Absoloutly No Urgency

[chorlton]

:)

[Rashid]

Crouch got us the penalty, and missed two sitters and generally caused a nuiscance when he came on. Zenden did more and he hasn't been mentioned. Come on lads lets not get carried away, he still has it all to prove.

[Spy Bee]

Crouch got us the penalty, and missed two sitters and generally caused a nuiscance when he came on. Zenden did more and he hasn't been mentioned. Come on lads lets not get carried away, he still has it all to prove.

Yeah but Zenden's not a freak who polarises opinion :tease:

[Dirk]

I thought Zenden was pants, his crossing was woeful.

[Hermes]

Crouch got us the penalty

 

Eh? a dubious decision anyway but what did he do to get it? It's not like he went passed a man and was brought down. He had his arm around the defenders neck and in the wrestling that followed he fell to the floor. Hardly earning a penalty is it?

 

Christ, he's being credited with anything on here to justify his signing.

[Red Nick]

I thought Zenden was pants, his crossing was woeful.

 

With the exception of the two crosses he put on a sixpence.

 

also our strikers have scored on PL goal in 10 games so to give grief to one particular striker over another does seem somewhat unfair.

 

They could all do with replacing, maybe keep Crouch for away games and super sub performances

[chorlton]

How many fucking threads of this do we have to endure. Crouchy still has a lot to provie, but to me has ability and a good attitude.

 

If we win and he doesnt score, then im still quite happy, i've not given up on Crouchy yet, some people seem more interested in crowing about how it proves them right than how one of our players is playing.

[dave u]

Eh? a dubious decision anyway but what did he do to get it? It's not like he went passed a man and was brought down. He had his arm around the defenders neck and in the wrestling that followed he fell to the floor. Hardly earning a penalty is it?

 

Christ, he's being credited with anything on here to justify his signing.

 

 

Seem to remember some nifty footwork in the build up which kept us possession and allowed us to build up the move. Then he was the one in the box who got fouled.

 

Some people won't credit him with anything because they don't want to justify his signing.

 

Fact is, without him today we wouldn't have won. Like it or not, its true. He played his part, so why don't people just acknowledge that and give him credit.

 

Morientes was totally anonymous away from home yet again, and Crouch contributed much more when he came on, whether people like him or not.

[snez1]

Thought today was following the pattern of all other away Premiership games this season. We're playing a wank side with no confidence. We have most of the game but play within our selves and then they get an inevitable spell of pressure. Fortunatly we defended well and got a pen.

 

Xabi and Momo we're going from the sublime to the ridiculous every 5 minutes. They'd do one great thing then they'd look a sleep 10 seconds later. Stevie was on the margins of the game but did well, Luis worked hard as ever and nealry scored a goal of the season contender (that move was sublime and showed exactly what Rafa wants us to be playing like i.e Valencia 2002). Back 4 and Pepe did well with the exception of Carra who was just un fucking believably good. Had Milan in his pocket all game and how Rio and Sol are even mentioned in the same breath as him let alone get in the England team before him is a fucking joke.

 

Cisse was infuriating but i can't stand all the people who come out and slag him when he plays like that. Sure we know he's raw and things didn't go well for him today, but again, he was our most likely goal scorer untuill the pen and he worried Villa far more than Nando or anyone else in fact. When he scores and plays like that people say "ahh well, he's not the best technically but you have to play him because he will get you goals". When he doesn't score and misses a good chance people slag him off and say he's not good enough. You can't have it both ways people and for me he should start every game up there.

 

Dissapointed in Nando today, seemed to be sleep walking again but after his knock and mid-week exertions i'll give him the benefit of the doubt, especially as he nearly scored a beauty with some great skill in the second half.

 

Zenden impressed me a little more than usual again. Seemed positive. Crouchy was the difference and deserves praise even though he should have bagged 2 and after a poor start when he came on Harry looked excellent again i thought. Seems slimmer and fitter to me since his return. Now he just needs to chop that fucking hair.

[cochcaer]

I thought Zenden was pants, his crossing was woeful.

 

Thought he at least tried to get the ball into the box. After shooting wide early on Garcia was every bit as anonymouus as Moro. Both suffer Smicer Syndrome when away from Anfield in the league.

[Nick Leeson]

With hindsight he should have been allowed to take the penalty. We could have that got all that 'he just needs a goal' bollocks out of the way; if he'd have scored it, that is.

 

I'm going to have to have a look around for some of his goals from last season because frankly I don't know how he's ever going to score. The shot the keeper made a save from point blank he should have stepped to meet the ball rather than just wait there and allow the defender to throw a block in. The header - enough said.

 

I don't think Crouch played badly at all today but he didn't play well either because he wasn't on long enough to do so. He gave the ball away 3 times that I noticed, He missed 2 point blank shots from under 6 yards but he did pick a good pass out for Gerrard to have a good shot that Sorensen only just tipped round the post.

 

All in all I think the Crouch fans are getting very carried away.

 

Nobody is saying he was shit today but he didn't do anything for the penalty other than fall over in a little tussle. It wasn't well earnt because it was a dubious one anyway. I'd have been furious if that was given against us. He did make a couple of litle neat plays and held on to the ball near the end of the game quite well; to help run the clock down a little.

 

This wasn't the Stanley Matthews final though so at least pick a game where he actually does something worth singing about before you people start saying how wonderful he was today and how this signifies his perma-starting position.

 

The game wasn't as awful as some people are suggesting though. We had nearly all the ball, were threatened very little and did play some good football.

 

Today was definately another step in the right direction. There were a few chances missed but I'd still like to see us creating a lot more per game. I still reckon all the strikers are snatching at chances because they're all so desperate to get people off their backs, even Djibbers who has scored a few.

 

There were 3 really disappointing things for me today though: -

 

1, Rafa changing to 4-5-1 after about 4 minutes and 35 seconds of the first half. I thought we started really well and the first sign of Villa having a minute or 2 with the ball Rafa changed formation and stuck Djibbers on the right leaving Nando on his own. Stupid.

 

2. I don't know if it's a lack of passion or a lack of respect for the opposition but there is something wrong with our players. Why is it they only start to play after about 75 minutes in the league? Do they think they can walk through team with ease so don't try? Or are they just not arsed. A bit more effort and hard work and we could've been putting the teams we've been drawing with to bed after half an hour this season.

 

3. Lack of awareness of who was around them by a few of our players today. Notably Xabi and Luis. So many times today they got disposessed because they weren't paying attention to where the Villa players were.

 

I'm pleased overall after today cause it's 3 points we really needed but I felt sorry for Djibbers and Nando today as I thought we were really going to see our first 11. All them balls over the top for Cisse were pointless because he was getting to the other end so quickly that by the time Nando had got there he'd brought 3 Villa players with him and there was no pass/cross for him to make anymore.

 

Please, please, please Rafa give the 4-4-2 more of a chance because I was really impressed by the way we started. Gerrard doesn't seem to mind playing on the right so let's see if he can be our 'til-Jan saviour.

[Gav]

Eh? a dubious decision anyway but what did he do to get it? It's not like he went passed a man and was brought down. He had his arm around the defenders neck and in the wrestling that followed he fell to the floor. Hardly earning a penalty is it?

 

Christ, he's being credited with anything on here to justify his signing.

 

 

I seem to remember him getting a shit pass with 3 guys round him , he held the ball up ,megged a second and spread it out wideI also seem to remember him having more accuracy with one pass out wide than cisse had all fucking game,that is if you can take it upon yourself to overlook his accuracy in the opposite touchline challenge

 

Christ ,he's not being credited with on anything on here to justify your heightism.

[Nick Leeson]

You're embarassing yourself Gav. Cisse picked out some excellent passes to Gerrard and Garcia in the first half but then get stuck out on the right again having to play feeder to players who can't get into the box fast enough for him to supply them properly.

 

The full-backs should have playe rfurther up because there was little/no threat coming from Villa and no need for them to not be further up and linking with their respective widemen.

 

Gerrard and Finnan should have taken Barry to bits today.

[chrisbonnie]

ill never judge Cisse when he played on the right, in fact, ill commend the guy, he`s doing something that ALOT of big money signings would not do, and thats take one for the good of the team

 

still ,the big disappointment is Nando ,he hasnt, and never will get to grips in the premeirship, he wants 20 seconds just to turn, he wont get that time on the ball, not in our league,

 

Crouch did ok, got about very well, but my god he missed a sitter

 

we still needa proper poacher, owen of course is a choice, i like the look of that David Villa guy from Valencia, he`s well sneaky in front of goal

 

still need a winger, but theres defo progress

 

havent we already got more clean sheets then all of last season ,you cant argue with that :yes:

[Adam_M]

We were poor but thats not the players fault, that is the way Rafa wants to play away from home.

 

Absolutely spot on. Fullbacks not supporting the attack, moving Cisse to the right, we just gave Villa too much respect. Against better teams these are understandable but Villa? Has Rafa ever learned? :wallbutt:

[Moschops II]

Eh? a dubious decision anyway but what did he do to get it? It's not like he went passed a man and was brought down. He had his arm around the defenders neck and in the wrestling that followed he fell to the floor. Hardly earning a penalty is it?

 

Yep, his lacklustre performance today was made to look all the more embarrassing when you compare it to the way Baros ripped us apart throughout the 90 minutes.

 

What's that? Oh.

[05 Milan]

Yep, his lacklustre performance today was made to look all the more embarrassing when you compare it to the way Baros ripped us apart throughout the 90 minutes.

 

What's that? Oh.

 

Oi, leave Milan alone. He played against the best centre back in the world, bar none

[Moschops II]

Oi, leave Milan alone. He played against the best centre back in the world, bar none

 

Don't get me wrong - I like Milan, and I think he'll have a good career once he's got out of that shithole. I just think that if he'd had as big a role in the game as Crouch had, many of the same posters who are downplaying Crouch's involvement would have been creaming themselves. If he'd won them a penalty in the same circumstances as Crouch did for us, then it wouldn't have been a dubious decision - it would have been Milan ramming Rafa's poor judgement in the transfer market down our throats.

 

Like I say, Baros is a talented lad (as is Cisse, however frustrating he can be) - but of the 6 strikers that played today, only one caused the opposition a genuine headache.

[Captain]

If he'd won them a penalty in the same circumstances as Crouch did for us, then it wouldn't have been a dubious decision - it would have been Milan ramming Rafa's poor judgement in the transfer market down our throats.

Oh no it wouldn't. I would have been absolutely livid had the ref awarded Baros a pen like the one we got. We got lucky with that decision, just like we have been unlucky other times.

[cochcaer]

Oh no it wouldn't. I would have been absolutely livid had the ref awarded Baros a pen like the one we got.

 

Maybe 'Chops was impressed by his falling over? Nostalgic memories of Emile. :D

[G Richards]

The penalty decision was a bit lucky because Crouch had his arm around the defender a bit too. But we were due a break - and Stevie slotted it away with great aplomb.

 

As for Crouch, I though he did OK when he came on. His header was poor and he should have scored, but he still caused them a few problems. If he doesn't even start much for us this year but ends up coming on late on and causing defenders a few problems, thus helping to turn would-be draws into wins, then that will do for me. I think he's even got a bit more than that to his game though. He's no world beater but he's not a bad player to have in the squad, and today, even though he didn't score (again!), I'd say he proved his worth.

[dave u]

Crouch got us the penalty, and missed two sitters and generally caused a nuiscance when he came on. Zenden did more and he hasn't been mentioned. Come on lads lets not get carried away, he still has it all to prove.

 

 

Two sitters? The header was a bad one, embarrassing even I'll admit. His technique on headers needs some work as they aren't coming off his forehead, they're coming off the side of his head most of the time. So fair enough on that one.

 

What was the 2nd one though? I assume you are talking about the shot that Mellberg blocked prior to Xabi scoring? I really don't know what else he could have done there.

 

He had just got up off the floor after missing the first cross, and he hit the ball goalwards only for the defender to come from nowhere and make a terrific block. Rather than calling it a sitter, I'd say it's just typical of how things are going for him in front of goal. Once he gets one he'll go on a run though, you just watch.

 

Zenden did well again, as he has done in the last two games prior to this. Some of his delivery is hit and miss, but he's been very lively and is looking better than he was. Good to see.

[Al Campbell]

Agree about Zenden, that's three good cameo appearances in a row. Morientes was disappointing today but that could be because he didn't train until yesterday after picking up that knock in midweek.

[liver bird]

I was always under the impression that it was games like this away against teams like villa ,everton ,bolton that crouch would be played against ,looked more effective than morientes did who had less time on the pitch ,I like morientes but he needs saving for european and home games .

 

anyone looked at the guardian report? look it up on newsnow the last line is a cracker "The joke at Liverpool, in the league at least, is currently the starting line-up" oh dear......the thought comes to mind that we can't do anything right at the moment.

[Moschops II]

Oh no it wouldn't. I would have been absolutely livid had the ref awarded Baros a pen like the one we got. We got lucky with that decision, just like we have been unlucky other times.

 

Fact remains, had the game been 0-0 with 20 minutes left and Baros then come on and been involved to the extent Crouch was with Villa ultimately walking away 2-0 winners, I think it's pretty obvious what would have been said by many about a) Milan, b) Crouch and c) Benitez.