Liverpool FC Forum

by **Sabre** » Sun Aug 02, 2009 10:36 pm

I tried to watch the game but I couldn't because apparently justin.tv limits the amount of connections in my country. So I've been following your comments.

It's obvious that Rafa didn't care much about the result of this game. On front of you we had a la liga side, in a very important match of their history (it was not just a friendly but an opening game) and very motivated because they had a European top club on front of them. So we could expect a fairly tough game, not Thailands or Singapours.

Rafa preffered to keep making tests, and when you make tests in the back four these things happen. This game simply means that there's still work to be done, and perhaps it means that some players are not developed enough to be used in the first team. It was perhaps a test to see whether they're ready for a competitive game.

According to what you write the experiment went poo, but I wouldn't worry too much despite it's a bit embarrasing. Rafa simply preffered to make tests rather than trying to win the game.

by **JC_81** » Sun Aug 02, 2009 10:43 pm

Emerald Red wrote:
john craig wrote:
Emerald Red wrote:I love the way people will try to analyse and read into everything like we just lost 3 points or on the verge of bing knocked out of a CL semi-final with a poor performance in the first leg.

I love the way some people go into such denial when we play sh.ite

Denial what?

Listen, we aren't a sh*t side. FACT - pre season is not any guage to tell us how good or bad we are. You have to remember the circumstances. A lot of these players don't want injured. They can't risk it so they set themselves a tempo to play at. What's the point of busting a gut in a pointless friendly when you've been doing that in training all day beforehand then getting on ANOTHER plane the same night, then getting up again and doing another training season. It's all about fitness and sharpness. That's it. When's the last time we had a good pre-season anyway, and who actually gave a f*ck to remember it? Come the first game at Spurs, the team will know what's required.

No one said we were a shi.te side, but we did our best to convince people we were tonight.

The results don't matter, but the fact is that the performance, defensively especially, was completely unacceptable. How is it a pointelss friendly? If it was pointless we wouldn't fu.cking play it then would we?? Of course there's a point to it, and this close to the season it is not all about just getting a run out and avoiding injury, it's about organisation and pattern of play so that you don't go into the season looking like you'd never played together before.

As for suggesting that there's no point busting a gut because you'll be getting on a plane the same night, don't really see the argument - I'm sure they'll all manage to hop onto the bus and then make it up the stairs to the plane no matter how much running they do on the pitch - they are professional athletes after all, but whatever you think. As for that, it did look like they put the effort in, fitness wasn't the problem, it was everything else.

Like you say it might not matter a fu.ck against Spurs in a few weeks, but it does raise a few concerns. For me the defence is a worry. Johnson and Insua will likely start the season in the first XI and clearly both need to sharpen up, as does Carragher. Agger I'd hope will come in, but god help us if San Jose is the best 4th choice CB we can muster, the lad struggled all the way through and I dread to think what he'd be like in a faster paced Premiership game. But go on, stick your head back in the sand mate.

by **Emerald Red** » Sun Aug 02, 2009 10:56 pm

john craig wrote:
Emerald Red wrote:
john craig wrote:
Emerald Red wrote:I love the way people will try to analyse and read into everything like we just lost 3 points or on the verge of bing knocked out of a CL semi-final with a poor performance in the first leg.

I love the way some people go into such denial when we play sh.ite

Denial what?

Listen, we aren't a sh*t side. FACT - pre season is not any guage to tell us how good or bad we are. You have to remember the circumstances. A lot of these players don't want injured. They can't risk it so they set themselves a tempo to play at. What's the point of busting a gut in a pointless friendly when you've been doing that in training all day beforehand then getting on ANOTHER plane the same night, then getting up again and doing another training season. It's all about fitness and sharpness. That's it. When's the last time we had a good pre-season anyway, and who actually gave a f*ck to remember it? Come the first game at Spurs, the team will know what's required.

No one said we were a shi.te side, but we did our best to convince people we were tonight.

The results don't matter, but the fact is that the performance, defensively especially, was completely unacceptable. How is it a pointelss friendly? If it was pointless we wouldn't fu.cking play it then would we?? Of course there's a point to it, and this close to the season it is not all about just getting a run out and avoiding injury, it's about organisation and pattern of play so that you don't go into the season looking like you'd never played together before.

As for suggesting that there's no point busting a gut because you'll be getting on a plane the same night, don't really see the argument - I'm sure they'll all manage to hop onto the bus and then make it up the stairs to the plane no matter how much running they do on the pitch - they are professional athletes after all, but whatever you think. As for that, it did look like they put the effort in, fitness wasn't the problem, it was everything else.

Like you say it might not matter a fu.ck against Spurs in a few weeks, but it does raise a few concerns. For me the defence is a worry. Johnson and Insua will likely start the season in the first XI and clearly both need to sharpen up, as does Carragher. Agger I'd hope will come in, but god help us if San Jose is the best 4th choice CB we can muster, the lad struggled all the way through and I dread to think what he'd be like in a faster paced Premiership game. But go on, stick your head back in the sand mate.

Honestly, catch yourself on. It's a meaningless pre-season game. There's no alarm bells to be rang. Next week we'll probably go out and thump whoever we play in the next friendly. But you know what? Aye, that will be meaningless too. Spurs on the first day is what matters, and even then it's too early.

by **JC_81** » Sun Aug 02, 2009 11:06 pm

Emerald Red wrote:Honestly, catch yourself on. It's a meaningless pre-season game. There's no alarm bells to be rang. Next week we'll probably go out and thump whoever we play in the next friendly. But you know what? Aye, that will be meaningless too. Spurs on the first day is what matters, and even then it's too early.

The result is meaningless.

If pre-season games were 'meaningless' teams wouldn't play them.

by **GOAT** » Sun Aug 02, 2009 11:18 pm

What we're doing in pre season is gaining fitness and experimenting with various different things, trial and error, sorting out tactics, assessing strengths and weaknesses and we're obviously not going to push ourselves at our highest tempo for a friendly so the performance isnt going to be as good as a serious game, the performance doesnt bother me as much at this stage but we will be ready when the time comes

It's not a meanignless game but its nothing to cry about if we don't play at our best

by **tubby** » Sun Aug 02, 2009 11:35 pm

How was Degen tonight?

by **LFC2007** » Sun Aug 02, 2009 11:37 pm

bavlondon wrote:How was Degen tonight?

Shit.

by **JC_81** » Sun Aug 02, 2009 11:38 pm

bavlondon wrote:How was Degen tonight?

Terrible mate.

He was completely at fault for the second goal. Positionally he was all over the place at the back, but seemed keen to get forward.

by **tubby** » Sun Aug 02, 2009 11:40 pm

Well at least he managed to stay in once piece. But I hope he isn't going to be Johnsons backup for RB. Id rather have Carra or even maybe Darby. Wll have to check the highlights tomorrow.

by **account deleted by request** » Sun Aug 02, 2009 11:42 pm

bavlondon wrote:Well at least he managed to stay in once piece. But I hope he isn't going to be Johnsons backup for RB. Id rather have Carra or even maybe Darby. Wll have to check the highlights tomorrow.

I would perhaps give it a miss on this occasion Bav. Nothing to see here mate ..... just move on.

by **redbeergoggles** » Sun Aug 02, 2009 11:43 pm

Its only pre season but Espanol have delivered a veritable lesson in possession football, not seen since Valencia and in particular Aimar took the p*ss at Anfield .
I think I will not be alone in stating how uncomfortable I was watching the Reds tonight ,disjointed awkward on the ball are just some of the impressions I have gleamed from this dire display ,I hope against all hope Rafa is not of the notion of playing Degan in any game of any importance ever ,as for Mascherano how a player whose non de plume is Little Chief can allow his Midfield to be decimated is beyond me ,him and Lucas were so far apart Espanol could have played on space hoppers , I just pray this is out of our system now because this should be the worst it can get ,and hopefully it will

by **tubby** » Sun Aug 02, 2009 11:43 pm

Oh dear was it that bad?

Well on that note then it's off to bed.

by **Reg** » Sun Aug 02, 2009 11:55 pm

Emerald Red wrote:Our season is over.

and now we spend the next 9 months repeating it.... you got in early there mate! :laugh:

by **lakes10** » Sun Aug 02, 2009 11:56 pm

oh dear, that was very bad tonight, we looked unfit and did not look a team.

and dont even get me started on Degen.

we have our work cut out to be ready.

i think things are getting to the players..............mid week must be a lot better.

by **Reg** » Sun Aug 02, 2009 11:58 pm

Sabre wrote:Rafa simply preffered to make tests rather than trying to win the game.

Chr'ist Sabes, if he'd wanted to win the game he would have been better of playing himself and Sammy Lee than half those lads.

Babel managed to play down to the level of the youngsters.

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