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Stoke post match thoughts

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Clyne is excellent
Defence was okay, few shaky moments, Gomez inexperience showed although he did some nice things.
Firmino just oozes swag
Emre Can is going to be a monster
Milner runs as much if not more than Henderson, fights for everything
Coutinho, just no words!

Excellent to pick up 3 points away to Stoke which is never an easy game
 
A few thoughts:
* Mign looks to continue from last season - was very alert on two poor back passes from Skittles, and in general, just seems comfortable in the box.
* Gomez had a poor debut. I mentioned in the match thread that Walters is a tough guy to start with but he'll learn. He got better later on and I think we should just ride with him the whole season. We'll have a much better player because of it in the coming years.
* SOlid game from Lovren.
* Bar the two bad back passes, Skittles was very good too - GREAT block when it was 0-0 late on.
* Clyne - nice to have a proper RB again!
* Milner & Henderson combo will work well I think BUT I Henderson has GOT To believe in himself more. He played very reserved and can do far more to influnece games in my opinion.
* Lallana - meh. Don't think he was given many chances to create much and I'm still hopeful Ryan's analysis will come true about this kid.
* Coutinho - looks like this kid is going to continue from last year ... He was creating a lot of problems, and his passes were slightly off, but then that shot? It reminded me so much of how Gerrard won the Villa game late on - albeit from a FK.
* Benteke - I think it was a very good debut. He did a lot of good, showed good chemistry with the lads and seems technically solid. I think he's going to get 15-20 goals easy.
* Ibe - Muniesa gave him a very very tough time but he played a solid game. His speed, skill and tenacity will ensure he gets enough games to progress nicely this year.
* Can - he just looks liek a really good middie in the making. Almost a great pass to set up Benteke when it was late on, and then a great lunging Stevie'esque tackle on Van Ginkel late on ... Love this kid.
* Firmino - WELCOME TO ENGLAND ... Clearly wasn't ready for the pace of the game but some of his touches were great.

* This is a new team, and I believe the most important thing for new teams is to win games - quite a few on the trot, regardless of how well or badly they play. 2 years ago, that's what a Suarez'less team did starting with a fortituous 1-0 win over Stoke on opening day and continued on. A team that players poorly and wins is a team that will hopefully mature and make those wins come under more positive circumstances. Happy with the win. 1 down, 37 more to go!
 
Every top 5 team has showed rustiness. Out of all the sides, we had the toughest fixture and won. I'm delighted.

The year we challenged for the title started with a hard-fought 1-0 win against Stoke.

Tactically we looked solid.
It was a game of few chances and I felt our quality might tell in the end.
Our 2 FB's are making Lovren and Skrtel looking like better defenders.

It took us 10 games 2 years ago to start actually playing well. Before that, we were grinding out 1-0 wins.

We'll probably need more of the same given our difficult early season fixture list.
 
My issues were same as last season, the lack of incisive forwards movement into the box & people running ahead of the strikers.

They need addressing.

However I don't judge us on anything else, cos no team have looked good this first match, West ham look the sharpest & arguably best but they've been playing competitive games for a few weeks already.
 
I missed Firmino coming on as I dozed off, the match was that boring.
And, I didn't feel as worried as I did last season every time the opposing team had the ball in our half.
 
Stoke were clearly worried about Ibe. At one point he had 4 of them around him.


Why none of our players got to him to give him an outlet is another story.
 
Fabio said:
... We were completely ineffectual in the final third as well! Difference being they were playing a better side.

Our goal came from a stupidly good effort out the blue, United got an own goal (even though Rooney would have scored if Walker didn't toe poke it)

We, were shite and no where near full form, but to say we were better than other sides this weekend is silly.

He'll, arsenal lost 2 nil and we're better than us
Click to expand...
On then, we were all as equally shit... It's academic. The important thing is that it's first game, & no side playing their first competitive match of the season looked anything a above average & some of the best teams looked just as shite.

We got three points & a clean sheet at a ground we have always struggled at. That'll do for me.
 
Clyne and Gomez both made a small error or two, but they're both really quick and athletic, and most importantly, switched on. Unlike Moreno and Johnson, who used to switch off regularly. That's a major improvement for the defence - and as @ibromurph points out, it makes our CBs look better.

I also made a point in the match thread - the 4-2-3-1 is just a better formation defensively - two players sitting gives a lot more protection to the defence, and it helps when neither CM is trying to play hero ball.

That said, it's just a terrible formation for our any of our attackers. There was no fluidity at all until we went 4-3-3.

Though Benteke, Firmino and Coutinho will take more than a few games to figure out how to play together.
 
Thought we were largely shite and didn't come close to deserving the three points. As Keni said, lots of huff and puff but very little class on display. Defensively we looked improved and all four come out with credit.
 
A few people saying countinho was boss.

Of course his goal was fucking amazing, but let's not forget that the rest of the game he was pretty much shit.

The lad needs resting at some point.
 
That is why you shouldn't take a player like coutinho off.

Back four looked solid and a lot tighter.

Shite going forward.
 
What a world of difference competent fullbacks can make.

Gomez had numerous naive miscues but Clyne is already solid as a rock. He made a few game changing plays and already looks like he will be a massive player for us.

MOTM for me despite Countonho's moment of brilliance.

The professionalism and football intelligence that Clyne and Milner have brought to this squad are going to make Liverpool much better.
 
Much better in the second half. Stoke had two or three clear cut chances to go ahead and we were very lucky to get away with nil nil at half time.

Encouraging start for Gomez and Clyne. Can probably did enough to start the next game ahead of Lallana.
 
Red Mullet said:
Stoke were clearly worried about Ibe. At one point he had 4 of them around him.



Why none of our players got to him to give him an outlet is another story.
Click to expand...


Don't agree with that - Clyne offered himself quite a few times on the outside with some good runs, only for Ibe to keep turning away from him and going inside, seeking Stoke defenders or midfielders to run into, slow down and lose the ball.

I think both our youngsters - Ibe and Gomez - didn't have good games at all. Gomez's inexperience showed and having a very tough assignment in Walters obviously didn't help. Both guys were making mistakes but theirs were errors due to inexperience, rather than because of shitness, so I'm sure they'll learn and develop on the job.
 
refugee said:
Much better in the second half. Stoke had two or three clear cut chances to go ahead and we were very lucky to get away with.

Encouraging start for Gomez and Clyne. Can probably did enough to start the next game ahead of Lallana.
Click to expand...
Can, firmino, Markovic... All surely did enough to get ahead of Lallana
 
studsup said:
Don't agree with that - Clyne offered himself quite a few times on the outside with some good runs, only for Ibe to keep turning away from him and going inside, seeking Stoke defenders or midfielders to run into, slow down and lose the ball.

I think both our youngsters - Ibe and Gomez - didn't have good games at all. Gomez's inexperience showed and having a very tough assignment in Walters obviously didn't help. Both guys were making mistakes but theirs were errors due to inexperience, rather than because of shitness, so I'm sure they'll learn and develop on the job.
Click to expand...
At that particular moment in time, he had no support.
 
We may be 3 points ahead Arsenal at the moment but I thought they played a lot better than us and West Ham had their keeper to thank with Arsenal throwing the kitchen sink to get their goal
 
I think when henderson missed the chance to play a simple square ball to Bentek in the box, i thought we had lost the game.

Positively that was the only five minute period in the game where we looked like a top team and not surprisingly Coutinho was in the middle of all of it.

Sterling would have liked playing alongside Firminho....as like Suarez he has the ability to attract players towards him...

I think Ibe and Markovic will benefit from that.

Firminho will take a little bit of time getting used to the league but the quality is clearly there.
 
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