Villa match thread.

[Baz1969]

Much much better performance.

 

First half we dominated. the passing was excellent, we kept possesion better than we had all season and kept probing rewarded by three great goals.

 

Second half was always going to be a battle with Sutton coming on and we shouldn't have conceded that goal but it didn't matter. Good save by Reina as well.

 

We still seem to lack that killer pass now and then and the second half was more about trying to force the ball in than leaving us with clear chances.

 

Best performance of the season by far. Keep it up and take it into our away games.

 

Good result and good performance but pity about the goal we conceded. If only we could have won 3-0. As above we still seem lack that killer instinct, that 'win at all costs' attitude that is so obvious in the mancs and chavski. This has actually been from all Liverpool sides for the past decade.

 

Must keep this going now and win our next 3 games incl game against gunners. A draw is no good to us - we've dropped to many points already. 9 points from next three games and then remain unbeaten at least until new year. This would really give us a platform to build on and send us up the table at a rapid pace.

[Cardie]

he looked fine, stayed down for a bit but played out rest of the game.

[africanherbsman]

The difference in this match between Kuyt & Crouch is quite noticable

Bollocks, both were excellent today but if anything Crouch was better. That's a trivial matter anyway, as they showed signs of forging an impressive partnership.

[Brownie]

Cracking result that, mde up - just got back from my match and we won 5-1 and I scored! Woo ho, happy days in the Brown household tonight...

[Sangria]

Nice to watch and great to be happy on a Saturday night. The performance first half was top drawer, we never gave them a sniff and played some great football.

Look forward to Pacos ratings because today lads there were a lot of good preformnaces, xabi being one of them.

[Hermes]

Great performance in the first hour. Started with the best 11 available, had the game won and then rotated. Lesson learned there I hope.

[Dan Vito Corleone]

Good stuff.

 

We started well and despite a bit of a lull of about 15 minutes we went on and ended up stuffing Villa. Who I have to say are very, very ordinary, with a very, very ordinary manager.

 

But talking about that annoying prick O'Neill would take away from Liverpool. There was some very, very nice football today and I for one am starting to wonder if Crouch and Kuyt are the best partnership. There are always goals a plenty when they play together. 3 class goals today, all because of good teamwork and keeping the ball. Not going direct, like some big mouthed twat, who gobs off in the Upper Centenary near me every week that we need to go long. Bullshit. We need to pass and move like we did today. The third goal was an absolute gem, stunning link up play and it was very, very promising.

 

Even in the second half, despite them scoring the only goal, we could and maybe should have scored 3 or 4 more. Their goal flattered them, it could have been a lot more than it ended up being.

 

And fair play to Reina - stunning save from the yard dog's header.

[The-Sir]

I love Baros, he plays shit against us on purpose cause he loves us.

[The-Sir]

Good result and good performance but pity about the goal we conceded. If only we could have won 3-0. As above we still seem lack that killer instinct, that 'win at all costs' attitude that is so obvious in the mancs and chavski. This has actually been from all Liverpool sides for the past decade.

 

Must keep this going now and win our next 3 games incl game against gunners. A draw is no good to us - we've dropped to many points already. 9 points from next three games and then remain unbeaten at least until new year. This would really give us a platform to build on and send us up the table at a rapid pace.

 

Sack Rafa.

[Dan Vito Corleone]

I love Baros, he plays shit against us on purpose cause he loves us.

 

Something I was querying before!

[05 Milan]

I love Baros, he plays shit against us on purpose cause he loves us.

 

True!

[Strontium]

I love Baros, he plays shit against us on purpose cause he loves us.

He must love a lot of teams in the FA Premier League then!

[Brownie]

He must love a lot of teams in the FA Premier League then!

 

Haha that made me chuckle. I feel dirty now though because I love Meelan...

[Spy Bee]

Great performance in the first hour. Started with the best 11 available, had the game won and then rotated. Lesson learned there I hope.

The fishing doesn't seem to be too good this evening.

[Baz1969]

Sack Rafa.

 

No sacking just yet. As I said last week 12 points from next four league games is critical. 3 in the bag with a decent performance behind us. Now lets move on with a bit of consistency. Another three wins with three good performances is what is needed. Lets not contimplate anything less for the moment.

[MLB]

Probably echoing what everyone else has already said, but that was mostly a cracking performance from us today. Why can't we play like that more often though? Pass, move and set a decent tempo.. it's not rocket science. It does help when your best players show their best form though, as Xabi and Gerrard did.

 

Anyway... good goals, a good win (even though we should have scored more second half) and hopefully a bit of confidence back in the ranks. The only downside is that we already knew we could pull out a result like this at home. It's the away form that really needs to pick up now.

[Guest attacking_play]

Which is why he shouldbt be on the pitch in this sort of game when we are trying to break teams down at home.

 

no back up fo sissoko....the MAN was sold........the guy who you can count on in pressure games is GONE

[Guest attacking_play]

Is this the first time this season we've taken the lead by two goals in the league? It feels like it anyway, feels strange!

 

 

I believe we beat newcastle 2 - 0

[Newport]

I believe we beat newcastle 2 - 0

 

I guess we were up by two goals when we beat Spurs 3-0 too...

[rebel23]

extended highlights on Sly sports now

[derykw]

A very dominant performace today but funnily enough I thought we scored our first at a time when we were just beginning to lose our way a bit. 3 very good goals.The 3rd one was pure quality. I thought if anything we were even better in the 2nd half just minus the goals, kept pressing and didn`t settle for what we had. A much better show from Alonso today, him and Sissoko totally controlled the midfield. Some of the passing and movement was top drawer and not before time. Atmosphere was shite but hey ho you can`t have everything.

[FortressAnfield]

Thought we played really well, and I've no complaints. Two observations. One, our shooting still needs working on - we did blast a few over the bar needlessly when we should have thought first (Riise and Sami), and we did squander a few other chances (Luis particularly). Two, we seemed to be playing the ball more. For a long time now, it seems to me we've tried to get the ball into the box purely by passing and moving, when I think we need to also take on and beat players to make progress into and in the box. Today Kuyt and Garcia particularly were doing that (and Pennant later on).

 

Good game to watch, and the result we needed. To be serious challengers (and it'll take a few more performances like this for us to get back on track), we have to swat aside teams like Villa ('teams like Villa' means all but Chavski, the Mancs and Arsenal).

 

Same next week, I hope.

[Gods back]

And to the "unnamed" director up your hole with a big jam roll!!!3 of rafas signings scored today.Up yours ballbag.Onwards and upwards,our season starts now.Im on the beer incase anybody was wondering!

[Paul]

Agree with Hermes on the selection. That was definitely our strongest eleven that started the game - and it showed. The players finally looked like the side we thought they'd be from the off: confident, determined and full of movement and aggression. I agree with whoever said Crouch is now looking like one of Rafa's best signings, but I'd also like to mention Lil' Luis. I thought he was class yesterday. His touch, movement and awareness were fantastic and his finish for number three was great. When he plays like that, he's awesome.

 

This has to become the start of something now - and I see no reason why it can't be. I'd like an unchanged side for the next two games to ensure CL progress and another three points in the league prior to the Highbury visit, as a win there could really kick us forward.

 

Viva.

[Wig]

I'm sorry if it's been said (It's Sunday morning, I don't feel well and I couldn't be arsed looking through a 7 page thread) but I really enjoyed our first half today and thought it was our best performance so far. Garcia was even good. The finishing on the first 2 goals were perfect and the 3 goal, we just tore the arse out of them.

I only hope all this talk of Rafa being under pressure and Flap-Jack (or whatever his name is) bumming Stevie's bird can die off, well, at least for another week.