Liverpool FC Forum

damjan193 » Sat Nov 02, 2013 7:58 pm wrote:

Benny The Noon » Sat Nov 02, 2013 8:54 pm wrote:So when a player hits a great strike and goes in it's now lucky ? Carzola movement for his initial header was great and the technique for the return volley was superb.

They weren't fluke goals but you need a bit of luck to score those. They had it, they scored and they won. On a different day it would be a different story.

You need a lot of ability to score those goals and they had it - on another day it could have been 4 ! We were outplayed convincingly.

damjan193 » Sat Nov 02, 2013 8:00 pm wrote:Drama queens. We couldn't beat Arsenal in our best days, never mind now, when they're better than us. The game wasn't THAT bad and it changes nothing.

We beat Arsenal on a regular basis in our best days !

We didnt play to our best and Arsenal at the moment are just that good. We werent terrible but when Suarez, Sturridge, and Gerrard all fail to play to their potential then the quality around these players isnt enough to get us through a game like this. Arsenal on the other hand have more quality (and more players on form) in their squad than any other side in the league imo which is why Rosicky, Cazorla and Ramsey having a good game is enough for them to win despite Giroud, Ozil and their back line not having the best of games.

If I'm being overly critical, we shouldnt have changed it around as early as we did. First half wasnt terrible and at 1-0 we were still in it despite Arsenal's dominance (which was always going to happen regardless of what we did).

maypaxvobiscum » Sat Nov 02, 2013 7:51 pm wrote:Very disappointing to watch this game. I had high hopes that we would be able to pull out a surprise but reality struck and we were exposed today. We'll be lucky to get a top 4 finish if this game sets the tone for the rest of the season.

The midfield is a major concern for me. Gerrard is rubbish, and has been pretty rubbish for a while now. Henderson, well his miss in the first half where we was running at their defense with no one marking him and he screwed the shot, that sums him up. Lucas did all he could possibly do as a DM and he cannot be faulted in any way. He tried. I can't say the same about Gerrard.

It's nice to see Coutinho back, and Flanagan did alright too. But we ought to drop the 5-3-2 as there's no creativity whatsoever. Guess seeing the players available, it would make most sense to have a 4-4-2 with Moses, and Coutinho or Sterling on the wings. Or if BR is brave enough, Coutinho and Lucas in the middle with Moses and Sterling on the wings.

lucas was the worst of the lot, at one point he lost the ball at the halfway line when we had committed a lot of players forward, okay that can happen, but as the arsenal players bore down on sakho and skrtel (i think it was those 2) lucas fvckin jogged back like he was out for a stroll in the park!
bar last weekend the midfield has been poor all season, swansea probably dominated us more than arsenal did.

Benny The Noon » Sat Nov 02, 2013 9:02 pm wrote:

damjan193 » Sat Nov 02, 2013 8:00 pm wrote:Drama queens. We couldn't beat Arsenal in our best days, never mind now, when they're better than us. The game wasn't THAT bad and it changes nothing.

We beat Arsenal on a regular basis in our best days !

I didn't mean in the 80s Benny. I meant since the forming of the Prem. When was the last time we beat Arsenal away?

Sometimes you have to hold your hands up and say we were beaten by the better team on the day, which is exactly what happened.  Arsenal have been playing well recently, are top of the league and have a lot of players on form, plus they had home advantage.  It's not a disgrace to be beaten under those circumstances.

We lost the game because they had better players in the midfield and won that battle.  That said we also had our chances and on another day might still have taken something from the game.

I agree it does highlight some of our weaknesses - apart from our first choice 'wing backs' Johnson and Enrique, who were both missing, we don't have anyone with enough quality to play there, making the 3-at-the-back ineffective in an attacking sense.  The Gerrard/Lucas axis also lacks the athleticism required in central midfield in this league.

We also had poor performances on the day from the likes of Toure who is usually solid and to an extent our front two, who although starved of service for large parts, didn't make the most of the opportunities they did have.

A bad day at the office.  It's not so much results in these games that will define this team and our season, it's how we react to them.  We move on.  3 points next game is a must.

damjan193 » Sat Nov 02, 2013 8:10 pm wrote:

Benny The Noon » Sat Nov 02, 2013 9:02 pm wrote:

damjan193 » Sat Nov 02, 2013 8:00 pm wrote:Drama queens. We couldn't beat Arsenal in our best days, never mind now, when they're better than us. The game wasn't THAT bad and it changes nothing.

We beat Arsenal on a regular basis in our best days !

I didn't mean in the 80s Benny. I meant since the forming of the Prem. When was the last time we beat Arsenal away?

2011

damjan193 » Sat Nov 02, 2013 8:10 pm wrote:

Benny The Noon » Sat Nov 02, 2013 9:02 pm wrote:

damjan193 » Sat Nov 02, 2013 8:00 pm wrote:Drama queens. We couldn't beat Arsenal in our best days, never mind now, when they're better than us. The game wasn't THAT bad and it changes nothing.

We beat Arsenal on a regular basis in our best days !

I didn't mean in the 80s Benny. I meant since the forming of the Prem. When was the last time we beat Arsenal away?

Couple seasons ago under Kenny I think it was

supersub » Sat Nov 02, 2013 9:37 pm wrote:

damjan193 » Sat Nov 02, 2013 8:10 pm wrote:

Benny The Noon » Sat Nov 02, 2013 9:02 pm wrote:We beat Arsenal on a regular basis in our best days !

I didn't mean in the 80s Benny. I meant since the forming of the Prem. When was the last time we beat Arsenal away?

2011

Yeah, OK . My point was, that Arsenal are a team that we've struggled to beat away from home, probably the hardest away trip for us out of the top 4. Losing to them now, when they're in great form is nothing we should be dramatic about.

It wasn't the defeat - it was being outclassed and outplayed in the crucial areas by them

Even without Walcott, Wilshere and Flamini, Arsenal where simply too slick in midfield and that won them the game and our
trio of Gerrard, Hendo and Lucas where outplayed in that area.

We are weak in midfield and that's where we need to strengthen now, and if Henderson is looking like the best guy in there then
you know you have problems, he wouldn't have played in a depleted Arsenal midfield today put it that way.

Gerrard looks fooked bless him and simply cannot play every game now and the other two beside him are rubbish. When I say
rubbish I mean for a team looking to make top 4.

Only God knows why Rodgers rates Cissokho better than Enrique then, maybe personal that. Cissokho is shyte.

Minor set back and I would wager we will get the 3 points back on Arsenal in the next set of fixtures.

we`ve been struggling to control games for 90% of the season, especially in the second half, it`s just that suarez and sturridge have been papering over the cracks with their goalscoring exploits so it`s not exactly a surprise that we were outplayed, hell i thought swansea out classed us even more convincingly than arsenal but just couldnt convert their dominance into goals.
at least at the end of todays game we had them under a bit of pressure and created some good opportunities, in the last 20 minutes against swansea never mind that old adage `we couldnt get out of our own half` we couldnt get out of our own box!
rodgers is getting the most out of the squad at his disposal, our midfield just isnt good enough to go toe to toe with the top clubs, even when we beat united it was a smash and grab and that was at home.
we just need to try to get through to january and then strengthen.
we are not a million miles away from being a very good side, i do believe with suarez, coutinho and sturridge our attack is as good as anything in the division and our defence isnt bad either, if we sort the midfield out in january we could still make the top 4.

JC_81 » Sat Nov 02, 2013 8:33 pm wrote:Sometimes you have to hold your hands up and say we were beaten by the better team on the day, which is exactly what happened.  Arsenal have been playing well recently, are top of the league and have a lot of players on form, plus they had home advantage.  It's not a disgrace to be beaten under those circumstances.

We lost the game because they had better players in the midfield and won that battle.  That said we also had our chances and on another day might still have taken something from the game.

I agree it does highlight some of our weaknesses - apart from our first choice 'wing backs' Johnson and Enrique, who were both missing, we don't have anyone with enough quality to play there, making the 3-at-the-back ineffective in an attacking sense.  The Gerrard/Lucas axis also lacks the athleticism required in central midfield in this league.

We also had poor performances on the day from the likes of Toure who is usually solid and to an extent our front two, who although starved of service for large parts, didn't make the most of the opportunities they did have.

A bad day at the office.  It's not so much results in these games that will define this team and our season, it's how we react to them.  We move on.  3 points next game is a must.

Excellent post.

fivecups » Sat Nov 02, 2013 10:16 pm wrote:

JC_81 » Sat Nov 02, 2013 8:33 pm wrote:Sometimes you have to hold your hands up and say we were beaten by the better team on the day, which is exactly what happened.  Arsenal have been playing well recently, are top of the league and have a lot of players on form, plus they had home advantage.  It's not a disgrace to be beaten under those circumstances.

We lost the game because they had better players in the midfield and won that battle.  That said we also had our chances and on another day might still have taken something from the game.

I agree it does highlight some of our weaknesses - apart from our first choice 'wing backs' Johnson and Enrique, who were both missing, we don't have anyone with enough quality to play there, making the 3-at-the-back ineffective in an attacking sense.  The Gerrard/Lucas axis also lacks the athleticism required in central midfield in this league.

We also had poor performances on the day from the likes of Toure who is usually solid and to an extent our front two, who although starved of service for large parts, didn't make the most of the opportunities they did have.

A bad day at the office.  It's not so much results in these games that will define this team and our season, it's how we react to them.  We move on.  3 points next game is a must.

Excellent post.

I second it, top post mate

i agree, its the midfield thats causing us most of the problems, the gaps between them and the front are massive. lucas and gerrard where terrible, both of them wasteful and literally plodded their way around the field. henderson had a great chance early on and he crapped himself, he was never in a million years ever looking to take it on and when their ended up being no one to give it to he melted. between the three of them they offered nothing to the front men other than 50-50's and scraps.
sakho looks ropey but today i thought he made some good decisions and vital interceptions. good game also from skrtel and toure.
the decision to play flanagan today was an odd one, its been a long time since he played and then he gets a go away against the league leaders.  cissokho looked poor and lazy. that cross that led to their first could have been intercepted if the lazy fooker had of lifted his foot. dont know why rodgers pursued him over the summer.
they are a decent side and imo could be champions this year, its not about the loss but more about the manner in which we did. a good result would have been taking home a point but we never looked like we would 
arsenal have a few tough games coming up so its vital we take 3 points off fulham heading into the match against the bitters.