Match thread Liverpool - Aston Villa

[rage]

i'm still liking johnson. insua is improving whilst babel is looking desperate with them shots of his. fuck knows whats wrong with skertel and carra. voronin shouldn't be here and a message to all the lucas lovers - come on lads this boy is not good enough. oh and what the fuck is up with riera, is he still with us?

as for rafa - how about subs before 70 mins when we're 2 nil down at home. you're zonal marking has been sussed, time to move on to a more traditional man marking system please.

and as difficult as it may be to accept all this complaining in the press has only resulted in us developing an excuse mentality rather than a winning one.

we did not lose to spurs and villa because the owners didn't give rafa more money. rafa chose to spend 20 million on someone injured till october and he chose to play lucas in the middle instead of dropping gerrard there.

our owners will not be impressed. tick tock rafa?

 

[LadyRed]

[quote author=ILD link=topic=35437.msg931822#msg931822 date=1251147630]
[quote author=Anita link=topic=35437.msg931670#msg931670 date=1251144782]
How many times? Against any half decent team we'll get dominated in midfield in we have Lucas playing there. Simple as.

I'm not 'anti' Lucas, but he's just not good enough.
[/quote]

I hope people don't make Lucas the scapegoat. Loads of 'important' players didn't perform.
[/quote]

It's not about anyone being a scapegoat for me. It's just the plain reality, Lucas cannot impose himself in midfield, we get over run. Same thing happened against Spurs, and if we continue on with this midfield, it's gonna keep happening.

 

[Stulikesdrums]

[quote author=TheBunnyman link=topic=35437.msg931820#msg931820 date=1251147618]
[quote author=Stu link=topic=35437.msg931796#msg931796 date=1251147278]
Amazing play by Villa. We cannot get in behind them at all.
Worthy winners on the night.
[/quote]
Amazing? Are you joking? They were very ordinary - a side low on confidence, given sudden belief by our shit play and a couple of slightly flukey goals who then defended for their lives through the second half. [/quote]

I didn't mean over the ninety minutes, I was just referring to that particular passage of play when Villa were defending with their all and winning everything in the air. They defended very well.

 

[rebel23]

did anyone expect Babel to do anything?

what is wrong with Riera?

 

[gkmacca]

[quote author=Stu link=topic=35437.msg931810#msg931810 date=1251147450]
I hope this is what it takes for Rafa to see that Lucas is not up to playing for this club. I know that this is very unlikely considering his blind spots for certain players but Lucas was really abysmal tonight.
[/quote]

Gerrard's tackle for the pen was APPALLING. Mascher was wasting attacks with his training ground punts at the keeper. Insua oscillated between good and clueless. Torres was a disgrace at times in his attitude. Reina lost his head just before half time. This is hardly the time to savage Lucas.

 

[vikas]

Even though everyone sorta knows:

Alonso gone, Aquilani injured = Gerrard deeper, Lucas starting, Torres isolated = Liverpool look horribly disjointed

We're sort of a bit fecked, not a kneejerk, just hope we can put some sort of run together before
Aquilani is fit to play, that or change our game so that Lucas doesn't start.

That said, pretty much everyone in red today was shite, we only started playing against a woefully average Villa side
in the second half, by then it was too late, no Alonso get out card *excuse the pun*

Where's Riera?

 

[LadyRed]

I thought Babel was one of the few bright sparks today. He managed to complete a few passes and put in a couple of decent balls. Putting him on on a game where he's got nothing to lose (as the game's already lost) was a good move.

 

[Frogfish]

[quote author=Roopy link=topic=35437.msg931802#msg931802 date=1251147364]
Well that was just fucking brilliant.

Clueless around the box against an organised defence.

Absolutely clueless.
[/quote]

That's a bit unfair really - we tried everything but their defence played out of their skins, Friedal made some great saves and others were just at him, one he didn't even know about until it hit him. A penalty we should have had, Kuyt hitting the post (weren't we always taught head down and back across the keeper ?) and a host of misses from Torres (who still looks off the pace even though he scored) and others when given the opportunity.

Unfortunately it was Gerrard's stupid giveaway penalty that killed us off.

 

[gkmacca]

[quote author=ILD link=topic=35437.msg931822#msg931822 date=1251147630]
[quote author=Anita link=topic=35437.msg931670#msg931670 date=1251144782]
How many times? Against any half decent team we'll get dominated in midfield in we have Lucas playing there. Simple as.

I'm not 'anti' Lucas, but he's just not good enough.
[/quote]

I hope people don't make Lucas the scapegoat. Loads of 'important' players didn't perform.
[/quote]

They are. Someone ought to fly to Spain and twat Alonso for jumping ship. We're going to hear his bloody name all season.

 

[Stulikesdrums]

[quote author=gkmacca link=topic=35437.msg931838#msg931838 date=1251147869]
[quote author=Stu link=topic=35437.msg931810#msg931810 date=1251147450]
I hope this is what it takes for Rafa to see that Lucas is not up to playing for this club. I know that this is very unlikely considering his blind spots for certain players but Lucas was really abysmal tonight.
[/quote]
Gerrard's tackle for the pen was APPALLING. Mascher was wasting attacks with his training ground punts at the keeper. Insua oscillated between good and clueless. Torres was a disgrace at times in his attitude. Reina lost his head just before half time. This is hardly the time to savage Lucas.
[/quote]
I'm not savaging Lucas, Macca.
I agree that the top guys didn't show up tonight, I do.
But Lucas was over run tonight, and not for the first time either.
He is slow, he takes too many touches on the ball, he has ZERO goal threat, he's not great in the tackle.
He isn't good enough to play for Liverpool week in week out.

 

[rebel23]

set pieces are a real achilles heal, god knows what they do on the training ground but i've never seen a team so crap at defending them or wanting to defend them

 

[Frogfish]

[quote author=Anita link=topic=35437.msg931845#msg931845 date=1251147974]
I thought Babel was one of the few bright sparks today. He managed to complete a few passes and put in a couple of decent balls. Putting him on on a game where he's got nothing to lose (as the game's already lost) was a good move.
[/quote]

Didn't see that at all Anita - I did see him blast 2 or 3 shots horribly wide when they quite obviously the wrong option. He lacks a 'footballing brain' - I hope we get rid ASAP.

 

[vikas]

[quote author=Frogfish link=topic=35437.msg931848#msg931848 date=1251147986]
[quote author=Roopy link=topic=35437.msg931802#msg931802 date=1251147364]
Well that was just fucking brilliant.

Clueless around the box against an organised defence.

Absolutely clueless.
[/quote]

That's a bit unfair really - we tried everything but their defence played out of their skins, Friedal made some great saves and others were just at him, one he didn't even know about until it hit him. A penalty we should have had, Kuyt hitting the post (weren't we always taught head down and back across the keeper ?) and a host of misses from Torres (who still looks off the pace even though he scored) and others when given the opportunity.

Unfortunately it was Gerrard's stupid giveaway penalty that killed us off.
[/quote]

Thing is too, Gerrard aside, who's going to thunder one in from 20 yards, teams can afford to keep backing off.

 

[Rosco]

[quote author=Stu link=topic=35437.msg931810#msg931810 date=1251147450]
I hope this is what it takes for Rafa to see that Lucas is not up to playing for this club. I know that this is very unlikely considering his blind spots for certain players but Lucas was really abysmal tonight.
[/quote]

I wonder will Jamie Redknapp literally have a pop back at Rafa next time he's on.

 

[gkmacca]

[quote author=Frogfish link=topic=35437.msg931859#msg931859 date=1251148089]
[quote author=Anita link=topic=35437.msg931845#msg931845 date=1251147974]
I thought Babel was one of the few bright sparks today. He managed to complete a few passes and put in a couple of decent balls. Putting him on on a game where he's got nothing to lose (as the game's already lost) was a good move.
[/quote]

Didn't see that at all Anita - I did see him blast 2 or 3 shots horribly wide when they quite obviously the wrong option. He lacks a 'footballing brain' - I hope we get rid ASAP.
[/quote]

Babel made almost as many wrong decisions as Lucas in a fraction of the time.

 

[Frogfish]

[quote author=ILD link=topic=35437.msg931822#msg931822 date=1251147630]
[quote author=Anita link=topic=35437.msg931670#msg931670 date=1251144782]
How many times? Against any half decent team we'll get dominated in midfield in we have Lucas playing there. Simple as.

I'm not 'anti' Lucas, but he's just not good enough.
[/quote]

I hope people don't make Lucas the scapegoat. Loads of 'important' players didn't perform.
[/quote]

Again.

Why is it Gerrard, Torres & Kuyt have started the season so poorly ?

 

[LadyRed]

[quote author=Frogfish link=topic=35437.msg931859#msg931859 date=1251148089]
[quote author=Anita link=topic=35437.msg931845#msg931845 date=1251147974]
I thought Babel was one of the few bright sparks today. He managed to complete a few passes and put in a couple of decent balls. Putting him on on a game where he's got nothing to lose (as the game's already lost) was a good move.
[/quote]

Didn't see that at all Anita - I did see him blast 2 or 3 shots horribly wide when they quite obviously the wrong option. He lacks a 'footballing brain' - I hope we get rid ASAP.
[/quote]

There were a couple of wild shots towards the end, but at that point, why not? First time he's taken a brave shot at goal like that in a long time.

 

[gkmacca]

[quote author=rebel23 link=topic=35437.msg931854#msg931854 date=1251148040]
set pieces are a real achilles heal, god knows what they do on the training ground but i've never seen a team so crap at defending them or wanting to defend them


[/quote]

You must be too young to have seen Uncle Roy's Liverpool team.

 

[iseered]

vomit all over my keyboard, desk and floor.
horrible performance and a horrible result, made worse by bad luck and a solid villa.

 

[gkmacca]

[quote author=Anita link=topic=35437.msg931869#msg931869 date=1251148223]
[quote author=Frogfish link=topic=35437.msg931859#msg931859 date=1251148089]
[quote author=Anita link=topic=35437.msg931845#msg931845 date=1251147974]
I thought Babel was one of the few bright sparks today. He managed to complete a few passes and put in a couple of decent balls. Putting him on on a game where he's got nothing to lose (as the game's already lost) was a good move.
[/quote]

Didn't see that at all Anita - I did see him blast 2 or 3 shots horribly wide when they quite obviously the wrong option. He lacks a 'footballing brain' - I hope we get rid ASAP.
[/quote]

There were a couple of wild shots towards the end, but at that point, why not? First time he's taken a brave shot at goal like that in a long time.
[/quote]

[size=30pt]BRAVE??????????????????[/size]

 

[Stulikesdrums]

[quote author=Rosco link=topic=35437.msg931864#msg931864 date=1251148164]
[quote author=Stu link=topic=35437.msg931810#msg931810 date=1251147450]
I hope this is what it takes for Rafa to see that Lucas is not up to playing for this club. I know that this is very unlikely considering his blind spots for certain players but Lucas was really abysmal tonight.
[/quote]

I wonder will Jamie Redknapp literally have a pop back at Rafa next time he's on.
[/quote]

It would fucking gas if he did. He should, for the craic.

 

[LadyRed]

[quote author=gkmacca link=topic=35437.msg931876#msg931876 date=1251148341]
[quote author=Anita link=topic=35437.msg931869#msg931869 date=1251148223]
[quote author=Frogfish link=topic=35437.msg931859#msg931859 date=1251148089]
[quote author=Anita link=topic=35437.msg931845#msg931845 date=1251147974]
I thought Babel was one of the few bright sparks today. He managed to complete a few passes and put in a couple of decent balls. Putting him on on a game where he's got nothing to lose (as the game's already lost) was a good move.
[/quote]

Didn't see that at all Anita - I did see him blast 2 or 3 shots horribly wide when they quite obviously the wrong option. He lacks a 'footballing brain' - I hope we get rid ASAP.
[/quote]

There were a couple of wild shots towards the end, but at that point, why not? First time he's taken a brave shot at goal like that in a long time.
[/quote]

[size=30pt]BRAVE??????????????????[/size]
[/quote]



Ambitious was probably a better word.

 

[gkmacca]

Fair enough, but I could still smack him for doing it.

 

[ILD]

[quote author=Anita link=topic=35437.msg931869#msg931869 date=1251148223]
[quote author=Frogfish link=topic=35437.msg931859#msg931859 date=1251148089]
[quote author=Anita link=topic=35437.msg931845#msg931845 date=1251147974]
I thought Babel was one of the few bright sparks today. He managed to complete a few passes and put in a couple of decent balls. Putting him on on a game where he's got nothing to lose (as the game's already lost) was a good move.
[/quote]

Didn't see that at all Anita - I did see him blast 2 or 3 shots horribly wide when they quite obviously the wrong option. He lacks a 'footballing brain' - I hope we get rid ASAP.
[/quote]

There were a couple of wild shots towards the end, but at that point, why not? First time he's taken a brave shot at goal like that in a long time.
[/quote]

At that point, we should be using the ball to work a goal, not take wild punts. It's a waste.

 

[rage]

[quote author=ILD link=topic=35437.msg931901#msg931901 date=1251148769]
[quote author=Anita link=topic=35437.msg931869#msg931869 date=1251148223]
[quote author=Frogfish link=topic=35437.msg931859#msg931859 date=1251148089]
[quote author=Anita link=topic=35437.msg931845#msg931845 date=1251147974]
I thought Babel was one of the few bright sparks today. He managed to complete a few passes and put in a couple of decent balls. Putting him on on a game where he's got nothing to lose (as the game's already lost) was a good move.
[/quote]

Didn't see that at all Anita - I did see him blast 2 or 3 shots horribly wide when they quite obviously the wrong option. He lacks a 'footballing brain' - I hope we get rid ASAP.
[/quote]

There were a couple of wild shots towards the end, but at that point, why not? First time he's taken a brave shot at goal like that in a long time.
[/quote]

At that point, we should be using the ball to work a goal, not take wild punts. It's a waste.
[/quote]

someone should have told that to masch as well. he seems to be trying to do more than he's capable of since alonso left and lucas started next to him. just adds to the disjointed nature of our game.

 

[Wilko7]

The penalty was extremely unfortunate if it was a penalty at all. Gerrard slid in to block the through ball and may have got a touch on it before the Villa player saw a golden opportunity to fall over the Captain.

 

[Stulikesdrums]

[quote author=Wilko7 link=topic=35437.msg931912#msg931912 date=1251149024]
The penalty was extremely unfortunate if it was a penalty at all. Gerrard slid in to block the through ball and may have got a touch on it before the Villa player saw a golden opportunity to fall over the Captain.
[/quote]
Ha, not like our Captain has never done that before!!

 

[gkmacca]

[quote author=Wilko7 link=topic=35437.msg931912#msg931912 date=1251149024]
The penalty was extremely unfortunate if it was a penalty at all. Gerrard slid in to block the through ball and may have got a touch on it before the Villa player saw a golden opportunity to fall over the Captain.
[/quote]

It was like the Gerrard of ten years ago. Dreadful mindless nonsense.

 

[iseered]

[quote author=Wilko7 link=topic=35437.msg931912#msg931912 date=1251149024]
The penalty was extremely unfortunate if it was a penalty at all. Gerrard slid in to block the through ball and may have got a touch on it before the Villa player saw a golden opportunity to fall over the Captain
[/quote]
please

 

[FoxForceFive]

[quote author=Wilko7 link=topic=35437.msg931912#msg931912 date=1251149024]
The penalty was extremely unfortunate if it was a penalty at all. Gerrard slid in to block the through ball and may have got a touch on it before the Villa player saw a golden opportunity to fall over the Captain.
[/quote]

"if it was a penalty at all"? Are you for real?

No, it wasnt malicious, but he missed the ball cos he tackled far too high & quickly, & took the man. It was rash, mistimed & stupid.