If this was not the EPL but Ukrainian Premier League, I would say it's obvious the team and the manager are deliberately throwing the game. Bizarre, bizarre decision-making from Rodgers, from the needless introduction of a new system, which resulted in several players at once being forced to play in their less-than-ideal positions (Sterling at RWB, Johnson at RCB, Hendo at AM) to the substitutions that didn't change anything (because the underlying faulty tactics were still in place).
Fans will be criticizing the players, but I actually thought individually they did OK – again, the system was the problem. People will say Sterling didn't do anything – but he was forced to run at 2-3 players without any support from the fullback and whenever he lost the ball there was a huge gap behind him on our right flank with Johnson far behind. Was it Sterling's fault or the manager's? On the other flank Moreno couldn't use his speed running forward because he was stationed so far upfield that there was very little space to run into – but behind him there was all that space for pacey Newcastle players to counter-attack into with Lovren looking very uncomfortable trying to stop players who were flying down that flank at pace. Again, is this Moreno's or Lovren's fault or the manager's? And beside trying to thread the needle into the wing-backs (so that even when they do get an ideal pass from midfield, they are up against 2 players on their flank – hardly worth all the effort), what was our attacking plan? I didn't see any trace of one.
What makes it even worse is Newcastle did everything in their power NOT to win this game. For all the talk about their newfound momentum, they looked far from a confident or a clinical team. They could have earned 2 red cards, which would have changed the momentum of the game they were otherwise controlling, they made wrong decisions time and time again, they let the game open up for no reason and let Coutinho have a point-blank header at Krul – in short, Newcastle were there for the taking. But our team's determination to "throw" this game was greater and after multiple invitations, Newcastle finally reluctantly accepted.
Overall, a really, really infuriating game and one that defies rational analysis. We could have been building some nice momentum towards the Real and Chelsea games, instead our own manager threw a monkey wrench into the works and made us lose against a shit side for no reason at all. Oh, and the ref has been shite too.
Good day, everyone. Buy yourself some cookies or something to make yourself feel better. This has been shite.
Fans will be criticizing the players, but I actually thought individually they did OK – again, the system was the problem. People will say Sterling didn't do anything – but he was forced to run at 2-3 players without any support from the fullback and whenever he lost the ball there was a huge gap behind him on our right flank with Johnson far behind. Was it Sterling's fault or the manager's? On the other flank Moreno couldn't use his speed running forward because he was stationed so far upfield that there was very little space to run into – but behind him there was all that space for pacey Newcastle players to counter-attack into with Lovren looking very uncomfortable trying to stop players who were flying down that flank at pace. Again, is this Moreno's or Lovren's fault or the manager's? And beside trying to thread the needle into the wing-backs (so that even when they do get an ideal pass from midfield, they are up against 2 players on their flank – hardly worth all the effort), what was our attacking plan? I didn't see any trace of one.
What makes it even worse is Newcastle did everything in their power NOT to win this game. For all the talk about their newfound momentum, they looked far from a confident or a clinical team. They could have earned 2 red cards, which would have changed the momentum of the game they were otherwise controlling, they made wrong decisions time and time again, they let the game open up for no reason and let Coutinho have a point-blank header at Krul – in short, Newcastle were there for the taking. But our team's determination to "throw" this game was greater and after multiple invitations, Newcastle finally reluctantly accepted.
Overall, a really, really infuriating game and one that defies rational analysis. We could have been building some nice momentum towards the Real and Chelsea games, instead our own manager threw a monkey wrench into the works and made us lose against a shit side for no reason at all. Oh, and the ref has been shite too.
Good day, everyone. Buy yourself some cookies or something to make yourself feel better. This has been shite.
