Liverpool FC Forum

[skatesy]

I should also mention Agger, who has taken quite a bit of stick since his return. Top class performance today, made some important tackles and looked more like his "old self" again.

I agree, not only did he look a lot more solid on defensive - he was doing it while also making some nice offensive runs into the Chelsea end.

[redsince2001]

yeah .......we can do it ! hell yeah ..........

[skatesy]

but apart from that had a good game..... although how the fk he could book Gerrard...... ?

I thought that was a legitimate tackle myself, I couldnt see too much wrong with it, yellow card ? never !

It also cost us a decent breakaway chance too mate.

i usually respect this ref... but that was just a baffling decision which hurt us more than the yellow card... he went for the ball, got the ball and it was never dangerous as he moved his feet sideways upon impact...

other decisions were more or less spot on though... even masch's yellow for dissent... not much of a complaint there... much much better than rob stiles...

I read on here that Rob Stiles was going to referee this match and when I heard that I almost threw up.

I was glad to see him as the fourth official. I don't even think Rob Stiles can get the substitutions and extra time wrong.

[Owzat]

Top result, I think winning was important for several reasons :-

1) Winning this kind of game is what title contenders do, draws are points dropped at either end of the table.

2) It removes Chelsea's air of invincibility at home, they are beatable and we've shown that.

3) It puts a bit of air between ourselves and title rivals.

4) Psychologically it is such a fantastic win, it ticking all the boxes that previous seasons we weren't sure Rafa could tick - beating Man Utd for the first time in the league under Rafa, winning away against a 'big four' rival for the first time under Rafa, best start ever to a Premiership season, first win for the away side at Stamford Bridge in 4.5 years, winning against BOTH our title rivals WITHOUT Fernando Torres.



Anyway, the match itself. Great result, performance was good defensively even if they had most of the possession. We created the best chances, their best chance was either Cole's bad miss or Carra's great tackle on Deco - both of which were not much better than that neat little move that nearly put Babel in. It would have been nice to have bossed it a bit more like we did against the mancs, sadly some people will still call it 'lucky', although noone can cite a red card as turning this game in our favour.

Personally I'm pleased with what I said before the game, about the win being important even though we'd have all been happy with a draw at full time. And I said somewhere about Cheyrou scoring our last winner there and how we should look to a rare scorer. Alonso could have had two, the winner was fortunate in its deflection, but didn't Chelsea win home and away against us with deflected goals under Mourinho? It's a Lampard speciality, Alonso's free kick that came back off the post made everything Lampard 'did' look poor. Gerrard ran the show, Lampard was relatively anonymous despite Chelsea's possession. Quite how they've managed to win, and so easily, is a mystery. They looked more like Arsenal, with no cutting edge at times, than the Chelsea we've seen so far in the Premiership this season.

Hopefully we'll have Torres back for the midweek game, I reckon it's no coincidence that we've fared better against Chelsea and the mancs without him - not that he's a 'bad' player, simply that their defenders tend to mark him tightly and stop him by foul means or fair. He gets a few free kicks, but if he got the protection fergie waffled on about wanting for his players at woodison then opponents would be booked for their cynical measures and he'd get a bit more space. Yellow cards can be as important as red, if the ref lets persistant and cynical fouling go it makes a lot of difference, book the de/offender and see if the attacker doesn't look a different class

Pompey next up, we should be looking to win that and the Atletico Madrid home game when that comes up. Two away trips to WHL might not be easy with old 'arry in charge now, not that I didn't believe Ramos couldn't beat Bolton at home. They have five points from nine games, last season it was seven from ten games when Jol went.

29/10 Portsmouth (h) PREM
01/11 Tottenham (a) PREM
04/11 Atletico Madrid (h) CL
08/11 West Brom (h) PREM
12/11 Tottenham (a) CC
15/11 Bolton (a) PREM
22/11 Fulham (h) PREM
26/11 Marseille (h) CL
01/12 West Ham (h) PREM

If we can match last season's Premiership results (were applicable), then we won all of those corresponding fixtures last season - 4-1 at home to Pompey, 2-0 away to Tottenham, 3-1 away to Bolton, 2-0 at home to Fulham and 4-0 at home to West Ham. We've already picked up 22 points this season compared to 15 in the corresponding fixtures last season, picking up points that were dropped in corresponding fixtures last season is important, but so is not dropping (m)any. Arguably the pressure is on to win four or five of the next six league games, more than to beat Chelsea or Man Utd

[Toffeehater]

Liverpoolfc.tv gives the MOM to Carraguer though. I Think that no MOM for Alonso this season so far, and even our fellow member toffeehater gave the MOM to Alonso today!

[RedBen]

It's clear what we need to win a match against the 'big four', Gillett in the stadium and Torres on the bench

[burjennio]

Really cant add much more to whats been said on here already, fantastic display against a team destroying all before them and taking that home record from them must be one hell of a confidence boost and a pyschological edge over all our title rivals. Lets hope that the team dont get careless after this result however and have their feet firmly on the ground for Portsmouth during the week.

FWIW I thought that Kuyt and Alonso were absolutely brilliant yesterday, as was Babel when he came on giving a lift to the side for the last 20mins with his pace and strength.

[Judge]

It was truly fitting that alonso scored his first goal in ages against a side we havent scored at stamford bridge in the league since rafa took over.

Brilliant, but nervy as the clock ticked down. i half expected some chelsea scum to fall over in the penalty area, like someone has shot him, but no.

great stuff. record has gone, and if it werent for the post, we wouldve had 2

[Sabre]

I believe we will beat them.

Lpool are unbeaten when I have started a match thread. 

We beat Man U on a Bermenstein thread.

A repeat performance please.......come on the reds.

2-1 lpool

I hereby request that Bermenstein opens the match threads for the rest of the season

[tubby]

MOTD2 Highlights posted in their usual place.

Cheers

[tubby]

I believe we will beat them.

Lpool are unbeaten when I have started a match thread. 

We beat Man U on a Bermenstein thread.

A repeat performance please.......come on the reds.

2-1 lpool

I hereby request that Bermenstein opens the match threads for the rest of the season

Here here. I second that motion.

[el_stinger]

First things first, great game, great determination by the boys to make the result stick. Well done, and thanks for making me a few $$ on the result by not scoring more goals,

That being said, this result means nothing if we can't maintain our lead over the competition. It means nothing if we lose against Pompey. It means nothing if we don't keep up the already impressive standard we have adopted this season.

We have the quality in the squad to keep us up there, but we need to consolidate now. Bring on the season!!!

YNWA

[stmichael]

Am still buzzing from the game one day on to be honest.

As far as I'm concerned, Rafa doesn't get the credit he deserves at times. I've heard people today saying Chelsea were poor. Well yeah that night have something to do with how we played. I thought we were outstanding and I have to say that there is a resiliance and a togetherness about this side this season that is great to see. I've been critical of the defence recently but I thought Agger and Carra were absolutely outstanding. Alonso is getting back to his imperious best. Gerrard once again proved that he's in a completely different league to Lampard. Riera gets better and better. All in all it was a great performance.

Onwards and upwards.

[Igor Zidane]

Oh dear , apologies for the drunken rants ,but you know how it is. 

need a hangover smilie.

[Bam]

Oh dear , apologies for the drunken rants ,but you know how it is. 

need a hangover smilie.

Roger that. Over and out !