Liverpool FC Forum

by **kirankara** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 2:22 pm

Personally i think all the new arrivals bar Dirk kuyt havent settled well, but then to be honest i expected our team to struggle a bit early in season due to new players and new tactics and formations. However i feel some of the abuse they have received has been unfair, especially comments made towards jermaine pennant and mark gonzalez, very few players come from abroad and setlle immediately, look at henry, ronaldo, shevchenko, drogba etc, i am frustrated as anyone at our position , but think that given time they will come good, i have felt that both pennant and gonzo have made notable improvement in recent games and until their injuries last night thought they were playing well, allthough a bit inconsistent. Anyway hope others are prepared to support our players and give them encouragement to succeed, cause that is the one thing that seperates the fans of this club from others, that we get behind the club and players like no other club can, personally as well i think that its hardly going to help the players confidence with fans berating them. I almost even managed to applud bolo zenden last night, but then he ruined it by making a mistake lol. ok guys and gals Youll never walk alone

by **Bad Bob** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 2:28 pm

Zenden was sound last night and Pennant looked better than he did on Saturday, but of course he would have to, wouldn't he? Seriously, he was very poor at Boro and frustrated to no end. Last night was a better performance from him but he still needs to track back better, get into more dangerous positions more often and get in more telling crosses. Look at the ball Gerrard whipped in first time, yesterday (the one Crouchy couldn't quite get on the end of). If Pennant could produce that quality of cross, consistently, he'd be a devastating asset for us.

by **RUSHIE#9** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 3:47 pm

Bad Bob wrote:Zenden was sound last night and Pennant looked better than he did on Saturday, but of course he would have to, wouldn't he? Seriously, he was very poor at Boro and frustrated to no end. Last night was a better performance from him but he still needs to track back better, get into more dangerous positions more often and get in more telling crosses. Look at the ball Gerrard whipped in first time, yesterday (the one Crouchy couldn't quite get on the end of). If Pennant could produce that quality of cross, consistently, he'd be a devastating asset for us.

I have to admit that Zenden did alright last night but then again he couldn't get much worse

. Having missed the last two league games I haven't seen how Pennants been playing but last night I just felt he looked very lazy at times. McAllister :bowdown

made a good point in the commentry that when he was putting a cross in during the 2nd half he just took the easy option of putting it up into the box and hoping that one of our strikers would try to get on to it. Instead he should be picking out one of them a driving the ball in making their job easier. (I think it was something like this!). I could see what he was getting at and I can also see why Rafa continues to play Stevie out on the right side when Momo & alonso are fit.
In the end me and me auld fella were saying that when he went down injured he couldn't decide whether he was coming off with a hamstring problem or facial problem. We may be doing the lad an injustice but at times he does look like he'd rather be somewhere else than on the pitch in the red shirt.

He has got a lot of improving to do IMO, like BOB says Gerrard whipped in one cross and it was much better than all of pennants put together. It's a bit hard to judge whether he's improving on last nights game alone due to him spending a portion of time on the left but he is looking like a bit of an expensive flop at the moment to me. Only time will tell.

by **Ola Mr Benitez** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 3:48 pm

Bad Bob wrote:Zenden was sound last night and Pennant looked better than he did on Saturday, but of course he would have to, wouldn't he? Seriously, he was very poor at Boro and frustrated to no end. Last night was a better performance from him but he still needs to track back better, get into more dangerous positions more often and get in more telling crosses. Look at the ball Gerrard whipped in first time, yesterday (the one Crouchy couldn't quite get on the end of). If Pennant could produce that quality of cross, consistently, he'd be a devastating asset for us.

I agree with what you are saying, but there are not many players in the world who could have pulled that Gerrard pass off. It was breathtaking!

I think Pennant is slowly getting better as his confidence is growing. The original poster is right, we need to get behind our boys and help them believe in themselves!

by **joko** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 4:19 pm

pennant was good, so he is a good player
pennant was bad, so he's cr@p
pennant playing good again, he's praised to the sky

why not see the bigger picture

too easy

by **jkop** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 4:24 pm

Pennant did a bit better last night, with Momo out and Stevie in the middle hopefully Pennant will get a lot more match time on the right wing. So maybe with more match time we will see the Pennant everyones expecting.

by **SouthCoastShankly** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 5:04 pm

jkop wrote:Pennant did a bit better last night, with Momo out and Stevie in the middle hopefully Pennant will get a lot more match time on the right wing. So maybe with more match time we will see the Pennant everyones expecting.

Exactly what i've been posting all along. i have seen enough quality when he played for Birmingham to see the potential he could have at a big club like Liverpool. Games is the key.

by **Bad Bob** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 5:10 pm

I certainly agree he needs more games and the confidence that grows from playing consistently. However, he also needs to work harder to raise his game a notch. As Rushie's pointed out, he needs to do more than just put the ball in the box--he needs to put it in dangerous areas where our strikers can attack the cross. Too often he seems to just stand the ball up and with a big keeper, like Schwarzer or the fella last night, that's an easy ball to come and claim.

Let me be clear though--I don't think the lad's a "flop" (too early for that judgment) and I'm still behind him. What I want to see, though, is more effort from him to raise his game and make himself truly worthy of the Red Shirt. If he puts that effort in, he'll have my full support.

by **mistyred** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 5:39 pm

There's alot of players that never ever play to their full potential game after game, Some seem to get better and some definately get worse but to single out certain players for special mention on 'Needing to improve' baffles me completely as the whole team could improve greatly.

by **Rafa D** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 6:25 pm

No.

Pennant has not improved at all. He was bad last night again and a lot of the fans were making their views on him public for the first time. His passing was awful and he did not look at ease at all. He has all the assets to be a good player for us but he is not doing it at the moment.

I don't think Pennant will ever be a great player for us. He looks too scared to play with the likes of Gerrard, Xabi and Carra. He is the proverbial small fish in the big pond now and he needs to show more confidence and be willing to try things.

He is not impressing me at all.

by **kirankara** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 6:44 pm

think ur very unreasonable there rafa to be honest, thought he put in good display at times and whipped in a few decent balls, not sayings hes worlds greatest, bur can see potential, but im sure you'll disagree, as you're probably one of these ppl that gave crouch hell too, but i think given some time he can improve as he is doing, but oh well, agree to disagree and all that:(

by **account deleted by request** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 7:05 pm

kirankara wrote:think ur very unreasonable there rafa to be honest, thought he put in good display at times and whipped in a few decent balls, not sayings hes worlds greatest, bur can see potential, but im sure you'll disagree, as you're probably one of these ppl that gave crouch hell too, but i think given some time he can improve as he is doing, but oh well, agree to disagree and all that:(

Rafa Dodd is usually very supportive of our players, and if he says Pennant is playing cr@p its something to be considered seriously.

I have never thought much of Pennant even when he was at Birmingham. There is no doubt he has ability, but he seems to be satisfied with hitting hopefull crosses into the box, rather than beating the full back and trying to pick out a player.

Hopefully Benitez will work with him and we will see some improvement (especially in the quality of his crosses.)

by **Rafa D** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 8:52 pm

kirankara wrote:think ur very unreasonable there rafa to be honest, thought he put in good display at times and whipped in a few decent balls, not sayings hes worlds greatest, bur can see potential, but im sure you'll disagree, as you're probably one of these ppl that gave crouch hell too, but i think given some time he can improve as he is doing, but oh well, agree to disagree and all that:(

I did state that Pennant had all the assets to be a good player for us. The potential is there, however since he came to Liverpool, he has not had one good match. His passing is not anywhere near the level required at a top club. Too many wayward balls. His first touch for somone so gifted is frankly shocking.

Where I was sitting last night people where giving him a lot of abuse. I will always give a player a chance, but out of the summer signings he has been the most dire performer consistently. He does not look happy and when Gerrard scored yesterday, his face was a picture. He looked very downhearted and you can see he has no belief in himself, which is vital in a wingers attributes.

For the record I always supported Crouchie and for you to suggest otherwise seems you do not know me, so therefore should not make an assumption.

by **66-1112520797** » Fri Nov 24, 2006 1:16 pm

Where I was sitting last night people where giving him a lot of abuse

Maybe thats why it seemed he wanted off the pitch, as he went down with his head in his hands and then clutched at his hamstring.

by **RUSHIE#9** » Fri Nov 24, 2006 3:49 pm

RUSHIE#9 wrote:It's a bit hard to judge whether he's improving on last nights game alone due to him spending a portion of time on the left but he is looking like a bit of an expensive flop at the moment to me. Only time will tell.

I am prepared to give the lad time to adjust to the team and it would be premature to label him a flop at this stage. However as I said earlier his attitude seems to be all wrong at the mo. It could be that he IS very low on confidence, it could be that he feels like a small fish being taken from a small pond and thrown into the big pool (see what I did there?? :eyebrow

) with all of these big fish. I agree that a good run of games on the right may allow him to adapt to the side a strike up an understanding with the players around him. From what I've read on the 'net and in the press Rafa has given him his backing and as long as he starts to believe that he's good enough top be in the red shirt then he WILL improve. It's all down to that word again CONFIDENCE.

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