Not quite as clear cut as that is it? By your logic the Everton team that beat City 4-0 in Guardiola's first season must make them an exceptional team too then?Bob Bayliss wrote: ↑Sun Dec 30, 2018 1:26 pmThe lack of respect for this Liverpool team and its manager by a couple of people on here is pretty pathetic.
Yes, we all know about the 'victim' thing and I have been as cynical as anyone about chips on the shoulders of scousers down the years. Liverpool sides from previous eras have also had their share of players who are fully deserving of abuse (Souness, Aldridge and others). No more than most teams, and fewer than United, I'd suggest.
But for the life of me I don't see what there is to doubt about the quality of this Liverpool team, or to dislike about them (ok so Salah wins the odd soft penalty.....Bobby Pires v Portsmouth in the Invincibles season, anyone?) For them to be even challenging this phenomenal City squad for the title is an achievement.
Similarly, on both a personal and professional level, what is there not to like or admire about Klopp? If we had got him three years ago instead of hanging on to Inspector Clueless, I suspect we would now be a lot closer to where they are. Granted, he would not have persuaded Kronke to give him big money for a goalkeeper and centre-back, but he would nonetheless have bought much better players below that bracket than those we bought. Mustafi, Xhaka, Mane and Salah all cost about £35 million. Enough said.
and got so much more from the team as a whole.
Those who are (reasonably) defending Dick against this performance and result can't have it both ways. It's true that he hasn't had enough time to turn around the mess he inherited, especially in defence, but if there were progress then we shouldn't be so thoroughly outplayed by any opposition.....unless they are an exceptional team. I would accept that they are, but if you disagree then you really need to ask yourself why Emery should not be under the microscope. Pick a lane.
Liverpool are a very, very good team who have been built under a very, very good manager for a period of just over 3 years. He has bought very wisely but until he smashed the bank and paid £80m for a keeper and £75m for a defender the widely held view is that he still wouldn't win the title. Saleh and Mane have been exceptional buys for certain. What will make him an EXCEPTIONAL manager and them an EXCEPTIONAL team is if and when they go on and beat City to the PL title and win a CL. If they go the whole season unbeaten that would also make them exceptional, To be leading at half way makes them a very good team who might go on to be an exceptional one
Of course it goes without saying that Klopp would have been a significant upgrade on Wenger - that much is 100% true but most of us with hair in funny places said years ago that Kroenke was destroying the club by awarding the old fart contract after contract as we slowly got overtaken by just about everyone around us. Liverpool went years without CL football, as did Spurs and both of them earn significantly less matchday revenues than us.....but still Wenger was allowed to continue spunking millions and taking us below those two.
The question from me is.....if it's not Wenger and not Emery then realistically who is it? Who is out there to unwind 10 years of regression and lack of defensive awareness inside 4 months on a shoestring with a defence full of has beens and never will be's?