Liverpool FC Forum

SouthCoastShankly » Fri Oct 05, 2012 7:57 am wrote:

only me » Fri Oct 05, 2012 7:41 am wrote:One more quick obervation ,just been watching the "Being Liverpool" doc and couldn't but notice that in the qualifiying game to the European league (against Gommel?) BR let Gerrad, Suarez, Skertel and Agger start and play...So what's the deal here? play your best against a much less talented team as Gommel but then rest them when you are already their....Just interesting how decisions are made.

It's not rocket science is it?

The game against FC Gomel was essentially a pre-season game for the like of Gerrard and co. They hadn't been involved for most of the warm up games.

I think the team selection was spot on last night, why risk injury and tiredness against Stoke on Sunday for the group stages of the Europa league. Call me crazy but surely a decent league finish is more important than the Europa League?

This is the exact assumptions i was writing against ,all those "calculations" are a poor excuses in my book ,We can compete in Europe and we can compete in the league ,you wanna throw something away throw both local cups if you must.
All those safety procutions and tiredness is a complete BS ,fact is losing is never a positive step as preperation for a league game ,guess what we lost how's spirits now in the dressing room?

And if you must rest some players ,rest 2-3 ,not 6 or 7.

stmichael » Fri Oct 05, 2012 12:57 pm wrote:
yeah because it's obviously rodgers fault that johnson decided to give the ball away sloppily for the first goal or gerrard for the 3rd goal and then couldn't be bothered to track back.

Rodgers needs to ensure it doesn't happen again, I think Glen Johnson would be best served as a winger, his defensive game and his positioning are poor and it costs us. Johnson has made two mistakes in two successive home matches, he needs to improve or risk being sold. It's high-time we had a manager with a bit of a backbone and a ruthless streak in him. Also, if I mess up at work, I'm held to account, but so is my manager, that should be no different in football, because it's no different anywhere else unless it happens in the Public Sector.

Glenn Johnson has been very solid this season. I can not believe your questioning if we should sell him

LFC1990 » Fri Oct 05, 2012 3:27 pm wrote:Glenn Johnson has been very solid this season. I can not believe your questioning if we should sell him

He makes far too many mistakes for my liking.

RUSHIE#9 » Fri Oct 05, 2012 11:24 am wrote:The team BR put out last night should have comfortably won that game but they were lazy beyond belief in the 2nd half. Too many of them just standing and watching instead working hard. We bossed the game in the 1st half with lots of passing and movement keeping control of the ball. When Udinese did get the ball we were quick to close down and harried their players to win the ball back.

We didn't do that right from the whistle in the 2nd half, it was like they were playing musical fecking statues whilst Udinese ran amok!

About the most sensible view of the game I have read in the last few pages

Firstly, given the competition, squad depth and fixtures, I thought the team he put out was absolutely fine and going by the first half it was completely justified. We played some great stuff in the first half and looked really comfortable. Once we conceded so quickly in the second half everything just went completely flat, the pressing was gone and we looked lazt. Only thing with this competition is it's recoverable. I'm not particularly concerned with the result, more the manner in which we let it slip, though I don't think our strongest side would let it slip so easy

at the end of the season rodgers will be judged on his league position, in england all managers are, even when benitez got us to 2 CL finals in 3 years there were still some journo`s and fans questioning his league record.
we all want the manager to be brave and to use his squad so it`s a bit rich to start moaning when it doesnt come off, especially when the team actually played quite well.
over half the team last night was either 22 or under (robinson, henderson, shelvey, borini, allen, coates) and when you have so many young players in your starting XI you are going to be inconsistent.

stmichael » Fri Oct 05, 2012 11:57 am wrote:

Boxscarf » Fri Oct 05, 2012 12:33 pm wrote:

RUSHIE#9 » Fri Oct 05, 2012 12:24 pm wrote:

We didn't do that right from the whistle in the 2nd half, it was like they were playing musical fecking statues whilst Udinese ran amok!

Then Rodgers needs to sort that out ASAP. He's the manager, he's accountable, he needs to ensure that the players are doing their jobs to the highest possible standard and if they aren't, heads need to roll.

yeah because it's obviously rodgers fault that johnson decided to give the ball away sloppily for the first goal or gerrard for the 3rd goal and then couldn't be bothered to track back.

I didn't see the match, but is that so?
Gerrard also lost the ball to Podolski who then started the counter for Arsenal to score some weeks back.
He's been rather lazy when it comes to tracking back.

Steven Gerrard is a passenger and has been for a number of seasons now. The fact we win more without Gerrard in the team than we do with him in the team says everything to me. I think Rodgers should be looking to phase him out.

He was also our stand out performer against united and played very well against Norwich

Gerrard is still a key player. Two weeks ago there were idiots doubting Suarez too.

Boxscarf » Fri Oct 05, 2012 4:22 pm wrote:Steven Gerrard is a passenger and has been for a number of seasons now. The fact we win more without Gerrard in the team than we do with him in the team says everything to me. I think Rodgers should be looking to phase him out.

Phase Gerrard out? That is nuts. He isn't the player of 7 years ago, I don't doubt that. But he is easily still one of our best..Carra might be on his last legs but Gerrard is NOT. Vital player for us still and one of the only world class performers currently at the club.

sniffy98 » Fri Oct 05, 2012 8:03 pm wrote:

Boxscarf » Fri Oct 05, 2012 4:22 pm wrote:Steven Gerrard is a passenger and has been for a number of seasons now. The fact we win more without Gerrard in the team than we do with him in the team says everything to me. I think Rodgers should be looking to phase him out.

Phase Gerrard out? That is nuts. He isn't the player of 7 years ago, I don't doubt that. But he is easily still one of our best..Carra might be on his last legs but Gerrard is NOT. Vital player for us still and one of the only world class performers currently at the club.

Maybe we should just stop using him in midfield. I think, as many others, that he should be playing in the front 3, or at least as an attacking midfield.

damjan193 » Fri Oct 05, 2012 11:55 pm wrote:Maybe we should just stop using him in midfield. I think, as many others, that he should be playing in the front 3, or at least as an attacking midfield.

You can try that, but I guarantee that he will revert back to his box-to-box midfielder role in no time at all. He should have adapted his game by now and he hasn't, always charging around the pitch, misplacing passes, struggling to track back etc. Though it seems amongst a large proportion of the fan base that Gerrard can do wrong and should always be a first team regular, irrespective of his form. The fact remains that Gerrard is 32, in the last five years he's played less games than Robin Van Persie and we win more matches without Gerrard than we have with him and it's been that way for the last few years. Yet despite these facts, people are still ignorant and are putting sentiment ahead of results and progression forwards.

Johnson made contact, Shelvey made contact and we gave away a penalty and received a red card against the Mancs. Fact. Doesn't mean both decisions were not utter wa**.  Those Gerrard stats are bollox mate.

Bottom line is that in any given game, Liverpool/England would have a better chance of winning with him playing. The managers know it which is why they'd pick him. Even the opposition are happier when he isn't playing. And that's because any knowledgable fan knows of his capabilities. He has slowed down but is still one of our best - easily. I agree about maybe playing him slightly further forward. I repeat, certain idiots were criticising our other main player two weeks ago - Suarez. You have to play your best players.