Liverpool FC Forum

[banana]

1. Lack of pace in key areas. Especially in central defence. But also our fullbacks and midfield players are too slow. Hyypia, Carragher, Murphy and Cheyrou in particular.

2. No clearly identifiable gameplan. All top teams should have a formation and a strategy that the players know and follow. Liverpool don't. This responsibility is G Houllier's.

3. Lack of skills. Inaccurate passes, bad first touch etc. In terms of quality we are far behind other top teams. Heskey, Carragher, Cheyrou, Murphy, to name but a few, can't even perform the most basic activities. It is a complete disgrace.  Compare them to Pires, Henry, Ronaldo, Giggs, Zidane, Davids etc. When Houllier has entered the transfer market he has not been able to strenghten the squad and aquire players with skills. He has signed mediocre players like Cheyrou, Ferri, Biscan, Vignal, Traore etc.

4. Management errors. He sold decent players like Thompson and Wright. Did not sign Anelka when he had the chance. He sacrificed Westerveld and spent £15 mio on two new goalkeepers even though Westerveld was top class.

5. Boring. Yes we are. We simply can't play offensive attractive football anymore. I used to go head over heals to watch all games whenever I had the chance. Now I do not really care anymore

6. Determination. Where is it?

7. Bad strikers. Owen is not top class. Just admit it. His pace is gone. He is not strong or good in the air. He can not take on and go past defenders. His shot is not very accurate or hard. Heskey is nothing. Diouf is stuck on right midfield. Mellor is not good enough for West Ham. Pongolle is unfinished goods. Baros seems very good though (when fit!!)

8. No self belief. It is quite obvious for the spectator to see.

Maybe Capello could solve some of our problems? When he came to Real Madrid they were in a major crisis. Short of funds and not very successful. He turned things around in two years. He brought in the likes of Roberto Carlos (for a modest fee), Panucci, Redondo, Suker and Mijatovic. This team laid the foundations of todays championship side. I think Liverpool are in worse conditions than real were at the time. However there is money available for transfers and we have some good talented players in the squad that will come good under a better manager.

[Supermarius]

Well said mate! I agree totally with everything u have said!

[big al]

Banana for your first post that's excellent mate. I agree with all your points especially pace and Westerveld.  The guy has ben outstanding for Real Socieodad and they finish 2nd last year with him im goals.  Westerveld, Litmanen, Fowler and McAlister left and many of the qualities you talked about went with them.

[The Manhattan Project]

Why the heck did they get rid of Westerveld???

That guy was cool.

Selling Litmanen and Fowler was a mistake. Letting Babbel go to Blackburn on loan was another mistake and I don't think we should have let Steve McManaman and Patrick Berger go either.

But, that's just my opinion.

   

[THEBARON]

Yes there are more as well..
Perhaps he should have taken up the option of signing Anelka as well. I think his lack of goals didn't help but since when has that applied to Heskey and Diouf.
David Thompson was a good competitive and versatile player , we sold him to Coventry when Houllier got Barmby , Ziege and Mcallister. Thomson went to Blackburn and the England squad within a couple of seasons ..wheras Barmby and Ziege were soon sold on at a loss.
Stephen Wright had shown promise as a full back , particularly as he was prepared to attack......but Houllier preferred Xavier ( ! ) at the start of last season and sold him to Sunderland. Had we kept him I am sure he would have improved and it would have certainly given us more options this season when Carragher and Finnan were out.

[woof woof !]

Westerveld, Anelka, Fowler, Berger,
All these players got a raw deal.
Berger was one of my personal favourites, one of the best left boots in the league.Totally ignored by GH...Anelka still got years ahead of him ,again one of the best in the league.
Fowler and Westervelds performances for us speak for themselves.
GH is an A***hole.

[welshman]

westerveld made too many mistakes. mcmanaman went on a bosman. fowler , thompson, berger were bad decisions though. and whoever said owen isnt a top striker is an idiot. if he was at united he'd outscore van nistilroy i think. he'd be unstippable in an attacking side.

[Tony Bryan]

Looking at our performances this season I have come to the conclusion there is a lack of intelligence at all levels!
I keep looking at the 'bench' and I see an army of so called experts sitting there looking clueless! I MEAN THE MANAGEMENT AND (so called) TRAINERS!
Someone please tell them how to defend a winning position with two minutes to go!
When to put on a sub!
When to bring back an injured player!
Who to select and what for!
Why do we always receive a pass when standing still!
How not to get suckered twice in 1 week by the same team of no-hopers!
Recent examples of LACK of intelligence
Playing two inexperienced French posers, when going into a 'blood n guts' FA Cup tie  against '2nd Div oposition' (Portsmouth!)
Watching a keeper save brilliantly low, hard shots - then tamely hitting a penalty low,to his left.
When an experienced international hits the keepers legs with the ball for the umpteeenth time this season when even a raw recruit can demonstrate how to lift it over his outstretched legs.
Play with urgency only when facing defeat and there are just a few minutes left.
Throwing another inexperienced french poser onto the pitch when desperately searching for an equaliser.
Experienced German international tamely shooting wide inumerable times when lots of time available to position and shoot.
Who ever told Finnon he was a full-back!
These are just a few points but I see in my minds eye a Liverpool that could THINK their way to victory when nothing else was working!
And I look at this lot and - despair!
NB Stevie Gerrards lungs are going to burst trying to carry this lot!

[stmichael]

the general problem is lack of invention. back in shankly's day he maintained that his players concentrated on their own job before worrying about anybody elses. at the moment, stevie gerrard's doing the work of about 2 or 3 players. i mean he's crossing the ball from the left, from the right, taking corners, free kicks etc. people just aren't pulling their weight. the one true class player houllier signed was litmanen. his eye for a pass was superb. at the time michael owen must have thought all his christmas's had come at once. infact during litmanens time at the club, owen was at his most productive when playing alongside him. so what does houllier do? boot him out for peanuts. enough said.

[woof woof !]

Remember when our team was made up of players from the uk only. They all got stuck in a scrapped if they had to. Half of this shower are too busy planning their holidays and next appointment at the hairdressers.

[BOODIDDY]

Banana very good, but i have to say that your analysis of Owen is far off the mark, when he plays for England he is world class, poor club team but he has the tools to be at the top level in europe and that is why Madrid, JUve, Milan and Barca would all love to have him

[stmichael]

have to agree. owen has proved his class at world cups etc. if he wants to move on then let him. he's been superb for our club but he deserves to be in a world class club side. don't bet against him getting the golden boot in euro 2004 either.