Blackburn thread

[Neil G]

What the fuck is up with us never being able to come back from going behind? When you watch the Mancs and Chelsea you feel like an equaliser and/or a winner are pretty much inevitable, but when we go behind you just think, "That's it, game over." It's fucking depressing.

 

I didn't think that yesterday though. Against Bolton, the Mancs and Arsenal I did, and the feeling got stronger with each game. I can't remember us creating any clear-cut chances or even applying any sustained pressure in those games once we went behind.

 

Yesterday was different. Because we'd started the game positively and with a high tempo, we didn't have to step up a gear when we went behind. The players looked a bit deflated for 5-10 minutes after the goal, but after that they responded well. It was a far cry from the games mentioned above when they froze like deer in headlights. If we'd equalised from one of the chances that Friedel saved, or Xabi's effort against the post, there was only going to be one winner.

[Neil G]

I'm too lazy to look up the stats myself, but it'd be interesting to see how many league games we've won after coming from behind over the last two seasons. Maybe my perception of it is wrong, but I would guess we'd lost about 70% of games where we've fallen behind.

 

I posted on this after one of the earlier defeats, I think it was Old Trafford. Since Rafa took over we've won two away in the Premiership out of about 22 or 23 when we've conceded first, which clearly isn't good enough. I put this down mainly to showing the opposition too much respect, but I think Rafa is getting that out of his system, particularly now that he has Bellamy, who's the first striker he's had who always looks capable of punishing the opposition. It certainly wasn't the reason we lost yesterday.

 

Not sure about home stats, but that's not such a big problem as our home record is so good.

[Brownie]

What a completely ridiculous over-reaction!

 

I thought we played well yesterday, but we were wasteful with our finishing and Friedel had a great game.

 

The jury is still out a bit on the strikers though I suppose. I actually like them all as they all contribute something - although not a guarantee of goals which is obviously what you want.

[WeAreTheBest]

 

Do you remember what your reply to me was when I posted that Crouch was a poor header of the ball?

 

Yes, I do thanks.

 

If you want to get a sly dig in when im not even online at least come up with something good eh? That was pitiful.

[derykw]

I`ve said it before and I`ll say it again, our strikers just aren`t good enough. They`re all decent players but no more and that`s not enough for us. Riise gets worse by the game and a new left back is a must as Warnock and Aurelio are no better. I thought Steve Finnan was excellant and MOM by far.

A great day out as usual at my favourite away ground, lots of beer consumed throughout the day unfortunately all regurgitated back up last night and me feeling like death.

[Paul]

What a completely ridiculous over-reaction!

 

I thought we played well yesterday, but we were wasteful with our finishing and Friedel had a great game.

 

The jury is still out a bit on the strikers though I suppose. I actually like them all as they all contribute something - although not a guarantee of goals which is obviously what you want.

 

I broadly agree with that Brownie, but only to a point. Seen in isolation, it looks like a spot on assessment, but seen in the context of our season, it looks a little more than just wasteful finishing against an inspired keeper. It's now very clear to me that we just don't have the quality throughout the squad to win the league. Prior to this campaign, I saw last season as a sign of what we were capable of building upon; now it seems we were punching above our weight.

 

Without singling individuals out, there are too many first choice players who aren't good enough. If we do get the new investment, I fully expect there to be another clearout. Atk is partially correct in criticising the summer signings. We've arguably only had value for money from Bellamy - and that's very much based on his post-court performances. Of course it's early days for all the new boys, but I think some of the signings were over-priced, unnecessary and not good enough.

 

Sad for me to say, but the priorities for the season now have to be:

 

1. Ensuring CL qualification.

2. Winning a trophy.

3. Making a ruthless assessment of who's in and who's out, and only signing demonstrably better players than we already have. No more stop-gaps, squad-fillers or over-priced second choices.

[Dan Vito Corleone]

I thought Steve Finnan was excellent and MOM by far.

 

Oh no! The man of the match was Tugay! O_o (if it had to be a Blackburn player which of course at their place it did then it was Big Brad.)

 

I totally agree with that. Finnan was excellent. He was throwing over better crosses than our vast array of lauded specialists, though Aurelio did throw over a couple of belters. He defended cleverly, he read the game well and was quick to set us off on the counter attack.

 

When we play with 3 central defenders we do sometimes look narrow, which is contributing to Riise's poor form in my opinion. He looks uncomfortable. Finnan however has just knucked down and looks better every week whereas Riise is doing the opposite.

 

Vive la Finnan.

[Paul]

Finnan was at fault for the goal. Already back, he got sucked in towards Carra instead of covering Pederson coming in behind him. I think Finnan's ace, but he fucked up yesterday for the goal, at least.

[Carradona]

The fact that both hyypia and alonso couldnt boot the ball clear just before their goal, is a complete disgrace.

[Guest Raddy]

it looks a little more than just wasteful finishing against an inspired keeper.

 

it isn't though is it?

 

look back to a lot of the games we've lost and it's that lack of clinical composure in front of goal that's cost us.

 

our build up play is second to none.

[Dirk]

I stayed out of the thread when people were lauding Finnan but I think our fans overrate him. He is normally solid defensively and he can cross but often he often stays too deep and doesn't support the right sided midfielder. He's a good player but he's not great, in my opinion.

 

Riise is spectacularly average and I've said this all along. Today's game has evolved a lot since 10/20 years ago and fullbacks need to be equally strong in an attacking sense as they are in a defensive sense. If Finnan was as fast as Gonzalez he'd be class but unfortunately he isn't. For a team to be great in needs great players in nearly all positions.

 

Not that my opinion matters but I think the fact that we appear to attack in a disjointed fashion is due to a lack of input from our fullbacks. Riise offers nothing other than a rasping shot, he often has to turn onto his left foot and if he gets cornered onto his left foot he just whacks the ball rather than playing it on his right.

 

We need conistent threats from the wing and it's not the sole responsibility of the winger. Fullbacks need to do their share of attacking, just as wingers need to support fullbacks in defence.

 

No doubt somebody will ask me to name a better right back than Finnan but that's not my job, I just think he could offer more going forward as he seems a bit too cautious at times. There is often acres of space on the right wing but nobody is running into the space from deep.

[BatChainPuller]

Finnan was at fault for the goal. Already back, he got sucked in towards Carra instead of covering Pederson coming in behind him. I think Finnan's ace, but he fucked up yesterday for the goal, at least.

 

A bit of competition for a starting place would help him - remember the effect your Spanish friend arriving had on his game.

[Guest Raddy]

finnan and riise epitomise the cautious mentality we had under houllier.

 

it's no coincedence that rafa wanted an attacking full back in alves, and brought in an attacking full back in aurelio.

[Guest Jay W]

Finnan is one of the best at supporting attacks and overlapping for me, not to mention his crossing with both feet. Ofcourse your going to be cautious as a full back..

 

If he wasn't everybody would slate him for leaving gaps in behind him and not having any posistional sense.

[Carradona]

I would rather both riise and warnock over aurellio.

[Guest Raddy]

Finnan is one of the best at supporting attacks and overlapping for me, not to mention his crossing with both feet.

 

no he isn't. a few times a game at the most, which is not enough against poor sides who sit a little deeper.

[Dan Vito Corleone]

Finnan was at fault for the goal. Already back, he got sucked in towards Carra instead of covering Pederson coming in behind him. I think Finnan's ace, but he fucked up yesterday for the goal, at least.

 

You're quite right of course, but the ball should have been in row fucking Z prior to that!

 

The whole formation of 3-5-2 (or if you prefer, 5-3-2) has the benefits, which we have been seeing, but one massive disadvantage. Defensive confusion. Who is who's man?

 

This problem occurs between a full back and the flank central defender. So for Finnan, read JC, for Riise, read Agger.

 

If a ball is in between them there is often a real case of "Well, who is taking responsibility for it?" Mostly we're fine because JC will just boot it into the crowd but there was a lot of standing around and watching for their goal yesterday and it was no coincidence that it came in that corridor of uncertainty. It's just a natural reaction to that formation. And we don't communicate enough at the back as it is.

[Guest Jay W]

no he isn't. a few times a game at the most, which is not enough against poor sides who sit a little deeper.

 

Must be a new full back we signed then who supports down the right hand side..

[Paul]

I stayed out of the thread when people were lauding Finnan but I think our fans overrate him. He is normally solid defensively and he can cross but often he often stays too deep and doesn't support the right sided midfielder. He's a good player but he's not great, in my opinion.

 

Riise is spectacularly average and I've said this all along. Today's game has evolved a lot since 10/20 years ago and fullbacks need to be equally strong in an attacking sense as they are in a defensive sense. If Finnan was as fast as Gonzalez he'd be class but unfortunately he isn't. For a team to be great in needs great players in nearly all positions.

 

Not that my opinion matters but I think the fact that we appear to attack in a disjointed fashion is due to a lack of input from our fullbacks. Riise offers nothing other than a rasping shot, he often has to turn onto his left foot and if he gets cornered onto his left foot he just whacks the ball rather than playing it on his right.

 

We need conistent threats from the wing and it's not the sole responsibility of the winger. Fullbacks need to do their share of attacking, just as wingers need to support fullbacks in defence.

 

No doubt somebody will ask me to name a better right back than Finnan but that's not my job, I just think he could offer more going forward as he seems a bit too cautious at times. There is often acres of space on the right wing but nobody is running into the space from deep.

 

This season is making me re-evaluate almost everything I previously thought about the squad, so I wouldn't disagree too much with what you're saying (although I think Steve Finnan has a role to play in a Liverpool title-winning squad).

 

I think both flanks are still relatively weak. We need pacey fullbacks and wingers, all of whom can cross and score (to a greater or lesser degree). However, I also think we need an experienced replacement for Sami (it's too early for the highly promising Danny Boy) and a genuine goal-scorer. That's a lot of holes to fill.

 

Investment or not, I don't want to see Rafa go for any more stop-gap players. He should only be thinking about winning the league next season as far as transfers go.

[Captain]

Yes, I do thanks.

Good. Keep that in mind the next time someone refers to what you've written instead of chatting shit.

 

If you want to get a sly dig in when im not even online at least come up with something good eh? That was pitiful.

Sly dig? When you're not even online?! I post regardless of whether the person I quote is online or not, as do people on every other forum I frequent.

 

It would be interesting to ask if you still think Crouch is a good header of the ball, but I'll pass on that one.

[WeAreTheBest]

Good. Keep that in mind the next time someone refers to what you've written instead of chatting shit.

 

Sly dig? When you're not even online?! I post regardless of whether the person I quote is online or not, as do people on every other forum I frequent.

 

It would be interesting to ask if you still think Crouch is a good header of the ball, but I'll pass on that one.

 

Why dont you bring the post back up? The person you referred to with the comment about me probably had absolutely no idea what you were talking about hence it was just a pointless dig. If thats how you get yours kicks then fair play but i'd rather you just replied to any of my posts regarding any problems rather than running to other posters.

 

Each to their own though.

[Neil G]

This season is making me re-evaluate almost everything I previously thought about the squad, so I wouldn't disagree too much with what you're saying (although I think Steve Finnan has a role to play in a Liverpool title-winning squad).

 

I think both flanks are still relatively weak. We need pacey fullbacks and wingers, all of whom can cross and score (to a greater or lesser degree). However, I also think we need an experienced replacement for Sami (it's too early for the highly promising Danny Boy) and a genuine goal-scorer. That's a lot of holes to fill.

 

Investment or not, I don't want to see Rafa go for any more stop-gap players. He should only be thinking about winning the league next season as far as transfers go.

 

Are you now saying we need five or six top-class new signings to win the title next season then? I can understand you revising your view of the squad downwards, but that's taking it too far.

[Cardie]

Are you now saying we need five or six top-class new signings to win the title next season then? I can understand you revising your view of the squad downwards, but that's taking it too far.

 

 

For consistant success then yeah that's what's needed. It may be possible to win the league with the existing squad (although not this season) but it'd require a monumental effort and all players playing out of their skin for 38 games.

 

We have the foundations for a very very good squad but if you had to be brutally honest their are a lot of players you'd get rid of as well.

[sammya]

I'd bloody take Nunez back over Pennant right now. i know he didn't play but i was thinking to myself if he could apply himself he would have helped a lot y'day as we could have gone 4-4-2

[Dirk]

With 11 great players we can play like this but in relation to football not fighting.

http://www.spikedhumor.com/articles/74173/Bruce_Lee_s_Philosophy.html