Liverpool FC Forum

[account deleted by request]

I'd like to see Kewell on the left and Babel on the right, and I think that's a combination that's coming sooner rather than later.

Maybe in a 4-3-3 Ivor it would work, or maybe even against bottom clubs at home, but I can't see Rafa playing such an attacking pair against the top clubs, or away from home.

[ivor_the_injun]

On the contrary, I think he's been waiting for the chance to play with a bit more of an attacking emphasis. We just haven't had anyone come in and do anything much on the left this season, and Kewell changes things completely IMO.

With Aurelio back, and particularly once Alonso and Agger are at full fitness, I think a real change in emphasis is coming. The defensive line will be yards further forward than we've seen at times with Sami in the side, and we'll finally get to see the side I think Rafa envisaged when he made his signings this summer.

                       Reina


Arbeloa      Carra       Agger       Aurelio


Babel       Gerrard      Alonso      Kewell


                Torres        Kuyt

[account deleted by request]

I think there is more chance of little green men on Mars than Rafa playing that team mate

Still time (and Kewells fitness) will prove one of us right or wrong.

[bigmick]

I don't know saint. We are well and truly into the part of the season now which wil decide who wins the title. Last year was unusual in that two teams genuinely had a good go, it's normally all over a fair bit before the end. Fromabout two weeks ago up to and including Christmas, if you aren't playing one of the big four, you really need to be winning the game. This applies whether you are Home or Away, come rain or shine.

Yesterdays draw was an awful result for Chelsea as an example, while Arsenal must win tonight even though they're Away. Why? well because the Mancs won again, we won and Chelsea aren't going to draw many. Whoever blinks first and too often between now and Christmas will be well and truly out of it. Make no mistake about it, we need to win at Newcastle. Yes you'd take a draw if we go 2-0 behind, or go 1-0 down with ten minutes to go, but we need to win the game if we're serious. To do so we need to set up in a way which gives us the best chance of achieving that goal.

I've already as good as written off our title chances as I don't think we've made sufficient use of our easy start, and think that away games at the other big four teams towards the end of the season will do for us (unless of course we can suddenly start beating the big teams away). I've been told off for being too negative, and of course I sincerely hope to be gorging myself on humble pie come the end of the season. For that to happen though, we've got to go on a sustained winning run, and playing a team which has probably got more chance of getting beat than a more conservative one, gambling a bit if you like, is exactly what we need to do right now in my view.

While we're at it, we'd better start building up for the Home game against Man Utd. Win that, and while I won't be exactly getting my knife and fork ready I will certainly start thinking about leaving a bit of room for main course come the day.

[ivor_the_injun]

Six points behind Utd with a game in hand, and a home game against the feckers in 4 weeks time.

They've got Bolton away, then Fulham and Derby at home.

Arsenal, once they get Reading away out of the way tonight, come back from the international break with 5 games in 15 days, 4 of which are in the league - Wigan home, then Villa, Newcastle and Boro away.

If we can come out of our games between now and December 16th with maximum points, we could be going into Christmas with a very, very interesting league table.

[Toffeehater]

Couldnt get the full 90 minutes today so I had to settle with MOTD instead.

I'm glad we won, Fulham were never going to be as easy as some around here were making out. From what I saw (which wasnt a lot) we played some good football, the movement in the final third looked really good. And Niemi had to pull off some very good saves, he isnt an easy keeper to beat.

Crouch Has to start from now on for me, he is a good player. Torres's goal was very good, a lovely chest down and turn and finnish. Quality player. Babel's confidence is on the up after the goals he scored in midweek, I think he'll be a very good player once he's settled after a season or so.

Good win lads.

Riise is far better then aureilo is , the only time he showed class was when his free kick was saved by niemi and he gave away passes and lost the ball rather easily .. Arbeloa had a good game yesterday and he is getting further up the pitch more and more like and attacking full back like bakari does for arsenal and evra does for manure . Hypia and carra were great yesterday and did not let much get past them and reina had very little to as a result..

Gerrard carries on his recent goal scoring for and as we all can see is getting back to his best form that got him 23 goals from the right . Yossi wasn't as good as he was against beskitas but all in all a good performance..

Crouch was totally non existent for me until he won the penalty and his header hit the post , i would have stuck kuyt up there and he could have finished those chances. Voronin was totally class , man of the match for me till torres came on , his passing , anticipation and awarness is good and what a bargin we got , he  can create space and chances like what he did with the one , two with crouch and gerrad ... Torres and babel came on as expected when the game drew on and what a finish by fernando torres , rafa wanted a profilic scorer one that could win him games and i dare say we have got 1 now , the problem obviously as we can see is the left wing and that is where we need a winger , babel is more of a striker and not that effective on the right cept for the part where he beat 3 players with his trickery and pace , reminds me of a young giggs ... Left wing for the moment i feel kewell has done enough to secure his place on the left , against blackburn , we only became more attacking as a team when kewell and crouch came on...

Where do we go from here the next three games is where we have to pick up maxium points to raise our mood and confidence before facing the mancs , and at the rate we are going , we should be able to get back on track . The only reason we did not have more goals yesterday was due to niemi , who had an exceptional game like manhatten project had said , he is not the easiest keeper to beat , chelsea drew with fulham so don't forget that , there're not a easy team to beat ..

Would i in rafa shoes rotate agaisnt the toons , if we have no injuries during the break .. I would just a little and instead of aureilo stick riise back into the left back role and put kewell on the left flank , and take crouch and bring in torres  , 3 changes would not hurt the team. voronin has been in good form lately and thus leave him on , but knowing rafa he has other ideas . Another player that we got a glimpse off was lucas , whom again although for just a few minutes made some good passes and tackles and even tried a cheeky shot himself  , a bargain and a star  for the future ...

[FRfanatic]

so...on the end of the year...kuyt can leave:D

Dear Yessica,

When you talk like this I guess you have no relation regarding LFC ( but maybe some domestic grudge )
On the otherhand I think you have a lot "mates" her on this forum who might agree with you and blame a bad performance of the team on just 1 player.(ajax style)

Too bad he didn't start in the basic line up this match otherwise I am sure he was the one who would got slated here on this forum.

I would say; Dirk come home !!! You know in Rotterdam "You'll never walk alone"  We will pay the amount of money of what the visitors of this forum think you are worth.

[account deleted by request]

so...on the end of the year...kuyt can leave:D

Dear Yessica,

When you talk like this I guess you have no relation regarding LFC ( but maybe some domestic grudge )
On the otherhand I think you have a lot "mates" her on this forum who might agree with you and blame a bad performance of the team on just 1 player.(ajax style)

Too bad he didn't start in the basic line up this match otherwise I am sure he was the one who would got slated here on this forum.

I would say; Dirk come home !!! You know in Rotterdam "You'll never walk alone"  We will pay the amount of money of what the visitors of this forum think you are worth.

Kuyt was at the Feyenoord v Ajax match, good to see the fans there still appreciate him. (They sang YNWA for him)

[bigmick]

I would say; Dirk come home !!! You know in Rotterdam "You'll never walk alone"  We will pay the amount of money of what the visitors of this forum think you are worth.

I can understand it must be very annoying when one of your heroes moves to another club and then gets a bad rap from the supporters of that team. Kuyt probably hasn't deserved a lot of the criticism as he absolutely always tries his best, and the feeling persists that he is to some extent playing under instructions.

There is the nagging feeling though that underneath it all, and despite having a fantastic attitude, he isn't actually good enough. I must confess that if you want to play with two genuine strikers, my suspicion is that he probabkly isn't. When blokes like Forlan failed at man Utd, he missed a bucketload of chances. When Morientes failed at Liverpool, and when Kuyt fails, they don't even get chances. They don't even have shots on goal. They quite simply don't have a method in English footall of getting open int he box often enough.

If however you want to play with a workhorse second striker, there to support the main man then Kuyt is probably good enough if fit, firing and confident. Quite how you get him to the top of his game though when his confidence is absolutely shot to pieces is a very tough call indeed. Sometimes a player needs to move to make it happen again. You offered to pay what the memebrs of this forum think he's worth to take him back. Put it this way, if you were prepared to pay anywhere near what our manager thought he was worth a couple of seasons back, my suspicion si that we'd probably do a deal.

[imouthep]

[There is the nagging feeling though that underneath it all, and despite having a fantastic attitude, he isn't actually good enough]

I am inclined to agree with this statement. I feel that not many can fault dirk for his work rate and many of us would hate to see him go as he ahs so much love for the club. But a lot have players have found the premiership tough going. Forlan is a great example he looks a different player since moving from united. It is just that I feel we all would agree that we could use with a striker that is going to nail 10-15 goals behind torres at 20-30. I hope that he is just off form and proves me wrong with a hat trick against the toons!

[stmichael]

I am still of the opinion that Rafa doesn't like to play 2 attacking wingers, but prefers a left or right midfielder to go along with a more attacking winger

which is why the team selection away at besiktas made no sense to me. we played babel and pennant and were asking to get beat.

[Leonmc0708]

I am still of the opinion that Rafa doesn't like to play 2 attacking wingers, but prefers a left or right midfielder to go along with a more attacking winger

which is why the team selection away at besiktas made no sense to me. we played babel and pennant and were asking to get beat.

Let it go lad.

[ramseylegend]

glad we got the 3 points.  was looking dodgy towards the end.  Bring on the toon. 

ALSO, i'm new to this group, why wont it let me start topic groups

[kunilson]

we really look like a lethal team, but finally we are scoring instead of just threatening to score. its taken rafa quite a while to get us to this stage but at least we are finally there.....

it took a long time for us to score, but obviously the result is the only thing that matters. hope all this pundits go themselves because rafa proved a huge point with this "rotation" fiasco with what happened to benayoun.....hopefully he will quickly recover for our matches.

But i thought we looked good against fulham. the team was eager and you could just see it by the way we were playing. that final shot still needs work but theyr'e almost there, some days they fly in sometimes they don't. im so happy it was Torres that came on to score, hopefully he won't become too much of a target for other teams like ronaldo has become, but he's a brave kid and he will handle it.

cmon you redmen, lets go on a run!

[lakes10]

the thing that winds me up is that we have just had 2 good game and now they are off again to play for their countries.

i hope we dont start slow again as we did last time this happend.