Liverpool FC Forum

[Sabre]

the final is 18 days away. why rest players but not reina? why not bother to close the gap so we arent 21 points behind the mancs? why not try to get 3rd. why dont fringe players show any desire?

Those are fair questions, but some injuries take longer than 18 days. Barcelona's Deco will be out 3 weeks, Chelsea lost Carvalho and they played against us... those are always difficult decissions.

Plus, when you play many new men one day, you usually pay it in this kind of top leagues.

Of course, it's always nice to win!! but the best of this Liverpool is yet to come.

[dawson99]

sabre, just if liverpool dont beat arsenal this season ive done my nuts (lost a LOT of money) so im being VERY bitter!!!

everyone ignore me for a bit (as if u ever pay attention)

[El Nino_#9]

apparently pepe reina has a slight problem with his shoulder after the fulham game...hopefully its not too bad.

[7_Kewell]

apparently pepe reina has a slight problem with his shoulder after the fulham game...hopefully its not too bad.

christ...i wouldn't want Dudek playing in the final 

[BenitezTheBuffoon]

I've got to go and act cheerful in front of my wife and daughter now, so I'm just going to release a bit of my anger here..... Benitez aaaghhh!
You will never win games with Paletta playing, you will never win games with strikers who need a hatful of chances to score and you will never win games by rotating all the time. Please win the CL and then hop it.

[J*o*n*D*o*e]

why dont you take some of your own advice.

[jedwards]

After watching our B team for the second successive two weeks against especially today against Fulham, I must admit that our squad is very week to be among the top four clubs, a way behind Chelsea, M.united, and Arsenal.  Our squad have to many below average players to give enough quality depth for the first team players, and I think the recent talk by Mr. Benitaz of challenging for the title next season if far fetch, and I think and hope Mr. Benitaz is aware of this fact otherwise, he is fooling himself and his players, really without buying four to five top class players for next season, I can not see that is happening, and I do not think that third place for European Championship, and we will need sell some dead weight players, the likes of Gonzalez, Dudek, Bellamy, Zenden, Le Tallac, Aurelio {will he be the same player after bad injury?, he was never that good anyway!!!} or even kewell [sick note] he has been waste of money really!!, as for Bellamy, he is not type of Liverpool FC’s player, I would have been much happier to see Progalle staying, but it is too late now, he has already been sold this week, I think even Cisse would have been better that Bellamy, there are few players the like of Paletta, Hobbs, Peltier, and Guthrie who need to be sent on loan to   other clubs in order to gain match experience, they have the potential to be very good squad players, at present they are not good enough to be squad players ready to step up for first team action!!.

I do not think we will secure third spot this season, and it is a step backward than last season, and many of the team’s performance have been below bar this season, not scoring enough goals, but the general performances have been quite average through out, apart from most of the European games.

I sincerely hope Mr. Benitaz can bring in top quality players at their prime, but not dead weight and old top players from his native country, I must admit there are top class Spanish players out there, but whether Liverpool FC can afford them!

If  we do not improve our present squad with at least four top class players I can not see our club mixing it with top three clubs that I have mentioned above, I think Arsenal will be the team to beat next season, and we have plenty work to do in the summer.

Thanks


jedwards

[Santa]

Fowler missed 2 sitters today...1 was an open goal tap in. Despite what some say, he's LONG past it and today might have been his last start for us.

I'll wait for stu to put in a compelling argument on why he still think Fowler is the best striker we currently have in the squad...I might have thot he mentioned something like the legs are not important it's all in the brain or something??? no doubt he still have the brain but his body is not able anymore.

I think Robbie would have know his time are up and that he will not be able to contribute further next season...hoped he'll be able to end it all in the glory night at Athens 

[The Manhattan Project]

Liverpool are a great cup team.

So are Brazil.

I mean five World Cups, but they've never won the World League.

[Raoul]

Losing last week wasn't a surprise to me, nor was I bothered.  I was very disappointed last night, to lose and to lose the way we did - we were the better team, and it wasn't a bad team at all that Benetiz put out.

However, as I've had some time to mull it over, I'm happier today.

In the grand scheme of things, 3rd or 4th this year doesn't matter.  I'm glad Benetiz is taking the opportunity to give some fringe players a chance to prove themselves.  What better place to find out if someone is going to be able to take the step up to the Premiership by playing in the Premiership?  And I'm glad that Benetiz has given Palletta and Insua a couple of games in a row - they are more likely to prove themselves given the chance to learn (though perhaps Palletta was there more to give Carra and Agger a deserved rest).

In the end, apart from our defense, we put a good team out there, good enough to win I thought.  Certainly good enough to score goals.  The fact that they didn't wasn't Benetiz fault IMHO.

[66-1112520797]

I've got to go and act cheerful in front of my wife and daughter now, so I'm just going to release a bit of my anger here..... Benitez aaaghhh!
You will never win games with Paletta playing, you will never win games with strikers who need a hatful of chances to score and you will never win games by rotating all the time. Please win the CL and then hop it.

Idiot 

Rafa has got to through some kids in at one point or another, and this fixture was ideal to do that. Okay we didnt win and again looked short of ideas going forward, but the first team has those problems.

Note: Xabi had a good game in the middle of the park, and did the "unsung" things well, his passing was good. Momo had a steady game, both Bellamy and Fowler had a couple of chances each, Fowler for him should of scored. Some of his touches, lay-offs etc were top draw today his vision and awareness is class. But unfortunately his fitness isnt there quite there anymore which is probably hindering any chance of staying on next season.
Pennant was quiet, Inusa had an okay game, Palleta looks quite ordinary at this point in time (defensively anyway). Like most S.Americans he does look comfortable on the ball, but does look a liability at times.

Mark Gonzalez I'm afraid is NEVER in a million years a Liverpool player, he was poor IMO. He couldnt even take a decent corner FFS. His close control of the ball when he's on the run is terrible.

On a good note it was good to see Harry Kewell come on  and get a run. I've critised him in the past, but when you have players like Gonzalez out wide and even Zenden, players who havent either got the pace or skill to go past a player and hurt teams. It does believe it or not make me glad to see Harry back.

Two bets.

1) Whats the bet Harry makes an appearance in the CL final? 

2) He goes off in the summer plays with the socceroos and gets injured ? 

[The_Rock]

Thought kewell had a great game (for his 1st game the season)....

Thats the only bright spark in the match....

Anyway, i kinda likes fullham. They are a decent team. It would be a pity of they go down. On the other hand, i want charlton and westham to go down so that we can buy darren bent & tevez on the cheap......

hopefully wigan can win the last game of the season and westham lose it...

[Owzat]

and why play reina if hes resting EVERYONE else.. just makes no sense

Because the keeper covers a lot less ground and the alternative is to play Dudek.

[112-1077774096]

make themselves look stupid when they come out with rubbish like this



Fulham caretaker-boss Lawrie Sanchez revealed Brown claimed his clash with Alonso was an accident.

He said: "I didn't see the incident but saw Alonso have treatment on the side of the pitch.

"I asked Browny what happened at half-time and he said they ran into each other, there was no headbutt.

"I believe my captain if he says that. He did say they clashed heads but added there was no intent.

"What will be will be - it's not for me to decide what the Football Association will do."

[Stu.Murph]

I think that some of these squad plaers really have to take a long hard look at themselves if they want to remain as Liverpool players. Considering that there are at least a couple of places up for grabs on the bench for Athens you'd have thought that some of them would've been busting a gut to get them places but again they just didn't think they had to do much more than turn up.

Some are gonna slate Rafa for changing the team so much and yes maybe one or two changes were uncalled for but just how many of you out there got a lump in the back of yer shorts in the 1st half when Reina got that knock on his shoulder. Now imagine that happening with thew likes of stevie g, carra, finnan & masha. Losing games like this just isn't good enough for this club but at the end of the day the Champions league final is the priority for our season now.

No one could disagree with that. The depth and quality of our squad really shows  with games like these when changes are called  for. It's really the litmus test of the fringe players. I don't know just how many changes were made, but I know the likes of Gonzalez and even Fowler just don't have enough in them to make a real impact. That's no disprespect to Fowler himself, it's just a clear sign that his days are over at the club and we need more vigour to replace.

From what I've seen on the road this season, things are very stale, even when we do field a first choice team. We need at least four of five top quality signings in the summer, possibly more than that. I thought our problems were minor ones. They're much deeper.

we need depth in our squad...players like Zenden, Fowler, Dudek, Paletta and Gonzalez don't give us that. They're all mediocre at best.

Dudek should either be loaned or sold. Gonzalez and Paletta should be loaned or dropped to the reserves at least. I've heard people claim that "Gonzalez is a cracking youngster; that he's only still young and played brilliant in Spain, and that he should be given another season". "B@llocks! He isn't anywhere near good enough for us". I mentioned Harry Kewel to the same people: they say he should be sold. "B@llocks" again, I said - "Harry is the best player we have for the possition, and had he been fit, we'd probably be in better shape in the league". I'm sure of this.

Thing is, we've never really replaced McManaman, Fowler lost his touch, and never replaced Owen. When we had these players, we could hurt teams. Shame about our defense back then, though, when we had them in their prime. We need to find players of equal or better quality.

agree about Gonzalez and Kewell...we paid a lot of money for  Gonzalez and he's cr@p.  Even a 50% fit kewell is better than Gonzalez...in fact i would gues that Rafa rates ZENDEN above him.  He should be sold, he's not good enough.

Dudek will go on a free in the summer...but he should have gone LONG ago.

Fowler missed 2 sitters today...1 was an open goal tap in. Despite what some say, he's LONG past it and today might have been his last start for us.

You're seriously suggesting he missed that chance today because he's "past it"?

And you're classing him failing to get on the end of a shot by another player as missing a sitter?

Think about what you're saying you stupid boy.