Young Boys at home, match thread

[Adam_M]

So you are comparing not qualifying from a group including Lyon and Fiorentina to not beating Young fucking Boys at home? Okay.

 

You mean a certain English winger who's currently doing his best Tom Daley impressions for a certain Manchester-based, American-owned plc managed by certain a Knight of the Realm? Scurrilous lie! :whistle:

 

**scurries off to Daily Heil website**

[zigackly]

I dont really think so.

 

I think people are just trying to assess where we are - and its quite hard. Closing out that game would have given everybody a fair bit of confidence in the maturity of the squad.

 

As it is, I think we are more than a striker or two away from challenging for the top four.

 

Inexperience lost us that lead. In Europe at home with five minutes to go, and we're charging around trying to get a third goal. It wasn't a lack of personnel, just common sense. As for challenging for the top four, you're living in cloud cuckoo land if you think that's on the cards this season.

[Tyler Durden]

Inexperience lost us that lead. In Europe at home with five minutes to go, and we're charging around trying to get a third goal. It wasn't a lack of personnel, just common sense. As for challenging for the top four, you're living in cloud cuckoo land if you think that's on the cards this season.

 

I think they were trying to close the game down a bit but with the way our defence like to play suicide passes to each other while opposition players are 2 yards away on the edge of our box then its no surprise we pushed forward instead.

[Jennings]

A home game against young boys is an easier proposition that away at Udinese.

 

That game was there for the winning, which would have taken us through. He should have played a stronger team, if he wants to stay in the tournament.

 

Will he play a stronger team against Udinese? Or is he happy to persist with the second XI? Perhaps he feels if the second XI do go out, then we can concentrate on our league position.

 

If he picks a much stronger team in Italy then for me he has cocked up his strategy.

[The Golden Eel]

A home game against young boys is an easier proposition that away at Udinese.

 

That game was there for the winning, which would have taken us through. He should have played a stronger team, if he wants to stay in the tournament.

 

Will he play a stronger team against Udinese? Or is he happy to persist with the second XI? Perhaps he feels if the second XI do go out, then we can concentrate on our league position.

 

If he picks a much stronger team in Italy then for me he has cocked up his strategy.

 

Yes and no. To be honest, I'm struggling to blame the manager too much as it's unfortunate that this game conicides with 2 leagues games in the next 6 days or whatever and I think there's a case of damned if he does, etc.

 

The problem is we were 2-1 up with 3 minutes to go and some players let us down. Yes, the manager does have to take some responsibility for the players but some players need to take a look at themselves after that 2nd goal.

 

I'm really pissed off. Winning that game last night was there for the taking and we let it slip through sheer fucking stupidity and it's not good enough. We now have to arse about in Italy trying to win a game, probably with a full team out, and it may not be enough anyway, when we could have shut up shop for 3 fucking minutes and not had to worry about it.

[xerxes]

Inexperience lost us that lead. In Europe at home with five minutes to go, and we're charging around trying to get a third goal. It wasn't a lack of personnel, just common sense. As for challenging for the top four, you're living in cloud cuckoo land if you think that's on the cards this season.

 

Uncomfortably, it should be said that there was enough experience on the pitch to have seen that game out.

 

I love our Euro adventures. there is no guarantee that our league position will be good enough to qualify for next year's EL.

[The Golden Eel]

Uncomfortably, it should be said that there was enough experience on the pitch to have seen that game out.

 

Exactly, and that's what so disappointing about it. Not to mention the momentum and morale factors too, aside from the more obvious practical considerations.

[moof]

We went into tonights game with the chance to progress further and leading 2-1 it was in the bag, we then let them score.

 

Now we have to take a decent team away for a small chance at progressing. I think it's you that needs to gain some perspective.

 

I wouldn't say 'a small chance of progressing' tbh, I think we have a pretty good chance if we play our best team.

 

It's only Italy, remember. Not Siberia or anything like that.

 

Does anybody know who we are playing after Udinese? Cause I can't really blame him for playing a weakened side given we have Swansea and Tottenham in the next 5 days. We tried to be pragmatic and it didn't quite pay off. No worries though because we still control our own destiny, as far as the Europa league is concerned.

[stringvest]

Rodgers appointment wasnt about money but power.

 

Hiring LVG/Rafa/etc would have meant them having to concede power. Not to call him a patsy but Rodgers doesnt seem the type to stir up a fuss. He seems overjoyed that hes here in the first place.

 

Managers like LVG and Rafa would demand funds - and rightly so - and do everything to push for improvement.

 

Concede power how? No manager would have anything to bargain with. What could they do? Threaten to leave? Whoopy do. They wouldn't be promised funds to begin with, so they could choose not to take the job at that point. Moan about the owners in the press? What revelations could they come up with?

 

You're right, they probably didn't want the hassle of a moaning manager, but who's to say they might not get that anyway if they continue to stitch Rodgers up?

[Redder Lurtz]

A home game against young boys is an easier proposition that away at Udinese.

 

That game was there for the winning, which would have taken us through. He should have played a stronger team, if he wants to stay in the tournament.

 

Will he play a stronger team against Udinese? Or is he happy to persist with the second XI? Perhaps he feels if the second XI do go out, then we can concentrate on our league position.

 

If he picks a much stronger team in Italy then for me he has cocked up his strategy.

 

This. We're not playing until Sunday so why the hell didn't he put out a full team and just get the job done? Baffling really.

[The Golden Eel]

This. We're not playing until Sunday so why the hell didn't he put out a full team and just get the job done? Baffling really.

 

It's not the main reason we didn't win. We have a game on Sunday and on Wednesday, and if he puts out a full team, people say "we beat these 5-3 away, etc, etc". The fact is that the players fucked up.

[Randy Marsh]

Young Boys have qualified for Euro competition for the best part of a decade now.Rueda has managed four clubs now and is a former Swiss international,unsurprisngly they are quite capable of giving us a game and are far from no-marks.

 

Rafa? How quickly his final abject CL campaign has been forgotten.

 

I listened to an interview with Huntelaar today in which he described us as " no longer a European address", and sadly that is where we are.

 

I share your frustration with where we are now, but we can only accept it and try to progress and back Rodgers as he learns the ropes.

 

I take your point but for me regarding Young Boys as anything other than European minnows just highlights my initial point, which is how far our standards and expectations have fallen in the past three seasons.

 

A few years back, failing to beat Chelsea at home in a Champions League knockout match was seen as a bad result. Drawing against West Ham to go top of the league was seen as a bad result. Look at us now. Young Boys, Swansea, Udinese, Stoke, Norwich, Blackpool, Wolves, Sunderland, Northampton Town, all sides who've taken results from Anfield in the past few years. I could go on and list a load more. It stinks, and the fact that we have came to accept it now, and make excuses for it is even worse. I'm not blaming BR as it goes beyond him, but lets not kid ourself here and pretend results like last night are anything more than unacceptable for Liverpool football club. I was stood there last night without an ounce of excitement or anticipation because all it does is hammer home just how far we have fallen, from the days when not progressing beyond the Champions League quarter finals was seen as a bad season. It's depressing.

[Guest davelfc]

It stinks, and the fact that we have came to accept it now, and make excuses for it is even worse. I'm not blaming BR as it goes beyond him, but lets not kid ourself here and pretend results like last night are anything more than unacceptable for Liverpool football club. I was stood there last night without an ounce of excitement or anticipation because all it does is hammer home just how far we have fallen, from the days when not progressing beyond the Champions League quarter finals was seen as a bad season. It's depressing.

 

I agree, appointing Rogers has bought FSG a few years. Had they appointed an experienced top manager then we would have expected results very quickly, with Rogers we have to accept that he needs time, that he's learning, that he will make mistakes. Totally unacceptable for Liverpool Football Club but it appears the drugs are working as it's been widely accepted.

 

I'm not sure what the owners plan is, buying themselves a few years so they can sell or rebuilding from the bottom. The doubt is the only thing keeping me hanging on. 'All of our problem will be solved in the next transfer window", should be our new motto that.

[Randy Marsh]

I agree, appointing Rogers has bought FSG a few years. Had they appointed an experienced top manager then we would have expected results very quickly, with Rogers we have to accept that he needs time, that he's learning, that he will make mistakes. Totally unacceptable for Liverpool Football Club but it appears the drugs are working as it's been widely accepted.

 

I'm not sure what the owners plan is, buying themselves a few years so they can sell or rebuilding from the bottom. The doubt is the only thing keeping me hanging on. 'All of our problem will be solved in the next transfer window", should be our new motto that.

 

I think January is going to be the making of them one way or another. They cannot hide behind the "there's no value in the January market' line because numerous clubs have proven that to be absolute rubbish, ourselves included when signing Luis Suarez. If they fail to back us and neglect substantially reinforcing our attacking options after the months of suggestions that we were going to do serious business, I think a lot of fans, myself included , will stop giving them the already generous benefit of the doubt that they're being afforded.

[Guest davelfc]

I think January is going to be the making of them one way or another. They cannot hide behind the "there's no value in the January market' line because numerous clubs have proven that to be absolute rubbish, ourselves included when signing Luis Suarez. If they fail to back us and neglect substantially reinforcing our attacking options after the months of suggestions that we were going to do serious business, I think a lot of fans, myself included , will stop giving them the already generous benefit of the doubt that they're being afforded.

 

For me, allowing us to play two thirds of the season with our weakened squad is unforgivable. I'm sure that was a huge mistake by FSG, so for that reason I await the January window with great anticipation.

 

But hey, there's always the summer window, we can look forward to that one instead, right?

[diamondjoe]

I'm not really that arsed to be honest, forgot all about that game as soon as the final whistle went.

Time was, I woulda been sulking for fucking days, shows where we are now.

That said I'd rather 3 points and a good performance against Swansea. Swansea will be a good barometer of where we are under rodgers.

[Faustus]

The midfield is a real concern for me. Positionally, we're just all over the place and we're so easy to play through, regardless of who we're up against. Maybe that will improve when we have Lucas back and he's in there screening the back four with Allen (who, to be fair, look to be the only two lads we have with any positional sense), but I don't know- a case of wait and see.

 

Young Boys' second last night was just criminal. Far, far too easy.

 

This is maybe not so applicable to last night and more a general point, but the 'hunting in packs' is something that really bothers me, because we are nowhere near good enough to employ it. We simply do not keep possession well enough to make it work. Barcelona can get away with it, because they'll probably give the ball away in a threatening area once or twice a game and even then, chances are it won't make a difference because when one lad receives it, the rest of his team are either so goosed or so far back in their own half that little can be done to make it worthwhile.

 

For instance, I remember absolutely doing my nut in agaisnt Newcastle in the second half because they had a break on and one of their lads had the ball in midfield towards where I sit in the Main Stand and Gerrard or Allen (I forget who) was doing the sensible thing and jockeying the man, next minute instead of just holding his position in the centre of the pitch and tracking the Newcastle runner from deep, one of our lads comes over to the man with the ball, leaving the Newcastle lad with a free reign in the centre of the pitch. The player on the ball inevitably slips it through to him, who then switches it wide, and Cisse's shot, thankfully, was powder puff and just went straight into Jones' hands.

 

The main problem of the team is that we can't score goals, so with that being the case, I'd rather we tightened up significantly at the back so that if we score, we can at least be confident of keeping a clean sheet. Put simply, every goal we concede is killing us because we're so wasteful at the other end. As I said, I'd rather we just let the front three do all the interchanging and keep a fixed midfield with two screening the back four- holding that position throughout- with another at the top who's responsible for getting into the opposition box and linking up play with the front three. Take it step by step. The better we get at keeping hold of the ball, then go for the hunting in packs and fluid midfield shite. As we're a painfully average team, play with what you have and get a bit of fucking shape in there.

 

As I said though, we'll have to wait and see if we go for something like that when Lucas is back. I really hope we do, because I think we'd be a lot better for it.

[zigackly]

Uncomfortably, it should be said that there was enough experience on the pitch to have seen that game out.

 

Bear in mind that it's our manager's first European campaign. Sending on Raheem Sterling at 2-1 up gave the wrong signal to the team, but he'll learn from that.

[Gym Beglin]

Pepe is running out of time.

[FrenchEyeGlass]

Concede power how? No manager would have anything to bargain with. What could they do? Threaten to leave? Whoopy do. They wouldn't be promised funds to begin with, so they could choose not to take the job at that point. Moan about the owners in the press? What revelations could they come up with?

 

You're right, they probably didn't want the hassle of a moaning manager, but who's to say they might not get that anyway if they continue to stitch Rodgers up?

 

The moaning would have started before day one, though. Im convinced they didn't go after that echelon of manager because they knew what it came with. Demand for funds. For control. For a totalistic remit and that is what I mean when I say they would need to concede power. And such managers would have everything to bargain with - a reputation, a following, and trouble they'd pose the owners by upping sticks and leaving them to deal with a shitstorm.

 

He might. But its considerably less likely. I hope he does. I like him a lot but he seems quite awestruck. Im glad he knows about our traditions and our ethos. They are the tenets which underpin our club. But i'm sick to death of hearing about them. I'd rather hear his desperation for our progression but I think that will come, in time.

[FrenchEyeGlass]

I agree, appointing Rogers has bought FSG a few years. Had they appointed an experienced top manager then we would have expected results very quickly, with Rogers we have to accept that he needs time, that he's learning, that he will make mistakes. Totally unacceptable for Liverpool Football Club but it appears the drugs are working as it's been widely accepted.

 

I'm not sure what the owners plan is, buying themselves a few years so they can sell or rebuilding from the bottom. The doubt is the only thing keeping me hanging on. 'All of our problem will be solved in the next transfer window", should be our new motto that.

 

Exactly.

 

I cringe at the notion that fans who want more than abject performances against nobodies are being "unrealistic" and need a reality check. The owners and executives at this club have a responsibility to ensure we always remain one of Europe's elite. Fans seem to have relieved them of that responsibility.

 

Signing a striker in the summer wasn't about spending x amount but more about the message it sent out. That was that they didn't give a fuck about us become a force of any kind any time soon. And reinforces the idea that they hired Rodgers to buy themselves time.

[Gym Beglin]

That first Young Boys attack after 2 seconds really fucked me off. :telloff:

 

 

When you look at a back line that included Henderson and Downing, and Shelvey as a lone striker, it wasn't a shock to not win the game.

 

We haven't got a squad big enough for the Premiership, let alone a European competition. If we keep stretching these players then some of them are going to break, I can't wait to be out of this competition now.

For the sake of competing in the Europa League, we could miss out on a chance of Champions League football next year, and that's the truth here.

 

Send the next gen team to Udinese.

[WhiskeyJar]

Are results not going our way? Yes...

 

Is there room for optimism? Yes...

 

Am I backing the manager? Yes...

 

Do I like his style of football? Yes...

 

To be honest I had my doubts, but I have seen nothing to suggest that our team in the wrong hands.

 

IF FSG backs Bucks in January and reinforce the team with quality, then perhaps the season might not be such a write off at all.

[ngogswilly]

IF FSG backs Bucks in January and reinforce the team with quality, then perhaps the season might not be such a write off at all.

 

Well thats it. If they put their hands in their pockets it gives us a fighting chance. If they don't we're effectively boxing with one hand behind our back.

[Alan Sex]

So Liverpool are going to have to get a result in Napoli if they want any chance of beating off Young Boys.