Liverpool FC Forum

by **devaney** » Thu Aug 12, 2010 6:46 pm

RED BEERGOGGLES wrote:
dawson99 wrote:
RED BEERGOGGLES wrote:
SouthCoastShankly wrote:
RED BEERGOGGLES wrote:I like Lucas ...

I can safely say you're in the minority

Most who take their seat in the Kop every match day would beg to differ old son ...this after all is only a forum .... surely your not gauging it on that

Not everyone on the forum hates hm either dude.
I think Lucas will shine this season now he'll be let off the reins

I just cant understand the loathing some posters have for the Lad Daw's ,he was by far our most consistent performer last season albeit for the incomparable Peps .....

I used to think he was a complete waste of space but in fairness he ignores all the criticism and tries very hard.Just wish everybody had his attitude. He's grown on me and I have to admit I like him but he needs to keep on improving. The fact that he was one of our most consistent players last season says more about the failing of others rather than the skill of Lucas. I certainly think he can step up and do an acceptable role in place of the luxorious Mascha if he goes.

by **Joeblackisachimp** » Sat Aug 14, 2010 11:12 pm

Worryingly,

To be honest, it didn't exactly inspire confidence when Roy came out and said," we don't look like we can compete with the top teams in the prem league in training , we are a mile off!

? on sky sports news etc.

no exactly what the fans want to hear i wonder??

i will only judge him come may. IMO 4th place in the champions league is a minimum requirement for WOY to keep his job.

by **In and Out** » Mon Aug 16, 2010 5:27 am

Have to be honest here, I was dissapointed in the way we played the first half against Arsenal. We either showed them too much respect or were a little nervous ourselves and our ability to retain possesion wasn't what it should have been. However I personally think that the performance of the first half and much of the game was an imprint left on us by our previous manager. Roy will need some time to get the lads to gel and bring the confidence back, it won't happen over night.

We actually looked better playing with 10 men, which was kind of odd but it brought some solidarity and unity to the team like it does when ever a team goes down to 10 men. Arsenal really didn't cause too us many problems and I do think we've lost two points here against them.

I noticed as well that when we defended from set pieces we didn't use the zonal marking system we marked man to man. That was a bit of a suprise considering most thought that Roy would use the zonal system. I don't mind the zonal system because when it worked for us under Rafa we were one of the most miserly defences around for a few years. But it seems from the Arsenal game that we're gonna go back to man to man.

I thought the back four did well overall and as much stick as Johnson gets on here I think he was excellent when defending and better than his pair up mate Kuyt when going forward. Overall Kuyt was Kuyt worked hard struggled to control the ball and lost possesion a few times in tight areas, he did well though pressuring and challenging for the ball as you would expect from a player with such a high work rate.

Mascherano was very good to and that was not a "mercinary's" performance, we will miss him. Cole couldn't get in the game and his sending off was a poor decision by the ref. We struggled to link up with him and N'gog in the first half and this was dissapointing to see, we sat deeper than I'd have expected and when Cole did receive a pass there were at least two gooners on him snapping at his heels. Gerrard did well, especially his defensive duties and was disciplined (a myth that's surely blown out the water). But again I would have liked to have seen him link up with Cole and N'gog a little more in the final third, he played some nice passes around but never dictated the tempo of the play and bossed the midfield early on like he should have done IMO. Jovanovic played well, he drifted in and out but again with our defence so deep and with us conceeding possesion for long periods in the first half it's hard for any attacking midfielder to put their authority on the game.

Reina, defo should have worn a cap, the sun blinded him

And it was frustrating to conceed against a side for all the possesion they had never really troubled us or put us on the back foot. Rest the lads for Citeh, throw in Lucas and Aquilani and Babel etc for the Turkish game to ensure we have optimised our potential for the away trip to Eastlands.

Oops, forgot to mention N'gog, frustrating as f.uck in the first half with a fabulous finish in the second. Blows way to hot and cold for me and as a 2nd striker at a club like Liverpool, I do believe he is out of his depth somewhat.

by **maguskwt** » Mon Aug 16, 2010 6:28 am

To me one of the highlights of the game was the team work between Johnson and Kuyt. The arsenal players got nothing out of them. They hounded as a team and attacked as a team. The goal was because of these two pressuring the arsenal players and mascherano's superb anticipation for the loose ball and a nice little through pass and of course ngog's brilliant strike. I always said ngog can finish... It's the rest of his game that he needs to improve.

Sadly on the left the link up between agger and jovanovic is missing. So is the link up between gerrard and Cole.

by **Octsky** » Mon Aug 16, 2010 6:48 am

Joeblackisachimp wrote:Worryingly,

To be honest, it didn't exactly inspire confidence when Roy came out and said," we don't look like we can compete with the top teams in the prem league in training , we are a mile off! ? on sky sports news etc.

no exactly what the fans want to hear i wonder??

i will only judge him come may. IMO 4th place in the champions league is a minimum requirement for WOY to keep his job.

the manager is just trying to take the pressure of the team, n let them enjoy playing football for a while.

by **Sabre** » Mon Aug 16, 2010 9:24 am

I was out yesterday, and when I arrived home I only could watch the first half.

In the latter part of the first half there was a rigurous red card, that was a yellow.

I need more time to have an opinion about Jovanovic, I think Cole is going to be very important for Liverpool because he's a very clever player now that I've watched him with other "eyes", and it has merit to be able to hold a goal for so many minutes and ten men (I'll watch how Liverpool did it in the second half later).

Things I don't like? So far, I'll only mention the Agger in the left back thing. I rate highly Agger, and I rate him in his position. Yes, he has the ability to play in the left and Skrtel hasn't it, but Agger is a CB.

The other thing I didn't like is not a Hodgson, nor Rafa's fault: we need more strikers, and we need the owners put the money required for it. Ngog up front? Mid table teams have more firepower than that!

All in all, it was a good start I think, not the best result, but promising start. All of a sudden the deep depression went. A new season!!

by **stmichael** » Mon Aug 16, 2010 10:32 am

the main thing that came out of yesterdays game was the reinforcement that gerrard and mascherano in a central two does not work. it was pretty weird actually. mascherano spent more of the game further forward than gerrard, especially in the second half.

by **maguskwt** » Mon Aug 16, 2010 10:36 am

stmichael wrote:the main thing that came out of yesterdays game was the reinforcement that gerrard and mascherano in a central two does not work. it was pretty weird actually. mascherano spent more of the game further forward than gerrard, especially in the second half.

Don't really agree st mick. I think they were in complete control of the middle in the second half. With a bit of tweaking, it is the best option we have. Ask Gerrard to link up abit more with Cole or Aquilani or whoever's playing in the hole and we should be all firing.

by **Bad Bob** » Mon Aug 16, 2010 11:59 am

stmichael wrote:the main thing that came out of yesterdays game was the reinforcement that gerrard and mascherano in a central two does not work. it was pretty weird actually. mascherano spent more of the game further forward than gerrard, especially in the second half.

Strange conclusion, mate. I think they played quite well together, as they have done in the past. Let's remember that they played an entire half a man short as well, which will have a significant impact on how they approach their midfield duties. Masch did get forward more than Stevie in the second half but only as opportunities dictated (nick the ball in midfield and drive into the oppo half while your partner sits in etc.).

by **stmichael** » Mon Aug 16, 2010 12:03 pm

Bad Bob wrote:
stmichael wrote:the main thing that came out of yesterdays game was the reinforcement that gerrard and mascherano in a central two does not work. it was pretty weird actually. mascherano spent more of the game further forward than gerrard, especially in the second half.

Strange conclusion, mate. I think they played quite well together, as they have done in the past. Let's remember that they played an entire half a man short as well, which will have a significant impact on how they approach their midfield duties. Masch did get forward more than Stevie in the second half but only as opportunities dictated (nick the ball in midfield and drive into the oppo half while your partner sits in etc.).

Diaby and Wilshere dominated them in the first half.

by **Sabre** » Mon Aug 16, 2010 12:07 pm

To me one of the highlights of the game was the team work between Johnson and Kuyt.

I had a laugh in the first half because Kuyt got spot on things and controls he didn't used to , it seemed as if playiing a world cup final gave him a burst of confidence.

The truth is he made a good first half, with only a couple of mistakes in which he got slept with a man on.

by **Ben Patrick** » Mon Aug 16, 2010 12:08 pm

I think we would have played almost the same team if Rafa was still here. The only difference would be Gerrard would probably have been in the hole with Lucas in the middle and Joe Cole on the left more than likely.
There's no way of knowing for sure if i am right, i just dont think Rafa would have trusted Gerrard in that position against Arsenal.

by **metalhead** » Mon Aug 16, 2010 12:12 pm

stmichael wrote:
Bad Bob wrote:
stmichael wrote:the main thing that came out of yesterdays game was the reinforcement that gerrard and mascherano in a central two does not work. it was pretty weird actually. mascherano spent more of the game further forward than gerrard, especially in the second half.

Strange conclusion, mate. I think they played quite well together, as they have done in the past. Let's remember that they played an entire half a man short as well, which will have a significant impact on how they approach their midfield duties. Masch did get forward more than Stevie in the second half but only as opportunities dictated (nick the ball in midfield and drive into the oppo half while your partner sits in etc.).

Diaby and Wilshere dominated them in the first half.

Wilshere never had a good game against us yesterday, he looked out of depth, even Arsenal fans were left wondering why he started. The only player who did well for them is Nasri in midfield. We contained them, we didn't let them have any chances in goal and didn't let them pass the ball. This is down to our pressing game in midfield and defence.

by **In and Out** » Mon Aug 16, 2010 12:37 pm

stmichael wrote:
Bad Bob wrote:
stmichael wrote:the main thing that came out of yesterdays game was the reinforcement that gerrard and mascherano in a central two does not work. it was pretty weird actually. mascherano spent more of the game further forward than gerrard, especially in the second half.

Strange conclusion, mate. I think they played quite well together, as they have done in the past. Let's remember that they played an entire half a man short as well, which will have a significant impact on how they approach their midfield duties. Masch did get forward more than Stevie in the second half but only as opportunities dictated (nick the ball in midfield and drive into the oppo half while your partner sits in etc.).

Diaby and Wilshere dominated them in the first half.

I think I'd agree with that, terratorially they did have us pinned back although they never got in behind us. I think we sat well off them in the first half and left acres between midfield and N'gog.

We were too compact in the first half that we when got possesion we could only play a telegraph pass to a player within five yards or look to knock it long for N'gog. Most of the time we tended to go long and we'd loose possesion. Our wide players were to narrow and we could never get going possesion wise.

I'd like to see Masch anchor more with Gerrard getting forward and Kuyt and Jovanovic widening the field a bit more. F.uck, I really do feel it was two lost points though, with the way their goal came and at the time, it did even with 10men feel like a sickening blow for me. How good would have the morale been if we'd hung on to that lead.

by **only me** » Mon Aug 16, 2010 1:17 pm

I don't know but looking forward something seems missing ,We need to place more order in play and in positions:

We need a natural LB ,get Agger back to natural CB position and drop either Carra/Skertel to the bench.
We need someone to hold the midfield ,pass balls to the sides,orgenize the play should have been Aqua not sure he is able to deliver.
Cole ,Yovanovitch and Kuyt are a bit messy between the three of them ,in my opinion Kuyt needs to be dropped to to the bench.

My Ideal lineup:

-Pepe
-Johnson - RB
-Agger and Carra/Skertel - CB
-XXX - LB (don't think Aurellio is good enough)
-Mash/Poulson (hopefully mash stays) - Defensive Mid
-Stevie - Rotating Midfielder ,depending if we need to attack or defend.
-XXX/Aqua ,Attacking Mid ,playmaker.
-Cole - Winger
-Yovanovich - Winger
-Torres - Best striker in the world.

Couldn't understand what Roy Philosophy was yesterday and what he tried to acheive ,but playing Arsenal was to be a tough match anyway.

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