Liverpool FC Forum

by **Emerald Red** » Sat Dec 26, 2009 10:08 pm

I missed the game. Slept through the day. My head is busted to f*ck.

by **andy_g** » Sat Dec 26, 2009 10:12 pm

i was distracted by all my mates nipping into the toilets every 10 minutes for a little pick me up, and other times making paper planes for my little lad to set on fire, but apart from that i thought we looked a different team today. i thought that aquilani offered us a great deal more fluidity and creativity, i thought that lucas had a good game, and that the overall balance and determination of the team was a massive improvement on recent weeks.

the defence still looked a bit iffy and needs some serious reminders about how to clear a ball, but a clean sheet and a win, despite the fact that the ref gave us a huge advantage with the sending off, can only give us a bit more confidence that we definitely need. so, well in lads.

by **Zidane** » Sat Dec 26, 2009 10:14 pm

Just finished watching the game and we played like we usually do in the first half, started off strong things didn't go our way and we went flat again for the rest of the half. Second half we came out strong and I think we probably would have nicked it eventually with or without the red card.

Torres looked bad all game he better come ready to play against Villa. I really hope we see more and more of Pacheco, I really like him he's full of confidence and we need players like that right now. Aquilani played well too some people are being too hard on him atm I think you have to understand that he will drift in and out of games in midfield with our form the way it is but he can obviously play. Until we win 3 in a row or something you should expect more of the same from the team, they still look like their confidence is :censored:

and a 2-0 win over wolves isn't going to help all that much anyway.

Anyway happy with the win, i'm off the day we play Villa so looking forward to that.

by **LiverpoolFC_Kopite** » Sat Dec 26, 2009 11:10 pm

Happy with the 3 points.

But we we were lucky they went down to 10 as we didn't look like creating a goal at all. Too slow still moving the ball around and hesitating on it. Torres was poor today but it's understandable..but crying out loud its Wolves why not just stick Ngog up top with him and see what happens eh? Johnson god knows whats happened to his confidence looks shot ever since that own goal. We seriously need to up our game when we play Villa as I can't see us getting anything playing like that. Defence were shakey again aswell, thought Aurelio was very poor too. Aqualani looked ok, played a few nice passes but misplaced a few and lost the ball a couple of times, is coming back from a lengthy lay off though so hope to see more cutting edge from him as he gets back to match sharpness, as he played the easy option too much which with Lucas there doesn't need to be nursing the ball side-to-side constantly.

On a positive note Pacheco looks like a player, confident not afraid to actually try and beat a man and looked brighter than anyone else today in his little cameo. Made up for Stevie aswell getting his goal, you could see what it meant to him.

by **Zidane** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 1:43 am

Another note as well, what a goal by Stevie. I still don't understand why Aurelio isn't at LB I know we're hurting at LM without Riera but eh, he should be in his natural position he offers us nothing at LM. Or switch out Insua/Aurelio Fabio is much better at LB than at LM.

by **made in UK** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 3:17 am

Thank God for that, 3 ponits well in.

by **Owzat** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 8:30 am

Zidane wrote:Just finished watching the game and we played like we usually do in the first half, started off strong things didn't go our way and we went flat again for the rest of the half.

It's inevitable at home you should be the stronger side for the first 20 mins or so. The opposition won't push forward while they're seeing how things go, last thing they want to do is concede early, so we should get a bit of possession and look the better side. The problem is once opposition work out how toothless we are, they gain in confidence and we go downhill

It was a workmanlike performance, not great but not that bad. Probably lucky the ref gave two relatively harsh yellows to their player (eventually), I think that gave our players a boost and took any sting out of them. Still wasn't convincing, but we don't lose the 19th game of the season and under Rafa we've won 80% of the games we score two goals in.

But we're still five points off fourth, they have a game in hand but we surely must beat them if we want to displace them. We're TWELVE points worse off than we were after 19 games last season, Chelsea are 12 points ahead of us

Chelsea 09/10 P19 W13 D3 L3 F43 A15 PTS 42 (GD +28)
Liverpool 08/09 P19 W12 D6 L1 F30 A12 PTS 42 (GD +18)
Liverpool 09/10 P19 W9 D3 L7 F36 A25 PTS 30 (GD +9)

Ironically we've scored six more goals this season and picked up 12 less points. While we did win three games 1-0 in the first half of last season, our goals were more evenly distributed. We didn't score more than four until the 20th game, 5-1 win over Newcastle

09/10 (19 games)

0 goals : P4 W0 D1 L3 (Won 0.00%)
1 goal : P4 W0 D0 L4 (Won 0.00%)
2 goals : P6 W4 D2 L0 (Won 66.67%)
3 goals : P2 W2 D0 L0 (Won 100.00%)
4+ goals : P3 W3 D0 L0 (Won 100.00%)

08/09 (19 games)

0 goals : P4 W0 D4 L0 (Won 0.00%)
1 goal : P5 W3 D1 L1 (Won 60.00%)
2 goals : P5 W4 D1 L0 (Won 80.00%)
3 goals : P5 W5 D0 L0 (Won 100.00%)
4+ goals : n/a

Both seasons have one thing in common, we never lost having scored two goals. We failed to score at all in four games out of the first 19 both this season and last, however last season's were mostly home draws against sides we should have beaten (Stoke, Fulham and West Ham) - as was the one 2-2 draw (Hull)

Most of the extra goals we've scored this season came because of big wins over Hull, Stoke and Burnley (14 goals). So you could point to our defence as being a big problem, six clean sheets in 19 this season compared to 11 last season at the same stage, it is also our inability to score more than one goal that has cost us - no wins in eight this season (three in nine last season despite being better defensively)

So that said, why did we play Aurelio on the left side of midfield when we need goals? That was only Gerrard's third from open play this season, Torres has scored on in his last six appearances and Lucas is no goal machine. We rested Kuyt, not surprised at that because it has been rumoured for quite a while now, so Aurelio was never going to offer much of a goal threat and wasn't it (ironically) Insua who put in the cross for Gerrard's goal?!?

Isn't it bad that we don't seem to have more than one or two options in certain positions? When it's not Riera or Benayoun on the left we play a LB there, when it's not Johnson at RB it's a toss up between Degen or a fill-in like Carra, when it's not Kuyt on the right then it has to be Benayoun, without Torres we're struggling for an adequate cover CF and finding two CMs is a struggle although it shouldn't be.

by **Owzat** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 8:48 am

For the record, Pacheco was the TWENTY-SIXTH player used in the Premiership by Rafa this season (already), last season we used only 23 over the 38 games. When England won the Ashes in 2005 for the first time since the late 80s, they used 12 players. There is something to be said for (more) consistent selection.

LFC Premiership appearances 09/10

19 Reina, Kuyt, Lucas, Benayoun
18 Carragher
17 Mascherano, Insua
16 GERRARD, Johnson
14 TORRES
11 Skrtel
10 Agger, N'Gog, Aurelio
9 Babel, Riera
8 Voronin
4 Aquilani
3 Ayala, Kyrgiakos, Degen, Spearing
2 Dossena
1 El Zhar, Eccleston, Pacheco

Much maligned Kuyt is joint second top scorer with five, joint with Gerrard who has two penalties in his tally and beloved Benayoun - three of those were his hat-trick in the 4-0 win over Burnley. Torres leads on 11, N'Gog has four, the rest have five between them

LFC top scorers 09/10 (Premiership)

11 TORRES
5 Kuyt, GERRARD, Benayoun
4 N'Gog
2 Johnson, Babel
1 Skrtel

by **devaney** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 8:56 am

Ciggy wrote:Thank you redmen for the best chrimbo pressie 3 points

Ive had such a sh!tty time of late, my cousins baby who died last week I almost wanted the bitters to win for my bluehalf of the family, wanted to cry for Rafa at half time, obviously the players are not putting in a shift none of them, Happy chrimbo Rafa and all the best for 2010 please turn it around luv.

Ciggy. That's really awful news and my thoughts are with you and your family. It's times like these that make you realise that football is just a game. Hope 2010 brings happier times.

On a lighter note I could have cried when I saw Rafa's glasses cleaning second goal celebration. He looked as if he had just been sacked!

by **shawnk** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 10:05 am

I think the best player were the fans, they were awesome at Anfield. Countering the boos with cheers. 10/10

by **lakes10** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 10:09 am

lets face facts, we got lucky, the teram looked very poor as if the had eat too much xmas food, felt for Rafa as our players lacked any pace and thats not down to him.

thank god for the sending off as i could see a 0-0 before that.

not sure theres much Rafa can do now to lift the team, it looks like they have given up on him.

by **Number 9** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 11:21 am

lakes10 wrote:lets face facts, we got lucky, the teram looked very poor as if the had eat too much xmas food, felt for Rafa as our players lacked any pace and thats not down to him.

thank god for the sending off as i could see a 0-0 before that.

not sure theres much Rafa can do now to lift the team, it looks like they have given up on him.

Hey mate....see that bridge near you!!

by **devaney** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 11:27 am

lakes10 wrote:lets face facts, we got lucky, the teram looked very poor as if the had eat too much xmas food, felt for Rafa as our players lacked any pace and thats not down to him.

thank god for the sending off as i could see a 0-0 before that.

not sure theres much Rafa can do now to lift the team, it looks like they have given up on him.

Hey Lakes put your hanky away for the £5m a year man who is not up to the job. I have run out of patience with Benitez. Too many incredibly bad selections, desperately poor transfer record and a stubborn streak that is unbelievable. His interviews, his idiotic so-called poker face when we score and his downright stupid Fergie rant are extremely annoying. However I do have a lot of admiration with the supporters that are managing to keep the faith with Benitez during these awful times.

by **JC_81** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 11:39 am

lakes10 wrote:lets face facts, we got lucky, the teram looked very poor as if the had eat too much xmas food, felt for Rafa as our players lacked any pace and thats not down to him.

thank god for the sending off as i could see a 0-0 before that.

not sure theres much Rafa can do now to lift the team, it looks like they have given up on him.

We were lucky to an extent.

If Doyle had buried his free header in the first half the confidence would have drained from us again and they would have had something to protect away from home. We'd have got no more than a draw out of it.

Once again it was horrific defending for a set piece. If Doyle had made the most of it it zonal marking would have been all over the sports pages again. And rightly so.

by **NANNY RED** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 11:54 am

devaney wrote:However I do have a lot of admiration with the supporters that are managing to keep the faith with Benitez during these awful times.

Thanks for you admraton there mate :laugh:

much appreciated

knew i had an admirer somewhere :laugh:

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