Liverpool FC Forum

by **destro** » Sun Aug 16, 2009 8:32 pm

Oh well the only one of the top four not to get three points, at least all that pre-season pressure is off us ( Andy Gray tipped us for the title ffs ! ). Benny to start in Stevies role for the rest of the season and Stevie to drop back into midfield with Masch and we will be just fine.

I wont be pressing the doom and gloom button just yet, 1) because it is only one game lost... and 2) because Everton got tw@tted and I am still PMSL about that

by **Emerald Red** » Sun Aug 16, 2009 8:32 pm

How many of you think it would have made a difference if Alonso were playing?

I don't.

Gerrard and Torres were both sh*te.

by **Fowler_E7** » Sun Aug 16, 2009 8:39 pm

Emerald Red wrote:How many of you think it would have made a difference if Alonso were playing?

I don't.

Gerrard and Torres were both sh*te.

i do. Lucas was everything that Alonso wasnt, we missed Xabi's passing and possesion keeping badly today. Gerrard and Torres were poor but they were not helped by the shocking lack of service from midfield.

by **redhayesy** » Sun Aug 16, 2009 8:40 pm

Emerald Red wrote:How many of you think it would have made a difference if Alonso were playing?

I don't.

Gerrard and Torres were both sh*te.

maybe not mate, but one things for sure -we would have kept the ball more an better to enable gerrard to support torres more hence both would have played better as a result,i'm sure deep down you would agree with that.

by **puroresu** » Sun Aug 16, 2009 8:49 pm

JoeTerp wrote:when criticizing Lucas and Mascherano on a lack of creativity, lets keep in mind that Xabi was not exactly Xavi or Iniesta out there. Ok Lucas does not have as much quality right now as Alonso, so what? were we expecting him to? That is far too high of an expectation. I think one thing that could help would be to free up Lucas and Gerrard more to switch places and pop up in each other spots, catching the defense off guard. That's how Lucas scored against Atletico.

No he wasnt but the most important thing was when he got the ball he looked forward. Lucas will never be half the player Alonso is. His not good enough at all. We never really managed to have any real sustained posession today and think it we would of faired a lot better in midfield with Alonso.

by **Ciggy** » Sun Aug 16, 2009 8:52 pm

FAIR WEATHER FANS BLAMING RAFA. Thats all you are.

by **account deleted by request** » Sun Aug 16, 2009 8:52 pm

Emerald Red wrote:How many of you think it would have made a difference if Alonso were playing?

I don't.

Gerrard and Torres were both sh*te.

Maybe not mate, but maybe if we had played better in preseason we might have gone into this game with a little more confidence.

You can't just turn it on and off like a tap, we didn't look match sharp, we didn't play like a team that has basically been together for a couple of years now, and we should have known better than to play Babel in a game of this nature. First game of the season, tackles flying in...... not Babels forte at all.

No use crying over spilt milk, we have to be ready for the next game which has just become a vital game. If we don't win that we could be almost out of the race before its begun.

by **JoeTerp** » Sun Aug 16, 2009 9:00 pm

bigmick wrote:I didn't see any of the match but an observation anyway. I don't think it's fair to blame the manager for picking Babel in front of Benayoun simply because it appears Yossi had a major impact when he came on. Players do that sometimes, and if a manager knew from day to day, week to week who was a certainty to play well, he truly would be a genius.

Similarly, simply because Babel was by all accounts awful it doesn't necessarily mean that the manager was wrong to pick him. He has gone well in pre-season, so therefore it was at least possible that he'd carry on his form. Players are sometimes sh!te, average players or players who are unproven are sometimes sh!te more often than good ones. Babel may have been sh!te, but it sounds like he wasn't on his own and it wasn't the managers fault he was there in the first place anymore than it was Rafa's fault Torres was sh!te either (which he was by all accounts). Obviously given the evidence before him, if Rafa picked Babel for the next match in front of Riera/Benayoun then you could ask a question.

In answer to the "why the feck didn't we sell Babel/Voronin/Dossena/an Other" questions, its because nobody wanted to buy them I think.

Anyway it was always going to be a tricky game, the second hardest opener out of the big five (I suppose we ought to call it that) fixtures. We came unstuck, so fairly obviously we need to get going and sharpish. Spurs will win lots of matches this season though, so it's not a total disaster by any means.

sense & sensibility

by **bigmick** » Sun Aug 16, 2009 9:01 pm

Emerald Red wrote:How many of you think it would have made a difference if Alonso were playing?

I don't.

Gerrard and Torres were both sh*te.

Well even those who have doubted that Alonso is quite as good as some have made out would I assume concede he is a mile better than Lucas, so therefore if he'd played then our chances of winning the match would have increased I should think.

I don't think that is debateable really, it's just a question of how much. Equally, if both Gerrard and Torres were both sub-par, I'm absolutely certain that some people will claim Aonso's absense had a major effect on that. Given that Alonso was the player who generally fed it into Gerrard from central areas, if Lucas didn't do that as well as the Spaniard then they may well have a point.

Ultimately though, it won't be until Aquilani becomes available that you'll know for sure how much we are going to miss Alonso. As I say, we already knew Xabi was a much better player than Lucas, and if today confirmed it then it's no surprise really if we're honest.

by **JoeTerp** » Sun Aug 16, 2009 9:07 pm

I think one thing that was missing from the start was that in your face, pressing tempo. Should have looked to pressurize their defense from the front. And I felt that Spurs played well to close us down when we got the ball and they were suffocating us whenever we tried to pass it forward to Torres, Kuyt, and Babel

by **burjennio** » Sun Aug 16, 2009 9:09 pm

Good to see all the old doom n gloomers out in force to heap scorn on the usual suspects, Lucas in particular, who anyone but the most self-opinionated tw*t could see was one of the better players in a red shirt today, Don't see any of you mentioning that Fernando Torres had an absolute shocker but some players are always exempt from criticism in the eyes of some. We're all in agreement that Babel was dire but I see its took 1 f*cking game for some kn*bhead to mention how much we missed Xabi Alonso - some of you really hammer home the old addage that misery loves company - you must all lead truely miserable lives becasue newsflash - ITS ONE F*CKING GAME against a very good side that will be a tough match for everyone this season, especially at White Hart Lane. But as expected to some this means that LFC, Benitez, Lucas etc are all incompetent and [INSERT IDIOTS NAME HERE] was right the whole time

by **fivecups** » Sun Aug 16, 2009 9:11 pm

redhayesy wrote:
Fowler_E7 wrote:
bavlondon wrote:
Fowler_E7 wrote:Thought the whole team were awful today, with a special mention to Ryan Babel and Lucas Leiva who may as well have stayed at home with the amount of input they had in the game. When i saw the lineup today i feared the worst, i mean did anyone really expect of host of chances being made, with Babel, Kuyt, Mascherano and Lucas in the team? poor selection from Rafa IMO. I think for the next game we should make a few changes in midfield to spice things up a bit, it was disgustingly limp out there today.

1.Reina
Rb.Johnson Cb.Carragher Cb.Skretl Lb. Insua

Rw.Kuyt Cm.Gerrard Cm.Mascherano Lw.Riera

Am.Benayoun

St.Torres

I think we should go with that lineup until Aquilani is fit

Lucas played well mate. He is improving but I think he should not be utilised as a holding midfielder. Babel on the other hand doesn't play well wherever he is played.

no he didnt, he tried his best but is no way near good enough to be starting for a club of our stature. Put it this way compare Lucas performance to a Xabi Alonso performance, thats how your supposed to play centre midfield.

spot on mate. Lucas played well today- he played the same today as he's always done-out of his depth,like a rabbit caught in the headlights of an oncoming car etc. i know it's albout opinions on here which is quite right, but please look at the fact that today's game should finally make people realise he just isn't good enough for LFC in every aspect of his game.

Got to agree with Haysey here. The problem with Lucas is that his position is so critical to the outcome of the game. If he was right back or on the wing a quiet performance may not matter so much but as the box to box midfielder he needs to be getting involved in every play Liverpool makes. Instead he looked scared of getting the ball today, passing quickly almost every time he got it and failing to start any real attacking moves. He needs more confidence if he's going to succeed in that position.

by **JoeTerp** » Sun Aug 16, 2009 9:12 pm

Lucas has been in the team, and more than just a passenger in wins over some big teams. He is not dross or sh.ite, just not as good or influential as Alonso, but few are. maybe we should be expecting more out of Mascherano.

by **bigmick** » Sun Aug 16, 2009 9:15 pm

burjennio wrote:Good to see all the old doom n gloomers out in force to heap scorn on the usual suspects, Lucas in particular, who anyone but the most self-opinionated tw*t could see was one of the better players in a red shirt today, Don't see any of you mentioning that Fernando Torres had an absolute shocker but some players are always exempt from criticism in the eyes of some. We're all in agreement that Babel was dire but I see its took 1 f*cking game for some kn*bhead to mention how much we missed Xabi Alonso - some of you really hammer home the old addage that misery loves company - you must all lead truely miserable lives becasue newsflash - ITS ONE F*CKING GAME against a very good side that will be a tough match for everyone this season, especially at White Hart Lane. But as expected to some this means that LFC, Benitez, Lucas etc are all incompetent and [INSERT IDIOTS NAME HERE] was right the whole time

Might as well name names fella, who you on about

by **burjennio** » Sun Aug 16, 2009 9:19 pm

The most worrying thing for me today was not the performances of certain players, but the fact that we don't have an centre half who can dominate in the air, the 2nd Spurs goal would be the most glaring example but every time a reasonable cross came in their was a nervousness across the back line, saying that it could just be that big Martin was worried Carra was gonna clatter him again

In all seriousness, has there been an announcement on his condition and if he'll be back for Wednesday?

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