Post Match - Aston Villa (H)

[jimmy]

Some points:

1. As everybody else mentioned - our 2 FBs are terrible. No big surprise with Cissokho, but Johnson is having his worst season for us, revealing again how bad he is at defending.
2. First 35 minutes we were overrun in MF as we had no DM and only Gerrard and Henderson there.
3. Our CB's had to face all the Villa attacks alone. For both goals Toure hurried to cover Agbonlahor (and failed) and the centre of our area was left vacant (Gerrard and Cissokho watching the first goal and Johnson watching the second following Mignolet missing the ball).
4. Moving Coutinho to the centre helped balancing things a bit, and then at half time when Lucas came on things looked much better and following the penalty we looked like scoring a third.
5. Villa faded at that stage. I think it also had a lot to do with Agbonlahor coming off injured - he had been the focal of their counter attack play.
6. Last 15-20 minutes we seemed to run out of ideas. Maybe managing to come back from 0:2 to 2:2 had the players "content" with the point.

 

[RedStar]

I think a lot has already been said about Gerrard being poor. I don't think he played well, but I don't doubt he can do well there either. Credit to Villa for pressing him so well. Gerrard needs to look at Didi and Xabi for how to draw a foul and shield the ball when under that kind of pressure.

If he did that well in the first thirty mins they would have tired themselves out. But I have no doubt he can get better and be far better than Lucas in that role.

The problem is, if Villa can hassle him out of the game a decent side will bypass him, and consequently our midfield

 

[Spionkop69]

I've no idea how to insert this file, so just click the link - it's pure gold.

https://vine.co/v/hlvwqgVhq6X

Yeah saw that watching the game. Just sat and scratched my head and thought "why?".

 

[Hansern]

Jeeeezzeess

 

[FoxForceFive]

It made me laugh actually.

 

[jimmy]

Yep. They talked about it on our sports channel.
The pundit didn't like it at all...

 

[Piedro]

The first gold was as much Skrtels fault as Gerrards. How the fuck you Allow benteke to get the ball under control, TURN and play that pass is criminal. Skrtel should have been right up his arse. Toure did nothing wrong, showed agbonlahor outside onto his weak foot. Gerrard can take the rest of the blame.

As said above though, we desperately need to sort the full backs out. That Cissokho is worse than Konch. Absolute muck.

 

[FoxForceFive]

Tbf when I found it amusing I didn't know he was hurt, just thought he was struggling to get himself up.

 

[keniget]

The guy taking the picture was awesome and probably a better LB than Cissokho on top of it.

 

[Fabio]

I've no idea how to insert this file, so just click the link - it's pure gold.

https://vine.co/v/hlvwqgVhq6X

Needs more love

 

[Fabio]

The first gold was as much Skrtels fault as Gerrards. How the fuck you Allow benteke to get the ball under control, TURN and play that pass is criminal. Skrtel should have been right up his arse. Toure did nothing wrong, showed agbonlahor outside onto his weak foot. Gerrard can take the rest of the blame.

As said above though, we desperately need to sort the full backs out. That Cissokho is worse than Konch. Absolute muck.

For the first I was livid with Johnson. Flanno would have gone for the 50/50 challenge that he shit out of, which then led to the pass for agbonlahor

 

[mark1975]

Suarez was poor yesterday too, which no one seems to have mentioned. His close control deserted him and he let the ball get away from him or took too many touches on several occasions, it was his fucking around which gifted them possession on the break for the second goal.

 

[dmishra]

I've no idea how to insert this file, so just click the link - it's pure gold.

https://vine.co/v/hlvwqgVhq6X

Haha, Pleat went mental at this. It's in poor taste though, especially if he was injured.

 

[FoxForceFive]

Suarez was poor yesterday too, which no one seems to have mentioned. His close control deserted him and he let the ball get away from him or took too many touches on several occasions, it was his fucking around which gifted them possession on the break for the second goal.

That'll be cos he's fucking knackered. He was closed out, pushed off the ball & beaten to chances by that vlaan repeatedly. He was more than a yard off the pace at times.

He's needs a fucking rest.

Tbh resting him & playing Sturridge helps solve a couple of issues with the team balance also.

It also means you have the opposition having to worry about someone of his threat coming off the bench.

 

[mark1975]

That'll be cos he's fucking knackered. He was closed out, pushed off the ball & beaten to chances by that vlaan repeatedly. He was more than a yard off the pace at times.

He's needs a fucking rest.

Tbh resting him & playing Sturridge helps solve a couple of issues with the team balance also.

It also means you have the opposition having to worry about someone of his threat coming off the bench.

It's getting the opportunity to do it though. I mean, our next two home games are Everton and Arsenal. So...

 

[Le Chacal]

I dont really get the Cissokho bashing, yeah hes poor but come on we ve seen a lot worse.
He didnt cost us points this season. Yesterday, 1st goal came from the right and then Stevie not following his guy.
Second for Mignolet. At Stoke it was Henderson, Touré and Mignolet and he scored a goal.
When is Enrique back by the way?
GlenJo has been dreadful for a while and both should be sold asap with at least one FB and CM cominig in.

 

[mark1975]

That said, Gerrard royally fucked me off when he ran across him in the dying minutes, just as he looked about to get his shot away.

 

[mark1975]

Johnson's getting away with murder every week but seems untouchable. Can't wait for Flannagan and Enrique to come back, we might actually have a defense that can defend. Rather than one defender and three hapless idiots.

 

[gkmacca]

That said, Gerrard royally fucked me off when he ran across him in the dying minutes, just as he looked about to get his shot away.

Yes, that was absolutely bizarre.

 

[Piedro]

For the first I was livid with Johnson. Flanno would have gone for the 50/50 challenge that he shit out of, which then led to the pass for agbonlahor

Nope Skrtels fault and Stuart Pearce just said so on Goals On Sunday. Are you gonna disagree with Stuart Pearce?

 

[mark1975]

Nope Skrtels fault and Stuart Pearce just said so on Goals On Sunday. And are you gonna disagree with Stuart Pearce?

It was collective really, we gave the ball away, Johnson was asleep as per, Toure was sluggish getting a challenge in. Skrtel's positioning was difficult, he basically had to try and get a block on the cross, with the goal a foot infront of him, their player to his right and three players to his left. Where was the ball gonna go?

 

[Piedro]

I'm talking about the bit on the halfway line mark, when the ball went in to benteke and Skrtel actually let him control it, turn and get the pass down the line to agbonlahor. Watch it again. He should be much tighter.

 

[mark1975]

I'm talking about the bit on the halfway line mark, when the ball went in to benteke and Skrtel actually let him control it, turn and get the pass down the line to agbonlahor. Watch it again. He should be much tighter.

Ahh right, fair enough. We were guilty of that collectively, like I've said though, we shouldn't have a defense that's so brittle you know it's going to implode everytime we allow the opposition in our half. Rodgers needs to set us up ALOT better when we're pushed high up the pitch, we never keep our shape and it's costing us time and time again.

 

[Oncy]

Sometimes you eat the bear. Sometimes the bear eats you.

 

[Oncy]

I think if im honest there are quite a few positions with big question marks about them.
Mignolet - Unconvinced
LB - Whoever plays Unconvinced
Skrtel - Unconvinced
Sakho - Looks good
RB - Truth be told it looks desperate. I have defended Johnson but fucking hell!!
Lucas - Fine
Gerrard - Hmmm
Allen/Henderson - Fine
Sterling - Excellent currently
Suarez - Amazing
Coutinho - Second season syndrome. I think hes been bang average all season.

Suarez is currently keeping us in contention.
Either the likes of Coutinho, Gerrard step the fuck up or we will struggle for top 4.
Its not beyond us but that fucking back line is KILLING us.

 

[Piedro]

Yeah Coutinho has been poo this season

 

[Red Bird]

I think a lot has already been said about Gerrard being poor. I don't think he played well, but I don't doubt he can do well there either. Credit to Villa for pressing him so well. Gerrard needs to look at Didi and Xabi for how to draw a foul and shield the ball when under that kind of pressure.

If he did that well in the first thirty mins they would have tired themselves out. But I have no doubt he can get better and be far better than Lucas in that role.

That, I think, is his biggest technical flaw. He is seemingly afraid of being clattered into and always feels he must get rid of the ball and, unfortunately, I think it's too late in the day to teach him a new trick.

 

[Oncy]

Yeah Coutinho has been poo this season

Hes like Garcia but without the occasional moments of brilliance. Hes the frustrating bits of Garcia.

 

[StevieM]

Sometimes you eat the bear. Sometimes the bear eats you.

What the fuck are you talking about my man.

I'm sure you've seen "The Grizzly Man".

We never eat the bear - the bear eats us.




Or if you're in Oz & it's a Koala - then it gives you chlamydia.

 

[Leo]

That some sort of eastern thing