Liverpool v Portsmouth Thread

[gaz181]

What the hell were Adams' subs about. Go 1-0 down, bring off the most effective midfielder and bring on another midfielder. Then wait another 5 minutes to bring on Defoe, who is the team's top scorer. Bizarre.

 

Some very strange decisions from Adams. He's lucky he's got Crouch and Defoe up front because I can see Portsmouth struggle without Redknapp

[Unrighteous]

I honestly though Portsmouth would stick Crouch and Defoe on at the start and try to come at us.

[aws]

I honestly though Portsmouth would stick Crouch and Defoe on at the start and try to come at us.

 

Think back to the old George Graham Arsenal though.

[Kevin D]

Babel has got the potential to be as good as Henry. The lad is only 21 and showing some flashes of brilliance but more importantly, he is improving fairly quickly. His strength has improved massively and he keeps hold of the ball whilst under pressure so well. His pace is electric and he has a mean shot.

 

Next Season he will be the same age as when Henry joined Arsenal. That was the Season when Henry exploded after showing potential and his poor spell at Juve. This is the Season that will mould Babel and if he gets it right, he could possibly take the league by storm in his 'Henry Year'.

 

I have massive hopes for him.

 

Think you're setting yourself up for a bit of a fall. Henry was the best striker England has seen since Rush at his prime and I very much doubt we'll see a player who can score 40 goals and assist 40 goals in a season for at least two generations.

 

Henry was unplayable.

[MLB]

I didn't have too many problems with the team before the game but as it went on I was starting to wonder where a goal was going to come from. We definitely lack a cutting edge without Torres or Keane in the side (understandably), and it didn't help much that the players who came in were pretty disappointing. Lucas and Pennant should be going all out to impress in games like this but they were just coasting for the most part. I'm also a bit perturbed that we still can't seem to get goals against shit teams in the first half. It will save us a lot of problems down the line if we can start games at a higher tempo (not that last night was the worst example of that, but the point still stands) and make our dominance pay.

 

Still, we managed to rest some key players and still get three points, so that's good. I don't think we'll be able to keep doing that over the course of the season and expect to maintain a challenge though.

[ratcatcher]

Talk is defoe has indicated he'd like to join redknapp at spurs hence the sub role last night.

 

3 points is what its about and last season we'd have drawn last night's game.

[Brownie]

Did you see my post earlier about Agger? When he says after a match that he had no energy in the second half of the Wigan-game, shouldn't that indicate that he isn't exactly at full fitness yet?

Mascherano is like a golden retriever, he runs till he drops, but he lives longer if you let him rest now and again.

 

Riera gets taken off early because he's knackered, he's himself talked about the incredible pace of the game over here that it's difficult to get used to. I wouldn't be that surprised if Rafa thought it was time to give him a breather.

 

What I can agree with is the amount of changes in one single game. It's proven time and time again that it disrupts the rhytm of the side.

 

Sorry to bring this back up seeing as it's from earlier in the week but I just wanted to highlight some quotes from Agger which I read today on .tv:

 

"I found it hard coming back into the team for the Wigan match. I was very tired early in the second half and could really feel that I hadn't for a long time.

 

"There's being fit and then there is match fitness - there is a big difference between the two and you can only obtain match fitness by playing in many games.

 

That's why I didn't agree with Agger being replaced by Hyypia in midweek.

[dave u]

He's a centre half, its not like he has to do that much running. I can understand Riera getting tired, but surely Agger should just pace himself better.

[redrosetints]

think your speccies might be a slightly rose tinted...

 

No, those are mine.....