Liverpool FC Forum

[Dundalk]

Anyone remember THIS

That boys and girls was a game a long long time ago when our beloved team use to play swashbuckling football and shoot when they got the chance. A time where we would take the game to our opponents because we were Liverpool Football Club.  Ask your grandparents about it kids because it was a wonderful time and its a story worth listening too..........



And now reality.


The sad thing about it is that that was less then a year ago! A run of 3 games which seen us put 4 past Real Madrid, 4 past Manchester United and 5 past Aston Villa. We were 3 up against Real Madrid after 46 mins and they would have no complaints if it had have been 10, we were all over them, went at them from the start and didn't give them a min on the ball. Madrid dint know what hit them, Raul said he had never seen anything like it and all Casillas (only for him it would have been double figures) could say nothing after the game. He walked off the pitch in tears and had to be consoled by captain Raul.

This was less than a year ago!!


Fast forward to the present day and Casillas would be be in tears laughing going off the pitch because he wouldn't have had anything to do, because as an attacking force the great Liverpool Football Club play there football like a team managed by Sam Alderdyce. Hoof it up the pitch and hope for a break, but in fairness to Sam when his team hoof it up the pitch there is usually someone up there who can win a header, someone who can maybe control it and lay a pass back. When we hoof the ball up the pitch all the happens is the oppressing centre halves just head it back. And this goes on for 90 mins!!


Lets have a look at our last 14 games


Liverpool 2-1 Wigan

A narrow victory against a poor team, we got an early goal and didnt threaten much after that until Nando popped up with a second


Portsmouth 2-0 Liverpool

Away from home and seemed happy to sit and hopefully sneak something on the break but even after the scored there first we never looked like scoring


Liverpool 2-0 Wolves

Shocking first half in with we created very little, it took a dodgy red card for Wolves to open them up and a great header from Gerrard.


Aston Villa 0-1 Liverpool

A shockingly dull game in which we flooded the middle of the park and were more worried about what Villa could do to us. A winner in the last min from out jewel in the crown but a hardly deserved 3 points.


Reading 1-1 Liverpool

We go a goal down to a team fighting relegation from the Championship and its takes a dodgy enough cross come shot from Gerrard to go in at half time 1-1. Come out for the second half thinking we will go on to win when in the end we were lucky to escape with the draw.


Liverpool 1-2 Reading

At home. Against Reading. Reading!! We need a own goal to go a goal up and what do we do in the second half? We sit and try and protect out lead. Against Reading. Reading!! Shocking performance.


Stoke 1-1 Liverpool

We got a draw out of this one and we should thank our selves lucky we did. Yes i know that scored late on but as soon as we scored (from a set piece) they were all over us and had about 100 corners as we just sat back and invited them on


Liverpool 2-0 Spurs

The turning point. A scrappy scrappy game and a hard fought win but there was some hope after this one. Not pretty to watch but a good 3 points and everyone is starting to feel good again.


Wolves 0-0 Liverpool

And then we are straight back to watching muck again. Another terrible game to watch (is anyone seeing a pattern here!) in which we could have easily been beat but again Rafa seemed happy to come away with a point. Against Wolves. Wolves!!


Liverpool 2-0 Bolton

Another own goal and one from Kuyt gives us the 3 points in a game that will hardly live in the memory. 3 points against a team that plays similar football to us!


Liverpool 1 - 0 Everton

A game that suits our style of play down to the ground, lots of long balls and loads of tackles, the winning goal comes from a set piece but the game will be remembered for the yellow and red cards rather then the football played. In fairness though these games are always like this.


Arsenal 1-0 Liverpool

Again flood the midfield and stop them from playing, another terrible game to watch and we just about came alive after they scored.


Liverpool 1-0 Unirea Urziceni

Another snooze-fest. Yeah they sat back but it was sad to see how for we have become trying to unlock a defense. A difficult game to watch for any fan.


Man City 0-0 Liverpool


There was a rumor going round after the match that the people in Eastlands had to sound a horn after the match to wake everyone up and tell them to go home. A shockingly poor match which just about summed up our style of play at the moment




Now a lot will say that we are missing Fernando Torres for most of these matches and its true that we are but he has still played in a lot of the games above and we still play the same type of football, we have a lot of attack minded players in the squad.


Alberto Aquilani
Steven Gerrard
Fernando Torres
Albert Riera
Yossi Benayoun
Sotiris Kyrgiakos
Maxi Rodriguez
Dirk Kuyt
Ryan Babel
David Ngog


So why are we playing this type of football? Its down to the manager and it cant go on. I really want to get 4th place this season but not playing like this. If we get it then excellent but surely we can expect a little more from our team.


Pass and move its the Liverpool groove.


Not anymore I'm afraid.

[agoodmentality]

Man City 1-0 Liverpool

I'm sure it was a 0-0 bore draw ^

It looks like Tevez is as important to them as Torres is to us.

[parchpea]

Confidence is a major factor and I think this group hit its peak last year but unfortunately is now on a decline. The team needs to be rebuilt not only in terms of personnel but in the minds of the lads we have on the books already. To be fair to Benitez he has fleetingly shown he can send out his sides to attack, but the moment we hit the skids he panics and reverts to his natural instinct.This trait has been heightended recently due to our very poor performances which has affected confidence. I do think it would benefit everyone if he allowed this team to express itself, and we may start to see what one or two of these boys can do with the reigns off, but it isnt going to happen.Benitez is under pressure and has always had success with this type of gameplan, but I fear that the more hes pushes with this hes not only damaging the players confidence but also not being fair to the supporters or the traditions of the football club.He may very well steer this team into 4th but I wonder what damage he could do to his own playing staff, and his reputation with the fans along the way.

[Scottbot]

Confidence is a major factor and I think this group hit its peak last year but unfortunately is now on a decline. The team needs to be rebuilt not only in terms of personnel but in the minds of the lads we have on the books already. To be fair to Benitez he has fleetingly shown he can send out his sides to attack, but the moment we hit the skids he panics and reverts to his natural instinct.This trait has been heightended recently due to our very poor performances which has affected confidence. I do think it would benefit everyone if he allowed this team to express itself, and we may start to see what one or two of these boys can do with the reigns off, but it isnt going to happen.Benitez is under pressure and has always had success with this type of gameplan, but I fear that the more hes pushes with this hes not only damaging the players confidence but also not being fair to the supporters or the traditions of the football club.He may very well steer this team into 4th but I wonder what damage he could do to his own playing staff, and his reputation with the fans along the way.

That's a good post that pretty much sums things up mate. Rafa kinda stumbled upon the winning formula last year but it's all gone to pot this time around and I don't personally believe he has it in him to rebuild. We haven't replaced Alonso, Aquilani was a major blunder, I suspect Masch will be on his way in the summer and the squad looks very poor. Of course confidence is a temporary thing and it's quite possible we could come out of the blocks flying next season and go on a similar run but i've got a lot of doubts.

[RedSi35]

Xabi Alonso.......

Can one man change the team.............you wouldnt think so, but lets face it. We have bee f.ucking all season.

Alonso was the calm in the centre of midfield, he held the ball up, slowed the game down enough for the rest of the team to get forward, he picked out killer passes, his creativity allowed Gerrard to do his thing.

That link is now gone, Gerrard is trying to do too much, trying to be creative and get forward and support.  Lucas or Aquillani will never ever in a million years be what Alonso was.

Lets just think about this, Rafa wanting Gareth Barry has put us back 3/4 years and lost us one of the most in form influential midfielders in the world.

And ultimately will cost Rafa his job.

[Emerald Red]

Some fairly hyperbolic posts so far in this thread.

[Sir Roger]

Embarrassingly woeful. Toe curlingly bad.
Stringing passes together? You having a fuc'king laugh? "Gave the ball away cheaply" is the motto for this season.
Static, clunking-clanking, hoofing, huffing-puffing, rigid, unadaptable, inadjustable, inflexible, unstable, uncertain, unreliable, vulnerable and weak. A team that has at least three of Europes best players in it. Please dont tell me about injuries and bad luck.
The formation and tactics alone are enough to fu'ck any decent player up. Its like the very life and soul have been squeezed out of us. We march to the beat of a broken drum. Predictability is our middle name. It is not hard to figure out how to stop us and probably beat us.
I dont watch Rafa's post match ca'ck-fest any more
I havnt got that much time left to waste listening to the inane ramblings of a self deluded man.

[tubby]

If Aquilani was playing and settled people wouldn't be moaning about Xabi going. Whether his absence is down to fitness or him not fitting in who knows but it is definitley a factor that has contributed to the current state of things. Rafa is going to have to go back to the drawing board in the summer and address this.

PS Anyone see Slaven Bilic on MOTD. He looks like he wants to get out of there already.

[Sir Roger]

If Aquilani was playing and settled people wouldn't be moaning about Xabi going. Whether his absence is down to fitness or him not fitting in who knows but it is definitley a factor that has contributed to the current state of things. Rafa is going to have to go back to the drawing board in the summer and address this.

PS Anyone see Slaven Bilic on MOTD. He looks like he wants to get out of there already.

Dont get me stated about Aquilani!
Rafa has paid 20 mill (?) for an injured player who, we are led to believe is a quality player (hence the price). The lad has to fill the shoes of Alonso but doesnt seem to getting the chance to do so due to Rafas disturbing and detrimental rotation method. I am out of patience with Babel but I will have to say he has never been given the run that Lucas, Kuyt and even Crouch had. Aquilani is falling into the same trap that Rierra has done. Start off with flair and creativity only to be stifled by the 'caution' of the gaffer.
Release them from the shackles for fu'cks sake!!

[Big Niall]

I've been bored off my t1ts watching LFC this week. four hours of shhit.

Houllier was krap too. Evans was the last manager to play good football, Dalglish the last to play good winning football.

People old enough to remeber the mid 80s will spot this krap football for what it is.

[Penguins]

I agree but there are too many positions occupied by his favourites so offensive minded skilled played will never get a prolonged run in the team and shown the same faith as others have been shown....

[Sir Roger]

I've been bored off my t1ts watching LFC this week. four hours of shhit.

Houllier was krap too. Evans was the last manager to play good football, Dalglish the last to play good winning football.

People old enough to remeber the mid 80s will spot this krap football for what it is.

I went on Thursday and was ashamed of the performance. If the ticket wasnt free I wouldnt have gone. I was gutted I went. Dia-fuc'king bollackle!
For shame we are playing such shi'te football

[maguskwt]

Anyone remember THIS

That boys and girls was a game a long long time ago when our beloved team use to play swashbuckling football and shoot when they got the chance. A time where we would take the game to our opponents because we were Liverpool Football Club.  Ask your grandparents about it kids because it was a wonderful time and its a story worth listening too..........

that was not a long long time ago, that was last season stupid...  and unless you can give birth to 2 generations in a year your grandparents probably wouldn't have seen this match... 

[Kharhaz]

Anyone remember THIS

That boys and girls was a game a long long time ago when our beloved team use to play swashbuckling football and shoot when they got the chance. A time where we would take the game to our opponents because we were Liverpool Football Club.  Ask your grandparents about it kids because it was a wonderful time and its a story worth listening too..........

that was not a long long time ago, that was last season stupid... 

Anyone remember THIS

That boys and girls was a game a long long time ago when our beloved team use to play swashbuckling football and shoot when they got the chance. A time where we would take the game to our opponents because we were Liverpool Football Club.  Ask your grandparents about it kids because it was a wonderful time and its a story worth listening too..........



And now reality.


The sad thing about it is that that was less then a year ago!

.....

[maguskwt]

to be fair that scoreline against Madrid was a bit flattering... we played solid defensively but offensively, everything just fell in place for us, such that for every defensive mistake they made we managed to score a goal. I preferred our performance against the mancs where we won 4-1.