Liverpool FC Forum

[dawson99]

scores are based on opinion. peoples opinions differ. personally i wouldnt give them but i like to give a MOM, which im saying Kuyt, and whod disagree?

[Leonidas08]

good win by the boys

congrats to Kuyt for the 2 goals

[account deleted by request]

Sheff U beat Newcastle  if this keeps up, by the time Owens fit he will be playing in the championship.

[whylongball?]

This run of home games has definitely helped us get back on track and build up a bit of confidence.

Our home form has never been in question, it's our away form that needs addressing again this season. It was a good match by us, we didn't play our best football mainly because we weren't allowed to by a well organised and very defensive Reading.

Roll on the next match.

its not really our form that needs addressing away from home, its our 451 formation.

a football pitch is a football pitch, why do we have to change away from home?  is it really that different?

4-5-1,it will make a difference if you have the right players but in liverpool: a big NO!
and i have been saying that for sometime as well...

[kunilson]

Was happy with the results today....everything apart from man u winning went to plan.

We played well, i was very happy with the performances of Kuyt and Gerrard mostly, but as a team we did well. They were well structured, and it was hard to break them down but we were very patient, and we actually looked comfortable on the ball most of the time which was one of our main problems in the beginning of the season. If we can take our new-found confidence into the Arsenal game, and of course the birmingham game before that....i think we can really start on a good run, and who knows where we'll end up.

[weringo]

ppl on crack if u can given zenden a 7 and giveb pennant a 5 lol, zenden is , did nothing in first half was anonomous in 2nd half, at least pennant got forward put in some crosses and managed to beat ppl sometimes zenden didnt manage that much, the needless abuse of pennant is ridiculous

They were both pretty , how about we just give them both 3s?

[el_stinger]

Sheff U beat Newcastle  if this keeps up, by the time Owens fit he will be playing in the championship.

Serves him right!

[The Manhattan Project]

I sympathise with Owen regarding his injury. But his decision to leave LFC will be a lifelong regret for him. A benchwarmer at Real and a handful of appearances for a club with no future that seems to be in a perpetual state of chaos.

RE: Match Of The Day.

It was bad enough we were broadcast last on the show again tonight, but Gary Lineker cut off Alan Hansen before he could even offer a comment regarding the game. Not one bit of analysis. Thankfully Football First on Sky is much better.

It was a good performance. Another home win. Great to see Kuyt get a couple of goals. This guy has been a good signing. He's always a threat, he works hard and has a great attitude too. If only we could sort out our away form, we'd be fine.

[112-1077774096]

If only we could sort out our away form, we'd be fine. [/b]

it doesnt take a genius to work out mate,

at home 442, two forwards and 13 goals scored (premier league), away from home 451, one forward and one goal scored (a dodgy penalty).

do the maths       


i guess i am saying its not to do with form, its to do with the formation and one striker

[lio]

we got the goals today … but lets not forget our rear guards' contribution too.

can’t held noticing this game to see both carra and hyypia stopped sending wasteful high balls to the strikers but instead moving the ball towards the center of the field before releasing a low and accurate thru passed forward to launch an attack. Its also a ++ in terms of possession % too. 

[The Manhattan Project]

it doesnt take a genius to work out mate,

That's why Manhattan excels, because he is as thick as pigshyt.

[RED BEERGOGGLES]

Liverpool have finally got a real predator in front of goal, a poacher on a par with Rushie who shields the ball as effectively as Dalglish in his glorious pomp. Dirk Kuyt we salute you

[112-1077774096]

it doesnt take a genius to work out mate,

That's why Manhattan excels, because he is as thick as pigshyt.

[account deleted by request]

Kuyt's predatory goal instincts help rescue mediocre Liverpool
By Eddie Johnson at Anfield
Last Updated: 12:10am GMT 05/11/2006

Liverpool (1) 2 Reading (0) 0

Of all Rafael Benitez's summer signings, the only player with the stamp of a champion is Dirk Kuyt. The Dutchman's two goals disposed of unambitious Reading here yesterday but could not obscure the fact that this Liverpool side are flabby with mediocrity.

If this team consider themselves credible title challengers – and judging by the optimistic rhetoric inside Anfield this week, they still do – they must shed their excess weight. Inside this loose, baggy monster is a lean, trim title-contender struggling to get out.

Yet how many members of this Liverpool side would get into the Arsenal, Manchester United or Chelsea teams? Xabi Alonso is talented, Sami Hyypia was outstanding yesterday and Kuyt is evidently emerging as a considerable attacking threat, but really only Steven Gerrard would convincingly win a place in any of those three XIs.

Players such as Jermaine Pennant and Boudewijn Zenden – competitive Premiership types that they are – fall short of the standards required of a team with league title pretensions.

Both goals were borne of Kuyt's finishing instinct, acquired for £9 million. The first, on 14 minutes, came when Gerrard cut back on to his right foot on the left flank and found Peter Crouch at the far post. The England striker nodded across the face of goal. The Dutchman tapped in. Easy as that.

The second – Kuyt's fifth since arriving at Anfield – came after Liverpool's supporters had grown uneasy about their team's failure to extinguish Reading's second-half insurrection. With 17 minutes remaining, Pennant floated in a corner from the left and Crouch headed down, only for Marcus Hahnemann to save. The loose ball was instinctively volleyed in by Kuyt. Game over.

"I've known about Kuyt for years," Benitez said. "He always works really hard and is very consistent, which is not easy for a striker. He creates chances and space for team-mates, and he has a good understanding with Crouch."

Reading, who have now lost four games in a row, were always going to struggle after they went a goal down. Steve Coppell's game plan was to try to bottle-neck Liverpool by corking Kuyt.

The Dutchman has a great gift for finding space with his off-the-ball movement, so the Reading manager opted to play Sam Sodje as a spare man at the back to try to suffocate the former Feyenoord striker's play. The unfortunate trade-off was that Kevin Doyle, playing as a lone striker for Reading, had no support. Indeed, aside from an early shot from James Harper, which came back off Jamie Carragher's heel, the visitors created little in the first half.

"Two years ago they were European champions and we were in a different division," Coppell said. "We're trying to close a huge gap."

Liverpool's answer to Reading's tactical poser was to stretch the game horizontally, trying to get crosses in from the flanks. That was how they managed to open the scoring, yet the trick was not easily repeated. Kuyt did miss two headers, just before half-time, but without any real pace to threaten the space behind the Reading defence, Liverpool struggled to impose themselves.

As the game wore on Liverpool inevitably got the jitters. Reading even got the ball in the net, from a Glen Little corner, but Ibrahima Sonko had accidentally butted Jose Reina – this, the same defender who had knocked out Carlo Cudicini in the infamous game with Chelsea – in the process. The Spaniard was left a little rattled and his handling deteriorated in the closing stages.

If Reina had looked uncomfortable on corners, it was to be one at the other end that proved decisive as Kuyt's predatory awareness spared Liverpool a frustrating end.

If Benitez can find a system that gets the best out of Kuyt – and that may mean ditching the enthusiastic, but impotent Crouch – then Liverpool can start posing truly demanding questions of any defence.

The Kop gave the Dutchman a standing ovation as he was replaced by Robbie Fowler with just minutes left to play. Should Benitez sign more players of Kuyt's calibre for the faithful fans to applaud, then he could bring the title to the thirsty banks of the Mersey.
                 ----------------------------

Were we really as bad as this? I thought we played quite well in a difficult game made all the more difficult by the Reading tactic of crowding the midfield. Yes a couple of our players arnt perhaps EPL title winning standard, but they are at best squad players rather than regular first teamers.

ditching the enthusiastic, but impotent Crouch

Crouch has scored 8 goals and his headers today made both of Kuyts goals and hes impotent?

Now we have started winning games, they change tack and call us mediocre!

[jkop]

Well done to all the players, a wins a win 3 points, a clean sheet keep it up lads.