PL: Bolton v Liverpool Thread

[Kurt]

Like I said in the motm thread today was difficult when it came to rating our player. Every player ( bar pepe ( and maybe the chief ), who was hardly tested ) had spells where they were good and spells where they struggled.

 

I agree Xabi was one of our best, but to state he did`nt miss a pass ( like some did ) and was in a class of his own is taking the Xabi love in a little too far, in my opinion. I thought he was brilliant in the first, but after the break he was average and struggled for large parts, until he picked up a notch towards the end.

 

That goes for Kuyt as well. Brilliant in the first, disappeared after the break. Gerrard was the other way around. He was quite poor in the first, but stepped up a level, especially after Torres was introduced.

 

Defensively we allowed too much to be pleased. Bolton could easily have scored 2 or 3 goals. The one they were denied im sure they will feel was harsh, although I think Styles did the right thing in disallowing it. But it was sloppy defending by Sami leading to the set piece 10 seconds before tha 1st half ended.

 

Also, in both situations were Gardner should have scored there was some poor defensive play. Those could have cost us just like at Tottenham. We have been steadily improving our attacking play ( except actually taking our chances ) but our defending has been more insecure. Agger improved today, although one slip (regarding that slip, I thought players all over the pitch lost their footing today, so he was only unlucky ) could have hurt us. I thought Sami was poor and Carra is much better in the middle, although he did his job well.

 

Still I feel more comfortable with Skrtel in the side.

 

All in all a decent performance, where we once again made it harder than necessary. The game should have been secured by half time, but as other mentioned, it`s only a matter of time before we experience a match where it all falls into place and we hammer a side.

 

Hopefully Arsenal.

[RobbieOR]

No Robbie, dont apologise. You have to keep your original views and not change them in any way. Its the law, or something.

It is?I was pointing out i was wrong Gaz.

[Red Nick]

I really thought when Gerrard thought he´d also miss an open goal to help his mate Robbie out that it was going to be another Spurs game of not taking our chances costing us 3 points.

 

A very good performance but we have to take our chances and kill team off.

 

Kuyt was superb in my book, I though he was head and shoulders our best player why he was on the pitch and Aurellio is looking superb as well,

 

All good except for the 4 open goals we missed.

[Red Phoenix]

His misses outnumber his goals or the times he runs into space and doesnt get the ball.

 

Not trying to argue with you or anything, but I missed this when tired earlier. I think if you check out a few recent matches, or maybe all the matches he's played in, you'll easily see that the amount of times he runs into good and potential goalscoring space far outweigh the amount of times he misses.

 

Getting into that space (and I don't know how the hell he does it, or how the defenders seem to lose him so badly so often.) might be his strongest point, and as for him looking annoyed at being brought off, a question : does anyone know of any club that's payed 20mil for a striker and has taken him off consistently in the 57-73 minute mark like they have Keane? I think he's simply confused as fuck at why he's brought off every match in the same period. I've just never known anything like it!

 

Is there's a single game he's started and not been brought off in the same time period? I think Rafa should maybe explain to him why he's doing it, it might make him feel a lot better and ease quite a bit of confusion. Torres and Keane on the pitch together for 90 mins might help out our goal difference quite a lot, but it's just not happening and it's wierd. It's starting to bug me almost as much as the lack of quality in the squad too, because the chavs are flying way past us on goal difference.

[Torvald Utne]

new rule rafa...it's not just a title challenge we're demanding anymore, we want a swanky swinging dick of a goal difference too.

[Unrighteous]

I think Keane has always been subbed off around 70th minute... I remember Jol did it to him, I remember Ramos subbing him off in the Carling Cup, etc.

 

Maybe its more down to Keane's fitness/focus late in the game?

[Unrighteous]

new rule rafa...it's not just a title challenge we're demanding anymore, we want a swanky swinging dick of a goal difference too.

 

I don't think anyone cares about goal differential, except, for the fact that Chelsea are running level with us and decimating us on Goal differential and isn't that the decider on the title?

 

It SHOULD be head v head...

[taliesin08]

Goal difference matters not when we twat all those who come before us...believe

[Woo]

I don't think anyone cares about goal differential, except, for the fact that Chelsea are running level with us and decimating us on Goal differential and isn't that the decider on the title?

 

It SHOULD be head v head...

 

It should be goal difference. Head to head is shit.

[23_Carra_Gold]

It should be goal difference. Head to head is shit.

 

Exactly.

 

However you'll usually find that anything which doesn't suit us is fucking bollocks and some useless prick at the F.A has it in for us.

[Unrighteous]

Exactly.

 

However you'll usually find that anything which doesn't suit us is fucking bollocks and some useless prick at the F.A has it in for us.

 

To be honest, thats why I said it should be head to head. I just have a bad thought that we could literally miss a league by goal difference and ... god... that'd suck.

[23_Carra_Gold]

We won't...we'll be out of the race by the end of October...;)

[Red Phoenix]

new rule rafa...it's not just a title challenge we're demanding anymore, we want a swanky swinging dick of a goal difference too.

 

Agreed. Someone's going to have to e-mail him and tell him.

[shanks59]

The Keane substitution worked a treat.

 

From the minute Torres came on we were more of a threat.

 

Gerrard+Torres works .. :whistle:

[Paul]

To be honest, I'd be pissed off if Keane wasn't annoyed about being substituted. The lad's a winner and rates himself: of course he wants to stay on the pitch. Those are good qualities not things to be critical of.

[Code]

To be honest, I'd be pissed off if Keane wasn't annoyed about being substituted. The lad's a winner and rates himself: of course he wants to stay on the pitch. Those are good qualities not things to be critical of.

 

Its because his short passing game is not up to the standard we want Paul, at least thats what they are trying to make us believe.

[Guest TK-421]

To be honest, I'd be pissed off if Keane wasn't annoyed about being substituted. The lad's a winner and rates himself: of course he wants to stay on the pitch. Those are good qualities not things to be critical of.

 

Agreed, there's nothing wrong with showing a bit of emotion. Bellamy was a bit like that as well. Hopefully Keane will do a job on Dossena with his golf clubs.

[Sangria]

We know when Rafa makes his substitutes you could set your watch by it. He also likes to bring on usually if the bench allows it pace, and it is a very good tactic.

In my book Keane especially fist half was all over the defenders and worked his socks off, who better to bring on than Torres and if it had not been him, it probably would have been Babel.

Tired defenders getting hit with pace late on in the game is spot on tactically.

 

 

As for Keane I agree no harm in him showing a bit of dissapointment, for me it is a good thing. He did not cross the line and it is good to see, the lad is a winner.

[odris]

Anyone know were i can watch highlights from the game?