Liverpool FC Forum

by **Woollyback** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 1:05 am

christ on a bike, what a dismal match. i was in the main stand, right next to the hammers fans who were excellent, or a complete pain in the anus depending on your point of view.

west ham were absolutely woeful tonight, but we weren't exactly turning on the style either. but the worst thing was the atmosphere - there just wasn't any. i can honestly say in 30 years of going to anfield that's the quietest i've ever seen it. even 3-0 up there was no you'll never walk alone prior to the final whistle, no songs during the game, feck all. orrible.

by **Kharhaz** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 1:10 am

Woollyback wrote:christ on a bike, what a dismal match. i was in the main stand, right next to the hammers fans who were excellent, or a complete pain in the anus depending on your point of view.

west ham were absolutely woeful tonight, but we weren't exactly turning on the style either. but the worst thing was the atmosphere - there just wasn't any. i can honestly say in 30 years of going to anfield that's the quietest i've ever seen it. even 3-0 up there was no you'll never walk alone prior to the final whistle, no songs during the game, feck all. orrible.

Depressing times. How many matches next season will be like this?

by **rocky29** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 1:25 am

i cannot for the life of me workout why rafa never flaming plays aquilani. What has he got against the lad. He bought the fecker. And i really rate him. He better start thursday else we wont win feck all without torres. Least with aqua in the side we might create something. Rafa stop being a stubborn mule and play your best players else feck rite off!

by **akumaface** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 5:57 am

All the fans want the game to mean something. Under normal circumstances, these late season games should be exciting to watch if we are still fighting for the league champion. But now, they won't bother as there is nothing left for us to see. Even the players understand as this is meaningless and just try not to get themselves hurt. Maybe they should give us fans some discount or money back if we let them go on the holiday a little bit earlier.

I think Aquilani will start the Europa league and lucas will sit (SHlT). :laugh:

Even without Torres, we should be able to beat Althetico. If can't do it then we don't deserve anything.

by **Owzat** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 6:52 am

Kharhaz wrote:
damjan193 wrote:I would rather have had El Zhar and Ayala in than Babel and Mascherano.

But rafa wants at least a UEFA cup spot. And thats the difference. Its not the champions league but its a source of income.

Rafa won't need a UEFA spot if he wins it, while he might have said he'd guarantee fourth and then later said we were still in it, I doubt he believed it himself. I think he's known for as long as we have that we won't get fourth and so he's been lining up the EDL quarters and semi as his primary focus. I suspect Mascherano was rested ahead of the game on Thursday as much as Rafa being attacking. Empty seats is probably the combination of a few fans couldn't travel, apathy, saving money for games, the fact that it was a Monday night (sign of things to come next season) and it was on some kind of TV. How many teams would fill their ground in the same circumstances?!?! It's a cr ap slot and we could and should have played Sunday latest

As for the game, very ordinary fare against a cr ap side, I can only guess what reasons the West Ham owners have for sticking with Gorgon Zola. We didn't play that well, we won comfortably. I don't doubt we'll get a result of some kind in Spain, but I think whether we win the tie will depend on the second leg. Can anyone see Rafa playing a full strength side away to Burnley if we need to win the return leg by a couple of goals? (say 1-2 down after the first leg)

We have now got more points than in Rafa's first season in charge, but our clean sheets while being 15 is three shy of our second worst season under Rafa

Premiership clean sheets (Liverpool 04/05-09/10)

7 in 38 games : 04/05
15 in 35 games : 09/10
18 in 38 games : 07/08
20 in 38 games : 06/07 & 08/09
22 in 38 games : 05/06

What is perhaps most interesting is our scoring rate under Rafa

Goals per game (all Liverpool games 04/05-09/10)

2.02 goals per game : 07/08 (119 goals in 59 games)
1.93 goals per game : 08/09 (106 goals in 55 games)
1.68 goals per game : 05/06 (104 goals in 62 games)
1.55 goals per game : 06/07 (90 goals in 58 games)
1.53 goals per game : 09/10 (78 goals in 51 games)
1.37 goals per game : 04/05 (82 goals in 60 games)

Of course Gerrard has scored a lot less this season, especially in the league. 7 goals in 30 apps this season, 16 in 31 apps last season. Torres will play two league games less than last season, Gerrard quite probably more than last season yet some will still talk about "injury crisis" like it's a fact. Even Benayoun has played only four less this season in the league than last with three games to go and only scored two goals less.

And one final stat, 2010 calendar year results in the Premiership :

Home : P8 W7 D1 L0 F17 A2 PTS 22
Away : P7 W0 D3 L3 F3 A6 PTS 3

Not too hard to see why we're way off the pace for fourth, even away wins at any two or more of Wolves, Wigan, brum or Stoke would mean we're in the fight. We're still one point shy of equalling our away points tally from 04/05 but with two winnable away games at Burnley and Hull we ought to secure 3-6 points, that is assuming EDL doesn't take priority to the extent we're fielding a second string

Good three points, shame it is of so little consequence and therefore hard to get excited about

by **Ben Patrick** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 10:29 am

Hope your right Igor.

Btw what the fecks going on with Aquilani ?

by **supersub** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 11:05 am

Woollyback wrote:i was in the main stand, right next to the hammers fans who were excellent, or a complete pain in the anus depending on your point of view.

oke koke...... :down:

by **andy_g** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 11:23 am

i have to be honest and say that - apart from a few passages of nice play from us - listening to the west ham fans was the most entertaining part of the match. the chants of 'we're going to win 4-3', 'thursday night, channel 5', the hokey kokey and 'we can see you sneaking out' made me laugh out loud a few times. all respect to them - 1500 of them travel 200 miles to watch their doomed team playing terrible football and they don't stop singing all evening.

by **Fauxy** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 11:24 am

Ben Patrick wrote:Hope your right Igor.

Btw what the fecks going on with Aquilani ?

god knows...

Rafa doesnt seem to like him maybe? What a stupid signing if thats the case

by **Ben Patrick** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 11:42 am

Fauxy wrote:
Ben Patrick wrote:Hope your right Igor.

Btw what the fecks going on with Aquilani ?

god knows...

Rafa doesnt seem to like him maybe? What a stupid signing if thats the case

Unless he is playing him Thursday ?

But that would be really surprising as he hasnt been selected in any game of note so far.

Very strange situation when you see Degen coming on ahead of him in a game that appeared tailor made.

by **dawson99** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 1:03 pm

And I get a 100% record...

yay me

by **Owzat** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 1:12 pm

I would have thought a team like West Ham at home would have been as good a game as any for Aquilani to play, clearly Rafa felt otherwise. I guess he went with the starting XI he did to have one holding type alongside Gerrard with two up front, perhaps playing two up front to have a look at his options for Thursday. Maxi not available so I'm guessing that is why he played him, but if he doesn't play Thursday then we have to move someone else to fill his role and it's more changes in terms of roles as well as personnel.

Maybe Aquilani is the 09/10 Keane, except he's lasted longer

by **Fauxy** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 1:28 pm

Owzat wrote:I would have thought a team like West Ham at home would have been as good a game as any for Aquilani to play, clearly Rafa felt otherwise. I guess he went with the starting XI he did to have one holding type alongside Gerrard with two up front, perhaps playing two up front to have a look at his options for Thursday. Maxi not available so I'm guessing that is why he played him, but if he doesn't play Thursday then we have to move someone else to fill his role and it's more changes in terms of roles as well as personnel.

Maybe Aquilani is the 09/10 Keane, except he's lasted longer

Maybe some reason Rafa is doing to Aquilani what he did to Agger last season.

Agger was clearly miles better than Skrtel but even when he was fully fit he would choose Skrtel ahead of him. Aquilani is now fully fit but Lucas is chosen ahead of him.

Agger this season though has been the clear no.1 defender so maybe next season Aquilani will be featured more.

Just a hunch like :laugh:

by **zarababe** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 1:43 pm

anyone got the goals - thanx

by **Fauxy** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 1:50 pm

zarababe wrote:anyone got the goals - thanx

Goals here

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