A few thoughts after today's match

[RedinSweden]

1. Relief to have the three points mainly. Important to get them.

2. Sunderland are a nasty little bunch of bastards.

3. That bloke was sent off for his haircut and a few of his team mates were lucky to stay on the pitch for having used the same blind, epileptic barber.

4. I lip read Sami Hyypia saying "Fuck off little boy" to one of them having a dig at him.

5. Cisse isn't a winger.

6. Morientes tried hard early on but wasn't that effective.

7. Momo is fucking ace. And nails. Is he going to get a yellow in every match?

8. I am sure Rafa's tongue was bleeding again today. He needs to drink more water.

9. Warnock is a cracking left back

10. Sunderland are going straight back down.

[Josef Svejk]

Can I add, in my "Irish" capacity, that Mick McCarthy hasn't a fucking clue - and, in my "Liverpudlian" capacity, that I'd love to have seen how LeTallec would've got on today...

[Josef Svejk]

Jesus, having read what I just wrote, I can tell I'm blathered...

[RedinSweden]

Jesus, having read what I just wrote, I can tell I'm blathered...

If that's the case, I must be too. That looks fine to me. :whistle:

[Josef Svejk]

Well, I edited the post!

[Guest FrankH]

1. Relief to have the three points mainly. Important to get them.

2. Sunderland are a nasty little bunch of bastards.

3. That bloke was sent off for his haircut and a few of his team mates were lucky to stay on the pitch for having used the same blind, epileptic barber.

4. I lip read Sami Hyypia saying "Fuck off little boy" to one of them having a dig at him.

5. Cisse isn't a winger.

6. Morientes tried hard early on but wasn't that effective.

7. Momo is fucking ace. And nails. Is he going to get a yellow in every match?

8. I am sure Rafa's tongue was bleeding again today. He needs to drink more water.

9. Warnock is a cracking left back

10. Sunderland are going straight back down.

 

Agree with everything there.

 

Xabi was great. Warnock too and Sissoko has the potential to be great.

[lifetime fan]

i must be pissed then, thought today was one of warnocks poor games.

[Paul]

After the first couple of games in the league, the things that we all thought would be issues are issues: we haven't got the right quality on the flanks yet, we look like we'll eventually be exposed for pace at the back and the team haven't adjusted to the change in system properly. However, the calls to abandon the system when Rafa is in the process of finding the players he needs to make it work, and we're unbeaten all season, is short-termist and reactionary to my mind.

 

If he can bring in a pacey centre-half and a good crosser for RM, we'll be fine. Even if he doesn't get the top players, Solano would be a good stop-gap until Jan, and Djimi can give us pace in the back line. The key is getting the players used to the system. When we first brought in Rafa, we all went on about how great Valencia were, with many citing their display at Anfield as one of the best they'd seen from an opposing side in years. Well if that's the aim, give him a chance to get us there. What did everyone expect? The best football on the planet after two games with a new system and loads of new players? I'm sure we will get there, but it'll take time. Thankfully, we can get there as European Champs.

[MLB]

Two games with the new system? Am I missing something? What about the whole of last season?

[Dirk]

Two games with the new system? Am I missing something? What about the whole of last season?

 

We never really had a chance to implement that system properly last season. We might have played it on a number of occassions but I wouldn't say it was the prevailing tactical method of the season. This season it seems that this will be the method we play for most matches. We didn't and still don't have the players to use this method effectively, I agree with Paul on that much. However, I think it might require a change in tactics until we do secure the necessary players to be able to use these tactics effectively.

[MLB]

I would definitely agree with that. I don't see the logic in making the players fit the system when we're three players short of making the system work. I mean, even if ONE of the key players is missing we'll have a problem, so we should really be more versatile and less rigid in the way we play.

[Red Nick]

From another thread but lets look at the positives, 2 clean sheets defensively very solid, Momo Man of the Match.

 

Offensively poor but you can work on that when your defensively solid, reminds me of Chelseas first few ganes last season.

 

Chelsea stick to there system of 3 midfielders and so should we

[Josef Svejk]

If we want Gerrard and Alonso in the team, we need a three man midfield. Without Hamann or Sissoko, against decent sides, we risk the first-half-in-Istanbul phenomenon...

[Red Nick]

If we want Gerrard and Alonso in the team, we need a three man midfield. Without Hamann or Sissoko, against decent sides, we risk the first-half-in-Istanbul phenomenon...

 

every top team that plays with wide players has 3 in midfield ie CFC & MU. Arsenal dont play with 2 wingers hence why they have 2 strikers one & one if you prefer) etc

[Josef Svejk]

every top team that plays with wide players has 3 in midfield ie CFC & MU. Arsenal dont play with 2 wingers hence why they have 2 strikers one & one if you prefer) etc

 

It is the fashion, no doubt. Mourinho and Benitez certainly favour it, but I think Benitez prefers a more attacking third midfielder like Aimar. Mourinho's tactics are far more negative.

 

As for Man U, it's pretty much enforced by Keane's age. Personally, I think it limits them. Rooney should be playing up front with vanNistelrooy. But their loss is everyone else's gain...

[kop]

i must be pissed then, thought today was one of warnocks poor games.

 

I have to agree with you. I know it's not "politically correct" but I think Warnock has to start some serious work on his positional play. He get caught way to often after his offensive raids and has to "pick his battles" more carefully. At home there's less risk of getting caught but when we play away we will concede from his positional play soon enough if he doesn't get his act together. He's got lots of other skills and it would be sad to see him stop at his current level because of this. Positioning and making the right decisions is first of all a mental thing so it's not to late for him to correct it.

[LiverpoolFreak]

From another thread but lets look at the positives, 2 clean sheets defensively very solid, Momo Man of the Match.

 

Offensively poor but you can work on that when your defensively solid, reminds me of Chelseas first few ganes last season.

 

Chelsea stick to there system of 3 midfielders and so should we

 

Do you chat on MaxXed Forum, its a great site where you can download games and things like that. Because i think i seen that post somewhere.

 

And for my opinion on yesterdays game:

Low par performance with maximum points so I won't be losing any sleep.

Did you guys notice the amount of long balls that the team hit?

I did not see this last season but all of a sudden it's happening at a home game.hmmmm

[Stouffer]

Momo is totally fuckin nails. He's gonna be class

[Rashid]

I didn't notice the long balls to be honest. Maybe it was because the wingers couldn't break them down?

[LiverpoolFreak]

I didn't notice the long balls to be honest. Maybe it was because the wingers couldn't break them down?

hmmmmm maybe i just took to much notice, but im very curious with the stats. When the players of our defence couldnt pass it into midfield they would just hoof it up and towards the end of the game they were doign it quiet a bit to Mori.

[GJM]

Warnock was clever with the ball and when one on one, but he did get caught out with passes down his side a couple of times - have to wonder whether the opposition's main focus on containment (and niggly bastard fouls every 30 seconds) rather than scoring, slackened the concentration a bit. Sissoko & Alonso were excellent, and I thnk the way of playing will work better with Crouch than Morientes - although I actually thought he did okay yesterday. We should have scored more, but that was one of those games that we've drawn in the last couple of seasons, i.e. we have all the ball, opposition dig in for 90 minutes but manage to have a shot on goal that goes in.

[Brownie]

We should have started with two up front yesterday. Last season at home we were superb so why change it? It's the away form that needs addressing so we should stick to the 4-4-2 at home and play the new system away from home. Simple.

 

There were countless examples yesterday where we gfave the ball away purely because of a lack of options up front.

 

The need for a right winger and centre half is becoming desperate.

[GJM]

We should have started with two up front yesterday. Last season at home we were superb so why change it? It's the away form that needs addressing so we should stick to the 4-4-2 at home and play the new system away from home. Simple.

 

There were countless examples yesterday where we gfave the ball away purely because of a lack of options up front.

 

The need for a right winger and centre half is becoming desperate.

 

That's true - it did get a bit frustrating watching us make progress in their half only to lose ground almost immediately. That was partly down to the way they played, but there aren't mande sides going to come to Anfield this season and not look to close everything down.

 

There was too much of a gap between the front players yesterday - either across the pitch or up and down. Think the system really does rely on players knowing exactly when to move to support attacking moves and there were times yesterday when it worked well - but too few. We looked a bit overly concerned wth 'controlling the game' rather than simply sticking the ball in the back of the net. Having said that, I'm happy enough as it was it was a scrappy game, and the type that we've not always come away from with 3pts in recent years.

[MLB]

I'd like to see us playing more offensively away, never mind at home. I can understand 4-5-1 away to the top teams, but using the same formation at home to Sunderland doesn't make much sense to me - especially when we don't have the players to make it work. At least we're winning games and defending well though. If we start losing games then it'll be interesting to see how people react.

[cochcaer]

I'd rather play 433 if we must with the current team. Sommit like:

 

Momo-Xabi-Gerrard

-Cisse-----Zenden-

------Moro--------