Liverpool FC Forum

by **stmichael** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 9:01 pm

As for the match, it was a none event really. We dominated from start to finish but huffed and puffed really badly all afternoon and we never really looked like making the breakthrough. We just had the odd half chance here and the odd half chance there and that's not enough at home. We are normally excellent at home but our distribution and use of the ball was atrocious. We really should be blowing teams who sit deep away but give the Bloos their due they defended really well and actually had the best chance of the game when we were knobbing about on the edge of the box.

Thankfully Johnson had his shot initially blocked by a great bit of defending and then hit a poor effort which Reina did well to knock away. I swear if you drew a line on his head he would actually look like a penis. I find it no coincidence that the American word for penis is "Johnson."

Anyhow, it was far from pretty. Despite the numerous times Rafa kept telling them to keep the f**king ball on the floor we persisted in going long. Stubbs might be a hideously deformed, moaning parrot faced t**t but he's good in the air and he won virtually everything. Lescott is a class above and would slot comfortably into any of the big 4's defences. I know I'd like him at Liverpool. And he was out of position as well. Yobo also looked good.

I was a bit puzzled by the 3 up front. That works well on the road against rubbish. Not so well at home against a well organised team. The problem Rafa has is that all 3 are playing so well at this moment in time it's hard to drop any of them. I would have lined up 4-4-2 as I think we had more to gain from it. It has served us well at home all this season and I'm not so sure as to why we switched from it. Kuyt was on the left of midfield. I would have played Kuyt and Bellamy and had Gonzalez on the left. He would be against Hibbert who is:

a) Absolutely woeful if resiliant
b) Slow

But no matter. We didn't win and even though the Blues couldn't have complained had we won comfortably I can only congratulate them on their defensive effort.

We have to do better if we ever have any aspirations of winning the league. Just watched manure destroy spurs and they're on a completely different planet to u swhen it comes to creativity.

by **J*o*n*D*o*e** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 9:05 pm

edit

Don`t see what all the fuss is myself Rafa was right in what he said, no different to me then when gollum proclaimed neverton "the peoples club" knowing full well it was a swipe at us.

sign of a small club living in your shadow - they bring out a DVD when they beat you 3.0

by **JC_81** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 9:11 pm

First of all, what a rubbish game yesterday, mainly because of Everton's negative tactics, but we only have ourselves to blame really.

I'm not convinced by whatever formation that was we played. It's ok in the odd game to start with all 3 strikers to surprise some of the smaller teams, but that's a few games in a row we've tried to use it and it is becoming predictable. We lack width with it and it forces our best forward - Kuyt - to play in deep or wide positions where he is less effective.

In the end Everton got what they came for, but look on the bright side, Johnson really should have buried the best chance of the game and we could be sitting here with that sh.ite having done the league double over us. It's only one game for us, for Everton that's made their season. It shows the gulf between the 2 clubs these days and Rafa summed it up nicely in his post-match comments.

by **Sabre** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 9:43 pm

I don't think the formation is any different to other we've seen. We have seen many times LG doing the role of Bellamy between lines.

One thing I forgot to mention is that the Ref annoyed me. Arteta gave stick the whole match, and the ref talked to Arteta to explain I dunno what twice. If it's a card, it's a card, everything that the ref told to Arteta entered in one ear and got out from the other one. He kept giving stick until he got the first card in min 80. THere's a concept in football, you can see a yellow card if you make fouls repeatedly. And Arteta made quite a lot.

by **flombs** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 1:22 am

After 15 mins i was pulling my hair at what was probably the most frustrationg football game i have ever seen. I knew from that point
there would be no goals, Neverton "The small peoples club" parked there mini van in wich they brought their fans, in front of the goals and then it became a non event.

But, i must say LFC did my head in as well. No running along both by-lines and therefore no proper crosses to let our strikers nick a goal. It was virtually plonk the ball high with nowhere to go. The game was screaming for some nice, crisp corners from our wingers. :sleep

by **The Manhattan Project** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 1:27 am

I was listening to talkSPORT this morning.

Everton obsessive Mike Parry was going nuts over Rafa's comments.

Then a bluenose called in and said Everton were a big club because they were the first to use undersoil heating and the first to have a two-tiered stand, then he said Liverpool were lucky to win the Champions League.

LOL!!!

by **red_guy** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 2:31 am

To be honest, i'm very dissapointed with the result. I agree with everyone here that we only have ourselves to blame. Yes, we controlled the game and they applied negative tactics but It seems like the blueshite more determined than us. And judging by what i saw during the game, they're a little bit quicker in movements than our players..agility i guess. We have lots of chances and we failed to take it. Yes, now we have the best defence in the premier league but in terms of scoring , the other top 3 teams are better than us. Maybe we should do something about it. Anyway, we should move on and win the next game.

by **Lando_Griffin** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 5:09 am

I think Gerrard needs dropping for a couple of matches. He seems to be resting on his laurels at the minute, and with the Mascherano deal hopefully going through, we'll have a top quality replacement.

I know the "I love Gerrard" brigade will pipe up, but the fact remains that the Captain has been nothing near his best at any point this season.

Anyone who thinks this is me "picking" on him, has a blatant disregard for the actual reasons:

I want what is best for LFC.

And in my eyes, losing this shadow of a player for two games, then having the real Stevie show up is what the team needs more than anything.

by **red_guy** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 5:48 am

Lando_Griffin wrote:I think Gerrard needs dropping for a couple of matches. He seems to be resting on his laurels at the minute, and with the Mascherano deal hopefully going through, we'll have a top quality replacement.

I know the "I love Gerrard" brigade will pipe up, but the fact remains that the Captain has been nothing near his best at any point this season.

Anyone who thinks this is me "picking" on him, has a blatant disregard for the actual reasons:

I want what is best for LFC.

And in my eyes, losing this shadow of a player for two games, then having the real Stevie show up is what the team needs more than anything.

Totally agree with you. He's nowhere near his best at the moment.

by **crazyhorse** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 5:49 am

I agree that Stevie has had by his standards an average season so far; possibly a hangover from the world cup.. but he is still our best player and the heart of the team. He cannot be dropped publicly in the way you suggest, it would be detrimental to his relationship with the manager and may destabalise his position and confidence.

by **Lando_Griffin** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 6:01 am

crazyhorse wrote:I agree that Stevie has had by his standards an average season so far; possibly a hangover from the world cup.. but he is still our best player and the heart of the team. He cannot be dropped publicly in the way you suggest, it would be detrimental to his relationship with the manager and may destabalise his position and confidence.

That's the trouble with him though - he has no fear of reproach.

He cannot continue putting half-hearted performances in without the threat of being dropped.

Whatever it is holding him back, we need the real Stevie to show his face before the Barca match.

Surely if, as you suggest, it IS a World Cup hangover, then the rest could be just what the lad needs?

The lad is a fighter - if he feels unjustly omitted, then he should come out in the games following that with all guns blazing.

It's time for his sulking to stop.

by **flombs** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 6:01 am

I agree with both Lando & Crazyhorse. But how do you go
about dropping your captain without causing heavy speculation
by the media, fans and causing disruption in the team?

by **Lando_Griffin** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 6:02 am

flombs wrote:I agree with both Lando & Crazyhorse. But how do you go
about dropping your captain without causing heavy speculation
by the media, fans and causing disruption in the team?

Rest him.

Job done.

by **66-1112520797** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 6:10 am

Lando_Griffin wrote:
flombs wrote:I agree with both Lando & Crazyhorse. But how do you go
about dropping your captain without causing heavy speculation
by the media, fans and causing disruption in the team?

Rest him.

Job done.

He doesnt need to be rested

I think the form books will tell you that.

by **flombs** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 6:13 am

Yeah, i agree. It would be the common sense approach to
rest him.

But for how long would Stevie be out? What kind of time frame?
I think one of the last things LFC need is to have negative
media coverage concerning our captain.

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