Liverpool FC Forum

[stmichael]

the key with arsenal is MOVEMENT. henry, bergkamp, pires, reyes are constantly changing positions. they don't really play with an out and out striker. they can constantly play the ball down the channels for the likes of henry to run onto.

on the other hand i don't see us getting behind the back of defences and making them turn. everything we do is infront of the defence. this is generally caused by a lack of width as kewell tends to wander all over the place.

[Paul C]

Yeah I agree, I know we say it every year but I think with Cisse and howfully a Central Defender (Mexes) and a creative Midfielder (van der vaart) I think we could have a decent season rather than last year and this season cos I'm getting so tired of complaining about the simple things that GH doesn't seem to notice 

[stmichael]

i know. i've lost count of the number of times this season that gerard houllier has commented on little things during a game and i've thought "has he just watched the same game as me?"

[REDTILLDEAD]

Well guys i know one thing! we had better adopt an attacking aproach at birmingham or we can forget that 4th place!. We have to be positive i would start with owen/heskey (give the brums a look at heskey prior to signing him!) give kewell a roaming role just behind them. with the option of baros to add.GH cant be to cautious for this one? 

[stmichael]

you wanna bet on that?

no, i actually think he will play owen and heskey upfront as smicer is crocked (thank god). we have to play two upfront. it's a game we have to win.

birmingham have a very good defence so once again i can see us winning through a set-play. i couldn't give a sh#t if it's the worst game in the world as long as we get the three points.

[Redtribe]

Harry i think needs to stick to his line and provide width Brums forte is down the middle of the park!
So lets try and stretch them and not play to their weakness!
I agree though we must be possitive and attacking in this game!

[stmichael]

that's what i've been saying all season. when kewell was at leeds he used to fly down the left, going past people for fun. god knows why houllier (the clueless tw#t) played him on the right for a spell.

[Redtribe]

Who to play on the right?

[stmichael]

i think murphy will probably play there although he's not a wide player. it's up to finnan to try and get forward as much as possible down that flank.

[Redtribe]

Yeah Murphy is probably right for the game
Ecspecialy if we get another pen!

Needs to be addressed that position though!

Nice to see how Upson copes seeing alot of people i raving about him!

[stmichael]

yeah the talk was of upson coming to liverpool for 5m and heskey going the other way. sounds like a good deal to me. birmingham really rate the guy. clinton "i'm better than owen" morrison has already condoned the move.

[Owzat]

How many teams have won the league playing dull defensive, counter attacking football? Arsenal? Man Utd? Blackburn? Liverpool in the 80s?

[stmichael]

exactly. attack is the best form of defence.

[Scottbot]

The counter-attack still works so well against the bigger teams like the Mancs because they always attack the goal in droves when they play at home. Same with the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Newcastle - they will always leave space for the likes of Owen and Kewell to run on to. It is not so easy away at the smaller teams who know that pushing on is playing into our hands. I'm all for playing on the counter when we're away and our away record under Houllier stands up to any.

Unfortunately for Houllier the same tactics are useless at Anfield and he now has little choice but to try and adopt an attacking approach. Unfortunately it seems that GH has little idea of how to coach the team to play more positively. I am not sure what Houlliers vision of the future is for next season (assuming we get 4th and he stays) Will he try and emulate the 2001 team/style or have another crack at playing a different sytem?

[stmichael]

here's a quote from houllier in the treble season.

"We scored 127 goals - the third highest total in the club's history. Although, if you believe everything you read in the papers, 126 probably came from a breakaway from the edge of our penalty area. The other one was probably an own goal.”

this statistic is probably true, but it was successful so who cares? it's ok away but not at home. the fans want to be entertained and unfortunately the entertainment has been absent for much of the season.