play

What game did you watch?

Fabinho has been average for me. Still pls th of time for him to come good. But imo we should be playing Hendo/wij as holding with keita and shaq against teams that park buses and milner with keita again more attacking teams.

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comment by Michael Edwards FC {Proud owner of the 5 000 000th comment} (U2720)
posted 23 minutes ago
What game did you watch?
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Didn’t you think it was really slow in the first half ?

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

Great teams - agree with all that , I recognise we are playing with more structure and the pressing has reduced ( I am ok with that ) but we just need more urgency with the ball . Keita , Henderson and the ox will all bring that

we cannot judge a midfield based on a game at home v a relegation candidate side.

The only way to judge a midfield is to put it up against a top half side.

comment by The Welsh Xavi (U15412)
posted 1 hour, 10 minutes ago
comment by Alisson Wonderland (Formerly LGT) (U13718)
posted 13 minutes ago
I'm not sold on the 4-2-3-1 formation we've used this season. Moving Salah to the middle and Firmino deeper seems to have stunted our attacking play a little and Salah always seem so much dangerous cutting in from the right, like for our first yesterday.

That said, our defence has significantly improved this season so there are benefits to the new system.
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I think if Klopp wants to play 4-2-3-1 then we should play shaqiri behind firmino with Salah on the right. Firmino is coming too deep for my liking and Salah's best moments are coming from the right hand side.

Not really sure why Klopp is playing Salah up top this season.
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because salah is the one with pace for counter attacks.

I would not switch to 4231 unless in total crisis as it completely negates the fluidity possible with 433. Its giving the front 3 strict roles and not allowing them to interchange almost.

Fabinho appears to be LFC's answer to City's Fernandinho. They are each strong, at times very strong tacklers, but for me Fabinho doesn't appear to have the speed. Whether or not he get that, I don't know.