Liverpool FC Forum

[112-1077774096]

I think we did give our best effort provided that Man Scum are more fresh than us as most of their player didn't play in mid week. I think after this game Rafa will realize what he should do the rest of the way Which is to play their strongest team consistently with minimal changes. I think Man Scum didn't have a good game as well. People here saying we don't have any wingers and neither do the Man Scum. We just lost by a set play. I don't see them ever overpowering us in anyway today. When we couldn't score at the beginning when they got mixed up with Van der sar and vidic, i had that feeling again and unfortunately it came true. Anyway, let's see what happened after meeting with the big boss. We were just out of gas and the mid game was the reason for us not to sustain the full match.

So...

The scum won because most of their players DIDN'T play in midweek (a rotation of the squad), but it's our rotation that's the problem, even though it was an unchanged side?

Stay off the bifta's lad.

they could afford to play their youth team in midweek as they had already qualified

swings and roundabouts

[112-1077774096]

i see the thread went rapidly downhill in the last few pages with plenty of abuse without any real thought or explanation

[ReubyM]

We shoulda won tha, unlucky red men. We did play well though.

[zarababe]

Well the doooom and gloom begins.. AGAIN - play an unchanged side and the boss gets it - change a few sorry 'roatate' and he still gets it in the neck - why can't we just lose 'cos of bad luck, an off day .. the rub of the green'  NOPE it's Rafa bash bash bash bash bash bash bash bash ...

I'll get th raiser..

[big al]

One of the reasons I stopped posting on this forum is very apparent tonight with most of the comments post here criticising players like Dirk Kuyt.  A player that nobody here could lace his boots.  This forum is full of extremely fickle people who because of their lack of ever playing a game have absolutely no perspectaive what so ever.  So lets get it straight  Manchester Utd have one of the best football managers in world football they are an outstanding team and are in the same category as Barcelona, AC Milan and Real Madrid.  They have money to burn and an excellent scouting system.  However there fans a rude, arogant, obnoxious and the most ill educated bunch of tosspots anywhere on the planet.  But back to the football.
Liverpool will win the premiership in the next few seasons of that I am sure, but Rafa needs to find at least three more world class players in order to do this.  Utd have four or five players who can turn a game Liverpool have only two.   But I dont want to get into that, I wanna talk about the facts

-The preimership is not over for Liverpool theres along way to go and anyone of four teams can win it including Liverpool.  Chelsea & Arsenal will have a difficult time during the African nations cup and even when players return they'll be tired Rafa's rotation will keep his squad in good shape. 

-This defeat is hard to stomach I know but if Hicks and Gillett are honest they'll see one of the top clubs in the world coming to Anfield and closing up shop.  A fair accusation that Alex Ferguson made about us in the past. (he can't do that any more)  The lack of being able to open the Utd defense up is a clear indication to he owners that Utd where there for the taking and remember they don't have there veiw obscured by History.  (History wins you nothing and gives you nothing, only expectation.) So maybe now they'll see that in order to win the premiership this season they need to invest.   
-Lastly a number of players did not preform as well as they could have today but the same could be said of Utd, it was a cagey game decided by a piece of good fortune at the only time Liverpool players switched off.  I honestly believe that Liverpool can still win the title if Rafa gets a few more players in January.

Stop being so bloody negative and get behind the team and its not over yet!

[el_stinger]

The reason we keep losing to the scum is because we go out there in frantic speed, can't continue the pace the whole game, and the moment there is a stoppage on the field, we can't adjust. It happens nearly every time we play em. The pace was incredible. Granted, we should have been 2 goals up with Kewell and Torres' efforts being cleared off the line and headed wide respectively, we just couldn't keep up the speed for the entire match.

Too much playing with the heart, and not the mind. We won't win against them, unless we can control the aggression and be clever, settled and thinking about using tactics, and not going out all guns blazing in no mans land.

[zarababe]

Here here big al - just paused to read your post will put the razor away for now - keep posting fella, it's like being on a 'bitters' site on these pages

[joeglfc22]

I think it is about time as a couple of use have been saying, that Benitez start's playing Babbel up front.
We signed this young, gifted, player for a lot of money, his natural position is right side forward, in which he scored a lot of great goal's for Ajax, yet Benitez seem's to be doing what he usually does sign's a forward and then play's them out of positon e.g Babbel, Vorinin, Cisse-(even though it wernt his signing).
I dont know if he's trying to be clever or it's getting to him, but if i was the like's of Babbel, Crouch, i would really be frustrated that a player of a poorer standard e.g Dirk Kuyt, is getting a starting place more than me, as i belive that the two named striker's are by far better than Dirk Kuyt especialy Crouch. I think the only reason he is playing Kuyt is so that with some kind of miracle he can prove he is worth the £10 million price tag he forked out for him.

[Kharhaz]

The season is far from over. Like I said earlier, we can go there and nick the points. Whether we sign other players or not I think with this squad we can win these games. When things go against our players, like the other team getting away with cheating (ronaldos diving) or dodgy decisions (chelsea) the team seem to lose confidence and it affects there attitude with regards to the rest of the game and get wound up. There were things in uniteds game today that made them look desperate, the diving, the time wasting. I accept they have to protect there lead but at least do it by just keeping the ball rather than using under handed tactics.

[big al]

There is no one in a red shirt who works as hard as Kuyt he track back like no other player since Rush, yes he's not in his league as a goal scorer and he had a bad game but so did a few others.  As for Babbel its easy to see he has'nt yet adapted to the constant pace of the Priemership when he starts he fades out of games and ends up caught out of position.  Rafa is playing him on the wings to try to get him to work harder every top striker in todays game must track back young Babbel has'nt learned this yet.

[Bammo]

Firstly, a mini-rant about things on here annoying me (so it doesn't cloud my actual thoughts below)

there are too many complaints from people based on their prejudices and not actual performances. pro/anti-rotation is always blamed for losses, kuyt is slated for not putting half-chances away yet torres/gerrard etc go blameless for worse misses, someone always says we're the worst team ever and rafa should go. i'm beginning to think there should be a ban on posts for 3 hours after defeats so we avoid the reactionary rubbish (mine included!!)

rant over

my serious thoughts? we weren't that bad. we controlled most of the game but we are lacking in certain aspects that may be due to style, form or lack of quality.

gerrard needs to play further up the pitch where he's effective. he does the same for england and it's frustrating. our defenders are capable of passing 30 yards so there's no need for him to drop back level with carra to collect the ball.

the final ball into the box needs to be more accurate and delivered earlier. 2 things i noticed today (and in the past actually!) were 1) no striker had a decent ball into them in the box and 2) too often the crosser cut back before delivering. this allows defenders to turn away and so clear easier. early balls into the box mean the defence can only clear for a corner or own goal.

kuyt needs the ball into feet. his goals for liverpool are almost always reflex finishes so he needs accurate service. torres can create goals from nothing, kuyt can't. our tactics seem to be hit hopeful balls into the forwards and hope they can do something special.

having said that, there's a strong case for babel being played up front more. he has one asset crouch, voronin and kuyt lack - pace. no matter how we're playing, a player with pace can always be a danger to defences. i wouldn't advise starting him too often though as he is only young.

my hopes for the transfer window?
1) a skilful winger
2) centre back cover (altho i think arbeloa is decentenough)
3) a confidence coach for dirk kuyt

[heimdall]

The season is far from over. Like I said earlier, we can go there and nick the points. Whether we sign other players or not I think with this squad we can win these games. When things go against our players, like the other team getting away with cheating (ronaldos diving) or dodgy decisions (chelsea) the team seem to lose confidence and it affects there attitude with regards to the rest of the game and get wound up. There were things in uniteds game today that made them look desperate, the diving, the time wasting. I accept they have to protect there lead but at least do it by just keeping the ball rather than using under handed tactics.

Grasping at straws there. They weren't diving that much more than we were to be honest. To be fair it was a very tense match but how many saves did Van der Sar have to make in the second half, none!!! That is the problem. We only have Torres as a threat and they completely nullified him. As soon as Babel came on we had a second threat and they had some problems, Rafa NEEDS to start playing his £13 million signing and stop playing Kuyt, he sucks!!!

[redtrader74]

There is no one in a red shirt who works as hard as Kuyt he track back like no other player since Rush, yes he's not in his league as a goal scorer and he had a bad game but so did a few others.  As for Babbel its easy to see he has'nt yet adapted to the constant pace of the Priemership when he starts he fades out of games and ends up caught out of position.  Rafa is playing him on the wings to try to get him to work harder every top striker in todays game must track back young Babbel has'nt learned this yet.

I have been hoping that Kuyt would find the form which made him top scorer in the Dutch leagues, but he hasn't, and he has had the time. Yes he works hard, really hard, and it certainly helps to contain and control the opposition, but he is primarliy there to score and create and he doesn't. I've said this before, maybe he works too hard, drops too deep, because when oppurtunity presents itself he is just  half a second to slow, or on his heels taking a breather. Rush defended from the front aswell, but as i remember it, he kept that pressing in the final third only, Kuyt may retain sharpness infront of goal if he were to do the same.

[big al]

Bammo, finally someone who was watching the same game as me.   I think your spot regarding Gerrard being further up the pitch, however I really do admire is mental ability to play when he knows what those s done to his wife and kids.  Also think he had to drop deep to pick up Anderson.

[heimdall]

There is no one in a red shirt who works as hard as Kuyt he track back like no other player since Rush, yes he's not in his league as a goal scorer and he had a bad game but so did a few others.  As for Babbel its easy to see he has'nt yet adapted to the constant pace of the Priemership when he starts he fades out of games and ends up caught out of position.  Rafa is playing him on the wings to try to get him to work harder every top striker in todays game must track back young Babbel has'nt learned this yet.

Are you Dutch or something???

When did Kuyt last have a good game becuase I can't remember that far back!!

Babel is far better, is quicker has better game intelligence and I think he would link up better with Torres, Rafa could at least try it ffs.