Liverpool FC Forum

by **bigmick** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 12:14 am

The problem tonight is not just the strikers clearly. Had we have drawn 0-0 and not conceded a chance then you could possibly look up top but we were far from perfect in other areas of the pitch. I'm surprised nobody has mentioned it yet but both goals were Dudeks fault it seems to me, while our passing continues to lack fluency.
In terms of sabre's point about patience in posession I feel it's a fair one. I actually think Crouch must be very difficult to play against but only if used properly. He always going to more effective if the ball is worked into a widish position, say out by the full-back and hit crossfield from deep so your striker and midfielders can run under the flight of it and allow him to head into their path. At the moment it seems to me we hit him too straight and too early. He's never going to be a prolific scorer (though I've always said that strikers must score and he currently isn't scoring enough) but we are diminishing his considerable capacity to contribute to build up play by being too impatient to hit him.
All that said however, our strikers are not good enough. None of our front men would have won the penalty that Bent was erroneously awarded, and certainly none would have had the wherewithall to hit the bar like he did with the volley. Fowler can be given time, but there must be very few in the "morientes will come good" camp who truly believe that their prophecy will come to fruition. As for Cisse, I don't think even he thinks it's going to happen. The strikers are not the whole story, certainly not tonight but they are most of it for sure.

by **The Manhattan Project** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 12:16 am

Rafa will sort it all out eventually.

He'll sign the strikers we need and we'll be a more solid unit.

We are still third and a top four finish is the target. I think we'll still finish third place.

I don't think he'll go to Real Madrid. Over there, lose a few games and get some draws and they are already talking about looking for a new manager. And he'll have even less control over which players he buys due to their obsession with buying Galacticos (players with name recognition).

We are going through a bad patch for sure, and to be honest we never seem to do well in London for some reason (must be the air LOL) but the focus is now on Wigan and then Arsenal.

by **Sabre** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 12:29 am

The problem tonight is not just the strikers clearly. Had we have drawn 0-0 and not conceded a chance then you could possibly look up top but we were far from perfect in other areas of the pitch. I'm surprised nobody has mentioned it yet but both goals were Dudeks fault it seems to me, while our passing continues to lack fluency.

Yes, there were other problems tonite. Not sure about if it was Dudek's fault, but I think that we have commented this weels that with Riise weren't having much trouble in the left wing, today we had.

There are things that cannot be done when you are a top league player. The ball that Traore has passed to Dudek, with the ball bouncing, and then Dudek has kicked to the row Z, had me made said an Spanish bad expression that made the two girls they were beside me look at me shocked (after all I was the only one in the pub watching the game with passion).

You can't pass a ball that way to a keeper. A mate has commented that only Gerrard and Kewell know running with the ball and he's right, nor Cisse, nor Sissoko know that. Bad game of Sissoko to, he just doesn't get the tempo of the game. Cisse was not awful to be honest, I don't think he was a trouble today, except that he was part of this "let's do it fast and too early" madness.

by **RUSHIE#9** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 12:30 am

Ciggy wrote:
Sabre wrote:Can tell me why the fúck a Norwegian tries that on min 89 when we are losing 2-0 and in the bloody premier league? There are things that I don't understand. Like Dudek's risky dribling in min 15. Phew.

I don't think Rafa will be happy with all this, in fact he's been asking the same bloody thing everything he was focused by the camera, I guess it's because our players wouldn't listen. I'd love to hear what Rafa says about this game.

You know the first thing I said on sunday was, He will jack it in, when reina got sent off, he had this look about him like feck it.
Stick yer prem up yer @rse sort of thing.
I said to me mum after the game he will leave, and I think If Real Madrid come in for him he will go.
I think he can handle the pressure, but I dont think he needs it or wants it.
He has very young children and it takes up all your time.
TBH I cannot see Rafa being here in the long term TBH.
If he is then he is more of a man I ever thought he was, But I cannot see him being at Liverpool F.C for 20 years.

My oh My CIGGS, thats quite a statement. I just hope like hell that you're wrong 'cos if Rafa does jack it in I think we'll well and truly be up shit creek without the proverbial paddle.
I'm no expert on the life and times of Rafael Benitez but i just don't get the impression that he is a quitter. Yes he walked out on Valencia but that had nothing to do with the job being too pressurized by poor results; it was all down to a board member forcing him out as we know. I don't think that we can call the current poor form a crisis like some numpties on here will be calling it, it's just a blip and i'm sure that on sunday Rafa was just fed-up with the Robben theatrics but until the board really start to put money - substantial money at that - into rafa's transfer kitty there are gonna be small doubts festering at the back of Rafa's mind.

Again CIGGY i hope you haven't got a psychic link to rafa's brain 'cos a Liverpool without him simply scares the living sh[B]i[I]t outta me. :oh:

by **Rastalovich** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 12:32 am

I`ve not seen a game in a whole while that I can securely say we played well there.

The second half of the CL final was absolutely commendable - no1 in the world can argue with that, it was a complete smash`n`grab in every sense of the phrase and every1 connected will get that recognition. But to be fair it`s a cup one-off, and it`s not going to bode well for a league season, unless u want u`r players going mad. U also can`t argue with the whole CL campaign, there were some really good performances, especially from players who go missing on saturdays.

I`ve seen stats at the end of `another` :censored:

game (game as a whole) to which it shows we`ve `dominated`, or these days means 53% or so - and I know myself the majority of this has been passes sideways across the pitch and then a h-oof upfield. Looking for Crouch in the main, who granted gets contact with the ball a high % of the time, but more often than not doesn`t end in retaining possesion. Replace Crouch with any of the other guyz up to now and u`d get the same result usually. It`s highly unfair to blame Crouch for this, or to discredit him totally as :censored:

b`coz of it.

Sometimes it comes off, and to be fair I`ve noticed it`s when he/they bobble down the long ball and it lands at the feet of some1 like Gerrard, who then continues the buildup etc. More often than not in this case Gerrard then scores. BUT on too many an occasion SG is around the pitch, imo, pitching in for another player - rightly or wrongly. If he`s gonna continue like this, then I feel u have to say to Alonso, stay just off the forwards - which is really a waste of his talents, he can spray the ball around like nobody`s business, accurately. Which leaves u needing a holding/ballwinner, with alot of heart and control, easy control, safe passing and no h-oofing. Sisso, imo, is not up to this, OR, SG feels he`s not up to this, OR, it`s neither of their downfall b`coz of the system they`re playing. Either way, our central midfield is wayward, the central area is the boss of everything - even if u play a wide game, the ball has to be played wide.

IF some of our forward were in a situation where their delivery was that much more controlled, I think they`d have more opportunities to finish. Some may say that isn`t enough coz they`re not good enough, but I don`t think they`ve had that option up to now. I dunno, it`s hard to critcize the forwards playing style when Cisse receives the ball on the corner of the box and his closest player is either Crouch in the center or Finnan behind him. Which results in either a bad cross for Crouch (which to be fair Cisse is not a crossing winger) or a pass to Finnan who`s option is the similar cross to Crouch (Finnan equally not being a crossing winger) - in anycase the ball is lost and the other team have possesion. --- something to that effect. Ugh.

Anywho, I`m waffling now, I`m just upset that a game in hand has drawn us closer to Spurs that the mancs.

When we playing Spurs ? sheesh.

/rant

by **skunkdogz** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 12:40 am

Are the strikers really our problem?

Middlesbrough are one place off the relegation zone. We ar 3rd in the league, both us and boro have scored 30 league goals this season.

by **Salvi Torres** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 12:58 am

i agree with ciggy , seriously guys i think rafa benitez will leave in the next couple of yrs.......
madrid is his club, always has been....if had a young ...family and were spanish would you not want to go home,,,,

i dont want rafa to leave....seriously he is a manager and a half, take him of jose maureen-o anyday---- rafa needs respect

dont go !!

by **Sabre** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 1:03 am

He won't bloody go. Where the fúck can I bet 100 quid that he'll be here next season?

I'll try to watch this face expression of last game, and let's see what I read in it but... he won't go. Unless he's sacked.

by **Salvi Torres** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 1:07 am

hope so , he doesnt seem like that kind of guy just thought the home connection might tempt him ,....

bonne nit

by **Alanay** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 1:34 am

RB is a good manager, and u can see how he control himself and show example to the players during difficult time (e.g. against chelsh&t, Luton - FA Game to be remembered and last nite). Always maintain his head up and inspiring the player. He hardly look down at the player. Dudek just came back to the 1st eleven and make 2 costly mistakes. But, I don't think he will slam Dudek.

I strongly believe the attacking dept is where the problem is. We do not have strikers who can break and open-up the opponent's defence. Somehow, the partnership upfront is not in a good shape as yet. How many times do you see our strikers can position themselves in the shooting/killing position lately ? Hardly. Only just now, I saw Moriented managed to get a good shot at the goal. It's just either too crowded or no support / third man when we pushed the ball into the opponent's box.

BUT, I do believe RB is working on this!

by **Squigels** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 2:08 am

Madrid though is the very opposite of what Benitez believes in.

Induvidiuals,no attacking play, superstar names.

Benitez turned you from a couple of decent players and more wannabes into a cohesive solid unit in 12 months with a few million.
Not just who he brought in. Apart from Alonso i aint sure bout some of them as footballers.But Carragher among others must have surpassed what potential you thought he had when he was a struggling full back.

He must have been thinking against the rentboys that bench cost more then my whole team did. Parry has to show the colour of his money and buy him a proper striker.

Does he really want to risk a great reputation on a couple of advertisment spaces.

by **Houllier=LFC** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 6:12 am

Strikers problem. Play always breaks up right outside opponents box due to inability of our forwards making good runs, poor linking up with the midfields, and the fact that none of them can take on defenders with true dribbling skills not just pace.

by **el_stinger** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 6:19 am

Sabre wrote:He won't bloody go. Where the fúck can I bet 100 quid that he'll be here next season?

I'll try to watch this face expression of last game, and let's see what I read in it but... he won't go. Unless he's sacked.

Compadre, he was shattered!! They had no explanation for what happened and that lacklustre performance against Charlton too, there was that face. He turned to Paco and even Paco looked bewildered.

To say that, you Ciggy, looked into his expression to say that he is giving up the ghost, is inconcievable. You can't read that from the frustration and anger he had at the referee. I think your looking too much into things. We're in a slump, all great teams go through it. Chelsea had until we played them, and now they're back on track. We just need a win to rejuvenate our season and give our players a second wind from a long and exhausting season.

by **red_guy** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 6:51 am

I agree with saber. Rafa's not going anywhere esp. madrid. Going there (madrid) can be considered as suicide. From the first day madrid sign luxemburgo, i knew that he's not gonna be there for long. Luxemburgo's only a puppet to them. At least here, rafa has the freedom to do things that he thinks best for the club.

Strikers problem? maybe...if our strikers cant score, yes it's a problem indeed. Maybe there's a problem with midfield too.
Dominating the game without scoring one...not good.

by **Fernando Morientes > 19 <** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 7:36 am

We just need a link-up player between midfield and attack.

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