"Destroyed"?
It was entirely resistible......
We'd have won if it wasn't for a lucky deflection on a shot from outside the box for Diaz.
RM didn't conceed.
Both domestic cup finals = 0-0 after ET.
Surely the creativity and control in Thiago's job description ought to allow them to break teams down? ...That is if he has improved them.
Look, I'm not disputing that Thiago is a good player; but it's highly debatable that's he's improved them.
You seem to be forgetting that the narrative going into the end of the season was that they were struggling to score in big games. Even before then; there's a lot more 1 goal margins in their results than before. Foget possession stats; they're not as dominant.
If I was talking "nonsense" you ought to be able to easily debunk these things.
What the hell does that have to do with their press? Football isn't a science. You can completely dominate one element of play and then lose. Liverpool's press was stifling against us. It pinned us back all game. They then couldn't break us down because we defended valiantly, that doesn't change the fact that when it comes to applying PRESSURE they were very good. Surely you remember how much of a class above Thiago was compared to our midfielders in the game against us?!
Because Courtois had the game of his life.
I think you fundamentally misunderstand Thiago's role, tbh. He's not a direct creator, he conducts play. He helps Liverpool keep possession and will mostly play passes out wide to wing backs who will then play the final ball, because Liverpool's wing backs are their true 'creators'. In the game vs Madrid the service from said wing backs was overly floaty and Courtois dealt with it.
It's not, tbh. He made the PFA players team of the year for a good reason, other pro's recognise what he does and how good a footballer he is. Liverpool may have suffered in certain areas as a team (their transition to possession football is due to Ljinders, not Thiago) but he as an individual has been exceptional.
It's nonsense because what, if Villa hold out to City final day and one of Liverpool's many chances vs Madrid goes in, suddenly Thiago has improved them? No, I judge his impact with my eyes across a season, not one off results. Thiago is a miles better footballer than Wijnaldum, he was at the heart of a treble winning Bayern side ffs. Liverpool's transition style wise might not be one you're fond of, but take it up with Ljinders, not Thiago..
(Anyway .. that's my last post on this, otherwise it's in danger of becoming the Liverpool thread ..)