Liverpool FC Forum

[Judge]

Funny, Lakes still talks out of his just as much as he did four or five years ago.

To suggest that the reason we failed to win is down to Rafas selections is quite ridiculous.

We had the players on the pitch to win the game and with 150,000,000 set pieces we failed to create a threat on their goal.

to have 150,000,000 we would need to play continuously for 3,000,000 minutes

secondly - we had a goal disallowed after 7 mins and at least 8 clear chances of goal threats on target

AB, you were good at stats, but it is failing you now mate

[Sabre]

S@int fair enough.

Just to clarify, It's true you didn't say explicitly that we haven't progressed, I didn't try to twist your words neither, it was a deduction of mine when you said we have the same problems of old. It *seems* you think we'll struggle again in this kind of game against Stoke or like the Birmingham game last season. And persisting in the same old problems was interpreted as you think we haven't progressed in that aspect.

A little point about Riera, I was mildly optimistic before he came and my position is the same now, he's not a world beater, but I think his contribution will make other players better, and will help more often than not to win games like Stoke. Not certainly the panacea or the cure-all of left wingers but someone that definitely will make us better.

Frustrating games like the last one will occur less with a natural wing player like him and a top notch striker like Torres. That's where I think we have progressed as a team compared to frustrating draws in the past. And that's why I think what happened against Stoke was an accident, more than what will happen often.

On the other hand, good post LFC2007.

[kazza]

Funny, Lakes still talks out of his just as much as he did four or five years ago.

Something about the pot calling the kettle black.

[A.B. 08]

Funny, Lakes still talks out of his just as much as he did four or five years ago.

To suggest that the reason we failed to win is down to Rafas selections is quite ridiculous.

We had the players on the pitch to win the game and with 150,000,000 set pieces we failed to create a threat on their goal.

to have 150,000,000 we would need to play continuously for 3,000,000 minutes

secondly - we had a goal disallowed after 7 mins and at least 8 clear chances of goal threats on target

AB, you were good at stats, but it is failing you now mate

Judge, let me make my self clear. We failed to create any real chances from set-pieces, apart from the goal that was disallowed. (wrongly).

We had more than enough time to score a goal, but it doesnt have anything to do with Benitez making the wrong decisions. It has to do with the players, and we had more than enough quality players to do just that. (score)

Kazza, keep posting mate. I am sure one of these days you will post something worth my while.

[Red Dotty]

I think we have progressed, possibly not to the dizzy heights we were all expecting but improvement is there.

The spine of our team is fantastic with

Pepe in great form
JC doing what he does best
Masch awsome
Alonso getting back to some form
SG not 100% yet
Torres enough said

Last year we dropped points to the so called lesser teams at Anfield that we should have beat but we all know it's the need to pick uppoints against the other big guns that has been our major failing.

It's far to early to be complaining at the moment isn't it?

[Effes]

I agree with S@int when he mentions the way we were playing balls out wide all the time.
It made us a bit predictable, and they weren't too uncomfortable coping with the crosses.

What stood out for me was the lack of movement up front, we were a bit static.
Slow build up play meant our front two were left with their backs to the goal, strolling left and
right while watching the play. We needed players to make darting runs, and mix it up a bit.

There were a few times when Xabi was left to bring it out of defence and I could see Torres
was making a run through the middle of their defence, the pass was defo on - but he chose
to make a "comfortable" pass out wide (9 times out of 10 it would be down the left)

I'm not getting too hung up on the result - but there were some signs that this wasn't just bad luck.

I disagreed with Rafa'a substitutions too - I would have left Riera on, taken Kuyt off and
put Babel on the right - could have given us the chance to get behind BOTH their full-backs.

[account deleted by request]

S@int fair enough.

Just to clarify, It's true you didn't say explicitly that we haven't progressed, I didn't try to twist your words neither, it was a deduction of mine when you said we have the same problems of old. It *seems* you think we'll struggle again in this kind of game against Stoke or like the Birmingham game last season. And persisting in the same old problems was interpreted as you think we haven't progressed in that aspect.

A little point about Riera, I was mildly optimistic before he came and my position is the same now, he's not a world beater, but I think his contribution will make other players better, and will help more often than not to win games like Stoke. Not certainly the panacea or the cure-all of left wingers but someone that definitely will make us better.

Frustrating games like the last one will occur less with a natural wing player like him and a top notch striker like Torres. That's where I think we have progressed as a team compared to frustrating draws in the past. And that's why I think what happened against Stoke was an accident, more than what will happen often.

On the other hand, good post LFC2007.

It wasn't meant as a criticism of our progression Sabre, just my opinion on how we can best improve as a team. Hence I said :-

Its been a problem for 18 years or so, really since Beardsley left....... coincidentally we havent won the league since either.

Rather than simply saying we need better players, or our players arn't good enough, I was trying to indicate where and what type of player I think we need or could improve with.

I think we will continue to struggle to score against teams that play with a lot of men back or against the better defensive sides as our play is too predictable, and as I said too reliant on individual excellence (Torres and Gerrard), a creative second striker while not being the answer to every question, would certainly imo answer quite a few.

[Judge]

Funny, Lakes still talks out of his just as much as he did four or five years ago.

To suggest that the reason we failed to win is down to Rafas selections is quite ridiculous.

We had the players on the pitch to win the game and with 150,000,000 set pieces we failed to create a threat on their goal.

to have 150,000,000 we would need to play continuously for 3,000,000 minutes

secondly - we had a goal disallowed after 7 mins and at least 8 clear chances of goal threats on target

AB, you were good at stats, but it is failing you now mate

Judge, let me make my self clear. We failed to create any real chances from set-pieces, apart from the goal that was disallowed. (wrongly).

We had more than enough time to score a goal, but it doesnt have anything to do with Benitez making the wrong decisions. It has to do with the players, and we had more than enough quality players to do just that. (score)

Kazza, keep posting mate. I am sure one of these days you will post something worth my while.

i agree we shouldve scored, but we did make sorensen save on at least 8 times

that means they are real scoring chances!

[kazza]

Kazza, keep posting mate.

Mate    Don't you mean buddy?

[Owzat]

Here's a positive, at least we only wasted £20.3m on Keane and didn't get GB at £18m+

Why didn't we win on Saturday? Same reason we drew too many at home last season and have been in pretty poor form this season - the man utd game aside. Perhaps we as fans are guilty of overanalysing, the truth is when the opposition are tough to break down or cause us problems, then we don't have an answer. Who is the creativity in midfield? Xabi "long ball" Alonso? Ryan "run with the ball" Babel? Steven "gung ho" Gerrard? Dirk "work hard" Kuyt? Javier "tough tackling" Mascherano? Different visitors, same old story. You don't change one striker in the summer and miraculously fix things, the problem was deeper lying than that (in more ways than one)

[Sabre]

Who is the creativity in midfield? Xabi "long ball" Alonso? Ryan "run with the ball" Babel? Steven "gung ho" Gerrard?  Javier "tough tackling" Mascherano?

And I thought we had one of the best midfield not only of the league but also in Europe. 

[woof woof !]

Without dismissing our shortcomings I think a lot of the reaction Saturdays game is prompted more by our disappointment with the result than our frustration with the performance.

Just watched the match again and despite all the moaning in here we weren't as bad or as ineffective as many suggest. The were several strikes at goal that on any other day we would've scored from. Keane and Torres in particular had couple of great chances but just failed to convert them, this match could just as easily have finished 3 or 4 nil as 0-0. Disappointed with the result but odds on we'll play worse than this and still pick up 3 points.

Shanks after a 0-0 draw at Anfield :
"What can you do, playing against 11 goalposts?"

[taff]

Im happy with the season so far, we have not played particularly well and Torres and keane are not at the top of their game.  My criticism would be not starting with Babel as he looks full of confidence.

We are at the top end of the league and its a marathon not a sprint etc etc etc.  But the criticism we as a club take and to be honest knee jerk on ourselves is crazy when you compare it to other clubs.  Wenger again can do no wrong but didnt they lose to Fulham a few weeks ago, and what have they won in recent seasons.  Great manager and great club but before we harp on about him with the players he finds for nothing isnt Theo over 10 million for a teenager and we were out bid for Ramsey in the summer.  We need to care aboput our club and nobody else.

It seems with us its SEASON OVER but with Man Utd its they will be the ones to beat,  we need to instill that confidence in our team as that is the key issue not have endless debates every week

[zarababe]

What a bizarre result - I predicted a 4-0 win and yet on my way to Norfolk listening to the game on the Radio, when I heard Gerrard's goal being ruled out, it kinda made me feel as if we were destined for a stalemate.

We've gone on about the Manc win (for obvious reasons) and our players have talked much about confidence, but there has to be belief too and at the moment the belief factor is lagging beind what has been a good start to the season. Clearly the saving grace was the fact that the likely (and eventual ) outcome from the Manc/Chels game would be and was a draw, Ar.se are a point ahead and so all-in-all in terms of 'ground' we are still sitting tight.

Mick rightly points out that we mustn't let these type of games get us down - yet, rather look at the bigger picture - Rafa will have them watching this game and analysing what should happen when limited teams come and 'park a bus in front of the goal' (Maureen).

Yes we should have beaten Stoke - no question - but we must earn that 'should' through making our superior class, abilities, experience and skills count. If frustration and doubt creep-in gradually any confidence acquired, fades fast. In a funny way matches like this are a reminder that any superiority must be made to count, it's not just a matter of turning-up.

Belief is a funny word and can be applied to many scenarios - belief in football is that undying 'charge of the cavalier', that until the whistle is blown (where there remains a posibility) the oucome can be influenced.

Its down to the team to ensure that belief never leaves them enbaling superiority, class and consistency to prevail.

I am positive and believe that we will be in this race until the end.

[Lando_Griffin]

Keep calm after that yeah right

Could anyone see that coming a mile away, we have an easy game, chance to go top and stay there

NO CHANCE WE WERE GONA WIN IT! COME ON!

Excuse me, you obstreperous simpleton, you appear to have lost the peanut you were using as a brain...