Man city 3rd Jan

[therevivalist]

On those rare occasions this squad flatters to deceive; but essentially we're a midtable side...no more no less. Ok maybe a cut above middle. At the end of the day, the question remains, how much have we improved vis-a-vis the resources invested?

[AdamD]

We didn't play that and against a very good and well organised side. What will piss off Kenny and co is that we didn't make Citeh work for their goals. If Silva had danced passed a couple and slotted or hit one from 25 yards then sometimes you have to hold your hand up. Tonight we made it too easy for Citeh at both ends.

[stringvest]

 

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

 

Maxi is. As Gerard will eventually prove to be, if Suarez hasn't been shipped out.

[christhered]

Gutless 2nd half performance from Liverpool, no one willing to take responsibilty, it was almost as if they were going through the motions till Gerrard and Bellamy came on.

 

I didnt want to sign anyone in January as I wanted the players that Kenny signed to stand up and be counted, last night proved that is not going to happen. Terrible from Dalglish in all honestly and what the fuck is his problem with Maxi.

[waddy78]

Maxi should start instead of Kuyt every week and Bellemy should start instead of Downing every week (i know he has problems with his knee's though so might not be possible)but at the moment it say's alot about our squad when i'd rather have 2 free transfers starting ahead of £30m worth of signings supposed "Big player" aren't performing, rightly Carra isn't starting because of Agger/Skrtels form but that at the moment seems to be the only area this rules being applied,on form the two above ive mentioned should be starting aswell and Adam should be on the bench now that Gerrard is coming back to fitness.The movement at the end of last season was excellent Maxi,Kuyt,Suarez,merellies all seemed to interchange with each other now Kuyt,Downing,Adam dont seem to be on the same planet let alone wavelength to get the best out of Carroll until we get a new striker or until Suarez is back might be to plat Gerrard on the right for now he is the only one ive seen put in a ball that Carroll looks like winning or even scoring from which is sad considering Downing cost £20m and cant do that.

[silverlining]

Gutless 2nd half performance from Liverpool, no one willing to take responsibilty, it was almost as if they were going through the motions till Gerrard and Bellamy came on.

 

I didnt want to sign anyone in January as I wanted the players that Kenny signed to stand up and be counted, last night proved that is not going to happen. Terrible from Dalglish in all honestly and what the fuck is his problem with Maxi.

 

Taking responsibility is what good players do. Adam was the only one on the pitch who can, and he's having a poor spell

 

Henderson and Downing never will, because they're spineless

 

It was a pretty poor showing from our new signings, Enrique excepted - over 80m quid invested in Carroll, Ready-salted, Adam and Downing and they all looked really ordinary

 

Very disappointing and proof that we have plenty of players who can shuttle the ball about harmlessly and look busy, but don't do anything else

[Major Tom]

 

Very disappointing and proof that we have plenty of players who can shuttle the ball about harmlessly and look busy, but don't do anything else

 

Yep.

[Fallen Angel]

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?

 

Chances were not put on a plate for him as he is strolling around 20/ 20+ yards away from the goal when the ball is getting crossed in. His positional sense in devastatingly poor, never attacking the space in the box and making himself available. Additionally, he has been in the pocket of every Centre-half he has come up against in pretty much every game he has played. Weak in the air, clumsy on the deck, no pace and no positional sense.

[christhered]

Taking responsibility is what good players do. Adam was the only one on the pitch who can, and he's having a poor spell

 

Henderson and Downing never will, because they're spineless

 

It was a pretty poor showing from our new signings, Enrique excepted - over 80m quid invested in Carroll, Ready-salted, Adam and Downing and they all looked really ordinary

 

Very disappointing and proof that we have plenty of players who can shuttle the ball about harmlessly and look busy, but don't do anything else

 

Im willing to give Henderson time, he was fucked about at the start of the season with Kenny seemingly playing him out of the sheer fact that he spent so much money on him, I feel with the tuition of playing aside Gerrard and Lucas he will grow into a good centre midfielder.

 

At this point though Shelvey should be given a spot ahead of him as our attacking midfielder, then again he cost us very little so Dalglish feels no need to play him.

 

Our worst fears have come to the front with Downing, he is turning out to what we already knew about him, apart from Dalglish of course, who according to his buddies kept his eyes and ears firmly on Englsih football, aye fucking right, 20 million on that cunt?

 

Yeah ive committed sacrilege in having a go at Kenny but his first six months despite some good results and decent play, have not been good enough.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

 

Andy Carrol was upfront on his own today, against two huge central defenders and a huge right back

 

Yet he got beaten in the air by Clichy. That's a nightmare to watch.

[xerxes]

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?

 

I agree with you that not shining, away, to Man City is not a hanging crime.

 

Where I disagree with you is that when you pay the eighth highest transfer fee (or thereabouts) in the history of World football for a player, you expect him, as a forward, to be able to shine without "any clear chances that was put on a plate for him?"

[fowler9]

starting without any of Stevie,Maxi and Bellamy was fucking suicide and meant we needed a clean sheet to get anything, the best attacking player in starting line up was our right back ffs

 

Kuyt and Carroll are like playing with 9 men at the moment

[zico]

Hendersons at least worked hard this evening and done well.

 

He needs to learn how to tackle for a start.... How you can be a midfielder in the PL and now know how to tackle is beyond me... Of course it does not help that Adam is like a headless chicken in terms of defensive positioning, in addition to taking breathers all the time, which makes him very slow at closing down opponents...

 

Spearing was miles ahead of these two in the first half....

[zico]

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.

 

Last year he played intelligent footballers like Maxi and Meireles who knows that by getting into the box they will be in a position to score... Henderson and Adam are usually stuck watching from 30 yards out when a cross is put into the box.

 

Some serious questions need to be asked about our transfer business in the summer! Responsible parties for Henderson ,Adam, Carroll and Downing should have diminished authority (75 mill wasted), whilst responsible parties for Suarez, Bellamy and Enrique should get increased responsibility....

 

Fuck this buying British shit right off, we need the best full stop.....

Edited January 4, 2012 by zico

[zico]

We scored loads last year because we flooded the box with players, the year there is usually one or two at the most (when Maxi plays). Henderson and Adam does not look like they want to score at all... And how the f*** can Carroll expect to be successful when he has nobody around him to knock down balls to, or at least draw defenders away from him?

 

Johnson has lost two duels now in consecutive games that has cost us, he's a liability defensively...

 

As I see it we are 2 central midfielders, 1 striker, 1 play maker and 2 wingers away from competing for top spot... Some of the players we have and have bought recently just don't make the cut!

[Major Tom]

Johnson has lost two duels now in consecutive games that has cost us, he's a liability defensively...

 

Which two?

[dlfc]

I don't think it was all bad last night. We had plenty of possession which is good but we did nothing with it which is not.

 

I thought we played pretty well in midfield up until we got to the box and that's the problem we have. Carroll was often the only Liverpool player in the box. Where are our midfielders who should be supporting the attack? Sitting on the edge of the fucking box passing backwards and forwards that's where. How often did our midfielders attack their backs in their box? Only after Gerrard came on did we see some penetration but trying to close pass through a massed defence is not easy.

 

We had some bad luck with Pepe not having one of his best nights and Hart doing a fairly respectable imitation of a decent keeper. The penalty was a bit soft but wtf did we give the ball away so cheaply in the first place?

 

We're going to miss Luis as he's the one that does the magic in and around the box. He's the one that creates the chances.

 

I'm amazed we actually managed so many shots. It's a pity they were mostly ineffective.

 

Roll on Oldham.......... :eek:

[xerxes]

We scored loads last year because we flooded the box with players, the year there is usually one or two at the most (when Maxi plays). Henderson and Adam does not look like they want to score at all... And how the f*** can Carroll expect to be successful when he has nobody around him to knock down balls to, or at least draw defenders away from him?

 

Johnson has lost two duels now in consecutive games that has cost us, he's a liability defensively...

 

As I see it we are 2 central midfielders, 1 striker, 1 play maker and 2 wingers away from competing for top spot... Some of the players we have and have bought recently just don't make the cut!

 

All fair points.

 

We are good at the moment- but not quite good enough.

[Hooch]

Last night just emphasises our need for a forward with some pace who can run the channels and, importantly score fucking goals.

 

The sooner we dump Carroll the better, he's shite in the air which is supposedly his strong point, and offers absolutely nil on the deck.

It's like playing with 10 men with him it really is.

 

As others have said, we can knock the ball around nice and crisply for 1000 minutes, but the cutting edge and attacking thrust isn't there, it isn't even in the squad, we need to sign someone.

[Philbert]

Chances were not put on a plate for him as he is strolling around 20/ 20+ yards away from the goal when the ball is getting crossed in. His positional sense in devastatingly poor, never attacking the space in the box and making himself available. Additionally, he has been in the pocket of every Centre-half he has come up against in pretty much every game he has played. Weak in the air, clumsy on the deck, no pace and no positional sense.

 

Otherwise OK?

[clangers]

All fair points.

 

We are good at the moment- but not quite good enough.

 

We're not good at the moment, it just appears so relative to last season, Roy's reign is now the standard by which we judge ourselves.

 

Two season ago we sacked a manager for finishing 7th and like him or loathe him he didn't have £120 million of disposable income over 12 months to blow.

 

We are where we are because of some incredibly poor English centric transfer activity.

[s(k)aturation]

We're not good at the moment, it just appears so relative to last season, Roy's reign is now the standard by which we judge ourselves.

 

Two season ago we sacked a manager for finishing 7th and like him or loathe him he didn't have £120 million of disposable income over 12 months to blow.

 

We are where we are because of some incredibly poor English centric transfer activity.

 

That being: 3 points/goal difference away from a Champions League spot with 18 games to play.

 

Sacking offence?

[thompsonsnose]

I vote we bin Downing and move Jonson to RM, with Kelly coming in at RB.

I know our settled defence is pretty much all we can cling to right now, but

Downings timid displays are gut wrenching.

He will not cross the fucking ball.

 

That stat chart was completely damning. Virtually NO forward passes.

 

Unless we buy a striker we have NO option other than to persevere with Carroll and hope for better service to him.

Even though he really does appear to be unrecogniseable from his Newcastle performances.

 

Time to get Shelvey and Spearing in the middle too.

 

Downing and Adam were never the players to get LFC back where they belong.

And Kuyt should never play in the Prem again. Sorry Dirk, you are past it mate.

 

Henderson, who knows, he might be ok, but appears a bit powder puff right now.

Difficult days for sure.

[Delmar]

That being: 3 points/goal difference away from a Champions League spot with 18 games to play.

 

Sacking offence?

 

Of course not. But it is likely that either Arsenal or Chelsea will go on a winning run, which we must do, as well, the way we're going will get us 64 points, which will not be enough for fourth.

 

We had the chance in December with "easy" matches, did not take it, the next three PL games are not the most difficult, either. We need wins right now.

[piscinin]

Maxi is. As Gerard will eventually prove to be, if Suarez hasn't been shipped out.

 

Yeah it's true maxi does have a kuytesque understanding with Suarez. :whistle:

 

And to be fair a couple of times there was a burgeoning understanding between the disappointing adam and Downing early on. He was getting the ball out to Downing early and in space. But then downing and enrique were tripping over each other and we tweaked things tactically and it hasn't been the same since.

 

You can't help but wonder, ironically, if a few of these guys need a bit of a benitez straitjacket to help them find their way!