Liverpool FC Forum

by **Sabre** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 1:37 pm

For Effes: I have done my googling in my favourite blogs and asked a Valencia mate, and I couldn't find a case in which Fabio Aurelio was used, at least in club football, as a CM.

by **JoeTerp** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 2:29 pm

Sabre wrote:For Effes: I have done my googling in my favourite blogs and asked a Valencia mate, and I couldn't find a case in which Fabio Aurelio was used, at least in club football, as a CM.

there had been reports that Alonso was carrying a knock that he received late in the game against Everton, and maybe Rafa didn't trust him to last the 90, or thought he could get the win anyway without having to risk further injury. I don't think he played Aurelio there just for the sake of being clever or a case of the crazies.

by **Sabre** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 2:31 pm

JoeTerp wrote:
Sabre wrote:For Effes: I have done my googling in my favourite blogs and asked a Valencia mate, and I couldn't find a case in which Fabio Aurelio was used, at least in club football, as a CM.

there had been reports that Alonso was carrying a knock that he received late in the game against Everton, and maybe Rafa didn't trust him to last the 90, or thought he could get the win anyway without having to risk further injury. I don't think he played Aurelio there just for the sake of being clever or a case of the crazies.

I agree.

by **maguskwt** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 3:08 pm

Owzat wrote:He should be using his players better, instead of running them into the ground and taking off Riera every game and barely resting any key players.

damn if he does damn if he don't...

by **JoeTerp** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 3:52 pm

Igor Zidane wrote:
bigmick wrote:
Igor Zidane wrote:Twas a sweet freekick from inside the penaly area (handball from a backpass by the goalie ) ,and i have to call you up on that one aswell mick . Aurelio hit it perfectly low and hard into yhe right hand corner of the goal , twas not a mishit shot mate . No way ,not in a million years.

It's probably consistent with the way we see things mate that I called it a mishit and you reckon he hit it sweet Main thing is it went in of course (GET IN THERE FFS!!!!) and I'm not sure enough to debate it. I just got the impression he kind of screwed it but no bother either way. He does strike a lovely shot though no doubt about it, and he was bang unlucky with the one in the first half.

booo no debating it ,now you are being are boring farty .

Oh and GET THE FECK IN THERE indeed my good man.

On his superb free-kick Aurelio said: "Portsmouth had every player right in front of the goal but all I tried to do was kick the ball as hard as I could and find a space - fortunately for me the ball went into the net.

by **JoeTerp** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 3:52 pm

Sabre wrote:For Effes: I have done my googling in my favourite blogs and asked a Valencia mate, and I couldn't find a case in which Fabio Aurelio was used, at least in club football, as a CM.

The Reds number 12 started the match in central midfield and ended the game at left back, something which he admitted took some getting used to at first.

"It's not my natural position but I did play some games there for Rafa at Valencia," he said.

"I haven't played in the centre of midfield for quite a while and the manager told me on Saturday morning I would be playing there.

"It's always difficult when you haven't played in a position like that for some time but I tried to do the best I could, and I am happy because I could help the team get a great result."

by **Sabre** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 4:10 pm

I stand corrected then Joe. Thanks for the quotes.

by **Igor Zidane** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 2:44 pm

Thought i would put this in here , it makes sense to me anyway . Don't know about anyone else?

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol....527.ece

From The Times
February 9, 2009
There is method in Rafael Benitez’s madness at Liverpool
Portsmouth 2 Liverpool 3
Alyson Rudd at Fratton Park

Graphic: Tactical analysis - Rafa's odd choice

Jaws fell on floors, mischievous eyes glistened; Liverpool’s line-up was evidence that, yes, Rafael Benítez is, as the Manchester United fans sing, cracking up. But there is real method in the Spaniard’s so-called madness. Rarely has a manager appeared so calm and relaxed after returning to the top of the Barclays Premier League courtesy of a stoppage-time winner.

Benítez opted to start with a three-man defence and with Fabio Aurélio, his reliable full back, in central midfield. Those who wish to argue the case that Benítez has lost the plot would point out that Aurélio had never played in central midfield in the Premier League before and that he discovered he was about to do so on the morning of the match on Saturday. Those who suspect that Benítez may be on the verge of guiding Liverpool to their first Premier League title could counter that the Brazil international regularly played in central midfield for Valencia, under the management of Benítez, and, crucially, that against Portsmouth he was composed and effective.

There was more to the switch in formation than mere tactics. Benítez had to find a way to accommodate those players who were least tired and, in doing so, he also put pressure on his team to win. Even the least perceptive of players would know that to lose with key players rested and a new formation prompts a more vicious kind of criticism.
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* Tony Adams granted time at Portsmouth

“We knew that with the changes Rafa made, if we lost here today, there could be a lot of things in the press and people talking,” Aurélio said. “So I think it was really important to win to keep the good mentality and keep pushing forward to the next games.”

Liverpool may have left it late, but there was something inevitable about their victory. It was not, as the pundits on Setanta Sports maintained, a lucky win. Benítez knew that Fernando Torres was tired and did not have an effective 90 minutes in him, so putting him on the substitutes’ bench was not a mistake; it was common sense.

“I thought we could win the game with the players who were on the pitch,” Benítez said. “At the end, we had some players who were very tired, especially Álvaro Arbeloa, he was very, very tired. David Ngog was also tired and I think he felt something, so I thought OK, I must change something.

“After we conceded a goal, I thought we needed more quality on the park so I brought on Xabi Alonso, and the last one was because we needed to win the game.”

And win the game Torres did, with a strong and serene header that was the perfect denouement for a second half that had been breathtaking.

Portsmouth took the lead twice. David Nugent is fast becoming a favourite on the South Coast after having been marginalised under Harry Redknapp and he calmly beat José Manuel Reina, which should surely secure him a first-choice start as striker under Tony Adams.

“I’ll do everything I can to keep Pompey up — I’m sure we’ve got the quality and I’ll score a few more and win a few more games,” Nugent said.

But while Portsmouth are dangerous going forward, defensively they make too many errors. Liverpool’s first equaliser came after David James was forced to handle a clumsy back-pass from Peter Crouch and Sylvain Distin’s timing was horribly askew to allow Dirk Kuyt to fire in the second.

Liverpool made defensive mistakes of their own and the team’s emphasis on zonal marking was again criticised after Hermann Hreidarsson was allowed space to meet Nadir Belhadj’s free kick. Benítez, though, argued that no matter what marking system is used, goals will always be conceded throughout the Premier League at set-pieces.

“It is easy to blame a player for a goal and say, ‘It is his fault.’ I prefer the responsibility to be with the whole team,” Benítez said.

There were rumblings that Adams would be sacked if his side did not show signs of improvement against Liverpool, but it would be a public relations gaffe to let Adams go for failing to beat a side who are genuine title contenders. The Portsmouth players had spent Thursday at a spa, relaxing and building camaraderie, the fans remained loyal after the final whistle and as Distin made his way through the car park, a supporter sympathetically shouted: ‘Hang in there, Sylvain’.

Both Distin and Crouch apologised to their team-mates for their individual errors.

“I was really prepared for the rotation of their squad,” Adams said, but he had no means of dealing with the tricky trinity of Alonso, Kuyt and Torres when they came off the Liverpool bench.

“It’s football. It’s fantastic. Unfortunately, the result is not fantastic,” Adams said. And Benítez would probably agree; this was not fantastic fare, it was the product of rational planning and proof that the title race will be electric.

Referee: H Webb Attendance: 20,524

by **big al** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 4:30 pm

I'm Sick of hearing :censored:

about how lucky Luverpool were against Portsmouth and how Rafa played players out of position. Can Anyone here please tell me 1 player who started the game on Saturday who had never played in that starting position before. On more thing, the decisions of the linesmen and referee were abysmal no doubt Sir Alex would have been proud of his favourite ref apart from extra time which is only allowed when Man U are behind or on the verge of scoring.

by **Sabre** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 11:59 pm

Apparently, Ferguson has said this:

'Obviously I will bring some freshness into the team. The defence will be the same, apart from Rio but the midfield and forwards could change completely.'

Knowing as I know that there are plenty of posters here (a majority I think) that do not like Rafa's overrotation, I'd like to know what do you think about our rivals doing a major one the next league game (in a key moment).

If what I have learned in these pages is right, that would be something very dangerous to make, because they not only play a weaker team against the next rival, but that also could break the momentum. Which theoretically could benefit us and make us winning the league.

I tell you this, and you can quote me on this, if Ferguson overrotates (well he calles it bringing freshness but anyway), and they lose points the next games, and we win the league, I'll convert to antirotationism. I will make a photo of myself kneeled down and with a sign that reads "I don't believe in rotation. I have seen the light".

by **bigmick** » Fri May 01, 2009 12:34 am

I think in terms of "momentum", when we talk of this it's earlier in the season where it's really felt. We've seen with Rafa in four out of the five seasons he's been manager that he's uber-rotated at the start of the season, and we've uber dropped points and struggled to find any sort of rhythm whatsoever. Often, just as we manage to win a couple or look like we're showing signs of getting ourselves going, an out of left field selection has come along and completely derailed us. I think this is where the term "losing momentum" originated from.

Now once any train has been derailed, it takes a bit of time to get it back on track again, a bad result can quickly turn into a bliiiiiiiiiiiiip and all is lost. Conversely (and perversely if you like), once a train is on the track and motoring along, it takes quite a lot to stop it. This is why in the past whenever Man Utd have been going through a dodgy spell, or a spell where they need to make up lost ground they have largely stuck to their tried and tested warriors. They've also been much happier to drop the expansive style, and rely o the excellence of their two centre halves to eek out the 1-0's. Once however they've got the whole thing humming again, Ferguson is much happier to rest a couple here and there. It's been kind of the same for us, if we rested Kuyt for the next game for example, or Aurelio (had to put another option in or the Kuyt-hawks would have been all over me "why even talk about resting Kuyt?" etc etc) I don't think we'd lose momentum in our play, because we are absolutely motoring right now. We have an energy and a belief about us which means it will take a good side or a bad referee to stop us. I suppose if we did something silly like resting Gerrard and Torres in the same match, away somewhere perhaps, then it might have an effect on us but right now we are bombing.

Now unfortunately for us and out title aspirations, so are Man Utd once again right now. Fortunately though on the flipside, they've already won two trophies and are trying to win two more, whereas we've only got the league to worry about. Given all of that, I think he'll rest a few at the weekend, and I really hope Ferdinand is one of them as I think he is absolutely pivotal to their wellbieng. The good Samaritan in me prevents me from wishing ill on footballers, even drug test dodging ones with rubber lips who play for the Mancs, but I did look on with interest when he went down in a heap in midweek. He is a tremendous player and they are a different team when he is in it.

Whichever team ferguson picks though, and whatever the result of this match is, something is going to happen. This has been an incredible season of football, and I simply cannot believe it is about to peter out with the Mancs winning at a canter. Peewee convinced me that something is afoot and that we are about to see a twist with his "the end is nigh" thread. I keep on saying this, but whenever in football you think you're about to be proven correct, it kicks you in the b0ll0cks. We've seen this see-saw all season long, and my guess is that rotation or not, we'll get another sniff before it's all over.

by **Boocity** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 9:35 am

I was disappointed that Rafa changed the team on Saturday, we had just put together a couple of good results and he just had to make changes, I could part understand it if he was resting Torres or Gerrard but he rested players that needed the playing time. I hope this is not the start of constant changes, we need to get a settled side out to build confidence.

Incidentally, heard on the radio that yesterdays game at OT was the 100th in succession that SAF has changed his team, don't hear any press calling him tinkerman yet.

by **fivecups** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 10:22 am

Boocity wrote:I was disappointed that Rafa changed the team on Saturday, we had just put together a couple of good results and he just had to make changes, I could part understand it if he was resting Torres or Gerrard but he rested players that needed the playing time. I hope this is not the start of constant changes, we need to get a settled side out to build confidence.

Incidentally, heard on the radio that yesterdays game at OT was the 100th in succession that SAF has changed his team, don't hear any press calling him tinkerman yet.

I heard Alan Green mention that on 5live. Remember how much hype there was about it when Rafa got to 99?

The whole thing is slightly false though and there are reasons for the difference in hype as Green pointed out.

by **Boocity** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 10:27 am

fivecups wrote:
Boocity wrote:I was disappointed that Rafa changed the team on Saturday, we had just put together a couple of good results and he just had to make changes, I could part understand it if he was resting Torres or Gerrard but he rested players that needed the playing time. I hope this is not the start of constant changes, we need to get a settled side out to build confidence.

Incidentally, heard on the radio that yesterdays game at OT was the 100th in succession that SAF has changed his team, don't hear any press calling him tinkerman yet.

I heard Alan Green mention that on 5live. Remember how much hype there was about it when Rafa got to 99?

The whole thing is slightly false though and there are reasons for the difference in hype as Green pointed out.

Didn't hear it on five live, what was Green's reasons?

by **fivecups** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 10:42 am

1. United have won trophys.

2. They have a better squad.

He did start off with a bit of a dig at Fergie which is always good to hear. I do enjoy his ongoing dislike of the man.

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