Liverpool FC Forum

by **Kopite-Jud** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 10:54 am

Yes We Did Play Poor Yesterday , but we did play better than sheffield united , remember the chanses we had 1st half , Bellamy's shot just wide of the post , Bellamy's One-Two With Fowler which he miss controlled , Aurellio's free kick . We came to life after they scored which was due to very poor marking . When They Scored it was all Liverpool 2nd half untill we scored , after we scored the pressure eased off and we wasnt attacking them that much . Yes this was unfortunalty two points lost and there are very few positives that we can take from this , Riise looks like he's sprained his ankle and carragher looks like he 's slightly pulled something . With sum very important games coming up over the next few weeks im more concerned about carra and riise than the two points lost. The Same thing always happens to Liverpool , we contoll a game for pretty much 89 minuites and they score off one chance :angry:

never happens to united or chelski . And Why are chelsea's,uniteds and arsenals 1st games at home and ours away , and we have a midweek champions league fixture which is also away :angry:

by **Cool Hand Luke** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 11:17 am

At this point is the season the results are more important than the performances, unfortunately we got neither. Had we got another goal at end and stole 3 points with an uncomfortable 2-1 all would have been rosy as far as I am concerned.

In my opinion Finnan, Alonso and Crouch should have started in place of Kromkamp, Zenden and Fowler, unless they have injuries that I don’t know about. Finnan gives familiarity, Alonso needs games to get into his rhythm and Crouch gives us that variety and option to play another way when were not playing good football.

In this sort of game were your expecting a newly promoted team to run their socks off and make things really difficult you are expecting to punish them in the second half when the quality of your play and the quality of your subs will show and the opposition will pay for their early running. Unfortunately injuries to 2 of our longer serving and more familiar defenders meant that not only did the defence have a “new” and uncomfortable look about it, but it also meant that any game plan to win the game in the second half went out the window. The introduction of Pennant, Gonzalez and Crouch in the last 30-45 minutes would have made a big difference against a tiring Sheff Utd team who were dropping deeper and deeper.

I personally feel that some of the criticism of Kromkamp is unfair and don’t feel he had as bad as game as some people are making out, and the same goes for Aurelio. Zenden and Sissoko failed to control any period of the game, if Rafa had more than 1 sub going into half time I think in the second half we would have seen Gerrard move into the centre alongside Sissoko and Zenden coming off replaced by Pennant who would have played on the right. We played the ball long too many time to 2 strikers who cant be much taller than 5.9. Gonzalez was positive and lively throughout but will need to work on the defensive side of his game. In terms of the defence, we rely on good tactical player rather than individuals, so it is hard to criticise the new boys who have all had to come in at once and haven’t had time to perfect the way that Rafa plays it.

Overall I think it was mixture of too much risk taken by Rafa with team selection and bad fortune with early injuries. 3 points was very important today even if we had scraped it, but its nothing to dwell on.

by **aCe'** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 11:56 am

i think its pathetic that some ppl around here are saying "atleast we played better than Sheff. utd" ! a club that has minimal chances of survival in the prem league was playing us yest. and all we could come up with was a performace better than theirs ! not even that big a margin if you ask me !
Im pretty sure Finnan is not injuered or anything...u'll see him running around in a couple of days in the haifa game... i agree with coolhandluke... kromkamp got way too much stick after yest's game.... his performace wasnt good but i think ppl are taking it a notch too far !
i dont think we played any positive football yest.... except for one or two situations.... was an awful display by the side... wouldnt go to blaming individuals... rafa got it all wrong and i think will learn alot from yest's game !

by **puroresu** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 12:10 pm

Kronkamps distribution isnt good enough. Plays far too many bad passes and I dont think he offers enough in an attacking sense.

by **kunilson** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 1:15 pm

we didn't play well, i was angry about that....especially when we didn't go for the winner after we worked hard to get the goal. You could see Benitez's frustration with the team also, and rightly so.

Its not the end of the world, the premiership will have many twists and turns...but we need to gel together as a team quickly, i thnk squad rotation should be limited in terms of how many players are changed around.....obviously the injuries yesterday ruined the gameplan, but we didn't look very solid before either of their injuries either.

Im sure Rafa will sort it out, we have a great squad and these first couple of months are most crucial to our campaign in the premiership...

by **red_indian** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 1:26 pm

not sure if anyone has questioned this yet - BUT, why was the challenge which injured Riise in the first half not deemed a penalty?? anywhere else on the pitch such a late challenge would certainly have been penalised with a foul. If the argument is the ref played advantage, then i'd say anywhere else on the pitch advantage only applies if the pass happens to land at the feet of a team mate, in this case it did not, and again anywhere else on the pitch that then means no advantage and award the original free kick, in this case a pen (i have checked on the highlights the foul was in the box).

would like to know your thoughts on this.

by **Sabre** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 2:54 pm

oh well i rather not waste my time arguing with a "lady"

I just saw the game and there are things that I liked and things that I didn't like as it is normal in this stage of the season.

The point away is not that bad. Sheff United might be newly promoted team, and for what I saw, very limited technically. But they were very tidy defending and they made things easy when they have the ball, meaning that they didn't gave the ball away easily. If we had done a very good job we'd have won 0-1, we made some mistakes and we got a point away, which it isn't bad in my book never.

The players I liked, Reina, Agger (despite some errors, he continues to impress me how he takes out the ball from the defence), and Bellamy, he's going to give us goals, not because he's lightning fast, I think he is just "moderately fast" but runs with sense. He makes proper runs, he knows falling well to the wings when it's necessary, and he'll give us goals.

I didn't like the first 20 mins. We were just poor and uncoordinated in defence. We didn't receive a goal then, but they gave us a bad time.Kronkamp was specially nervous, but neither Hyppia or Carra were secure ( I remember for instance a poor pass backwards of Hyppia, a dangerous ball from Krionkamp to Reina, and Carra struggling with Hulse when he was pressing). This is due to they haven't been playing together lately and this is normal.

Gonzalez needs more matches. He can provide a lot of more than he did. I have no doubts that he will.

I think that the pitch must have been wet, because many of our players slipped, like Robbie or Gonzalez in some balls that were dangerous. Robbie didn't make a great match neither, but I think he'll be very useful.

Gerrard was simply good, he as well will be improving the next matches.

What I don't understand is Zenden position. He doesn't defend well when he haven't the ball, and he's not good enough in that position when we have it. If he's going to play what Hamman played last season, our squad isn't stronger in the depth of that position compared to the last season.

Anyway, let's be patient. It's important not to lose when you don't play too well, and a point away is a point away.

by **GOAT** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 3:06 pm

REDS DUO SIDELINED
Steve Hunter 20 August 2006
Liverpool have suffered a double injury blow with the news that Jamie Carragher and John Arne Riise will both be missing for the next fortnight after scans on Sunday morning confirmed the club's initial medical diagnosis.
Both players were forced to leave the field injured during Saturday's 1-1 draw at Sheffield United.

The scans showed that Carragher has sustained a sprained medial ligament in his left ankle while Riise has torn lateral ligaments in his left ankle.

A Liverpool spokesman said: "We expect both players to be unable to train for the next two to three weeks."

by **Sabre** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 3:10 pm

That's what we have a depth squad for, GOAT, fortunately.

I forgot to mention that I was impressed by the atmosphere of Sheff's stadium, I'm used to see the kop away dominating with chants the away crowd, but this crowd pushed well to his team.

by **SouthCoastShankly** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 3:11 pm

As much as i'm disappointed along with everyone else i sort of saw this coming, just because the first game we is always shakey. We've drawn our last 3 opening games now

by **account deleted by request** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 3:12 pm

GOAT wrote:REDS DUO SIDELINED
Steve Hunter 20 August 2006
Liverpool have suffered a double injury blow with the news that Jamie Carragher and John Arne Riise will both be missing for the next fortnight after scans on Sunday morning confirmed the club's initial medical diagnosis.
Both players were forced to leave the field injured during Saturday's 1-1 draw at Sheffield United.

The scans showed that Carragher has sustained a sprained medial ligament in his left ankle while Riise has torn lateral ligaments in his left ankle.

A Liverpool spokesman said: "We expect both players to be unable to train for the next two to three weeks."

Bad news that Goat, BOTH will be badly missed.

by **48-1119859832** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 3:16 pm

SouthCoastShankly wrote:As much as i'm disappointed along with everyone else i sort of saw this coming, just because the first game we is always shakey. We've drawn our last 3 opening games now

United are thumping Fulham 5-1. This is what we should of done yesterday.

by **onizukaeikichi** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 3:26 pm

Sabre wrote:
oh well i rather not waste my time arguing with a "lady"

I just saw the game and there are things that I liked and things that I didn't like as it is normal in this stage of the season.

The point away is not that bad. Sheff United might be newly promoted team, and for what I saw, very limited technically. But they were very tidy defending and they made things easy when they have the ball, meaning that they didn't gave the ball away easily. If we had done a very good job we'd have won 0-1, we made some mistakes and we got a point away, which it isn't bad in my book never.

The players I liked, Reina, Agger (despite some errors, he continues to impress me how he takes out the ball from the defence), and Bellamy, he's going to give us goals, not because he's lightning fast, I think he is just "moderately fast" but runs with sense. He makes proper runs, he knows falling well to the wings when it's necessary, and he'll give us goals.

I didn't like the first 20 mins. We were just poor and uncoordinated in defence. We didn't receive a goal then, but they gave us a bad time.Kronkamp was specially nervous, but neither Hyppia or Carra were secure ( I remember for instance a poor pass backwards of Hyppia, a dangerous ball from Krionkamp to Reina, and Carra struggling with Hulse when he was pressing). This is due to they haven't been playing together lately and this is normal.

Gonzalez needs more matches. He can provide a lot of more than he did. I have no doubts that he will.

I think that the pitch must have been wet, because many of our players slipped, like Robbie or Gonzalez in some balls that were dangerous. Robbie didn't make a great match neither, but I think he'll be very useful.

Gerrard was simply good, he as well will be improving the next matches.

What I don't understand is Zenden position. He doesn't defend well when he haven't the ball, and he's not good enough in that position when we have it. If he's going to play what Hamman played last season, our squad isn't stronger in the depth of that position compared to the last season.

Anyway, let's be patient. It's important not to lose when you don't play too well, and a point away is a point away.

by **LFC_fan** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 3:35 pm

heres an article abt the game i got off soccernet. its not very 'pro-liverpool', the way its written, but theres traces of truth in the article.

source : http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns....cc=3436

Liverpool fail to send out the right message

Sheffield United 1 - 1 Liverpool

So here we go again and even on day one of this brand new Premiership season, a crucial afternoon in the title race was upon us.

First impressions count in this game and if Liverpool were to live up to their billing as genuine contenders to Chelsea's apparently unbreakable dominance of the English game, Rafa Benitez's men needed to lay down a marker.

Against the hot favourites for relegation from the Premiership, this was not a day for lame excuses for failure, but by the end, that is just what we got from the Reds and their bedraggled looking manager.

Gloomy odds on survival mattered little to the hoards of Sheffield United fans who made their way to Bramall Lane with the sort excitement that has been missing from their stride for all too long. After so many promotion near misses, this was the afternoon so many in this football mad city had waited so long for and the noise that rippled around the sell-out crowd prior to kick-off send a shiver down the spine.

The pre-match performance of Bramall Lane's booming PA system was certainly Premiership class and with a set of tunes that clearly hit the right notes with Blades followers, this compact ground was rocking by the time the time the two teams emerged from the tunnel. Such raucous home support may just be one of their best hopes of defying those odds and surviving in the Premiership this season.

Our focus for the day was on Liverpool and once this game got underway, it became rapidly clear that we would be provided with as many questions as answers as they stumbled through the first test of their title credentials.

Many an observer has based their positive predictions for Liverpool on the back of a solitary victory against an under-prepared and badly organised Chelsea side in last Sunday's Community Shield. However, such a blinkered view neatly blocks out some of their less than impressive pre-season displays ahead of that game in Cardiff, so this was an occasion to show that a summer of squad reshaping at Anfield has had the desired effect.

Benitez sprung something of a surprised when he named Brazilian signing Fabio Aurelio in an advanced midfield role rather than his preferred slot at left-back, with his decision to leave natural wingers Mark Gonzalez and Jermaine Pennant on the bench clearly made with next week's Champions League game against Maccabi Haifa in mind.

His move to pair Robbie Fowler with Craig Bellamy up front was also mildly unexpected as the theory was that Peter Crouch was penned in to be the ideal foil for either of Liverpool's two little predators, yet in these formative days of the season such selection dilemmas are yet to be resolved.

A scoreless first half represented a victory for the underdogs and while Liverpool had dominated possession, their lack of cutting edge up front and invention in midfield was blatantly evident. On the plus side, their work rate was impressive, with the hunger to match Sheffield United's passion their best quality, but they will need much more than raw determination to match Chelsea this season.

Lacking ideas on set-plays and troubled every time the speedy Danny Webber ran at their back line, the half-time whistle was greeted with a roar that must have been heard all over Sheffield, yet the volume levels were to be upped to previously unimaginable levels 60 seconds after the re-start.

Losing John Arne Riise and Jamie Carragher due to injury inside the first 34 minutes left Liverpool with a defensive line-up that has never before played as a unit and as a fizzing free-kick was spun into the box by David Unsworth, Blades debutant Rob Hulse scored the first Premiership goal of the season.

Liverpool's marking was of Championship standard, with Aurelio guilty of allowing Hulse a free header from point blank range and an afternoon that started with such high hopes for the visitors was rapidly developing into a nightmare for Benitez and his team.

How a side reacts to a setback is often a sign of their quality and with Sheffield United sinking into their shell, Liverpool piled on the pressure. After a series of near misses, a fine one two between Fowler and Steven Gerrard finished in a penalty that the former tucked away with ease. TV replays suggested referee Rob Styles was harsh to give the spot kick as Chris Morgan failed to make contact with Gerrard in the box.

After that touch of good fortune, the moment had come for Benitez's men to prove they could then find the killer touch all champions possess, yet just when it seemed the introduction of Peter Crouch seemed obvious, he took off the struggling Fowler and threw Jermaine Pennant into the fray. Leaving Bellamy up front alone for the final 15 minutes was a curious move that drew the sting out of Liverpool's final flourish.

There was only one team celebrating at the end and for Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez, there was much to ponder as he faced the media hoard.

"We did not play well in the first half, we know that," conceded a rattled coach who claimed to be bemused by the physical nature of Sheffield United's game that he blames for the injuries to Carragher and Riise.

"If we want to have a successful season, then we have to show more of what we produced in the second period. Dropping points now is not good news, but you never know what might happen this weekend. It was a tough away game to start off with and we will take this.

'Still, they saw this is a marathon season in England and we are still in the first kilometre, so let's not talk about the significance of dropping two points now."

It came as little surprise that Sheffield United boss Neil Warnock, the would-be head of an Anti-Referees Association, wasted little time in moving onto a familiar topic after his first game as a Premiership manager.

"Our lad didn't touch Gerrard, but that is the sort of decision that we generally tend to get at this club," stated Warnock, whose controversial post-match briefings are bound to be a delight to attend this season.

"Rob Styles is a good referee, but he got the major decision wrong today. No one involved in professional football will think that was a penalty, but they didn't deserve a penalty and it does leave a sour taste. If he thought it was a foul, he should have sent the player off, so it was strange. Robbie Fowler said to me that it was never a penalty, but there you go.

"This was a great day for Sheffield United, but it could have been even better. I was top of the Premier League for a few minutes you know. That might never happen again! Still, I'm proud of the lads because that was one of the top teams in England and we had a lot of heroes out there. The shame is we will all be talking about one man and he didn't kick a ball today."

In a week when the A-level results were released to students across Britain, it seems fitting to give Liverpool a grade after their first exam of the season and it is hard to give them much more than a C- for their effort at Bramall Lane. With so much room for improvement, Chelsea will not be quaking in their boots.

• MAN OF THE MATCH: Steven Gerrard: After a slow start, the Liverpool captain began to dictate the game as his side battled back from the shock of going behind. However, performing for just 45 minutes will not be enough for Benitez.

• FACE IN THE CROWD: New England boss Steve McClaren was sitting just down the stand from us and Blades fan Sean Bean looked every inch the Hollywood superstar in his shades as the James Bond baddie walked past the assembled media pack.

• FOOD WATCH: The early kick-off meant a pre-match snack was in order and the chicken and mushroom pie on offer hit the mark.

• INJURY UPDATE: John Arne Riise looked to have done serious damage to his ankle in the first half, but the word is he only has a sprained his ankle.

• ONE TO WATCH: Sheffield United's Danny Webber has long been hailed as one of the most promising young players in the game and on the evidence of this impressive opening day display, he will be a threat in the Premiership this season.

• LIVERPOOL VERDICT: Benitez clearly felt this was a day for his 'little forwards' to unlock the door to victory, but their lack of physical presence up front gave the Blades a chance to claim a morale boosting point. He now looks to have the raw materials to build a powerful side, but this Liverpool effort did not suggest they are about to end the club's long wait for an English league title this season.

by **GOAT** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 3:50 pm

Anybody wana go for a chelsea loss today, come on city!

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