Liverpool FC Forum

[account deleted by request]

Rafa got the balance of the team wrong, but in my opinion he had no choice but to take a bit of a gamble with selection today. I know 3 points is 3 points, but the next two games are massive and we can't afford even a slight gamble with those games (I was disappointed he played Gerrard and Torres today) Why he fkd around with the formation I have no idea, but I have no problems with the fact that he gambled and lost.

I am disappointed that we didn't win today but we didn't exactly get the run of the ball. These things happen, we just have to get up and make sure we go on another good run. Sissoko and Riise were poor today BUT THERE WERE OTHERS JUST AS BAD.

p!ssed off with the result and the performance, but I do understand we had to take a chance today. Sometimes they pay off and othertimes you just have to suck it up.

[J*o*n*D*o*e]

yeah saint but a win today takes some of the pressure off the united game, nows its a must win, reading away with a strong team out and right formation is 3 points in the bag, 3 points in the bag and move onto the next game.

rafa says after the game he doesnt want to look ahead then in another question says gerrard substitution was taken with tuesday in mind, how can you give up on a game with 20 minutes left, unacceptable.

there is a saying "you reap what you sow" well the next 2 weeks will be very interesting should results not go our way.

[account deleted by request]

yeah saint but a win today takes some of the pressure off the united game, nows its a must win, reading away with a strong team out and right formation is 3 points in the bag, 3 points in the bag and move onto the next game.

rafa says after the game he doesnt want to look ahead then in another question says gerrard substitution was taken with tuesday in mind, how can you give up on a game with 20 minutes left, unacceptable.

there is a saying "you reap what you sow" well the next 2 weeks will be very interesting should results not go our way.

To be perfectly honest mate if we had beaten Reading and then lost to the mancs we were virtually out of the race. So the game against the mancs has always been a must win game for me.

My only doubt was the Marseille game (I wasn't particularly bothered about the CL this season, but its taken on an importance now that I didn't expect.) I wondered if he might have played his best team today and against the mancs with a weaker team against Marseille and gambled that way.

I suppose the CL money makes all the difference when it comes down to it, but as the game we were least likely to win, maybe it would have made sense.

[teamleader1]

If we win on tuesday, we will only be getting out of jail for earlier fk ups,
And if we beat utd, we will only be clawing back the 3pts we threw away today.
its the same old story, self inflicted setbacks.

I hate to say it, but under a more positive manager, we would be in top spot and in the knockout stages of the CL

[eds]

Where we went wrong today:

* 3 Clear Cut Penalties not given. Ref should be shot.
* 1 Clear Free Kick outside the box is given to Reading. Ref should be shot.
* Reading were allowed to hack the s&&t out of our players, end outcome.........one yellow card to Gerrard. Ref should be shot. 

But this all pales into insignificance as we gave up after the third goal. Rafa took Torres and Gerrard off, if we fail at Marseille midweek and lose to the Scum our season is over on two main fronts.......I think that would be it for Benitez. 

[Paul C]

Today was a bad day at the office but it was a collective bad game and a hard game for Hobbs to make his debut, it just looked to me as though the players had their minds on Tuesdays game, at least the game against the mancs is at home so thats a huge bonus, interesting to see what happens when the yanks are in town.

God only knows what will happen to Rafa is we lose against Marseille and the mancs

I can't believe Rafa came out and said "At 3-1 (down), you have to protect your good players.", thats disrespectful to the players left on the field imo 

[account deleted by request]

Before the game everyone was saying play Gerrard and Torres, once we are 3 -0 up we can take them off and give them a rest. We fkd up and were losing 3 -1, so he took 'em off to give 'em a rest.

If the players needed a rest before the Marseille game, they needed a rest, you can't just say oh fk it we are losing, and then we lose them for the Marseille game. Rafa did what everyone wanted him to and played Torres and Gerrard, maybe he should have done what he did at Portsmouth or Birmingham and bring them on as subs? (Oh but he got slaughtered for that as well didn't he!)

[f9Torres]

Today was a bad day at the office but it was a collective bad game and a hard game for Hobbs to make his debut, it just looked to me as though the players had their minds on Tuesdays game, at least the game against the mancs is at home so thats a huge bonus, interesting to see what happens when the yanks are in town.

God only knows what will happen to Rafa is we lose against Marseille and the mancs

I can't believe Rafa came out and said "At 3-1 (down), you have to protect your good players.", thats disrespectful to the players left on the field imo

I think like you.

[teamleader1]

What did that system have to do with resting players?

Momo has been awful for some time now, Vorinin is only a 4th choice striker,
Harry & Benny should have hade up the MF with SG & Mach

Sammys in great form, yet Rafa gives Hobbs a start, Why?

It was harder for Rafa to lose that game today
But he managed it with his obsession for tinkering!

[The Manhattan Project]

Very disappointing.

[ruskiy playmaker]

We are not going to win the league with this type of defense.  Our center backs are great but they are too old and too slow to be consistent.  I think that Rafa made a huge mistake in the summer by not investing in the defense and now we see the result of that mistake.  What we need is more pace at the back.  I think that Rafa should start thinking of reconstructing the entire defense if he wants the league.

[bigmick]

I think that Rafa should start thinking of reconstructing the entire defense if he wants the league.

Feck me mate I'm all for a bit of deserved criticism, but we've hardly conceded a goal for a couple of months. as for the defense being too old, Hobbs is barely out of nappies.

No mate, suffice to say I think you are calling this one wrong. One thing you definately cannot criticise the manager for is his coaching abilities on the defensive side of the game. I think in that sense, he's just about the best I've ever seen.

[The Manhattan Project]

I think it's a freak result.

Bolton beat Man Utd the other week and they didn't panic.

Neither should we. Arsenal I think will falter eventually.

We are only six points back from Man Utd having played one game less.

[J*o*n*D*o*e]

did i miss something or have the team just had a week off, so all this business about resting players doesnt hold water, he tried being clever today and its back fired big time, on top of that he comes out after the game and basically admits to throwing in the towel, you know what i dont think any of our rivals would of done the same thing.

[Kharhaz]

We fkd up and were losing 3 -1, so he took 'em off to give 'em a rest.

WE? no rafa did, why didnt he stick to the same formula that has worked so far?