So, the injury crisis is really starting to kick in.
The moment, VVD alivyopata ile ACL injury, i knew we were in trouble, big trouble, well naweza sema nilijua tupo in deep trouble tulivyoamua kuanza msimu na 3 senior centre backs and wawili wakiwa ni injury prone (Matip & Gomez), and i was suprised na suala la kutom-replace Lovren, well he was a bum but he needed a replacement, BUT lets be honest, we all placed our hope on VVD, but when alivyoumia ndiyo reality ilivyoanza ku-kick in, na mpaka sasa hatuna fit senior CB, our fit CB ni our best number 6, you see? tunamiss our senior CBs, and at the same time tuna-miss our best 6 kwenye MF, so ni huge crisis, and it was just a matter of time kabisa ya ku-collapse, na ndiyo nimekuwa nikisema kuwa we need to take it game by game.
So, right know, against these low block teams, we're missing VVD progressive passes from the back, we're missing his second phase line-breaking passes & movement, and on top of all we're missing his pace & ball retention from the back, and at the same time we're missing Fabinho's ball progression movement kwenye MF, kwa kipindi hiki ambacho our main creator kutokea kwenye flanks, Trent yupo off-form, VVD & Fabinho wangetusaidia sana, but Klopp is forced to field 2 robots in the MF, who cant create, cant move the ball between the lines, Henderson spent his last 5 games hoofing the ball to Mane/Firimino & Salah, because he cant hold up play, he cant hold up possession, he cant play killer passes etc, we dont have a main ST (Tall), so hoofing the ball kwa our 5 ft attackers from MF area haisaidii, Trent/Robbo huwa wanajaribu ku-hoof low balls ksa kina Mane from wide areas because ni rahisi kuona their movements, but unapokuwa una-hoof mipira from the MF, unatakiwa uwe na ball-striking technique, na kama huwezi jaribu kukaa na mipira, jaribu kufungua spaces ili mpira utembee na mwisho upande nafasi ya ku-hoof ukiwa just outside the opponent box, (kama anavyofanya Fabinho), but now imekuwa hoofing tu, na inaua sana our attacking patterns, and Gini cant even play simple foward passes, until when our attackers watakuwa wanakuja kwenye 2nd & 3rd phases kutafuta mipira? then wakishaipata na kutengeneza spaces unakimbilia ku-hoof tu forward? goal alilofunga Mane dhidi ya WBA, ilikuwa ni assist ya Matip, and that was a line breaking pass, ambayo hawa MFs zetu wawili hawawezi kabisa kupiga, its just so hard to watch them tukiwa tunacheza na low-block teams.
I've been advocating for us to buy an attacking MF (10) tangu alivyokuja Klopp at LFC, na tangu alivyoondoka Coutinho, because nilikuwa naona ugumu wa ku-open up low blocks, hata last season ilikuwa ni same case but VVD, Trent/Robbo and Faby walisaidia sana kwenye creativity, but using our fullbacks kwa kutengeneza nafasi ni lazima kungefika mwisho because teams zingeweza kutengua hicho kitendawili, Klopp decided to buy Thiago ili kubadilisha set up, i mean tungeendelea kutumia fullbacks, but now wangekuwa wanapata licence kubwa sana ya ku-bomb forward as possession area yetu ingekuwa kwenye MF, Thiago ni Temple setter (siyo creative mid), Temple setter kazi yake ni ku-maintain mipira na shape ya team, maana yake ni kumfanya mpinzani acheze anavyotaka yeye, na mpizani akishakubali kucheza kama unavyotaka wewe inamana unakuwa na uwezo wa ku-open up a lot of spaces, temple setter ni mtu anayetakiwa kuwa na ability kubwa sana ya kukaa na mipira, ku-move mipira, passing ability, uwezo wa kukaba mipira ya juu, na kucheza as 4th attacker kwenye opponent backline phase au kucheza as 3r CB kwenye his backline phase (Thiago played as a 3rd CB most of the time against Soton)..
Now, when Klopp bought Thiago, his idea was to partner him with Fabinho and Hendo/keita/Gini. Fabinho as 6, Thiago as a Temple Setter (Roaming from DLP/LCM/RCM) and one of Hendo/Keita or Gini as advanced 8/false 10 behind the front 3, because Fabinho & Thiago sitting behind Hendo/Keita/Gini gives them the licence to cover every space ya opponet area, so wanapata freedom ya ku-move mipira na ku-connect na front 3 kirahisi na kufanya kina Trent waweze ku-bomb foward at their will, because hata kama tutakuwa tunapoteza mipira ipfront inakuwa ni rahisi sana ku-retrieve, because Fabinho & Thiago in 1+1 shape wanakuwa ready ku-swap mipira kutokea kwenye last half ya uwaja (duara nusu lile la katikati ya uwanja kwa upande wetu (kwa lugha ya mpira 2nd phase)), na kuanzisha attack from the middle/wide au through our roaming 8s ambao wanakuwa wanafanya behind-runs muda wote, game yetu dhidi ya Everton msimu huu, Henderson alicheza vizuri sana (even scored ile dissalowed goal) kwasababu alipata licence kubwa ya ku-roam without defensive duties, because Fabinho & Thiago walikuwepo as 2 man MF, in a combusive 1+1 shape.
Sasa, injury ya VVD imeharibu, Fabinho is forced to play at CB, so Thiago is fit now, kwahiyo going forwad atakuwa anacheza sana na Hendo/Gini, whichi is not good, because you need a talented MF like Fabinho to cover for Thiago, here is why, against Southampton, Klopp put Hendo at CB because he didnt trust Nat or Rhys against Ings (which is fair), so he was forced to field a mid-3 of Thiago-Gini-Ox, Thiago played as a 6, Gini LCM and Ox RCM, Gini was a 2nd holding MF, close to Thiago and Ox as an advanced 8, but Thiago ended getting isolated by these two bums, (same like Fabinho msimu uliopita mwanzoni), MF haikuwa compact, Southamptom managed to play with an extra man in the MF, so Thiago was playing against 3 MF at once, Ox alikuwa ana-camp sana kulia, and Gini was nowhere to be seen, upande mzima wa kulia uli-fail kuanzia Trent-Ox-Salah because was off, but again kocha wa Soton alikuwa ana-camp na 2-3 players kwenye flank ya Trent, Ox was supposed to change positions, alitakiwa amove central na kuomba mipira kutoka kwa Hendo/Fabinho/Thiago & Alisson akitokea central ili kujaribu kufungua spaces kwa Salah because Trent alikuwa hawezi ku-move na mipira, so cha kufanya ni ku-create another false gap ambayo itafanya players wanao-camp kwa Trent wajigawe ili ku-cover hiyo false gap, yaani hivi ni vitu anavyofanya kila siku Keita, na ndiyo maana kamwe huwezi kuona Trent akiwa na game mbaya kama mzee keita yupo uwanjani kwasababu anajua ku-divert gaps, and kwa Trent kama siku low balls into the opposition box hazifanyi kazi just acha and play simple passes, create chances through short passes, So Thiago was in no man land, Klopp saw that and instructed to drop back as 3r false CB at times ili kupunguza ile overkill maana it was bad kwenye MF, na Thiago alivyorudi Chini ndiyo tukaanza ku-own the ball/possession as ilikuwa easy kucheza shory passes and hold up plays but kwenye 3rd phase alikuwepo Ghost Gini ambaye alishindwa kabisa ku-connect mipira na our front 3 especially Firmino, Klopp saw that a subbed on Shaqiri, but again he didnt change the formation (433), because Shaqiri ni 4231 oriented player, hawezi 433, so Shqiri alibaki as inside foward na kupewa jukumu la kupokea mipira kaa Thiago na kui-move foward, plan ili-work in some spell but 4231 ilikuwa better, but Klopp asingethubutu as hatuna CBs, Fabinho & Hendo wangeuliwa kwa attacks, as you need pace CBs like VVD & Gomez kwaajili ya 4231 as unakuwa vulnarable sana kwenye counters, so 433 ina-protect sana kina Fabinho kutokuwa over-loaded na attacks, we need to face it fabinho siyo natural CB, so hana uwezo wa kuhimili back-back counters/attacks, so lazima awe protected, ni kama Klopp alivyokuwa anam-protect Henderson as a 6 na 3-4-3 baada ya Fabinho kuumia last season.
Kwa kifupi ni kwamba mipango imeharibika, Klopp wanted to give us something new, but injury zimeturudisha kulekule, and to be honest sielewi kwanini watu wana-complain sana, our 2 senior wapo nje msimu mzima na our most important DM is playing at 6, so tulikuwa bound ku-struggle, and its happening right now, its in FSG hands now, kama wapo ambition enough wata-react hii january, because Klopp amefanya part yake, ameshaonesha ni kiasi gani anaweza deliver kama akiwa backed enough, we need 2 centre backs, na kama FSG hawakupata ujumbe kwa Klopp kumchezesha Hendo as a CB, then we're in big big trouble.
The season is still very much alive, but we need to shop this january ili kuwa na uhakika zaidi na kujiweka katika position nzuri kuelekea kwenye round ya pili ya league.