Liverpool FC Forum

[ethanr]

the tactics weren't the problem last night. it was the personnel we had to carry out those tactics. as soon as i saw the lineup i knew we'd get beat. you're never going to play pass and move football when the four best players to play this style (maxi, bellamy, gerrard and suarez) didn't start. at least we essentially played 4-3-3 which i've been banging on about for ages. get bellamy and maxi in the wide areas with gerrard back and carroll down the middle and we'll look a whole lot better.

Agree with this, and I felt exactly the same.  I found out about Suarez's ban right before the game, and when I saw he, Gerrard, Bellamy, and Maxi weren't starting, I knew we'd given this one away.

I figured Kenny would sub them on early in the second half, but that somewhat backfired as most the chances we created came early in the game, and with the heavy rain the pitch completely slowed down.  We couldn't use Bellamy's speed or Maxi's ability on the ground because it slowed the ball down too much.  And Gerrard's balls weren't getting in well enough as they all seemed to be weighed down by the rain, so Carroll really never got good service the entire game.

[stmichael]

this is why i aint sure that bent would be a good signing despite his goal record. he wants the ball in early behind defenders to run onto a bit like torres and before him owen. we are trying to play a more possession based game so i can't really see the fit.

[red till i die!!]

Either the players arent good enough, i.e. they cant pass, tackle, shoot, defend, attack and score properly
Or
The coaching, tactics, formation, selection and management is wrong

Which is it?

both are failing at times.
the players can pass no bother but what good is that when its in your own half.city were patient last night and let us have all the useless possession till we crossed the half way line and eventually gave it back to them,then they left us for dead on the counter.we had so much posession with no end product and thats were our only consistency lies.

when you see players week in week out committing the same mistakes you have to ask a question of the coaching and tactics.we have been struggling to break down teams all season and we still have this problem which is often compounded by wrong tactics and team selection.

carroll,downing,hendo and adam are playing way more than their inconsistent performances deserve and its dalglish's ignorance that continues to pick them.

[parchpea]

Well Dalglish is 1 year in on a 2 year deal and no talk about an extension has leaked.

Hes been given money to re build but some of his big money signings have added nothing to the group at all, very poor indeed.

For sure he needs to invest better in Januray if hes able, as beyond that your looking at manager with 6 months left on a contract in the summer window if hes allowed or wants to continue.

At this point it looks to like NESV are waiting to see the final league standing and then review the position. I doubt any manager with 6 months left on a contract would be allowed to invest heavily in the summer transfer window. Potential targets need to know where they stand before signing contracts.

[7_Kewell]

Well Dalglish is 1 year in on a 2 year deal and no talk about an extension has leaked.

Hes been given money to re build but some of his big money signings have added nothing to the group at all, very poor indeed.

For sure he needs to invest better in Januray if hes able, as beyond that your looking at manager with 6 months left on a contract in the summer window if hes allowed or wants to continue.

At this point it looks to like NESV are waiting to see the final league standing and then review the position. I doubt any manager with 6 months left on a contract would be allowed to invest heavily in the summer transfer window. Potential targets need to know where they stand before signing contracts.

good post and is one of the reasons why i won't be calling for anyone's head until i see where we finish in the league.

But for me the biggest gripe lies with:

-the fact we make the SAME MISTAKES, week in, week out
-Kenny REFUSES to change his approach or tactics.

We're one dimentional too and i''ve never known for us to spend so much money on players who are, quite simply, not good enough.

It's not hopeless and things can be turned around. But questions must be asked, not just of the players, but our approach.

[stmichael]

just watching the toon-united game. everytime united cross the ball in they have 4 or 5 in the penalty area. there's the difference in mindset. we just don't do this.

[7_Kewell]

just watching the toon-united game. everytime united cross the ball in they have 4 or 5 in the penalty area. there's the difference in mindset. we just don't do this.

you talking about the sucessful cross or the players in the box 

[damjan193]

just watching the toon-united game. everytime united cross the ball in they have 4 or 5 in the penalty area. there's the difference in mindset. we just don't do this.

Yeah I've been saying that for a while, we need to be like that as well. If we want to cross the ball that often, it won't be much of a use if only Carroll's in the box.

[stmichael]

just watching the toon-united game. everytime united cross the ball in they have 4 or 5 in the penalty area. there's the difference in mindset. we just don't do this.

you talking about the sucessful cross or the players in the box 

[Benny The Noon]

Well Dalglish is 1 year in on a 2 year deal and no talk about an extension has leaked.

Hes been given money to re build but some of his big money signings have added nothing to the group at all, very poor indeed.

For sure he needs to invest better in Januray if hes able, as beyond that your looking at manager with 6 months left on a contract in the summer window if hes allowed or wants to continue.

At this point it looks to like NESV are waiting to see the final league standing and then review the position. I doubt any manager with 6 months left on a contract would be allowed to invest heavily in the summer transfer window. Potential targets need to know where they stand before signing contracts.

Daggers signed his contract during the summer not last Jan , so he isn't 1 year into a 2 year deal and he won't only have 6 months left in the summer .

[Kerry07]

just watching the toon-united game. everytime united cross the ball in they have 4 or 5 in the penalty area. there's the difference in mindset. we just don't do this.

They go for the jugular every single time. Its an aggressive method that mirrors the manner of Ferguson. The thing is we played this way at the tail end of last season...it was like the red arrows with Suarez, Maxi, Meireles bombing forward. Add Gerrard and Bellamy to this then you have a very potent five... unfortunately we had none of these five against City.

The tactical methods of the management are fine, its the largely poor transfer dealings that have cancelled this out. Its one thing being a good manager.. but you also need good players to execute the methods. Man U won nothing when Ferguson bought Alan Smith, Djemba Djemba, Kleberson, Bellion. Arsenal have won nothing since Wenger lost Henry, Bergkamp, Pires, Vieria... and replaced them with lesser players.

For me the major concern was the signing of Carroll. Im not talking about the farcical fee, just focusing on the player. The judgement to make this signing is baffling. There wasnt a shred of evidence that this would be a good signing. Not just talking about his poor touch, control, positional sense, mobility and lack of talent, we signed a player with no pedigree from a team that played a very different style to us. The way that Newcastle played was direct... Nolan launching diagonal balls upfront, Barton likewise, while Gutierrez swung in crosses from the flank. Wasnt pretty, they didnt win many games..which is the sacrifice you make when u play a style that caters to a limited target man. Cutting out the midfield, and sacrificing a pass and move possession game for one that is direct means you get dominated by quality passing sides who keep it on the floor.

Direct football is a lottery.. its hit and miss. Some balls drop for you.. most dont. A possession game on the other hand is more deliberate, more controlled. Barcelona are the best exponents of it that ive seen.. they are loathe to put the ball in the air as thats when the lottery aspect comes in (most vulnerable at losing possession). Everything is on the floor. The days of wingers getting to the byline and swinging in crosses (lottery football) are over. There is no top side that plays this way, because its not successful. And yet we signed a player that is tailored to play in such a direct system. A team that plays pass and move football on the floor, he is totally anonymous.. he doesnt have the skillset to play in such a team. A team that plays a direct long ball (lottery) game, he will be more involved.. but we will be even less successful. Its a signing that made absolutely no sense which ever way you look at it.

[LFC2007]

Can't make out what you're trying to say there Kerry.

[worcester_red]

I think its a combination of footabllers playing below par yesterday but also bad offensive tactics, I'm not sure if we have a specialised coach for that, if we do he needs the sack, if not lets get one in because we are extremely predictable and half the time the players are standing in the wrong positions. The only player with any kind of instinct for goal yesterday was Kuyt and he can't score to save his life at the moment.
There is definitely something wrong with the coaching setup and it's very worrying.

[KennyisGod....still]

We're 1 year to the day into Kenny's 2nd Coming (first game anyway) and in all honesty I'm far far happier than I was this time last year. We play football thats good to watch even if the finishin aint as it should be just yet, and thats a massive improvement on the previous 18 months or more (and I'm no Rafa basher, i just think we started goin stale thats all).

We can argue that the finishin problem is down to the players we bought, the tactics we're usin and the way we're playin til we're blue in the face but you cant argue we've improved as a team to watch. No-one said it'd be instant success, no-one even put a measure on it, that was more our expectation levels than the club itself, but i honestly believe we're headed the right way even if its not as quick as this era demands. We sit just a few points off a CL spot, in a Cup semi and waitin on the 4th round draw for the FA Cup - from finishin 7th under Rafa and hittin the lows of the Hodgson period thats not a bad return inside such a short time and with half the season to go. Hopefully the confidence goals can bring will assist those that needed it after Fridays win, help those individuals move on and aim higher and we can start seein a return on such massive investment. We're gettin better than we've been as a club for some time now, save for the crucial goal-scorin an if that comes good we're gonna fly.

Happy Anniversary Kenny Dalglish YNWA

[Thommo's perm]

We're 1 year to the day into Kenny's 2nd Coming (first game anyway) and in all honesty I'm far far happier than I was this time last year. We play football thats good to watch even if the finishin aint as it should be just yet, and thats a massive improvement on the previous 18 months or more (and I'm no Rafa basher, i just think we started goin stale thats all).

We can argue that the finishin problem is down to the players we bought, the tactics we're usin and the way we're playin til we're blue in the face but you cant argue we've improved as a team to watch. No-one said it'd be instant success, no-one even put a measure on it, that was more our expectation levels than the club itself, but i honestly believe we're headed the right way even if its not as quick as this era demands. We sit just a few points off a CL spot, in a Cup semi and waitin on the 4th round draw for the FA Cup - from finishin 7th under Rafa and hittin the lows of the Hodgson period thats not a bad return inside such a short time and with half the season to go. Hopefully the confidence goals can bring will assist those that needed it after Fridays win, help those individuals move on and aim higher and we can start seein a return on such massive investment. We're gettin better than we've been as a club for some time now, save for the crucial goal-scorin an if that comes good we're gonna fly.

Happy Anniversary Kenny Dalglish YNWA

You forgot to say Carroll cost £35 million
Right Kerry?