Stoke away 9/8/2015

[KevieG]

Have to say I really like the way Can came on and starting demanding the ball and pointing at players telling them where to go. Really took the game by the scruff of the neck.

 

He should have played himself onto the team with that cameo.

 

Would probably start a diamond of 

Can

Henderson Milner

Coutinho

 

Then it depends who can play with Benteke up front. Don't know much about Firmino but he's got a 1 in 2 record so would probably give him that role.

 

Defence earned the right to play again in what was a very solid display.

[JermainePennant]

What an advertisement for the club Joe Gomez is, comes in to the squad as a youngster but proves he's good enough in training and starts the first prem game.

 

He turned down other top clubs because players know they will get a chance here, other young players must be looking on and thinking LFC would be a great club to play for at a young age, Odergaard and his dad made a massive mistake going to Madrid over us especially considering he is supposedly a big LFC fan.

[Dr. J]

 

Have to say I really like the way Can came on and starting demanding the ball and pointing at players telling them where to go. Really took the game by the scruff of the neck.

 

He should have played himself onto the team with that cameo.

 

This. He looked like a natural leader determined to win.

[Denny Crane]

Good result many questions raised from that game but with these early games it's always hard to take too much from it. 3 points and a clean sheet is a good start.

 

If Lallanna could get as many goals and assists as he does interviews he would be some player. There is no place in the team for him is there?. It's like with Allen in the past Rodgers just wanted to get his name on the team sheet.

 

I reckon Adam could be the new escapegoat for the 2015/16 season replacing Johnson.

[The Golden Eel]

This. He looked like a natural leader determined to win.

 Can has always looked like a player with, dare i say it, the "right mentality"

[manwiththestick]

This. He looked like a natural leader determined to win.

Determined to make up for his personal horror show in the previous game maybe?

[El Rojo]

Agree with Kevie G's set-up -  Can, Milner, Henderson, Firmino, Coutino & Benteke would appear to be our best top-half combination on yesterday's evidence.

 

Would like to see that against a Bournemouth side that will be trying to play football too.

 

I like Lallana, but he looked like a man who'd just run two marathons even early yesterday, which is worrying. Ibe would be unlucky to lose out, but what a great option to have from the bench.

[Rotpeter]

Really good and important win but so many things wrong with that side.

 

Henderson and Milner midfield two is a shocking use of resources. Neither of them are sitting midfielders and do their best work higher up the pitch. 

 

Lallana is a bit of a waste of space and slows the tempo down. We rarely play well with him on the pitch but he's a Rodgers buy so he'll be pigheaded about trying to make it work. If he was a committee buy he'd be sat next to Markovic and Sakho in the stand.

 

Lovren over Sakho is a joke and again down to Rodgers' arrogance and pigheadedness because he bought Lovren and Sakho was a committee buy.

 

Can needs to be starting in midfield. Can over Lallana with a midfield three or diamond would have seen a more balanced side yesterday and probably seen us offer more going forward.

 

Benteke is not going to offer anything in that set up. He needs players around him and he needs regular service.   Henderson and Milner are two players who could offer more service and support but not as sitting midfielders. 

Good take on it.  On the bright side almost all of the tweaks you mention are do-able.  Just needs the penny to drop.  But at least we have the players we need.

[an tha]

This is the fucking problem isn't it, the floating? Floating corners and free kicks in as well, exactly what you wanna see if you're trying to defend one. When exactly did whipping a ball in go out of fashion?

We are the same with crosses from open play as well -Did you see the two crosses that led to goals in the Newcastle v Southampton game yesterday.......pacey crosses drilled in by players moving at speed - we never seem to do that and we need to do it more with Benteke because he can and will eat them up

[Pureblood]

Good take on it. On the bright side almost all of the tweaks you mention are do-able. Just needs the penny to drop. But at least we have the players we need.

I particularly enjoyed the use of 20/20 hindsight and multiple references to Brendan's out of control arrogance. Go Ritchie!

[magicrat]

We are the same with crosses from open play as well -Did you see the two crosses that led to goals in the Newcastle v Southampton game yesterday.......pacey crosses drilled in by players moving at speed - we never seem to do that and we need to do it more with Benteke because he can and will eat them up

Indeed, who have we got though that can hit a ball like Gerrard though ?.  Henderson giving it a girlie slap isn't going to strike fear into any hearts 

[El Dangerous]

I noticed that Payet had the second highest amounts of assists in France last year and seeing him yesterday I reckon he'd have been a perfect cheap option to cover Sterlings place, in the squad at least. Buying Benteke should have meant we'd sign a player who can at least cross as well although Milner might do a bit in that department.

[ritchie]

Agree with Kevie G's set-up -  Can, Milner, Henderson, Firmino, Coutino & Benteke would appear to be our best top-half combination on yesterday's evidence.

 

 

It clearly is our best front 6 at least until Sturridge comes back. It should balance nicely in a 4-4-2 diamond. Fucking the system up to try and fit Lallana in won't do us any favours. 

[Paco]

It clearly is our best front 6 at least until Sturridge comes back. It should balance nicely in a 4-4-2 diamond. Fucking the system up to try and fit Lallana in won't do us any favours.

ibe cant play in 442 diamond either. Rodgers will want to play him as much as possible

[Reckoner]

ibe cant play in 442 diamond either. Rodgers will want to play him as much as possible

Whyever not?

[redinthehead]

That match will not please those posters that are convinced that its still 1983, but therewere plenty of positives on display.

 

1. Benteke. Despite being left on an island for the majority of the game, he provided good hold up play when he actually received service and forced stoke to watch him carefully. Also he is good in the air, uninjured, and arsed which makes him better than all our forwards from last season.

 

2. Backline.  Looked reasonably solid, coordinated, and confident. Admitedly it is a low bar set by last seasons performance, but we appear to be vastly improved. Lovren did well enough to not be a joke and Skrtl was his usual dependable self. Young Joe did very well against a very experienced Walter, and Clyne actually appears to be able to defend and attack which is an attribute not seen in recent memory for the a Reds fb.

 

3. Coutinho. Magic again. To be fair, it is unrealistic to depend on him to save our hides everytime, but he has shown the other sides that he needs to be closely attended to and that can only mean more space for his teammates.

 

4. Firmino.  Bright and direct. Gives the side some much need width.

 

5. Can. Amazing hair. He, and not milner or henderson, needs to be in the center of the park. He controls the central midfield and his penchant for carrying the ball forward leads to greater tempo or our attack and disruption of the other sides shape.

 

6. Miler and Henderson. Industry. I will not argue that they are world class or anything close, but having two hard workers on either side of the midfield is going to be a boon for us, especially during the depths of the season when everybody is getting a bit leggy.

 

7. Mignolet. looked solid and confident. Didnt have much to do. Lets keep it that way.

 

Id like to see for the next match:

 

                                Benteke                     Fimino

 

                                                coutinho

 

         Milner                                  can                           Henderson

 

Gomez                   Lovren                         Skrtl                         Clyne

 

 

                                                 Mignolet

[an tha]

Indeed, who have we got though that can hit a ball like Gerrard though ?. Henderson giving it a girlie slap isn't going to strike fear into any hearts

I dont know about like Stevie but surely we must have players who can cross it like we see players in the legaue cross it week in week out....