Friendly against Rangers

[silverlining]

Hes alive?

 

Indeed. He was fit for the United game too, although obviously Enrique was always going to play.

[silverlining]

The MF mebers say this place is full of mongs.

 

Yet I have only been insulted / found MF members the ones who can't seem to debate on here in Silverlining and Skid.

 

Carroll didn't do enough to justify starting against Norwich.

 

You got insulted on the MF, just more politely. I assume that's why you left, although I don't think I was involved in whatever thread you threw a hissy-fit in.

 

As for Carroll, I didn't see the game, but I hope he plasy against Norwich because after paying £35m for him, we need to give him at least some opportunities to show what he can - or can't - do, and Norwhich at Anfield is perfect.

 

Certainly he's had less of a lookin than Henderson, who has also been unimpressive. And I hope he starts too. Centrally.

 

This would be a good team:

 

 

-----------------------------Reina-------------------------------

 

Kelly/ Magic-------Carra----------------Skrtel---------Enrique

 

 

-------------Henderson-----------------Adam---------------

 

---------------Suarez-------Gerrard-------Downing-----------

 

----------------------------Carroll--------------------------

 

 

Personally, I wouldn't be surprised to see Suarez given a rest and maybe Bellers or Kuyt coming in to play behind Carroll.

[Guest LFD]

I think Henderson has been more promising than Carroll, he scored vs Bolton and was in most peoples man of the match top three performers that day.

 

He also showed against United that he has real talent, but he has to be central. I think he should get a go in centre midfield as you show above.

 

I also agree that Norwich at home is the best chance to make Carroll perform.

 

The biggest problem with our side is:

 

- We don't keep the ball well enough, to build attacks, that allow our side to move up the pitch as a unit and have Carroll in the box to attack crosses. Thus far our attacks have mostly been on the counter attack. But this also makes us vulnerble defensively as we invite pressure as we don't keep the ball well enough. When we have Adam in centre midfield and a back four making errors (bar Enrique), then you really have to keep the ball far better.

 

The other thing is we don't press teams high up the field. We invite pressure as I said and this allows the opposition time to get set, feel comfortable and we have large periods where we don't keep the ball.

 

Barca are great because not only do they keep the ball better than anyone, they win it back by pressing high up the field. At our best the last 10 years or so, we have been pressing high at high tempo - it suits Kuyt, Gerrard and Suarez to do this approach, so I don't know why we don't.

 

We need to stop defending so deep, as we are looking like a Hodgson defensive line, rather than a Dalglish one when he took over last season. We should push 5 or 10 yards up the field.

 

We also need to keep the ball better, rather than trying to force opportunities whenever we get the ball. Simple probing can be just as effective.

 

We need to press teams higher up the field, force errors and win the ball back quicker, in more dangerous areas and this suits the players we have more.

 

If we continue to sit back with a low defensive line, not press teams till they come into our final third and not keep possession well - all of which we have done this season, then we aren't going to get in the top four.

 

We have to play to our strengths, Dalglish did that last season when he took over, now he needs to go back to that this season.

[silverlining]

Well, Top 4 was always going to be a fairly big ask, given that we all knew Shitty, United and Chelsea would finish above us. That leaves one place to fight for between usd, Arsenal and Spurs. And perhaps one other team?

 

Obviously we'd be dreaming of maybe even higher than fourth if Carrol, Henderson, Downing and Enrique had all been on fire so far, but, as we all know, that hasn't been the case, with only Enrique playing well consistently. Adam is probably the next of that bunch, then Downing, with Henderson and Carroll being poor.

 

I always had doubts about Henderson, and thought that Downing, Adam and Enrique were safe, decent Premiership footballers, but we desperately need Carroll to take some goalscoring responsibility off Gerrard, Kuyt and Suarez, and to do that he has to play more games. Simple as that.

 

Of course, there is another player who should be playing more, and that's Bellamy, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him and Carroll play against Norwich.

 

As for 'pressing' well, I bristle at any undercurrent that suggests this is in any way some kind of new, amazing concept because Ian Rush was one of the best in the world at it, but of course denying the opposition time and space is important.

 

Which is perhaps were Henderson can show his worth, because he can charge about all day long

[Red Phoenix]

I love how deep down alot of you know the weakness with this team, but think if you close your eyes, they will disappear.

 

The problem with Liverpool is lack of creativity. Liverpool is a dogged team, hence why they did so well against us and man u. But your lack of creativity will mean you will drop alot more points against the smaller teams.

 

The team is one paced. yesterday was another game where the lack of creativity and movement stood out. now i expect to hear its just a friendly, means nothing. But its been a feature of Liverpool all season.

 

Next 3 games look easy on paper and I think this is the time you will realise these problems. i expect Norwich to give you a wake up call

 

 

[RobbieOR]

Skidders insults people? What planet are you?

[Guest LFD]

As for 'pressing' well, I bristle at any undercurrent that suggests this is in any way some kind of new, amazing concept because Ian Rush was one of the best in the world at it, but of course denying the opposition time and space is important.

 

I agree it is nothing new.

 

Some teams don't suit pressing high as well. But I think we do with Suarez, Gerrard, Kuyt, Bellamy all very good at it in the front positions.

 

Plus we should play with a higher line, with Reina being the best keeper off his line around.

 

I have been highly critical of Carroll, but if he was playing for United he'd be a real threat. Not because they have players who suit him better or because they are vastly superior to us. But because they keep the ball, push up high defensively and attack as a unit. So when the ball goes wide it allows the front man to get in the box.

 

We by contrast have not kept the ball well enough to build attacks. Our threat comes on the counter attack mainly.

 

We did this against Stoke, in a game Carroll didn't play unfortunately for him - we kept the ball really well that day. But in other games this season even in the friendly vs Valencia, we have been sloppy in possession.

 

We can't just hope Suarez and Gerrard are going to produce magic on the counter attack. If we want to progress we have to be more adventurious and brave. That means pressing high up the field, pushing with a higher defensive line and keeping the ball far better.

 

Until that happens we won't look convincing in any games this season.

Edited October 19, 2011 by LFD

[Eljeficito]

I really don't see where this "no creativity" theory seems to be coming from. We're incredibly wasteful but certainly creative.

[Guest LFD]

I really don't see where this "no creativity" theory seems to be coming from. We're incredibly wasteful but certainly creative.

 

Where did I say that? I didn't!

[stringvest]

If we want to keep the ball better, and if we want to move it forward quickly, we can't play Kuyt. And we need more dynamism in midfield. I think we'll see that against Norwich. I would certainly play Bellamy, Maxi and Suarez as a front three against Delia's budgies.

[Eljeficito]

Where did I say that? I didn't!

 

wasn't quoting you mate but i've now realised im in completely the wrong thread!

[robslappa]

There was £4,500 raised during before the game last week which is being split equally between the HFSG and The Ibrox Memorial fund.