Liverpool FC Forum

by **beng** » Wed Sep 30, 2009 9:59 am

players' performance in the game against Fiorentina
http://www.voteplayers.com/Matches....56.aspx

by **stmichael** » Wed Sep 30, 2009 10:33 am

Last night was a very very bad day at the office. We're just fortunate that in this group format we can afford a slip up at this stage and still qualify. Two years ago we had one point from our first three group games and still qualified. Laast season United won their group despite only winning two games out of six. The Lyon home game is massive now though and is pretty much a must win. Whatever the case I can see another Olympiakos on the cards on matchday 6 whereby we have to beat Fiorientina at home by a certain scoreline to go through as I expect them to seriously enhance their goal difference against Debrecen over two games.

Going back to last night, the first half was just about as bad as it gets. Thought we started ok in the first 5-10 minutes but then we just handed them the initiative. The thing is, they're a decent side (not great by any means) but we made them look a million times better than they actually are. I'd still expect to beat them comfortably at home. The selection in central midfield was completely wrong. Our centrebacks are struggling enough as it is for confidence so how do you think they felt seeing Lucas and Aurelio infront of them? In the first half we were just bypassing the midfield with aimless long balls. Consequently Torres and Gerrard couldn't get in the game and we really struggled to create anything. Ok we started keeping and moving the ball better in the second half but by then it was too late. We didn't really work their goalkeeper anyway.

I don't think this has a bearing on Sunday though. We can't play as badly again and I don't expect us to. Mascherano returning will be a huge plus and give us that extra bit in midfield. Games against Chelsea are always really tight anyway.

by **algymoon** » Wed Sep 30, 2009 10:38 am

Fowler_E7 wrote:terrible team selection tonight by rafa, i mean really bewildering. I mean Lucas is terrible as it is let alone with a left back playing alongside him! couldnt get my head round that one at all, especially considering that aurelio has just come back from a bad injury. Should of had Gerrard in the centre with benayoun behind Torres with Riera on the left, as far as i know he wasnt suffering from any injurys.

I have somehow expected this bad performance in relative to the Rafa’s negative team selection, as for two useless Lucas and Aurelio, for which the latter one is not near central midfield player!, and the worst player on that pitch was Skrtel, there is nothing to shout about this clumsy below bar defender, his performances since he joined LFC had been a total shambles, he had costs the team many goals due to his wake displays.

I do not have high hope for Sunday game, once again Rafa will select another negative team for another hammering. Rafa has lost the plot again and as always!

by **Roger Red Hat** » Wed Sep 30, 2009 10:46 am

algymoon wrote:
Fowler_E7 wrote:terrible team selection tonight by rafa, i mean really bewildering. I mean Lucas is terrible as it is let alone with a left back playing alongside him! couldnt get my head round that one at all, especially considering that aurelio has just come back from a bad injury. Should of had Gerrard in the centre with benayoun behind Torres with Riera on the left, as far as i know he wasnt suffering from any injurys.

I have somehow expected this bad performance in relative to the Rafa’s negative team selection, as for two useless Lucas and Aurelio, for which the latter one is not near central midfield player!, and the worst player on that pitch was Skrtel, there is nothing to shout about this clumsy below bar defender, his performances since he joined LFC had been a total shambles, he had costs the team many goals due to his wake displays.

I do not have high hope for Sunday game, once again Rafa will select another negative team for another hammering. Rafa has lost the plot again and as always!

yeah 'another hammering' - wtf does that mean? I'm trying to recall the last time we got a 'hammering'?

sometimes I despair :no

by **FootballPictures** » Wed Sep 30, 2009 11:16 am

Great pictures + video from Fiorentina-Liverpool on www.footballpictures.eu !

by **JamCar05** » Wed Sep 30, 2009 12:40 pm

Wasn't able to watch the match yesterday and quite frankly I'm not too bothered about missing it reading through these last couple of pages

. I am a bit surprised though that many in here (and otherwere as well mind) were considering this such an easy game beforehand (some even seemed to think we could win it while resting Torres and Gerrard for sunday). Fiorentina are quite a decent side and would naturally be pumped up for the occasion playing at home, and furthermore we haven't exactly gotten the best results against decent sides this season as it is (Spurs and Villa). The doubleheader against Lyon will be very important now, as I'm sure Fiorentina will win both their games against Debrechen, and thus we could be under immense pressure if the games against Lyon don't turn out positive for us (ie we must at least get four points imo). That being said Lyon are an even better side than Fiorentina I reckon. Makes for an interesting group phase I guess, but as it is we can forget about early qualification it seems.

Anyways, let's just forget about this game and hopefully redeem ourselves in the more important game come sunday (fingers crossed).

by **Owzat** » Wed Sep 30, 2009 1:18 pm

I said before the game perhaps we should write this result off, we may as well have done. If Torres and Gerrard and others are now tired from efforts in a lost cause then it could cost us double with the Chelsea game looming large.

re the stat of Fiorentina not losing at home to an English club, that came up pre-match and I think Rafa tempted fate by wanting to create history kind of thing. Oooops. Seems like qualifying comfortably was a one-off, I just wish Rafa would get the balance right and have done as I said and written off the CL - certainly for this tie. We want the league title, not yet another run to the latter stages of the CL with no title since 2005 ie a lot of games for a final

by **Owzat** » Wed Sep 30, 2009 1:27 pm

JoeTerp wrote:I am not sure how good the Hungarians will be in Hungary, but if both Lyon and Fiorentina take 6 points off them, we could be in a bit of trouble.

Lyon won 4-0 there, we only just beat them 1-0 at home.

We have the money, players and record not to be hiding behind the notion Lyon, Fiorentina and Debrecen make it a 'tough group'. I would expect any of the top four English sides to go through against that lot in a group or knockout situation, we didn't play well and lost 2-0 but that doesn't make the rest of the group 'world beaters'. Italian sides are bound to be tricky, you don't finish in CL spots in Italy, Spain or England if you're no good - well maybe in the Premiership in 04/05. Lyon are a decent side, but we should be strong enough to beat them. Rangers beat them 3-0 away in 07/08, maybe a freak result but hardly the same as getting hammered at home by a decent side.

by **Ola Mr Benitez** » Wed Sep 30, 2009 3:48 pm

I was really disapointed with Skrtel (again). I have never understood why so may on here think he is a great defender??

I have never been more disapointed with any player playing in a Liverpool shirt than him last night, in the second half when he came out to tackle a player who skipped past him and made him look like a school girl and he couldnt even be @rsed to chase back and try and redeem himself. It was an absolute disgrace!

by **woof woof !** » Wed Sep 30, 2009 4:10 pm

Ola Mr Benitez wrote:I was really disapointed with Skrtel (again). I have never understood why so may on here think he is a great defender??

I have never been more disapointed with any player playing in a Liverpool shirt than him last night, in the second half when he came out to tackle a player who skipped past him and made him look like a school girl and he couldnt even be @rsed to chase back and try and redeem himself. It was an absolute disgrace!

If we're gonna talk about defenders being "skipped" past Ola, look no further than Insua, don't think I've seen a Liverpool left back repeatedly skinned and roasted as much as was Insua last night.

by **GYBS** » Wed Sep 30, 2009 4:18 pm

woof woof ! wrote:
Ola Mr Benitez wrote:I was really disapointed with Skrtel (again). I have never understood why so may on here think he is a great defender??

I have never been more disapointed with any player playing in a Liverpool shirt than him last night, in the second half when he came out to tackle a player who skipped past him and made him look like a school girl and he couldnt even be @rsed to chase back and try and redeem himself. It was an absolute disgrace!

If we're gonna talk about defenders being "skipped" past Ola, look no further than Insua, don't think I've seen a Liverpool left back repeatedly skinned and roasted as much as was Insua last night.

Yep - he was massively exposed last night and they roasted him.

by **Ola Mr Benitez** » Wed Sep 30, 2009 4:21 pm

Your right.. he looked ragged by the end and it was good to see Aurelio out back there. I am hoping that Fabio starts at LB on Sunday against Chelsea, and I would probably stick the big Greek (obviously his new name) to man mark Drogba

by **Roger Red Hat** » Wed Sep 30, 2009 4:37 pm

carra's been getting skinned for the last 3 years but he still chases back.

by **Fowler_E7** » Wed Sep 30, 2009 4:58 pm

Toffeehater wrote:I thought Skrtel was good though , played well defensively and couldn't do anything for the 1st goal as it was insua playing jovetic on and also the 2nd one just hit jovetic . He made a couple of good tackles , and had that one brilliant run , he was far from poor. Carragher still looks lost out there , be tempted to drop him and play agger against the chavs

skretl was terrible, and has been all season. Is any one else worried by the fact that we have lost to every decent team we have played this season?

by **The Good Yank** » Wed Sep 30, 2009 6:10 pm

Fowler_E7 wrote:
Toffeehater wrote:I thought Skrtel was good though , played well defensively and couldn't do anything for the 1st goal as it was insua playing jovetic on and also the 2nd one just hit jovetic . He made a couple of good tackles , and had that one brilliant run , he was far from poor. Carragher still looks lost out there , be tempted to drop him and play agger against the chavs

skretl was terrible, and has been all season. Is any one else worried by the fact that we have lost to every decent team we have played this season?

I'm certainly worried. And the problem is, When we have faced good teams, it hasn't even been close. When we lose, we do it in a shocking display.

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