Liverpool FC Forum

by **Benny The Noon** » Tue Aug 31, 2010 12:23 pm

The season is long and its going to be interesting to see how long the paper stays there

I have never seen us be dominated by opposition as much as i have done during the last two weeks since the Arsenal game . We are poor at the moment .

I am interested to see when the free flowing attacking football is going to start - the sort of football that people said would be played by us with new manager - despite heavy evidence of his previous job suggesting otherwise .

by **OneHotRed** » Tue Aug 31, 2010 12:24 pm

Yea, I mean I honestly expected no signings what so ever with the club being up for sale, let alone bringing in Cole, Meireles and Konchesky (maybe even another striker), we are under change, tht much is for sure, BUT we just have to wait to see if it comes off, Im retaining my optimism until the middle of the season when I can fully judge if we have improved or not.

by **bigmick** » Tue Aug 31, 2010 12:34 pm

Jeez the real fans are gathering ready to stick the knife in already by the sounds of it. We've played seven competitive games, won five (would have been six but for a very unusual howler from our goalkeeper) and lost one. We haven't played great, but we've done alright.

Some fans are just going to have to try and forget the free flowing football we've played for the last few seasons, as well as the fantastic starts we always made under Rafa.

by **Benny The Noon** » Tue Aug 31, 2010 12:39 pm

Im not comparing Mick im looking at right now - thats all that matters .

Every single game we have been dominated and have been poor - we have got wins against teams who didnt have the quality to advantage of that domination . When we faced teams who did we got stuffed and we got a draw against a team missing their two best players .

We do have a couple of wins against poor opposition in the Europa Qualifying stages and one in the prem against a newly promoted team who recently got stuff 6 nil by Chelsea - whats worse we were at home but you wouldnt of known that watching the game .

Are you happy with the way we are currently playing ?
Are you happy with the way teams are dominating us ?
Are you happy with the way we arent creating chances and sitting back deep men behind the ball with no pressure on the opposition ?

by **jacdaniel** » Tue Aug 31, 2010 12:41 pm

i don't think anyone wants to stick a knife in but so far the football has been awful. painful to watch, even more so then last year.

City and an understrength Arsenal are the only 2 teams of any real quality that we've faced. We did well defending against Arsenal but the City game was the worst ive witnessed in years.

Then we made West Brom look like Barcalona at Anfield but nicked a win.

Real improvment needed if they are to challenge for them top 6 places.

by **stmichael** » Tue Aug 31, 2010 12:47 pm

I wasn't at the game at the weekend but I can't believe people are whining about us being off the pace somewhat so far. When we came 2nd two years ago we were awful in our first few games against Sunderland, Boro and Villa. We should also have been dumped out of the CL by Standard Liege.

Nothing ever changes though. We've played a handful of competitive games, none of which have seen us able to field anything near our best eleven, and the media are already droning on about our "over-reliance on Gerrard and Torres". It's like a broken record.

by **Ciggy** » Tue Aug 31, 2010 12:50 pm

stmichael wrote:the media are already droning on about our "over-reliance on Gerrard and Torres". It's like a broken record.

They arnt wrong though are they? we DO rely on them two players dont we? its not rafa or Roys fault though its the other players in the team that have to step up to the plate, but they dont or dont want to? I dont know.

by **Benny The Noon** » Tue Aug 31, 2010 12:51 pm

TBH St Mick i agree on our over reliance on Torres and Gerrard - without them things would be even worse .

We were awful in previous games in previous seasons because we didnt take advantage of chances and possession we had - currently we dont even have either of those .

by **crazyhorse** » Tue Aug 31, 2010 12:53 pm

Its understandable that people are impatient to see our team out there playing the type of football that was the trademark of the club. However since Roy Evans we have not played that way, and that is a fact. Under Gh and RB we played counter attacking and often negative football, building success on a rock solid defence.

We will not change over a matter of weeks into Arsenal, Barca, or any other of the so called attractive sides. Years of playing in a certain manner will take more than a few weeks to accomplish. We have the players, but not the freedom and confidence as yet.

Besides this Roy is not that type of manager. I am certain that we will play good football, but it will not be with the flair that some expect. And I dont expect to see it until at the very earliest after Christmas.

Patience brothers.. we are in transistion. Expect another couple of seasons of not challenging for the title. I am prepared for this. But the future at least is optimistic.

by **Ciggy** » Tue Aug 31, 2010 12:57 pm

Hodgson on the day he arrived...

The weight of tradition at this club weighs on the shoulders of every player who comes through the door,” he said. “We shouldn't be taking anybody through the door who doesn't think what a privilege it is to play here at this club.

“And funnily enough, all the things I’ve always liked as a coach are the things Liverpool were famous for in their heyday.”

“Pass and move, always move it quickly and, once you lose it, get back into position. That was the mantra which took Liverpool through their great years.

“I like a high-tempo passing game. I like players to work hard, I like players to get back in position. Those are my principles.”

Awaits these principles to happen.

by **stmichael** » Tue Aug 31, 2010 12:59 pm

Ciggy wrote:
stmichael wrote:the media are already droning on about our "over-reliance on Gerrard and Torres". It's like a broken record.

They arnt wrong though are they? we DO rely on them two players dont we? its not rafa or Roys fault though its the other players in the team that have to step up to the plate, but they dont or dont want to? I dont know.

every side relies heavily on their key players. the mancs relied on rooney for the whole of last season virtually. outside oif him their next top scorer was "own goal". their central midfield was no more prolific in terms of scoring goals than ours.

your right though about others having to step up. i hope raul meireles and joe cole will be two such players who can provide that extra bit of quality.

by **Benny The Noon** » Tue Aug 31, 2010 12:59 pm

Players are getting back into position - all of them behind the ball sitting deep .

by **shabelle50** » Tue Aug 31, 2010 9:37 pm

RED BEERGOGGLES wrote:
Ciggy wrote:Excellent piece by Dion Fanning

Hodgson is a man well-respected in UEFA circles or, in other words, a nonentity, a corporate line manager who can make everybody feel at home. Sky feel at home at Liverpool now.

Javier Mascherano's refusal to play created a convenient scapegoat (there always seems to be one nearby when Gerrard is exposed) as Hodgson had to abandon his plan to play Gerrard behind Torres at the last minute. Mascherano had stated his desire to leave for a year so intending to play him in the last few days of the transfer window could be seen as bad planning rather than planning.

Hodgson used the fall-out from the Mascherano strike to criticise Benitez's attempts to sign Dirk Kuyt. Benitez had given a written undertaking that he would not return to sign his former players, Hodgson claimed.

Some said Hodgson had made a similar promise when he left Fulham, that he would leave the talent at Craven Cottage alone. By signing Paul Konchesky, he can be said to be observing the spirit of this agreement.

"We don't need the money," Hodgson said when discussing Inter's interest in Kuyt, words that should have tripped a few alarms when Liverpool need every penny they can get.

Hodgson was the appointment of a board that has failed in its primary duty. He was the low maintenance man they could do business with while they failed in their main objective.

It is time for Liverpool supporters to start boycotting matches, to take direct action against the owners and the board that sustains them still.

Hodgson, it was said, brought stability. Liverpool does not need stability, it needs radicalism. Bill Shankly did not bring stability; if he had, the club would have remained stable in the second division. Hodgson needs to challenge Gerrard. When Cole returns from suspension, the manager will have to confront their failings and play them where they are most dangerous, not where they think they belong.

Benitez had to go because the dressing room atmosphere had soured. So far this season, Liverpool are playing with the abandon of free men.

Good piece that.... even if it does puncture a wheel on the happy bus .......

Who is Dion Fanning? Sky feel at home at Liverpool now do they? Upon what basis can anyone make that argument? When have Sky ever not been welcomed at any premier league club since 1992? What a load of irrelevant tosh!

Did Hodgson definitely promise Fulham that he wouldn't buy any of their players? Some say says Dion Fanning? Who Dion who? Who said it? Do they have evidence that Hodgson signed an agreement at Craven Cottage that their players would be off limits?

As for Kuyt and Inter did Hodgson state that Inter had been trying to buy Kuyt on the basis of the interest in Mascherano. I don't think so. Hodgson did not say that Liverpool didn't need the money from any sale of Kuyt. He said that Kuyt wasn't for sale it's quite different. Kuyt isn't the greatest player to wear the red shirt at Anfield but he's not been the worst and he chips in with goals into double figures most seasons. At a time when Liverpool need some experience up front this season Kuyt offers it. Quite apart from that what would be the use of any Kuyt money in terms of numbers if Rodriguez gets injured later in the season while a striker comes in and Torres plays a full season?

As for radicalism maybe you are mistaking football with politics. If you want to talk about radicalism Dion maybe you should go and have a word with someone who's standing for parliament. No one who knows a dime about football would ever use the word 'radical' with soccer or Bill Shankley. It's the most bizarre load of nonsense.

What goog will it really do LFC fans if they take direct action against the board and get arrested? How will it help the team or the finance that you seem to care so much about if the revenue falls as a result of home games being boycotted.

I'd junk all of your tripe Dion it's not worth the PC it was typed on.

by **maguskwt** » Tue Aug 31, 2010 10:20 pm

bigmick wrote:At least the cracks have got paper over them. Last season they were just cracks.

Get over it BM, he's gone now...

by **LFC2007** » Wed Sep 01, 2010 12:38 am

Bermenstein wrote:
LFC2007 wrote:........We need to play a higher line, we need to press higher up and we need Lucas out of the team and Meireles in.

In all fairness if we play a higher line, with the slow paced defenders we have, not including Glen Johnson, we'd be thru balled all game.

Also to play a higher line, our strikers (Ngog when playing) and side Mid-fielders would have to hold the ball up a lot better to retain posession. Lpool play far too Direct to move the defensive line up higher. So if Roy can get his players to implement a clean short passing game and succesfully retain posession (Man Ure), it could be effective.

But I can imagine Skrtel being the last Man tracking back, and with his bad timing in the tackle at the moment, I can see us conceding Pens and picking up Y&R cards more regularly.

There is a risk in playing a higher line in that you leave space in behind the defence that pacey attackers can, in theory, exploit. The idea though is that the whole team shifts up and that by pressing higher up the other team is deprived of the time and space needed to effectively exploit that space in behind the defence I.E. you don't fecking let 'em eye up the pass, you're already on them, and if they do feck it that's the risk you take. So, you win the ball back quicker because you're closer to them, and when you've got the ball your own players are in closer support of one another and that helps when on the attack. A deeper line (and so midfield, and a lag - the problem - in between) leaves larger gaps all over the pitch and that sparseness doesn't bode well for several of the relatively slow, technically limited attackers that we have. They have to go longer or make more passes to get to where the team needs to be i.e. final third, and for the likes of Lucas, Kuyt, Ngog, Jovanovic, perhaps Poulsen (and even Gerrard has his moments), spending less time on the ball in deciding where to pass to, where to move and how to hold it up, isn't such bad thing. At home to sides like WBA a high line should be staple.

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