Besiktas – secong leg MATCH THREAD
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Amazing how they failed to turn up today.
They really fucking were.
I missed the first 35 mins but after that point I saw nothing at all from Sturridge, Sterling or Balo. On the odd occasion we did get an attack (usually through Ibe down the flank) you would see Mario running right to the ball - he's awful. His lack of clever positioning, movement and team awareness detracts from the rest of the attacking unit. He was lucky to get to the 80th minute when Lallana came on. Is there seriously anyone still defending this lump? He offers NOTHING.
Sturridge and Sterling were both guilty of showing limited desire in the second half too - but my word, watching Mario just sulk around the pitch is hard to take. He isn't an LFC player and his "style" couldnt be any further removed from the mentality of the team.
Sturridge and Sterling were both guilty of showing limited desire in the second half too - but my word, watching Mario just sulk around the pitch is hard to take. He isn't an LFC player and his "style" couldnt be any further removed from the mentality of the team.
A few things on reflection from last night:
- I've given up on Balotelli. He's never going to be a footballer where you expect good things to happen when he's on the pitch. He's not going to be someone you can almost guarantee will have an impact. He's always going to be someone who you don't know whether he'll do something good or not.
- I'm not 100% sure Sturridge will become a great striker. I think he lacks strength, although the quality of passes he was given last night meant it was difficult to assert himself physically.
- Sterling has a lot to learn. He can't impose himself on games consistently, doesn't hold on to the ball well enough and his range of passing is limited. He's still very young, but I don't think he should be given the size of wage his advisors clearly want.
- Mignolet has improved immensely, and his shot stopping is very assured, but, similar to Balotelli, I don't get the impression he'll reach the standard that Reina had and Dudek (for about one season) had - where I'm confident he'll save things on one on one situations. Reina also had (for some time) a great presence in terms of penalties. Not sure how much of that wasn't down to Valero doing all the opposition research.
- Allen oddly reminds me of Charlie Adam, in that I think he needs a very specialist midfield set up. He can't impose himself in the same way Henderson does, and I think needs to be in a midfield three to be particularly effective. He's clearly vastly more talented than Charlie Adam though.
- Coutinho is crucial to us, and we don't really have an alternative to him.
- Our strikers aren't very good at keeping hold of the ball.
- I've given up on Balotelli. He's never going to be a footballer where you expect good things to happen when he's on the pitch. He's not going to be someone you can almost guarantee will have an impact. He's always going to be someone who you don't know whether he'll do something good or not.
- I'm not 100% sure Sturridge will become a great striker. I think he lacks strength, although the quality of passes he was given last night meant it was difficult to assert himself physically.
- Sterling has a lot to learn. He can't impose himself on games consistently, doesn't hold on to the ball well enough and his range of passing is limited. He's still very young, but I don't think he should be given the size of wage his advisors clearly want.
- Mignolet has improved immensely, and his shot stopping is very assured, but, similar to Balotelli, I don't get the impression he'll reach the standard that Reina had and Dudek (for about one season) had - where I'm confident he'll save things on one on one situations. Reina also had (for some time) a great presence in terms of penalties. Not sure how much of that wasn't down to Valero doing all the opposition research.
- Allen oddly reminds me of Charlie Adam, in that I think he needs a very specialist midfield set up. He can't impose himself in the same way Henderson does, and I think needs to be in a midfield three to be particularly effective. He's clearly vastly more talented than Charlie Adam though.
- Coutinho is crucial to us, and we don't really have an alternative to him.
- Our strikers aren't very good at keeping hold of the ball.
You had a boss evening all round then.
The most disappointing aspect last night for me was Can's performance. I am worried about the lack of "presence" of Joe Allen against Yaya Toure and thought Can/Henderson would be a decent option but Can's lack of awareness and tracking were very evident last night, it was his worst game in a LFC shirt by a considerable distance.
Indeed, I don't think Can is ready for midfield like many are suggesting, he's just a kid, and playing at centre back he has Skrtel their to take charge. Maybe if we had a more dominating midfielder playing alongside him, but not until then or until he's progressed a little more.
All these worries and doubts after a narrow loss on penalties.
We also looked massively shite, and were lucky not to lose it on the 90
Yeah, you have to give some credit to Besiktas. The main reason why Sturridge, Sterling & Co. were crap is that Besiktas played above themselves and didn't give our players any time on the ball.
I thought we did okay in the first half. Not positive enough, but pretty solid and disciplined. But it was clear we lost the initiative at the start of the second half and Rodgers seemed like a rabbit caught in the headlights. It's really important he keeps improving as a manager, so I wanted him to have at least one game this year in Europe where he showed his ability, but he's been strangely passive and bereft of ideas. That's the biggest waste of the year - we were never going to go far in either competition, given the squad problems at the start, but one hoped it would at least prove a useful learning experience for Rodgers.
I thought the Managers relative youth and experience along with a very young team contributed to our confused objectives.
It also worries me that Rodgers seems to rely so much on pace. When everyone is fit and flying he knows exactly how to use them. When he's stuck with less mobile players, or mobile ones who are tired, it all becomes horribly one-dimensional, predictable and ineffective. The likes of a Rafa - and I'm not trying to start one of those boring threads - or a Mourinho would know what to do to adapt. Brendan this year has really struggled. Even last year, we only seemed to really kick on when the fitness levels were up enough for the high pressing game, which was about two months into the season. This time it took even longer, and we're still nowhere near the intensity of our peak last year. It's a very fragile approach, as we've seen, because if we progress we'll have to cope with more energy-sapping schedules and at present we can't do that. Teams that really challenge year out year in for the title survive in spite of having their players patched up and limping through some games, especially in the last quarter of the season. We don't seem to have a system to cope with that, let alone the mentality.
Success breeds success. We exist to win trophies. Success in Europe also attracts players, gives us a bigger profile, reminds people we are Liverpool and we succeed in Europe. That was pathetic from start to finish and made us look like seriously second rate outfi and stopped our momentum in its tracks.
Balotelli was our best player in the first half, I thought. Sterling and Sturridge were shocking throughout, and the midfield two kept giving the ball away constantly. Balotelli in the first half actually provided a good outlet, held the ball up well, and created more than one good chance for Sturridge and Sterling.
Second half was rubbish for pretty much everyone though.
I actually think this is the worst I've seen Sterling play for us. Sturridge wasn't far away either. And Rodgers played them into extra time. I would have subbed them both for Lallana and Borini much earlier.
We were good in the first half imho. They created nothing and we had a few decent chances.
The 2nd half was the complete opposite.
Didn't think Can was that bad but I fast forwarded a fair bit of the game after we conceded the goal.
I agree that we exist to win trophies but its a shite cup to be in.
Its well documented that a run in this cup sets you back about 1-2 places in the league, 1,6 to be exact overall.
I'd rather have a go at the FA cup and our chance to finish 4th then continue with the Thursday - Sunday shite.
The 2nd half was the complete opposite.
Didn't think Can was that bad but I fast forwarded a fair bit of the game after we conceded the goal.
I agree that we exist to win trophies but its a shite cup to be in.
Its well documented that a run in this cup sets you back about 1-2 places in the league, 1,6 to be exact overall.
I'd rather have a go at the FA cup and our chance to finish 4th then continue with the Thursday - Sunday shite.
- Can's passing was shocking all night and led to a lot of breakdown in our play
- Ballotelli proved occasionally useful in holding the ball up and laying it off, but it wasn't in the right area of the pitch to be of much use. Beyond that he was ineffective.
- Sturridge was poor and lazy/unfit.
- Our midfield was out-muscled and out fought in the second half. We really lacked Henderson in there to combat their resurgence. Allen and Can had no ideas how to stop it and they needed reinforcements sooner than they got it.
- Moreno was the best player in a red shirt and possibly MOM of the night. His tackling was crisp and committed, passing was sound and proved a good outlet all night.
- Lovren as the 5th penalty taker was a massive mistake. I'm sure most were thinking that when he stepped up. You need your best or second best taker on your last kick. That certainly wasn't Lovren.
- Basiktas wanted it more and deserved to through. Their second half performance was excellent and they just blew us away. They were also the only side trying to win it in extra time. Their sub and scorer looks a player. Never seen him before, but his shooting was terrifying and that dribbed he went on was very skillful. One to keep tabs on.
- Ballotelli proved occasionally useful in holding the ball up and laying it off, but it wasn't in the right area of the pitch to be of much use. Beyond that he was ineffective.
- Sturridge was poor and lazy/unfit.
- Our midfield was out-muscled and out fought in the second half. We really lacked Henderson in there to combat their resurgence. Allen and Can had no ideas how to stop it and they needed reinforcements sooner than they got it.
- Moreno was the best player in a red shirt and possibly MOM of the night. His tackling was crisp and committed, passing was sound and proved a good outlet all night.
- Lovren as the 5th penalty taker was a massive mistake. I'm sure most were thinking that when he stepped up. You need your best or second best taker on your last kick. That certainly wasn't Lovren.
- Basiktas wanted it more and deserved to through. Their second half performance was excellent and they just blew us away. They were also the only side trying to win it in extra time. Their sub and scorer looks a player. Never seen him before, but his shooting was terrifying and that dribbed he went on was very skillful. One to keep tabs on.
Nice trip to Kiev for the bitters
Interesting - as I said i tuned in on the 35th min and don't recall him touching the ball much in the first half from then on.
So true, you would think we were playing some shit team from the conference from some of the comments above. Of course we didn't play very well from the second half onwards but, as GK says, partially Rodgers should take the blame for not reacting more quickly, maybe going to a back 4 with an extra man in midfield.
Sevillia will win it.. again..
they own this competition..
they own this competition..
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