06 Jan 2020 20:16:47
Just my observations over the Liverpool players and my thoughts on The Everton situation, Liverpool's Kids, young ones and older ones, their fitnesses levels are tremendously high, the closing down on their opponents, the tempo at which they close down, their strong will to close down their opponents and never say die attitude, when they make a pass the ball travels at a fast pace along the grass with inch perfect accuracies to-their own players. It's was very obvious that the young kids are prepared and trained in the same way as the first team squad, the Klopp way or just the Liverpool way.
I have for sometime been concerned over the fitnesses levels of our squad and also the fact that certain our big named signings have never really improved at Everton or replicated their form to warrant the millions invested into them, they just don't seem to come on.
To be fair to our players I do not doubt their efforts against Liverpool or any of the other teams we have fallen too, it's just that we don't show that we have got the capacity to get near them to close them down or the pace, we are lacking that tempo that pace power in our running over the first 5 to 10 yards, this is now the standard through out our team, at this time we can't say that this is going right through to our youngsters mainly because for some reason we don't introduce any at this time and also Dave Unsworth might train his squad fitnesses level differently, as he won the Premiership 2 league a few times
It will be very difficult for Ancelotti to get his players fitnesses level up now in mid season, this is normally established in pre season training.
Whoever Ancelotti goes for in this January window, 3 or 4 (I hope) then they will have to be super fit to carry this current squad
For me it's wrong to point the finger at any individuals because between them they made themselves look bad, they were all played too the same level.
06 Jan 2020 22:18:45
Some good points Uran I agree, but you also need to look at recruitment and the types of players even at academy level that are being recruited. You can only go so far with training ‘fast twitch’ muscles etc. Genetics plays a huge part. Davies Dowell Kenny etc. all fantastic at U18,19 21 football but we majorly struggle getting this potential to the next step (for whatever reason) is it just a coincidence that these x3 are also not reknowned for their lightening pace? - not that lightning pace is the be all and end all.
07 Jan 2020 08:56:36
Not just the fitness and speed of pressing opposition but also willingness to do anything for the team I think that is where we have failed with recruitment, players, should say some players just don't care enough. We need to recruit players who are hungry and winners, if that means we have to pay more so be it.
07 Jan 2020 09:46:15
There are plenty of things wrong with Saturday the one for me is movement off the ball. Trying to beat a press you need movement off the ball, too many times our players where static making it easier to mark them and press when they had the ball. When we did have movement we did look so much better been our problem most off the season. That's why we look so much better on the counter than with the ball every one is moving.
07 Jan 2020 10:21:07
Yes I agree with you all, we need our player to have the required pace to compete at this level but like many have said above we need the tempo improving, their mind set, never say die attitude and quicker decision making, basically the Liverpool youngest show our team up for everything that need to be improved, having said that we were not much better when we played Lincoln and Sheffield Wednesday, we struggled against them to get a result and at times out played and out manoeuvred
That’s where and why are in the League bottom half of the table
I am sure if we can see this then Ancelotti can and more we are definitely in safe hands now.