Today proved how good we are!!!!

[NelCarra]

Everton are a team that will finish 5th - 8th most seasons. they are 1 step below the 'big 4', they go to most away games and attack teams and try to impose their way of playing, today however they came with a game plan of not to lose.

Now you could expect this of a team that is struggling to get points ie. watford or sheff utd. but for a team of Everton's 'quality' to be so happy with a point today shows how much respect they have for us, and in my oppinion how much we have improved over the last few seasons.

A few seasons ago even the strugglers would come to anfield with a hope of getting more than a point, however now teams that are not that far from our standard come here and shut up shop, this is a massive indication of our improvement and I for one would put that down to Rafa

[Stefan]

5th-8th? More like 10th-15th, they are shit. The only fotballer on that team is Arteta (alltough he's not better than Alonso...), Cahill and Johnson are okay, the rest is crap.

[dave u]

No, today proved that we've still got a fair way to go. We aren't good enough up front. They're all good players, and any one of them would be good enough to hold down a place in the side, alongside a REALLY top striker, which we don't have.

[NelCarra]

OK well maybe its a bit of both we really missed Garcia today in my opinion

[Mr Moustache]

Originally Posted by NelCarra OK well maybe its a bit of both we really missed Garcia today in my opinion

Yes and maybe No. We missed Garcia's guile for sure but I wonder how much space and time Luis would have gotten.

We played to The blueshites strengths and despite Crouch being, like, 7ft Stubbs is always gonna come out on top. Why not play with Dirk and Bellamy with Gonza on the left? At least there's a bit of pace there though I'm still not convinced that the lad we got from Sociedad is the real Mark Gonzalez who looked fucking lightning when I saw him last season.

[africanherbsman]

Originally Posted by NelCarra Everton are a team that will finish 5th - 8th most seasons. they are 1 step below the 'big 4', they go to most away games and attack teams and try to impose their way of playing, today however they came with a game plan of not to lose. Now you could expect this of a team that is struggling to get points ie. watford or sheff utd. but for a team of Everton's 'quality' to be so happy with a point today shows how much respect they have for us, and in my oppinion how much we have improved over the last few seasons. A few seasons ago even the strugglers would come to anfield with a hope of getting more than a point, however now teams that are not that far from our standard come here and shut up shop, this is a massive indication of our improvement and I for one would put that down to Rafa

You having a laugh lad, we might not quite be at the level you need to be to win the league but we're miles ahead of those twats.

[africanherbsman]

Originally Posted by NelCarra OK well maybe its a bit of both we really missed Garcia today in my opinion

I'd agree with that, the final ball was lacking today and Luis could have provided it.

[NelCarra]

Originally Posted by africanherbsman You having a laugh lad, we might not quite be at the level you need to be to win the league but we're miles ahead of those twats.

Shit did I write that? Fuck me must of been half asleep

[LFCTalk]

Originally Posted by NelCarra Everton are a team that will finish 5th - 8th most seasons. they are 1 step below the 'big 4', they go to most away games and attack teams and try to impose their way of playing, today however they came with a game plan of not to lose. Now you could expect this of a team that is struggling to get points ie. watford or sheff utd. but for a team of Everton's 'quality' to be so happy with a point today shows how much respect they have for us, and in my oppinion how much we have improved over the last few seasons. A few seasons ago even the strugglers would come to anfield with a hope of getting more than a point, however now teams that are not that far from our standard come here and shut up shop, this is a massive indication of our improvement and I for one would put that down to Rafa

What a ridiculous assessment. What today proved is that the old problem that has plagued us for over a decade is still there and we haven't been able to rectify it yet. That of teams coming to Anfield getting men behind the ball, suffocating our play, and we seem to have no answers.

There is no point in criticising Everton or any other team that do that.....they aren't breaking the rules by playing like that, its up to our team to be able to counter their tactics and break them down. Fact of the matter is Moyes's tactics of coming to spoil and contain worked and Rafa's tactics failed. Thats the cold reality.....we are still short of the real top class quality required to win the league in areas of the pitch, but the players Rafa had at his disposal and deploying them in a balanced formation would've been sufficient to beat these lot today.

The other thing that annoys me is that Rafa is focusing on the opposition's spoiling tactics today, what is important is for him to look at why the team did not have the direction or invention to over come that?

As for what other teams think of us, that is totally irrelevant, Liverpool set their own standards and that being the highest of any other club in the country, and that is what the club should always strive towards as a minimum requirement.

[George Costanza]

I thought today showed how far we're still off winning the league. We certainly showed a massive lack of creativity and guile in the final 3rd. Rarely did an individual beat a man one on one - I was certainly hoping Bellamy would skin parrot face a few times and our inability to change tactics/gameplan didn't help us. After 60 minutes it was plainly obvious all our crosses and longer balls we merely proving to be heading practice for Stubbs and Yobo.

[Newport]

We need wingers to get the best out of Crouch. The long balls from our own half may work a few times, but in the long haul we need more options.

We have to start playing Gonzalez soon if he's ever gonna get adjusted to the league or else we can just sell him right away. Maybe let him get some games for the reserves to get him match fit.

[George Costanza]

Originally Posted by Newport We need wingers to get the best out of Crouch.

but he can't fucking head a ball.

I do think wide players whether it be midfielders or full backs are essential to spread the play and stretch oppositions defences.

[NelCarra]

Crouch cant fucking head the ball

[NelCarra]

Im not gonna slate Rafa in any way. But today does anyone think he got it wrong by using 3 strikers? Kuyt appears our best forward player IMO and to use him on the wing for most of the match just didnt seem to work. Maybe Gonzalez isnt fully fit or something but today i think the formation was slightly off. Rafa would probably admit it wasnt ideal and maybe it cost us 3 points, maybe it didnt, its all easy to say after the match. All in all, we drew a match we all thought we could have won but it happens, its football, we move on to the next match and can learn from this

[Kopite]

Originally Posted by dave u No, today proved that we've still got a fair way to go. We aren't good enough up front. They're all good players, and any one of them would be good enough to hold down a place in the side, alongside a REALLY top striker, which we don't have.

I'd disagree with that Dave. I think it's the lack of quality width and paucity of talent down the left-hand side that's the difference between dismissing negative sh*te like today and drawing.

I thought Pennant should have been wearing blue. It was uncanny the number of times he played the ball onto the beak-faced beaut's head.

[philyburkhill]

I thought Pennant played well second half.

Down the right we were proper shit, that was our failing. I'm not sure who was playing down the left either, it just seemed to be Riise on his bill.

[Maldini]

We still need more guile in the final third, whether that's from a winger or a playmaker/#10. I think we need to bring in both in the summer.

We did miss Garcia, but we need more players like him who can create something from nothing.

[Jorgen_b]

Like i see it we miss a winger thats can skin people. Bellamy runs well and makes space but where is the world class player that makes people scared of tackel him that makes space for the rest?? With two players that takes off other players we beat those shit basterds