Liverpool FC Forum

[Rafa D]

Last night when I heard the team I will admit I was not that impressed that Zenden got the nod. I expected Riise at left midfield and Arbeloa to fill in, in the left back spot again.

However the neck injury to Finnan prevented this and it means the only options for the left side of midfield was Zenden or Mark Gonzalez. And I think Rafa made the correct decision in putting Bolo in. Mark Gonzalez has struggled all season and to throw him in at the deep end against Chelsea in a semi final of the European Cup may just of been too big of occasion for him. Also he's played a lot more frequent than Bolo and has performed well below what is expected when you pull on that red shirt. Bolo was the best choice in my opinion. He has the experience of playing at the highest level and I feel he is a better option than Mark at present. Mark can develop, he has shown a great deal of potential in La Liga but has not delievered as of yet.

I felt last night Bolo played ok. He did not worse or better than any of the other outfield players. He was obviously told to go after Ferriera and he did that all game. He tried to take him on and general succeeded. If we were going to get a goal it was going to come from the left and from Zenden. My only slight negative on him was nearer the end of the game, he had a tendancy to cut in a lot more and the crossing was not quite the same standard. However he seems to be getting a bashing on here and people are making him the scapegoat for a very average team performance and I can't understand why.

He signed for us on a free transfer from Boro. I don't think Rafa ever had any major plans for him apart from a squad player. He sustained a very serious knee injury and was out practically all of the first season and this was his first real season as a Liverpool player. He started the curtain raiser at Cardiff and was arguably the best player on the park, some compliment when you consider Gerrard, Lampard, Ballack, Alonso etc was playing. He then started the next game at Sheffied United and did not have a great game and I think it was this one game that has earned him the tag as scapegoat. He got lambasted that game when many players failed to perform and the tag has stuck with him all season.

I am not saying he's perfect. He's far from it. He was bought as a squad player and his ability means he will never be anything more than that at Liverpool. However I feel he is unfairly victimised when the team plays poorly just because he aint a first teamer. If I was Zenden I wouldn't be pleased.

[Red_Freak]

It depends really on what your outlook is, particularly if your Rafa. Rafa had a choice to be cautious or take the chance. If he had taken the chance, and I'm not neccessarily saying he should of, maybe he could of put SG on the left (he would have done a professional job) and Pennant on the right. You can't say Bolo had a good game either. Many times he found himself in good positions out wide but couldn't get the ball in the box. That's not good enough from a left mid.

[Rafa D]

It depends really on what your outlook is, particularly if your Rafa. Rafa had a choice to be cautious or take the chance. If he had taken the chance, and I'm not neccessarily saying he should of, maybe he could of put SG on the left (he would have done a professional job) and Pennant on the right. You can't say Bolo had a good game either. Many times he found himself in good positions out wide but couldn't get the ball in the box. That's not good enough from a left mid.

Red Freak I was saying the same thing last night to my mates about moving Stevie over to the left and putting Pennant on the right. Gerrard didn't get much change from Ashley Cole, I think he broke down the right once. I don't know if Pennant would of done any better but I feel Gerrard would of absolutely murdered Paulo Ferreira down that left hand side. It was met with a few groans down the pub, but most were in agreement that he would of battered him.

However for Rafa to make that decision in a semi final of a Champions Leagues would of took some balls.

[duk]

IMO Zenden had a better game than most last night. If we had of scored last night i'm sure he would have been involved in it. He played better than most last night and has not deserved alot the critisism that he got last night

[Red_Freak]

These are things though that can make or break a CL Semi Final man. At least if he had played Pennant up against Cole he would have been up against an orthodox winger. And he did have some success over Cole in the 2-0 Win afew months ago. Also, I think Pennant and Arebola have worked really well on the right so you never know what would of happened.

[tubby]

Zenen is rubbish period. He was good at Barca but cant cut it at the level now. I thought he was ok at Boro but then he was in the centre and there is no way he could have that position here.

He gives the ball away too much and I dont think he got past his defender once yesterday. If Zenden is the best we can muster on the left them im afraid this tie is over.

[Rafa D]

Zenen is rubbish period. He was good at Barca but cant cut it at the level now. I thought he was ok at Boro but then he was in the centre and there is no way he could have that position here.

He gives the ball away too much and I dont think he got past his defender once yesterday. If Zenden is the best we can muster on the left them im afraid this tie is over.

Bavlondon a couple of points:

1) You say he was good at Barcelona? Thats tosh he was awful at Barcelona.

2)He can't cut it at this level?!? He's only 30 and is probably one of the fittest members of the squad - Tosh

3) Your right, he would not get past any of the central midfielders we have at present.

4) He did get past Ferriera a lot of times in the match and delivered some good balls in the first half. If Gerrard and Kuyt would of got better headers on BOTH crosses he delievered yesterday - we would be sitting here singing his praises.

5) He's not the best we can muster - Kewell and Riise in my opinion both do a better job but him and Mark G were the only options yesterday.

[LittleHobo]

he wasnt the worsed out there last night, at least he gave it a bit of heart

he was better than bellamy, alonso, arbeloa, risse, kuyt, mascherano

[redtrader74]

I think the main reason everyone was disappointed with Zenden was he had oppurtunity to hurt Chelsea, a lot of it, but not one ball in was good, just chips, floaters, how can you score off that? What do you think would have been the result re;chances, had Gerrard, Riise seen the ball that much on the left??

[Lucky]

What I don't understand is why Zenden still got a lot of passes from other players even when they have seen that he couldn't make any threat with such lot of opportunities?

[The Manhattan Project]

chips, floaters

In general I feel we attempt far too many of these.

Whipped crosses just in front or along the six-yard line are better, along with quick straight passes along the floor. We need to work on our speed and counter attacks. Accuracy in passing.

[Ade]

I think zenden had a fair game. Some of the flak has been a bit unfair - he played pretty much to the best of his ability, and you can't ask for more than that. The fact that he just isn't good enough sums up our season - we lack two quality wingers and two quality strikers, and you can only make do for so long.

Losing 1-0 after a performance like that is not too bad a result. I think it may even work to our advantage a little cos Rafa knows now we have to go out and attack Chelsea next week - there's no falling between two stools on the tactics now. The aim has to be to score three, cos they're always likely to get one. So he's got a week to come up with an attacking gameplan and the lads know it's all or nothing.

The Kop will be red hot and if we get an early goal I can see Chelsea wilting.

And well done Pepe - possibly his most important performance so far for us.

[Ace Ventura]

I thought he had a decent game, he beat Ferreira plenty of times and although the deliveries into the box could of been better but he often had nothing to aim at due to the tactics.

I was also one of the people that groaned when i seen his name but with Finnan being injured then there wasnt really another option. Gonzalez is a liability and has shown no sign that he could play in a game as big as that.
Gerrard on the left was an option but would of been incredibly bold when we are away, although it probably would have worked better and with Pennant starting.

I dont think Zenden let anyone down last night though.

[stmichael]

Zenden is no left winger, it is a mantra I keep repeating. Never was and never will be. Our left side is a shambles to be honest and has been all season. And for all those who slag Zenden off, there is absolutely no suggestion that Gonzalez would have been any better in a game where quite frankly the majority of the team were poor.

[Sabre]

If had a better english I would have written Rafa Dodd's post exactly.

I agree with him totally. He's some sort of a sand bag. Made mistakes, but not as important as Arbeloa's, Agger's mistakes yesterday. Hence, I don't understand the stick.

I do understand there might be better options, but that's Rafa's decission.