geez the new recruits are slop. Enjoy europe this year, wont be near it next. I am disappoint.
Hendo & sterlz can hold there heads high
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geez the new recruits are slop. Enjoy europe this year, wont be near it next. I am disappoint.
Hendo & sterlz can hold there heads high
Cracking finish to get a point. Bloody hell.
Glad markovic sprints back when he turns it over, cause he turns it over every time.
Gerrard with a great free kick and celebration.
Jagielka but. Phwoar. I'm ok to share the points if that is the equaliser.
Need to sort our shit out. Balotelli, hit the target son, you are getting our best chances and ****ing them up when it's harder to miss.
Should've had the game won in the opening 10 minutes.
Barry should've been sent easily. 3 big fouls. Glad he got a card for his first. Then there was another. Then the handball. How is that not a handball and penalty I'll never know.
First 20 was the intensity we need.
Where the **** is Liverpool's movement? There was a point in the first half where Balotelli had the ball on the corner of the box and had zero options. Was a spot in the second half as well where it was in the same corner with Sterling and Coutinho, I think, and they had **** all to do but pass between themselves before they turned it over.
Whether we like to admit it or not, we are missing suarez.
His raw ability to make something happen when it is a flat game was remarkable and the momentum from these moments spurred us on.
Unfortunately he has gone, balotelli is not as sharp as he should be (the bloke could have 5-6 goals now if he took his good chances), Sturridge is injured and in general we are in a rut.
Need to get sturridge fit so he and balotelli can play off each other.
We have enough talent, Rodgers just needs to figure out how to use it.
is average, was never gonna be anywhere near sewerez. spurs & Bale pt2Quote:
Originally Posted by Bremsstrahlung
The biggest concern for me, is our defence.
In my opinion, the vast majority of our goals come directly from errors. We are rarely outplayed when we concede. Last year it was own goals, failure to clear, slips, sloppy passing straight to their attackers. If our goals we are letting in were from well structured attacks, counters or something similar i'd be more pessimistic. But i don't think we are being outplayed by any stretch.
I only saw a bit of the basel game as it was busy at work, but it looked like we were going to go on to win or at least keep a point. Until a shitty mistake at the back.
Mignolet is out of form. His weaknesses are starting to be exploited by coaches. The other week, a ball was rolling into his penalty area, if not near his goal area, he could've came early, picked it up easily, and played out, however he left skrtel, who had an attacker hightailing it behind him, to deal with it and put him under a shitload of pressure. Skrtel accordingly blasted him.
But he refuses to come out. Which doesn't suit the way we are trying to play. We want to play a high intensity pressing game, and be quick on the counter. High pressing means there are going to be a) a high line of defence as we press and b) teams are actually going to need to play long balls to get themselves out of trouble. We need him to act as a sweeper or at least come for any balls that are put through.
Brilliant shot stopper though. Keeps us in games with his saves, but as an overall package I'm not sold.
Better performance. More intense. More creativity. Still a bit off where we should be. But really, a win off Top 4 isn't too bad considering.
Referee was poor. Their penalty, wasn't a penalty. They have a linesman and ref, and the ref had a gooooood long look at it.
Lala's goal was class. that's the kind of spark we need.
Hendo's goal was interesting.
Sterling fouled from behind. Nothing. Gets up, plays it to Henderson. Who slots it. Commentators were saying ref was playing advantage...
I don't think he was gonna give it..Now obviously the outcome is good. But, to say there was an advantage? I disagree. As soon as Sterling is fouled, and falls, there's no immediate advantage, and 99% of refs would call it there and then (if they thought it was a penalty). It's rather lucky that Sterling gets up regathers, passes a player and lays it off to Hendo to hit it through a crowded area.
It was good to see Gerrard playing AM again. Wouldn't mind seeing him given 60min in AM to see how he goes as i don't think he's been playing particularly well at DM.
Sterling is frustrating. He has all the skill, speed and ability to be a great player and gets himself into some great positions, but his touch when en-route to goal needs work. He fixes this, he gets 20+ goals a season. Also rumours he'll be off to Real soon.
Needed this 3 points.
Much better performance = agreed
Stevie @ AM = disagree, don't think he has the legs to play there for an extended period anymore.
Coutinho has been very poor recently, I would be playing Lallana at #10 as soon as Allen is fit and benching Coutinho to use as a sub. Sterling is being overused I think, he and Markovic/Borini need to be interchanged for starting in the front third.
Studge can't get back soon enough.
The win will hopefully instil some badly needed confidence, this team needs to realise they can win and play well without Suarez.
Re Stevie: It's a bit of a Catch-22. His legs are lacking, which is why Rodgers put him up field vs WBA imo. He wanted Lucas (fresh legs) and Hendo (good engines) sitting deeper so they could more efficiently stop an opposition attack. Which i think is a reasonable tactic. Gerrard often gets caught in no mans land, where attackers easily scoot past him, or he is caught out of position, after playing 80 minutes, the effects are compounded. Playing him AM, means he doesn't have to get back quickly as there should be 9 others behind the ball. Maybe its a good tactic when defending a lead.Quote:
Originally Posted by furns
It's been so long since we've seen him play in the advanced role to know what he can still offer in attack. I agree, to play him AM definitely sacrifices the sharpness and skill of our other midfield players like Sterling/Lala, but he can hit a decisive pass (Hendo's distribution is a pretty good option also) and a cracking shot. Probably not what you are after if you're trying to score, but a reasonable option if you are trying to kill the game.
I never really understood the Coutinho love tbh. He gets busy when he comes on though. Thought Markovic was rather poor the other week. Would prefer we give him Cup games/lower table games until he's doing well.
Thought Lambert did well. Once Ballo scores his first, the flood gates should open.
Did you not see his goal against Ludogorets?
Stevie G, Liverpool needs to always be moving forward and IMO Stevie needs to be taken out of the 1st XI. His not getting younger and doesn't have the legs any more, I could see him doing a similar role to Giggs towards the end of his career coming on later in the game when a lot of the pace is gone much like Lampard is doing now and doing well for City.
Raheem needs to play centrally and needs to be given patients his only a kid still 19, look how far his come in the last year, his going to be some player he just needs time. Both PSG and Real are interested but his on the verge of signing an improved contract and I'm confident he'll stay, him and Rodgers seem to have a real good bond.
Hendo is doing a stellar job but seems to be having to much of a workload due to having Stevie next to him I feel. I would like to see Can get more game time I think Jordan and Emre could develop a good partnership given the chance.
All in all the sky is not falling we still look suspect at the back but, if Rodgers sorts out the defence we make the top 4 easily.
I meant league goal, against EPL opposition. He hasn't scored an EPL goal in like 22 matches I think I heard them say? Negating this, he has gotten himself into really good positions and had some great chances that I daresay most players could have finished. At least half of them. Eg vs Everton, point blank, Tim Howard does well though doesn't really know much about it,just makes himself big. And ballo hits it into him. Hopefully as he gets fitter he will get sharper and become a bit of a poacher-esque player. I don't see him making the runs of sturridge or suarez.
On Gerrard again, I watched the last bit again and I still think Gerrard does quite well more advanced. Don't get me wrong, I don't think he should play there every week or for 90 minutes (he won't last the 90). But I think there is the option of playing him there if the match, players available and such warranted.
Playing him central in a 4-2-3-1 with:
--------------------mignolet
Moreno--------Lovren---skrtel--------manq
-----------Allen/hendo-----Can/Lucas-----
Sterling/hendo------gerrard-------lala/cout
-----------------------sturridge
what's everyone's thoughts on rodgers so far this season?
Unchanged. Great manager.
The one question mark I have over him is his ability in the transfer market. He has a very poor record of success.
No Suarez, no party.Quote:
Originally Posted by parksey
My thought's haven't changed. I think the side has been hampered by injuries to some key players from last season in Sturridge, Flannagan, Johnson and Joe Allen which has resulted in some new players being introducted earlier than he probably liked.Quote:
Originally Posted by parksey
I agree with Brem that the purchases from either Rodgers or the "transfer committee" have been probably 1 in 2 or 3 in terms of success. Sturridge, Lallana, Allen, Coutinho - good buys. Assaidi, Borini, Cissokho, Moses (the last two luckily on loan) haven't been. It appears Markovic, Lovren, lambert and Balo could be heading down that path but for me it's FAR too early to call.
Each year it gets harder and harder to make the Top 4. I am worried we won't make the Champions League again this year and it will be a learning curve for Rodgers. However, a positive trait of his is that he does learn.
aaaall round the fields of Anfield road....
Sturridge out with a calf strain.
balotelli press conference
http://files2.coloribus.com/files/ad...mall-69321.jpg
Funny end to the game given the pre-match game they showed highlights for on fox.
Ballotelli though....
I feel for the big man, to be fair it came to him with a bit of pace and bouncing..Quote:
Originally Posted by Bremsstrahlung
the blokes clrealy got the fiirst goal hoodoo on him, as soon as he gets that goal im pretty confident the flood gates will open.....
that last OG would have been balo's
I spose the dissappointment for me is that berisha would be getting more mental each game he doesnt score and tries harder to smash the world up until he scores. Balo seems to accept his fate through depression and inactivity which is what i fkn hate.
I thought this at first. But how long has it been now? He scored against Ludogorets..So i thought that may have spurred him on. But as Hawk says, he's disinterested, he goes missing for periods which is not what we need.Quote:
Originally Posted by cobra23
Borini, though not in the same class, runs his ass off every game trying to spark something. Even Lambert looked to do reasonable the other week. Curious to see how we go Vs madrid
a ticket stuff up by my hotel meant I didn't get to go to QPR v Liverpool - pretty gutted as you can imagine
to make up for it, they've bought us tickets to Liverpool v Real Madrid at Anfield and put us up in their hotel up there
not bad service
That's terrible a team with all that money and stars like Ferdinand, Zamora, Phillips and Chaluka now you're stuck Ronaldo, Bale and Co.Quote:
Originally Posted by boz-monaut
Edit: Woohoo Bale is injured now you don't have to put up with his shit
Nice!Quote:
Originally Posted by boz-monaut
How's the atmosphere boz!
Sounds pretty good on telly.
How's Ancelotti "pass it to Ronaldo"
ronaldo is the biggest c**t in football
(Maybe be references to unpopular beliefs)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DEw7Rl6zGs
Thought we did well first 20, and perhaps with Sturridge up front with/without balo, could've snagged a goal.
Conceding that first one ruined any momentum/morale/confidence that we could get something out of it.
Our defence is shonky as anything. Can't win a ball in the air. Johnson is deadset poor, and how he is England's best fullback option is beyond me. Need 2x CBs.
Our attack without Sturridge is terrible. Balo has potential, but again doesn't look phased. Need a leading line striker ASAP. We have reasonable history with developing top class strikers so hopefully next one isn't too far away.
We played better 2nd half, but probably more Madrid letting up.
wasn't the best game to go to to be honest
shit Madrid are amazing to watch in person though - just class all over the pitch, amazing to watch that level of football, I've not seen anything like it and probably won't again
as for the experience of going to Anfield - it's actually really disorganised, poorly laid out and quite a shit venue in most regards - j guess I'm just used to special bsu and train services, crowd control measures and the sort of thing you'd expect in the first world
still, hearing the kop sing 'you'll never walk alone' is one of the great moments in world sport, it's pretty damn incredible to witness in person
you may be dissapointed with football on your return
Football sucks, ay.
Shitest everQuote:
Originally Posted by Jeterpool
Can we get 3 points tonight?
1. Give balo somebody to play with up front. Give sterling a crack, his raw pace skill and ability would make him a massive threat and successfully take a lot of attention away from balo. Sterling will do any job asked of him.
2. Lucas or Can in defensive midfield. The whole purpose of playing Gerrard deep was to utilise his strengths in a way that we could play him for the full 90. He had Sturridge and Suarez, arguably 2 of the top 5 strikers last year, making runs all over the place. This year he has had nobody making runs and Gerrard is ineffective and teams are easily counteracting that tactic. Put him attacking midfield and ask him for 60 minutes.
3. Give toure another run, by all accounts (I missed it as was overseas) played a top game against Madrid.
-----------balo-----sterling---
----------------Gerrard
Coutinho/lala-----------hendo/lala
------------Lucas/can/Hendo
2.
I thought Mario was also injured?
If that's the case, Borini and Sterling up front please. Our team functions better when there's players making runs up front. Mario's style of, "hit my feet, i'll do the rest" doesn't really suit how we played last year.
A new (or old) approach is needed, we can't stick to this 1 up front thing for much longer, it's killing us.
We need to sign a 30M+ striker this transfer window, or our top 4 hopes are gone.
Sturridge,as good as he was last year, I don't think we should rely on, to play very much (or overly effectively) this season...he's already missed a chunk of the year. Get him fit, then see where we are atm.
Mario - inherited role as sole striker, which doesn't suit him at all, his form is terrible, and his ratio of goals/game is terrible for our main striker atm.
Borini - promising, but not really up to being Liverpool's starting striker
Lambert - played well for southampton last year, and that form could be handy off the bench. Problem is, he needs the game time to refine his skills (use it or lose it).
Origi - leave him on loan to play a year of first team football, bringing him into this shambles wouldn't be good for his confidence.
I think FSG will be pulling the trigger this week. Champs league money>Rodgers payout.
They'd have to have a plan B obviously.
Football is depressing at the moment.
Feel for Rodgers. I feel like this is only 50% his fault. I genuinely saw him as our long term manager. There's talk of Klopp, which might be a decent shake up.
1. Suarez going - I feel like people higher up than Rodgers agreed to let him go as the price was reasonable and after all the bad PR with his bite, they probably saw him as a liability. we went through majority of the transfer window assuming we had Suarez and sturridge to carve it up again, so lambert was brought in to be a sub option.
2. Injury to sturridge - Suarez leaving, meant sturridge was our no1. And it's not like he wasn't worthy of a no1 striker role. He was 2nd to Suarez in epl. And definitely top 10 striker on form. So plans were adjusted for him to inherit no1. An injury to him meant we are without our top 2 strikers from last season.
3. As a result of 1, we needed a big name. We should've played hard ball to get Sanchez imo. Barca wanted Suarez. We had the power. Instead we took a punt on mario, who was probably the biggest name reported as available at the time. And it just hasn't really worked out at the moment.
So you could argue he shouldve brought in a world class striker and world class defender. But with Suarez and sturridge I don't think we had games for a big name. As I say, Suarez leaving lead to the balo panic buy, and the injuries to sturridge mean the panic buy is leading the line. Rodgers biggest weakness since he came in is his transfer market success rate.
The problem with dumping Rodgers now, is finding a good manager that's available mid season and these good managers don't dissown their clubs mid season.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rodgers
So yeah.