Liverpool FC Forum

[Judge]

perspective says we should be getting 3 points against fulham, but we didnt lose. Lucas was cack, and we couldnt get the ball to torres enough.
no real damage, but at home 3 points is a must against a side such as fulham - period

[Owzat]

perspective says we should be getting 3 points against fulham, but we didnt lose. Lucas was cack, and we couldnt get the ball to torres enough.
no real damage, but at home 3 points is a must against a side such as fulham - period

Only three sides have yet to win away from home - Newcastle, Stoke and FULHAM. We've failed to beat two of those at home, failed to SCORE against two of those at home.

Thankfully Chelsea managed not to beat the other side and let us off the hook a bit.

Worst Away Records

Stoke P7 W0 D2 L5 PTS 2 (GD -12)
Fulham P6 W0 D2 L4 PTS 2 (GD -4)
Newcastle P7 W0 D3 L4 PTS 3 (GD -7)

Newcastle picked up their third away point at the weekend, Stoke won at home so Fulham started with the worst away record before walking away with a relatively comfortable point from Anfield

Despite being bottom, WBA have won away this season (at Boro 1-0)


Something I was thinking about yesterday re Lucas vs Alonso vs Mascherano - which ones played for their country midweek? I don't follow Spain closely but get the feeling Alonso isn't first choice. If Alonso did and Lucas didn't then maybe that's why Rafa played Lucas. If Alonso was the freshest then I just don't get that move, for me that was a selection error and maybe didn't directly cost us, but for me an error is an error whether it has directly attributable ill consequences or you get away with it

[Judge]

alonso's form so far has been very good indeed

[JamCar05]

Utterly frustrating game. Can't be arsed going into specific details, as I'm sure everyone else has already covered everything there is to be said about this particular match. Definitely an opportunity missed though, as Rafa put it.

[tonyeh]

Something I was thinking about yesterday re Lucas vs Alonso vs Mascherano - which ones played for their country midweek? I don't follow Spain closely but get the feeling Alonso isn't first choice. If Alonso did and Lucas didn't then maybe that's why Rafa played Lucas.

I read this morning that Alosnso did play mid week and Rafa said that he prefers fresh legs. But Riera played too, so that scuppers that angle/excuse.

I think Rafa thought Fulham was going to be easier than it was and chanced his arm with starting Lucas, giving Xabi a rest for the next match.

When Alonso came on though, it exposed that as a bad idea in the end, because he certainly made a discernable difference.

I understand why he did it, but I would have gone the other way round. Get a goal, then rest him and bring on Lucas.

It was an unfortunate result, but at least Liverpool didn't lose.

[Ciggy]

Spot on from Tony B

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpo....2325378

[neil]

I think Rafa thought Fulham was going to be easier than it was and chanced his arm with starting Lucas, giving Xabi a rest for the next match.

same old same old, there goes the league.

[Boocity]

Something I was thinking about yesterday re Lucas vs Alonso vs Mascherano - which ones played for their country midweek? I don't follow Spain closely but get the feeling Alonso isn't first choice. If Alonso did and Lucas didn't then maybe that's why Rafa played Lucas.

I read this morning that Alosnso did play mid week and Rafa said that he prefers fresh legs. But Riera played too, so that scuppers that angle/excuse.

I think Rafa thought Fulham was going to be easier than it was and chanced his arm with starting Lucas, giving Xabi a rest for the next match.

When Alonso came on though, it exposed that as a bad idea in the end, because he certainly made a discernable difference.

I understand why he did it, but I would have gone the other way round. Get a goal, then rest him and bring on Lucas.

It was an unfortunate result, but at least Liverpool didn't lose.

Totally agree, with Gerard out Alonso should have started and been taken off when we had won the game. Disappointing but not disastrous considering both Chelsea and ManU drew their games. Seven points lost in matches we should have won. Fulham, Stoke and Spurs.

[calkop]

Spot on from Tony B

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpo....2325378

I totally agree.  We, the fans, need to believe.  We need to get behind our club, not go against it.  If the manager fields a team we don't like, we need swallow our pride and our twisted thoughts that we know what is better for the team than Rafa.  We need to do what we are called upon to do for the team as supporters.  Thats right, we need to support the team!  Saturday was a disgrace.  If you were at that match I am standing up right now and calling you out.  You are not a supporter.  I did not hear any singing.  No support for the team.  We would start to build momentum and the ball would get deflected out for a corner and there would be moans.  Are you kidding me!  What about the wall of sound that should follow?  The chants of Liverpool! Liverpool!  The willingness of the crowd to suck the ball into the net.  None of it.  If Rafa puts out the youth team we should support it.  So all of you who are lucky enough to live close enough to Anfield to go more than once a year start SUPPORTING our team.  We do not have the title of "greatest supporters in the world" for nothing.  If the attitude of Anfield does not change you will all get your wish and Rafa's Reds will crash out due to lack of belief.  WE, yes WE need to make Anfield the fortress that it once was, but right now the only team scared to go onto the pitch at Anfield is Liverpool.  It is up to us to change that.  So please change the attitude and start supporting our great team, not wishing certain squad members to mess up to prove yourselves right.    

[zarababe]

same old same old, there goes the league.

yeh there goes the league again   

Bring in that Fat Sam - could do with someone chewing the cud on the sidelines - NOW 

[neil]

same old same old, there goes the league.

yeh there goes the league again   

Bring in that Fat Sam - could do with someone chewing the cud on the sidelines - NOW 

I have no idea what your sayin here? however I would rather not employ Alladyce as our manager. The cow thing...well.

[Rush Job]

Spot on from Tony B

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpo....2325378

I totally agree.  We, the fans, need to believe.  We need to get behind our club, not go against it.  If the manager fields a team we don't like, we need swallow our pride and our twisted thoughts that we know what is better for the team than Rafa.  We need to do what we are called upon to do for the team as supporters.  Thats right, we need to support the team!  Saturday was a disgrace.  If you were at that match I am standing up right now and calling you out.  You are not a supporter.  I did not hear any singing.  No support for the team.  We would start to build momentum and the ball would get deflected out for a corner and there would be moans.  Are you kidding me!  What about the wall of sound that should follow?  The chants of Liverpool! Liverpool!  The willingness of the crowd to suck the ball into the net.  None of it.  If Rafa puts out the youth team we should support it.  So all of you who are lucky enough to live close enough to Anfield to go more than once a year start SUPPORTING our team.  We do not have the title of "greatest supporters in the world" for nothing.  If the attitude of Anfield does not change you will all get your wish and Rafa's Reds will crash out due to lack of belief.  WE, yes WE need to make Anfield the fortress that it once was, but right now the only team scared to go onto the pitch at Anfield is Liverpool.  It is up to us to change that.  So please change the attitude and start supporting our great team, not wishing certain squad members to mess up to prove yourselves right.    

Ive been saying much the same for while, Its hardly the type of atmos friendly to bringing though young players. I feel sorry for them sometimes, with the amount of game time some of them get their confidence is probably low enough with out it be enforced by 40,000 of their own fans.
We should be willing the lads on not making them so scared to put a foot wrong they offload the ball to the next nearest man.
Its games that we cant afford to lose where we should be more vocal not less and anyone booing needs a slap.

[Dalglish]

Totally agree, with Gerard out Alonso should have started and been taken off when we had won the game. Disappointing but not disastrous considering both Chelsea and ManU drew their games. Seven points lost in matches we should have won. Fulham, Stoke and Spurs.

But 7 pts gained when we won at Man City, Sunderland and against Wigan at home when we could have lost at City and against Wigan and probably only deserved a draw on ther opening day of the season at Sunderland.

The point is that over the season team the table doesn't lie and the pts you end with are more or less a fair representation of how a team has performed.

I was at the game on Saturday and between them Bullard and Murphy ran the game in the first half and created a few decent chances. LFC only really gave it a go in the second half but credit to Fulham who defended well and were very well organised.

We can have discussions about Lucas and speculate as to the reasons why he was selected to start but selected he was and didn't have a particularly good game but neither did Masca or Keane.

I was at the game and felt that fans were more interested in getting on Lucas's back than supporting the team As fans we support the team not pick it, thats Rafa's domain. Have a go at Rafa if you must but discussing any particular players inclusion is pretty futile and immaterial.

Walk on .................

[stmichael]

the booing of the mascherano substitution was nothing short of a disgrace.

[NANNY RED]

the booing of the mascherano substitution was nothing short of a disgrace.

Looks like carra feels the same way.

its a disgrace how any fan can boo our own team or a player in my opinion. were there to support the lads not get on there back. No matter how bad they or a player is playing


Fans must back us not berate us, pleads Carragher• Carragher says jeers affected performance against Fulham

• Defender also defends Benítez's decision to rest AlonsoAndy Hunter guardian.co.uk, Tuesday November 25 2008 00.01 GMT The Guardian,

Jamie Carragher says criticism from fans won't help the side. Jamie Carragher has pleaded for patience from Liverpool supporters after admitting their frustrations affected the team's performance during the goalless draw with Fulham.

Liverpool missed the chance to go top of the Premier League on Saturday with a turgid display that yielded a second away point of the season for Roy Hodgson's side and audible irritation around Anfield. Jeers greeted both the full- and half-time whistles at Anfield, which has not witnessed a league defeat for Liverpool in 2008, while the midfielder Lucas was targeted by supporters as the Brazilian made his sixth start of the season in place of the in-form Xabi Alonso.

Carragher has revealed that Rafael Benítez's players were acutely aware of the criticism as they struggled to break down an accomplished Fulham defence, and believes it is self-defeating as Liverpool attempt to claim their first league title since 1990. "People shouldn't get too downhearted that we've drawn at home to Fulham," said the Liverpool defender, one of the few who played well on Saturday. "The crowd, especially at Anfield, want us to win so much that it transmits itself down on to the pitch at times. You could feel that when we were trying to get the goal in the second half on Saturday."

The 30-year-old added: "The supporters have to realise we are in November and not March or April yet. Like us, they are so passionate to win the title but sometimes that passion can bowl you over. We have to all stay patient. It's a long race and it's not the be-all and end-all if we draw a home game in November. Don't get me wrong, the fans are great for us. But the fans, and the players, all of us together have to realise we have to be patient. It is a long, long race and I'm sure there'll be a few more games like the Fulham one before the end of the season."

Carragher also defended Benítez's decision to leave Alonso on the bench for 64 minutes of the goalless draw, despite Steven Gerrard being ruled out of the Fulham game with a muscle tear. "It goes without saying that you are going to miss players of the quality of Stevie, who was injured, and Xabi, who was on the bench because he'd played 90 minutes for Spain in midweek," said the Liverpool centre-half. We didn't create as many clear-cut chances as we would have wanted against Fulham but it's difficult to replace players with the quality of Stevie and Xabi."

Gerrard himself shares his team-mate's belief in Liverpool's title credentials. "We know we're a good team, we know we're getting closer to a title challenge - we can say that. But we've to prove we can stay in the race till the end," he said.

Benítez, meanwhile, expects Gerrard to have recovered from the injury that cost him a place against Fulham and for England in Germany last week in time for tomorrow's Champions League group game against Marseille. "We are disappointed about Saturday but we cannot talk about past games now," said the manager. "We have to think about making mistakes and analyse why."