Liverpool FC Forum

[JC_81]

We have blamed just about everyone this season for our current plight.  From Benitez to the owners, from Lucas to Kuyt and even turning on each other.

The owners have not helped, they have brought anything but stability to our club and clearly don't want to invest in the playing staff.  They have caused the bad feeling throughout the club which is stemming from the top.  Undoubtedly they are to blame for the real problems at Liverpool FC, the problems which threaten our long term future.  But how much are they to blame for what has gone on on the pitch this season?  Are we that much worse than the team that almost won the league last season?

Benitez has not helped.  His failure to buy wisely in the transfer market has been an issue for the second summer running.  20 million on a right back and another 20 on a midfielder who was injured, and even now he is fit can't get a game.  When in fact the real problems lie up front and in the centre of the defence.  His tactics are questionable at times  and his team selections and substitutions quite simply baffling.  Many have lost patience with them, I have recently become one of those fans.  But I also understand that getting rid of him won't be cheap and won't necessarily improve things on the pitch given the greater problems at the club.

So what about the players.  Do they look like they want to win when they walk onto the pitch this season?  No they don't.  Gerrard is playing with an injury clearly, but even since last season he doesn't want to put in a shift.  He is supposed to be an advanced midfielder but even Torres or even Ngog when he plays do more tackling back than him these days.  His body language is all wrong this season, maybe he has lost faith in Benitez's methods, maybe the court case changed him, or maybe he's just fed up of being relied upon heavily.

The defence and midfield are not playing with discipline, they lose concentration regularly and concede sloppy goal after sloppy goal.  Carra is playing like a pub player this season.  Mascherano is playing when he feels like it.  Johnson and Insua have barely stopped a cross coming in all season.  Lucas still fails to grasp the concept of what constitutes a foul and what a forward pass is, while others like Kuyt and Benayoun are showing the effort but it's just not happening.

I think some of the players, especially the senior ones, need to take a long hard look at themselves this season.  They have let us down just as much as the manager and the owners, and they escape with little or no criticism, it's a joke.  Gerrard has at least admitted this week that the players have let Rafa down at times, well maybe they'll actually start to show some fight on the pitch today before we're out of touch with 4th place completely.

[tubby]

Alonso aside this is the team that only lost the league by 4 or 5 points last season. Ok Aby too but generally this squad is underperforming big time. They need to step it up as you say.

But I can't help but feel there is too much going on with the players mentally for them to snap out of it. They need to wake up fast or else this season could get worse.

[made in UK]

Good thread John,

But I dare not blame certain players or we'll have 'real fans' foaming at the mouth again.

Joke aside, the players and like you said some of a senior ones could do with picking up their act. However like many have said Gerrard is playing with an injury and this may be a plausible notion as to why his form has been below the high standards he usually sets. Carragher agin I personally feel should be given the benefit of the doubt, every year longer he looks a yard slower, then accomodating a right back in the side like Johnson would likes to get forward has left him exposed. But my gripe with the defence is our lack of aerial ability to defend from set-pieces. In midfield Mascherano started the season slow and just when he was coming into some kind of form and aided by the rocks in his head he gets sent off.

As for Lucas, Kuyt, Insua, Riera, N'Gog, Skertel, Aurelio and even Yossi I think their simply players who are unable to perform and the standard week in week out LFC need. Their probably all playing nearly at the peak of their ability and even if their not their simply not good enough; and then the finger points back to Benetiz.

[tubby]

I think it's maybe a bit harsh to label Riera in that bracket mate. To be fair he has been in and out of the side with injury this year as has Yossi to a lesser extent.

[NANNY RED]

But I dare not blame certain players or we'll have 'real fans' foaming at the mouth again.

This real fan blames everyone of them fecking prima donnas , They pull the shirt on , you play to the best of your ability simple, if you cant be ar,sed them off you go , and i dont care who they are,

[J*o*n*D*o*e]

i agree totally, the players have had a week to get there heads together, the manager has had a week to work with the players and hopefully we will see today the real Liverpool step forward, lets hope the fans turn up today aswell, where all in this together and unless we all come together we`ll never turn this corner.

not sure if its christmas cheer but ive got a good feeling about today.

[Reg]

They're paid up to 140 thou a week and you want them to take responsibility? Are you mad?

[NANNY RED]

Wake up yeh fecking dossers ,

[Sir Roger]

They're paid up to 140 thou a week and you want them to take responsibility? Are you mad?

Yes I do
I know its a cliche that theyre only in it for the money but they have to eventually take responsibility for themselves as individuals. I think this has started to happen.

[JC_81]

Credit to some of the senior players for picking it up somewhat against Villa.

It was nice to see Fernando take out his frustrations on the back of the net against Villa, rather than on the referee.

We've conceded 25 goals this season, but without Reina it would be closer to 50.  He's been fantastic and showed it again against Villa.  He's certainly one of the senior players who have not underperformed this season.

Gerrard is looking better with a run of games and Torres showed good attitude by being alert enough still in the 93rd minute to nick the winner, and what a superb finish it was.

Carragher again looked dodgy for me.  He may have another season in him and may be able to get some form back if we sign a top drawer CB to play alongside him, but he can no longer be the lynch pin of this defence.  Shame though, because his attitude remains top class.

[JC_81]

The media will probably claim that once again a Liverpool team who rely heavily on Steven Gerrard were saved from FA cup humiliation by their talismanic captain.

The fact is that apart from the goal his performance was an absolute disgrace.  He doesn't chase players down any more, rarely puts in a tackle, he doesn't lead by example and quite frankly looks like he can't be bothered these days.  All season, or at least since it started to go pear shaped, he's looked to me like he's going through the motions.  If I was cynical I'd say his mind is on the world cup given that he isn't going to win the CL or league this season.

[lakes10]

The media will probably claim that once again a Liverpool team who rely heavily on Steven Gerrard were saved from FA cup humiliation by their talismanic captain.

The fact is that apart from the goal his performance was an absolute disgrace.  He doesn't chase players down any more, rarely puts in a tackle, he doesn't lead by example and quite frankly looks like he can't be bothered these days.  All season, or at least since it started to go pear shaped, he's looked to me like he's going through the motions.  If I was cynical I'd say his mind is on the world cup given that he isn't going to win the CL or league this season.

hold on mate SG was stuck right at the back, he was told to play so deep in his own have he should have out glives on and gone in goal, he can only play the way he was told to.

[JC_81]

The media will probably claim that once again a Liverpool team who rely heavily on Steven Gerrard were saved from FA cup humiliation by their talismanic captain.

The fact is that apart from the goal his performance was an absolute disgrace.  He doesn't chase players down any more, rarely puts in a tackle, he doesn't lead by example and quite frankly looks like he can't be bothered these days.  All season, or at least since it started to go pear shaped, he's looked to me like he's going through the motions.  If I was cynical I'd say his mind is on the world cup given that he isn't going to win the CL or league this season.

hold on mate SG was stuck right at the back, he was told to play so deep in his own have he should have out glives on and gone in goal, he can only play the way he was told to.

How do you know how he was told to play?  Just out of interest mate.

He was played as a central midfielder today but it's too much like hard work for Gerrard these days.

[lakes10]

The media will probably claim that once again a Liverpool team who rely heavily on Steven Gerrard were saved from FA cup humiliation by their talismanic captain.

The fact is that apart from the goal his performance was an absolute disgrace.  He doesn't chase players down any more, rarely puts in a tackle, he doesn't lead by example and quite frankly looks like he can't be bothered these days.  All season, or at least since it started to go pear shaped, he's looked to me like he's going through the motions.  If I was cynical I'd say his mind is on the world cup given that he isn't going to win the CL or league this season.

hold on mate SG was stuck right at the back, he was told to play so deep in his own have he should have out glives on and gone in goal, he can only play the way he was told to.

How do you know how he was told to play?  Just out of interest mate.

He was played as a central midfielder today but it's too much like hard work for Gerrard these days.

what a load of "it's too much like hard work for Gerrard these days."!!!, we was 442 mate, he had to hold back all the time.

[Emerald Red]

The media will probably claim that once again a Liverpool team who rely heavily on Steven Gerrard were saved from FA cup humiliation by their talismanic captain.

The fact is that apart from the goal his performance was an absolute disgrace.  He doesn't chase players down any more, rarely puts in a tackle, he doesn't lead by example and quite frankly looks like he can't be bothered these days.  All season, or at least since it started to go pear shaped, he's looked to me like he's going through the motions.  If I was cynical I'd say his mind is on the world cup given that he isn't going to win the CL or league this season.

hold on mate SG was stuck right at the back, he was told to play so deep in his own have he should have out glives on and gone in goal, he can only play the way he was told to.

That's rubbish, Lakes. Gerrard is a box-to-box player when told to play in the middle, and that's where he was picked to play today, and that's what he did sporadically. Gerrard's failed to get stuck in today where it needed to be done. He never went into 50/50 balls where in previous years he would have blood and thunder. There was no drive from him, and at times he just let players skip past him as if he wasn't there and never bust a gut to track back. Remember, he's our captain, and he's responsible for what goes on with the players out there once they are on that pitch. My guess is that the World Cup is playing heavily on his mind. His mind certainly isn't with us at the moment.