Liverpool FC Forum

by **LittleHobo** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 8:34 pm

i like kuyt personally

not many strikers would have ran that ball down for the 1st goal

pure determination

however i would like him to get in the box 100% more

by **Dundalk** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 8:35 pm

Rafa-Dodd wrote:
LittleHobo wrote:Torres for us will be like a faster version of drogba

Go and lick your windows.

by **LittleHobo** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 8:36 pm

Rafa-Dodd wrote:
LittleHobo wrote:Torres for us will be like a faster version of drogba

Go and lick your windows.

what do you mean by this?

i think torres is drogba like

he has everything needed to be a great forward player....pace, power, technique, causes defenders headaches cause turns and runs with power

by **destro** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 8:37 pm

Rafa-Dodd wrote:
LittleHobo wrote:Torres for us will be like a faster version of drogba

Go and lick your windows.

Not heard that for ages, made me spit my Tea out !

by **Dundalk** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 8:40 pm

LittleHobo wrote:
Rafa-Dodd wrote:
LittleHobo wrote:Torres for us will be like a faster version of drogba

Go and lick your windows.

what do you mean by this?

i think torres is drogba like

he has everything needed to be a great forward player....pace, power, technique, causes defenders headaches cause turns and runs with power

Will he dive, will he cheat, will he complain to the ref after every decision , will he go to the ground and look for a free kick and try and get a man sent off after the ball hit him in the face (CL Semi Final Anfield).

I think not

by **Dundalk** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 8:45 pm

Highlights

http://www.dailymotion.com/relevan....a_sport

by **adamnbarrett** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 9:05 pm

Good result today. In previous seasons we'd of drew that game 1-1 but hopefully our luck is finally changing.

I was impressed with the combinations of Torres and Kuyt, they linked up well. Kuyt was making good runs and creating danger. Special mention to Kuyt as he ran his socks off as always.

Unfortunately the delivery of both Riise and Pennant today were not so good which lead to us playing through the middle. But with Gerrard and Alonso in the middle we had the players in the middle with so much creativity that we actually could play through the middle. Whereas we'd of not been able to do that with say e.g. Sissoko in there, because then we'd of only had one player trying to create and feed balls through and it is easy to read for the opposition. That is certainly where we've failed in the past.

I'm not going to pretend that today's performance was brilliant because it wasn't. In the first half definately from Agger and Carra there were far too many long balls upto the strikers that were easily cut out. This was one of the main reasons we didn't keep the ball.

That leads me onto something else, keeping possession. Against a better team, we'd of been put to the sword because of the amount of times we gave the ball away in the first half. The goal came at a good time because we were creating nothing because we were losing the ball and just hoofing it from the back. One moment of brilliance got us that goal.

I stated earlier in this thread that I was glad Riise was on the wing because he's poor defensively and he gives us more options with his shooting ability. Even though his crossing was not the best today, we looked more stable in defence and he got into good positions offensively. This proved my point.

Steven Gerrard looked more like himself today, possibly because he was back in the middle? He was everywhere. The driving force that probably hasn't been the same since 2005 looked as if it was back slightly. He was more energetic and not strolling round the park like he was doing for periods of last season. I think if he continues to pull performances like that out the bag then it makes us a much much better team.

Second half was much better because we kept the ball better, spread out to the wings and used them to our advantage and hit Villa on the break. The second half is kind of what I expect to see from us away from home.

I have to be honest here and say even though we deserved to win, we were lucky. We did not put our chances away and it could have cost us. But in saying that the Villa goalie was good today.

3 points on Day 1, very happy.

by **Dundalk** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 9:14 pm

What Rafa thought..........

"We deserved to win the game and it was a special goal from Gerrard," enthused Benitez.

"We showed great character after Villa were given a penalty and we kept going forward and got the goal. It was important for us to win the first game.

"I know we created a lot of chances but you have to say the Villa goalkeeper was really good and he was the man of the match.

"I thought Torres did well and worked hard and his understanding with Kuyt was really good."

by **The Manhattan Project** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 9:25 pm

Good start to the season.

Hicks and Gillett are slightly richer today, because Randy Lerner lost a bet with them.

He said that Villa would beat LFC, or he'd give H/G a new oil tanker.

by **heimdall** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 9:39 pm

The Manhattan Project wrote:Good start to the season.

Hicks and Gillett are slightly richer today, because Randy Lerner lost a bet with them.

He said that Villa would beat LFC, or he'd give H/G a new oil tanker.

Ah, so that's why O'Neill was looking so worried and was bumbling his way through the interview :oh:

Overall I was pleased with the game but not too amused with Setanta who only enabled my channel after 2 minutes of overtime :veryangry

Still a good start and onwards and upwards I think. Still think we need some wingers, please please please buy Quaresmo Rafa!!

by **GRIMM599** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 9:40 pm

i know its been posted but......i need to say it again!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrryWFt7SII

I am playing this on repeat before the match. and more so after! this is something i would nearly say rafa should show the lads before a game...as doent it really spark you off? IF DOES FOR ME!

GWAN THE POOL

YNWA!!!

by **bigmick** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 10:26 pm

I thought it was a decent enough performance. We'll have to play a lot better and we will, but we at least showed a desire to go on and win the game after tiring badly in the second half and Conceding the (correctly awarded) penalty. The good thing was Rafa picked a sensible team. I said three weeks ago that he needed to pick ten of the eleven obvious choices for the team in the first game and Arbeloa was the only surprise. A far cry from last seasons fiasco at Bramhall Lane and at least now we're up and running.

As for the players I thought there were many positives. Torres did enough in the first half to show he at least has enough ability to make a huge impact. I can see what sabes is on about with his finishing though, the one which was saved before the goal wasn't the attempt of a natural born goalscorer. I think he needed to open his body up more to make the ball going either side of the keeper a possibility. As it was he hit it at a good hieght for the keeper and he wion't score often from those situations like that. Fowler or Garcia would probably have openend right up and given the keeper "the eyes". I like him though. On the ball he has a flow about him which only the very best posess, and I think he'll make it.

I liked Arbeloa who I thought did a solid job, Kuyt I thought was better and deserves credit for the goal, while Alonso was very encouraging for me and was just about our best player. Gerrard was his usual self with moments of sheer quality injecting into the game a kind of "fast forward" function, whereby everything changes up a gear. His free-kick was obviously out of this World, but no more than either he or we should expect from one of the best players on the planet. Sorry to not sound more grateful but it's time we all realised that he is actually that good.

The one minus was the petulance and silliness of Pennant who was lucky the ref didn't over-react. He needs his erse kicking and no mistake. All in all though a good start and we'll definately improve. I know, lets let these blokes play together again so they can develop more of an understanding! Theres an idea.

by **t-h-o-m** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 10:32 pm

could somebody post a link where i can see the goals, please?

by **roberto green** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 10:36 pm

Well it is good we had the win we deserved in the end, who thought it was da ja vu all over again, the story of last season were we controlled the game and missed a host of chances only to regret it later in the game fortunatly we never tho.Quite alot of positves to take from the game tho like the potential striker partenership of kuyt and torres,torres showed enough on his debut to indicate he is going to be a very important player for us and he fitted in very well.toress was unlucky not to score on the lead up to the first goal and after we scored the first goal we then took the game by the scruff of the neck and like in recent seasons you thought we would eventually pay for our missed chances and we did briefly which i thought was a bit harsh against jamie,its a good job for martin oniel they did because i think he thinks every decision is stacked against him and he moans about eveythink,can i say how made up we never got him as our manager all he seems to have is passion and he talks poo, so after they levelled the scoring your thinking same old story again but with gerrard in central midfield again you know there is more drive in the team and although he was a bit fortunate to get the freekick, what a freekick it was, Ryan Babel looked very impressive when he come on to and went close, i wasnt over impressed with pennant and think this is a make or break season for him and babel could feature a lot more down that side if pennant doesnt deliver,and just to say how in impressed i was with sentantas coverage i didnt have a clue what emanuel petit was going on about and the presenter was clearly reading of a cue,macca was ok wearing his normal suit ,i saw him wearing the same one at the races in april lol:D

by **adamnbarrett** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 10:51 pm

Maybe it's a good thing Torres didn't score on his debut.

In recent years Liverpool players who score on their debuts turn out to be shite:

Diouf
Heskey
Cisse
Xavier

Let the list go on.

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