Ratings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[keniget]

I agree, it's unfair on Downing to put him there.

What are his options though Ken?

It's not just a LB problem though. I want to see us look more organized for a start - this is something a manager should be able to achieve on the training pitch is it not?

Time and time again we see the opposition running through the midfield like it's not there, the fullbacks looking lost etc etc. Its not good enough and when I look at other less talented teams grinding out results it annoys me.

 

[Ryan]

Time and time again we see the opposition running through the midfield like it's not there, the fullbacks looking lost etc etc. Its not good enough and when I look at other less talented teams grinding out results it annoys me.

I know you're not a fan of hearing this, but Lucas being out isn't helping that.

Take last week's Europa League game - no way would they have waltzed through us in the 90th minute where he on the pitch.

Gerrard, Hendo, Sahin and Allen - not one of them knows how to play the DM role well, and it's costing us.

 

[rurikbird]

Flanagan's fucking terrible.

Johnson at left back disrupts our balance IMO.

We didn't lose today cos of who we had at left-back. We lost cos we couldn't put the ball in the net once ourselves despite having dominated the game, having the lion's share of possession, winning more fucking corners than Marlo Stanfield, or converting the presentable chances we were given.

Isn't Johnson better defensively at LB? I am not sure, but sometimes it seems that way.

We really need a new full-back in January. Who would have thought that Wisdom is so irreplaceable. Andrew is injured and now Rodgers has only one fullback he can trust.

 

[keniget]

I know you're not a fan of hearing this, but Lucas being out isn't helping that.

Take last week's Europa League game - no way would they have waltzed through us in the 90th minute where he on the pitch.

Gerrard, Hendo, Şahin and Allen - not one of them knows how to play the DM role well, and it's costing us.

Appreciate that but still shouldn't prevent us from looking well drilled, being able to stay compact when the opposition has the ball, supporting team-mates in trying to press for the ball back etc.

There is no doubt we would be better with a dedicated DM but this idea of "we will just have to be shit till Lucas comes back" doesn't wash with me.

 

[Dreambeliever]

Wisdom would have been ripped apart by Bale, more so than GJ.

We lost because yet again we missed our chances.

 

[Frogfish]

Who would have thought that Wisdom is so irreplaceable. Andrew is injured and now Rodgers has only one fullback he can trust.

He most certainly isn't irreplaceable and he's certainly not trustworthy as a regular 1st team FB yet (if ever) - he constantly gets raped by speedy/tricky wingers. He may improve as he is only young but people are waaay over rating him.

 

[Fabio]

So is the site agreed that shelvey should start for the time being?

 

[Hansern]

I dont agree with the ripped apart comment tbh. Spurs struggled to break us down for most parts of the game. During the first 15 mis it happened quite a few times, but after we had pretty good control and composure.

The Spurs fans sounded pretty unhappy about the performance during the last 60 odd mins.

Shame we cant score some goals, cause then we would have turned this game around.

 

[mark1975]

I can understand people's desperate need to find a scapegoat amongst all of that, but the reality is that none of the starting 11 were bad. Some didn't play great, but there wasn't anyone you could point a finger at and blame the defeat on.

Sure Downing got caught goal side for the first goal, but he's not a left back - what do you expect?

We were the better side, and but for more clinical finishing and perhaps a bit of luck we'd have won.

Sure that's the same old story, but we're not the basket case some on here are alluding to. We dominated today.

Ryan, most of us rate Allen. No one's looking for a scapegoat, he had a bad game I thought and is getting not undue criticism. Same as Johnson and a few others. I defended Downing heavily in the match thread, he's not a defender and while keeping us fairly balanced and supporting well, the bread and butter moment was where he fell short and exposed the fact he's not a natural defender.

I agree we dominated, but the issue once again is that no one, bar the usual reliables, stepped up when it mattered. The faffing around in the last 10 minutes when we were on the ascendency and chasing a leveller just highlighted that, when we needed that extra quality and that extra will to win, it fell apart, again.

 

[mark1975]

Flanagan's fucking terrible.

Johnson at left back disrupts our balance IMO.

We didn't lose today cos of who we had at left-back. We lost cos we couldn't put the ball in the net once ourselves despite having dominated the game, having the lion's share of possession, winning more fucking corners than Marlo Stanfield, or converting the presentable chances we were given.

Yup, we dominated but Bale coming out firing on all cylinders in the first 20 was the difference, the damage was done early doors and we didn't have the quality to finish off the many chances we managed to carve out. Some games we've had loads of possession but not really created many clear cut openings, yesterday was different, we had enough chances to give ourselves a point or more and fucked up.

 

[mark1975]

I really don't get the calls for Wisdom at right back either, he's done a steady job there but when put up against someone with a bit of pace and trickery, he's been left in no mans land. He looks every inch the centre half playing at fullback.

 

[amber cabs]

Downing did well at lb, got caught wrong side for the first goal but what about Johnson giving it away in the first place. Sterling made a run outside him but instead of the simple ball to him he tried to be clever and play a through ball to Suarez(?). That is where that goal came from.
Reina was worryingly poor again with anything he had to do. Shame because I thought he was actually looking slimmer and fitter again.
I've criticised Gerrard a lot this season but I think yesterday was his best game since United. How many times did he get the ball out to our wide men with a long diagonal ball or else slipping it around the full back. He was excellent I thought.
Enrique for me is doing very well getting into the right areas for an attacker but just doesn't have the speed of thought of what to do next that a natural attacker would. Hopefully this can improve the longer he plays the advanced role. That said I still think Assaidi deserves a chance from the start and who better against than Southampton?
Apart from that, I think overall it was maybe our best attacking performance of the season. Just the usual story of not being able to take the chances that come our way. Henderson, Suarez and Enrique all should have scored pretty simple chances.

 

[Wizardry]

A little surprised by Ryan's first assesment in this thread, tbh though most of it is very true.

Allen is giving away as many fouls if not more than Lucas did in his earlier years. It's baffling to figure out what he's thinking at times.

With that minor caveat, Henderson missing an open goal, Gerrard bought down in the area and Suarez's follow up cleared off the line, Luis missing a volley from 10 yards..... and I'm pretty sure I'm forgetting a couple.

Sure, it's the same old story but the reality is there's not much more the players could be asked to do.

The only players I thought were worthy of some critical attention were Downing, Allen and Gerrard.

I can't count the number of times Downing received the ball going forward, only to stop, turn and pass it backwards immediately. His effort late in the 2nd half on the break nearly got him shot.

Allen is extremely tidy in so many ways but not playing in the right position and looking confused every game. As Ryan points out, he'll improve with the return of Lucas.

Gerrard I've defended on a number of occasions. This time people say he had a good game - I thought it was his worst so far. In the other games he looked to threaten from the edge of the area, tried to push the team on through the centre and constantly spread the ball. Most of that was missing this game but, because of the movement (and space) of Johnson and Sterling he had a go to ball almost every time. I know that looked great but we were getting done in midfield for the first 30 minutes and he needed to put a stop to it.

The criticism of Johnson is astonishing; he failed to close down Bale at the byline on one occasion but was otherwise ok for most of the match. His attack was exceptional and looked a class ahead of most others on the field as well as looking like the one player who could take it to Bale. His interplay with Suarez at times was delightful.

The Suarez song got to me for the first time in this one and I badly wanted him to bury a chance just to stick it up the Spurs fans.

The ratings reflect the mood in here rather than the performances of the respective players IMO. It was a pretty high tempo game dominated by Liverpool for 50 + minutes. Sure, that had something to do with being 2-0 down but we still went at them with everything we had. Would have liked to see Suso but otherwise the attitude was spot on.