Liverpool FC Forum

[JC_81]

We may have only got one point today but so did arsenal and Man utd lost 2-1.

And  Wigan beat Everton at Goodison!!    

now that did cheer me up  0-1 at home to Wigan after conscutive losses at Prem, CL and UEFA Cup...now that's deep sh1t 

I agree Santa, apart from Chelsea, everyone else is dropping points as well.  Dissapointing result for us today but it's far from a crisis

[66-1120597113]

Not happy with that result at all.  I know we've had a few draws in the league already, but those are games that I'd say it isn't bad to come away with a point.  Today on the other hand is not a good point, we should have won that, Birmingham have been poor this season and we should have put them away after we got the first goal.

On the upside, we are still unbeaten and if we string a few wins together, then our league record would look pretty good.  We aren't looking like losing games which gives us a good base, we just need to start converting these draws into wins.

I can't believe people slating Rafa for going with Crouch on his own up top.  You certainly can't play Cisse in away games in my opinion because he constantly fails to put in a good work-rate in games.  There is nothing wrong with the system Benitez plays with, except we just don't have good enough attackers in wide positions.  I'm sure Benitez will go 4-4-2 for some of our upcoming home games in the prem, but his cautious approach so far is understandable considering the tricky fixtures we've had to start with in the league.  And when we do go 4-4-2 we will have the same problems with the wide positions, so please stop blaming the system, it's NOT the problem.

This is the 1st post of yours i havent agreed with John!!
The 4-5-1 aint working mate!We dont have the players to suit this system ie natural wide men!
Crouch is no use on his own and one of his best attrbiutes of holding the ball up is wasted as theres no one there to play off  him! A  4-4-2 would have suited us more today,keeping the  ball down and out passing them,Crouch holding the ball up and Cisse playing off him!
Maybe im wrong im just sick of Raffa showing inferior teams too much respct!!
Gutted!

[JC_81]

Not happy with that result at all.  I know we've had a few draws in the league already, but those are games that I'd say it isn't bad to come away with a point.  Today on the other hand is not a good point, we should have won that, Birmingham have been poor this season and we should have put them away after we got the first goal.

On the upside, we are still unbeaten and if we string a few wins together, then our league record would look pretty good.  We aren't looking like losing games which gives us a good base, we just need to start converting these draws into wins.

I can't believe people slating Rafa for going with Crouch on his own up top.  You certainly can't play Cisse in away games in my opinion because he constantly fails to put in a good work-rate in games.  There is nothing wrong with the system Benitez plays with, except we just don't have good enough attackers in wide positions.  I'm sure Benitez will go 4-4-2 for some of our upcoming home games in the prem, but his cautious approach so far is understandable considering the tricky fixtures we've had to start with in the league.  And when we do go 4-4-2 we will have the same problems with the wide positions, so please stop blaming the system, it's NOT the problem.

This is the 1st post of yours i havent agreed with John!!
The 4-5-1 aint working mate!We dont have the players to suit this system ie natural wide men!
Crouch is no use on his own and one of his best attrbiutes of holding the ball up is wasted as theres no one there to play off  him! A  4-4-2 would have suited us more today,keeping the  ball down and out passing them,Crouch holding the ball up and Cisse playing off him!
Maybe im wrong im just sick of Raffa showing inferior teams too much respct!!
Gutted!

Knew you were going to say that Barry mate!!

What you say I partly agree with in that we don't have the players to suit the system.  You're right, because we don't have 2 out-and out flair wingers to provide the service Crouch needs, and to chip in with goals themselves.

But what's the alternative?  4-4-2 and we've got the same problem with the wide positions.  Nothing changes except that we sacrifice a centre-mid for most likely Cisse.  Now I don't rate Cisse so that may make me a bit biased here, but Cisse would have done all to work their defence when they had the ball today and we would have conceded a lot more possession.  Like me, Benitez obviously doesn't trust Cisse, especially in away games where you can't afford to carry anyone if you want something from the game.  At home, yes, give Cisse a chance in a 4-4-2, but away?  Not for me, I think Benitez approached the game properly and if we'd come away with the points then all would have been rosey.

I'm as off as you with the result Barry, but in the grand scheme of things it's not a disaster

[66-1120597113]

Not happy with that result at all.  I know we've had a few draws in the league already, but those are games that I'd say it isn't bad to come away with a point.  Today on the other hand is not a good point, we should have won that, Birmingham have been poor this season and we should have put them away after we got the first goal.

On the upside, we are still unbeaten and if we string a few wins together, then our league record would look pretty good.  We aren't looking like losing games which gives us a good base, we just need to start converting these draws into wins.

I can't believe people slating Rafa for going with Crouch on his own up top.  You certainly can't play Cisse in away games in my opinion because he constantly fails to put in a good work-rate in games.  There is nothing wrong with the system Benitez plays with, except we just don't have good enough attackers in wide positions.  I'm sure Benitez will go 4-4-2 for some of our upcoming home games in the prem, but his cautious approach so far is understandable considering the tricky fixtures we've had to start with in the league.  And when we do go 4-4-2 we will have the same problems with the wide positions, so please stop blaming the system, it's NOT the problem.

This is the 1st post of yours i havent agreed with John!!
The 4-5-1 aint working mate!We dont have the players to suit this system ie natural wide men!
Crouch is no use on his own and one of his best attrbiutes of holding the ball up is wasted as theres no one there to play off  him! A  4-4-2 would have suited us more today,keeping the  ball down and out passing them,Crouch holding the ball up and Cisse playing off him!
Maybe im wrong im just sick of Raffa showing inferior teams too much respct!!
Gutted!

Knew you were going to say that Barry mate!!

What you say I partly agree with in that we don't have the players to suit the system.  You're right, because we don't have 2 out-and out flair wingers to provide the service Crouch needs, and to chip in with goals themselves.

But what's the alternative?  4-4-2 and we've got the same problem with the wide positions.  Nothing changes except that we sacrifice a centre-mid for most likely Cisse.  Now I don't rate Cisse so that may make me a bit biased here, but Cisse would have done all to work their defence when they had the ball today and we would have conceded a lot more possession.  Like me, Benitez obviously doesn't trust Cisse, especially in away games where you can't afford to carry anyone if you want something from the game.  At home, yes, give Cisse a chance in a 4-4-2, but away?  Not for me, I think Benitez approached the game properly and if we'd come away with the points then all would have been rosey.

I'm as off as you with the result Barry, but in the grand scheme of things it's not a disaster

I take what u say on board John but i still would have like to seen a more attacking line up! It was Brum after all! And in fairness to cisse,he has'nt really had a chance.I feel for him bigtime!
Its all just so frustrating!

[JC_81]

Not happy with that result at all.  I know we've had a few draws in the league already, but those are games that I'd say it isn't bad to come away with a point.  Today on the other hand is not a good point, we should have won that, Birmingham have been poor this season and we should have put them away after we got the first goal.

On the upside, we are still unbeaten and if we string a few wins together, then our league record would look pretty good.  We aren't looking like losing games which gives us a good base, we just need to start converting these draws into wins.

I can't believe people slating Rafa for going with Crouch on his own up top.  You certainly can't play Cisse in away games in my opinion because he constantly fails to put in a good work-rate in games.  There is nothing wrong with the system Benitez plays with, except we just don't have good enough attackers in wide positions.  I'm sure Benitez will go 4-4-2 for some of our upcoming home games in the prem, but his cautious approach so far is understandable considering the tricky fixtures we've had to start with in the league.  And when we do go 4-4-2 we will have the same problems with the wide positions, so please stop blaming the system, it's NOT the problem.

This is the 1st post of yours i havent agreed with John!!
The 4-5-1 aint working mate!We dont have the players to suit this system ie natural wide men!
Crouch is no use on his own and one of his best attrbiutes of holding the ball up is wasted as theres no one there to play off  him! A  4-4-2 would have suited us more today,keeping the  ball down and out passing them,Crouch holding the ball up and Cisse playing off him!
Maybe im wrong im just sick of Raffa showing inferior teams too much respct!!
Gutted!

Knew you were going to say that Barry mate!!

What you say I partly agree with in that we don't have the players to suit the system.  You're right, because we don't have 2 out-and out flair wingers to provide the service Crouch needs, and to chip in with goals themselves.

But what's the alternative?  4-4-2 and we've got the same problem with the wide positions.  Nothing changes except that we sacrifice a centre-mid for most likely Cisse.  Now I don't rate Cisse so that may make me a bit biased here, but Cisse would have done all to work their defence when they had the ball today and we would have conceded a lot more possession.  Like me, Benitez obviously doesn't trust Cisse, especially in away games where you can't afford to carry anyone if you want something from the game.  At home, yes, give Cisse a chance in a 4-4-2, but away?  Not for me, I think Benitez approached the game properly and if we'd come away with the points then all would have been rosey.

I'm as off as you with the result Barry, but in the grand scheme of things it's not a disaster

I take what u say on board John but i still would have like to seen a more attacking line up! It was Brum after all! And in fairness to cisse,he has'nt really had a chance.I feel for him bigtime!
Its all just so frustrating!

it, it's done now.

Let's start thinking about the Chelsea games now, we'll just p1ss ourselves off trying to dissect that today.

Hopefully Rafa will have something else up his sleeve for those games, as I said before, I think he may go 4-4-2 for the first Chelsea game to try and catch them off-guard

[drummerphil]

I still think we wont lose against Chelsea.Notice i didnt say we will win.
Although it would please me if we did win i feel Rafa will definatly continue with the cautious tactics especially against Chelsea.But hey who knows we might be surprised.

[liverpoolrich]

we need to start thinking about chelsea now
our nxt 3 prmier games chelsea blackburn and fulham we need to improve our game now

[mikopool]

We lost this fixture last season, so I am more then satisfied, its of course not the three points, but its an improvement, and I am not one to shake my head at any sort of improvement.

[A.B.]

The table looks depressing 2 points away from the bottom three.

2 points away from the bottom three, 5 games played, 2 games in hand, 33 games more to go.

[drummerphil]

I was only stating fact AB lad,but i also said we need to up the anti....

i,m not depressed far from it,but i now think its time for slightly more offensive

[A.B.]

It's been a tough schedule. Out of the game fives game we've played only Sunderland have been an "easy" fixture.

[66-1120597113]

It's been a tough schedule. Out of the game fives game we've played only Sunderland have been an "easy" fixture.

Yeah mate and just about won that!

Its so frustrating AB
Being honest do you think raffa got it right today? Like to hear what u think???

[drummerphil]

I would have loved to have seen 4-4-2 with crouch and cisse at half time,but what do i know

[bigmick]

You know enough Phil don't worry about that. I feel sure that if you were in Rafa's inner circle, not a journalist or anything he would tell you himself that he called it wrong.
Given that when we we went 2-1 down and threw caution to the wind we cut them up for erse paper every time we went over the half-way line, it would take a very dogmatic coach indeed to maintain that he called it right from the outset. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, foresight is an even more wonderful thing and hopefully, with the benefit of one Rafa might show better judgement in the other next time.
Football is quite a simple game when you break it down. If you just play properly and don't over-complicate things that Liverpool team beats that Birmingham team 9 out of 10. In sport you must do what your opponent least wants you to do. Would Steve Bruce have been happy or sad when he saw the way Liverpool set up against his depleted side?

[JBG]

I'm sure that if we had taken a cavalier approach to today's game, chances are, we would have won it. However, I think all of last season's away defeats have really bothered Benitez, and I sense that he is taking a safety first approach whereby he is seeking to put a few solid away performances together by playing it safe in order to avoid a few moral crushing defeats. As the season wears on I'm sure Liverpool will win their fair share of away games.