wolves thoughts

[LarryHagman]

3 points is 3 points but that wasn't comfortable viewing.

Wolves looked shit in the first half, I was convinced at half time we were on for a 5-0. However 1 sub and a tactical change seemed to bamboozle us and they were the better side in the second half.

There's something missing, I just hope it's Gerrard. At the moment, we have a couple of bursts of decent action then seem to be very flat for long periods.

Our centre midfield is woeful so much so O'Hara looked the best player out there. Carroll put in a shift but to call his play quality would be a stretch. Kelly looked rusty and didn't have a good game. Henderson is looking more and more out of his depth by the week. In line with this week's hot topic, Suarez could've killed that game stone dead but is not all that in front of goal. Despite that, he had a good game and, in Gerrard's absence, is obviously our main source of creativity. That said, he was a dickhead after being taken off.

Looking forward to Gerrard hitting form, bit like we've been saying for the past 10 years.

 

[King Binny]

Meanwhile Charlie Nicolas on Suarez's 'sulk':

"It's a good thing," he explained on Soccer Saturday.

"The reason I would look at Suarez and think he got the hump with coming off was because Stevie Gerrard was coming on.

"He probably thought to himself: 'Charlie Adam played okay today, Lucas played okay, but I know that guy can give me service.'

"He's such a livewire, his movement's brilliant, and if he sees Gerrard quickly then those two will be a big hit as a double act.

"That's why I think there was frustration and anger; he squeezed a water bottle and there was a pathetic handshake with King Kenny.

"I think Kenny will have a giggle at that. Kenny would have been the same! Don't kid yourself, Kenny Dalglish would have come off with his lip down thinking: 'Why am I coming off? I don't like that.'

"Good players should be like that. They want to stay on and score again."

 

[RedZeppelin]

Personally I couldn't get over how sloppy our play was - Henderson , Adam , Lucas , Downing , Enrique ...fuck most the team including Suarez , they can play but equally they can shockingly sloppy in everything they do , especially passing and finishing. Some of the misplaced passes the last few games have been embarrassing . At times we've struggled so badly to keep the ball for any length of time .
And I can't believe I'm saying this but a little bit of me misses Rafa's obsession with controlling the game and possession . Ok he obviously was too insistant on this to the point that we were too negative and didn't create enough but at least it felt secure . I watch us now and we don't look to have control over games , we're open and can't keep the ball for a significant period . We really look like an English Premiership team - by that i mean we can play some decent stuff but at other times we're equally useless , devoid of skill and really sloppy - again no proper control of possession .

But we are creating more i guess , although we're not taking our chances . Which is probably my other big concern . Bar Suarez and now Gerrard , I struggle to see where the goals are going to come from . Downing, henderson , lucas offer fuck all in that department ....Adam is meh ....and well then there is Carroll but that's been discussed to death . Ok we have Kuyt and Bellamy but so far their roles have been more as squad players.

I don't know ...i really want to be positive about our chances , to be patient and give this team time to gel but I still can't get over the nagging feeling that we spent alot of money on average players who really need to step up their level and prove they were worth the money . So far i haven't seen anything to convince that they can do this and bring us where we really want to be - in the champs league and challenging for the league .

 

[King Binny]

[quote author=SaintGeorge67 link=topic=47000.msg1404570#msg1404570 date=1316889110]
Apparently we're 5 points better off than the same fixtures last year
[/quote]

Yeah, thanks to the win against Arsenal and Wolves.

Team, A/H, 10/11 result, 11/12 result, (pts diff)

Sunderland H 2-2 1-1 (DD 0)
Arsenal A 1-1 2-0 (DW +2)
Bolton H 2-1 3-1 (WW 0)
Stoke A 0-1 0-2 (LL 0)
Spurs A 1-2 0-4 (LL 0)
Wolves H 0-1 2-1 (LW +3)

 

[Delinquent]

[quote author=Gary25 link=topic=47000.msg1404652#msg1404652 date=1316906231]
Carroll played well less shit Ryan. Well Less shit in comparison to his recent performances.
[/quote]

Edited for accuracy.

 

[Woland]

I enjoyed the game. When I saw the team I didn't hold out much hope of an entertaining football match but that's what was served up. Oh, and we won. Gerrard looking sharp is a huge bonus - so I reckon we'll dick Everton next week.

 

[singlerider]

Based purely on a dodgy stream watching the second half, it seemed to me that Wolves managed to cut through us with consummate ease time and time again, through the middle, down the wings.

We just looked open and vulnerable at the back.

I dunno if that's just me?

Also, I still haven't figured out who the bellend in the box was who watched the ball roll two inches past his feet and didn't think "I'll stop that" and so let them score.

I suspect it may have been Charlie Adam. Whoever it was needs a slap

 

[Woland]

You're right, central defense is a disaster at the moment. Carra is stood 10 yards behind everyone else playing people onside because he's shitting himself for pace and Skrtel is and always will be fucking hopeless.

 

[singlerider]

It wasn't just the defence though, they seemed to bypass our midfield with little or no difficulty, knocking balls through from the back up to the edge of our box. Not just lumping it either, but playing it on the ground.

It seemed easy.

Like I say, I had a really shit and jerky stream, so I may be way off the mark here, but it was concerning

 

[Woland]

There's no pace in the middle is there? Kelly and Enrique and Downing are quite quick, but centrally we're very slow.

 

[Hansern]

[quote author=ILD link=topic=47000.msg1404666#msg1404666 date=1316912929]
We won Ryan so who cares who scored the goals. Three points is three points.

Carroll had a decent game and looked motivated and hungry. Hopefully he'll kick on.
[/quote]

There is always something that people will moan about mate. Even if he played well and we won.

 

[Sunny]

We were very poor again in the second half. Our midfield is woeful with Lucas & Adam in it and lacks the most basic of movement and mobility. This problem becomes compounded when Adam inevitably tires. Henderson looks petrified currently and needs dropping. Carroll was slightly improved. Kenny subbing Luis for Stevie was just stupid when it was midfield that was the main issue

 

[FoxForceFive]

Well the good thing is the majority of people are identifying the same issues.

You'd assume if we can do it then our coaching & game analysis staff can.

Central midfield is the main problem it seems, & mr Gerrard can improve that no end.

One thing I would say is that skrtel was poor again, & carra remaining so deep exposes us dreadfully. I wish Kelly had a another year under his belt at RB cos I think he is carra's natural replacement at CB.

 

[Avmenon]

[quote author=FoxForceFive link=topic=47000.msg1404722#msg1404722 date=1316940415]
Well the good thing is the majority of people are identifying the same issues.

You'd assume if we can do it then our coaching & game analysis staff can.

Central midfield is the main problem it seems, & mr Gerrard can improve that no end.

One thing I would say is that skrtel was poor again, & carra remaining so deep exposes us dreadfully. I wish Kelly had a another year under his belt at RB cos I think he is carra's natural replacement at CB.
[/quote]

We've been saying that for 10 years tho,Jon 🙁

 

[Molbystwin]

I think its fair to say that our central midfield pairing of Lucas and Adam is not cutting it yet, it lacks all kinds of things I would like it to have chiefly among them pace. The fact that Henderson is far from the finished article and Downing is not a superstar winger dont help either.

The sooner Gerrard is back up to speed the better, and I think Kuyt should replace Henderson.

And having watched Everton against Man City they will present us with a very tough test.

 

[spider-Neil]

[quote author=Molbystwin link=topic=47000.msg1404729#msg1404729 date=1316942127]
I think its fair to say that our central midfield pairing of Lucas and Adam is not cutting it yet, it lacks all kinds of things I would like it to have chiefly among them pace. The fact that Henderson is far from the finished article and Downing is not a superstar winger dont help either.

The sooner Gerrard is back up to speed the better, and I think Kuyt should replace Henderson.

And having watched Everton against Man City they will present us with a very tough test.
[/quote]


I think gerrard will be replacing henderson rather than adam, hopefully in a compact 4-3-3 rather than a 4-4-2 with gerrard wide right

 

[Hansern]

[quote author=Sunny link=topic=47000.msg1404718#msg1404718 date=1316939463]
We were very poor again in the second half. Our midfield is woeful with Lucas & Adam in it and lacks the most basic of movement and mobility. This problem becomes compounded when Adam inevitably tires. Henderson looks petrified currently and needs dropping. Carroll was slightly improved. Kenny subbing Luis for Stevie was just stupid when it was midfield that was the main issue
[/quote]

It gave us an extra man in midfield though, and we needed it at that point..

Just saw the match again and though Carroll was very good actually. Just needed a goal to cap of a very good performance. The good thing is that he was now in the right positions and just needed a bit of luck. Its usually a good sign when that happens..
Was a penalty at the end aswell.

 

[RedZeppelin]

[quote author=FoxForceFive link=topic=47000.msg1404722#msg1404722 date=1316940415]
Well the good thing is the majority of people are identifying the same issues.

You'd assume if we can do it then our coaching & game analysis staff can.

Central midfield is the main problem it seems, & mr Gerrard can improve that no end.

One thing I would say is that skrtel was poor again, & carra remaining so deep exposes us dreadfully. I wish Kelly had a another year under his belt at RB cos I think he is carra's natural replacement at CB.
[/quote]


Sometimes i really do wonder what they see and how they judge things compared to us fans. Cause so often things are so obvious yet they don't see it or make changes. I mean i'm not saying i could do a fraction of their job but some things any numpty can see , for example like Carroll can not play right mid !!!!

 

[RedZeppelin]

Oh and if i never saw skrtel in a liverpool shirt again it wouldn't bother me ...i use to quite like him but he's been getting worse since his first few months with us . He's a headless chicken who i don't trust one bit ....ok he's not quite titus bramble but he's not far off .

 

[Fabio]

Adam needs to be dropped or play further up where his defensive laziness isn't overly an issue. Lucas was blocking runner mostly on his own as adam couldn't stick with a man and henderson was invisible

At least downing tried to help enrique


lucas--------------------gerrard
Adam

or

lucas-----------------------spearing
Gerrard

Henderson isn't doing enough to be included and i think its foolhardy to play gerrard right mid. And adam starts well but is overly sloppy and is lazy defensively

 

[spider-Neil]

[quote author=FoxForceFive link=topic=47000.msg1404722#msg1404722 date=1316940415]

You'd assume if we can do it then our coaching & game analysis staff can.

[/quote]

the staff can see far more than we can.
they can see the level of the player's fitness.
they can see good/performances in training.
they see the league campaign as a marathon rather than a sprint (i.e. not make judgements based on one game).

an example, suarez was pissed off at being subbed but there are several factors the staff would almost certainly would have considered

1. in the final 10 minutes wolves would more likely than not have gone long therefore carroll would have been more beneficial than suarez defending set pieces

2. wolves were playing through the midfield for fun therefore simply putting a body in midfield would make this more difficult

3. suarez is key to our performances and has to be handled with care over a 38 game season (plus cup games)

basically I watch liverpool live and sometimes from the armchair and think 'well, I would do this', but the bottom line is I'm not privvy to all the information the staff have. so ultimately I have to trust them to do the right thing, they're not idiots (you'd hope).

 

[Judge Jules]

Good post.

 

[mark1975]

Yeah good post Neil, that said I wouldn't say the staff are infallible either, they make mistakes like we all do. If Suarez left the pitch and they scored then the flipside is we're left with no real threat on the pitch to help us grab a third. As it was it turned out well so you have to say good call and all the points you made are more than valid.

I like Suarez' passion btw, but it is giving us a bit of an egg-shell situation, again.

 

[Woland]

Suarez looked knackered for a good ten mins before they took him off, his touch had started to let him down and I thought it was a good substitution. Didn't see his reaction until MoTD, but it was no big deal.

 

[Rosco]

I don't think you have to say it was a good call because the game turned out okay.

 

[mark1975]

[quote author=Rosco link=topic=47000.msg1404769#msg1404769 date=1316950833]
I don't think you have to say it was a good call because the game turned out okay.
[/quote]

I think if they were going to take him off it would have been better to do a like for like and put Bellamy on. For all the packing out the middle, we had no outlet on the break, though Kuyt did a fair job of it a few times, Bellamy could have done some damage to tired legs.

It worked out well so there's not alot you can say, but it was dangerous.

 

[Fabio]

i thought adam should have come off as he was being shite

 

[gareth_thomas]

There are a lot of harsh comments in here..

The game was a funny one.. Some brilliant moments followed by some terrible moments.

It's obvious that a lot of the players are still adjusting to the changes that have occured over the summer. Downing and Enrique were impressive and Suarez was beastly..

Signs of Carroll getting back to full fitness... still lacking in confidence and form tho..

The fact that some players are already getting attacked is quite depressing...

 

[Gary25]

[quote author=gareth_thomas link=topic=47000.msg1404827#msg1404827 date=1316956829]
There are a lot of harsh comments in here..

The game was a funny one.. Some brilliant moments followed by some terrible moments.

It's obvious that a lot of the players are still adjusting to the changes that have occured over the summer. Downing and Enrique were impressive and Suarez was beastly..

Signs of Carroll getting back to full fitness... still lacking in confidence and form tho..

The fact that some players are already getting attacked is quite depressing...
[/quote]

Good points.

At the end of the day if we take a few more of our chances and win by 3 or 4 goals to spare everyone's saying how impressive a performance it was. Because there was only one goal in it and we were under a bit of pressure to hold on, it puts a different spin on it.

 

[Rosco]

When Wolves come to Anfield and have more possession than us I'm not sure you can really put a different spin on it.