Liverpool FC Forum

by **Scottbot** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 11:02 pm

No Torres for six weeks, No Benny for four and no Gerrard for two and we couldn't win a game with them in the side so what the fook does the manager try now? Please keep the Rafa out stuff in the other threads coz it completely derails everything.

If I was Rafa i'd be tempted to give a few of the kids a run, they haven't been in the fold long enough to have lost faith in his methods, they'll play without fear and if they will naturally draw the support of a disgruntled crowd.

- Young Derby (or Kelly if he can get himself fit) is a must at RB, he had a solid game at Reading in the first match (the only positive from that game) and the kid deserves a chance + as a local lad he'll get the crowd up.

- Next up Pachecho, with no Gerrard or Yossi to play in the hole this lad deserves a chance. He's been criminally underused considering our lack of adventure going forward and this teams is screaming for a player to take it on, run with the ball and show a bit of trickery.

- I'd even get young Ecclestone in the squad for the upcoming games and see what the lad is made of. The experienced players have let him down time and time again this season so why not?

- Insua needs to come out of the firing line, he's had a torrid 6 weeks and Aurelio must start ahead of him in the coming weeks.

- Give Rodriguez a chance to come in and claim that RM spot, Dirk for all his battling qualities (he's one of the few to show it the last 3-4 weeks) needs to step out or play in a two up-front. Maxi is no dribbler but he is a clever player with some skill.

- Masch back in for Lucas. A few are talking about Aquilani stepping into the Gerrard role but he lacks the pace and mobility to play the role. That sort of move could only work if we had the likes of Robben and Duff (at their peak) playing on each flank. the lad's been bought to come in and play Xabi's spot so it's sink or swim from here on in. He might not want to tackle but the 120 mins last night will have done his fitness the world of good. I'd say he is (or should be) fully match-fit as of now.

- Who to play up-front? I'm guessing it'll be Ngog. He's solid but nothing more than that i'm afraid. Will Rafa try a last role of the dice with Babel upfront? I don't think so, but he has referred to Babel as a forward so many times without actually playing him there. these are desperate times so maybe we'll see it.

by **Sabre** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 11:17 pm

No Torres for six weeks, No Benny for four and no Gerrard for two and we couldn't win a game with them in the side so what the fook does the manager try now? Please keep the Rafa out stuff in the other threads coz it completely derails everything.

If I was Rafa i'd be tempted to give a few of the kids a run, they haven't been in the fold long enough to have lost faith in his methods, they'll play without fear and if they will naturally draw the support of a disgruntled crowd.

What you have described it has been done in my country in crisis times. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't.

The bit I highlighted in bold, they play without fear, I'm not sure about it.

It's a good post mate anyway.

Personally I think that if we have given Lucas and Babel plenty of opportunities to show something, it can't harm much to give them to players who hadn't those chances, like Pacheco.

by **lakes10** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 11:27 pm

ltes hope there loads more snow for six weeks and all the games are off.

by **Scottbot** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 11:31 pm

lakes10 wrote:ltes hope there loads more snow for six weeks and all the games are off.

Might be our best bet mate!

by **Fauxy** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 11:35 pm

The only way we can get through this next month or so is if the players step up to the mark and perform.

Although it is very bad that Torres is injured for so long, I think it might encourage Rafa/The owners to get a striker asap because N'gog is now our only real striking option.

by **killerp** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 11:47 pm

Saying this is a crisis is a massive understatement, having all the quality players out of the squad at the same time, f*ck me what luck is that!!.

You will find out over the next few games if there is any quality left in the squad.

by **LFC2007** » Fri Jan 15, 2010 12:02 am

What team do we field?

Reina

Kelly/Darby Carra Agger Aurelio

Maxi Masch Aquilani Riera

Pacheco

Ngog

Whatever the case, for fecks sake get Pacheco in there. If anyone's seen him for the reserves or even in his cameos for the first team they'll know he has a lot of quality and a very good work ethic. I find it unbelievable that our best prospect in years has barely figured and he's just turned 19. I don't worry about him 'freezing' because he seems to be a 'fearless' type, chomping at the bit and honoured to play for the club. He is our best option to play in the hole by a mile, IMO. The rest pretty much picks itself for me.

I don't expect Rafa to pick that team, though. Kuyt will be in there, so will Insua and maybe even Babel.

by **J*o*n*D*o*e** » Fri Jan 15, 2010 12:06 am

i would be surprised if he started with Pacheco but ive no doubt he`ll be on the bench for the next month so we should get to see alot more of him.

unless we go the other way and bring someone in on loan.

by **bunglemark2** » Fri Jan 15, 2010 12:40 am

LFC2007 wrote:What team do we field?

Reina

Kelly/Darby Carra Agger Aurelio

Maxi Masch Aquilani Riera

Pacheco

Ngog

Whatever the case, for fecks sake get Pacheco in there. If anyone's seen him for the reserves or even in his cameos for the first team they'll know he has a lot of quality and a very good work ethic. I find it unbelievable that our best prospect in years has barely figured and he's just turned 19. I don't worry about him 'freezing' because he seems to be a 'fearless' type, chomping at the bit and honoured to play for the club. He is our best option to play in the hole by a mile, IMO. The rest pretty much picks itself for me.

I don't expect Rafa to pick that team, though. Kuyt will be in there, so will Insua and maybe even Babel.

I say we field 24 players against an opposition 11. That way we'll DEFFO hold onto the ball better and they won't be able to score.....

by **anti-hero** » Fri Jan 15, 2010 12:53 am

4-4-2 FTW!

i say keep it simple for now.

2 strikers, kuyt and eggnog (where is that hungarian kid when you need him?)

midfield of mascherano and aquilani

maxi and aurelio on the wings

carra and agger in the middle and insua and degen on the wings.

-----

we dont have a very scary looking squad. and we have non existent quality on the wing back roles, and in the back ups for the slots of midfield should anymore get injured.

by **Keris** » Fri Jan 15, 2010 1:41 am

anti-hero wrote:4-4-2 FTW!

i say keep it simple for now.

Agree with this completely.
The team (maybe Rafa) tend to over complicate things with attacking overlaping fullbacks and 2 defensive midfielders, a link man and 2 attacking wingers. Hoffing the ball for the lone striker to hold up while the wingers and link midfield/striker playing the counter attack and passing it to the overlapping fullback to cross into the box. :no

Each player are to do at least 2 functions during the game. The strikers plays as wingers (and sometimes play as midfielders), the midfielders play as strikers or defenders and the defenders also play as midfielders or wingers.

It worked wonderfully last season when everyone was on form, but it falls apart when key players are unavailable.

Why not for the next a couple of games, we get back to the basic. Keep it simple. Play the formation everyone are comfortable with and are used to. In other words let the defenders defend, the wingers cross and the strikers strike. :laugh:

This will be easier for young or inexperience or even average quality players to execute. I feel players will gain confidence when they know they have played well, nevermind the result.

Again, keep it simple, short accurate passes, make sure there are players in the box when crossing the ball, well timed headers and tacles and man mark at set pieces. Zonal marking works, yes, with high quality players but not for the likes of Skrtel, Kyriakos or Insua. Attacking wingers are wonderful but not for the likes of Kuyt, Insua or Babel and defensive midfielders are great but not for the likes of Lucas or Aquilani.

Lets play well and hopefully the result will take care for itself.

by **cheras** » Fri Jan 15, 2010 6:43 am

3 players out and we're in crisis-mode shows how bad the team Benitez has built is.

Defense - hopeless, even with Carragher, Skrtel, Agger and a brand new 17 mil investment.

Midfield - From best midfield in the world to what? Shocking how we fell in just 2 seasons.

Strikers - Torres out and we're hopeless. Kuyt 10 mil, Babel 11 mil, and we have a nett of zero returns. And youth team striker Ngog is our first team striker. Bellamy - WTF? Doing so well everywhere else.

I'm sorry, but the problem is not just player personnel. What the players have lost is faith, mainly because we played one-system, and we lost the key to that system in Alonso.

All players can see this system is not working anymore, and they are reacting. The entire team going bad in the space of a few months? Not bloody likely!

They are sending a message out.

by **alxy** » Fri Jan 15, 2010 10:15 am

How ironic just last season we had what was considered to be the best midfield in the world. Masch? Arguably best defensive midfielder. Alonso - best holding/playmaker, Gerrard - best attacking midfielder. Add Torres - best striker and we should be tearing up the league table now. Instead, what we have now is Lucas and Aquilani. Perhaps they might get better with time (I certainly hope so with Aquaman - he was terrible against Reading). But at the moment, that's probably not even Championship best, let alone Premier League.

Also, what is up with our wing play? Did the players specifically get instructions from Rafa to keep cutting in? Against Reading, I cannot remember one decent cross from our wingers. All I remember is Benni and Kuyt and later Babel keep cutting in and congesting the middle. Why can't we get decent wingers who stretch the defense? We just seem to keep on trying to play it through the middle. No variations at all.

1 week of poor confidence, sure. 1 month, possible. But now it's been 4 months of "poor confidence"!!! Rafa can't be that bad a motivator! Unless players have totally lost confidence in him or the system.....

by **Judge** » Fri Jan 15, 2010 10:20 am

Scottbot wrote:Please keep the Rafa out stuff in the other threads coz it completely derails everything.

If I was Rafa

so rafa ''in'' stuff is ok ??

by **tommycockles** » Fri Jan 15, 2010 10:29 am

alxy wrote:Also, what is up with our wing play? Did the players specifically get instructions from Rafa to keep cutting in? Against Reading, I cannot remember one decent cross from our wingers. All I remember is Benni and Kuyt and later Babel keep cutting in and congesting the middle. Why can't we get decent wingers who stretch the defense? We just seem to keep on trying to play it through the middle. No variations at all.

This is exactly correct; against Reading (and in most games) we never stretch the play. Everyone gets the ball then tries to pass it through the middle. We never whip these balls across the area to trouble their defence, although this is probably because there's no-one in there to receive the ball as Gerrard and Torres are having to come back to get the ball.

I can't remember the last time we really seemed threatening from a set piece, corners are a joke!

We seem to have lost confidence in the formation but don't know how to come up with something else so every player is shirking the ball and putting our defence under extra pressure. We've had the best goal keeper, the best defence, one of the best midfields, and probably the best striker - where are they now?

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