Liverpool FC Forum

[woof woof !]

you dont get points for hittnig the woodwork, what was the difference shots on target? even that dont count, its on goals. and we were 1-0 up til we lost soe players through injury.

thats how i see it

We lost players well before they equalised and yes maybe the game would have turned out differently had Torres and Alonso not been injured. As for shots on target, I think the last stats I saw were 10 for them 8 for us, certainly no great difference there. What is not reflected in that stat is two shots that aren't included  because they weren't on target and LUCKILY for us they weren't because our goal on each occasion was wide open.

[112-1077774096]

from football365


Liverpool remain an indefinable work in debatable progress. Consistent only by their inconsistency, they are a plethora of contradictions: Undefeated yet unconvincing, powerful but bereft of authority, resolute without inspiring confidence.

A mirror of their manager, Liverpool are impossible to work out.

Rafa's first surprise of the afternoon was the introduction of a new formation. Designed to harass, it was vindicated by Steven Gerrard's sixth-minute opener. Yet the benefits were merely temporary, and the Gunners subsequently simply played out of their opponents' reach. That Benitez felt compelled to change his side's formation in order to obstruct their opponents was instructive. That is not generally the method or mentality of a title-aspiring team. The absence of authority in the Liverpool team - depending on your point of view, either the cause or the consequence of the change in system - was obvious and, ultimately, telling.

The loss of the under-rated Xabi Alonso was critical and deprived Benitez of one of the few technically-accomplished players he possesses. That the Spaniard has apparently suffered a reoccurrence of his broken metatarsal added considerable insult to literal injury.

Yet injuries are a smokescreen for Liverpool's wider problems, summed up by the deployment of Dirk Kuyt and Andriy Voronin, neither of whom had the pace or trickery to cause bother, out wide. What were the thoughts of Ryan Babel and Yossi Benayoun as they looked on from the bench? Somewhere at Liverpool, a good team is threatening to break loose. It would be a relief if Benitez finally unleashed it.

[Effes]

I did think that we were standing off them too much in the 2nd half
as Feeney stated before.

[kobashi]

when it comes to passing and moving it seems like we are miles behind arsenal and utd.  I know some people don't wanna admit it but it is a fact. 

when do we cut teams open like they both do?  I remember a time when we could outplay any team (home or away)..

[puroresu]

I did think that we were standing off them too much in the 2nd half
as Feeney stated before.

I dont know.  If u play that constantly pressing game chasing after everything the pace will drop and eventually players will get tired and not keep it up to such a high level. 


Shots on target is not an indicator on who was the better side.  We are the home side and should be forcing the game so if anything should have more shots.  To me it looked like we were the away side. Arsenal may of set out to play on the break but didn't need to as they had so much possession due to our inability to keep the ball.  Why does it seem such a task for our players to play 1 and two touch football.  It seems just playing triangles and finding space to receive a pass is a difficulty.

[burjennio]

There seems to be two thoughts of opinion on the game yesterday throught the thread the first being:

a) A draw was a positive result given Arsenals current form and the injuries sustained during the game

b) That we were outclassed and outplayed by a team we finished ahead of in the last two seasons

The word that for me best describles the game is frustrating. Frustrating in that after a great start we started to give Arsenal too much space to play.

Frustrating that several of our players look uncomfortable in possession of the ball, and look to hoof it at the first available opportunity, inviting more Arsenal possession.

Frustrating that three of our most influential  players broke down.

And most frustratingly of all that every time we got our foot on the ball and started to PASS we looked like a completely different side, and one that could ahve went on to win the game

[HacksawJimDuggin]

As gutted as I am in (probably) losing Alonso, Mascerano and Torres for (likely) a lengthy period of time there might be a little blessing in disguise here....I am ever the optimist!!!

Maybe it will see Rafa settle with a side and play 2,3,4...5 games with that same XL. Get the likes of Babel, Yossi, Leiva and Momo (as bad as he's been of late we all know what he can do!) in the team for a period of time and lets see what they can do. Hopefully we'll be able to hang on in there so that when our injured players return we can push on!!

[stmichael]

when it comes to passing and moving it seems like we are miles behind arsenal and utd.  I know some people don't wanna admit it but it is a fact. 

when do we cut teams open like they both do?  I remember a time when we could outplay any team (home or away)..

Fair enough, when you watch the way Arsenal play it's very easy to go get downheartened - it was mesmeric at times and you have to take your hat off to Wenger. Saying that: the game plan from Rafa was far from bad. In fact, if it wasn't for the utterly anonymous (albeit injured) Torres, we really could've beaten a team who have exploded out the blocks this season.

FWIW I think Arsenal will stuff United next week.

[Avi Cohen]

from football365


Liverpool remain an indefinable work in debatable progress. Consistent only by their inconsistency, they are a plethora of contradictions: Undefeated yet unconvincing, powerful but bereft of authority, resolute without inspiring confidence.

A mirror of their manager, Liverpool are impossible to work out.

Rafa's first surprise of the afternoon was the introduction of a new formation. Designed to harass, it was vindicated by Steven Gerrard's sixth-minute opener. Yet the benefits were merely temporary, and the Gunners subsequently simply played out of their opponents' reach. That Benitez felt compelled to change his side's formation in order to obstruct their opponents was instructive. That is not generally the method or mentality of a title-aspiring team. The absence of authority in the Liverpool team - depending on your point of view, either the cause or the consequence of the change in system - was obvious and, ultimately, telling.

The loss of the under-rated Xabi Alonso was critical and deprived Benitez of one of the few technically-accomplished players he possesses. That the Spaniard has apparently suffered a reoccurrence of his broken metatarsal added considerable insult to literal injury.

Yet injuries are a smokescreen for Liverpool's wider problems, summed up by the deployment of Dirk Kuyt and Andriy Voronin, neither of whom had the pace or trickery to cause bother, out wide. What were the thoughts of Ryan Babel and Yossi Benayoun as they looked on from the bench? Somewhere at Liverpool, a good team is threatening to break loose. It would be a relief if Benitez finally unleashed it.

The sign of a good writer is saying everything with the least amount of words. Good piece - sums us up.

[taff]

Can I just ask why nobody has mentioned the handball which should have been a penalty but a few people have mentioned Carra's shirt tug.

[Ace Ventura]

I did think that we were standing off them too much in the 2nd half
as Feeney stated before.

I dont know.  If u play that constantly pressing game chasing after everything the pace will drop and eventually players will get tired and not keep it up to such a high level. 


Shots on target is not an indicator on who was the better side.  We are the home side and should be forcing the game so if anything should have more shots.  To me it looked like we were the away side. Arsenal may of set out to play on the break but didn't need to as they had so much possession due to our inability to keep the ball.  Why does it seem such a task for our players to play 1 and two touch football.  It seems just playing triangles and finding space to receive a pass is a difficulty.

While i agree to an extent about forcing the issue i think you have it wrong on this occasion. You play to your strengths.
Now we all might want to play a fast passing free flowing game and win games in style, but at this moment in time if we had tried that against a side brimming with confidence after being top for a wile and mudering there last opponents 7-0 we would have more than likely lost and people would of complained more.
Instead we adopted a style that suited for that game, and almost won, we had chances to get the second before Alonso and Mascherano unfortunately got there injuries.

[Dundalk]

Can I just ask why nobody has mentioned the handball which should have been a penalty but a few people have mentioned Carra's shirt tug.

He is allowed to do that now 

[Owzat]

Lets nt forget we are unbeaten as well. Great game yesterday, pity rafa went a lil bit defensive at home near the end and we should have grabbed our second to win the game but a good point, and a gerat game to watch.

We are unbeaten yet six points off the lead and behind teams who have lost.

I was bemused by our formation, tactics although not shocked Arsenal played well and had the ball more than we did. We probably should have lost, Arsenal only needed to show composure and managed to fluff shots they should have hit the target with and therefore scored.

Was it a good result? In all truth no, we've missed an opportunity to take points off Arsenal and we now rely on other teams to do so. They've gained six points on us over only ten games, they will have tougher games to come but so will we. We've picked up two points from Chelsea and Arsenal at home, I expect us to lose both away since we normally do and the mancs normally pick up the points regardless whether they deserve to or not. Unbeaten sounds nice but we've already dropped TEN points which you can do by losing two(P10 W6 D2 L2 = 20 points)

I may not yet have shifted towards thinking Rafa has to go, however the tactics yesterday and against Everton when they were down to ten men make me worried more than the results. Rafa risked Torres and Alonso and for what? A draw with the loss of both players for who knows how long. I said we wouldn't keep a clean sheet, by rights we should have conceded more and so why did Rafa play Riise at LB and not Arbeloa?

Oh and our strikers haven't scored from open play in the last three games (two Gerrard goals and two Kuyt penalties) so we may well miss Torres bigtime. If we're settling for 1-1 at home to Arsenal will we also settle for a draw at Blackburn?

[puroresu]

I dont see how people think without the injuries we would of won. Arsenal were the better side from the 15th minute onwards.  The goal was always coming.

[stmichael]

Just confirmed, Torres out for 3 weeks.

Fortunate that there's an international break coming up. He should only miss the Blackburn, Cardiff  and Fulham games. Should be back for Newcastle on the 24th.