Whitey Grandad

Regarding Karius, in The Times yesterday Matthew Syed had a piece about him basically saying that the empahasis on maintaing a high-press game agains Madrid contributed to his mistakes. He was so busy concentrating on keeping the game going that he failed to notice (!) Benzema closing him down on his left. Similarly for the Bale shot he was too busy thinking about what he was going to do after catching the ball that he buggered it up. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/lack-of-awareness-not-focus-cost-loris-karius-against-real-madrid-jlh700b76 (paywall) "Loris Karius was too focused to think clearly" Loris Karius would doubtless concur with this analysis. The Liverpool goalkeeper made a critical mistake to gift Real Madrid their opening goal in the Champions League final on Saturday. Some commentators said that he was careless, others suggested (predictably) that he lacked focus. The problem, however, is that he may have been too focused. So eager was he to distribute the ball that he did not notice that Karim Benzema was in a perfect position to deflect it into his net. In an astute analysis for ESPN, Shaka Hislop, the former Newcastle United goalkeeper, made similar claims about Karius. The ’keeper, he said, had been instructed by Jürgen Klopp to sustain pressure on Real by getting the ball upfield quickly. This was sound advice, but the 24-year-old became too preoccupied with this one objective. “Karius gets the ball in his hands, the first thing he is thinking about is get play restarted . . . without making sure Benzema clears out,” Hislop said. Although the second mistake looked superficially different, Hislop argued that it emerged from the same loss of situational awareness. “And then the Bale goal . . . I am convinced that yet again [Karius] is thinking, ‘Let me make this save and put Real Madrid on the back foot’. When the ball arrives, his feet are in a straddle position as if he is trying to run forward with it, before making the save.”

Add Stephens to that going off chasing rabbits and you have a porous defence.

He wasn't fired for coming 8th. He was fired becaue the football was dire.

Are you sure you’re cut out for this football supporter lark?

It depends on which team they’re playing against, of course.

Yeah, it’s always someone else’s fault.

Repeated in The Times today.

That’s what happens when you’ve no class. Which of his colleagues has never made a costly mistake?

You smell nice. Where do you get your hair gel?

Who’d be a manager? You buy a defender for the highest price ever paid and when three goals go in against you he’s nowhere to be seen

What milestone payments might they be? There was no money in it for us.

We seem to buy players who fail both those criteria.

Because usually when a player's sold their wages are no longer on the books. When we buy a player we need to consider the whole package, purchase fee and wages included. It's possible to 'snap up' a player nearing the end of their contract on a very low fee but that can be offset by the higher wages that they expect.

I share your sentiments but you have expressed them far better than I ever could.

I’m not bothered about England. I don’t expect any progress and I don’t expect to be disappointed. I remember 1966 clearly enough (RIP Ray Wilson) and we’ve been going steadily downhill ever since, with one or two blips. I shall probably be caravanning around France for the latter stages anyway and watching selected matches on my phone like last time.

They suit me. I’m tired and grubby too.

Good, that’s one team that will finish below us

They did the jobs that they were brought in for. They were always going to be short term appointments.

It would end up as Virgin Mary’s.

Cheers, enjoy the 'off' season

It's not so much that I'm anti Puel it's just that it was an abject experience barring a couple of highlights.

I'm not a betting man. It's bad enough trying to run your own business.

Give it a rest with all this '8th' nonsense. What was it, 46 points? Leicester ended up on 47 this year with a squad that had won the league very recently so he hasn't actually progressed very far on that basis.

It was an awful, miserable evening. To see the looks afterwards on the little kiddies who were all dressed up in Saints gear and were wondering what all the fuss was about. Nope, it was unforgiiveable and shameful. I would even call it despicable. They took our money under false pretences.

Would anybody want him back here?