Liverpool FC Forum

[puroresu]

Yet another frustarting evening. Obviously we had injury problems but in reality JC in CM was the only real change, everyone else would prob have been playing anyway. I still expected us to have enough in the locker to beat Portsmouth.  Its a shame that we couldnt take this opportunity to pick up some momentum and climb the table.

Seems like the same old problems.  The main being no attacking threat.  Its always going to be difficult against a team set on defending for 90mins and it doesnt help when we have two wide men having stinkers and failing to deliver.
You look at the team and you do start to wonder where the goals are going to come from.  Kuyt, Crouch and Gerrard seem the only players likely to score at the moment, thats when they get the supply.

Garcia generally looks dangerous but has missed some sitters since his return from injury.  Other than that where else will the goals come from?  Pennant is never going to score, even players like Riise who normally chip in with a few goals doesnt look like getting on the scoresheet.

I know it is something that has been mentioned in previous threads but it made me think about it even more last night when i saw Ronaldo, Evra and O'Shea get on the scoresheet for manure. 

Its quite worrying to think that we cant break teams down. The likes of Portsmouth must find us so predictable, they come and get eleven men behind the ball and say 'come on, try and break us down'.  Most games like this turn into training exercises with attack against defense and unfortunately we lack so much in this situation. 

Something must change if we want to move forward as a team.  Whether its tactics, formation, or personell, its clear that it just isnt happening at the moment.  We dont even look like scoring from set-pieces at the moment.

Agreed.  I think sides can play two banks of 4 against us and we are in trouble.  We dont seem to have any genuine flair or creativity to break sides down.  if sides had to pick a top 4 side to and try get a result they would pick Anfield.

Being a striker at LFC is so hard work.  The lack of service is shocking.  How many genuine chances does Kuyt get?

[kobashi]

How was Crouch last night?

[redhayesy]

Before I start:

THIS IS NOT A KNEEJERK REACTION

what a bunch of we were tonight. Got back from the match about 1/2 an hour ago. It sead it al when the bloke who sits next to me leaves with 10 minutes left, it was that poor. For those who didn't watch the game, you don't have a clue how badly we actually played. It was actually the worst perofrmance I've seen at anfield in a long time.

Again the atmosphere was poor which didn't help and also may I like to add it's sad when you can count the amount of scarves up in the kop during YNWA on about 3 hands.

Carra was uncomfortable in midfield and often was so deep he was a 3rd centre back. Gerrard was also too deep for my liking. Pennant was a pile of , I have been one of those who has said give him time etc but tonight just took the biscuit. He beat a man, had an opportunity to get a cross in, but decided to try and beat the man again! He gave the ball away far too much. His frustration got the better of him and it was lucky Rafa subbed him because otherwise I think we'd of found ourselves down to 10. Luis Garcia was , gave the ball away and the usual malarky that goes with it. We need to teach our wingers how to cross aswell FFS.

Next on the agenda.....

SHORT CORNERS - These me off big time. Sammi and Agger run 70 odd yards up the pitch for all. Too many times did I see short corners and then the ball being given away and the chance wasted which means that Sammi and Agger have to sprint back again. It causes unnecessary pressure on us.

There is no urgency about this team either. There is not long to go and we are passing the ball along the back 4 like we are 3-0 up. It's not good enough.

This was our BIG chance tonight to go 3rd and we blew it big time. I think alot of that team shouldn't get their wages his week. No wonder Rafa was scratching his head, he had to make subs and stuff but he honetly could have subbed 1 of about 5.

I'm not angry, just very very disappointed 

that post says it all!! i also saw the game,& totally agree with everything,let"s face it once & forall pennent is so out of his depth it"s starting to effect other players. you can stick with players through thick & thin & i strongly believe in that, but when a player is given a golden opportunity to impress not only the manager, but the fans early on in the side, at least give it 100% bloody hell pennent was so poor tonight words fail me !!! i don"t agree with booing a player when they are substituted but can understand why it happened tonight. he didn"t even try tonight & i don"t care if i get slated for yhis post. it"s not a knee jerk reaction - fact is enough is enough he just isn"t good enough for us.his crossing is in hope more than anything, when he has the chance to beat a player he treats the ball like a hot potatoe (can"t get rid of it quick enough) etc. anyway rant over let"s bounce back against wigan to win 1-0 will do for me.

[Effes]

How was Crouch last night?

Dont think it was a day for the strikers; but he didn't have a good game.

There was a golden chance for him or Kuyt at the end of the first half.
Gerrard played it across the 6 yard box from the left but there was no one there to slot it in.

On a positive note; Agger looked very composed and deserves to be a regular.

[Pedro O'Maradona]

Yet another frustarting evening. Obviously we had injury problems but in reality JC in CM was the only real change, everyone else would prob have been playing anyway. I still expected us to have enough in the locker to beat Portsmouth.  Its a shame that we couldnt take this opportunity to pick up some momentum and climb the table.

Seems like the same old problems.  The main being no attacking threat.  Its always going to be difficult against a team set on defending for 90mins and it doesnt help when we have two wide men having stinkers and failing to deliver.
You look at the team and you do start to wonder where the goals are going to come from.  Kuyt, Crouch and Gerrard seem the only players likely to score at the moment, thats when they get the supply.

Garcia generally looks dangerous but has missed some sitters since his return from injury.  Other than that where else will the goals come from?  Pennant is never going to score, even players like Riise who normally chip in with a few goals doesnt look like getting on the scoresheet.

I know it is something that has been mentioned in previous threads but it made me think about it even more last night when i saw Ronaldo, Evra and O'Shea get on the scoresheet for manure. 

Its quite worrying to think that we cant break teams down. The likes of Portsmouth must find us so predictable, they come and get eleven men behind the ball and say 'come on, try and break us down'.  Most games like this turn into training exercises with attack against defense and unfortunately we lack so much in this situation. 

Something must change if we want to move forward as a team.  Whether its tactics, formation, or personell, its clear that it just isnt happening at the moment.  We dont even look like scoring from set-pieces at the moment.

I gotta agree there, we create nothing in comparison to Man utd, we dont seem to play as a unit and we seem to lack guile when it comes to breaking teams down, Playing up front for liverpool seems a thankless job, might explain why morientes had such a hard time. surely its a tactics issue...the players cant be that bad can they?

[puroresu]

Yet another frustarting evening. Obviously we had injury problems but in reality JC in CM was the only real change, everyone else would prob have been playing anyway. I still expected us to have enough in the locker to beat Portsmouth.  Its a shame that we couldnt take this opportunity to pick up some momentum and climb the table.

Seems like the same old problems.  The main being no attacking threat.  Its always going to be difficult against a team set on defending for 90mins and it doesnt help when we have two wide men having stinkers and failing to deliver.
You look at the team and you do start to wonder where the goals are going to come from.  Kuyt, Crouch and Gerrard seem the only players likely to score at the moment, thats when they get the supply.

Garcia generally looks dangerous but has missed some sitters since his return from injury.  Other than that where else will the goals come from?  Pennant is never going to score, even players like Riise who normally chip in with a few goals doesnt look like getting on the scoresheet.

I know it is something that has been mentioned in previous threads but it made me think about it even more last night when i saw Ronaldo, Evra and O'Shea get on the scoresheet for manure. 

Its quite worrying to think that we cant break teams down. The likes of Portsmouth must find us so predictable, they come and get eleven men behind the ball and say 'come on, try and break us down'.  Most games like this turn into training exercises with attack against defense and unfortunately we lack so much in this situation. 

Something must change if we want to move forward as a team.  Whether its tactics, formation, or personell, its clear that it just isnt happening at the moment.  We dont even look like scoring from set-pieces at the moment.

I gotta agree there, we create nothing in comparison to Man utd, we dont seem to play as a unit and we seem to lack guile when it comes to breaking teams down, Playing up front for liverpool seems a thankless job, might explain why morientes had such a hard time. surely its a tactics issue...the players cant be that bad can they?

Tactics and what happens on the training ground is surely what decides how the team plays on a saturday.   I dont get the feeling that a good performance and goals are just around the corner.  A goal difference of 0 is shocking.

[mattylfc]

Thats the thing mate.  Theres been a lot of players that have come to Anfield in the past few years and they have completely changed as players.

Morientes came to us with great pedigree and it just didnt work out for him, he then goes back to spain and is banging them in left, right and centre.  Suddenly the Morientes we expected to see is back and performing at the top level for someone else. I know the leagues are completely different but surely the way we play is a large factor in why he didnt work out for us.
Also, wingers seem to completely change too. Kewell, Gonzalez and Pennant were all out and out wingers when they joined us and straight away they seem to change as players, they seem reluctant to take players on a whip crosses in.  I know Kewell has performed well on many occasions and he has been dogged by injuries but he was completely different in the first couple of seasons to the player we bought from Leeds.  Pennant is perhaps a bit different, LFC as a club is perhaps just to big for him. With Gonzalez, i know its too early and he has shown glimpses but he too seems to have changed since he joined us.  Whether its confidence, the size of the club or the way we play i dont know, but something definitely isnt right.

Bellamy is a great example of this too.  We just dont seem to be able to play to his strengths.  Its not as if we are creating chance after chance for our strikers is it, they just dont get the service they require.  Bellamy has proved that he can score goals in the premiership and he has always been a mennace but since joining us we havnt seen anything near his high standards. I know the court case hasnt helped but i do believe a large part of this is down to the way in which we play.

What i am trying to say is that its not just down to the players that we have signed.  I know this is part of the reason but i think we all know that it runs much deeper than that and for us to progress as a club, our whole attitude when going forward, needs to change.  Im not talking about a few players, im talking right from the defense, to the midfield and up to the strikers. 

The likes of Manure and Arsenal in recent years play with an attacking style that involves players that can attack from all areas of the field and interchange with one another, trying to create openings. We have a completely different style, one which involves us trying to dominate possesion and pretty much wait for an opening.  Of late, Benitez has tried to mix things up by incorporating wingers and different types of strikers.  To utilise these players fully it requires a change in the system and a change in players mentality.

This IMO is what we have struggled with, we have players that have been here for a long time now and they are use to a certain style of play.  Its just as important for existing players to adapt to having wingers and using different styles of play as it is for new players to come in and adapt.

[coddy]

Last time we played like this in the league we were winning the CL so lets hope that works again!!!!!

I'd rather win the league than the Champions league, but saying that if the leagues not on offer I'll happily take the Champions League. 

What's with all the slang? I'm having trouble understanding it, not to mention the bad spelling and poor use of grammar and people wonder why I don't vote Labour.

Can’t the mods ban this nautical nonsense?  (I’m aware it makes no sense)

You digging at me??   

There was no slang in that phrase..........

[puroresu]

The way the play defiantly affects the strikers.  Bellamy likes to play on the shoulder of the last man as did Cisse but we dont really play in a way to utilise that type of striker.  Thats why I was surprised Rafa signed Bellamy. He never fancied Cisse and obviously Bellamy works harder however does that type of striker score goals in the current side.  I dont think he does.  Nando was told to play with his back to goal and too deep at Liverpool.  Thats not where he scores his goals.  Rafa doesnt believe he needs a 20 goals a season striker.  When goals are coming from all over the team his probably right but when the midfield isnt scoring u are looking for that one true goal scorer to get u the goals.

Kuyt works so hard to feed on scraps.  I dont think he could of imagined getting so little service in a Liverpool side.

[67-1161385641]

You digging at me??   

There was no slang in that phrase..........

No mate, I wasn’t, it was to that Peter fella who makes good points, but they’re hard to read and understand.

[stoney]

For me its simple why we dont score a lot of goals or play free flowing attacking football. Even if we wanted to on a consistent basis, I don't think we could. The likes of man u have several world class attacking players, we do not have ANY.

[crossy11]

For me its simple why we dont score a lot of goals or play free flowing attacking football. Even if we wanted to on a consistent basis, I don't think we could. The likes of man u have several world class attacking players, we do not have ANY.

Don't you think trying to get Wright-Philips would be a good idea then? He is an attacking threat. Although he hasn't played 1st team football in ages.

[stoney]

I think that wright phillips would be a really good option especially at the price that is being talked about of around £8m. Whether Chelsea would seel to us though is a different matter. Even though pennant has been poor, to be fair to him, I think a lot of people on this board had a very distorted idea of the kind of player that pennant was/is with people thinking that he would come in and starting beating fullbacks for fun all day. I don't ever recall pennant being that type of player as one his isn't immensely quick nor is he overly tricky. Wright-phillips yes, pennant no. I'd even go as far to say that pennant was more of a right midfielder than a true right winger which is what wright phillips is.

[puroresu]

I think that wright phillips would be a really good option especially at the price that is being talked about of around £8m. Whether Chelsea would seel to us though is a different matter. Even though pennant has been poor, to be fair to him, I think a lot of people on this board had a very distorted idea of the kind of player that pennant was/is with people thinking that he would come in and starting beating fullbacks for fun all day. I don't ever recall pennant being that type of player as one his isn't immensely quick nor is he overly tricky. Wright-phillips yes, pennant no. I'd even go as far to say that pennant was more of a right midfielder than a true right winger which is what wright phillips is.

That is a v good point.  I dont know what Pennant people watched last season as some really thought he was that good.  Pennant was always a gamble as his never really set the world alight.  In a awful Birmingham side he would stand out but good enough for Liverpool?  Thats debatable.

Your point about Man Utd is a good one.  Rooney, Saha, Giggs, Ronaldo, Scholes.  Thats 5 attacking players which screams out goals.

[67-1161385641]

For me its simple why we dont score a lot of goals or play free flowing attacking football. Even if we wanted to on a consistent basis, I don't think we could. The likes of man u have several world class attacking players, we do not have ANY.

So, Gerrard's not 'world class' then? We don't play free flowing football like we did under Evans because our players don't seem to be able to do the basics such as passing the ball well and getting into good positions, something which we haven't had since days of the one and only Roy Evans. I don't think it's do with the players we have, Kuyt is capable of becoming a twenty a goals a season striker; we just don't do the basics well enough to be a successful attacking team.

As for Wright-Phillips, he's a decent player, I feel his development as a player has stunted since his move to Chelsea, he could be much better than what he is now. Another point about Shaun Wright-Phillips is he cannot cross to save his life. If you want a successful winger you need one who can do all the stuff Shaun can do, but more and that more is being able to put very good crosses into the box on an consistent basis.