Villa(H) Match Thread

[Captain]

I want to be worried about this match, given our more than recent history of bottling things as soon as we look like genuine contenders, but simply can't.

 

If we're at it, it'll be a rout. If not, a bit closer.

 

Ok.

[Nelly-Szoboszlai]

It's not all doom and gloom. We've lost points on the top 3, but did anyone really think we'd challenge for the title this season?

 

If United lose tomorrow, we'll be 6 points ahead of them with a superior goal difference too.

 

I can see Everton struggling at West Brom too, so the derby could be utterly massive. Win that and we open up a nice little cushion over United and Everton.

 

Spurs are the ones to watch.

[Etienne77]

Why are we spending time re educating a 34 yr player to play in different position. Buy a player comfortable in this position and let the captain prove his worth in the role he has always played.

If he isn't up to it then he takes his place on the bench. It's all about the club and some of our finest had to take the knock at some point.

There are some massive decisions to be made for us to move forward. We have to show some balls.

It's not so much the loss of 2 points as the piss poor showing in the first half. No control whatsoever.

This may sound churlish but the only joy I can take from the game today is that the owners were there to witness it. Can we add something to a good side managed by a good guy. Fucking step up.

[bossy]

Today, as all days was on the players and the manager. I can't believe people haven't seen this coming, we've generally been very poor all season with Suarez and to a lesser degree Sturridge hiding the complete miserableness of our midfield and defence.

[Strontium]

What the fuck is that supposed to mean?

You are capable of reading, it means exactly what is written.

[bossy]

Why are we spending time re educating a 34 yr player to play in different position. Buy a player comfortable in this position and let the captain prove his worth in the role he has always played.

If he isn't up to it then he takes his place on the bench. It's all about the club and some of our finest had to take the knock at some point.

There are some massive decisions to be made for us to move forward. We have to show some balls.

It's not so much the loss of 2 points as the piss poor showing in the first half. No control whatsoever.

This may sound churlish but the only joy I can take from the game today is that the owners were there to witness it. Can we add something to a good side managed by a good guy. Fucking step up.

I have the terrible feeling that our American dunk in donut fuckers were expecting a 5-0 show like many of our fans seemed to expect.

[Joey8FrogsLegs]

It was a disjointed performance throughout because of team tinkering, in my opinion.  We're not always going to score 3+ goals, we need to be be better at the back and pay teams more respect than going with a suicidal midfield two of Gerrard and Henderson.

 

This basically. And our defence still struggle when it's lumped into our box.

[stringvest]

It will be like the 2009 season, where the players started ignoring the manager to try to rescue the situation in the second half of the season.  Except this time, they'll take it upon themselves to start defending properly.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

I blame Rodgers' rant.

[bossy]

We have two great goalscorers two ok winger/tricky guys a goodish keeper a captain with a rep and that's about it. We need sorting out and it will take a lot of money. I co think Rodgers can get us there but we have to recognise what we are first. We do not have Suarez next season.

[Etienne77]

We've done so well this season so far it would be fucking criminal for us to start travelling backwards.

This was one of our supposedly easier home games with the big boys arriving soon so it pisses me off to drop the 2 points. That said every team has the occasional fuck up. Why not us. If we kick on again like we did after the Hull defeat then happy days.

The derby cannot come soon enough. A perfect game for us after the the game today.  

[Dr. J]

 

What happened when it was 2-2, though?

 

We had one substitution left, didn't we? Did we go all out to win, or did we settle for a draw?

 

 

Ok

 

Yeah, I forgot possibility three: that we'd come out with a ridiculous formation and be completely overrun, i.e. managerial bollocksing.

[Dicko]

Mignolet is the goalkeeping equivalent of Heskey.

Terrified of his own shadow and scared of getting hurt.

A marginally better shot stopper than the man he replaced but in every other aspect lightyears behind him.

 

I detest him and his cowardice.

[redfromtubebar]

The glaring weaknesses in the side were brutally exposed today. Both fullbacks had absolute nightmares while the centre backs had no protection at all against runners from midfield. 

 

Rodgers should never have gone 4-4-2 against a side that's set up for counter-attacking, especially when one the central midfielders doesn't have the legs to do the job. 

 

Lucas or Allen should have started the game and kept the midfield compact and let the front 3 get on with it. 

 

I hope that John Henry gets the message that all is not rosy with this team. We haven't a hope of top 4 unless we reinforce this window. This team is crying out for a class anchor man and has been since Lucas's injury. 

 

I'm ready to say that I don't want to see Glen Johnson in a Liverpool shirt ever again. He's dropped off the cliff. Whether his legs have gone or whether it's down to him not being offered a new contract, he's fucking terrible. Cissokho might be shit but at least he tries. Can't wait to have Flanagan back and Kelly simply has to come in for Johnson now, whatever his circumstances he can't be worse. 

[Etienne77]

Mignolet is the goalkeeping equivalent of Heskey.

Terrified of his own shadow and scared of getting hurt.

A marginally better shot stopper than the man he replaced but in every other aspect lightyears behind him.

 

I detest him and his cowardice.

A bit over the top but heart felt all the same. He'll be OK

[Jairzinho]

Mignolet is the goalkeeping equivalent of Heskey.

Terrified of his own shadow and scared of getting hurt.

A marginally better shot stopper than the man he replaced but in every other aspect lightyears behind him.

 

I detest him and his cowardice.

 

I think that's a tad harsh. He really needs to command his six yard box a lot better though. I fucking wince whenever a cross comes in. He either flaps at it unconvincing or just leaves it.

 

Its more important than the distribution issue, for me.

[Gnasher]

That's the title up in smoke and if Brendan wants to shy away from making big decisions for fear of upsetting people his job will go the same way. Not getting top four this season will be disastrous.

[stringvest]

Mignolet is the goalkeeping equivalent of Heskey.

Terrified of his own shadow and scared of getting hurt.

A marginally better shot stopper than the man he replaced but in every other aspect lightyears behind him.

 

I detest him and his cowardice.

 

I disagree with this, but I tried to rep it as it made me laugh.  You never did like that fence Dicko.

[dirk grout]

It will be like the 2009 season, where the players started ignoring the manager to try to rescue the situation in the second half of the season.  Except this time, they'll take it upon themselves to start defending properly.

 

I very much doubt we'll finish second with 86 points.

[Dicko]

I disagree with this, but I tried to rep it as it made me laugh.  You never did like that fence Dicko.

To be honest today felt like one of those Brendan vanity projects. You almost know what's going to happen from the build up, once we started talking titles I could see where we were heading today.

Playing an extra attacker at the expense of a defensive midfielder was a massive blunder and one he's made before oldham in the cup last year and later on Southampton away. Both of which came after eulogies about how great we were.

 

While I'm not a fan of his I can't deny he's done a good job this season, excellent for the most part. But one area in which he has copied his mentor (Mourinho) is his inability to not let his ego cloud his judgment.

 

Keep it in check take one game at a time and we might get somewhere.

[Kevin D]

I disagree with this, but I tried to rep it as it made me laugh.  You never did like that fence Dicko.

 

If you're in need of a laugh, you should go onto the match thread on the MF.

 

There's this loon who is actually criticising Lucas after today's monstrosity.  

[Newport]

Rodgers is doing too much accomodation to fit in players he thinks should be in the team. He has to make tough choices and keep playing the same way we did before Gerrard and Sturridge returned. We are better with one striker and that means one of Sturridge or Suarez has to play out wide. I don't think it would be that big a problem for Suarez actually and even if he was put on the wing he usually drifts all over the pitch just like he should. I don't see the problem here. 

 

The next is that for that to happen either Coutinho or Sterling has to be benched. Even though both have done well in the absence of Sturridge we can't just throw all of them in there and see what happens, there has to be a bigger plan than that.

Then there is the midfield. Putting up a two-man midfield against a three man midfield will never work out and now we've dropped at least three valuable points because it happened at Arsenal and again tonight. Also, to make the front three work out we'll have to have someone to cover the sides behind the wingers whose main responsibility should be attacking. Therefore we need a three-man midfield with either Allen-Lucas-Henderson or Gerrard-Lucas-Henderson. Gerrard doesn't have the legs to track back and do the pressing quick enough and thus we're vulnerable for counter-attacks like we saw tonight and even though our defence isn't the best their job is made much worse because of this. Why a Premier League manager of Rodgers' standard isn't capable of making this tough choice is a bit disappointing to be honest.

 

Now we'll probably be without Lucas for a while so there has to be some reinforcement in the defensive midfield quite quickly before the window closes. Despite our other shortcomings the defensive part of the midfield is our weakest point right now.

[dirk grout]

If you're in need of a laugh, you should go onto the match thread on the MF.

 

There's this loon who is actually criticising Lucas after today's monstrosity.  

 

Lucas was our best midfielder by a mile today and was only on the pitch 15 minutes. Pretty worrying stuff really. I was reminded of the cretinous comments you see on here about Lucas giving away 'needless free kicks'. When he came on he gave away a couple as he had the novel idea of putting his foot in and actually trying to win the ball back in midfield, something the rest of our midfield deem to be underneath them.

[redken]

Can anymore tell me "Do we have any defensive coaches?" If so what the feck do they do all week.Also our left back gets lots of possession but hasn't got a clue when he's got the ball in a forward position. Why can't our supremo see this. Swap Johnson to left back & play Kelly at right back.

[dirk grout]

Can anymore tell me "Do we have any defensive coaches?" If so what the feck do they do all week.Also our left back gets lots of possession but hasn't got a clue when he's got the ball in a forward position. Why can't our supremo see this. Swap Johnson to left back & play Kelly at right back.

 

It appears that Rodgers just doesn't rate kelly, hes had plenty of opportunities to put him in.