Aston Villa (H) – Sat 11th Dec 2021 (3:00pm)

[Carvalho Diablo]

Heart in mouth stuff today, one of those horrible games where a cynical team, full of time wasting niggly cheats, attempts to park the bus and spoil their way to a shithouse point.

 

Thank fuck justice prevailed because we deserved that, even though we were blighted by injuries and below par, we fucking battered the wazzock munching fools and fully deserved all 3 points.

 

Great to see Stevie back but I'm still far from convinced he'll ever he a successful Liverpool manager, but I wish the lad well.

 

Robbo, Matip and Sadio were the standouts for me, the referee was just absolutely fucking useless. An utter cheat.

 

Onwards and upwards, COYMR

[El Rojo]

Joel Matip has been our best defender this season. Rarely gets the praise he deserves. Great to see a couple of those crazy, slaloming runs today from him too. 

[KMD7]

3 minutes ago, El Rojo said:

Joel Matip has been our best defender this season. Rarely gets the praise he deserves. Great to see a couple of those crazy, slaloming runs today from him too. 

Yeah he's been outstanding, and needs to be as Virg is still some way off his imperious best. 

[dockers_strike]

Didnt get to the game today due to after effects of my booster jab. Had to make do with a hookey stream and goodness, that game did nothing for my nerves.

 

A very close game which should cast doubt on those who question Stevie's managerial qualities. thought he got his game plan for his team spot on even if it was aided by an overtly officious ref and some less than quality play by us.

 

In the first half, it seemed like almost all the decent  chances fell to Robbo. Great stalwart that he is, he isnt the player you want on the end of chances in a game like this. But credit to the boy because he's a full back and made every effort to be dangerous and put the ball in the net.

 

Ox had a good long range strike that just flew over the bar while Sadio and Mo both seemed to run down dead ends. On balance, we should have been a couple of goals ahead but just couldnt find the right finishing touch.

 

2nd half was pretty much the same until Mings bundled over Mo in the box. To be honest, Im surprised Attwell gave it considering the game he was having. You always get the impression when Mo goes down in the box, that refs and VAR look not to give it.

 

Martinez tried to put Mo off pointing to his right when he was dancing along the line. Mo composed himself to put the ball beyond the keeper's reach and just inside the post.

 

But the 2nd half for Mo and Sadio reverted to the first and some poor touches saw further chances wasted. Diogo came on for Ox and really should have done better with the chances he got but, it was just one of those games where not much came off.

 

I thought Alli had a dubious performance. Slipping on his arse, fumbling the ball and very fortunate in my view not to conceed a pen on the edge of the box with Ings.

 

A hard won 3 points which is what we needed with city winning earlier and chelsea getting a last minute winner against leeds.

 

MoTM I'll give to Robbo because although he didnt score, he must have cover just about every blade of grass at Anfield today.

 

[magicrat]

14 minutes ago, 3 Stacks said:

He was slipping all over the place.

 

The one where he boots it off Matip, though, Ings pushes Matip into him. 

I don't know about that but maybe he should borrow Matip's boots

[magicrat]

11 minutes ago, El Rojo said:

Joel Matip has been our best defender this season. Rarely gets the praise he deserves. Great to see a couple of those crazy, slaloming runs today from him too. 

Agree

 

I like the way that he rarely gives the ball away at the end of his runs and finds a good pass

[AngryOfTuebrook]

Shit match.

Three points.

 

Next!

[TheHowieLama]

Nothing has ever come of a Matip run. He should just put his foot through it at the end - at least create a chance FFS.

[gkmacca]

20 minutes ago, Sweeney287 said:

 

 

Stevie knew that if he brought villa and went toe to toe they'd get mullered, as would he by the villa fans, so he done what most managers have to do. 

 

 

I'm not so sure these days. The Brentford manager, with a weaker squad, wouldn't have done that. Nor would the Brighton manager. Nor would most of the others quite as cynically as that. Allardyce would've done. It's up to Gerrard to show that he's better than that. If he carries on like this he'll have kids drying the football before throw-ins during home games.

[Rick Sanchez C-137]

42 minutes ago, fungus said:

You watching on premier sports? Who is that guy? (Sounds like a lower rent Ferdinand)

Haha I thought the same. No idea. Poundland Ferdinand will do.

[TheHowieLama]

2 minutes ago, gkmacca said:

I'm not so sure these days. The Brentford manager, with a weaker squad, wouldn't have done that. Nor would the Brighton manager. Nor would most of the others quite as cynically as that. Allardyce would've done. It's up to Gerrard to show that he's better than that. If he carries on like this he'll have kids drying the football before throw-ins during home games.

He doesn't play Liverpool away every week.

[El Rojo]

1 minute ago, gkmacca said:

I'm not so sure these days. The Brentford manager, with a weaker squad, wouldn't have done that. Nor would the Brighton manager. Nor would most of the others quite as cynically as that. Allardyce would've done. It's up to Gerrard to show that he's better than that. If he carries on like this he'll have kids drying the football before throw-ins during home games.

Yes. No guts, no glory. Damage limitation is pointless against ourselves or Man City. Ask a few questions at least.

[gkmacca]

1 minute ago, TheHowieLama said:

He doesn't play Liverpool away every week.

Neither do the managers I just mentioned, and yet still they don't stoop to that level.

[dockers_strike]

2 minutes ago, gkmacca said:

I'm not so sure these days. The Brentford manager, with a weaker squad, wouldn't have done that. Nor would the Brighton manager. Nor would most of the others quite as cynically as that. Allardyce would've done. It's up to Gerrard to show that he's better than that. If he carries on like this he'll have kids drying the football before throw-ins during home games.

The Brentford manager will do it when he comes to Anfield and so will most of the others. Yeah, Potter did a good job but if Sadio's third hadnt been scrubbed off, people would be saying he tried to go toe to toe and got battered. Potter gets a good report for that game because we basically stopped playing after Sadio's handball goal was scrubbed. None of the Brighton players thought it wasnt a goal and just had it out with their keeper until VAR saved them.

[gkmacca]

4 minutes ago, dockers_strike said:

The Brentford manager will do it when he comes to Anfield and so will most of the others. 

No they won't. Not as badly as that. 

[Ne Moe Imya]

13 minutes ago, TheHowieLama said:

Nothing has ever come of a Matip run. He should just put his foot through it at the end - at least create a chance FFS.

That one today I was screaming for him to just go past the last defender a la Messi. He's already dribbled three players, what's one more?

[polymerpunkah]

I enjoyed that, even at the end.

 

Another well-earned and fully-deserved three points. 

 

As for Gerrard, from the Rangers matches I watched, that's not the football he wants to play (though having Ashley Young anywhere near your squad does belie that to some extent--still a cunt). 

 

But it's understandable, facing a team as good as LFC. If the pen isn't given, and he gets out with a point, he's golden.

 

What's more, this early in his time at Villa, I don't think he can afford to take a thumping from any team, let alone LFC. 

 

 

 

 

 

[TheHowieLama]

5 minutes ago, gkmacca said:

Neither do the managers I just mentioned, and yet still they don't stoop to that level.

Brighton went to Villa a few weeks back and got tonked. 

Villa created some good chances against Leicester last week.

Seems simplistic to suggest today has much to do with Gerrard's "style".

[Boss]

The Matip run is becoming as iconic as the Robertson press.

[3 Stacks]

Gerrard did the bare minimum there making them hard to play through but didn't threaten the goal at all. Not much to say other than that he just didn't want to lose, which is a bit weak, but whatever.

[gkmacca]

3 minutes ago, TheHowieLama said:

Brighton went to Villa a few weeks back and got tonked. 

Villa created some good chances against Leicester last week.

Seems simplistic to suggest today has much to do with Gerrard's "style".

I find this 'either play like Allardyce or get "tonked"' a bit MORE simplistic.

[gkmacca]

3 minutes ago, 3 Stacks said:

Gerrard did the bare minimum there making them hard to play through but didn't threaten the goal at all. Not much to say other than that he just didn't want to lose, which is a bit weak, but whatever.

He also just said 'you lot had a soft penalty' so he needs his fecking eyes tested too.

[dockers_strike]

11 minutes ago, gkmacca said:

No they won't. Not as badly as that. 

As bad as that? We disagree and we'll see. They got away with it in their first PL game which was a free hit for them. When they come to play at Anfield on 15 Jan, every point will be important for them, the game wont be a free hit and they wont risk going toe to toe.

[Turkish Delight]

Villa played similar to last season but without as much attacking threat (probably due to us having better players on the pitch).

 

Gerrard set them up how Hodgson/Allardyce/Pulis/Bruce have consistently set teams up at Anfield down the years. Tough to play through and hoping to nick something off a set piece.

 

Unless he makes them more progressive in time then I don't want to see him in the Liverpool job any more than those. Love the fella but if he ever gets our job it needs to be because there's something in his teams that makes it look like he could replicate it here.

[Red Shift]

1 hour ago, magicrat said:

Fuck knows what was up with Ali today. Hope he has got all the brainfarts out of his system. 

A Brazilian standing around on a cold rainy Liverpool winter’s day?