Tonights game

[Guest LFD]

I have gone for a e-season ticket for pre season (given they have all the games), as it's only £3 and I must say the stream is perfect.

 

Johnson has slight injury, they are taking no risks.

 

Alonso is watching from the bench (along with the other Spaniards).

 

The stadium is full and Torres has a new hair cut.

[Red Phoenix]

Fucks sake Babel, pass!

[Steve Holt]

Nemeth with a terrible attempt at a header. Should have scored but hardly touched it. ducked underneath it if anything.

 

Carragher again has no idea its pre-season :D

[Guest LFD]

Great crosss by El Zhar, Nemeth should hit target.

 

Great atmosphere for a friendly.

[Guest LFD]

Rash tackle from Plessis.

[Steve Holt]

Vienna score but its offside.

[Red Phoenix]

Gutted for Nemeth with that header.

[J-V]

They are well up for this.

[Torvald Utne]

intimidating crowd.

[Hazel Motes]

Passing is miraculously poor this far.

[Steve Holt]

Offside goal was not offside. Got lucky there.

[Torvald Utne]

degen must be due for an injury by now surely?

[Code]

still on break from confederations cup.

 

No he`s not, he`s there and have held talks with Rafa apperantly.

 

None of the Spanish players will play tonight though, neither will Dossena.

[Steve Holt]

Commentator said Babel spent some time this summer playing in a charity tournament in New York which aimed to bring football to disadvantaged kids. Fair play to him. The likes of Henry, Claudio Reyna and others also were there.

[Hazel Motes]

Commentator said Babel spent some time playing in a charity tournament in New York which aimed to bring football to disadvantaged kids. Fair play to him. The likes of Henry, Claudio Reyna and others also were there.

 

Are you sure he was one of the players?

[Torvald Utne]

No he`s not, he`s there and have held talks with Rafa apperantly.

 

None of the Spanish players will play tonight though, neither will Dossena.

 

spanish players aren't playing or named substitutions, so they are still on a break from playing...why did you feel the need to object?

[Red Phoenix]

There he goes again with Bennetez.

[Steve Holt]

Are you sure he was one of the players?

 

Thats what the commentator said

[philyhamann]

Ok but hear me out for a second here-

 

Hes fast

 

[Torvald Utne]

Thats what the commentator said

 

WHOOOOOSH!

[The Special One]

But aren't you missing the point rather?

 

Perhaps if we had given the players a chance to play in the sort of lineup and formation they played in those opening games before starting, we would have picked up more points. I.e. we didn't start the season with a team resembling the ones in pre-season and that could be a contributing factor to why they started rusty.

 

A lot of the teams under Shankly and Paisley had some pretty pathetic starts to the season and went on to win things in May too, but back then you didn't have to win such a high percentage of games to win the league, so you could start badly and play your way into form. Identical actually to the way Benitez's Valencia teams played in the Spanish League, where it's not so important to maximise your points throughout the season.

 

I don't give a crap about the results either, but I do give a crap about the performances, because if you predicate your entire pre-season on fitness, and don't pay attention to match practice or form then you will start badly, and you'll be struggling to put on an early lead or to catch up if you fall behind.

 

It's a criticism which I think can be levelled fairly at Rafa throughout his tenure here, and although I don't think our bad starts are entirely down to pre-season selections in friendlies, I just don't see how it helps not to get your team playing the way you want it to before the season starts rather than after.

 

By the way, I hate it when people throw out the Shanks and Paisley would have done this or done that line. I was lucky enough to support Liverpool while Bob was managing us at least, and one thing he was is a winner. He would have done anything necessary to get his teams winning trophies, not stuck to some archaic way of doing things just because it worked in the past. From what I know of Shankly he was just as much an innovator, so don't throw the way they did things at me as some excuse never to look to the future.

 

I don't think I'm missing any point zig. I'm commenting on how people are taking the results seriously and saying it has something to do with our performances during the year. I just saw Sammy Lee being interviewed and he said yes results are important because it's LFC (I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that) but more than anything it's about getting fitness levels up for the big kickoff against Spurs.

 

I'm saying pre-season results have nothing to do with what happens during the season and they shouldn't be counted as indicators as to what will happen for the rest of the year which is what some people seem to be implying. Like it determines whether we will be champions or not. Bit ridiculous don't you agree?

 

I only gave the Shankly and Paisley argument because they did have some horrible pre-seasons but again, they were winners and it's what they won in May that counted. I'm saying they wouldn't have taken pre-season results as seriously as some people indicate on here. It's about getting fitness levels up and getting some match practice in. Winning is a bonus.

[Steve Holt]

WHOOOOOSH!

 

Ok I have been whooshed. What was the joke?

Surely not that Ryan Babel is one of the disadvantaged kids?

[Hazel Motes]

Sign Hoffa!

[Brownie]

We've been awful so far but it's only pre-season.

 

I'm not sure what my point is.

[Torvald Utne]

Ok I have been whooshed. What was the joke?

Surely not that Ryan Babel is one of the disadvantaged kids?

 

well, yes :|