Thoughts on the Match...

[spider-Neil]

[quote author=FoxForceFive link=topic=39217.msg1066384#msg1066384 date=1268125325]
Sorry Ryan, but I cant look at the game tactically simply cos every player bar Torres & Stevie hid tonight.

They didnt make themselves available for passes, they didnt close down, they didnt press. They did nothing.

We got the ball in CM & were making 2/4 yard passes sideways cos nobody moved forwards. I'm not a Babel fan, but he came on & dropped to within 5 yards of our penalty area to try to get the ball cos it wasnt being passed forwards.

There's something seriously wrong somewhere.

Sometimes you need to go behind to an early goal to wake you up, but even that didnt do it. We were one nil down to Wigan & didnt put pressure on them once. I cant remember Kirkland making a single proper save all game.
[/quote]


you think torres and gerrard came out of the game with any credit yesterday foxey?

 

[manwithnoname]

[quote author=FoxForceFive link=topic=39217.msg1066384#msg1066384 date=1268125325]

Sometimes you need to go behind to an early goal to wake you up, but even that didnt do it. We were one nil down to Wigan & didnt put pressure on them once. I cant remember Kirkland making a single proper save all game.

[/quote]

That's because we didn't have a shot on target

 

[Sunny]

[quote author=Farkmaster link=topic=39217.msg1066228#msg1066228 date=1268096439]


2) There is often an Armchair vs match goer vs OOT etc thing that will come up sometimes, and many try to say we all get it, we all hurt as badly. Well, being from the other side of it, though I feel the pain a lolt, and it's just shat on my birthday, and has this season been a pure chore, I tend to agree with Sunny. There's a big tent feeling to the club, and that's great, there's a ton of ground, a lot of unity, a lot of shared experience. That said, why wouldn't he hurt more, why wouldn't his relationship to the club be different? This doesn't make my feelings less valid, and it certainly doesn't impact my ability to talk about the club on a messageboard, but I'm sure it hurts more intensely for others. My dad has a different relationship to the club than I do, because he has a relationship to the city. It doesn't mean we didn't just spend 45 minutes ranting at each other in disgust.


[/quote]

Just to clarify my position on this folks. It's not matchgoer vs armchair or anything like that. I did say I expect the way we're playing hurts all fans. I'm just trying to explain how I feel. Which is pretty desolate at the moment. I invest a hell of lot in LFC. As many others do. Whether they be locals or not. All I'm saying is that it's really really trying at the moment to actually get up off my arse and go the game - something what others consider a privilege, or good fortune. It just doesn't feel like anything near those two things. It feels a chore. A bane. A neccesary evil. Like a bad addiction. You know the sensible thing would be to stop but you just can't do it and keep going back

 

[Sunny]

[quote author=FoxForceFive link=topic=39217.msg1066384#msg1066384 date=1268125325]
Sorry Ryan, but I cant look at the game tactically simply cos every player bar Torres & Stevie hid tonight.

They didnt make themselves available for passes, they didnt close down, they didnt press. They did nothing.

We got the ball in CM & were making 2/4 yard passes sideways cos nobody moved forwards. I'm not a Babel fan, but he came on & dropped to within 5 yards of our penalty area to try to get the ball cos it wasnt being passed forwards.

There's something seriously wrong somewhere.

Sometimes you need to go behind to an early goal to wake you up, but even that didnt do it. We were one nil down to Wigan & didnt put pressure on them once. I cant remember Kirkland making a single proper save all game.
[/quote]

There's no point trying to analyse the game. We played like schoolkids. All over the pitch. It's was simply embarrassing.

 

[Sunny]

[quote author=Brendan link=topic=39217.msg1066388#msg1066388 date=1268125513]
[quote author=FoxForceFive link=topic=39217.msg1066384#msg1066384 date=1268125325]

Sometimes you need to go behind to an early goal to wake you up, but even that didnt do it. We were one nil down to Wigan & didnt put pressure on them once. I cant remember Kirkland making a single proper save all game.

[/quote]

That's because we didn't have a shot on target
[/quote]

And there it is. Not one fucking shot on target. Against Wigan. That's how far we've fallen. Negative boring tactics yet again. The sad thing is - as I've said to Squiggles- is the acceptance of it. You start getting used to it. Well I'm not accepting it anymore. It's Tom and George out and then Benitez out for me. When those dopes who start singing "Ra-fa Rafael" on the Kop every time we get a throw in and going to start stirring the shit and ask them why.

 

[FoxForceFive]

[quote author=Brendan link=topic=39217.msg1066388#msg1066388 date=1268125513]
[quote author=FoxForceFive link=topic=39217.msg1066384#msg1066384 date=1268125325]

Sometimes you need to go behind to an early goal to wake you up, but even that didnt do it. We were one nil down to Wigan & didnt put pressure on them once. I cant remember Kirkland making a single proper save all game.

[/quote]

That's because we didn't have a shot on target
[/quote]

I couldnt remember us doing but didnt look at any stats so thought i may have missed one.

[quote author=spider-neil link=topic=39217.msg1066387#msg1066387 date=1268125470]
you think torres and gerrard came out of the game with any credit yesterday foxey?
[/quote]

They both tried. That's more than any other player did, they both had stinkers, but I'd prefer 10 (outfield) players working their arses off & have a bad game than 8 players fucking hiding & shirking any responsibility.

 

[Farkmaster]

Our tactics are indeed negative, but they are partly necessary, and that's the problem. At times we had Benayoun, Kuyt, Lucas, and Kyrgiakos helping Insua cover a single threat. Could you argue he didn't need the help? Unfortunately no.

The problem is we keep giving the ball away and ending up struggling to find an outlet ball as we are all well within our own half, vastly outnumbering the opposition. Given that players have ever shifting roles, who is to know where to play a quick ball to anyway? Used to be Alonso to Riera, Alonso to Riise, Alonso to Garcia... hugging the sideline and gaining the opposing third (watching too much hockey). Now we've got Torres in those same positions, and nowhere near as good passers.

The other problem is we play so compact to one side of the pitch, with such numbers, that we leak simple attacks down our blindside. While Insua gets babysat, and we are pressed against one side, James McCarthy had acres to run through the center of the pitch.

I thought that post by Brendan about 14 outfield players or whatever it was was silly, but it really was the case at times. I get really nervous even in 2 on 5 situations, if we are being attacked with pace.

Oh and Gerrard was MUCH worse than Lucas, which is sad.

 

[manwithnoname]

[quote author=Farkmaster link=topic=39217.msg1066406#msg1066406 date=1268126671]

I thought that post by Brendan about 14 outfield players or whatever it was was silly, but it really was the case at times. I get really nervous even in 2 on 5 situations, if we are being attacked with pace.

[/quote]

That was the whole point of my post really.

 

[Farkmaster]

I'm fairly confident that Lucas made more tackles at the LB position against Nzogbia than Insua did.

Gerrard's reactions after fucking up were not worthy of the captaincy.

 

[the_khl]

[quote author=Sunny link=topic=39217.msg1066381#msg1066381 date=1268125233]
After sleeping on it and taking some time to carefully analyse the team performance - possession, movement, strategy, passing and the like I can confirm that the whole situation is indeed a big pile of fucking shite.
[/quote]

That one made me chuckle. Cheers mate.

Can I just say that I actually thought there's some good posts in this thread. Ryan, you Sunny and Dirty Sanchez to mention a few.

I even tend to agree with most even though you guys don't agree.

Anyways for me last night was all about the key-players not showing up.

I was getting increasingly frustrated with Torres as the game went on and Ryan's really on to something I'm affraid with regards to a defender kicking the shite out of him quickly hence making him lose focus for the rest of the game.

Gerrards performance was cringe-worthy. Not so much because of his wayward passing but more so because of his complete lack of will and desire to change things around.

Carra looked awful and back to his very worst. Don't know whether the ongoing contract-talks has got anything to do with it or not but he was poor. I missed Skrtel and Agger last night.

Kuyt and Benayoun are two players whom are normally someone we can rely on but tonight the only one who could count on them were Wigan. They sadly looked like very limited footballers.

Aquilani and Babel were probably the only highlights with some decent to good cameos. Maxi worked well and looked like the only one who wasn't 'best pals' with the Wigan-players. (As in giving them the ball all the time).

To me it was clear that Rafa was fuming on the inside throughout most of this match, his pre-match comments underlined it perfectly too. But he's also very much to blame.

Bootomline is: this was was simply a horrendous piece of football and I'll keep my fingers firmly crossed this was the worst showing we'll ever witness under Rafa - in an important game at least.

We are still not out of the race with 30 points still up for grabs. We really aren't but we are not doing ourselves any favours here.

 

[Y1]

Bootomline is: this was was simply a horrendous piece of football and I'll keep my fingers firmly crossed this was the worst showing we'll ever witness under Rafa - in an important game at least.

We have played some bad games this season like losing at Pompey, the bottom club. Losing to Wigan who did not win any games for 7 matches is just as bad.

 

[Delinquent]

[quote author=the_khl link=topic=39217.msg1066418#msg1066418 date=1268128937]
To me it was clear that Rafa was fuming on the inside throughout most of this match, his pre-match comments underlined it perfectly too.
[/quote]

I wish he'd fume on the outside from time to time.

 

[Peatcheo]

It was predominantly the midfields fault last night. Gerrard was shambolic throughout and Lucas acted like a mong throughout whenever he got the ball or when an opposition player with the ball was near. Our midfield was bossed by theirs which contained a kid in McCarthey.

 

[vantage]

[conspiracy] Rafa and the players are doing this deliberately to get the Yanks to sell. [/conspiracy].]


I cannot think of any other possible explanation for that crock of shit last night.


And yes I am joking.


Maybe

?

 

[Insignificance]

[quote author=Ryan link=topic=39217.msg1066104#msg1066104 date=1268090583]
[quote author=Sheik Yerbouti link=topic=39217.msg1066098#msg1066098 date=1268090432]
Because we're full of unimaginative, talentless plodders.
[/quote]

Hard to argue with that on tonight's performance. Every single player in the side tonight is an International (a few of them 'superstar' ones too) - what makes them play as bad tonight as they did? I'm keen to hear your thoughts mate.

(And it's not all the Manager's fault - despite what some think)
[/quote]

It is so frustrating to see a bunch of highly rated internationals working their socks off to find a defensive balance against a team ready to be beaten. They have never beaten Liverpool and they have 1 victory in 13 games. But we dont dare to take the command out there.... We dont dare to establish the game high eough in the pitch to make them suffewr on their mistakes. We dont dare to move the ball quick enough to make them uncomfortable. we dont dare to take risks until we are down and there is left than 30 minutes to go. That is a shit attitude towards us as fans and this club and its status. What Rafa is showing now is a stubborn "Get back to defensive control-Play it safe" to try to grind out a few result against shit opposition. His comments regarding Aqualinis involvment earlier gives it all away. I admire him for his honesty, but that is prety much all I admire about him these days.

 

[MaBigTip]

"they aren't able" should be replaces with "we don't dare"

the hodge podge of players and constant rotating door policy is one of the biggest reasons for Benitez's failures

Also hes reverted to playing players out of position. He doesnt know where to play anyone anymore.