Posted:
Wed Sep 19, 2007 6:10 pmby account deleted by request
Lando_Griffin wrote:Apologies if any of my comments caused offense in the other Porto thread.
It was not intended.
I thought it was funny mate, especially the joke about Alonso being better than Mascherano 
Posted:
Wed Sep 19, 2007 6:23 pmby The Manhattan Project
Not a great performance, but we managed to contain the champions of Portugal.
Neither team had many chances. They seemed to cancel each other out. Both lost possession too easily with sloppy passes. Again we conceded a penalty, but still haven't conceded from open play and haven't lost this season. We hit back fairly quickly.
The ref was overly fussy for Manhattan's liking.
Quaresma is resourceful and a cheat, and Manhattan is impressed.
Posted:
Wed Sep 19, 2007 7:28 pmby Sabre
Well I have seen the match.
Not a drama, I think that if we get Oporto in two months we'll win comfortably, in our stadium or anywhere.
Finnan and Arbeloa were put under pressure and made some mistakes. They pressed quite up in the pitch and we just didn't have the composture and calmness to carry the ball controlled.
In the first goal, the commentator blames Hyppia's pace, but I think most of the guilt can be delivered to the defending Babel and Arbeloa did previously. Hyypia was there to assist them, but they had made a mistake (Arbeloa pursued and tackled a player too far and should have maintained position instead).
Continental refereeings is a problem. Diving is a problem. But we should know better. The worst thing yesterday wasn't the penalty (it wasn't penalty). The worst thing is that we chose to tackle instead of hold position too many times. That costed us multiple free-kicks, and yellow cards. The main difference with european football is that. A foul allows the opposition to advance the back 4, it puts you deep, and most importantly it cuts your rythm of the game. Liverpool and specifically Pennant were not too clever in that sense. We didn't know to read the match, and they made an intelligent match. Anyhow, where I live it's said that the teams that are champions are those who don't lose even when they play badly. It wasn't a bad result.
Gerrard just needs a couple of matches more in his pocket. He's a superb player but not superman, nothing to worry about. Mascherano's game wasn't as bad as many have said IMHO. I liked him. He was providential in a free kick of the first half. Oporto had this situations well trained and they passed a short pass in order to have a long shot. Mascherano rushed from the wall to the man and blocked a very dangerous shot. Yeh, he sent some passes astray, that things happen when you haven't a good day and the oppo is pressing. Nothing to worry about.
I didn't like Babel yesterday, but it's difficult for wingers to have a good game when you don't dominate the game and you don't take the ball efficiently from the back. I think he'll be very useful this season. Reina did a mistake he doesn't use to do in a couple of situations. Pennant? Rafa should be angry with him, but Rafa should have spotted that Pennant's blood was warm and subbed him earlier.
The positives? Kuyt and Carraguer and the collective work that allowed us to end the game with 10 men and not a defeat. It was a good work as a team, and it's important to manage this situations aswell. So not a drama yesterday match. We are superior to Oporto and in a bad game we got a point at their home, with 10 men. It will be a good reminder that no matches are won without hard work.
Posted:
Fri Sep 21, 2007 2:14 pmby steviec
Poor Performance? that was without doubt the poorest performance by a Liverpool side I have seen in 40 years. Ok we scored !!! but it is the quality of play that worried me.
one attempt on goal in 90 minutes. Torres looked scared and was diving like Brian Phelps, Pennant was like a headless chicken, Kuyt tried hard but still gives the ball away far far too easily (it was like Garcia had never left). Benayoun should have started and he would have run the Porto defence ragged!! Even Stevie G looked out of his depth. TGF Carra
...
give me a break.