Liverpool FC Forum

[115-1073096938]

We aren't creating chances at the minute. Its that simple.

With the exception of the Arsenal game we've been flat, lacking creativety and lacking movement. Robbie Fowler's come into this side and we've simply stopped doing what we were doing before hand, thats creating chances. The type of which he can put away with his eyes closed.

Morientes and Crouch have poor movement. Both players are very easily marked, Crouch is probably the more difficult of the two as he takes up half decent positions, but his movment in and around those positions is very average, especially if the ball drops to a Liverpool player.

Not only that, but the midfield isn't supplying the strikeforce at all. They've simply stopped getting into the positions they were in at the start of the season high up the pitch and causing problems with fast early balls to the wide area's.

Fowler has never had pace and never will have, his goals come from reading the flight of the ball better than the defender, having the aggression to beat defenders to the ball, and excellent finishing inside the 18 yard box with his feet and head. He's shown he's still got those abilities against Arsenal with that chance he created for himself from Gerrard's cross and on one or two other occassions.

We need to attack quicker, with less passes, more crosses and more speed. Defensively we're solid, we look really good.

We're only creating half chances at the minute, Crouch, Morientes and Fowler will continue to fire blanks untill this changes. The only striker who's had clear cut chances is Morientes. We need to supply the forwards much better than we have been...

[redmikey]

agree all the way. I have just posted a similar response on another thread. Rafa knows we are short up front but it is a point that we are not getting the ball into dangerous positions enough at the moment

[Paul C]

Totally agree Stu, we look 2D and lack attacking spark, something that the likes of Rooney, Ronaldo, Robben, Cole, etc bring to Man U and Chelsea

[Sabre]

I think it's a fair analysis, not sure if I agree with it 100% but I agree most of it. It's a well explained opinion.

[tommycockles]

yep- agree with Stu.

For some reason our defensive 'keep the ball' type play has effected the number of chances we were creating just a few weeks ago. Maybe our midfielders are trying to compensate too much for our underperforming strikeforce, if they can just keep creating the chances as they were then the ball's bound to hit the net (and hopefully it'll be our strikers knocking it in- not that it matters if we win the game).

It's been a strange season but there's still lots that can happen to make it a very successful season.

[Lando_Griffin]

It's a concern for me.

How typical that now we have the perfect striker for our pre-January game-plan, yet we are playing some terrible attacking football now. TBH - Fowler is the only one who even looks bothered, despite every pass being played behind him, or a mile or so infront.

Against Benfica - he had his back to goal, and was waiting for some movement from his fellow players, but no f*cker even bothered.
Result? - He ends up being dragged over and loses possession.

Any other time Garcia would have belted into the area, and Fowler would have had an assist to his name at least.
Mori? Don't get me f*cking started on him - his reading of the game is poorer than a Renaissance leper.

[RichardLFC1]

we arent creating as many as we shud but the chances we are creating we arent putting away

[ivor_the_injun]

Not enough chances, and the ones we are getting are falling to a striker out of form.

I think Morientes deserves credit for getting on the end of a decent chunk of the small number of balls that are getting into the area, but he hasn't looked even remotely like scoring of late.

We need to feed Fowler, and I'm sure once he puts one away, the midfield will start getting their act together. It's incredibly frustrating to me as a Fowler fan to see the midfield imploding like they have done since his arrival - if we'd put him in the side that were playing for us a month or so before his arrival, he'd have at least half a dozen goals to his name, and a contract for him in summer would already be being drafted.

The effect of Sissoko being out of the side will be interesting. The midfield looked so much more balanced with Gerrard on the right, but I have a feeling he'll be used in the centre, Didi will be frozen out, and Garcia, Kromkamp or Cisse will now get a run out there.

Chances have to start coming again though. From being arguably the most creative attacking forces in the Prem earlier in the season, we're now starting to look seriously unimaginative.

And still Crouch and Fowler haven't been played together. I'm starting to wonder if they ever will.

[65-1140560321]

Even when LFC do create a wealth of chances, they still can't bury these chances. It's a shame pongolle is out of the frame.

im not being funny but fowler looked out of his depth against benfica.
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Three blondes were taking a walk in the country when they came upon a line of tracks. The first blonde said, "Those must be deer tracks!"
The second blonde said, "No, stupid, anyone can tell those are rabbit tracks!"

The third blondie said, "No, you idiots, those are horse tracks!"

They where still arguing ten minutes later when a train hit them.

[Woollyback]

Even when LFC do create a wealth of chances, they still can't bury these chances. It's a shame pongolle is out of the frame.

im not being funny but fowler looked out of his depth against benfica.
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------------------------------

Three blondes were taking a walk in the country when they came upon a line of tracks. The first blonde said, "Those must be deer tracks!"
The second blonde said, "No, stupid, anyone can tell those are rabbit tracks!"

The third blondie said, "No, you idiots, those are horse tracks!"

They where still arguing ten minutes later when a train hit them.

hustler

[ivor_the_injun]

Fowler couldn't get into the game against Benfica, primarily because the ball rarely went anywhere near their box. When it did, it was either 10 yards too far ahead of either striker, or put him in an impossible position trying to win a ball in the air against their giant Brazilian defender and at least one other.

In games like that you can only judge strikers on the few touches they have, and the movement they make off the ball. I thought the little Fowler had to go on, he dealt with well. His running was imaginative, and even though much of his movement was in expectation of balls that never came, he was putting himself in the rate places ahead of the defenders. That to me is promising, and augurs well for games when the supply is up to scratch again.

[banana]

We are not creating enough chances and not playing with enough speed. In that we agree. We will definately improve with a better strikeforce. However I believe the problems start in defence. We are streched thin because our defenders are too defensive especially in attack. Our fullbacks must support our wingers and our central defenders must push the line further up field. This is the well known no-pace-at-the-back problem and it is haunting us. A more solid secure and pacey back 4 will make wonders for us. I am hoping for Paletta to turn out as good as Heinze did for scum then that should be solved. We must attack with 11 men and defend with 11. At present we defend with 11 and attack with 7. That is our problem.

[ivor_the_injun]

There's a difference between playing the ball around at speed and playing the ball around between speedy players. Example: Hamann isn't the quickest, but is excellent at stopping midfielders in their tracks and getting our own attacks going with a quick simple ball.

Sure, a bit more mobility at the back would make us more of an attacking threat, but that's definitely not the problem. We were attacking at breakneck speed in the run up to Christmas, but somewhere along the line our midfield have decided they're doing it all wrong and have opted to adopt the Bolton approach of "lump it forward and hope someone's there".

[Theo@home]

Amazing how lack of confidence is contagious.  Seems to have filtered down from the strikers right the way through to the back four.  Our style of play has changed as the whole team seems to be more focussed on not stuffing up and thereby losing posession instead of playing like we were before Xmas - with swagger and purpose.

[bigmick]

We must attack with 11 men and defend with 11.

I'm all for defending with 11, but attacking with anymore than 10 is a little too gung-ho for my liking.