Liverpool FC Forum

by **Madmax** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 5:28 am

Aussie Style wrote:If we want to be taken seriously, surely we can't have Benayoun, Kuyt or Lucas in the starting 11. As soon as I saw all 3 on the team sheet last night I could see the writing on the wall. You must feel for Robbie Keane, they don't play him with Torres, they don't play him without Torres. What has he done wrong? Surely something has happened. Did Benitez want him or was it just a board buy to make up for no Barry? game and a night. Got kicked out of the pub we were watching the game at around the 70th minute and then couldnt find anywhere else to watch the last 20 at 6am. Hopefully Manure and the Chavs start dropping a few of these games as well or we might be saying goodbye to our title hopes again.

We cant keep in relying on mannure and chelsea on dropping points. Than again rafa did say the only way we will win the title is if they drop alot of points. IMHO a defeatest view. To win the title we have to win and 4 defos against the lower teams. Win by a brill performance,dire,ugly who cares.

by **RedRoots** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 6:38 am

Emerald Red wrote:
aCe' wrote:
Emerald Red wrote:
RedRoots wrote:Thats it, im sticking 100 quid on united tomorrow, at least it'll lessen the blow if they do win.

Are you high?

I'd take a Chelsea win anytime over them other c*nts. Think about it: it knocks them back even if Chelsea close the gap to a point, we're still top.

Gosh why is everyone so thick tonight ?!

u bet 100quid on the mancs winning it..

A) if chelsea win... good for us... fck the 100quid we got a decent result that works okayish for us

B) they draw... all the better.. fck the 100quid

C)manutd win... u make money..thus the "soften the blow" remark...

GEEZ

What?

Stop trying to justify a stupid comment. He was talking pure balls. End of.

Listen man, i think ace actually explained what i meant there for the folks including yourself who didnt quite get the gyst of it the first time. I'm a betting man and if im doing anything tomorrow itll be a united win. As i already said 'to lessen the blow'. But no i suppose you're such a hardcore fan you've never done a bet on a united player to score first or even united in an accum. Or maybe you're so hardcore you've never even had a unitex player in fantasy football. I apologise for your delicate sensitivities.

Anyway just back from a night poker with my utd. Mates and i won 60 quid so i think i'll stick it on a utd win......tomorrow! If its a united win i can drown my sorrows with the winnings.

by **Thinkpad** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 6:50 am

maguskwt wrote:On this forum, there are those who hate Kuyt, there are those who hate Benayoun, there are those who hate Lucas, there are those who hate Babel, there are those who hate Keane, there are those who hate Aurelio, there are those who hate Arbeloa, etc. If Rafa plays one of these players and the result doesn't go our way, Rafa is to be blamed.

Is it? I dunno if complaining about players inability to pass, trap a pass or dribble is really about hating a player. I can't see anyone coming to the forum and say I hate this player or I hate that player.. I think most of us have nothing against these players. Just that they are not performing or delivering a level of service that are expected of them. They do get pay you know. They don't play for Liverpool for free due to their love of football and Liverpool. So we should treat them like professionals and scold them if they can't do basic things. Hate is such a strong word...

by **milou** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 6:52 am

RAFA FRUSTRATED AFTER STOKE STALEMATE
10 January 2009

Rafael Benitez could not hide his frustration after his side were held to a goalless draw by Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium.
The Reds have increased their advantage at the top of the table to four points and came close to winning when Steven Gerrard hit the post in stoppage time.

"I thought we started really well," said Benitez. "For 20-25 minutes we had plenty of possession and control and after that we gave them belief and hope with throw-ins, free-kicks and corners.

"The second half was 50-50 and they had options from set pieces again. It's a game we could have lost and also one we could have won.

"Gerrard hit the bar and post but these kind of games are really difficult against a team that was working hard and had 10 players behind the ball.

"It's not easy to find the space and to create many opportunities, so we have to be pleased we have one more point, we are still at the top of the table and in a great position.

"Always when you are top of the table you try to win every game. Today we couldn't so we will look to win against Everton in the next game."

***************************************************************

10 players behind the ball? Did Rafa watch the same game as me? Excuse excuse.. :no

by **Ciggy** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 7:01 am

I watched the match in bed due to this man flu Ive got and went to sleep after it, I cannot understand why we had over 50 million pounds worth of strikers on the bench for starters. :no

What has Robbie Keane done so wrong not to start against Stoke or Newcastle i felt so feckin sorry for the bloke last night, when he had his head in his hands he looked like a broken man.

the team that was picked for newcastle was a gamble and it payed off, that team last night mirrored the game against Portsmouth last season where we fecked up our title chances.

When will Rafa learn play your best feckin team let the oppo worry about us, not the other way around FFS.

It was Stoke a gang of yard dogs, masquerading as footballers, the only thing they have going for them is that big eared Delap throw in they think they have won the league when they get a throw in small time kunts.

Dont even get me started on the songs they where singin either ""Who the feckinell are you" is very appropriate indeed. The state of them.

And that court hearing in clearly on Gerrards mind, and god did we miss Alonso or what that Lucas was awful along with that referee.

by **maypaxvobiscum** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 7:04 am

the ref looks like a scumbag manc fan honestly. i didnt like his face.

by **maguskwt** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 7:09 am

Thinkpad wrote:
maguskwt wrote:On this forum, there are those who hate Kuyt, there are those who hate Benayoun, there are those who hate Lucas, there are those who hate Babel, there are those who hate Keane, there are those who hate Aurelio, there are those who hate Arbeloa, etc. If Rafa plays one of these players and the result doesn't go our way, Rafa is to be blamed.

Is it? I dunno if complaining about players inability to pass, trap a pass or dribble is really about hating a player. I can't see anyone coming to the forum and say I hate this player or I hate that player.. I think most of us have nothing against these players. Just that they are not performing or delivering a level of service that are expected of them. They do get pay you know. They don't play for Liverpool for free due to their love of football and Liverpool. So we should treat them like professionals and scold them if they can't do basic things. Hate is such a strong word...

the point flew over your head... :;):

by **Ciggy** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 7:10 am

maypaxvobiscum wrote:the ref looks like a scumbag manc fan honestly. i didnt like his face.

That ref was a gobsh!te end of.

That was his 4th game incharge for Stoke they won 3 drawn 1.

Enough said, dirty big yard dog bullies one flung Gerrard into the hordings he give them a goal kick, the other prolapsed Skytel whilst strangeling him and the corner flag in the process no yellow card nothing.

by **Thinkpad** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 7:23 am

Some of the comments here about being positive and not critical of the team, and managers need to be examined.
Man Utd would not have been so successful if Mr Fergusson is not a hair dryer.
The team has to be self critical if it wants success.
Remember what Theirry Henry said about not celebrating his goal?
This is what he said:
“In England they asked me why I didn’t celebrate my goals. I will explain something to you.
“I was ten years old. I finished a game in which I scored six goals. I got into my father’s car and I saw he was very serious.
“I asked him what had happened and he asked me if I was pleased. I answered yes but he started counting out my mistakes, that I had missed a cross in the tenth minute, I missed a chance in the 14th minute and another time I failed to control the ball. Every game was like that.

“Ever since then when I scored a goal I thought of what I had done wrongly previously in the game instead of celebrating.

This is the mark of champions...

What is not a mark of champions???
Could not score and win a match because it is the game plan of the opposition to get a draw.
What happened to OUR game plan? Does our game plan not have any impact to change the game?
How come only the opposition game plan matters and not OUR game plan?
Yeah we got injuries.. so does every team. It is something that every team has to deal with.
The thing is..We can't change the cards we're dealt, just how we play the hand.

Also please stop spotting nonsensical excuses about still being on the top, about the positives of not losing where a draw is definitely better. Stop having a myopic view and a false sense of security by being on top now because it doesn't matter since the team that is on top at the end is the winner... NOT the team being on top now is the winner. They don't award points for being on top for the most weeks. We have to look at the whole picture, can we afford to drop points? If the answer is no then be critical.. demand for improvement. Take charge of our own destiny instead of relying on others to fail so we can succeed.

Lastly, the "give Rafa more time and more money" brigade better have their head check. If Rafa is still experimenting and learning about EPL he is too damn slow a learner. In a real world he could probably be categorize as a retard. So stop demeaning Rafa and respect that he is NOT a retard and has already know the EPL inside out. The only reason for buying so many duds and not wining the league is because he is not as great as we WANT him to be. This we have to accept...

by **Ciggy** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 7:37 am

Lando_Griffin wrote:Have you and a few others forgotten that Keane couldn't hit a cow's anus with George Formby's favourite instrument Vs Preston?

I think you and a few others have...

Kuyt hasnt scored in 10 games now yet got picked to play upfront, come on lando that team was cr@p yesterday, play 4-4-2 against a team in the relegation zone, Rafa showed them far to much respect bet they where rubbing their hands seeing 50 odd million pounds worth of strikers sitting on the bench.
Rafa played right into their hands he fecked up take your rose tinted glasses off for a sec mate we where awful.

by **tonyeh** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 8:27 am

s@int wrote:Very disappointing result. I thought Stoke played a very simple and effective game against us. Their midfield players just tried to hold up our players on the break and their strikers pressurised our midfield. With a midfield player in front of them and a striker behind them, our midfield had no real outlets except sideways.

I think apart from the frustrating wait till our subs came on (why always wait till after the hour mark? ) we just showed again our lack of creativity.

For those that say we should have played 4-4-2 or that Alonso would have made the difference or that Keane should have played etc etc :- Reina ,Arbeloa ,Carragher ,Skrtel ,Dossena ,Kuyt ,Gerrard ,Alonso ,Riera (Babel ,65 ) ,Keane (Benayoun ,73 ) ,Torres
Subs not used: Cavalieri,Agger,Mascherano,Leiva Lucas,Degen,

THAT WAS THE TEAM THAT DREW 0-0 AT HOME AGAINST STOKE.

We desperately need to find a way of breaking down these teams that see a draw as being a huge victory.We need some form of plan "b", whether it be a target man or an early change of formation when things arn't going well.

Yes, that team may have drew against Stoke first time round, but they created more chances than the team that was fielded yesterday. There were just 2 chances created yesterday.

At least the 4-4-2 offers a better attack option and something may come of it.

Rafa knew, or should have known, that Stoke were going to set up two lines of four. So why the hell did he choose to go out with a defensive formation against that? That was just stupid. Liverpool may have drawn in the first round, but playing that nonsense formation yesterday certainly was NEVER EVER going to get a better result.

Yesterday just exposed the extreme limitations of Rafa's managing ability and that could cost us the title in the end. His petty and stubborn attitude, coupled with a ridiculous inflexiblity, may lash back in his face before long.

by **maypaxvobiscum** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 8:48 am

Ciggy wrote:
maypaxvobiscum wrote:the ref looks like a scumbag manc fan honestly. i didnt like his face.

That ref was a gobsh!te end of.
That was his 4th game incharge for Stoke they won 3 drawn 1.
Enough said, dirty big yard dog bullies one flung Gerrard into the hordings he give them a goal kick, the other prolapsed Skytel whilst strangeling him and the corner flag in the process no yellow card nothing.

yeah! i was amazed i mean he bloody pushed Gerrard soooo obviously and no free kick whatsoever! Gerrard could've hurt himself there. ive been doing a bit of thinking and i remembered where i seen that ref.

lord of the rings the two towers

by **Bretc** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 10:19 am

Once again, Rafa baffled me with his team selection. How on earth can an average striker like Kuyt be selected over Torres and Keane?! Ok, so Kuyt can run and close down whole day long BUT can he score FFS?! NO!!! Fair enough, if Rafa can't bear to leave Kuyt on the bench, then FFS play him on the right flank! Play him far away from the goal so that he dun waste valuable chances!!! It's a joke to see 40 million pounds worth of striking talents on the bench and an average striker playing as our main striker! It's an even greater joke to see this coming from potential champions! Or are we potential champs? Are we, RAFA BENITEZ?!?!?! Answer the bloody question!

by **Owzat** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 10:33 am

I did wonder how much the ref read into what Rafa said about fergie being in their ears, they could read that as suggesting they are open to influence and our ref might have decided that he wouldn't "favour the big team". At least he was consistent, if our striker backed into their defender he gave Stoke the foul, if their striker backed into our defender he gave Stoke the foul :laugh:

(consistent factor being Stoke)

But we were poor, Rafa gets a big 1/10 for tactics from start, through ineffective substitutions to finish. We played Kuyt alone up front, he is most effective on the right and has been fairly poor up front. Rafa should have started with Torres, he could even have changed things at half time, but he waits until around the hour mark before making a substitution (taking Riera off) We could have gone 4-4-2 or started with it, I'm no big fan of Keane but when Rafa has it in his head not to use him then he stays sat on the bench.

Simple fact is Rafa can be clueless, I certainly agree with milou (not the first time this morning) that Rafa must have been watching a different game if he thinks Stoke played 10 behind the ball. They defended with 10 men behind the ball, so did we when they attacked We defended too many throws and corners, just about coped in fact. We've had a problem with weaker sides for a while now, sides newly promoted or those who end the season relegated.

Relegated 07/08 (Brum, Reading, Derby) : P6 W3 D2 L1 PTS 11/18 (Won 50.00%)
Promoted 08/09 (Stoke, Hull, WBA) : P4 W1 D3 L0 PTS 6/12 (Won 25.00%)

While the mancs struggled to beat Hull and Stoke, they did so. We couldn't beat Hull or Stoke, Man Utd have won all three games against them so gained six points in that battle while Chelsea have won both their games so, having played a game less against them, have twice as many points against them.

For me this was a crucial game, a chance to put a bit of serious space between us and the other title contenders. I'm now wondering if we're not just pace-setters, I believe the mancs can go ahead of us before we play next. Fixtures don't do the mancs any favours? Do me a favour, I gather it will be a mild afternoon when they play rather than a cold Saturday evening with a (our) team full of South Americans, Spanish and others used to warmer climates. That was also our third away game in a row, spread over 14 days so we can't get any momentum.

If we want a positive, we're in a run of 12 unbeaten in all competitions. We have won seven of those, but only four of those wins in the league

by **Owzat** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 10:43 am

Ciggy wrote:
Lando_Griffin wrote:Have you and a few others forgotten that Keane couldn't hit a cow's anus with George Formby's favourite instrument Vs Preston?

I think you and a few others have...

Kuyt hasnt scored in 10 games now yet got picked to play upfront, come on lando that team was cr@p yesterday, play 4-4-2 against a team in the relegation zone, Rafa showed them far to much respect bet they where rubbing their hands seeing 50 odd million pounds worth of strikers sitting on the bench.
Rafa played right into their hands he fecked up take your rose tinted glasses off for a sec mate we where awful.

I don't think the formation makes an iota of difference when so many players have a poor game. We had five in midfield but didn't control it, we missed a few chances - mostly late on from Gerrard - but they looked likelier to score.

Criticism of Kuyt is a bit harsh, he wasn't great by any stretch, but he hit one of our better early shots having misdirected a header that maybe Torres would have scored (maybe not), but did he get much help from Gerrard? You could argue that until Torres came on Gerrard was as poor as anyone, maybe he is trying to get Kuyt sacked as striker by only playing when his playmate Torres is on. I bet Gerrard wouldn't have picked that formation.

But Rafa makes me laugh, Riera was far from the worst player on the pitch and was first off. Mascherano, Gerrard, Kuyt and Lucas were all relatively poor and none of them came off. Fair play to Babel, he came on and did better than most had done all game (for a change)

But aren't we square pegging round holes again? Kuyt most effective on the right used as a striker, Benayoun's not a RM and definiteley not a LM as he move across when Riera went off and Carra isn't a RB. (some might say Lucas isn't a CM but I'll resist gifting them that one) Three players not playing in their best position, some not really good enough to be playing so results like this are maybe inevitable when you have such a voluntary makeshift line up and a manager who seems to use tic tacs rather than tac tics

And whoever said about not hitting a cow's anus with George Formby's favourite musical instrument : George Formby played a ukelele (sp?) not a banjo

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