The Game's Gone

[bobzy]

20 hours ago, Zatman said:

If Mourinho did any of these antics Klopp does the media would have a field day, an absolute bellend of the highest order. Perfect clearing in the woods for the perfect club

Your hatred is hilarious. He’s completely and utterly spot on with what he’s saying.

[Mic09]

57 minutes ago, bobzy said:

Your hatred is hilarious. He’s completely and utterly spot on with what he’s saying.

Words and actions are different. 

I couldn't give a crap what he says about a tight game schedule. If I did I'd put on Sky Sports News.

The fact that he is not going to be there to manage and watch his team, regardless of who he picks, is very poor. 

[OutByEaster?]

I think the question for the FA is "What is a Liverpool team?"

For me, the answer to that doesn't necessarily need to have Mo Salah in it, or to have Trent Alexander Armstrong in it; I believe it needs to be eleven players registered to Liverpool and managed by Jurgen Klopp. If he doesn't turn up - then for my money Liverpool haven't turned up.

Klopp should have to stand on that touchline in the rain or he should be sitting in the stand for the rest of the season - he knows exactly what he's doing here and it's nothing to do with the two footballing bodies ability to organise things - they've bent over backwards for him - he's using the gap between them to find a way out of having to be at the replay so he can spend time with a first team group on a beach - and he has absolutely no concern for the repercussions that had on English football. Is he personally so exhausted that an eleven day break won't do it, that it's the full fourteen or nothing? I don't care who he does or doesn't pick, but he should be on the sideline and if he's not, there should be strong action against him.

He's gone right down in my estimation this season - it should be the best season of his life and he's done nothing but moan and scheme and plot and blame from the day it started. He's becoming a blight on the game.

 

[bobzy]

52 minutes ago, Mic09 said:

Words and actions are different. 

I couldn't give a crap what he says about a tight game schedule. If I did I'd put on Sky Sports News.

The fact that he is not going to be there to manage and watch his team, regardless of who he picks, is very poor. 

The PL have threatened clubs who don’t stick to the winter break. The FA then chuck a replay in the middle of said break. He’s completely correct. 

[bobzy]

3 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said:

I think the question for the FA is "What is a Liverpool team?"

For me, the answer to that doesn't necessarily need to have Mo Salah in it, or to have Trent Alexander Armstrong in it; I believe it needs to be eleven players registered to Liverpool and managed by Jurgen Klopp. If he doesn't turn up - then for my money Liverpool haven't turned up.

Klopp should have to stand on that touchline in the rain or he should be sitting in the stand for the rest of the season - he knows exactly what he's doing here and it's nothing to do with the two footballing bodies ability to organise things - they've bent over backwards for him - he's using the gap between them to find a way out of having to be at the replay so he can spend time with a first team group on a beach - and he has absolutely no concern for the repercussions that had on English football. Is he personally so exhausted that an eleven day break won't do it, that it's the full fourteen or nothing? I don't care who he does or doesn't pick, but he should be on the sideline and if he's not, there should be strong action against him.

He's gone right down in my estimation this season - it should be the best season of his life and he's done nothing but moan and scheme and plot and blame from the day it started. He's becoming a blight on the game.

They've (including most England managers) campaigned for a winter break for ages - it finally gets introduced and the FA goes "no, **** that, you're playing a replay lads"?  Teams will have planned for it, weeks in advance, and then it just gets chucked out.  It's an utter farce. 

He's completely correct - and don't even get me started on cup replays.

[lapal_fan]

I don't care that the players have been honoured their holiday, but Klopp should be there if he is managing the club.

He's not playing, fitness and rest doesn't affect him, it's at anfield, not some European club in the middle of nowhere.

A lot of people have to work unexpected overtime, why is he different, just because his club are successful?

He should want to win trophies, not treat them like they are immaterial.

His acolytes on social media are just as bad.

Edited January 27, 2020 by lapal_fan

[Stevo985]

Yeah I'm no fan of Klopp but I think he has a point here.

They've been told to honour the break. No glamour friendlies, no flying round the world spinning money on promotional tours. It's a rest.

And then they get a replay stuck in the middle of it.

[Mic09]

16 minutes ago, bobzy said:

The PL have threatened clubs who don’t stick to the winter break. The FA then chuck a replay in the middle of said break. He’s completely correct. 

That's not the point.

The point is he is not there to manage his team.

He can rotate whoever he wants, play the u12 for all I care, but as a manager I expect him to be there. If I was a Liverpool fan I'd be furious.

Because I'm not, I just think he is a prick.

[OutByEaster?]

11 minutes ago, bobzy said:

They've (including most England managers) campaigned for a winter break for ages - it finally gets introduced and the FA goes "no, **** that, you're playing a replay lads"?  Teams will have planned for it, weeks in advance, and then it just gets chucked out.  It's an utter farce. 

He's completely correct - and don't even get me started on cup replays.

Those teams have been told, months in advance by the FA that FA Cup replays might be in this gap - a message that's also been conveyed by the Premier League - the caveat on the break was that they don't use it as a money spinning opportunity for friendlies, not that they give up on other tournaments  - they've signed up to take part in the FA cup and they should do just that - we're talking about shortening their break from 14 days to 11 days - that's the price of success, it's why Liverpool have 50 players on their books, it's normal, it's football, it's why they have squads - the only reason is feels different is because this gobby German has been banging on about Liverpool and the pressure they're under to fulfill fixtures all season. The club world cup was different - FIFA insisted and it was out of the clubs hands - in those exceptional circumstances that's acceptable - in these completely unexceptional circumstances, we've essentially got a manager, not a team, but a manager telling the FA he's too big for them.

 

 

[OutByEaster?]

6 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

Yeah I'm no fan of Klopp but I think he has a point here.

They've been told to honour the break. No glamour friendlies, no flying round the world spinning money on promotional tours. It's a rest.

And then they get a replay stuck in the middle of it.

They've been told to honour the break and not use it as a chance to make money on the sly - both the FA and the league have been clear with clubs that this would happen for the last couple of months - Klopp's kept his enormous mouth shut on that. The FA have moved the 5th round of the cup to midweek, they're getting rid of replays in the later rounds - all to please just half a dozen of the hundreds of clubs that enter the tournament - and those same clubs are now using the Premier leagues winter break to try to bully them into more. 

They've given him everything he's asked for, bent over backwards to give him every chance and he doesn't have the simple common decency to attend a game played by the team that he manages. 

 

[Dr_Pangloss]

Liverpool, always the 'victims'.

[bobzy]

7 minutes ago, Mic09 said:

That's not the point.

The point is he is not there to manage his team.

He can rotate whoever he wants, play the u12 for all I care, but as a manager I expect him to be there. If I was a Liverpool fan I'd be furious.

Because I'm not, I just think he is a prick.

They're just making a point - which, again, is utterly correct.  Klopp won't have just gone "I'm not doing it".  Come on, man  

 

3 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said:

Those teams have been told, months in advance by the FA that FA Cup replays might be in this gap - a message that's also been conveyed by the Premier League - the caveat on the break was that they don't use it as a money spinning opportunity for friendlies, not that they give up on other tournaments  - they've signed up to take part in the FA cup and they should do just that - we're talking about shortening their break from 14 days to 11 days - that's the price of success, it's why Liverpool have 50 players on their books, it's normal, it's football, it's why they have squads - the only reason is feels different is because this gobby German has been banging on about Liverpool and the pressure they're under to fulfill fixtures all season. The club world cup was different - FIFA insisted and it was out of the clubs hands - in those exceptional circumstances that's acceptable - in these completely unexceptional circumstances, we've essentially got a manager, not a team, but a manager telling the FA he's too big for them.

The message from the Premier League was that clubs weren't to engage in competitive or friendly matches - not just money spinners.

If they wanted this sorted properly, they(football governing bodies)'d sack replays off and get rid of the League Cup.  Instead, they keep two cup competitions, replays, add in a winter break, cite that you shouldn't play in this period then bring replays into it.  Liverpool are making a point, which is correct, and getting plenty talking about it.

The problem here isn't Liverpool/Klopp, it's the people "running" the game.

 

(And, as you say, teams have massive squads so they're entitled to field weakened sides if they wish, or have different people leading the games.)

[OutByEaster?]

1 minute ago, bobzy said:

The problem here isn't Liverpool/Klopp, it's the people "running" the game.

I could not disagree more. The people running the game have done everything possible to fit Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool's desire to wring every penny out of this season into their planning - it's not enough for him - he's a spoiled child.

He can play any of the dozens of players in his absolutely enormous squad that he likes, that's his prerogative - but he's the manager and he should be there to manage them - that's his job. 

His decision not to be there has nothing to do with tiredness, winter breaks or fixture congestion and everything to do with him playing politics for his own ends. 

[Mic09]

8 minutes ago, bobzy said:

They're just making a point - which, again, is utterly correct.  Klopp won't have just gone "I'm not doing it".  Come on, man  

He is making as much of a point as a little kid who says he won't eat his salad, although the parents have stuffed his face with ice cream at every previous request.

[Stevo985]

14 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said:

They've been told to honour the break and not use it as a chance to make money on the sly - both the FA and the league have been clear with clubs that this would happen for the last couple of months - Klopp's kept his enormous mouth shut on that. The FA have moved the 5th round of the cup to midweek, they're getting rid of replays in the later rounds - all to please just half a dozen of the hundreds of clubs that enter the tournament - and those same clubs are now using the Premier leagues winter break to try to bully them into more. 

They've given him everything he's asked for, bent over backwards to give him every chance and he doesn't have the simple common decency to attend a game played by the team that he manages. 

 

I do agree that Klopp should be there even if the team isn't. I still think it's a pretty shitty situation though

[sne]

1 minute ago, Mic09 said:

He is making as much of a point as a little kid who says he won't eat his salad, although the parents have stuffed his face with ice cream at every previous request.

and that's coming from Eric Cartman  

[OutByEaster?]

2 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

I do agree that Klopp should be there even if the team isn't. I still think it's a pretty shitty situation though

That shitty situation is English football and I don't think it's broken - but I think Klopp has the ability to wail loudly enough that people will believe it is.

The ongoing process of removing the randomness from the sport to protect the money - seeding and groups in Europe, increases in the number of substitutes allowed on the field and on benches, the removal of tiring replays, huge squads, armies of loan players - all of those things for me make the game worse - I will happily see a player tired in order to make the game better - we need to find ways to make it tougher on the bigger teams to use their enormous resources to overcome their opposition, we need to be working on ways back to parity - that's what makes the game better - Klopp is looking to exploit a gap between governing bodies to protect the advantages already available to bigger clubs by constantly protesting that those advantages are in fact shortcomings.

The game against Shrewsbury was Liverpool's 38th of the season; it was Shrewsbury's 36th of the season. 

[Mic09]

11 minutes ago, sne said:

and that's coming from Eric Cartman  

Respect my authority

[HanoiVillan]

Klopp and Liverpool had a point…but this is a d*ck move

'Liverpool are the passive aggressive boyfriend who is stubbornly taking everything their partner says entirely literally.

“The Premier League asked us to respect the winter break. That’s what we do,” Klopp said on Sunday. “If the FA doesn’t respect that, then we cannot change it. We will not be there.”

It is childish, it is pathetic, it is immature. It is a cheap point-scoring exercise that realistically serves the interests of no-one.

There are players in the first-team squad who need minutes. Dejan Lovren, Joel Matip, Fabinho and Takumi Minamino would benefit far more from an extra game than another fortnight on the sidelines. The replay will be Liverpool’s 41st game of the season and Shrewsbury’s 39th. If one of those sides cannot accommodate another match it should be the team in League One, not the runaway Premier League leaders.

There was at least a valid excuse when Neil Critchley was charged with taking the Reds into battle against Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup last month. All avenues had been considered, all routes examined, all alternatives exhausted. Liverpool deserved sympathy then but opprobrium now.

[...]

No-one is advocating for them to name a full-strength side against Shrewsbury, but it would be nice if Liverpool’s manager at least saw fit to manage whatever team is fielded.

There is no possible argument for Klopp not to be in charge. Liverpool are not embarking on a warm-weather mid-season trip to sunnier climes. Even if the manager deems the ‘winter break’ sacrosanct in terms of his squad, why is it important for Klopp himself to sit it out?'

more on link: https://www.football365.com/news/jurgen-klopp-liverpool-fa-cup-replay-opinion

[HanoiVillan]

1 hour ago, OutByEaster? said:

The FA have moved the 5th round of the cup to midweek, they're getting rid of replays in the later rounds - all to please just half a dozen of the hundreds of clubs that enter the tournament - and those same clubs are now using the Premier leagues winter break to try to bully them into more.

It's so desperately sad. If these clubs don't want to participate in the FA Cup, they shouldn't, but they shouldn't get to ruin it for everyone else. We're changing the whole structure of English cup competition just for the benefit of six or seven clubs with massive resources so that they can benefit in European competition. Meanwhile the clubs who desperately need the chance to fight for replays and eyeballs on TV, the clubs that never get anything at all, just have to suck up yet more rubbish so that foreign football managers with no long-term commitment to the health of the game in this country propose sacking off a tournament with more than a hundred years history, and if that makes me sound Brexit then too **** bad.