Man city 3rd Jan

[Cushty92]

Think Stewart Downing is the first Liverpool player I've actually despised.

 

Must think it's acceptable to jump out of tackles and take no responsibility in an attacking sense. I can accept he's a limited player but not the lack of effort. Worst value for money signing we've ever made.

[Guest LFD]

I thought we'd struggle to break them down with no Suarez, Gerrard, Maxi or Bellamy starting - our four main goal threats this season.

 

Just hoped we could hold on and be 0-0 till when Gerrard and Bellamy came on.

 

This result won't define our season, we simply have to move on and focus on the next result we are still very capable of finishing top four, although I think we do need a striker better than Carroll to be totally confident of that happening.

[Hades]

Laughable, cowardly performance after a laughable, cowardly club statement. The symmetry is frightening.

 

We are intent on possession football because we have no pace. However this allows the opponent to regroup, making them totally at ease with our one-dimensional attacking tactics. It's repetitive and pointless to discuss because the problems will never be solved within the current squad.

[Dicko]

Downing - A thoroughly average player, playing thoroughly average.

Henderson - Speed in body & speed in mind are not his strong suits his reaction time is pitiful.

Adam - Didn't want him. Has shown nothing that he isn't a new Danny Murphy.

Carroll - Difficult to judge when his main supply line is so fundamentally negative.

Enrique - Class.

[stringvest]

I'm not deeply familiar with the FA Rulebook, but would it be within the rules to equip our front 4 players with Segways?

[piscinin]

What worries me more than anything is not the individual performances because to be honest the players have provided pretty much what they have their whole careers. No what worries me is this lot up front look as unused to playing with each other as they did when they first met. There is almost no sign of any gelling having happened at all. They're still strangers. And I really don't understand how that can be the case after all this time. It points to something systemic to me.

 

If there was a stat for player moaning and telling someone where they should have been we'd max it out.

 

Last year when Kenny came in everyone was on the same wavelength almost immediately. So I don't get it and it worries me.

[stringvest]

I think that's broadly because Carroll is not a regular in the team, and we do adopt a markedly different style of play when he's in the team. We do have fluency when he ain't in there.

[mike23]

Got to the pub a bit late and we were already 1-0 down. Was told Downing had missed a good chance in the first few minutes and Reina had been at fault for the opening goal. It seemed to sum our season up entirely: wasteful in attack and guilty of stupid individual mistakes in defence. We played well in patches and 3-0 was harsh but we could have played all night and not scored. When Barry got sent off I thought it might at least set us up for a late siege on their goal but within about a minute we'd got caught on the break, given a penalty away and it was game over. Have no idea how we could even get caught out like that because we never seemed to have anyone other than Carroll in their box so God knows what some playerswere doing. I'd been looking forward to this game all day and while I wasn't confident of a win at the very least I thought we'd give City a really good game but when something goes wrong for us everything seems to go wrong for us and after hearing the club wasn't going to bother appealing the Suarez ban I fully expected a tame defeat to round off a shit day and the team didn't disappoint.

[Pool518]

pathetic from the team, pathetic decision regarding Suarez from the club..Disappointed in the club

[razor]

Laughable, cowardly performance after a laughable, cowardly club statement. The symmetry is frightening.

 

I have to say that the word I was thinking during that second half was 'cowardly', and most of my ire was directed at Downing.

 

I was a strong advocate of Downing: having seen him play so well against us in the past I really thought he would turn us up a notch. In the first half, again he was playing 'well' - certainly better than some of the stick from here would suggest he has been. I also think his last two games have been his best, and he was starting to improve.

 

However, that second half he was utterly cowardly. Clichy is half the player he used to be and was there to be beaten. Downing refused to do it. With 5 mins to go Bellamy came over to the right and had a go at him at last.

 

We had the lion's share of possession, mainly because we outnumbered them in midfield. But we created so little in terms of genuine openings as a consequence of packing the midfield.

 

There was a point in the last 10 mins when there was ONE player in their box against FOUR of theirs waiting for a cross. Bellamy (who has been a positive) just hung around outside the box. WHEN will we (A) put balls into areas to attack (B) get players in positions to attack?

 

After the break, the momentum was lost, there was no fluency and we never looked like scoring.

 

Disappointing. Downing needs to assert himself. Carroll needs to get himself in positions to attack the ball.

 

 

PS Hades, the statement wasn't cowardly.

[piscinin]

I think that's broadly because Carroll is not a regular in the team, and we do adopt a markedly different style of play when he's in the team. We do have fluency when he ain't in there.

 

You're right of course, we are more fluent when he's out. But even then we are still nowhere close to where I expected us to be.

 

You can see downing, henderson, etc constantly stuttering and trying to work out what comes next. Contrast that with Suarez, Miereles, Maxi, Kuyt et al last season. They were on the same wavelength.

 

That just hasn't happened for the new crew. Henderson and Johnson should be telepathic by now for example, but they are far from it and TBH I haven't really seen any improvement in any of the other key partnerships.

 

No-one is on the same wavelength as Suarez for example.

[mike23]

The trouble seems to be that too many of our players are just too scared to try something. Downing just constantly picks the safe option. Henderson looks to be a player with potential but he really needs to start having some belief in himelf. There was one point in the 2nd half when he completely killed the momentum of an attack by playing a pointless pass back to a teammate at a gentle pace when there was a wide open space in front of him to move into. Too many of our players seem to think if they don't give the ball away they can't be blamed if a move breaks down.

[piscinin]

The trouble seems to be that too many of our players are just too scared to try something. Downing just constantly picks the safe option. Henderson looks to be a player with potential but he really needs to start having some belief in himelf. There was one point in the 2nd half when he completely killed the momentum of an attack by playing a pointless pass back to a teammate at a gentle pace when there was a wide open space in front of him to move into. Too many of our players seem to think if they don't give the ball away they can't be blamed if a move breaks down.

 

Yeah that is a problem too. A different one but just as much an issue. In my mind. Henderson=Lucas 3 years ago. So I'll cut him slack. Should he be playing full-time all the time? Probably not.

 

Downing=Riera. He's no match winner. He's neat and tidy will hold things together for someone else. Should we be relying on him being a match winner. Hell no. He's just an up and down the line winger. He needed to come into a team with a settled pattern of play IMO. To have him improvise his way into a team that is improvising it's way into an attacking strategy was always going to be tough for him.

 

But they've been thrown in the deep-end. IMO discarding Mierles, Kuyt and Maxi all at the same time without any kind of transition was always a risky way to go about things. And while it will probably pay off in the long-term, in the short-term it's horrible.

[buffaloboy]

Firstly we didn't lose 1-6 like another team I could mention and they are a very good team. Money has been no object for them for 3 years so you would expect them to be top quality. Yaya Toure is a beast of a centre midfielder and deserves special mention.

 

From my point of view as a Liverpool supporter I thought we played reasonably well but no cutting edge. We never made a good chance to score after Downing's early chance. Downing is very poor and it gives me no pleasure but I never rated him. My brother supports Villa and he told me that Downing is very ordinary. Today he seemed shit scared of playing for Liverpool. He wouldn't even put crosses in as though he was terrified of making a bad one. Right now I think Ryan Babel was a better left winger, he was inconsistent but had flashes of quality, Downing does not.

 

I wish we could have got Adam Johnson instead of Downing. When we signed Downing and I said that comment on a previous thread and a few people said I was talkng crap, that Downing was the better left winger. I don't think so. Johnson came on today and hit a great curling drive against the post. Downing couldn't even do that.

 

I love Kenny and I'm made up that he is our manager again but I remember him when he was manager the first time around. He bought some stinkers as well as some fantastic signings and Downing I fear is the 2011 Jimmy Carter.

[Tyler Durden]

I thought we'd struggle to break them down with no Suarez, Gerrard, Maxi or Bellamy starting - our four main goal threats this season.

 

Just hoped we could hold on and be 0-0 till when Gerrard and Bellamy came on.

 

This result won't define our season, we simply have to move on and focus on the next result we are still very capable of finishing top four, although I think we do need a striker better than Carroll to be totally confident of that happening.

 

I hate the idea of bringing players on to win the game, it's a nonsense for me because if your coming on to a team that is 2-0 down then your going to have to do something incredible to lift them, why not at least have maxi and Bellamy in then Gerrard as sub, baffle me at times some of these decisions.

 

The fact that maxi and Bellamy are treated like decrepit old men aswell, Maxi has been one of our biggest goal threats yet struggles like fuck to get a game apparently due to his 'old' age

[Guest LFD]

I love Kenny and I'm made up that he is our manager again but I remember him when he was manager the first time around. He bought some stinkers as well as some fantastic signings and Downing I fear is the 2011 Jimmy Carter.

 

All managers make good and bad signings.

 

Key is making more good than bad.

[Mathewbet1]

It was a poo day all round. a really really poo day.

[Newport]

I was underwhelmed by the team we put out and the performance wasn't any better, even though we dominated them at times. We were never going to get goals from that lineup and the one dimentional way we played made Kompany look like he was the world's best defender. He's not far off, but he had the ball handed to him most of the time tonight.

 

Though, if we were to lose only one more game this season this one was probably the one, for obvious reasons.

[Newport]

Btw, I wonder if the FA will fine City for failing to control their manager. What a fucking joke.

[Fowler laa!]

Anyone who says Andy Carrol is lazy is chatting out of their arse.

 

Im sick to death of football this season, more so than ever. There is so many things that has got right on my tits.

 

Andy Carrol was upfront on his own today, against two huge central defenders and a huge right back, there was a lack of support. It is totally unfair to use him as a scapegoat in this game, he worked his bollocks off and you can see what it meant to him. He played well tonight! Can you give me any clear chances that was put on a plate for him?

 

Now get off his fucking back and start supporting him. This is times when the club needs to pull together and show everyone we still have plenty to offer, there is still half a season left and plenty to play for. We have played all of our big games away now apart from the mancs, if you look at the fixture list over the coming months there is alot of fixtures where the top 5 sides play eachother, and then Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs still have to come to Anfield.

 

There is still a long way to go, alot of points to be won. Our defence is rock solid and brimming with confidence, even after tonights game, Chelsea and Arsenal will loose key players to the african cup of nations as will Spurs. We have yet to still go on a winning streak! Have abit of fuckin faith, and stop being so fickle, where still in the run in for 4th, in a semi finals and yet to begin the FA.

 

Giving arsy comments isnt going to help anyone. Especially at times like this when theres more off the field problems.

 

We just need to stick together.... We seen what happened when the atmosphere and support picked up at Newcastle, and when it didnt against Blacburn, Norwich and Swansea.

[Guest LFD]

Now get off his fucking back and start supporting him.

 

That won't happen (right or wrong), until he starts putting in some performances.

 

He is getting paid a big wages, he cost a big price (not his fault) and he has been very poor for nearly a year now.

 

The fans pay his wages and can rightly have a go if they don't think he is good enough or performing.

 

I think he is getting plenty of support during games from our fans, it is only on forums, phone ins etc where he is getting criticised, but in this day of age that is going to happen with all the scrutiny in the game.

 

Ngog got it, Torres is getting it at Chelsea etc. It is not a witchhunt against Carroll for no reason, until he performs he will get criticism and doubts about his ability or whether he is the right man.

[DooooodekNo5]

Yeah that is a problem too. A different one but just as much an issue. In my mind. Henderson=Lucas 3 years ago. So I'll cut him slack. Should he be playing full-time all the time? Probably not.

 

Downing=Riera. He's no match winner. He's neat and tidy will hold things together for someone else. Should we be relying on him being a match winner. Hell no. He's just an up and down the line winger. He needed to come into a team with a settled pattern of play IMO. To have him improvise his way into a team that is improvising it's way into an attacking strategy was always going to be tough for him.

 

But they've been thrown in the deep-end. IMO discarding Mierles, Kuyt and Maxi all at the same time without any kind of transition was always a risky way to go about things. And while it will probably pay off in the long-term, in the short-term it's horrible.

 

 

I have been thinking the exact same thing for the last month or so , i mentioned it on here somewhere to , he will be a very good player but thats not really to helpful to us now.

 

He does seem a bit of a pussy , he needs to toughen up and be more positive with the ball and in the tackle, i hope hes learning off Gerrard in training and games and taking it all in what it takes to be a world class footballer.

 

He has great instincts like top players have , when he hasn't got time to think he can do great things like that pass today , the shot against the

Mancs and that cross v stoke where Suarez scored for example , when he has time he takes the easy option way to much , thats what he needs to sort out.

[DooooodekNo5]

This is shocking from our £20 million International, attacking wide player:

 

 

 

 

Is that a piss take ? the sad thing is it wouldn't suprise me if its not.

 

The amount of times Downing is going up the gears down the wing only to stop when hes nearly at full pace to turn round and lay it back is infuriating , even when hes 1 on 1.

 

Its not like hes not capable and were all expecting to much from him , he has the talent and skills.

 

I wonder what the coaching staff are telling some of our players because they keep doing the same wrong things.

Edited January 4, 2012 by DooooodekNo5

[Fowler laa!]

That won't happen (right or wrong), until he starts putting in some performances.

 

He is getting paid a big wages, he cost a big price (not his fault) and he has been very poor for nearly a year now.

 

The fans pay his wages and can rightly have a go if they don't think he is good enough or performing.

 

I think he is getting plenty of support during games from our fans, it is only on forums, phone ins etc where he is getting criticised, but in this day of age that is going to happen with all the scrutiny in the game.

 

Ngog got it, Torres is getting it at Chelsea etc. It is not a witchhunt against Carroll for no reason, until he performs he will get criticism and doubts about his ability or whether he is the right man.

 

The moans and groans are also notable from the stands aswell.

 

You seen what he can bring when we had someone who could actually deliver a cross into the box against Newcastle. Them type of crosses are bread and butter for him and is something he can thrive on. I also beleive he can help Gerrard excel by bringing him into the game by holding the ball up.

 

I still dont think we have played to his strengths yet, only Newcastle in the second half was when we showed he could actually be the player he was at Newcastle.

 

He is getting the ball in the wrong areas, coming deep e.t.c When he is in the box there is no support arround him to get his knock downs.

 

He is most dangerous when he is lurking in the box, its the type of striker he is.

 

I understand people are entitled to their opinions, but im sure their opinions would soon change if he started scoring. I backed Lucas from day one, a young brazilian kid with huge potential playing in the best league in the world, being ridiculed... it was shocking treatment. Now fans will praise him to the heavens.

 

Andy Carrol has signed with a huge fee on his head, and the media are out to get him when things go wrong, the pressure on his shoulders is huge, especially only being what 22? Its going to take time. But it doesnt help when we dont play to his strengths. I really do feel optimistic Gerrad can help him settle into life at Anfield.

 

The support from fans will help along the way, dont get me wrong constructive criticism is welcome, but ridiculing and slagging him off is uncalled for.

[Redshadow]

Think tonight we had a typical old school 'Liverpool' (Circa Gerard Houllier) Job done On us. i.e. They sit back & defend, counter attack & score with Every fucking chance (3 with 1 more hits the post) while we? Piss the possession stats & do Fuck All to make it count. Reminded me of when We battered Them 0-3 there or at Their place anyhow back in 2002 when they were under Kevin Keegan & Owen Scored a hattrick. We had a defense that was strong, a diligent, strong-tackling midfield & a couple of Razor sharp players up front like Owen, a Young Gerrard & even Danny Murphy (such weird times but he scored Loads of goals that season.....). Anyway How the worm has turned. I think City just did to us what Blackburn, Norwich, Swansea, Sunderland, United & all the other smaller clubs did - Difference being They are the One side in the league with the quality to make their breaks count. To Make such possession count in future? We now need to up it a few more Levels & get our Own Agueros/Dzeko's/Balotelli's upfront.

 

For now? Getting Carroll to watch videos of Alan Shearer, Edin Dzeko, Even Peter Crouch & Jan Koller - Along with various other 'big man' strikers at their best would be a good start. Getting Gerrard, Maxi & Bellamy On the fucking pitch to supply him (he looks a different player with That level of quality supplying him) would be a second & teaching Downing that if he retreats One bloody inch when facing a Full back in future? He'll face the Firing Squad (quite literally!!!) Would be the Third if you ask me to start with anyway - Baby Steps & all that...........

 

Oh & re' all those moaning today about the performance/result etc? Take heed of This little gem from another Forum.

 

 

" "If you can't support us when we lose or draw, don't support us when we win."

 

Recognise that?

 

If so, understand what it MEANS!

 

If not, sod off and whinge on another forum.

 

Here endeth the lesson."

 

Says it All in a nutshell. Read & absorb all those who spent the last month just Waiting for a chance to whinge & at least recognise that by this time a Year ago? We'd lost 3 More games than we have by now in the league (7 if I'm not mistaken). The improvement when you look at it like That? Is unmistakeable & Shall continue over time - What do you think Ferguson & his FA Allies are So frightened of? Come on, Think about it - It makes Clear sense if you put the jigsaw together - Frightening sense but sense none the less. Now? We just need to get on with our inevitable rise & ensuring it continues. And whatever the FA might do? Continue? That rise most certainly Will until? Well, we'll All see soon enough. Time is all we need & we've plenty of that....................