Liverpool FC Forum

[banana]

Anoter away game. Another defeat. Maybe it's something wrong with the system? Maybe there's someting wrong with the mentality? Maybe there's something wrong with the tactics?

There are a lot of maybes. But there is one thing that is clear to every rational individual. There is something wrong with the players. I don't know where to start. Not one single player wore the shirt with pride today. Ok, I'll give thumbs up for Jamie Carragher. Riise showed a llot of effort. Dudek made some good saves. But that's it. I know we are decimated by injuries and I know some of the lads have just returned from long injury spells and probably not fit yet. But for others, I can not give any pardon. One player really stood out as a scapegoat today. Hyypia. And not only today. He has been extremely poor all season. He simply can not adapt to Benitez more attacking approach. Hyypia and Henchoz were great at defending the box when Gerrard and Hamann did all the work just in front of them. But this year when we push the line further up field and Gerrard and the other midfielders try to do other things than defend deep it just falls apart. Without protection from Hamann and Gerrard Hyypia gets exposed time and again. Like today when he allowed Pennant to slide behind his back and have a go at goal only to be denied by a brilliant Dudek save. And throughout the game Hyypia was terrorised by Heskey. Heskey won 90% of the headers. What about the penalty? Hyypia was out of position once again, and instead of getting back between Heskey and the goal he made a clumsy challenge from behind and the referee had no other option than giving the home side a penalty. That was the 5th time in the first 45 minutes that Hyypia was out of position and this time there was no Dudek or Carragher to save his azz. At 2-0 down it was all over. At home vs Fulham last weekend Hyypia and Garcia was to blame for Cole's goal. Garcia lost posession in midfield. That was by it self a bad error, but what was to follow was much worse. Only cole was in a dangerous position and Hyypia had every opportunity to deny cole space in front of goal. But instead of doing just that he was caught ball watching and allowed him to score a simple goal behind his back. I fully blame Hyypia for both goals away to blackburn, both away at fulham, one goal at Soton and many many more. He is not only directly responsible for a lot of goals. He makes the rest feel unsafe and vulnerable and we are always at risk of loosing goals with simple through balls and counter attacks because his lack of pace. I get sick when I try to think back at all the costly errors he has made, can't do that no more I just lose sleep. When we are up against pacey skillful strikers like Henry and Nistelroy it is obvious that they sooner rather than later will get a shot on goal behind Hyypias back. It is tragic that we have no really good central defender like Rio Ferdinand or Campbell or Gallas. That is a big big drawback for us. Carragher is good, but he is not yet in Gallas or Campbells league. Next season we have to sign two new central defenders of superb quality. They must have pace and strenght and also be able to distribute the ball well and play som decent creative balls every now and then. Right now there is no creativity at the back and hardly no creativity in midfield. And the end product is sad. Did we create more than ONE good goal scoring opportunity today, maybe I am wrong in claiming one good chance. We probably created ZERO. But how can we create when we have 20 dead legs on the pitch. Hyypia, Carragher, Traore, Biscan, Hamann, Riise ..... not the most creative set of players around?

When all this is said, I still feel we have made good progress from last season. Houllier had made us a counter attacking team. We defended deep down in our own half Wimbledon style and hoofed the ball up to our strikers. That was even worse. We played anti football. Now with Benitez the players have to play pass and move football again and they can't do it. They do not have the skills for that kind of football. Houllier did this to us. He just friggin concentrated on defending the box and we forgot how to play REAL football. Now we have to start all over again and build a new team. And we all know it is much harder to make a good attacking team than there is to build a defensive wall just in front of the box. So I'm afraid we have to hope for 4th spot and just try to prepare for a decent title shot next season at full strenght with some new additions, particularly some new defenders. And with no Hyypia. Hyypia officially DIED today february 13 2005.


Ratings:

Dudek 7          saved our azz a few times

Finnan 5        (did you cross the halfway line today?)
Carragher 6        never threathned. good positioning, solid tackling
Hyypia 2        created 3 goal scoring opportunities for birmingham and one penalty (another nightmare game)
Traore 3       What is there to say? Bad defending at 2nd goal

Biscan't 3         miracles don't happen
Hamann 4         never bossed midfield like he can do at his best
Gerrard 5          not his best game
Riise 6              always running and trying, bad defending at 2nd goal

Baros 5          bad game from our star striker
Morientes 5          no movement, slow and effortless

[el_stinger]

None of em were above 5 mate, your doing the team justice with this tripe.

[crazyhorse]

Ratings:

Dudek 7          saved our azz a few times

Finnan 5        (did you cross the halfway line today?)
Carragher 6        never threathned. good positioning, solid tackling
Hyypia 2        created 3 goal scoring opportunities for birmingham and one penalty (another nightmare game)
Traore 3       What is there to say? Bad defending at 2nd goal

Biscan't 3         miracles don't happen
Hamann 4         never bossed midfield like he can do at his best
Gerrard 5          not his best game
Riise 6              always running and trying, bad defending at 2nd goal

Baros 5          bad game from our star striker
Morientes 5          no movement, slow and effortless

Agreed. The more i look at the above team sheet the more i worry.

Although we have a few very decent players (Carra, Risse, Finnan) and two world class players (Gerrard, Morientes) the rest look like a sad collection of players who are way past their best or some whose best is never good enough.

If you take the team lists from 1985 - and look at them for every five years up to now, comparing them to the above you will really see the problems. Every time the present day team comes in second in comparrison to the teams from the past.

That tells me, and it is very sad to do so that this is possibly the worst Liverpool team in 20 years, and shows us exactly the magnitude of the task Rafa has. I hate to say it, every season i think that we can go out and win the lot and show everyone that LFC is the best - and now even though we are the best club with the most successful history we are not the best team.

It took Alex Fergusson nearly 10 years to turn a ****** Manure into league champions and i am afraid that we may have to wait that long as well. We do have the advantage of a better starting point and the club has a reputation for sticking with managers and giving them a good chance to prove themselves.

We can and will do it, but i am at present unsure how and when this will happen. The key to it is securing the financial future of this football club and getting to the new stadium, attracting the big players and getting the feelgood factor back again.

I am not slagging the team or the club off in any way. We all love this club and want the best.

[Alonso_Rulz]

the center back u want is a dream CB for every team.. but u must realised it is a dream... tell mi .. who is that gd... strong, creative , gd at distributing balls? who..

[crazyhorse]

What about trying to get Mmathew Upson from Brum.... A good player who would not be too expensive?

[crazyhorse]

There are players out there who will not break the bank in the Summer. I would like to see us go out and sign Green from Norwich in the summer. We will then have him and Kirks fighting for the number 1 jersey and Carson for the future.

[Leonmc0708]

Anoter away game. Another defeat. Maybe it's something wrong with the system? Maybe there's someting wrong with the mentality? Maybe there's something wrong with the tactics?

There are a lot of maybes. But there is one thing that is clear to every rational individual. There is something wrong with the players. I don't know where to start. Not one single player wore the shirt with pride today. Ok, I'll give thumbs up for Jamie Carragher. Riise showed a llot of effort. Dudek made some good saves. But that's it. I know we are decimated by injuries and I know some of the lads have just returned from long injury spells and probably not fit yet. But for others, I can not give any pardon. One player really stood out as a scapegoat today. Hyypia. And not only today. He has been extremely poor all season. He simply can not adapt to Benitez more attacking approach. Hyypia and Henchoz were great at defending the box when Gerrard and Hamann did all the work just in front of them. But this year when we push the line further up field and Gerrard and the other midfielders try to do other things than defend deep it just falls apart. Without protection from Hamann and Gerrard Hyypia gets exposed time and again. Like today when he allowed Pennant to slide behind his back and have a go at goal only to be denied by a brilliant Dudek save. And throughout the game Hyypia was terrorised by Heskey. Heskey won 90% of the headers. What about the penalty? Hyypia was out of position once again, and instead of getting back between Heskey and the goal he made a clumsy challenge from behind and the referee had no other option than giving the home side a penalty. That was the 5th time in the first 45 minutes that Hyypia was out of position and this time there was no Dudek or Carragher to save his azz. At 2-0 down it was all over. At home vs Fulham last weekend Hyypia and Garcia was to blame for Cole's goal. Garcia lost posession in midfield. That was by it self a bad error, but what was to follow was much worse. Only cole was in a dangerous position and Hyypia had every opportunity to deny cole space in front of goal. But instead of doing just that he was caught ball watching and allowed him to score a simple goal behind his back. I fully blame Hyypia for both goals away to blackburn, both away at fulham, one goal at Soton and many many more. He is not only directly responsible for a lot of goals. He makes the rest feel unsafe and vulnerable and we are always at risk of loosing goals with simple through balls and counter attacks because his lack of pace. I get sick when I try to think back at all the costly errors he has made, can't do that no more I just lose sleep. When we are up against pacey skillful strikers like Henry and Nistelroy it is obvious that they sooner rather than later will get a shot on goal behind Hyypias back. It is tragic that we have no really good central defender like Rio Ferdinand or Campbell or Gallas. That is a big big drawback for us. Carragher is good, but he is not yet in Gallas or Campbells league. Next season we have to sign two new central defenders of superb quality. They must have pace and strenght and also be able to distribute the ball well and play som decent creative balls every now and then. Right now there is no creativity at the back and hardly no creativity in midfield. And the end product is sad. Did we create more than ONE good goal scoring opportunity today, maybe I am wrong in claiming one good chance. We probably created ZERO. But how can we create when we have 20 dead legs on the pitch. Hyypia, Carragher, Traore, Biscan, Hamann, Riise ..... not the most creative set of players around?

When all this is said, I still feel we have made good progress from last season. Houllier had made us a counter attacking team. We defended deep down in our own half Wimbledon style and hoofed the ball up to our strikers. That was even worse. We played anti football. Now with Benitez the players have to play pass and move football again and they can't do it. They do not have the skills for that kind of football. Houllier did this to us. He just friggin concentrated on defending the box and we forgot how to play REAL football. Now we have to start all over again and build a new team. And we all know it is much harder to make a good attacking team than there is to build a defensive wall just in front of the box. So I'm afraid we have to hope for 4th spot and just try to prepare for a decent title shot next season at full strenght with some new additions, particularly some new defenders. And with no Hyypia. Hyypia officially DIED today february 13 2005.


Ratings:

Dudek 7          saved our azz a few times

Finnan 5        (did you cross the halfway line today?)
Carragher 6        never threathned. good positioning, solid tackling
Hyypia 2        created 3 goal scoring opportunities for birmingham and one penalty (another nightmare game)
Traore 3       What is there to say? Bad defending at 2nd goal

Biscan't 3         miracles don't happen
Hamann 4         never bossed midfield like he can do at his best
Gerrard 5          not his best game
Riise 6              always running and trying, bad defending at 2nd goal

Baros 5          bad game from our star striker
Morientes 5          no movement, slow and effortless

I must say that I am surprised that your choice of "scape goat" this time is Sami, it is usually an English player who you choose to blame for our defeats.

1)  The mere fact that you chose to call Sami a scape goat rather than simply single him out as a weak link tells me a lot about your motives.

2)  To think that one single player was the reason for a lack lustre display by the whole team shows a distinct lack of football knowledge.

3)  Your reluctance to punctuate and hit the return key every few sentences makes your posts painfully difficult to read.

As Stu would say, "get a clue" lad.

[Red Macgregor]

Hyppia was awful against Fulham, Cole took the pi$$ out of him. Claiming to have scored the goal took the heat away from his poor performance.

[Leonmc0708]

Hyppia was awful against Fulham, Cole took the pi$$ out of him. Claiming to have scored the goal took the heat away from his poor performance.

Get off the bandwagon and take a look at the bigger picture lad.

[Red Macgregor]

Get Real yourself Sunshine!  Open your blinkered vision to what is happening out there on the park.

[Ciggy]

Get Real yourself Sunshine!  Open your blinkered vision to what is happening out there on the park.

He  goes to nearly every game im sure hes not as blinkerd as most of us are at times. suppose the truth hurts and we dont want to admit it.

[Red Macgregor]

Get Real yourself Sunshine!  Open your blinkered vision to what is happening out there on the park.

He Leon goes to nearly every game im sure hes not as blinkerd as most of us.

Don't talk daft, he's the idiot who had a rage about people out of town not being qualified to pass any opinion's. The guy is a bigot !

[hobbes]

Oh.. dont blame on Hypia alone. i would not blame Hypia alone. The bloody squad played like they are up against a school soccer team.

Liverpool gave up.! Liverpool just let go . Liverpool donated  3 points to Birmingham

Overall bad performance. Conceding penalty is not a big sin but giving up is!!!!

[wee_boi888]

Get Real yourself Sunshine!  Open your blinkered vision to what is happening out there on the park.

He Leon goes to nearly every game im sure hes not as blinkerd as most of us.

Don't talk daft, he's the idiot who had a rage about people out of town not being qualified to pass any opinion's. The guy is a bigot !

Though I agree with the final statement top some extent that this board kinda gets heated up when someone says something contradictory to one's own views.

Just a discussion, don't make it an argument.

My oppion is that Hyppia didn't do too bad except he completely failed to mark Cole on that goal.

But on the basis on the zonal system, I think it was Traore who was sposed to cover for the deep cross?

[Santa]

Hyypia was marking no one when the cross came in. He was unaware of the run made by Cole. Troare was tracking back and too far behind Cole to do anything about it.