Post Newcastle Calmness, Reflection and Lowered expectations
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I think Gerrard did well today. He was probably our best player, given the dour, turgid football that was on show today, but also the main instigator of that play. Possession without incisiveness, surrendering all initiative to Captain Gerrard who will come up with a magical hollywood through pass to present our striker with a goal on a plate. We've seen it for years. Under Houllier, Hodgson, Dalglish, even at times under Benitez.
As soon as the interplay between Suarez, Coutinho, Sturridge and Sterling disappeared with Suarez's departure, he reverted to the football he is most comfortable with. He's no Pirlo or Alonso, but it's also evident that a midfield with no Gerrard such as the one we fielded against Swansea seems much less likely to play within themselves.
As soon as the interplay between Suarez, Coutinho, Sturridge and Sterling disappeared with Suarez's departure, he reverted to the football he is most comfortable with. He's no Pirlo or Alonso, but it's also evident that a midfield with no Gerrard such as the one we fielded against Swansea seems much less likely to play within themselves.
I didn't watch the game ...
I'm not really fussed about the results lately ... Last year was so much fun that it's worth what we will go through this year - which we could all see coming once we lost Suarez ... So we'll struggle, and we may need to switch a large chunk of our starting 11 again, and Rodgers will struggle to maintain his positivity etc as more fans and media question his ways, and more of the fans will blame Suarez leaving or Lucas not starting or Balotelli etc (me included) ... but it was worth it to enjoy last year ...
I think if Rodgers sticks to what worked last year - we have a good enough team to push for top 3 once Studge returns ...
I'm not really fussed about the results lately ... Last year was so much fun that it's worth what we will go through this year - which we could all see coming once we lost Suarez ... So we'll struggle, and we may need to switch a large chunk of our starting 11 again, and Rodgers will struggle to maintain his positivity etc as more fans and media question his ways, and more of the fans will blame Suarez leaving or Lucas not starting or Balotelli etc (me included) ... but it was worth it to enjoy last year ...
I think if Rodgers sticks to what worked last year - we have a good enough team to push for top 3 once Studge returns ...
There is nothing new to say. Every post match thread is the same but with an increased sense of desperation and frustration.
I don't blame Coutinho or Sterling really. There is nothing going on around them, they can carry the ball but for what... there is rarely a decent pass on.
Looks like the amazing momentum Sterling had at the start of the season has been crushed too. He got very little joy today.
I don't blame Coutinho or Sterling really. There is nothing going on around them, they can carry the ball but for what... there is rarely a decent pass on.
Looks like the amazing momentum Sterling had at the start of the season has been crushed too. He got very little joy today.
The first half was a non event for both sides. Very disappointing. But I thought we were excellent for the first 20 mins of the second half, just without quite testing Krul enough. Then we gifted them a goal and plodded around until the end of the match.
Coutinho continues to infuriate. All good players over-hit the odd pass but this lad seems to do it every other attempt. And he can't seem to do the simple things well. There was one occasion when a teammate cushioned a header to him, and instead of just passing it back he tried to lob it, even though he could see the player was under too much pressure to have the time to control it. Gerrard was doing it as well - blasting passes at teammates who then got the flak for not controlling the ball.
The buck stops with Rodgers.
Sure he's been dealt with a really shit hand losing both Suarez and Sturridge. But there's way more potential in this squad than the shit we're seeing. He's rigidly insisted on a formation for the past several games despite it being clear that it's not working.
Very little effort has been made to integrate Lallana, Lambert or Markovic into the scheme of things. It's all been Balotelli & Sterling or nought. There's way too much pressure on these two, and they look completely knackered mentally now. The formation, style - whatever it is - is not working.
We badly need a change up front. Can't just wait and hope for Sturridge's return.
Also, it's imperative that we invest in some top quality in midfield. Ours is a midfield of one old man, and several workers. That only works when you have world class quality in attack to compensate.
We need some proven quality in there - the kind that City have in Yaya, Fernandinho and Silva, Chelsea have in Matic and Fabregas. Heck, even United have some quality now with Di Maria and Blind. Allen, Henderson and Can are solid players who can play a set role when the attack is good enough to score on its own. But they're not going to help you dominate or win many games on their own.
We really need to be looking at a proper DM and someone like Shaqiri or Isco.
Sure he's been dealt with a really shit hand losing both Suarez and Sturridge. But there's way more potential in this squad than the shit we're seeing. He's rigidly insisted on a formation for the past several games despite it being clear that it's not working.
Very little effort has been made to integrate Lallana, Lambert or Markovic into the scheme of things. It's all been Balotelli & Sterling or nought. There's way too much pressure on these two, and they look completely knackered mentally now. The formation, style - whatever it is - is not working.
We badly need a change up front. Can't just wait and hope for Sturridge's return.
Also, it's imperative that we invest in some top quality in midfield. Ours is a midfield of one old man, and several workers. That only works when you have world class quality in attack to compensate.
We need some proven quality in there - the kind that City have in Yaya, Fernandinho and Silva, Chelsea have in Matic and Fabregas. Heck, even United have some quality now with Di Maria and Blind. Allen, Henderson and Can are solid players who can play a set role when the attack is good enough to score on its own. But they're not going to help you dominate or win many games on their own.
We really need to be looking at a proper DM and someone like Shaqiri or Isco.
We are predictable and slow. It's frustratingly easy to park the bus in front of our lads and watch their fearful reaction to going forwards - just in case they are individually to blame for conceding. I think that our defense has been given the simple instruction - by Rodgers - not to venture forward - in the naïve belief that their forward forays are causing the leaky defense. Sorry but that's not defensive coaching.
We are playing tepid, boring, possession football, and it's on Rodgers. I don't give a fuck who thinks otherwise, but Gerrard was also a massive shithouse today, again.
And I'm only saying that because I fucking love the guy.
We are playing tepid, boring, possession football, and it's on Rodgers. I don't give a fuck who thinks otherwise, but Gerrard was also a massive shithouse today, again.
And I'm only saying that because I fucking love the guy.
@Dirty Sanchez is spot on. We are unbelievably predictable. Rodgers HAS to address that.
Yep just saw the game. Had to fast forward some parts but imo Gerrard was one the worst culprits today. His constant longballs to nowhere bothered me the most. Just gifting the ball to the opposition.
Brendan has to play with two strikers.
Hendo as well was fucking woeful and I'm a big fan of him. Lovren was utter garbage throughout as well. What's the point in playing out from the back when one of the main men tasked with that job is shite. Fear spreads through the team and it starts in defence. No one in midfield looked mobile anyway. Worrying times ahead I'm afraid.
I read a great interview with Guardiola the other day where he said he hates the term 'tiki taka'. To him football is pretty simple. Put the ball in the back of the net. Usually by dragging players out of position and switching play with speed, guile and movement then hitting the opposition where the opposition is at their weakest. Not one of our players came even close to doing that. Last year we had an obvious advantage in Suarez putting the fear into the other team. This year nada, zip, fuck all. It's all very well 'pressing' but when there is no one there to take advantage of that it's useless. Hateful game of football.
From this point on I think it's damage limitation time.
I read a great interview with Guardiola the other day where he said he hates the term 'tiki taka'. To him football is pretty simple. Put the ball in the back of the net. Usually by dragging players out of position and switching play with speed, guile and movement then hitting the opposition where the opposition is at their weakest. Not one of our players came even close to doing that. Last year we had an obvious advantage in Suarez putting the fear into the other team. This year nada, zip, fuck all. It's all very well 'pressing' but when there is no one there to take advantage of that it's useless. Hateful game of football.
From this point on I think it's damage limitation time.
I think you guys are being harsh on Gerrard. Yes, the long balls were frustrating at times but the alternative was the usual fucking about in the middle of the park with no ideas. The long ball was clearly tactic to carve out some space out wide and get in behind. We just lacked accuracy today.
He was poor but by no means the worst. In fact him and Skittles came out of that fuck fest reasonably ok imo. Allen, Hendo, Lovren, Glenjo, Sterling, Moreno, were all culpable. I gave up watching after 70 mins so there maybe some others who did well. By that point I was sick of the sight of them and was not surprised when I turned it back on later and learned we lost.
Agree with this. He was trying something different than the usual sideways, backways crap. Ok some of them fell short but as far as I could see, the only times, and they were few, we got anyone behind their defence, was from Gerrard's passes
It feels like we got our seasons mixed up. Last season should have been like this, still trying to work out the magic formula and hopefully scraping into 4th. This season should have been like last season, the season it clicked.
Almost feel Rodgers is a victim of his own success. And I'm not buying the line that Suarez made the team last season. Rodgers, either through good fortune or his own work had a lot of players develop really quickly and pushed us to 2nd. I'd like to think Rodgers made the difference. He has to do it all again now, it's just all a bit negative as it's benchmarked against last year.
Almost feel Rodgers is a victim of his own success. And I'm not buying the line that Suarez made the team last season. Rodgers, either through good fortune or his own work had a lot of players develop really quickly and pushed us to 2nd. I'd like to think Rodgers made the difference. He has to do it all again now, it's just all a bit negative as it's benchmarked against last year.
We even started well last season but scrapped wins then Spurs and BOOM.
Boom....2-1 city, 2-1 chelsea
Trollers gonna troll.
Noticed Coutinho started and we lost... but hey, let's not rejoice being right over the team.
So?
Fuck off Modo you boring twat.
Nah. Not a chance. I bet BR would love to think that, but it's way past that. There are fundamental issues that need addressing, issues that not even a major single win like that could cover up.
The tackle on Allen was a leg breaker - could have ended his season. How it wasn't a send off is beyond me.
Yep, said it in the game thread. Gerrard's passing was the only thing that got in behind them at all and, when it wasn't his passing, it was him in the area bringing it down for others.
The way we kept turning to pass it back to someone behind us, it was like the worst days of GH on re-run. Gerrard was the only one who looked interested in having the ball down their end.
I don't think Henderson and Allen are a particularly good combination on that note, I think we should just put Can in there, he's a natural defender and he can play, we kept our only recent clean sheet last week with him in there, so why not give him a run? Push Gerrard further forward and stick with ONE of Allen or Henderson, or better still, get Lallana or Coutinho in midfield and push the other up top.
------------------Mignolet----------------
Manquillo--Skrtel--Lovren--Enrique
------------------Can---------------------
---------Gerrard----Coutinho---------
--Sterling----Borini----Lallana------
See, with that kind of lineup I'd stick with Mario instead of Borini. I think we'd have enough movement to create lots of space, Gerrard would know how to get Balotelli involved.
That said I think Enrigue would be raped repeatedly in that set up and Lovren would probably end up leaving the club. There's a certain semblance to last season - dangerous possession as Rodgers calls it. Just not sure that, without Sturridge and Suarez, we'd have enough to come out on the right side of a 7 goal match.
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