Stoke City v. Liverpool 10/01/09

[George Costanza]

OK before we all get suicidal, let's wait until filth and chavs play tomorrow, eh?

 

But, my god, benitez doesnt half like handing out big sticks for everyone to beat him with.

 

If you're going to gob off in a pre match interview, make sure you back it up where it matters, on the pitch ffs. When stoke saw our teamsheet they must have got such a boost.

 

I dont buy into this shyte that we missed agger or insua. They're defenders after all. Alonso probably is a loss but are we saying missing one or two players now means we cant wipe away a bottom 3 team? This obsession with playing one ineffective player up front or waiting until the hour when everyone can see it aint working is piss poor and all.

 

Sort it out benitez or you'll throw away our best chance in years for years to come.

 

Can't disagree with any of that

 

For some reason Rafa likes making it harder for himself than it actually is.

[GJM]

The only time we posed any danger at all was when Gerrard got on the ball in the 2nd half. If we'd had somebody other than Kuyt, and, after Torres came on, somebody else up there with him to keep their defenders occupied, he might have got on the ball a bit more often.

[rebel23]

we definitely weren't good enough bringing the ball out of defence

 

several times Hyypia and Skrtel came forward and just gave it away or put it out for a throw in, Carra was useless on the right and what did Aurelio do?

[billybonzo]

Billybonzo the proper fan.

 

Kiss my hairy arse you utter bellwhiff

[zigackly]

Can anyone honestly put their hands on their hearts and guarantee that Keane would have made all the difference today? I'd like to see him given a chance but he would never have got a touch in place of Kuyt, and our midfield was overrun even with three playing. Torres evidently not fit for ninety minutes, so the lack of Keane is the big issue. I think the mistake was not bringing him on as a sub. We only used two subs in a game which was crying out for a bit of bravery from the back room.

[Kurt]

we definitely weren't good enough bringing the ball out of defence

 

several times Hyypia and Skrtel came forward and just gave it away or put it out for a throw in, Carra was useless on the right and what did Aurelio do?

 

It was apparant in the midfield as well. So many times when Lucas and the chief had the ball...no one came for it. No movement and passion to get the ball. I know Yossi was poor today, but he was the only player that constantly make moves, trying to create spacer and show for the ball.

 

Torres was also very dissapointing. It was`nt easy for him, but I felt he was just moaning out there instead of getting on with it. Just like he was against Everton before he scored. Use your energy on playing football Fernando.

[moxter]

Before the anti-Rafa rants get completely out of hand, just remember that this formation, and players, have put us top of the league. He hasn't done anything differently to how we've done it all season. The team he picked was no worse than the one against Newcastle.

 

No, today was about the players, who, to a man, just didn't look arsed in the slightest. We couldn't put passes together and, worse, we didn't compete properly for the ball. It's not luck that makes the ball break towards the opposition time after time.

 

A word on Kuyt - while he did nothing every time he had the ball, the service was atrocious from all concerned, so to turn it into "Kuyt is not a lone striker" (which he's not, of course) as the main reason we played so shite is a bit unfair.

[Red Lad]

So much wrong with that today. Reina was very shaky looking, Mascherano was as bad as i can remember, Lucas has gone backwards after his last few good performances. I cant remember te last time our midfield gave away the ball that much and so cheaply too.

Riera was looking ok today, why he was taken off today is a mystery to me since Benayoun was shockingly bad today. Gerrard couldn't find any space either. On top of all this we had Dirk up front on his own which is never a good idea when there are three strikers on the bench. Worst performance in a while.

If tomorrows game goes well for us we can all consider ourselves extremely lucky.

[billybonzo]

One thing is for certain, our own brilliance won't win us the league.

[Guest Dog Chaser]

Kiss my hairy arse you utter bellwhiff

 

Fuck off and support Chelsea, fucking mug.

[LEF]

Alonso was badly missed but Lucas should have been taken off with Gerrard dropped into the centre and Keane upfront with Torres.

 

Other then the Carragher, Hyypia and Skrtel every other Liverpool was bullied off the ball and bottled it.

 

Spot on. When it wasnt working why persist with two holding midfielders. Babel on for Yossi, Kean on for Riera and Torres for Lucus. Its so frustraiting grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

 

Still top so not all bad.

[Red Lad]

Rafa you fucking shithouse.

Torres and Keane on the bench. You couldn't make it up.

 

Bad result today but fuck all need for that.

[zigackly]

One thing is for certain, our own brilliance won't win us the league.

 

Not unless we actually start producing it consistently at any rate.

[Stephen Adams.]

I'll say one thing for Rafa, he does his players a massive favour sometimes.

The discussion today after the match should've been about how shite Liverpool were (ie. the players on the pitch) but instead they were all about Rafa's team selection, tactics, substitutions and his press conference yesterday.

He was barely asked about the game or the performance.

In fact I'm quite happy about that, because I didn't want to hear him talk about controlling the game or how unlucky we were with Gerrard hitting the bar and post.

[grazywalker]

Not the best of games but to play so badly,and I mean badly and not get beat is something.

I am not happy at all about result but as far as I am concerned we deserved to get beat. However we did not so count ourselves lucky and the way things are going expect a draw tomorrow with all 22 players sent off and Bacon face banned for life after giving the ref a chinese burn for the allowing Chelsea to pass the ball.

[Paul]

Before the anti-Rafa rants get completely out of hand, just remember that this formation, and players, have put us top of the league. He hasn't done anything differently to how we've done it all season. The team he picked was no worse than the one against Newcastle.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with starting with the team he did in the light of who was available, but the changes he made just weren't right in my view.

[Red Lad]

There's absolutely nothing wrong with starting with the team he did in the light of who was available, but the changes he made just weren't right in my view.

The team he started with was spot on apart from Kuyt up front on his own.

[snez1]

Rafa you fucking shithouse.

Torres and Keane on the bench. You couldn't make it up.

 

I know, what a shit house. Why didn't he pick Keane? It's not like he'd missed a fucking bag full of sitters in his last game is it?

 

And why not pick Torres? It's not as if he has been injured for ages, wouldn't have been match sharp and could have picked up another injury against those cloggers is it?

 

Gob shtie.

[stringvest]

I expected nothing better after seeing that front line, baffling shit from the boss on this one I'm afraid.

 

It's times like that, when some of our best players are injured or on the bench, that you realise what a tightrope we're walking between potentially good side and bog-average. The likes of Kuyt, Lucas and Benayoun wouldn't look out of place in the Stoke team, sorry but that's how I see it.

 

You are right. We do have worse players playing regularly than any of the other top 4 teams. They are constantly got out of jail by the brilliance of Gerrard, and the excellence of one or two others, but the gap between Gerrard and Kuyt is so huge it's laughable.

[zigackly]

Well Rafa and the players all dropped a bollock today, but the league won't be won or lost away to Stoke. We have got to start playing like we mean it though, I thought we had it sussed in our last two games.

[bigmacbrownie]

That was utter shite really, there's not much more you can say. That side simply weren't good enough against a team that aren't going to give you as much time on the ball as Newcastle did.

 

You could see at half time that things were not looking good, yet we continued witht the same formation throughout. I can't believe Torres and Keane were on the bench and I was a bit miffed about the substitutions.

 

I thought Lucas reverted back to the kind of player that left him open for criticism tonight. He won the odd tackle but offered nothing going forward other than a couple of long searching balls. He didn't get the time he would like on the ball either and gave posession away far too often under pressure. Mascherano continued in his bad run of form which meant Gerrard having to cover at times and limiting our attack.

 

No-one really played well tonight and I can't believe Keane wasn't used at all. Yet another stupid draw and yes you can say that if the Mancs and Chelsea draw tomorrow it isn't that bad, but for me it will just represent another real chance to open up a gap wasted.

[ratcatcher]

Can anyone honestly put their hands on their hearts and guarantee that Keane would have made all the difference today? I'd like to see him given a chance but he would never have got a touch in place of Kuyt, and our midfield was overrun even with three playing. Torres evidently not fit for ninety minutes, so the lack of Keane is the big issue. I think the mistake was not bringing him on as a sub. We only used two subs in a game which was crying out for a bit of bravery from the back room.

 

Look zig, Im not keane's biggest fan but having both torres AND keane on the bench for 60 minutes? No one can guarantee any player will score, not even torres but for god's sake, let's make them scared of us from the start.

 

If torres isnt fit to last 60 minutes, he should be on the bench imo. Start him (or keane) then if we have to make a change swap them over.

 

It pisses me off endlessly that we ALWAYS wait until the hour mark before we make a change even if it aint working. Why is that? Why do we only give ourselves 30 minutes in a 90 minute game to make any effect?

 

I dont know whether benitez' press interview friday put any pressure on the players but, you can bet your bottom dollar all the filth loving media and their fans will make a big thing out of it that it has.

[Badix]

I know, what a shit house. Why didn't he pick Keane? It's not like he'd missed a fucking bag full of sitters in his last game is it?

And why not pick Torres? It's not as if he has been injured for ages, wouldn't have been match sharp and could have picked up another injury against those cloggers is it?

 

Gob shtie.

 

Yeah but start a player who has consistently played shit for us over the last 2 seasons? nonsene.

[billybonzo]

The facts are if we are to win the league we are going to need bucketfuls of luck going for us and relatively poor seasons from Chelsea and Man yoo.

 

We dont have enough quality players to match them and of the ones we do have, masch is playing the worst football of his life, Torres is just coming back from injury and Stevie isnt upto his normal standards.

 

Like someone said earlier, the likes of Kuyt, bennayoun and lucas wouldn't look out of place in the Stoke squad.

 

Its gonna be a horrible few months guys, hang in there.

[Stephen Adams.]

At least it wasn't a defeat and at least it was in this game and neither of the next 2.

We really struggle when Gerrard and Torres aren't on top of their game.