Werder Bremen on Tuesday

[Thants]

WE'RE GONNA WIN THE LEAGUE

 

Next up Auxerre!

 

(i'm trying to be enthusiastic)

[Karl_b]

We won 3-2 and are now odds on to win the title.

 

But Red Nick hasn't picked his team yet so we can't be.

[Karl_b]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ts_VAWgwU30

 

How shit was the keeper for Riise's goal?

[Jose Jones]

How shit was the keeper for Riise's goal?

 

Big steaming piles of shit. I would have saved that and I'm shit in goal.

Probably means we have 40 yard efforts to enjoy from Riise on every free kick this season now too.

[NIGLIV]

highlights already on .tv (e-season)

[Red Sun Rising]

Fair play to Voro - in 90 minutes he's put down a marker.

 

He's known about the move for ages - he could have easily thought I'll be 4 choice back up at Liverpool so might as well go on the piss for the summer and work on the fitness as and when it's needed. Instead he turns up in great shape, switched on and raring to go.

 

Early days for sure but a very unexpected bonus so far, fair play to the scouts and Rafa for picking him up under the radar.

[NIGLIV]

I think voro might just steal the show this season, from what i have seen I can calmly say he has what it takes. People might say its just a preseason, but i think the starting XI favs are cropping up. I'd also like to believe it just a "preseason match" for the defence. hope they are really joking.

 

I cant wait for villa away!!

[Malarkey]

I think voro might just steal the show this season, from what i have seen I can calmly say he has what it takes. People might say its just a preseason, but i think the starting XI favs are cropping up. I'd also like to believe it just a "preseason match" for the defence. hope they are really joking.

 

I cant wait for villa away!!

 

Villa away will be the first big test. Its Villa, they have a half decent side, it's away from home and this is a fixture that's normally billed as a bore draw. I can honestly say if we lose this we don't deserve to win the title. But i think we'll win.

[philyhamann]

Riise seems to score a thunderbolt every season which leads to him fucking up during the season.

[Paul]

I've accidentally missed both pre-season games so far and I'm now actually thinking that I might deliberately continue the trend as they are only really about fitness and familiarisation. I think I'm going to wait until the first match of the season now before I watch the new boys. Anything else would be unfair and misleading in terms of beginning to form judgements (which is inevitable, even if you do tell yourself these games mean nothing).

[Redexile]

It all sounds nice and positive on here and remember we still have El Jefe to return.I have previously said I believe we will take another season to really settle so this bodes well. So just how good does Torres look?

[coop]

There is still Mascherano and Kewell to return to the squad. Strength in depth this season with plenty of players having to raise their game to compete for places in the team, which is good for us.

 

So far the pleasing thing for me is although its still very early doors you can see as a team we look far more mobile. When we have attacked teams in the past we have come unstuck many times do to running out of ideas due to a lack of creativity, this looks to have been addressed.

[Captain]

Torres looks very good. I can't wait to see more of him. Hopefully he'll get at least 45 mins against Auxerre.

[Captain]

So far the pleasing thing for me is although its still very early doors you can see as a team we look far more mobile.

 

Spot on. Both Torres and and Babel look like they were made to run, they move around very easily and look very quick.

[Jose Jones]

Even though it is only pre-season and the games are meaningless and shite I have to admit to the optimism building. I just had a look at the fixtures on the ofal to see what other friendlies we have coming up and scanned over the first 10 or so league fixtures. Found myself thinking "we'll win that, we'll batter them, should win that..."

Until the season actually starts, and perhaps disabuses me of the notion, I have the feeling that we're going to be great and it's going to be a 3 way tussle with the Mancs and Chelsea all the way.

[wiiksie]

1) Voronin looks the business. A no fuss, goalscoring ponytail.

 

2) Crouchy is in danger of slipping down the pecking order. I concur.

 

3) Xabi is now my favourite player. Its official. He made some exquisite passes last night, he laid a long ball out to Yossi and it was first time, outside of the foot, sublime.

[Guest row4seat195]

I watched the full game live on Setanta, apart from very good contribution from quite a few players, Voronin, Sissoko, Alonso, the most remarkable thing was they had a Mike pretty close to Rafa and you heard a lot of what we was saying.

 

Its very clear after listening;

 

He is 'obsessed' by keeping the ball moving and therefore the players moving all of the time, he constantly shouted 'Move the ball'.

 

He shouts and shouts for the defence to move up as soon as the ball is cleared.

 

He is very clear with wide players and forwards as to where he wants them to stand; if our defender has the ball on the edge of our box he wants the pitch as wide as possible over the half way line.

 

The players really listened to him. At one point Stevie was going to pass to his right, Rafa clearly shouted 'Switch' Stevie did a 360 turn and swung a pinpoint pass to his left to El Zhar in acres of space.

 

He actually ran and almost played the game from the Tech area.

 

He shouted 'Easy Gabby' to Palletta on numerous occasions!

[coop]

Highlights

 

http://www.dailymotion.com/tag/liverpool/video/x2kaof_liverpool-32-werder-bremen-all-the

[Stephen Adams.]

Setanta's coverage reminded me so much of channel five.

Dean Saunders was like watching the Keith Barrett show.

He said chocolate wrists once and Spackman went on to say it about 4 times in the studio.

Apparently we need to buy a whole new defence because we conceded a couple of goals in a friendly, even though our defence was water tight for most of last season.

Spackman even went as far as doing the Harry Enfield "calm down, calm down" when they showed the footage of Carra looking bewildered when their disallowed goal was originally given.

To top it all off the pictures were often jumpy and I got the 'no satellite signal received' message a few times.

And they stick the game in that stupid little box with a big border if you're on 16:9.

Amateurs.

[Red Sun Rising]

I've accidentally missed both pre-season games so far and I'm now actually thinking that I might deliberately continue the trend as they are only really about fitness and familiarisation. I think I'm going to wait until the first match of the season now before I watch the new boys. Anything else would be unfair and misleading in terms of beginning to form judgements (which is inevitable, even if you do tell yourself these games mean nothing).

 

I promised myself I'd wait & see - fuck it, pre-season optimism is part of the package, give in to it!

[Dan Vito Corleone]

I'll be honest, I was quietly impressed with that last night. Our pre-season looks good. This is the opposite of last season where our pre-season was dire. I'm hoping that this is a sign for a strong start to the season. The fitness levels are looking good and it was just good to watch.

 

Voronin looks the business. Took his goals well, the second in particular was a class finish. He is going to play more than a bit part role from what I can see. Tucked his goals away and was generally a menace here and there. Few sloppy balls here and there but it's pre-season. Voromania is about to explode into life. And anyone who says otherwise is a Communist.

 

Torres also looked very sharp and impressive. Got longer than I thought and could have had a couple of goals to his name in the time he was on. Should have scored them both to be honest but that will come. Let's be fair, Wiesse made a world class save to block the rebound. Once he gets his fitness and is a few games into his career, we'll see someone who looks like a £20 million footballer. Very impressed.

 

Benayoun and Babel looked a bit far off the pace. I'm slightly worried that Babel is the Gerrard of the left - STOP DRIFTING IN! I can see me saying that over and over at the games next season. STOP BUNCHING! However he looked a handful, and Benayoun is a nightmare to deal with for any defender. So skilful and graceful.

 

Not all sweetness and light though. The defence looked a bit ropey in the second half, down the left hand side in particular and that needs working on. How comical was their disallowed goal, by the way? How on earth did the game resume with a bounce up? Absolutely crackers, that was.

 

Some of the other lads looked sharp as well. Pennant looked excellent again, Stephen Derby was silently excellent, Alonso well in touch etc etc.

 

A good night's work - but the need for a good left back (so not Heinze then!) can't help but jump out and bite me on the nose.

[Ian Cooper]

I think Momo deserves some praise as well as he won the ball on countless occactions, and he had a higher pass completion ratio than I think I have ever seen from him before, now if he could just keep it up and work on his shooting he will be pushing for a starting place..

 

 

and we still have mascherano to come back into the fold yet, exciting times.

[Soleilrouge]

Our new players looked fast, strong and intelligent. Benayoun looks like he will be an important player. Voronin looks good but then I still question whether he has the legs - time will tell. Torres looks the busines - his pace is impressive but his movement and touch even more so. Babel moves well but not to much effect last night but he cannot be judged on that - it takes three or fours strides to get to full pelt but then he is like a rampaging wildebeast. The best thing is that they all played with their heads up and were very comfortable onj the ball and combining with each other. I went to bed with a raging hard-on. Rafa - my wife thanks you.

[hamstrung]

And they stick the game in that stupid little box with a big border if you're on 16:9.

Amateurs.

 

That's nothing to do with them - its the local coverage.

 

If you're on SKy you can change it so it fills the screen through services, by altering your picture to 4:3 while the game is on.

[zico]

Like I stated yesterday we are on route to great things, as the team and key players were looking very sharp, however I am concerned that we have not yet sorted out our wings yet...

 

Pennant closed last season in grand fashion, and if he could stick to the line and not cut inside to much I think he will have a much better season than last.

Benayoun can be a creative player, but is not really a winger who gets up and down and puts crosses in, so there is not much cover on the right hand side if Pennant gets injured.

Harry will be back and if on form he will be like a new signing, as he always stays wide and has the ability to put good quality crosses in, however I am reluctant to put my trust in him to play all season as history tells us otherwise..(Fingers crossed)

Babel they say can play both left and right wing, but really he seems like a forward who has been stuck out wide.. He cut inside on every occation yesterday, and on that evidence he will perhaps not be able to cover for Pennant and Harry to supply the crosses we need?

 

I mean we have been waiting for years now and I really hoped our wing problems would finally be adressed this summer...

I think Digger was our last winger who kept feeding our forwards with a steady supply of good crosses (McManaman could drible but I can`t remember to many crosses from him)

 

An out and out winger or two (left and right) with pace and "edge of your seat" skills would do nicely..