Liverpool FC Forum

by **Ciggy** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 7:29 am

Was pennant this poor at Birmingham and Arsenal?
Atleast young Gonzales has a feckin go, the same cant be said for Jermain :glare:

Gonzales will mature and be a great player we really should have bought a better right winger though.

by **alxy** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 7:47 am

Both our wingers were pathetic. Yes, Gonzalez did try, but what's the point when he wastes it all on poor crosses and shots? Think he only had one good cross in to Crouchy who almost scored.

But what was worse was the lack of urgency in our game even when time was fast running out. Team didn't look like a team, just a bunch of people wanting to get the job done and get out.

Being a Liverpool fan in my part of the world (i.e. Asia) is really double pain nowadays, as we have to stay up until 3-4am watching performances like last night's. And worse is we cannot sleep until even later than that because we are so frustrated with the game.

Having said that, I am sure somewhere down the line, Liverpool will start having those 10 game winning runs and things appear rosy again. Only for our hopes to get crushed again with a 4-5 game winless streak.

Why do they keep doing that to us......

by **Ciggy** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 8:07 am

Boro where a feckin joke, fancy playing for a draw against a team who hasnt won away from home so far, Southgate typical defender manager.
So frustrating the way our players keep passing the ball back and not forward, against Arsenal last week 2 nil down we kept passing it back aswell why are they doing this?
The short corners also are pathetic, get a grip Liverpool ffs the way things are going we might hot even get a UEFA Cup place.

by **Effes** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 8:57 am

Ciggy wrote:So frustrating the way our players keep passing the ball back and not forward,

Rafa's got to put a stop to that.

It's so negative, we lost momentum so many times doing that.

by **jkop** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 10:16 am

Ciggy wrote:Boro where a feckin joke, fancy playing for a draw against a team who hasnt won away from home so far, Southgate typical defender manager.
So frustrating the way our players keep passing the ball back and not forward, against Arsenal last week 2 nil down we kept passing it back aswell why are they doing this?
The short corners also are pathetic, get a grip Liverpool ffs the way things are going we might hot even get a UEFA Cup place.

Totally agree with you there Ciggy, the last few minutes of a game we need a win and the players play a short corner then look lost. We had Crouchy on cross the ball and get his head on the end of it !

by **Redman in wales** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 11:11 am

Lando_Griffin wrote:SO no one else saw the two blatent penalties then?

BOODIDDY - shut up you silly tart. Finnan and Riise did nothing wrong today.

Gonzalez is lacking in confidence. Pennant is just sh*t.

If no-one thinks that that was a good performance for us, considering the current climate and our recent record at The Riverside, then f*ck knows what will make you say it.

Everything was there but a goal. Everything.

Stop whinging ffs - you're boring the tits off me with all this "sell so and so" b*llocks.

Give it a fricking rest.

by **67-1161385641** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 11:25 am

Effes wrote:
Ciggy wrote:So frustrating the way our players keep passing the ball back and not forward,

Rafa's got to put a stop to that.

It's so negative, we lost momentum so many times doing that.

We kept doing that against Arsenal and by doing that we allowed them to get their shape back, I'd rather us break away down the pitch and lose the ball, then pass it back and play this 'patient' game because it only gives an advantage to the opposition.

by **red37** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 12:23 pm

so once again, the 'duvet of disillusionment' tucked up our players in their beds last night, and how many of them continue to sleep well beneath it.....The one positive, (the only one-afforded of measure by the home sides lack of any conviction or invention). was the possession count. the most damning negative of which was the inept failure to penetrate with any effect). at least until the afterthought that was Peter Crouch ended up being thrown into an already befuddled and long lost mix. there was neither 'direction... purpose..cohesion...leadership...patience (what, being patient means panicking and not able to take a man on, but instead- give it back to the defenders to 'hoof' into the chill night air?) Gerrard was again summounting to the appearance of a 'bit part' player when in all honesty he should have been the catalyst for far greater things, on an evening where opportunity to overwhelm the oposition was clearly a go-er. Middlesbourough, did the decent thing and lay back on their woeful laurels for much of the whole game almost in resignation and any predator worthy of the name should 'sense' blood in that case - Except this current Liverpool side of course, who seem to have adopted a very 'weak' and 'paranoid' existence for turning up anywhere outside the safe and protective sanctuary of their own back yard. From the goalkeeper right the way through the back four, a definate nervous disposition was clearly order of the day. Midfield was little better, with both flanks tended in equal anonimity, by two players that are simply of insufficient depth or impact, yet. in either technique and/or stamina for performing in premiership football Stevie and Xabi lacked anthing that was required of them to be the teams 'fulcrum or axis' of any note. with the former quite clearly intent on carrying on some personal 'crusade'- (whatever it is, its poisoning the team). Kuyt made his customary contribution in terms of 'running around, quite a bit-looking like he was interested'. as for Bellamy, who couldnt of been less conspicuous despite the bright lights adding to the glow of his Yellow shirt. (can still see that Liver-bird on it though, Craig lad-and it aint a happy bird!). all the 'huffing and chuffing' in the world wont 'make' it happen for you squire.

all in all, it is scant comfort in considering the single point gained from the Riverside, despite the resolute defending of Pogatetz, Woodgate et al.. it should and more pertantly, 'had' to have been 3 in order to have any vestige of hope to cling on to league concerns. so what now?......next up is PSV 'at Anfield. and after little contemplation of which, id recommend the introduction of some of the lesser lights of the squad. Call it the old romantic in me. but i put a pound on the nose, that a far higher degree of effort and conviction would come about, through the use of players that 'still', you'd expect- hold the treasured concept within their ambitions that pulling on the red shirt swells them with a pride and a belief, sadly missing in the hearts of their seniors - not all, but far too many of them to rest easy with acceptance of.

by **LFC #1** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 12:37 pm

Some major points I took from the game:

Gerrard: So finally he gets his chance in the centre, and let's be honest it wasn't the Gerrard we expected to see - the hard tackling, tenacious midfielder that can take the game by the scruff of it's neck and get us our first away win of the season. I seriously feel that Gerrard's personal issues are affecting his game, the fire isn't there at the moment. If Gerrard was 100% up for it he would've wanted to prove to Rafa why he should've been playing him in the centre earlier in the season.

Pennant and Gonzalez: Gonzalez had a decent game I thought, he worked hard and got on the ball a lot, some of his delivery was not quite up to standard and I felt he could've used his pace and taken on their full backs a little more often, but that comes with confidence. I saw some encouraging signs and I hope he gets an extended run in the side. As for Pennant he was average at best, his last few performances have been pretty poor and he doesn't seem to be putting in the effort, a lot of improvement is needed if he is going to be considered a reasonable signing. If he continues this form, Stevie G may be back out on the right very quickly.

Bellamy: worked hard, especially in the first half but was pretty anonymous in the 2nd half. Boro got deeper and deeper and this doesn't suit Bellamy's game as he likes to play off the shoulder and get in behind the defence. His distribution and ability to hold up the ball to bring the midfield into play isn't fantastic and he was more or less a passenger in the second half with Boro defending deep. I thought Crouch should have come on a lot earlier and for Bellamy instead of Kuyt. Like Pennant the jury is still most definitley out on Bellamy, but you can't fault his effort, just the results.

Corners and Set-pieces:An absolute farce. So many opportunities were wasted yersterday with corners/free kicks not getting beyond the first defender, or even into the box. Those short-corner routines are woeful, and nothing ever comes of them. Even when the delivery was good we lacked any desire to attack the ball, we probably missed Sami in this sense. A lot of work needs ot be done in this area as we get so many corners every game and do fk all with them.

Away form: When are we going to score again away from home in the league, let alone win? That's over 9 hrs now since we scored our soiltary goal away from home against Sheff Utd (which was a rather dubious penalty). The performance was better yesterday, we had mountains of possession, but that was probably down to Boro rather than playing particualrly well. However for all that possession we didn't really create enough. Still it was an improved away performance, much better than our last few. Hopefully the goals will come soon.

by **66-1120597113** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 1:06 pm

Im sick reading about us having lots of posession!

What da fu.ck use is posession when away from home not a single one of our players looks anywhere near comfortable on the ball outside his own half!

Did anyone watch MOTD ??

Did anyone see teams like Portsmouth and Reading playing football and showing passion and will to win that puts our players to shame at the present?

There are certain dissillusioned individuals on here that seem to think that a refusal to be unhappy,annoyed and critical of our underperforming toothless approach to football at present makes them a 'bigger and better fan'.....It does in fact the opposite and merely makes them look BLIND!

by **peterc1992** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 1:10 pm

Effes wrote:
Ciggy wrote:So frustrating the way our players keep passing the ball back and not forward,

Rafa's got to put a stop to that.

i think your rite ciggy,Did u see the stupid corners by liverpool,we had agger,carragher and crouch all in the box for the corners and then pennant or gonzalez would give the ball back ways,Back into our own half,rubbish!!!!!!!!

by **66-1120597113** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 1:18 pm

peterc1992 wrote:
Effes wrote:
Ciggy wrote:So frustrating the way our players keep passing the ball back and not forward,

Rafa's got to put a stop to that.

i think your rite ciggy,Did u see the stupid corners by liverpool,we had agger,carragher and crouch all in the box for the corners and then pennant or gonzalez would give the ball back ways,Back into our own half,rubbish!!!!!!!!

You 'think' shes right?

Stevie wonder could have seen that our corners were laughable yesterday!The biggest concern was that after it obviously failed pathetically on one or two occasions they actually kept doing the same thing over and over again.....it was unbelievable and hard to watch!

by **Ciggy** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 1:44 pm

BarryBelfast wrote:Stevie wonder could have seen that our corners were laughable yesterday!The biggest concern was that after it obviously failed pathetically on one or two occasions they actually kept doing the same thing over and over again.....it was unbelievable and hard to watch!

They are passing the ball back in quite a few games I mean its not asif we have been 3-0 ahead in any of them either :down:

Why oh why cant we play like we do at home, away, we are very pacy on the counter at home, away we are just a total different team its getting really depressing.
I dont know why Bellamy was bought nothing against the player like but he doesnt fit into the current system we are playing.
And Cisse done a better job on the wing than Pennant, I think he is awful he is not good enough for LFC.
Harsh but true.

by **66-1112520797** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 2:13 pm

I'm dissapointed with the result obviously, and dare I say it I'm not expecting full gone conclusions these days in the fact we're going to turn up and put in a good solid performance and take three points.

Yesterday at times especially in the early part of both halfs we looked shaky in defence, and if they had scored I couldnt honestly see us coming back in it. Boro played to frustrate, and they did just that by putting numbers in midfield. But no disrespect to them, but we should be capable of creating clear cut opportunities against them and we didnt. In the final third we didnt really look like creating anything which is a slight worry. Our wide men in terms of providing balls into the box were non-exsistant, and IMO Gonzalez was a much bigger culprit than Pennant in wasting crosses, I thought the Chilean had a poor game to put it mildly. Pennant on the other hand wasnt as bad as others are making out, its fair to say he didnt offer much in the final third but I thought his workrate was good and his tracking back was okay, its going the other way where he is struggling.
Gonzalez wasnt the only player to dissapoint, Gerrard doesnt look a patch on the player we new twelve months ago his body language and work rate seems to of dropped off into a sorry state of affairs. Kuyt didnt really do much either, but his service wasnt the best so that would go to some way of explaining his average performance. We also saw an unusual shaky side to our young Dane in defence and his distribution wasnt up to his usual high standard, and Yakubu gave him a difficult time yesterday with his robust performance.

The performance itself overall wasnt that bad, as I said apart from the two shaky spells in the begining of each half, and the wasted corners and crosses from the flanks, oh and the lack of creativity and goal threat. I thought we pretty much controlled the game

Alonso was another plus, and it was good to see him venture forward a bit more, probably due to frustration about the lack of attacking threat we offered. But he was excellent and if Gerrard had pulled his finger out, the pair of them could of done more than control the game. They could of won the game, Reina to was good and pulled off a cracking save to keep us in it.

by **puroresu** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 4:45 pm

Rafa thinks we created enough chances to win. However how many times was Shwarzer called into action. It wasnt like we forced him into save after save and he was man of the match. Against a rubbish side like Boro we should have plenty possesion just its no good if that possession isnt used to create genuine chances. It was a poor to average performance which once again had us looking more like a mid table side than a top 4 side.

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