Liverpool FC Forum

by **bigmick** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 11:15 am

Makes you wonder banana whether we watched the same game. Traore was ok in defence, but a full-back he aint with the best will in the world. Offers nothing at all going forward. Diao, totally agree, did his best but etc etc. Garcia and Kewell were absent, agreed but it's on Kirkland that I think your off mark. No interest to declare here, I'm far from convinced he's not yet another we paid way over the odds for, and that he has some way to go to reach international level. However to be fair, I thought he did well yesterday. I differ on the goal (I actually thought there was a large slice of fortune in Cole's finish. A blind steer which could just as easily have gone straight to the keeper/wide of the post as right in the corner.) It would have taken a similarly fortunate piece of positioning from the keeper to have prevented it. Dudek certainly wouldn't have got to the one Kirkland clawed out from behind him, I know it was offside but he didn't at the time. I'd need to see him a couple more times to really say, but I think he's probably a better bet than Dudek based on yesterdays match.

by **bigmick** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 11:30 am

JBG, me and you generally sing off the same LP and largely I agree with you here. I actually thought it was much more encouraging yesterday. We've been poor on the road but christ we've had some tough matches. We dont play at Chelsea, Olympiacos and Manure every week of the season. Bolton and Tottenham aren't exactly gimmes either. It'll come.
I detect a hint of doubt on your part re-Benitez. Fight it mate, he IS the man for the job. It just makes it harder for him that we finished fourth last season so some on the terraces believe we are better than we are. We were a really poor side when he arrived in my view. Gerrard the best player by an absolute distance. Not that much has changed, though with time the new signings look good. At least we have someone who is not trying to kid us. He knows we're rubbish which makes it easier to fix. If we convince ourselves that we are a good team/squad and attacking with it because of an opta stat that says we had the most shots we are living a delusion.
Also, given the indisputable fact that gerrard is our best player, it's only natural that we are going to miss himin games like yesterday. BTW, despite what happened yesterday I think alonso is going to be an absolutely fantastic player for us, sooner rather than later ( ok twist my arm, by christmas). Also, Cisse looked better yesterday (still paid way too much for him

) and looked like he may become something.
Give Rafa time. Everyone goes on about Mourinho but Rafa's record is comparable. I wouldn't swop anyway.

by **simic_ie** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 11:55 am

Agree bigmick with the comment about the quality of teams we have played away from home. Nobody anywhere has beaten Chelsea so far this season and they are a bloody good team... probably win the CL this season cos the just do not concede goals. Man U hit the ground running against us but still it took a dubious free kick and a dubious corner for them to beat us. As for Olympiakos.... they just don't lose at home. Bolton are the only team in that bunch where we could realistically expect something and it was a poor result.. but they drew with Arsenal this season as well... no mean feat and thay should have beaten the scum so a little perspective. Got a draw at Spurs and they have been playing well so far as well... not a bad result it's not usually a happy hunting ground for us.

Granted the performances in the away matches are a cause for concern but it will come, most of us agreed that it was going to take time for Rafa to turn this around so lets do that. Before we start comparing him to whats gone before lets give hime more than 7 f*cking games!!! A bonus many fail to see is that of all those away games its oly been the odd goal that we've lost by and that is because of not defending set, pieces right. Rafa has brought in zonal marking and guess what people... it's going to take the players a while to get used to it so deal with it. I for one am happy to see Rafa taking the hard decisions and sticking with his beliefs that this is the way forward for Liverpool, he wants it dine right and not just a quick fix. As for the squad rotation he told us a the start of the season that's what he does it's just a pity he doesn't have the players to do it so far.... but then he works with these lads every day... he knows more about them than we do.

Well in conclusion, I've become really p1ssed off with a lot of the comments on this forum so far. This is going to take time!! Middlesbro have a beter squad than the one GH left us!! Give Rafa time to get this team playing his way and if the results have not improved then make your comments... at least you might have some evidence to back it up by then. Seven frigging games isn't enough.

by **stmichael** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 12:01 pm

i personally couldn't really see chelsea scoring yesterday until the goal went in. ok they had a couple of half chances but i don't think there was a shot on target from either side until the goal. we defended really well but once again lost concentration from a set piece and were severely punished. that's what happens against the best teams.

i don't think it's all doom and gloom though. i just think we need to find a system and a team that suits us when we are away from home. i think rafa is still trying to find that mix, and once he does the results will start to pick up.

by **Jari's mullet** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 12:06 pm

I was surprised to see Pegguy Arphexad, in the middle of the park, I thought he was long gone!

by **106-1093504160** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 12:11 pm

i think that was pongolle, he's grown his hair like peggy's

by **stmichael** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 3:02 pm

I think all of us should just be realistic and realize that if we can get 4th place again this year is a good achievement.

Owen--gone. Despite of what people think, he can get us goals. As to people saying that we play a long-ball game to for Owen to score in breakaways, he has become frustrated in being the lone striker upfront. I think he would have done OK under Benitez if he had stayed.

Hyypia--going to enter the twilight of his career at Liverpool soon. If we are to play a high defence line, he would eventually be let go.

Kirkland--a better goalkeeper than Dudek, but would take time to settle in with the defence

Josemi--new defender

Gerrard--injured for 2 months

1 new striker and another who hasn't played regularly for us in the three years he's been here.

2 new midfielders. One a central midfielder that passes superbly well, but needs runners in front of him to pass to, and all of them have to play together for a period of time so that the passes he send out can cause the necessary damage. Not a pass to a static player.

We have no players that can beat a defender and send in a cross. Kewell is supposed to be that man, but motivation or a niggling injury is taking that ability away. Manure has Ronaldo, Arsenal has Henry/Lungberg, Chelski has Duff.

That is 6 new players in this team.
This squad is trying to play a new type of game.
There is going to be further new players coming in.

Benitez has been given 5 years. We should give him at least 1 season to see us playing exciting football.

by **maximus** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 3:25 pm

via Liverpoolfc.tv

Dear Liverpool supporter,

In my opinion the last two away games we were bad against Manchester United and Olympiacos. On Sunday we were strong and we had good opportunities. I also felt we controlled the game at times but when you do that you need to score a goal.

We had a lot of free-kicks in good positions but didn't make the most of them but I felt we were better against a good side in Chelsea. Of our last three away games, two of them have been against the best three sides in the Premiership in Chelsea and Manchester United.

I was happy with the five changes I made and I played Harry up front because I wanted us to keep the ball in attack. I thought Harry played very well.

We are playing well at home but we need to start winning away from home. The players are working hard in training and maybe in one to two months we will be a lot better.

Regards,

Rafael Benitez
Liverpool Manager

by **Ade** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 6:28 pm

cisses_gona_get_ya wrote:Only good thing kewell done today was head the ball out the goal apart from that he was sh#te, Risse was sh#te, Kirkland was a nervous wreck, and garcia seemed very lightweight.
We actually defended quiet well but where are the goals going to come from away from home?
Houllier said today he advises Michael owen to make a quick return to us, well he better bloody come in january im sick of it now 2 shots on bloody goal wtf is that

cisses_gona_get_ya
LFC Elite Member

Group: LFC Premium Members
Posts: 1484
Owen can't come back in January: way i understand it is that you can't resign a player you sold within the same season. But yeah, get him back next year - he owes us, he'll be looking to impress leading into the 2006 World Cup, and his experience might send a signal to Stevie G not to jump ship for the fading galacticos.

As for the Chelsea game, some of the posting on here is a joke. The idea that Dudek would've saved Cole's goal is laughable. Kirkland actually almost saved what was a superb goal: Dudek would've been left flat-footed, let alone get within an inch of it.

Having a go at Alonso ain't on either; he's trying too hard because he's virtually having to run the entire midfield at the moment. Garcia ain't a wide right player, he should be in the hole. Kewell is a dead loss and needs to be told he's off in Jan if he doesn;t start delivering, and Diao is a car-crash of a player. Alonso tried, and yet he's already being identified by opponents as our danger man, so he's heavily marked. yeah, his free kicks were poor, but get off his back.

Cisse looked a little sharper, and let's face it: against the mancs and olympiacos he was incorrectly flagged offside on at least 3 occasions. If he hadn't he'd have been thru on a one-on-one with the keeper, then we could judge him. Give him time.

Riise is fading fast and we desperately need a pacey, ballplaying CB. I hear Ayala is still being touted, but he's rugged and not too quick. Wes Brown could be the man, especially as he could be on a free.

Thing that stuck me about Valencia under Benitez is that they were rugged and a bit slow at the back, but from midfield forward they were 50/50 rugged and creative. Wonder if he'll do something similar.

One consolation anyway is this: watching liverpool over the last 2 seasons I despaired not only at the players but the manager. At least now we genuinely have one of the best managers in Europe.

Give him time. It'll come good.

by **Dom1** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 6:32 pm

erm yes....that what she sed!!

why did u repeat it

by **kindaconfused** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 6:51 pm

maximus

Dear Raf

I pays me money and deserve a realistic summary of what went on and I don't think your comments reflect reality.

Did your summation of the game include the first 20 mins when we were in danger of hemoraging big style.

If your appraisals don't reflect reality then were are we to go now?

I think even 4th place is a dream as we drop into the bottom half and don't even have a team that we can just tweek for the odd game, we are experimenting big time which means yer can forget 4th unless we bring some stability.

Watching the game I came to realise that we can forget the season.

by **Redrider** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 6:56 pm

Kinda, I think you need a holiday.

by **kindaconfused** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 7:01 pm

Redrider

I hear what is said and I think the manager should be giving us more and by that I mean an explanation. All I've heard as way of this is the zonal defence, the short game, need to become more physical.

What we need from him is a realistic summary of where we are regarding the team and players, set his stall out and then lets move on. I always thought you make incremental changes unless its drastic.

It wasn't before but it is now!

We fans need some explanations I think?

by **Redrider** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 8:58 pm

But would the Fan's appreciate an explanation, they might accues him of making excuses !!

by **A.B.** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 9:38 pm

stmichael wrote:Benitez has been given 5 years.

Patience isn't my strongest virtue. And I'm sure its just not me.

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