Liverpool v West Ham Thread

[zigackly]

Sami had, what, about four chances to score from set pieces tonight? I know I've been downbeat in the aftermath, but in fairness on another day he would have sunk at least one of them and the outcome would have been different.

[torahboy]

I'm fucked right off with our last couple of performances, worried about Keane and Babel, concerned by the seeming loss of invention from Gerrard and Alonso and frustrated by our dropping points to teams who are, basically, shite. Yet the greatest cause of worry for me is the reaction of some of our supporters on this thread; calling each other 'cunt' and 'mong' and trying to arrange straighteners is really poor quality stuff. It's as bad as being in The Wimslow after a derby game- not as stenchy and short on brain cells - but pretty fucking sad coming from Liverpool fans. Have a view and express it but don't get all fucking Peter Mandelson when someone disagrees and definitely don't come on like Brian Schumacher with The Chippendales when the bitching gets heated. We're top of the league and I'm turning into Terry fucking Waite. Fuck it - I'm off to the GF to check out some porn sites and enjoy some real cunts!

[WaltonRed]

Its been going on for ages, you'd think after about a decade of it we'd get on to it but alas we havent.

 

N'gog is woeful, pure and simple not good enough.

 

On another night we may of won but we didnt so we shouldnt be talking like that, you have to deal in reality.

 

0-0 with West Ham, Fulham and Stoke at home is not the form of champions elect.

[rebel23]

there is still time to put these bad results right though but Rafa has to learn the lessons from these 2 home games

 

I was most disappointed with Riera, Benayoun and Keane, so little urgency shown from the off it was a disgrace and set the tone. the subs did not help

 

like against Fulham (no it just wasn't Lucas) too many members of the team were not performing at the required level. it is up to Rafa to select the team and make sure they're wound up to face the task of 10 men behind the ball, he should be making changes at half time to anyone showing such a lacklustre attitude as Riera, Keane and Benayoun in such an important game. games like that are a cup final and should be treated as such

[RoboRiise]

I've no idea who it was aimed at but after a couple of ales, I was in stitches at that "suck my plums twat" tag.

[rebel23]

I would go as far as to drop Riera, Benayoun and Keane for the next game but im afraid they will be rewarded with another start and thus they think showing a lack of urgency and cruising through a game is acceptable. i dont think it is and our players need to understand that they need to show more urgency and take their chances or there will be real consequences

[Paco]

I would go as far as to drop Riera, Benayoun and Keane for the next game but im afraid they will be rewarded with another start and thus they think showing a lack of urgency and cruising through a game is acceptable. i dont think it is and our players need to understand that they need to show more urgency and take their chances or there will be real consequences

 

I thought benayoun was one of our better players.

[Rex Banner]

we didn't play bad at all, I thought we actually played pretty good and if we could just get one to go in we would of won easy.

What annoys me is how we play high tempo for the first 10 minutes then if we don't score we stroll through the game until the last 15 minutes when we find some urgency when it's often to late.

 

Keane was awful again he had about 5 touches the whole game but why oh why would Rafa take him off for fucking Ngog??? He must be some fucking player in training because he certainly hasn't showed it on the pitch.

 

It's good to go top but god damn it now manu are effectively 3 points behind, we're just inviting them into it.

[GJM]

Right, that really is the last time that I get up at 3am to watch us play a league game against any side that's not in the top 6. Somebody else (Nick Leeson?) summed it up perfectly for me in identifying our obvious deficiencies against mediocre sides that come and defend.

 

We get space against better teams because they try to win games, we get space against the really poor sides because they're not good enough to deny us it, but we really struggle against that (large) middle ground of sides that have just enough to keep us out.

 

Babel might as well pack his bags now. If he can't get on ahead of Ngog then he's never going to be given the chance of playing through the middle and I don't think he's up for (or to) playing left side for us.

 

With or without Torres, we really need Gerrard playing further forward and that means no Keane at the moment. Kuyt had a poor performance but he at least had a presence. I feel a bit sorry for him but he is simply not playing well enough to warrant a starting place.

 

This season is turning out to be one of the least predictable for a good while and, for that reason alone just now, we have a real chance. Performances like we've turned in this past month would, most of other years, have us struggling to keep pace with the top 3, but, this season, it has us top of the pile.

[Kevin D]

I've decided not to read the thread. I hope that niether the sanctimonous , condescending superfans nor the knee-jerk doomongers dominated the thread but instead the reasonable people like paul and G Richards.

 

What I will say is that is was not as bad as other matches. That said the lack of invention , the complete lack of urgency we've seen all too often this season and the unwillingness for anyone to step up to the plate with a misfiring Gerrard. The above is why I believe Ryan Babel should be in the side , it was surprising he put a player like Yossi, understandable but surprising to me.

 

I'm also not one who subscribes to the view that we do not need Javier Mascherano in home games. His infectious attitude , pace and desire means he often inspires the team. Going out there with one less leader is never a good idea -IMO- even allowing for that his defensive ability means that Xabi Alonso knows he can go further forward. It means that the FB's know they can play as auxilary wide men. Most importantly for me , though, is it means Gerrard can play further up the field and be at his destructive best.

 

Well done to the SOS , the fans and the players on the Michael Shields issue.

[Ian Sea]

I don't condone the booing at the end of the game but I can understand why it happened. We may be top as of now but everyone can see that we've absolutely no chance of being there come May. Chelsea and United are doing their best to hand us the title and we aren't good enough, or haven't got the bollocks, to take it from them. We should be at least 5 points clear by now, and could be as many as 12 clear. When we don't win the league it will be because of our own failings and nobody elses.

 

I feel sorry for Robbie Keane. He was shit last night but effectively he is being played out of position. He isn't a lone striker, never has been and never will be. If Rafa insists on playing 4-2-3-1 then he can no longer play Keane up front on his own. He should play 2 up top, especially in home games against shit teams, and give Keane a chance to make a name for himself here. The guy has been playing for 10 years and Rafa should have known what he was getting when he signed him; a player who is at his best playing off another striker. Someone who will drop into space, pull defenders out of positions and create chances for others. When he plays up on his own he can't do any of those things. £20 million to play a guy out of position, time and time again.

 

It's so glaringly obvious what is going wrong and it's scary that our manager can't, or won't, see it. We desperately need 2 strikers on the pitch when Torres doesn't play. Last night there was no-one to hold the ball up, create space or occupy West Ham's defenders.

 

I do think we are short of numbers up front but playing Kuyt and Keane, Babel and Keane, Kuyt and Babel would have been better than just Keane on his own. Hell, it might even be worth sticking N'gog on to play with someone as at least we'll have players in the opposition penalty area.

 

Unless we change the way we play, and soon, we're destined for another finish outside the top 2.

[Baz1969]

I don't condone the booing at the end of the game but I can understand why it happened. We may be top as of now but everyone can see that we've absolutely no chance of being there come May. Chelsea and United are doing their best to hand us the title and we aren't good enough, or haven't got the bollocks, to take it from them. We should be at least 5 points clear by now, and could be as many as 12 clear. When we don't win the league it will be because of our own failings and nobody elses.

 

I feel sorry for Robbie Keane. He was shit last night but effectively he is being played out of position. He isn't a lone striker, never has been and never will be. If Rafa insists on playing 4-2-3-1 then he can no longer play Keane up front on his own. He should play 2 up top, especially in home games against shit teams, and give Keane a chance to make a name for himself here. The guy has been playing for 10 years and Rafa should have known what he was getting when he signed him; a player who is at his best playing off another striker. Someone who will drop into space, pull defenders out of positions and create chances for others. When he plays up on his own he can't do any of those things. £20 million to play a guy out of position, time and time again.

 

It's so glaringly obvious what is going wrong and it's scary that our manager can't, or won't, see it. We desperately need 2 strikers on the pitch when Torres doesn't play. Last night there was no-one to hold the ball up, create space or occupy West Ham's defenders.

 

I do think we are short of numbers up front but playing Kuyt and Keane, Babel and Keane, Kuyt and Babel would have been better than just Keane on his own. Hell, it might even be worth sticking N'gog on to play with someone as at least we'll have players in the opposition penalty area.

 

Unless we change the way we play, and soon, we're destined for another finish outside the top 2.

 

Well said but I don't think we've got what it takes to finish in top two. Unlike Mancs and Chavs (and usually Arse), we just cant be relied on to win the majority of our games. This is down to niave and bewildering tactics on Rafas part as much as anything else. To finish third will be seen as a huge failure due to the start we've had but its about our true position.

[Thants]

Well said but I don't think we've got what it takes to finish in top two. Unlike Mancs and Chavs (and usually Arse), we just cant be relied on to win the majority of our games. This is down to niave and bewildering tactics on Rafas part as much as anything else. To finish third will be seen as a huge failure due to the start we've had but its about our true position.

 

Does it pain you to see us top?

[Baz1969]

Does it pain you to see us top?

 

Yes when I know we've no chance of staying there.

[05 Milan]

Yes when I know we've no chance of staying there.

 

Ha ha, Baz has just admitted that it pains him to see us top of the league. That's funny.

[05 Milan]

Oh no what are we doing all the way up there, we don't deserve to be there, the mancs and chelsea are so much better than us, get us down from there, this is embarassing, I don't want to get my hopes up because it hurts too much if we don't make it, boohoo I'm a tart

[Spy Bee]

People spelling naive wrong is funny.

[hamstrung]

That was wank.

 

And cold.

 

Cold and wank.

[05 Milan]

We've often gone from incredibly awful to sublime in the space of a single of game, so I'm not worried about the team's ability, just the time it will take us to turn this corner.

[Carra_is_legend]

We've often gone from incredibly awful to sublime in the space of a single of game, so I'm not worried about the team's ability, just the time it will take us to turn this corner.

 

True enough but we are also capable of going from sublime to incredibly awful in the space of a single game.

[05 Milan]

True enough but we are also capable of going from sublime to incredibly awful in the space of a single game.

 

Now now, don't go twisting my words:whistle:

 

My point was that the team has shown that it can play any side off the park, proved especially by beating our two closest rivals to the title already this season. We're in a slump, and we seem to get these every now and again under Benitez, but we always turn the corner. Normally when the title-pressure is off the players and they suddenly have to fight for 4th place...

[hamstrung]

We've often gone from incredibly awful to sublime in the space of a single of game, so I'm not worried about the team's ability, just the time it will take us to turn this corner.

 

That's the thing really. We're more than capable of going on a run and its something we've done fairly regularly.

 

So while all is not quite as bleak as in Baz's desperate little corner of the universe, we need one of those runs to come along now if we want to sustain things. I must admit, I am not too confident, but its probably a really good time to be playing a team completely devoid of confidence at the weekend.

[Carra_is_legend]

Now now, don't go twisting my words:whistle:

 

My point was that the team has shown that it can play any side off the park, proved especially by beating our two closest rivals to the title already this season. We're in a slump, and we seem to get these every now and again under Benitez, but we always turn the corner. Normally when the title-pressure is off the players and they suddenly have to fight for 4th place...

 

I'm not at all twisting your words mate. I'm saying the same thing as you are - we are capable of playing teams off the park on our day. Like we did against Utd, Chelsea and Spurs. But we are also capable of producing crap over teams like Stoke, Fulham and West Ham.

 

Hope we turn the corner and soon. If this carries on for a bit longer, we will be 5 points behind Chelsea and Utd in no time.

[hamstrung]

The harder I try (Ooohooohooohooohooo)

The further away from me it's slipping

 

Nathan from Brother Beyond, knows.

[zico]

I don't condone the booing at the end of the game but I can understand why it happened. We may be top as of now but everyone can see that we've absolutely no chance of being there come May. Chelsea and United are doing their best to hand us the title and we aren't good enough, or haven't got the bollocks, to take it from them. We should be at least 5 points clear by now, and could be as many as 12 clear. When we don't win the league it will be because of our own failings and nobody elses.

 

I feel sorry for Robbie Keane. He was shit last night but effectively he is being played out of position. He isn't a lone striker, never has been and never will be. If Rafa insists on playing 4-2-3-1 then he can no longer play Keane up front on his own. He should play 2 up top, especially in home games against shit teams, and give Keane a chance to make a name for himself here. The guy has been playing for 10 years and Rafa should have known what he was getting when he signed him; a player who is at his best playing off another striker. Someone who will drop into space, pull defenders out of positions and create chances for others. When he plays up on his own he can't do any of those things. £20 million to play a guy out of position, time and time again.

 

It's so glaringly obvious what is going wrong and it's scary that our manager can't, or won't, see it. We desperately need 2 strikers on the pitch when Torres doesn't play. Last night there was no-one to hold the ball up, create space or occupy West Ham's defenders.

 

I do think we are short of numbers up front but playing Kuyt and Keane, Babel and Keane, Kuyt and Babel would have been better than just Keane on his own. Hell, it might even be worth sticking N'gog on to play with someone as at least we'll have players in the opposition penalty area.

 

Unless we change the way we play, and soon, we're destined for another finish outside the top 2.

 

Great post, spot on......