Eight attacks...

[Josef Svejk]

... eight goals? In the last two games... that's about right, no?

 

So, who's our worst defender on current form? And what the hell would we be reduced to without Torres and (the currently amazing) Benayoun?

 

Aurelio, Arbeloa, Skrtel, Agger, Carragher: all utter garbage recently. While our best defender hasn't got near the team...

[El Rojo]

... eight goals? In the last two games... that's about right, no?

 

So, who's our worst defender on current form? And what the hell would we be reduced to without Torres and (the currently amazing) Benayoun?

 

Aurelio, Arbeloa, Skrtel, Agger, Carragher: all utter garbage recently. While our best defender hasn't got near the team...

 

Sami? Not sure his presence would have made a huge difference last week or tonight.

[Jonte]

Sami? Not sure his presence would have made a huge difference.

 

Sami, mate

[Josef Svejk]

I can't believe we'd fall apart like that with Hyypia in the team. Carra and Sami remains our best partnership. And that doesn't reflect well on Agger and Skrtel, all these years later...

[BENIRL]

We are playing attacking football and our defenders are being exposed more.

[Herp McDerp]

Individual mistakes by Masch, Bob and Carra cost us tonight, what did Agger do wrong?

[Josef Svejk]

We are playing attacking football and our defenders are being exposed more.

 

That's clearly true. But attacking football shouldn't justify the concession of eight goals in two games, surely?

[Josef Svejk]

Individual mistakes by Masch, Bob and Carra cost us tonight, what did Agger do wrong?

 

Aurelio fucked up twice, no? Anyway, I'm not trying to blame any of them individually: I just thought they were dreadful collectively...

[philyhamann]

Arbeloa was exposed a fair bit, in my opinion.

[John101]

i think becuase of the chopping and changin in our defence this season players are just not that confident/experienced of playing with each other.

 

It has shown itself up in the last few games, because we have had to chase games leaving ourselves open to attack from quality opposition

[coop]

Still think the failure to pick Insua cost us tonight.

[G Richards]

Earlier in the season we had no end of 'safe' draws, where the team edged a goal up and the defence looked fairly solid, only to be hit by a sucker punch and drop two points. Very rarely do I recall ever being exposed defensively in any of those games.

 

It was solid... but oh so frustrating. "Take the shackles off Rafa" cried every keyboard warrior red the world over.

 

The last few games the shackles have come off (albeit out of necessity). It has been romantic and exhilarating fare that the reds have served up, and I for one have been loving it!

 

The defence has obviously been exposed as we have gone for broke, having realised that draws are not what we need.

 

But this is just what we've needed, and it is not the time to criticise the defence! Fight on red men. Fight on. We might just yet win this thing!

[Section_31]

We're playing a more open brand of football now with less protection from the midfield, lets not forget the chavs and arse have shipped goals too.

 

But, I still think we need another CB. We don't have a commanding kingpin now that Sammi has slowed down, especially in the air. The other three CBs are henchmen in my book, not lynchpins.

[John101]

We're playing a more open brand of football now with less protection from the midfield, lets not forget the chavs and arse have shipped goals too.

 

But, I still think we need another CB. We don't have a commanding kingpin now that Sammi has slowed down, especially in the air. The other three CBs are henchmen in my book, not lynchpins.

 

all i could think of reading that is...

 

[el nino laff]

think you hit the nail on the head with we are attacking more! But we are only been made pay against teams of better quality i.e Chelsea and Arsenal

Edited April 21, 2009 by el nino laff
quote didnt work

[Liverpool lad]

The Chelsea game was different, we had to throw it all at them to have any chance.

 

Today, we should have been out of sight before they scored their first, the goals were put on a plate for them. Too often we squander chances to put the game to bed before half-time. This needs to addressed, in the words of Woo 'draws kill you in this league'.

[Guest RedDay]

Not sure Agger did much wrong, don't think Alonso or Mascherano did much to help the defence though either. Mascherano had a stinker and Xabi seemed more concerned how his mate Cesc was doing.

[moxter]

We don't have a commanding kingpin now that Sammi has slowed down, especially in the air. The other three CBs are henchmen in my book, not lynchpins.

 

You are one of the best writers on the forum but this is spectacularly brilliant over-use of the cliche. Love it.

[Rex Banner]

I don't think Carra or Agger played badly, Aurelio and Arbeloa were poor and so was Mascherano who protects the back 4. I would of played Insua, I think he was better suited to defend against those type of players.

[Spy Bee]

Individual mistakes last night. That's all really. I wouldn't go reading too much into it.

[Soleilrouge]

Carra haveing a nightmare currently and I would rest him for a game

[sir roger]

Can't believe people are pitching into the defence & saying they have ruined our chances of the league.

 

Following the nadir of the Boro game I & others felt our season was in freefall , but amazingly & courageously we won our next 5 league games 16-1 on aggregate & that goal was a dubious penalty at Old Trafford.

 

If on the Sunday after Boro we had been offered 16 of the next 18 points & to be back in with a slight chance of the Prem we would have snapped somebody's hand off so put away the 20:20 hindsight goggles & appreciate the recent efforts.

 

Yes there were awful individual mistakes last night but these guys aren't robots & lets face it , it was one of those ' every single mistake gets capitalised on ' nights.

 

Something special is happening here & I am more confident than I have been for many years that we are close to being back on our f***ing perch.

[JagSquared]

i think becuase of the chopping and changin in our defence this season players are just not that confident/experienced of playing with each other.

 

It has shown itself up in the last few games, because we have had to chase games leaving ourselves open to attack from quality opposition

 

bollocks they have been together for a while now they know how to play together individual mistakes are costing us

[coop]

Defensive mistakes have cost us but you also have to say that with the possesion we were having in the final third we should have put the game out of sight before then.

 

I have to be honest i would rather us playing football like we are doing and running the risk of been exposed in defence then going back to been cautious.

 

Against any other team outside the top four that kind of display last night would have destroyed them as even if they put 11 men behind the ball they would not have been able to live with the intensity of the attack after attack and thats how i hope we continue to play.

 

By playing in such a way we have scored 4 goals against Real Madrid, Man United, Arsena, Blackburnl and Chelsea whilst against Villa we scored 5.

 

I thought Yossi was immense last night but imagine Gerrard in that role instead.

 

The defensive mistakes we made were all avoidable and had Aurelio or Arbeloa been the slightest bit alert and just cleared the ball then the 3 points would have been ours.

[23 Carra Gold]

personally i feel carra has been very poor this season by his standards maybe time to give agger and skrtel a go