Liverpool FC Forum

[maguskwt]

unfortunately some did predict the style of play and did predict that results wouldn't be good .

Ah the old "we told you so" post, never fails.

On a more sensible note, Roy is telling it exactly like it is as far as the expectations are concerned. Only a fool would have expected us to rip it up given that we played Birmingham away (unbeaten for a year), Man City away (probable challengers for the title), Man Utd away (challengers for the title) in our first six matches. Check out our home games too, Arsenal (probable challengers for the title), Sunderland (probable top 10) and West Brom (won at the Emirates over the weekend and have beaten Spurs at Home).

Not a gimme amongst them, but I remain confident that if the fans get behind Roy and the team, good things will ensue.

talk about getting the early excuses in... 

[Thommo's perm]

Ok did you also expect the sort of performances we are seeing on a weekly basis ?

Taking all things into consideration, probably
Disappointing but realistic.
How about you?
What did you expect?

[Ben Patrick]

I think its somewhere in the middle of Benny and mick how things have gone so far.

The city game was very poor as was Saturday by the sounds of things. But without making excuses the fixtures have been tough. I dont think there is any disputing that at all.
Am i happy with 6 points and the way we are playing ?
Certainly not.
But a couple of wins would make things look altogether more healthy.
The other teams that should be in and around us at the end of the season are dropping plenty of points themselves so all is not lost.
I was hopeful of a better start but thing the tough games we have played have us in a far from realistic position in the league at this moment and time.

[Benny The Noon]

What is the all things into consideration ? If you look at the expectations thread and the first where we will finish thread - the expectations are certainly not what we are seeing now. I thought we might struggle but would scrap to a few wins and certainly be in the next round of CC so at the moment it's a lot worse than I thought it would be

[maguskwt]

Ok did you also expect the sort of performances we are seeing on a weekly basis ?

Taking all things into consideration, probably
Disappointing but realistic.
How about you?
What did you expect?

"a breath of fresh air"...

[jacdaniel]

The number of points we have is not nearly as concerning as the performances.  We've been dominated in the midfield in every game we've played.  The lack of width is a major concern.  Cole offers no cover to the LB at all and seems to have a free role.  We have very little possesion and create few chances.  We don't try to prevent crosses and we're not very good at defending against them.  We play 10 yards further back than before.  And teams are creating twice as many chances against us as they did in the corresponding fixtures last year. 

All in all, i can't see how these tactics are going to win us games.

[Benny The Noon]

I think its somewhere in the middle of Benny and mick how things have gone so far.

The city game was very poor as was Saturday by the sounds of things. But without making excuses the fixtures have been tough. I dont think there is any disputing that at all.
Am i happy with 6 points and the way we are playing ?
Certainly not.
But a couple of wins would make things look altogether more healthy.
The other teams that should be in and around us at the end of the season are dropping plenty of points themselves so all is not lost.
I was hopeful of a better start but thing the tough games we have played have us in a far from realistic position in the league at this moment and time.

Yes the two positives so far are - 1. The inconsistenacy of other teams mainly spurs and city and 2. BS are bottom .

[Thommo's perm]

What is the all things into consideration ? If you look at the expectations thread and the first where we will finish thread - the expectations are certainly not what we are seeing now. I thought we might struggle but would scrap to a few wins and certainly be in the next round of CC so at the moment it's a lot worse than I thought it would be

Its been well documented what has happened in the past and what the new manager has inherited. These are part of the things "considered" when talking about expectations and what we have achieved (or not)
I stick by my prediction that Roy and the players will turn it round, we will climb the table and finish fourth.
I have respect for the manager and faith in the players.

[LFC2007]

It isn't Roy's fault that the £18m full back that Benitez bought is too "f ing" stupid to know what side of an attacker to stand on for crosses. Johnson is a krap defender and I said that when we bought him, he cost us another two points. Another Benitez dud along with the £20m midfielder loaned out.

Money has been wasted and now Roy is left to deal with the fallout.

I'm not defending Johnson's performance but it's a ridiculous oversimplification (typical) to say he cost us "another two points". Why should Johnson's mistake be cited as the primary reason for our defeat any more than Poulsen's handball? More to the point, why should either of those mistakes be placed on a pedestal when the entire team is responsible both for preventing goals and scoring them? We let Sunderland come onto us and that's what allowed Onuoha the opportunity to provide such a good cross into Bent. Poulsen could not have given away a penalty if he wasn't in his own penalty area guarding against a Sunderland attack. Still, why should two defensive lapses explain the loss of two points when our attacking game was so inept? Do we not expect to create more at home to a side - decent though they are - like Sunderland? In 45 minutes of football we created two real good chances, one of which Gerrard stuck away (and how often can we rely on him to produce a bit of magic like that?), the other in the dying moments when Agger inexplicably headed wide. Similarly against West Brom we relied on a wonderstrike from Torres, and at Birmingham we created very marginally more than feck all.

On your other point, Roy spent £17m in the summer fixing the midfield and we still have Steven Gerrard. It's his midfield. And, if he considered Johnson to be a "krap" defender, I suppose it wouldn't have taken much at all to find an able replacement, no? Feckin' Roy.

[RED BEERGOGGLES]

Courtesy of the Liverpool Echo

THOUSANDS of Liverpool FC fans staged a peaceful protest against Liverpool’s American owners at Anfield.

Around 5,000 supporters stayed behind after the final whistle on Saturday following the Reds’ 2-2 draw with Sunderland.

Lasting around 30 minutes, songs were repeatedly aired against Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

Banners were flown at the front of the Kop imploring the businessmen to sell their ownership of the club.

One flag read: “Built by Shanks, Broke by Yanks” while another said “Plague, Famine, War and Death – Four liars of the apocalypse”, featuring the faces of the Americans.

The protest was widely advertised before the game and took place as the Liverpool players warmed down on the pitch after the match.

Captain Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher both applauded the protest as they jogged past the stands.

after the game, manager Roy Hodgson appeared to backtrack from a comment made on Friday about the protest “not helping”, which angered some fans.

On Saturday, he clarified his stance and said the campaigning fans “could not be criticised” for showing their “displeasure” about the ownership uncertainty.

James McKenna, spokesman for Liverpool FC fans union Spirit Of Shankly, said: “The protests will continue. To those who say it affects the team performance, our argument is simple and honest – massive debts, crippling interest repayments and the owners are affecting the team.

“If you do not believe us, read the accounts or ask the players who have recently spoken of the need for new owners.

“It is our duty, our responsibility, and our desire to bring about change at our football club, to rid it of men with no honesty, no integrity and no concern for the club’s future.”

The protest followed Liverpool supporters inundating financial institutions Deutsche Bank AG and JP Morgan & Co with emails after a Reds fan spotted Mr Hicks outside their offices in New York last week.

The Texan was actually said to be visiting private equity firm GSO Capital to try and persuade it to lend money to meet the Royal Bank of Scotland’s critical refinancing demands in October.

Well said Macca






demo pics from inside Anfield

[jacdaniel]

We're conceding lots of goals/chances from the left side.  If Cole is going to play LM, he needs to be assigned defensive duties as well.

[Benny The Noon]

It isn't Roy's fault that the £18m full back that Benitez bought is too "f ing" stupid to know what side of an attacker to stand on for crosses. Johnson is a krap defender and I said that when we bought him, he cost us another two points. Another Benitez dud along with the £20m midfielder loaned out.

Money has been wasted and now Roy is left to deal with the fallout.

I'm not defending Johnson's performance but it's a ridiculous oversimplification (typical) to say he cost us "another two points". Why should Johnson's mistake be cited as the primary reason for our defeat any more than Poulsen's handball? More to the point, why should either of those mistakes be placed on a pedestal when the entire team is responsible both for preventing goals and scoring them? We let Sunderland come onto us and that's what allowed Onuoha the opportunity to provide such a good cross into Bent. Poulsen could not have given away a penalty if he wasn't in his own penalty area guarding against a Sunderland attack. Still, why should two defensive lapses explain the loss of two points when our attacking game was so inept? Do we not expect to create more at home to a side - decent though they are - like Sunderland? In 45 minutes of football we created two real good chances, one of which Gerrard stuck away (and how often can we rely on him to produce a bit of magic like that?), the other in the dying moments when Agger inexplicably headed wide. Similarly against West Brom we reluiedon a wonderstrike from Torres, and at Birmingham we created very marginally more than feck all.

On your other point, Roy spent £17m in the summer fixing the midfield and we still have Steven Gerrard. It's his midfield. And, if he considered Johnson to be a "krap" defender, I suppose it wouldn't have taken much at all to find an able replacement, no? Feckin' Roy.

Great post . It's now Hodgsons team and I can bet that he would get the praise when we do well so why shouldn't he get the criticism when it goes wrong as opposed to blaming previous manager .

[Fauxy]

We're conceding lots of goals/chances from the left side.  If Cole is going to play LM, he needs to be assigned defensive duties as well.

I dont think its just Joe Cole though mate.

I think just our wingers in general are playing way too aggresive and free. We may have conceded nearly all are open play goals this season from the left side but it could just as easily been from our right considering the amount of crosses Johnson has failed to stop.

[Thommo's perm]

It isn't Roy's fault that the £18m full back that Benitez bought is too "f ing" stupid to know what side of an attacker to stand on for crosses. Johnson is a krap defender and I said that when we bought him, he cost us another two points. Another Benitez dud along with the £20m midfielder loaned out.

Money has been wasted and now Roy is left to deal with the fallout.

I'm not defending Johnson's performance but it's a ridiculous oversimplification (typical) to say he cost us "another two points". Why should Johnson's mistake be cited as the primary reason for our defeat any more than Poulsen's handball? More to the point, why should either of those mistakes be placed on a pedestal when the entire team is responsible both for preventing goals and scoring them? We let Sunderland come onto us and that's what allowed Onuoha the opportunity to provide such a good cross into Bent. Poulsen could not have given away a penalty if he wasn't in his own penalty area guarding against a Sunderland attack. Still, why should two defensive lapses explain the loss of two points when our attacking game was so inept? Do we not expect to create more at home to a side - decent though they are - like Sunderland? In 45 minutes of football we created two real good chances, one of which Gerrard stuck away (and how often can we rely on him to produce a bit of magic like that?), the other in the dying moments when Agger inexplicably headed wide. Similarly against West Brom we reluiedon a wonderstrike from Torres, and at Birmingham we created very marginally more than feck all.

On your other point, Roy spent £17m in the summer fixing the midfield and we still have Steven Gerrard. It's his midfield. And, if he considered Johnson to be a "krap" defender, I suppose it wouldn't have taken much at all to find an able replacement, no? Feckin' Roy.

Great post . It's now Hodgsons team and I can bet that he would get the praise when we do well so why shouldn't he get the criticism when it goes wrong as opposed to blaming previous manager .

Its still a relevant factor as well you know

[jacdaniel]

We're conceding lots of goals/chances from the left side.  If Cole is going to play LM, he needs to be assigned defensive duties as well.

I dont think its just Joe Cole though mate.

I think just our wingers in general are playing way too aggresive and free. We may have conceded nearly all are open play goals this season from the left side but it could just as easily been from our right considering the amount of crosses Johnson has failed to stop.

yeah thats true.  I can't believe we just allow teams to get forward on the wings and cross as many balls as they like.
I hope the LM and RM are giving more defensive duties and the LB and RB are encouraged to get tighter and try to prevent crosses.