Why are we still crossing all the time?

[Guest LFD]

I thought the whole point in this 'system' / 'tiki-taka' / Rodgers brand of football it was mostly about movement, passing to feet, probing, lots of one / twos... like Barca.

 

Yet it seems the plan is still very much get the ball wide and cross it. Especially when we go behind in games, we look clueless and just get it wide to Stelring or Johnson to cross.

 

The bizarre thing is we don't often have anyone in the box to attack these crosses as Suarez loves to roam and the wide players are asked to stay wide and offer width.

 

So why are we still doing it?

 

It seems to me we have two plans in possession:

 

1) Give the ball to Suarez and hope he can produce some brilliance.

 

or

 

2) Get the ball wide and cross it (to no one often).

 

I don't get it, please someone explain it to me!

[Juniper]

I'd like to see some of the players not too worried about putting their laces through the ball near to the edge of the box.

 

A couple of times today we went close then sprayed it wide. The ball would eventually found its way back to the edge and Villa, by that time, had filled the box full of men.

 

Just put your foot through the ball hit it. We were too hesitant today all over the pitch and it cost us once they took the lead.

[billypilgrimnz]

It doesn't help that we are shit at crossing, in general.

[Ranxerox]

I thought the whole point in this 'system' / 'tiki-taka' / Rodgers brand of football it was mostly about movement, passing to feet, probing, lots of one / twos... like Barca.

 

Yet it seems the plan is still very much get the ball wide and cross it. Especially when we go behind in games, we look clueless and just get it wide to Stelring or Johnson to cross.

 

The bizarre thing is we don't often have anyone in the box to attack these crosses as Suarez loves to roam and the wide players are asked to stay wide and offer width.

 

So why are we still doing it?

 

It seems to me we have two plans in possession:

 

1) Give the ball to Suarez and hope he can produce some brilliance.

 

or

 

2) Get the ball wide and cross it (to no one often).

 

I don't get it, please someone explain it to me!

 

 

....has been going on all year and I can't understand it either.

[Newport]

I thought the whole point in this 'system' / 'tiki-taka' / Rodgers brand of football it was mostly about movement, passing to feet, probing, lots of one / twos... like Barca.

 

Second goal of the 2009 Champions League final. Look it up.

[Guest LFD]

Second goal of the 2009 Champions League final. Look it up.

 

I'm not saying don't cross.

 

But it seems to be one of our biggest tactics used, yet we don't really have a striker who wants that type of service.

[Guest LFD]

It doesn't help that we are shit at crossing, in general.

 

Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't.

 

We don't really have players in the box to attack those types of deliveries.

 

Shelvey put a great ball in the first half, no one was there!

[Paco]

after we went 2 nil down we stopped playing the way BR wants us to play. we did the same last week away to west ham but then we found it again and won. we stopped being patient today after half an hour and then went looking for goals as quickly as possible which was usually just a long ball.

 

The lack of quality we created in the 2nd half was alarming and some of the defending was a reminder of how bad we can be and have been for the last 3 years.

 

BR has been getting it right with subs lately but nothing worked today. suso def should've been brought on to put his foot on the ball.

[jonnybastard]

They're practising for when the big centre forward arrives next month.

[DooooodekNo5]

I'm not saying don't cross.

 

But it seems to be one of our biggest tactics used, yet we don't really have a striker who wants that type of service.

 

You are spot on , none of our midfield get in the box when Suarez roams , i dont get why , also when on the rare occaision there is more than 2 people in the box like when weve had a corner and its been cleared out we pick it up and get it wide so many times we choose not to cross but to fuck around with short pointless passes on the edge of a packed box , infuriating stuff.

 

Were just so fucking slow and clueless most of the time.

[DooooodekNo5]

Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't.

 

We don't really have players in the box to attack those types of deliveries.

 

Shelvey put a great ball in the first half, no one was there!

 

There were 3 or 4 perfect crosses today , right in the exact place you would want them but no bastard anywhere near them.

 

Suarez is in no way a proper number 9 , hes to busy and wants to be involved in everything in the final 3rd to be a proper 9 , we need a proper goal hanging instinctive number 9 desperately.

[Guest LFD]

There were 3 or 4 perfect crosses today , right in the exact place you would want them but no bastard anywhere near them.

 

Suarez is in no way a proper number 9 , hes to busy and wants to be involved in everything in the final 3rd to be a proper 9 , we need a proper goal hanging instinctive number 9 desperately.

 

I agree.

 

I was saying in the summer, we need to play either Suarez as a number 10 or wide.

 

He can play upfront as a lone striker, as he is a brilliant player. But I think we'd have a better team if we had a proper finisher and number 9 and using Suarez either as a supporting striker, ala Beardsley or wide like he was at Ajax. We'd have more threat and goals in the team that way and when we do cross we'd hopefully have a striker who would be in the right place or who could finish those chances.

 

I thought some of our crossing was goodtoday as well.

[DooooodekNo5]

I agree.

 

I was saying in the summer, we need to play either Suarez as a number 10 or wide.

 

He can play upfront as a lone striker, as he is a brilliant player. But I think we'd have a better team if we had a proper finisher and number 9 and using Suarez either as a supporting striker, ala Beardsley or wide like he was at Ajax. We'd have more threat and goals in the team that way and when we do cross we'd hopefully have a striker who would be in the right place or who could finish those chances.

 

I thought some of our crossing was goodtoday as well.

 

Yep and having that goal hanging number 9 would free up more space for Suarez to weave his magic as he wont have 3 defenders up his backside everytime hes on the ball.

[piscinin]

I thought the whole point in this 'system' / 'tiki-taka' / Rodgers brand of football it was mostly about movement, passing to feet, probing, lots of one / twos... like Barca.

 

Yet it seems the plan is still very much get the ball wide and cross it. Especially when we go behind in games, we look clueless and just get it wide to Stelring or Johnson to cross.

 

The bizarre thing is we don't often have anyone in the box to attack these crosses as Suarez loves to roam and the wide players are asked to stay wide and offer width.

 

So why are we still doing it?

 

It seems to me we have two plans in possession:

 

1) Give the ball to Suarez and hope he can produce some brilliance.

 

or

 

2) Get the ball wide and cross it (to no one often).

 

I don't get it, please someone explain it to me!

 

Rodgers has delivered 0% on the tika taka promises. We're not even trying to play that way. It was obviously all hot air, it's still the suarez and gerrard show.

[KopOut]

I thought the whole point in this 'system' / 'tiki-taka' / Rodgers brand of football it was mostly about movement, passing to feet, probing, lots of one / twos... like Barca.

 

Yet it seems the plan is still very much get the ball wide and cross it. Especially when we go behind in games, we look clueless and just get it wide to Stelring or Johnson to cross.

 

The bizarre thing is we don't often have anyone in the box to attack these crosses as Suarez loves to roam and the wide players are asked to stay wide and offer width.

 

So why are we still doing it?

 

It seems to me we have two plans in possession:

 

1) Give the ball to Suarez and hope he can produce some brilliance.

 

or

 

2) Get the ball wide and cross it (to no one often).

 

I don't get it, please someone explain it to me!

 

Unfortunately, we're so slow and ponderous in midfield possession, that the opposition has time to get 11 players behind the ball (see: Liverpool verses Aston Villa Sat 15th Dec 2012) meaning we're left with very few attacking options.

[Sandford]

Statistically i could be wrong (its been known)but it seems to me that we create no more chances than under King Kenny, convert about the same amount of them and where we could fall back on the fact we were solid at the back before we cant now because were conceding more.

We also are taking a lot of time out of the game by passing the ball along our back 4 in the vain hope it seems were 'controlling' the game. The best way to control the game is by scoring when on top and putting games to bed.

We are lucky that given the right signings in January these things can be rectified as were not a million miles behind.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

It's because of the players we have.

[Reckoner]

There is a myth constantly perpetuated by football commentators and analyses that a certain type of cross is a good cross, eg, just between the goal keeper and defender, even when there is no attacking player around.

You do not have 'great crosses' with no team mate around to tap it in, as that is a pass to nobody. Isn't it? Therefor it smacks of lack of awareness of team mates as you have just lost possession. It might look dangerous and sometimes it is the fault of others for 'not taking a chance' but very rarely, you cannot have 'a good cross but nobody there' other wise I would be the worlds best passer of a ball and the fact there was no one there would be irrelevant.

[Captain]

If you look at how Villa set up yesterday it's quite clear: They pack central defense with so much people it's more or less impossible to play your way through it. We then have to get round on the flanks.

 

Of course, we neither have the numbers nor the right players in the box when the cross comes.

 

In short, when we don't score first to make teams open up we will find it very, very difficult.

[KopOut]

If you look at how Villa set up yesterday it's quite clear: They pack central defense with so much people it's more or less impossible to play your way through it. We then have to get round on the flanks.

 

Of course, we neither have the numbers nor the right players in the box when the cross comes.

 

In short, when we don't score first to make teams open up we will find it very, very difficult.

 

Isn't it interesting how we don't seem to be able to pack central defense with so much people it's more or less impossible to play your way through it?

 

We just leave Reina Agger and Skrrtel to wave magic wands and make it all better.

[Captain]

Our defense is nothing like it used to be, that's for sure.

 

That said, we play to win at Anfield. That means committing players forward to beat teams that park the bus.

[xerxes]

There were 3 or 4 perfect crosses today , right in the exact place you would want them but no bastard anywhere near them.

 

Suarez is in no way a proper number 9 , hes to busy and wants to be involved in everything in the final 3rd to be a proper 9 , we need a proper goal hanging instinctive number 9 desperately.

 

I agree, a couple from Downing too.

 

There is a strong case for going out and buying both Sturridge and Bent, and telling whoever plays simply to hang around the box and convert the chances we are already creating.

[MOGLET]

Our biggest problem for an age now, hardly anyone in the box, how often do we see a ball flying in, and nothing but defenders in the box?

[piscinin]

Statistically i could be wrong (its been known)but it seems to me that we create no more chances than under King Kenny, convert about the same amount of them and where we could fall back on the fact we were solid at the back before we cant now because were conceding more.

 

Did someone say stats?

 

We're creating 30% more chances per game. Alas, this has only led to 1 additional goal! Our already pathetic conversion rate is now below 7%. On the flipside we're allowing 20% more shots and our opponents conversion rate has gone up from 10% to 12%

[Unrighteous]

I'm not saying don't cross.

 

But it seems to be one of our biggest tactics used, yet we don't really have a striker who wants that type of service.

 

It's about percentages really... If you make a delivery like a cross, and a defender(or GK) makes a hash of the clearance, then it can put the team under a lot of pressure... out of nothing really.

 

I agree that we have no striker who wants that type of service, but we shouldn't stop crossing altogether, because it takes a tool away from our attack.

 

That said? I want to see more people trying to get in and around the box... (as per fucking usual --- this is a recording)

 

The more of our players we have around the box, the more likely there will be a defensive error, or a bad clearance, or the defender/gk will wiff on the ball and we might get an easy goal