Liverpool FC Forum

[112-1077774096]

maybe rafa is fickle, one week the monster is good enough and then the next week he isn't        

[ConnO'var]

Apparently I'm blind and archaic...

We were freakin abysmal..... No heart at all....I almost put me foot through the TV, we were that bad!
Why do you keep doing this to me, Rafa? I kills me when we play like that..... I don't mind losing or drawing if we played like I know we can... but this?  It's an insult to the fans.

Still, not the end of the world I suppose.... Could have been much worse ifithadnabinfer Reina and the penalty save.

[Lando_Griffin]

Is it safe to ask for some of you to put your 'forum ego's' aside for a bit and actually discuss the game and with some of the other posters? Or shall I open a new thread discussing the debate about the definition of the word 'fickle'?

Yes.

The game itself wasn't exactly thrilling. We were lucky to get the point in some respects, and unlucky not to win it in others. (Voronin's goalmouth slide).

It was never a penalty in a million years - not unless the refs are allowing 30 or so similar fouls to go unpunished in every game...

I thought Pepe was brilliant, save for the rush of blood when he ran out towards Evita, or whatever her name was.

Carra was OK, Agger, too. Finnan did little all game, but was solid. Arbeloa was ok - nothing spectacular.

Sissoko drifted in and out of the game, Alonso was solid in all but his set pieces. Benayoun was on the periphery, save for the odd flash of inspiration. Had the gimp looked up earlier when running in from the far post, he could have squared the ball across the face of goal and we'd be sat here talking about another win.

Pennant had an off day, and his crossing was misplaced. Crouch should have scored the volley, and was unlucky that no-one was around to fire in the rebound from his left foot shot.

Voronin was lively for me, and looked the best player of the starting 11, at least in an attacking sense. Some really good touches, and VERY unlucky not to score 2.

Gerrard looked annoyed when he came on, and despite a couple of bursts, did all. Torres was unlucky that the chance came to him on his left boot, not his right. The ball actually bobbled up just as he hit it, which explains why it ballooned high and wide.

Babel didn't really get into the game, and didn't utilise his pace as he should.

Not exactly vintage Liverpool, but not the end of the World, either.

[LFC2007]

I'm disappointed with today's performance, but when you put the result in perspective, it's not so bad.

In terms of team selection, I would have rather seen Torres start instead of Crouch. Other than that I wouldn't argue too much about it.

Portsmouth are a very tough team to play, especially at Fratton Park. They were very unlucky not to take at least a draw from Stamford Bridge a few weeks ago.

In the context of the international break, a few knocks to key players, an early kick off, one day of light training to prepare the team, I don't consider a draw a poor return.

Some will say that it was two points dropped. Perhaps, but perhaps also add some perspective to that statement.

If resting some of our key players due to slight knocks and tireless travelling around Europe ensures that they are not only available for future games, but fresh and able to function at 100% of their capacity, then those two points may just be made up somewhere along the line.

This is all based on the assumption that we would have won but for Rafa's team selection - which is debatable in itself. Some are making this assumption with consummate ease.


There was once a time that even with our key players in the line up, we went away, played abysmally and lost by 2 or 3. It appears that we have managed to at least solidify our away form, and convert the defeats into draws - in the meantime at least. Two years ago, an away match + International break + early kick off = embarrassing defeat. Now, this is not the case.

Chelsea performed poor away against Villa, without some key players and lost 2-0. We performed poor without some key players away against Portsmouth and achieved a draw. We may have been slightly lucky to avoid defeat, but then again, we also had a few opportunities that were not taken.

Portsmouth are a quality team, with a seasoned Premiership manager who has an excellent record against the top teams - Portsmouth always seem to raise their game significantly against the top four.  In terms of preparation, I would assume they had significantly longer with their key players than we did.


I don't think Rafa thought he could 'get away' with resting key players for the Porto match. I think he genuinely believed the team he fielded was capable of winning the game - and they should have been.

Nobody on this forum has 'blind faith' in Rafa, but most people trust him. I trust him, but I will still criticise him, with perspective.

[nobybob]

lando Ur saying that anyone who agrees with peewee is blind and archaic WRONG . look i base my opinions on the facts as i know them , and as the facts change so does my opinion and i think peewee does the same this is not being fickle and resorting to insults only weakens and dilutes your argument further

[Emerald Red]

I've nothing against rotation in essence, but I expected the sort of teamsheet we had today, next week instead.  I'm not surprised Gerrard was on the bench, I thought Sissoko and Alonso, with Pennant and Babel (I guess away, playing a team with 5 in the midfield, Benayoun instead of Babel was a good shout) on the flanks would do the job for us - but no Gerrard and no Torres was one to many 'no's IMHO.

However, I can't help asking myself:

                            Reina
Finnan           Carra         Agger         Arbeloa
Pennant        Alonso       Sissoko       Benayoun
                  Voronin       Crouch

Thats not a bad team, is it?  Shouldn't they be good enough?

Guess not - perhaps our strength in depth is a little more shallow than we like to think?

And wasn't Pennant anonymous!  Perhaps because a lot of our play came from the back straight to Crouch (sometimes with good effect).  It seems to me than when Crouch is on the field we lose the ability to pass short, and rely on the long ball far too much.

It's not a bad team at all, no. But the trouble with this team is the lack of ballance. Alonso sits deep and holds. He can't really create much from there, so it's down to Sissoko to run about like a headless maniac, while trying to find a killer ball (rare for him) to the front two (who were inept to say the least). Not only this, Alonso and Sissoko can't realy be relied upon for digging out goals when needed.

As you pointed out correctly, long balls were applied to Crouch, usually via Alonso sitting deep. Our wide men never got in the game, and so the supply to our front men was even more limited. The ballance was all wrong. I'm no manager. I'm not Rafa. But if you watch the match again, this is exactly what you'll see. Too many defensive players, and barely any width at all.

[Lando_Griffin]

Just on another note, our set pieces are still f#cking abysmal.

I think you have just made Lando's day complete, I was trying not to mention Alonso's freekicks 

To be fair, I think he only took 2 and they were both W*nk.

You fickle swine ! Last week you wanted to marry him, How can anything Alonso does be W'ank , unless of course thats what he was doing .

He's just messin' with yer Lando . hock the ring mate .





(ps , I'm just messin' with yer as well      )

Yeah, I know. I have no problem with Saint, and I reckon he knows that.

I was talkin' about Alonso not Saint .

Duh   

 

[stmichael]

maybe rafa is fickle, one week the monster is good enough and then the next week he isn't        

I can see us destroying the Brummies next week and we'll be the best team since the late eighties. Then Reading will put us out of the Carling Cup and Rafa will be an evil foreigner with no respect for the tradition and heritage of the Carling Cup due to his rotation policy (and beard).

[woof woof !]

Reina
Finnan           Carra         Agger         Arbeloa
Pennant        Alonso       Sissoko       Benayoun
                  Voronin       Crouch

Thats not a bad team, is it?  Shouldn't they be good enough?

Guess not - perhaps our strength in depth is a little more shallow than we like to think?

We do have strength in depth and on paper the team you've listed isn't bad .

However a front pairing of Crouch and Voronin is imo the least effective of our possible front two combinations. Both come deep and both lack pace . At times we may as as well have been playing 4 at the back and 6 in midfield , such were the limited options that Crouch and Voronin were offering to teammates looking to play a smart ball forward.

[Raoul]

Xabi needs a kick up the backside. The guy's a class act but he's just not playing up to anything near his best.

One thing for this Mascherano.

I agree ! Mascherano must feel gutted!! Both Xabi and Sissoko were poor today!
TBH i have a bit of faith in Alonso and feel he should start more games hopefully finding his feet.We cant just forget his performance against Derby but his lack of consistancy is worrying.As for Sissoko i thought he was dreadful today,someone should remind him that its a lot easier to play footbal while vertical and a lot more difficult when lying on yer !!
His passing again was pathetic....he really is a player that should be on the bench.I find it hard to believe that Mascherano did not travel today..the man is pure class and has never put a foot wrong in every chance he has been given...maybe Raffa was 'resting' him for Tuesday night??

When did he arrive back in the country?

[Lando_Griffin]

lando Ur saying that anyone who agrees with peewee is blind and archaic WRONG . look i base my opinions on the facts as i know them , and as the facts change so does my opinion and i think peewee does the same this is not being fickle and resorting to insults only weakens and dilutes your argument further

I am not saying you're fickle to have a pop at Rafa - just that you can't say he's a god one minute, then a thicko the next.

Why is this so hard to grasp?

[Lando_Griffin]

Fecking double post.

[destro]

Its not the end of the world, we got a point when we really should have got none, United drew with them and we are still unbeaten so far this season. Thats all I have to say on the game Reina gets a well done for the penalty save, no one else deserves mentioning.

Looking forward to Porto now

[112-1077774096]

(and beard).

[adamnbarrett]

You can't win them all.

We've got another game in hand. We're not out of the title race yet. We're unbeaten.

RAWK is that way -------->