Liverpool FC Forum

[Anfield rapper]

I would just like to point out that Torres DID play against Pompey and ALSO against Birmingham, i believe just over 30 minutes in each game, and played from the start against Porto, and was poor, like most of the team, in between.

In all the threads post Birmingham, it would seem as though he has been on a sun lounger since the Derby game.

Disagree, he wasnt poor against Pompey...he should of done better when Gerrard put him in on the left...then nearly made a goal for Voronin out of nothing.

And one thing your forgetting mate...is that by then the game has changed...Pompey were well on top...the whole team looked short on ideas and that affects our attacking intentions.

Sorry the grammer may not be clear, i meant he was poor against Porto. I just wanted to remind everyone that he DID play in all the 'disasterous' games.

IMO there is a big difference between starting a game and being brought on for the last half hour.

[stmichael]

I think the flip side to this is if we go out of all the cup competitions early it would put an incredible focus on our league form and that would bring additional pressures that I'm sure we could do without.

[112-1077774096]

not really mike, i wouldn't mind the pressures of being in a title race

[Ciggy]

Of course he should have played against Pompey and I can't really understand why people cling to this notion that they musn't ever admit we made a mistake. Jeez the discussions been done to death so we all know the form. Gerrard was/is a bit injured so probably was rightly not selected. Torres had been involved a physical encounter for his country and was probably a bit tired, but events since have shown beyond a shadow of a doubt that on reflection, with hindsight, knowing what we know now etc etc etc etc he should have played. It doesn't mean that we would have won the game if he had played, but it does mean that we might possibly not have played absolutely sh!te in the next three games if he had played.

I'm amazed sometimes at peoples blind loyalty to a cause on here. Does anybody seriously believe that if Rafa had his time again, knowing exactly how we were going to perform in our next three games that he would have rested Torres like he did? Guys you're allowed to admit it to yourselves, it was a bad call. It doesn't mean Rafa should be sacked, or that it puts us in a position which is impossible, it just means it was a bad call as it turned out.

Please though for Gods sake save us all this "we're saving him for the last fifteen games" nonsense. Rafa rested him because he thought it would help with the games we've coming up NOW, in October. He did so thinking he could get away with it, thinking we would still win the game. Such had been the excellence of our form before the International break and such was our momentum going into the match that we completely dominated the first half hour, it looked like he had called it right. Unfortunately though, as time went on we unravelled and as is often the case even when we brought on the players who actually should have started the game it was by then too late. After twenty minutes I thought he'd get away with it, after ninety he obviously hadn't. A week and three dire performances later it was obvious that it wasn't just a misjudgement but a major blunder. It was a blunder/misjudgement/error though, and to pretend otherwise is a nonsense.

Exellent post agree with every word.

[Owzat]

Finally we have lost, so the "Get a grip people, we're still unbeaten!" brigade can't harp on that one. Any changes of heart? We may be unbeaten in the league but that still only leaves us fourth which proves unbeaten isn't everything