TWO dropped.
Two dropped. Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise. The equaliser is a magnificent strike from a player whose underrated ability and commitment to the cause means he deserves a moment to dine out on. This is that moment. But that moment doesn’t mean Everton deserved a point. However nor does it mean Liverpool quite deserved all three. For too long in the football match only a worldie looked like hitting the net for Everton. For almost as long in the football match despite Liverpool’s dominance you felt they needed the same to open the scoring.
I watched on Danish television while in Turkey. The world is a small place. Bet365 in Denmark has Samuel L Jackson speaking English. Imagine the market research which suggests we are more beguiled by Ray Winstone. Imagine how south east orientated it is. Winstone is what THE LADS like. They brought me my own beer tap filled with Efes. I needed all of it to get through that realisation alone.
Let me let you into a secret – I like being away for the derby. This is accident but it is mostly happy accident. Fifteen seconds in Brockle points out they’ve hit Sterling twice. A minute in, she tells me Tim Howard looks like a hairy banana. Happy accident indeed.
Both sides started better than their recent form but only Liverpool really carried it through. Gareth Barry stayed on the pitch due to context – and fair play to him for exploiting context – and pulled whatever strings he could but Everton never got going. On eight there was the penalty shout. I’d have given it. But then I support Liverpool. Had I been neutral I would have done as my refereeing namesake did. If it doesn’t hit his upper arm it looks to hit his face.
Get on it: First half Liverpool run the show. First half Liverpool lash too many crosses into the box.
The crosses I have issue with come from further than fifteen yards from the byline. Crossing is beguiling. So many feel like they are just about to be perfect. Do it again. That last one, that was just unlucky. Skrtel just before half time. Unlucky. It’ll come. Keep hitting that big one. It’ll come. It’ll come.
It rarely comes.
Get on it: First half Liverpool run the show. First half Liverpool have too many shots from distance.
Loads of them. Four or five at least. This, unlike the distant crossing, continues in the second forty five. If you don’t buy a ticket you can’t win the raffle. And the eventual equaliser is proof of that. And yet if you merely keep working you improve the odds, change the game. Moreno’s effort on twenty two made me have Yon Reece flashbacks and, well, I’m on my holidays here. No need.
First half though Liverpool interchanged well, were brighter and sharper than recent weeks and exposed the unlikely Hibbert time and again, forcing McCarthy into covering him as a full time job. Henderson particularly looked brighter whereas Markovic looked again like a man for whom everything had come as an almighty shock. Baines should have done better when he surprised him halfway through the first half, Lovren did well though his initial header could have been better.
Second half Everton started brighter but looked blunt. McCarthy, plugging holes everywhere, does well when Markovic breaks. Balotelli while working hard was too casual in a load of his touches and a long, accurate ball from Gerrard to Manquillo inside the box tells an entire story. It’s a good ball, but Manquillo can’t do much with it. It is straightish and forces play and technically good but ultimately fruitless. Watch it over and again. It is, as a bit of play, far more eloquent than this or any discussion of the match. Little about it is wrong butbit leads to nothing right.
It doesn’t directly matter though because Steven Gerrard is about to do the business. Ste Gerrard. Ste Gerrard. Ste Gerrard. He’ll be making Evertonians eat their own, unique livers when he is 53. And it is why you have him on the pitch as much as you can. His set pieces all day were good – Lallana unlucky not to score – but that is a belter.
Get on it: Brendan Rodgers’s Liverpool make almost nothing happen for twenty odd minutes.
Yes, Lukaku should at the very least work Mignolet, and yes Balotelli should win the game for Liverpool – from a cross which is why it needs to be said, crossing too much is a problem, not crossing full stop – but after then, very little of note happens in the game.
Through the game Liverpool have had enough half, three quarter and clear chances to be three up. But they aren’t three up. They are one and they do a good job of seeing it out and it takes a worldie from the Evertonian captain to create this ball in the pit of my stomach which no amount of Efes can dislodge. The question is, should you take the one or do you push on? At that stage of the game?
We can do arguments either way. We can point out the manager only made the one change, yet none of us would have man marked Jagleika with someone off the bench. Nor encouraged the closing down. Centre backs swinging a foot from thirty yards? All day, lad. All day. Oh.
My thing is: Today, more than West Ham, more than Villa, we appeared to miss Sturridge or Suarez. In those games Liverpool couldn’t get themselves playing through midfield. Today they could. They did. They were mostly good. What they needed was the force which says: HEY YOU. Which says: Do this, here, now. This isn’t to criticise anyone; Markovic aside every red shirt played well. Instead it speaks of a side good but still slightly out of focus.
That focus, that clarity in the final third needs to come soon. A season can’t slip away looking for it.
That’s what burns me up tonight in Turkey. What means the derby hideaway isn’t what it should be. What means this ball in the pit of my stomach I’ll be eating and drinking all night to dislodge won’t go anywhere. A season can’t slip away looking for focus. We can’t afford it or allow it.
Two dropped. But while they have one more than they deserve, I can’t – hand on stomach – say for certain we have two points too few.
It’s all the crosses I don’t get.
We didn’t cross really last year, we ran into the box – everyone ran into the box and every defence Sh*t itself when we did.
Then we would get a penalty, as the defenders didn’t know how to deal with us, or the ball would be crossed from INSIDE the box and / or deflect to a Liverpool player – and we would score – 100 goals!
Ok, I am talking about Suarez a lot, but there’s nothing to stop Sterling, Markovic, Lallana, Moreno, Henderson ………..running into the box, rather than supplying under / over hit crosses to no-one in particular that Yard Dog defences practice getting rid of every day in training
Most worrying thing about today for me is how it will affect our confidence
Rodgers looking more and more like he’s out of his depth. One season wonder material. Fluked a brilliant attacking side against his philosophy but pragmatic enough to accept it. Did a Spurs by buying too many mid-table players, and now taking the side back into mid-table mediocrity. Plenty of time to fix the problem, but is he capable? Ten quid says he’s not here this time next year.
Utds playing now Paul, shouldn’t you be watching?
I’ll take that bet all day Paul, coz you sir, with all due respect, are talking shite. Pure shite.
well, BRs hanging his hat on players like Lovren who’s a walking disaster and Markovic even though he’s not ready.
Agger’s been pushed out, Suso doesn’t get a game even when Sterling is totally burnt and over played. All he wants is regular time to sign a contract. BR is going to lose him and he looks like the next David Silva.
BR was this stubborn before he went to Swansea – where the team already played a sound defensive style thanks to Martinez and Sousa (who we play in Basel!). He got sacked. Quickly.
Being a manager is simple. If you let too many good players escape and trust in too many sub standard players, you will lose your job. It’s only a matter of time.
annoyed, very annoyed. That’s the worst Everton performance for a long while. Say what you like but 1-0 is enough to win any game of football. They walk away thinking how the fuck did we get away with this? They were a disgrace, they never came to play but once again the final whistle was just a couple of minutes too late. Not for the first time this season…..
We seem like we’re still finding our way. There’s a hesitancy still which is understandable with new players, less instinctual than last season more methodical. Let’s hope we find that happy place over the next few weeks. Effort was there for me today, need a few results soon to instil some belief and get the season going .
Interesting to see Glasses (I’ll give him a capital ‘G’ today) commenting on rival online betting companies……. As if every Liverpool high street hasn’t got enough bookies, Glasses and his illuminati pals ensure the Liverpool online high street is just as proliferated with the disease.
Why don’t you lot promote the recent news that the Liverpool sperm bank is offering £25 a shot. That old sock under your bed, Glasses must be worth £9k !
LFC tough to watch these days but I’m sure that when we click….There wont be many teams that could stop us.
We simply won’t have to rebuild the squad as much as this year for maybe the next 5 years
#teethingpains
..Oh. ..and we’re effectively playing with 10 men while Balotelli is around.
Not good enough. Simple.
He ran around more, etc. But so does a clock work mouse, and they don’t score either.
Buying mario and lambert makes no sense in this team built for fast counter attacks, mario slows everything down and doesn’t run in behind, lost the ball a lot today and never seemed to be on his toes in the box, so many crosses went near post and he never got across the front of his man once, cross has to be on his toe or hes not scoring, and even then…..
Came away from Anfield feeling frustrated, they were made up stealing a point. They celebrated like they’d won the cup (but when they wake up in the morning, it’ll still be 19 years and counting). As for LFC, looking better each game in terms of Lallana gelling, linking well with Sterling, there’s more fluidity and still have players to come back, but it’s all a little too slow. Mario is an anathema to the Rodgers way of playing. Too slow, drops too deep or too wide and this takes pressure off defences. Need Sturridge back asap and he needs to stay fit and out of the clutches of Hodgson.
It’s not a crisis by any means, but without a forward line with pace and movement, we will struggle, particularly if we can’t keep a clean sheet (AGAIN!!)
More chance of seeing clean sheets on Tiger Woods bed !
In future at Anfield , facing defensive blocks . surely we need to use a “diamond” and play two strikers…and the two strikers need to play in and around the opposition’s box. If you use one striker and hope to support him from midfield then that striker would need to be special…..special enough to occupy one or two defenders. Suarez was special and he could do it. Sturridge has proven he can’t do it ….good player though he is. Balotelli certainly can’t do it. Nowhere near good enough….short in skills and in mentality.
Today Rodgers ( knowing that Lambert remains well short of match sharpness and Borini is…..well……Borini …headless chicken etc etc…. ) arguably had to play one striker and trust that Sterling Lallana and Markovic would also provide a goal threat in and around the box. But it didn’t happen. Granted Lallana is improving as his match sharpness improves but Sterling made too many mistakes and looks tired….and desperately needs a rest . While Markovic is proving a massive disappointment. I knew little about the lad before his arrival but many people who did, rated him highly. Very quick and skilful. We’ve seen nothing from him todate. Looks a tad heavy and takes no responsibility around the box.
Two points needlessly dropped today. Everton were poor and were there for the taking.
Sterling should have played up top with Balotelli today. We’re too static with Balo on his own.
Far too reliant on Sterling and Sturridge this season: one a boy, one injury prone. We’ll struggle this season if one or both are out for significant periods.
Lallana has good feet but boy is he slow. Let’s hope he isn’t another Jamie Redknapp.
We need to qualify for the Champions League this season, anything more is a bonus. Anything less is a failure.
Sterling being overplay… his passing has been a little sloppy. I do think things are coming together but we need to start collecting 3 points in games. Mario playing a little within in himself… could be trying to keep himself in control! Markovic struggling a little but he has class, needs time and Lallana is showing why he has a price tag.
The extent to which we go in at half time out of sight if Sturridge isn’t injured is absurd. Got away with the lack of clinical finishing against Ludogrets (just about). Not so today.
Why the fuck is it acceptable for the star center forward of a massive club to be handled so clumsily by an England set up no one’s even remotely arsed about, with Him sat in the stands next to Dalglish and Rush? The national side may as well have been abolished when the manager had that World Cup and wasn’t sacked. It’s blatantly obvious they’re not interested in being any good at football and yet we really, really are and our seasons turning out to be not what it could/should be because of them. It’s like Spain with Torres all over again.
We’ll be lucky to finish 5th.
Someone at the end of the season is going to have to own up to the major fuck ups in the transfer market.
We’ve bought good players but completely the opposite type of player to what we need. Pound for pound Balo is probably better than Remy but fuck me I’d give my right bollock to have Remy instead of Balotelli.
Don’t get me started on Lambert. Genuinely believe you could any striker in British football from any league and they’d have done better than he has to date. At least you can see Mario has ability. But this is the wrong team for him.
Not sure who signed him, whether it was Rodgers or the oft-discussed The Transfer Committee. Hope it was TTC because if Brendan wanted him and Lambert then serious questions do need to be asked about his thinking and if indeed last year was a fluke.
And disparage the fuck out of me all you want about that last sentence. You are allowed to have the ability to question the manager and still love LFC dearly. None of this “you must support Utd” bollocks.
Rodgers has always wanted possession football – he spoke about it umpteen times immediately after his appointment and throughout his first 15-18 months in charge. Then he stumbled upon a fast free flowing mad counter attacking machine last year as he had to find a way to put Suarez and Sturridge into the same team. And no-one turned round and thought “hold on, this isnt what the manager’s philosophy is all about” because we were too busy celebrating goal after goal.
Now the madness has stopped and we have no Suarez. We’ve signed two strikers that are patently not suited to what we were last season. Hence the identity crisis, hence the lack of goals, hence the lack of results and hence the questions. The valid fucking questions.
No, there’s a good reason why we didn’t sign Remy although it might never come out. Ballo clearly struggles on his own but I reckon there’s a good partnership with Sturridge waiting to emerge using a diamond with Sterling at the head. Lambert’s clearly struggling though but I just don’t see how he’s regressed overnight. He needs a run of games but he won’t get them here short of an injury crisis.
Are you saying you know the reason?
You don’t think there was a reason then? I’m not ITK but I do know there was a good one, but it hardly matters now does it?
I reckon Brendan wants options in terms of systems and personnel. So Lallana gets a game wide or centrally when Raheem’s rested.
Yeah definitely mate. There was obviously a reason. The reason i asked was because you insinuated you know what it is. I’d love to know. I’ve heard the obvious ones about the heart and knee but it’s just Twitter talk. I think I’d rather know what happened to the Remy deal more than what happened to Lord Lucan. I find it intriguing. I’ll give you my email, you can email me the reason, lol.
If Sterling plays at the tip how does Lallana get a game? Is he industrious enough to play on the left of a diamond? We have signed players more comfortable in a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 despite the diamond suiting the current playing staff. I’m confident Brendan will get it right, but our thinking does seem muddled.
The big question is, then, is Loic Remy the new Frank Worthington?
All true. Given Brendan’s comments about Mario I’d say he was clearly a committee signing having failed to sign a top striker earlier in the window: a panic buy.
If the game finishes on 90 mins then we’re all on here saying how much better we looked. How the defence did well with the little they had to deal with. How the new players are starting to find their feet. How our tempo, at times, was similar to last season. I remember the feeling on 90 mins – how I’d earlier thought the Derby had come at the wrong time for us but actually it had proved to be perfect and could kick start our season. West Brom and Hull at home. QPR and Newcastle away. More points to be had followed by a rise up the table. Things seemed far better than last week.
Then the goal. I’m always harsh when it comes to Liverpool conceding. I always want a scapegoat. Truth is, there’s nothing you can do about that. 9 times out of 10 and it’s greeted with a cheers from the Kop. It was just unfortunate but as a result we get this. If Sturridge had been playing then I’d be more worried. But he wasn’t and we’re gonna be alright next week. Mario showed enough today for me to be excited about him and Sturridge linking up. I don’t really understand the criticism I’ve seen about him today. He’s not someone who plays on his own up front. Last week Lallana was a waste of money (despite the fact he’d looked ok in parts). This week he looks good. Same with Gerrard. I took his celebration as ‘what was that ya knobheads’. P.s I said he can’t play alongside Lucas which I stand by. Markovic is wank tonight. This is a young lad that displayed so much potential Liverpool decided to snap him up before he was ready, to make sure he was at our club when his time comes. This time last year Sterling didn’t have a future at Liverpool. Gets thrown off the ball too easily (me). No end product (me again). Now look how embarrassing those comments are. The exact opposite is true.
I saw enough today to be pleased with. Henderson and Lallana did well especially. Their goal was an absolute sucker punch. Horrible moment and a horrible feeling. It’s that feeling that’s lingering today. Had it been the feeling a minute earlier then everything would have felt different tonight. You can say the game should have been over by then and it’s valid but I was told Howard got a hand to Mario’s effort. 1-0 was enough though. It just turned out it wasn’t. Fine lines. Nothing we could do about it. Take a deep breath. We’ll be in a much better place prior to the Chelsea game.
Enjoy your holiday Neil. I’d guess you deserve / need a break.
Spot on.
Absolutely 100% spot on robin. Most measured, reasonable and accurate response that I’ve read so far. The negativity over what was a good performance of a team beginning to gel is ridiculous. Lallana was excellent – he’s going to be a very important player for us. Fantastic feet. Markovic worked hard, I’ll give the lad that. Still young, still learning, still settling. We’ll be fine.
Agreed. Pretty much what I wrote elsewhere. Can’t do anything about a Jagielka thunderbastard in the 92nd minute. 9 out of 10 times that flies into the kop. Much better performance today though as noted above we’re overly reliant on Sterling and Sturridge.
As you know Robin I disagree with you on the goal.
Lovren clears to the centre of the pitch not 30 yards out. That’s asking for trouble. But then that’s lovren, he asks for trouble every game.
Sakho just doesn’t get why he’s out of the squad and Lovren’s playing when he continually gives goals away. I agree with him. Leaving to watch the game on your own is the polite thing to do.
BR is costing us this season with his work at the back. That’s before we get to the other issues.
I don’t need to say anything as Stubbs summed it up on my behalf.
Balo work rate is awful and you can’t play pressing football high intensity with that attitude .
Liverpool don’t win unless they win. A good performance will be overlooked because of a magical last minute strike. This (bar Spurs) was the best performance from our first 11 in almost a month, yet there are people out there who continue to undermine us. These past 4 performances, select portions of our fanbase have been slating the team AND manager for a variety of issues. Starting with formations (4-2-3-1 vs 4-3-3 vs WHY THE F*** DOESN’T HE PLAY THE DIAMOND) to the defenders, GK, midfield, Gerrard and pretty much everything as a whole. Some criticism, granted, is warranted after some of the poor performances and results over the preceding few weeks but WHERE IS OUR PERSPECTIVE?
Why does context fly out the window when an opposing CB takes the best shot of his life, scores an incredible goal, and undeservedly robs us of two points in a match that we largely dominated from start to finish.
Why are some wolves baying for Rodgers to be sacked, Gerrard to be dropped? Are you F***** KIDDING ME? I agree that Rodgers cannot take full credit for our results last year, as any team with Suarez (and Sturridge) firing on all cylinders will undoubtedly be incredibly prolific, but this is a manager that has coached the best out of the above named players. I didn’t see Suarez lighting up the EPL the season before, or the one before that. In fact, he was better known for his “off-the-ball” antics than for the absolute terror he inflicted on opposing defences. BR definitely deserves the credit for setting the team up in a way that maximizes the most out of his players, and THAT IMO is the reason we did so well last season. BR MANAGED THE TEAM. That’s what a manager does.
And Gerrard.. He has not been playing well. Fatigue probably plays a big role in that, but today he showed us why he gets a starting spot. He’s not just handed it because he’s Stevie-G. He knows he has to earn it, and today he did.
Others calling Balo useless and Markovic a failure? Where was the time when players (especially YOUNG, FOREIGN imports) were given time to settle into the team and adjust to a new life with new systems, formations, players, etc, etc etc. Fine, Balo has played in the EPL before, but although he has struggled to get on the scoresheet and his decision making needs some work, he worked his socks off today. He pressed, he harried, he tackled, he had shots. Just the final product was lacking. Time will tell if he will be a success here, but until then he deserves our full support. Criticism = Thats ok, but social media has made us rather brave in the way we express ourselves these days, and unfortunately our players suffer abuse on twitter/facebook that is UN-warranted and frankly rather embarrassing.
We have been demanding an improvement from the team. All of us have. We had our hopes and expectations raised last season, and now we live in mortal fear, EVERY.. SINGLE.. DAY.. that it was a fluke. That Suarez was the reason. That ManU had a poor season, and now that they have spent 150 million on world class players, they will take back their top 4 spot.
Today the team gave us the improvement we wanted. Higher tempo, intensity, passing, movement. CHANCES. Oh, how we were comparing stats on the “chances created per game” this season to that of last season. Today the team gave us chances. The team is finding it’s rhythm and cohesion. Our stand-out performer today, Lallana, shows us just how important a good pre-season is. Frankly, I still don’t know if we will hit the heights of last season. I’m scared we won’t. Arsenal/ManU/ManCity/Chelsea have financial firepower that we don’t have. When we dropped out of the top 4, 5 years ago we could do very little about correcting that the following season. ManU, have now spent RIDICULOUS amounts of money to try and get back in. But what I do know is, that I think we will all have had a very different past 2 weeks if;
Lallana/Markovic had a proper pre-season: Essentially our replacements for Allen/Sturridge, new players to the team. They needed that time to bed-in. Learns tactics. Get fit. Instead they spent it on the treatment table. The moment they became available…
Sturridge/Allen get injured: BR himself emphasized how important it was to have players who know how he plays. Yes, he buys players that suit his “style” but you need a good core. That was why be bought Allen and obviously rates him highly. Allen is part of our core midfield. Sturridge was one of two strikers we had last season (Aspas, who?). He’s out, obviously. But he’s the ONLY striker in Liverpool who knows exactly what BR wants from his forwards game in-game out. Who is our replacement? Balo. Clearly a gifted player, but also cut from a very different mold. As I said, the verdict is still out as to whether he will fit out style. But he was signed near deadline day, SO as with Lallana/Markovic, missed a pre-season for him to get to know his team and tactics.
Coutinho/Henderson/Gerrard were playing close to what they are capable of: Henderson and Gerrard are obviously fatigued. A emotionally draining disappointing 2nd placed finish in the EPL, an embarrassing world cup with a manager who is more suited to managing a football team during ancient pre-historic times, and a non-stop start to the season will take its toll on any player. They needed a break. Coutinho just saddens me really, I don’t know what the issue is. But he clearly is struggling for form, and all I know is that he deserves our support as he is a gifted player.
So let me re-emphasize. Criticism after poor performances are totally warranted, even needed, to keep the team and manager on their toes. Player abuse/Calling for a managers head/dropping doom bombs on the season (< 10 games into a season), after a greatly improved performance.. Yeah, lets try and not do that. After all, We Are Liverpool. YNWA.
(a) This was not a good Liverpool performance. We were playing a team that had conceded 17 goals in 5 games at home and we scored once. From a free kick. Worse than that, we never looked liked carving them open. Look at their defence for fuck sake. It’s nearly 2015 and Hibbert was at right back and at home we created about 2 clear cut chances. So how in the name of fuck was this a good performance?
(b) Incredibly few are baying for Rodgers to be sacked. But people are correctly beginning to ask questions thanks to the pathetic standard of play, the very worrying direction of the team and the thinking behind bringing in two target men given the style of play we employed last season was both the complete opposite to having target men and was coincidentally our most exciting team in years, possibly ever, and was successful to boot.
(c) People are baying Gerrard to be dropped because he has been a major hindrance to our efforts this season. A complete passenger who has looked all of his 34 years and more. If he wasn’t Stevie G he wouldn’t be in the squad, let alone the focal point of the team. See Sakho for proof. And you say fatigue is his excuse, well then perhaps both he and Rodgers’ need to better manage his playing time.
(d) Balo useless and Markovic a failure? Im not sure many are saying either but both players are very worrying us for different reasons. Mario is clearly very good at football but it is clear he is not suited to being up top on his own and it is possible he won’t work with a partner (Borini at West Ham, Sturridge in the future) either. Markovic is young and foreign and deserves time but bar a 10 minute spell vs an easing off Man City he has been remarkably disappointing for someone we paid so much for.
(e) Asking whether last year was a fluke was reasonable to begin with and, looking at the evidence, is becoming more and more a probability:
i. man utd, man city and chelsea all had new managers – unusual
ii. all three got off to a very slow start and were all in transition at the same time – unusual
iii. a manager of another rival (Arsene Wenger) refused to buy a striker and a defensive midfielder despite having the funds – unusual
iv. we had no European football to contend with while our rivals did – unusual
v. we had no long domestic cup runs to contend with while our rivals did – unusual
vi. we had in luis suarez a freak of nature who produced the single greatest run of 6 month form in our great clubs history – unusual
vii. despite not playing well early we dug out 1-0 wins to gain momentum – unusual
viii. our manager stumbled on a formation only really successful 15 years ago for Italian teams upon realising Sturridge was now too good to leave out and Sterling was too good to leave out and must be played in the middle of the field – unusual
ix. we won 14 and drew 2 out of 16, primarily because of all of the above – unusual
x. this season none of our rivals are in transition, none of them have new managers, one of them has bought a world class striker, we do have European football to contend with, we are on a cup run of sorts, we don’t have luis suarez, we are not digging out wins even when you say we have produced a good performance, our manager or the club seem to be confused on the way we are supposed to play our football and as a result our results have not been and there is not a single sign they will be in the future anything like last season
Some of these points may be argued but don’t tell me those claiming last year was a fluke don’t have a case.
(f) On Man Utd – not many are saying they are cast iron certs to take back a top 4 spot, but there is a reason we are 41/1 for the league while they are 15/1 and a reason why we are 6/4 for top 4 while they are 4/7.
(g) CHANCES. There were very few!
(h) Spending to get into the top 4. Well, we are under investigation for FFP. Utd aren’t. And we also spent a fortune this Summer, 2nd only to Utd!
(i) And finally…..yes we are Liverpool. And we should be producing better than a record of 2 wins 2 draws and a defeat against the likes of Middlesbrough and Ludogrets from 5 home games. We should be producing infinitely better performances than what we have. And for that reason we are right to question whats going on at our club.
PS: As I said above, we should be able to love everything LFC and want nothing more for the club to win everything in site BUT still raise the above points without being told “oh you must not support Liverpool, you must be a Utd fan” Its bollocks talk like that which will see fans never criticising/demanding anything, which would ultimately be detrimental to the cause.
YNWA
Spot on Josh,
Yesterday was an improvement for a new team finding its feet. It wasn’t great but it was better and we were unlucky not to get the 3 points.
I can’t believe the level of criticism Markovic is getting – this is a 20 year old kid playing his first few games in a new league, whatever happened to giving players a chance?
Of course we need to be critical, but the hysterical reaction from some sections after a handful of games is worrying – maybe these were the same people slating Lucas/Hendo/Allen in the recent past?
We’ll no doubt improve considerably when Dan and Allen come back into the team, and continue to improve as the new signings fin their feet.
I’m sure those currently with their knickers in a twist will be back on the bandwagon with their pom poms – best fans in the world.
Coutinho’s having a poor run but he’s a player who thrives on movement ahead of him. He’ll improve once we have our best players fit. His talent hasn’t deserted him overnight.
Coutinho needs a couple of seasons yet to become a true 90 minute home and away player. It’s just development for a young talent. BR should be using Suso to sub him and rotate. Both can develop well together like that.
Instead, BR is pushing Suso out. Probably doesn’t think he presses enough. Suso is the next David Silva if you ask me. Losing Agger, pissing off Sakho by playing the catastrophic Lovren all the time, driving Suso out of the club. These are big mistakes by BR. We don’t have the talent to lose that kind of talent.
BR has been sacked before because he was stubborn. He’s on a slippery road.
My son said that he would have played Suso instead of Markovic, but maybe he meant Coutino. Markovic didn’t have a very good game, certainly, but my view is that he was trying too hard to impress. He gets into good positions and has a great work rate.
Balo is a worry, because he is not Suarez, more Berbatov. But if he had scored instead of hit the bar (actually a great save from the keeper, I thought) we’d all be thinking ‘He’ll do!’
Nice report Neil but christ that Effes must be strong….
“On eight there was the penalty shout. I’d have given it. But then I support Liverpool. Had I been neutral I would have done as my refereeing namesake did. If it doesn’t hit his upper arm it looks to hit his face.”
Face of Frank Sidebottom?
Very frustrating today. Playing a lot of possession football when only 1-0 up when we needed to push on to get another. However I thought there were some signs of improvement and commitment today….
viewed through my “Kestral” Tap.
It’s getting better and we need patience, Sturridge being Hodged has highlighted the number of new players because we have no focal point anymore. We are having to work out what plan C or D looks like without getting to grips with plan A. Plan A was spurs and we won 3 – 0 away.
This was an improved performance. There really is no arguing that. There was a higher tempo, urgency, and confidence about the Reds. Barring the match at Spurs, which got the result, this was the best work by the team as a whole. Yet what worries me is that anyone should be able to get up for the derby. If they don’t they should be up for some serious criticism.
What’s more, we continue to play as if we are a man down most of the match. It may be a different player every week, but one of the eleven seems to always be thrashing about in their own private nightmare and it is taking a toll on the team, costing focus, as Neil put it. Yesterday, it was Markovic, who looked lost and physically overmatched, but he is young, new, and still trying to find the best way and place to use his talents. So it’s way too early to slate him. Yet, every week it’s somebody and seven points from six games simply isn’t going to be good enough to stay close to the table top.
And yet yesterday showed signs of real progress and there were six new players on the pitch, again. Plus, a win on Wednesday goes a long way in relieving some of the Champions League pressures for a while to refocus on the league that counts most. Suddenly there will be a couple of midweek matches more for show and keeping players healthy and fit than a need to secure a place for advancement. Plus, Sturridge will return and things have chance to regulate for the first time this campaign.
The next two matches may arguably prove to be the most important of the calandar year in terms of grinding out much needed results and setting a foundation for the way back to the mix at the top and staying there for the duration. If success is achieved this week, there’s a real chance to kick on and find the focus. If not, the struggles are only going to continue and it is going to get even harder on everyone’s stomachs.
There is still time but maybe not that much.
Right now, Liverpool are not a team, especially going forward. They are a collection of talented players who do not yet know each other. They also are sporting a gaping hole in attack, without the two best attackers in the league–and that can only be partially mended.
Stevie remains an issue–the toffees didn’t press him, and he did OK. When he gets pressed, we get overrun and nothing gets going. Many talked about getting more goals from midfield to offset the Suarez loss–and that seems a good way off right now. Early days, but there is little to indicate a change is on the way. It is, in to my eyes, getting to the point where we can’t accommodate Stevie in his current role and minutes played and, at the same time, get the kind of defensive stability and offensive punch out of our midfield that we desperately need to get back to winning ways. Big decisions for BR, I reckon.
The ironic thing is that Barcelona don’t even need Suarez at the moment – even if they could play him.
If Messi and Neymar keep firing them in (6-0 yesterday and top of the league) maybe we can get Luis back on loan?!
Let’s not make this like the Alonso saga. He’s not coming back. It was a brilliant chapter but it’s case closed now.
Not strictly related but who let Gibbo onto Match of the Day2!?!
It wasn’t the worldie that beat us. It wasn’t Balotelli’s miss – his stats suggest he misses a lot anyhow.
It was Lovren. Again. His clearing header goes right into the middle of the pitch not 30 yards out. That invites trouble. Jags did what pro footballers do in training every day.
BR’s decision to bring in Lovren has cost us near every conceded goal this season. Losing Agger, pissing off Sakho who can’t believe Lovren keeps getting picked. Not giving Suso a chance to rotate with Coutinho when he looks just as good and can score.
And now he’s trying to create Manuel Neuer out of Migs which is messing with his head. If you want a different style of keeper, buy one. Don’t break the one we’ve got. Valdes won’t command his box. He’s not that kind of keeper.
It’s just possible that BR is starting to damage the club by losing good players. Very good players. I’ll cry if Suso does leave. He is the next Silva.