Liverpool FC Forum

the thing with 4-4-2 is, we don't have a proper right sided player in that formation and without lucas we don't have anybody with the discipline to play in central midfield in that formation.

i don't get why we insist on playing 4-2-3-1 at every level at the club up until we get to the first team whereby we're chopping and changing the formation and personnel every week. how are we supposed to form a philiosophy and style when we're doing that? we end up with players playing in roles that don't suit them half the time.

i look at teams like swansea and admire the fact that they have a style and a philosophy moulded in the managers image. they stick to their principles and play exactly the same way whoever is in the side. they play out from the back. they play with wingers and they play little triangles in midfield. with us, one week we have carroll in the side and play more direct and the next we drop him and play with suarez as the main striker. we're completely stuck between two ways of playing, neither of which is working.

We will need 5 or 6 in during the window minimum if we assume a couple will be going out.

This year we have had the benefit of not playing in Europe which we imagined would be a
big asset in our league campaign but how wrong we where. With Europe back on the agenda
next season we will need numbers in for sure.

The problem now is do we buy quality or quantity with the money available and we actually
need both.

At some point we have to have a situation where 1 or 2 players are out long term and we
dont notice the difference or even care. A team that can challenge consistenly on all
fronts, all fighting week in week out.

Right now we have a team that shows up for the big cup games but is nowhere to be seen
when the bread and butter kicks in and that simply has to be resolved by Dalglish in terms of
a variety of personnel for every occasion and a pattern of play to hurt every opponent.

Its that kind of planning and forsight that separates managers from being good to great
and if Dalglish can work this out in his head after a year scoping the terrain then we should
really be in a position to seriously challenge for 4th next year.

parchpea » Fri Mar 30, 2012 4:59 pm wrote:
The problem now is do we buy quality or quantity with the money available

it has to be quality over quantity. this summer is the most important in the club's recent history imo. we can't afford to get our signings wrong and comolli has to really start earning his money. i'm putting last summer out of my memory now. the signings that were made were to stabilise the club in terms of improving the strength of the squad whilst also looking forward to when the new squad rules come in.

i'd expect maxi and maybe kuyt to leave in the summer so we'll need to replace them. i don't see any of the last summer's signings going anywhere although if adam went i'd hardly shed a tear. we need to buy a top class finisher and a creative central midfielder and maybe even a winger. i think we are generally ok in defence.

If we go for more utility players or try and mould a lad like Henderson into
different positions again I will dissapointed.

I understand some players need to be flexible but we have done that one to death
for too long now.

Specialists and game changers is what we need now surely and a bench that can
actually turn a match, our bench has been very poor and ineffective this year and
for a while now and so many points are won with subs.

parchpea » Fri Mar 30, 2012 5:09 pm wrote:If we go for more utility players or try and mould a lad like Henderson into
different positions again I will dissapointed.

I understand some players need to be flexible but we have done that one to death
for too long now.

Specialists and game changers is what we need now surely and a bench that can
actually turn a match, our bench has been very poor and ineffective this year and
for a while now and so many points are won with subs.

raul meireles, last season, was an excellent sub. In fact, I recall he pretty much won the game against wolves after coming on

7_Kewell » Fri Mar 30, 2012 7:40 pm wrote:

parchpea » Fri Mar 30, 2012 5:09 pm wrote:If we go for more utility players or try and mould a lad like Henderson into
different positions again I will dissapointed.

I understand some players need to be flexible but we have done that one to death
for too long now.

Specialists and game changers is what we need now surely and a bench that can
actually turn a match, our bench has been very poor and ineffective this year and
for a while now and so many points are won with subs.

raul meireles, last season, was an excellent sub. In fact, I recall he pretty much won the game against wolves after coming on

Do you mean when we lost 1 nil when he started or when we won 3 nil when he started and Torres scored two 

Guess you recall wrong.

Think the teams knacked mentally really, year on year falling short.

Then we go harking back like with the long term appointment of Dagger.

Some big calls need making really, f*cking big calls all round but we will likely amble on
in a similair fashion, wrapped in our nostalgia blanket, and hit the same wall again next year.

End of the day the owners need to show some proper f*cking interest and get over here and
sort this stadium out instead of ***** about with baseball stats and moneyball shyte.

All well and good having the gratitude but they bought the club in a sale and I need more feedback than
what we get know which is just shy of f*ck all at this point. They wheel out the hapless Ayre
every 12 months with no updates and the same old patience message, meantime we are left
hanging wondering the ***** going on and arguing the toss on here.

We need something to happen because its Sh*t, I enjoyed the Carling Cup, I will enjoy the
FA Cup Semi, but deep down I know we are shyte and I want Fenway to do a better job PR
wise and take our club seriously because Im sick and tired of the silence from across the pond.

Hapless Ayre ? The guy is bring millions into the club ffs

Moneyball ? Go and read about it properly and you will see we actually haven't signed people because of Moneyball bar Craig Bellamy.

Owners should be exactly like Shanks said - there to sign the cheques, not to be at the beck and call of clueless fans who want to have a rant at them.

Jesus some people really need to get a f*cking grip of themselves and realise just 12 months ago the club nearly stopped exsisting and it's going to take time to rebuild.

Benny The Noon » Fri Mar 30, 2012 9:50 pm wrote:Hapless Ayre ? The guy is bring millions into the club ffs

Moneyball ? Go and read about it properly and you will see we actually haven't signed people because of Moneyball bar Craig Bellamy.

Owners should be exactly like Shanks said - there to sign the cheques, not to be at the beck and call of clueless fans who want to have a rant at them.

Jesus some people really need to get a f*cking grip of themselves and realise just 12 months ago the club nearly stopped exsisting and it's going to take time to rebuild.

I think when Shanks came out with that famous statement LFC were on the right track and were improving year on year. If the owners sit back and do nothing when we are in decline I'd be very disappointed and surprised in them.

I agree that ayre has done a good job though but we have to sort out the stadium, it's been dragging on far to long now.

It was always going to take time to rebuild the question now though is whether the squad is worse now than it was a year ago and whether the signings agreed by Comolli and Dalglish have made things worse and if things continue to slide until the end of the season including against Everton whether the two of them should remain at the club much longer.

friendlyguy33 » Sun Apr 01, 2012 6:24 pm wrote:It was always going to take time to rebuild the question now though is whether the squad is worse now than it was a year ago and whether the signings agreed by Comolli and Dalglish have made things worse and if things continue to slide until the end of the season including against Everton whether the two of them should remain at the club much longer.

the squad is better than this time last year but the team isn't that's the problem. we've essentially sacrificed everything that made us successful in the second half of last season for a more direct approach and players brought to compliment that approach. that hasn't worked either and we just look lost and confused as to how we want to play.

today looked like it started as a 4-3-3 but the midfield was so deep it was ridiculous. gerrard was woeful and spearing was spearing. shelvey at least tried to make things happen and was probably our best player. the fron three were just wasteful. when you're looking at the likes of downing and henderson to change the game then you have got problems.

we need to identify a system of play and a style of play and then stick to it. i couldn't tell you for the life of me where we're heading or what type of team we are at the moment. a very poor mid table one would be the answer.

stmichael » Sun Apr 01, 2012 5:37 pm wrote:

friendlyguy33 » Sun Apr 01, 2012 6:24 pm wrote:It was always going to take time to rebuild the question now though is whether the squad is worse now than it was a year ago and whether the signings agreed by Comolli and Dalglish have made things worse and if things continue to slide until the end of the season including against Everton whether the two of them should remain at the club much longer.

the squad is better than this time last year but the team isn't that's the problem. we've essentially sacrificed everything that made us successful in the second half of last season for a more direct approach and players brought to compliment that approach. that hasn't worked either and we just look lost and confused as to how we want to play.

today looked like it started as a 4-3-3 but the midfield was so deep it was ridiculous. gerrard was woeful and spearing was spearing. shelvey at least tried to make things happen and was probably our best player. the fron three were just wasteful. when you're looking at the likes of downing and henderson to change the game then you have got problems.

we need to identify a system of play and a style of play and then stick to it. i couldn't tell you for the life of me where we're heading or what type of team we are at the moment. a very poor mid table one would be the answer.

I'm actually not sure the squad is that much stronger, we lost Meireles and Torres and replaced them with
Carrol - utter waste of money
Suarez - Has his moments but not that productive really
Enrique - The only good signing
Bellamy - Good but hardly ever plays
Henderson - rubbish
Downing - getting better but started from zero in my estimation, so not hard.

Please let me know if I'm missing someone out.

also our lack of pressing nowadays is criminal. under rafa, you may have criticised the style of football at times but at least we always pressed the opposition. it's what made us so successful in europe especially when our opponents wanted more time on the ball. lucas being out the side doesn't help in this regard.

the only time i remember us pressing the ball high up the pitch this season was chelsea away in the league.

I really don't see any tactics out there. It's as though Kenny selects the team and tells them to go out there and win the game. Not sure what is happening in training, but sometimes seems as though we just have a kickabout and thats about it.

heimdall:

"I'm actually not sure the squad is that much stronger, we lost Meireles and Torres and replaced them with
Carrol - utter waste of money
Suarez - Has his moments but not that productive really
Enrique - The only good signing
Bellamy - Good but hardly ever plays
Henderson - rubbish
Downing - getting better but started from zero in my estimation, so not hard.
Please let me know if I'm missing someone out."

Its not just the new signings though is it?
Reina has been dogsh'it for a while but everyones terrified to admit it. Since Agger and Johnson have been out our once solid back four look like a gang of clowns in the circus. Enrique has gone down the pan, Carra is fu'cked, Fanagan is out of his depth and the once reliable and solid Skirtl is like a headless chicken. Gerrard had a stinker yesterday and looks like he cant wait for the season to end. Suarez has been wasteful since he came back from the ban and only a handful of good performances stop people from openly criticising his slovenly play. Carroll looks like he will never get his head round being a £35 million player who is at one of the biggest (once upon a time) clubs in the world and I believe he will probably go in the summer. It has been painful to watch him fail and the dive yesterday showed us how fu'cked up his head is. I said from the begining that it was psychological with him and if he could get his mind straight he could have been a monster for us. Sadly time is running out and KK bringing him off has only made matters worse. I have no doubt whatsoever that he will succeed with another club when he leaves us. Its ironic that Torres is now finding form as Carroll reaches an all time low.
As I said in another thread Im not ar'sed about the FA cup because it wont help our league postion. The only thing we can do now is pray...
Amen