Game Thread: v Man City (a)

[1892-LFCWasBorn]

I've been one of the blind telling everyone else to man up but that drove it home

 

There is a huge gulf growing between us and the other teams going for top 4, we've got no chance and it'll kill us not getting in unless we get bought.

 

I know its 2nd game in, i know that but its just fucking done me right in

 

It's gonna take a few games for Roy to figure out his best team.

 

When I saw the team, I knew a defeat was on the cards. Seen it too many times last season.

 

Funnily enough, that's exactly how it panned out. Hopefully the only way is up from now.

[andrew78]

I ve never harboured so much hatred towards my fellow man, than I do to those 2 twats in charge. Aids and Cancer is really too good for them both.

 

Same here mate ,theres a saying what go,s around comes around,i hope they die a slow painful death with there blood money at there side,when one of them dies there be a fucking party the filthy bastards,thats what they have turned me into a heartless cunt

[TheResonator]

It was Gerrard, simple as.

 

I don't disagree with that, however the point I was making is that the positions of our players as a unit were in such disarray that something which would usually be easily discernible, was not.

[Ryehauge]

The game tonight showed the difference between having decent owners and a lot of money in the back or having to play a central defender at left back, Lucas alongside Gerrard and a young inexperienced player like Ngog next to Torres because you can't afford to even buy a fucking League two-player if we wanted.

 

Get in decent owners and some money to buy us 2 or 3 players and we would actually look like a pretty decent team. Unfortunately that wont happen.

[Unrighteous]

Well... that was embarrassing.

[TheResonator]

Lucas alongside Gerrard and a young inexperienced player like Ngog next to Torres because you can't afford to even buy a fucking League two-player if we wanted.

 

Not directed at you personally, but in my opinion Lucas was better than Gerrard tonight by a margin, and NGog offered considerably more than Torres.

[piscinin]

I don't disagree with that, however the point I was making is that the positions of our players as a unit were in such disarray that something which would usually be easily discernible, was not.

 

haha TBH I was ball-watching too so didn't notice the rest.

[Moo]

I don't even know what to say about tonight's horrible tactical mess, it was embarrassing.

 

The only "good" thing that can be taken out of tonight is that maybe it'll finally hammer home to everyone* (like WaltonRed) just how far back we are falling.

It simply does not matter who the manager is, there will be no significant change while we still have those two fuckers owning us.

The players know it, you can see it on their faces pretty much every time they have taken to the pitch in the last 12 months.

 

*What am I thinking? This thread alone shows some people still prefer to point the finger of blame elsewhere.

[Guest TK-421]

I have a lot of sympathy with Roy as far as tonight is concerned as he was probably planning on playing Mascherano up until as late as tomorrow and then had to change. Nightmare scenario for your second league game in charge really. So the performance is understandable.

 

That Mascherano situation really needs some closure now.

[The Dude Abides]

Sack him????

 

Purple?

[thompsonsnose]

Don't know why anybody's interested in arguing Rafa v Hodgson, they're both shite. New owners and a proper manager please.

 

 

Nail.

[milerz]

I said 4-0 to my mate earlier....I was only half joking. I've seen plenty of dull games over the last 5-6 years but I don't recall seeing us so comprehensively taken apart.

 

Utter bullshit, how is 3 shots on target totally taken apart, scoreline was flattering, don't kid yourself they weren't that good...

[Delmar]

Utter bullshit, how is 3 shots on target totally taken apart, scoreline was flattering, don't kid yourself they weren't that good...

 

The possession was something like 65%-35% in their favor. That's the worrying part. It's hard to win that way.

[milerz]

I ve never harboured so much hatred towards my fellow man, than I do to those 2 twats in charge. Aids and Cancer is really too good for them both.

 

One of those 48 hour rare flesh eating efforts would be mor apt...

[The Dude Abides]

Utter bullshit, how is 3 shots on target totally taken apart, scoreline was flattering, don't kid yourself they weren't that good...

 

Did yo uatch the game or did you just look up the stats afterwards?

 

I don't think City were great though, we were just that poor.

[cole7]

I thought Gerrard was the only player who came out of tonight with any credit whatsoever - at least he made some fucking effort. We were outnumbered in Midfield with Toure, De Jong and Barry up against Gerrard and Lucas. Milner also came inside off the wing - Gerrard cant fucking track them all.

[Sandman]

The game tonight showed the difference between having decent owners and a lot of money in the back or having to play a central defender at left back, Lucas alongside Gerrard and a young inexperienced player like Ngog next to Torres because you can't afford to even buy a fucking League two-player if we wanted.

 

Get in decent owners and some money to buy us 2 or 3 players and we would actually look like a pretty decent team. Unfortunately that wont happen.

 

 

I disagree.

 

We've been told all summer that Hodgson's a detail man. That he drills his teams efficiently and organises them well. They looked completely lost out there tonight.

 

We've know all along that investment wasn't going to be forthcoming this summer, so why anyone expects us to shell out money we don't have to fix the issues that have existed for the last year is beyond me.

 

It is important that Hodgson gets it together soon, he sat and watched us get tonked, it was almost like it was Fulham playing a side they didn't expect to get any points off.

 

The players may not be of the level we all desire, but the management needs to be better as well, in my opinion anyway.

[Silly season]

I have a lot of sympathy with Roy as far as tonight is concerned as he was probably planning on playing Mascherano up until as late as tomorrow and then had to change. Nightmare scenario for your second league game in charge really. So the performance is understandable.

 

That Mascherano situation really needs some closure now.

 

It's Javiers fault we have no width? It's Javiers fault Lucas can't tackle, run, shoot pass or read play? It's Javiers fault our defence played like they never met each other before?

 

How exactly?

 

I hear what your saying for Roys benefit but he can't be blaimed for that performance

[milerz]

The possession was something like 65%-35% in their favor. That's the worrying part. It's hard to win that way.

 

It was in our favour for most of the 2nd half, granted first half we chased a few shadows and we ultimately deserved the loss, but can't be arsed with the arse kissin press and the inept commentators who will all no doubt see that city twatted us without looking that they didn't create too much, and their goalie was boss (again)...

 

Also worrying was that our wide played had zero game impact and we didn't get a sub until 75 mins, first time I critisicised woy.

[Guest ShoePiss]

I said 4-0 to my mate earlier....I was only half joking. I've seen plenty of dull games over the last 5-6 years but I don't recall seeing us so comprehensively taken apart.

 

Here's what I said to a mate at half time, I don't bet on our games but should have...

 

[paddyberger15]

Play 3-5-2 please Roy.

Aurelio and Johnson as wing backs, Carra, Agger and The Greek at the back.

Mascherano, Gerrard and Cole in the centre, Kuyt and Torres up top.

Don't ever, ever play Kuyt on the right in a 4-4-2 ever again.

Don't ever play Lucas or Babel ever again.

Don't ever play 4-4-2 again.

If you at least try the above, you'll get my support, whether it works or not.

[mattomac]

I disagree.

 

We've been told all summer that Hodgson's a detail man. That he drills his teams efficiently and organises them well. They looked completely lost out there tonight.

 

We've know all along that investment wasn't going to be forthcoming this summer, so why anyone expects us to shell out money we don't have to fix the issues that have existed for the last year is beyond me.

 

It is important that Hodgson gets it together soon, he sat and watched us get tonked, it was almost like it was Fulham playing a side they didn't expect to get any points off.

 

The players may not be of the level we all desire, but the management needs to be better as well, in my opinion anyway.

 

I actually think his Fulham side might have had a bit more passion than that, we played Narrow like we have done all last season and guess what it didn't work.

 

I felt we were in for an awful season, and I'm not changed on that.

[milerz]

Course I watched the game, I'm just not getting totally wound up, seen us much worse and teams much better and not come away witha 3-0 defeat, things aren't great and we can't expect miracles, but city were average.

[JustTosh]

Very naive tactics from Hodgson. Barry/De Jong/Toure were always going to steam roll over a midfield pairing of Lucas (anonymous) and Gerrard (not a holding midfielder). The Mascherano situation can't be helped but there's no excuse for leaving a destroyer-type like Poulsen on the bench facing such an obvious mismatch.

 

Alternatively, Babel/Maxi out wide in a 4-5-1 would have given us far more balance than saddling Torres with a strike partner he neither wants nor needs.

 

Even 3-2-4-1 with Aurelio/Johnson as wing backs and Agger alongside Carra/Skrtel would have been reasonable given the circumstances.

 

Anything but kamikaze 4-4-2.

 

I don’t blame Roy much for his team selection. He tried to field a positive attacking side. He got it wrong though, and City completely bossed midfield.

 

What disappoints me is why Roy didn’t see it. We needed to strengthen our midfield, yet he did nothing. I agree with you, 4-4-2 didn’t work, we should’ve done something to stop their midfield dominance. Then again, their players are simply better than ours. I don’t believe any change from Roy would’ve changed the outcome of the game, but that’s no excuse for noyt trying to solve our main problem.

[Juniper]

 

It's Javiers fault we have no width? It's Javiers fault Lucas can't tackle, run, shoot pass or read play? It's Javiers fault our defence played like they never met each other before?

 

How exactly?

 

Maybe becuase he's our only world class holding midfielder? And would have made the difference tonight?