THE MORNING AFTER. Insides blackened, sweat cascading, kidneys begging for relief. The morning after and the toll feels too great, the day felt too long. There is a burden. There is a cost. How many more of these have I got left in me? It’s only August the tenth. But then you remember.
Remember how it felt as the ball whistled through Butland and into the roof of the net and you knew then that that was the matter settled. People falling all around you, joy unconfined, the players so intently studied for the previous eighty five minutes almost irrelevant as the whole end exploded. It was suddenly about us, about our rapture. We were our own drama, the colour the game had lacked. Coutinho’s name perfect, his strike better. Remember that happiness – you literally couldn’t be happier. It is physically impossible to be happier than that moment. Seasons and success come and go but there are always goals. There are goals that win a game late on. There are goals that win a game late on from twenty five yards. There are goals that win a game late on from twenty five yards at a ground where you shipped six yesterday. There are limits to potential happiness and this met them.
The morning after. Cold analyses beginning to emerge. Rational talk begins. You read the comments under Gibbons’s match ratings full of people kicking off as though it isn’t short sentences with arbitary values attached. Upset because he gave Skrtel a supposedly ill deserved seven. Lad, he gave someone else a twelve. Out of ten. Everywhere crushing sense and perspective bearing down while your brain gets angry with your skull and you plan seventy three shows. You plan. In planning you remember.
Remember seeing so many Reds, so many of your friends whirling round one another and beaming, screaming, singing, hugging, just downright glowing, glowing like lads who have had their Ready Brek after the final whistle outside the Britannia. Remember seeing coaches about to be filled with exuberance and delight, transporting happiness out of Staffordshire. Remember that moment as the sun shone and you were that happy again.
The morning after. Mouth sticky and teeth curdled. Legs aching, injured thigh playing up, a terrible game of football being honest. The morning after when the Reds didn’t get going and Stoke perhaps are no longer the Stoke of your nightmares – they aren’t quite the physical challenge they were three or four seasons ago.
Remember sitting with people before the game. Remember the sheer vibe of interest in what Arsenal were doing and what Chelsea had done. Not ironic interest. Not detached interest. Serious The Reds interest. Serious hungry interest and imagining the same in that Liverpool dressing room, on that Liverpool coach. Remember dismissing the cliché “it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon” because actually it’s neither, it’s two laps of four hundred meters and every stride counts. Remember that Liverpool were poor in their first away games in August 2008 and 2013 but they got the job done 0-1. And remember that while Stoke aren’t Pulised up any more, they probably won’t lose more than six games at home this season. We’ve had one of them. Remember that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpB0tW2Nlao
The morning after. A lot of what was worrying about this set up happened as the game wore on. Liverpool weren’t quite compact enough from back to front with Lallana too peripheral in his play, Ibe too peripheral in his position. What should be 4213 became 4411 with Coutinho and Benteke not clicking, the former dropping deeper looking for the ball. Shapes and formations change during football matches, players are impacted upon by events and reality but they need to be able to impact back, create their own reality and force themselves back into the shape that had been decided as the one most likely to win the game. This is easier said than done, obviously, especially on the opening weekend of the season.
But remember they showed and fought for one another. Time and again they showed. Liverpool weren’t good. Liverpool were actively bad at lots of aspects of the football at times. But at the most important ones – desire and togetherness – they were excellent. Hugely removed from what we saw three months ago in the same corner of the universe. Desire and togetherness isn’t smashing into tackles, it’s more than that, finding ways to help one another play. They showed for the ball, they worked for one another. They showed and covered and demanded and asked and that is part one of anything worthwhile. Neither Henderson nor Milner had memorable games but they never stopped doing the right things for their teammates. Ask for it. Ask and you might receive.
Remember Liverpool won. Remember that they won at the ground where they’d played their last game of competitive football and had lost that game horrifically. It nearly did for us that game. It was horrible to watch that happen to The Reds.
Remember Liverpool won and so the morning after. The morning after wilts in front of the sheer mindbending joy of the winner. How can you not smile widely? Remember how happy you were. Just hold onto it, that feeling. How can you not be in a state of grace? And how can you not power through? Liverpool did. Liverpool decided they weren’t taking any messing, they won their battles and then a lad turned away from his man and booted it dead hard into the goal and then him and his teammates celebrated and then they went back to winning their battles. Take your lead from them.
When the Reds win, we all win. The morning after. This is what winning feels like. There is a cost. There is a burden. I’ll have another thirty seven of these please.
Pics: David Rawcliffe-Propaganda Photo
To say that ” Liverpool were actively bad at lots of aspects of the football at times” is fair comment, in fact they were so bad as to be soporific to watch. Yes we fought and yes we battled, but that is the minimum we expect and even that wasn’t there 11 weeks ago. However we need more than just togetherness we need good football and that is what we have a right to want to enjoy. Rodgers got his win and amen to that, now he has to demonstrate that Liverpool will win because they are the better team at football, not just putting a foot (or elbow) in, welcome as that is.
It’s a bit strange to use the first performance of the season as a marker for the other 37 games. Especially when the first performance is Stoke away. Stoke away’s not pretty at the best of times, let alone the first game of a season that’s starting earlier than most.
Like Neil says, we played some dour stuff early on in 2013, and look how entertaining that side turned out to be.
Better bet is to wait till Bournemouth next week. Home games have to be our bread and butter, so lets see how Rodgers sets us up for those.
It wasn’t just Rodgers who got the win, the team got the win and we got the win, and I for one enjoyed it immensely. Is every game gonna be about Rodgers now? ‘Urrgh he’s playing Lovren! Urrgh the formation isn’t working! Urrgh we won but we didn’t play well!’.
You can’t expect us to be purring like a finely tuned engine on the first day of the season. And we did win that game because we were better at football. I don’t remember any of theirs smashing one in from 25 yards. That’s being good at football.
No my friend a brillant strike from 25 yards isn’t being better at football than the opposition, it’s a great goal but it’s not the essence of football. I want us to play with fluency, invention and aspiration. The boring contest between two well matched mid table sides I saw yesterday is not the bench mark for my club. Yes enjoy the victory, relish the goal but expect more as without more we will not be where we would like to bo come next May. After 5 years of FSG ownership and 3 years of Rodgers’ management Neil is europhic about a rather crude, marginal victory at Stoke. Still it’s better than being stuffed 1:6 though.
“No my friend a brillant strike from 25 yards isn’t being better at football than the opposition”
If the opposition can’t manage the same, then yes, actually, it is. It is not the very essence of all football, but it is one aspect of football that it’s worth being better at than the opposition, because it means you are more likely to win games like the one played yesterday.
We all want to see Liverpool play like Cruyff’s Dutch masters in the 70s, but then I also want a date with Uma Thurman and DB9. Sometimes, in a season of 38 games, you’ve got to dog it. How many grubby 1-0s have we seen the Mancs bank over a season? There are no points for artistic merit when the trophies are handed out, and that’s even before we get to the business of just how indicative you expect this result to be of our style of play come September, October, November, etc?. The fact is, away at Stoke first up with 4 debutants isn’t likely to tell us anything about our creative limits going forward. We’re as likely to do Bournemouth 4 or 5 as repeat that showing yesterday.
I don’t think anyone is saying that we can win a league title playing the way we did at Stoke, but then you don’t need to win 38 games at the Britannia to win the EPL. So who gives a shit?
It has been said many times by different people that successful sides are those that find a way to win when they are not at their best. It’s a good habit to have and in order to gain the habit you have to start somewhere. Where better than Stoke away?
for some of our so called fans yes, that is all it is about. There are regular posters on here who i am sure where willing Stoke on yesterday.
Good football doesn’t matter. Winning each game matters, no matter how.
Good football doesn’t matter? Yet we all hate Chelsea for their 1:0, park the bus mentality in all the big games. Remember you posted this, I’m sure you’ll prove to be a massive hypocrite at some point during the season.
I think Rizzarazu is a closet Mourinho fanboy
The match was difficult to watch but since the 86th minute yesterday I’ve been bouncing around like Bambi on acid. I’ve not heard off my Arsenal supporting mates since yesterday morning and they played some lovely football against the Hammers at times. Performance is overrated, results are everything.
On to the next game and the only thing I want is points and a sign of progress in terms of performance. Lets turn up at the Emirates with 6 points and an upward trajectory and see what happens. Up the reds.
Sounds like you’d be impressed with a Greggs donut…
You’re so right about the power of a goal to transform the whole experience. I was watching it in my pretty empty Kilburn local with two other nervy looking Reds feeling pretty uninspired most of the time, but then St Philippe unleashes the magic yet again and all is forgotten, forgiven in that rush of uncertain victory. And 12 was the least Gibbo could give him.
Here’s to next thirty-seven indeed, but for the sake of my ageing heart, I’d like the goals a little earlier on, please.
We battled with Stoke. Went toe to toe and with some of the toughest bastards in the league and won. Nothing to be negative about yet some so called fans still moan, no pleasing some folk.
Yeah let me know when the open top bus parade is being held and oh add the ‘we’ve beaten Stoke’ trophy to our 41 major trophies. Enjoy Matie.
‘Remember that happiness – you literally couldn’t be happier. It is physically impossible to be happier than that moment.’
It is Neil, it really is. I’ll just assume you’ve led a very sheltered life :-)
In case you’re knew to this site let me quickly explain how things go here: if a writer makes a legitimate criticism of liverpool (a rare occurance), its fair comment, people converse sensibly, reasons for positives and negatives are given & the writer is thanked.
But if you say the exact same thing as the writer did, especially before the writer releases the article, you’re a miserable bastard, a doom merchant, a negative, stupid cunt who isnt really a fan of liverpool, who is told to fuck off elsewhere by other commenters, or you’ll get a response that is ad hominem, “funny” or irrelevant. You won’t have your points discussed in the same manner, whether people agree or disagree you. Literally if you post the exact same thing! Like, almost word for word.
This is not a criticism of TAW you understand – its a criticism of the mostly hypocritical sycophants that comment underneath because they can’t see any wrong in a win, or any merit in talking about anything that doesnt whole heartedly praise liverpool regardless of circumstances. For them, its one rule for the writers and another for you. They will also use the appeal to authority logical fallacy from time to time just to confirm their idiocy.
So, just a heads up. As for the match….
There’s truly nobody here who cares what you think about the site, or the game. Go fin the miserable bastard forum to post in.
JB, I’m just wondering if you have the intellectual capacity to realise this post proves my exact point? Im guessing you don’t. I’m chuckling as I type this.
For anyone who had the misfortune to read JB’s embarrassing post, I swear he is not a plant. I did not ask him to prove me so right so quickly. He did it all on his own.
Mate, you’re railroading every single post. If you don’t like the site, why bother?
I don’t know if you’ve actually taken the time to read his comments, but from what I can tell, the reason he ”bothers” is that he wants to have a discussion about the club he supports with fellow supporters. Unfortunately, he happens to have an opinion that doesn’t coincide with the ones being put forward by TAW contributers. So then, the mostly hypocritical sycophants that comment underneath (love that description), instead of maybe replying in an intelligent manner that may even end up changing his views so that they indeed do coincide, resort to insulting and dismissing him. What’s even worse, the actual TAW staff, basically joins in.
Hi Velimir
That makes sense.
The only thing I would point out is if Padraig (or anyone else for that matter) is happy to insult/criticise people who disagree with his point of view, he/they can hardly complain if others insult/dismiss his comments.
Live by the sword eh?
Except that this is Padraig’s third attempt at starting a discussion about his views (the Pink and the ratings article). So, his happiness to insult/criticise the people who disagree with his point of view came after twice being done exactly that by the mostly hypocritical sycophants that comment underneath (I really love that description. It’s a perfect illustration of about 95% of TAW’s comment section).
He’s insulted people before the two articles you refer to and people who haven’t insulted him.
Come on mate, don’t act soft. He’s not trying to have respectful discourse with people. His sentences read as confrontational and that’s over the internet where you can’t read tone of voice. It’s like the other lizards whose names I don’t remember from the end of last season on here who got banned for being knobs/fucked off on their own accord.
You can raise your hand in thinking the manager is extremely lucky to still be in a job after how last season ended and still be behind this current staff an squad 3 months later. It’s not mutually exclusive and we don’t have to all go to war like we’re owned by H&G still.
You know my intentions? You can read minds? What a talent. Na, you’re a presumtuous ignoramous. You don’t know my intentions. Let me enlighten you.
I want to talk about Liverpool in a way that encourages debate. I want to do it as intelligently as possible. I despise reductive comments like we see on here on a regular basis. You must only post the positives at most times but especially after a win. There are no such things as a negative when we win. How could there be?! We won! Everyone obviously played great, amirite!!1! You are not a true fan if tou criticise the manager. If you offer up any criticisms it means you clearly didnt enjoy the victory! Shit like that is shameful. Thinking like that is alien to me. Black and white. No shades of grey. I dread to think how these people live.
If I wanted to talk with cretinous liverpool fans who think everyone at LFC is great and every Manc is shit I’d go down the pub. Sadly, thats what on here resembles a lot of the time.
Defending the sycophants because they praise you and not actually taking on board anything I have said as you know you cannot argue with facts and logic. How very apt.
Hi Padraig
I don’t understand – how is asking “If you don’t like the site, why bother?” defending anyone?
Just seems like a logical question to me.
Well for a start it isn’t logical. The site is average, its lack of balance hurts it badly, but I don’t dislike it. Starting from a assumtion shows stupidity. The premise of the question was bullshit.
But thats not the point is it? The point is TAW know I am correct so refused to counter a single thing I said because they don’t want to scare away the sycophants that frequent this site. Not one argument did they put up. No counter, no facts, no evidence.
It was said I railroad every thread. Again, thats bullshit. But even if it was true it might be better for TAW to ask how one person could do that. One person couldn’t do that on a site unless that site had less than 70 comments on every single thing they’ve put up for an age. Then they might ask why the numbers are so low, especially in comparison to other LFC only sites.
You count comments on LFC sites? Ok….
No I don’t count them, but I can read. Its an amazing thing being able to read.
So when your site says 67 comments and another site says 372 comments, it takes me about 0.6 seconds to know which site has more comments. Pretty simple really. Well, it is if you’re smart. Admittedly that may not be the case for others, like anyone who’d assume I count posts on Liverpool sites. Those people may struggle with basic arithmetic, logic, common sense and how to treat potential customers with a bit of decency.
*it’s
Hi Padraig
Thanks for the reply but I’m still struggling to understand.
You seem to be suggesting that they know you are correct but don’t counter anything you say because they don’t want to “scare away the sycophants”. Why would you being correct scare anyone away from this site? If I disagree with any of your points, does that make me a sycophant?
ps. Was also thinking of some other possibilities that TAW might have decided not to counter things you have said …
1) They haven’t bothered reading your comments.
2) They read your comments, disagreed with some but couldn’t be bothered to respond.
3) They read your comments and agreed with you.
I do my best not to read comments, especially on sites where there are loads of them. Why? Because they bring out the worst, attention-starved bores, repeatedly niggling for a response. Ignatius J. Reilly from ‘Confederacy of Dunces’ would spend his entire life responding to articles with 70+ comments if it were set now. Would make it a duller book also.
Defending no-one. Simply asking why you bother given that you don’t seem to enjoy anything on the site.
See, this is the problem. Don’t want to hear any criticism and don’t want to know if a potential customer has an idea of how improvement could be made.
Happy to be told how great something is but get all up tight when someone criticises the people on their site.
If companies like Apple or Tesco said to their customer base or potential customers “if you don’t like it fuck off” how successful a strategy do you think that’d be? Do you think the people who said that would be in a job for long? I know I’d sack on the spot anyone who dared say that to a customer in my company.
But then again I can see how criticism can be a force for good and lead to me being better at what I do. Obviously not everyone has the same outlook and sone would sooner behave as if still in the playground.
This would be fine if you didn’t routinely abuse people on here. You’re not looking to offer constructive criticism. You also make a lot of assumptions for someone who doesn’t like people to assume. We take on board criticism/feedback all the time and have amended lots of things accordingly. We seem to be doing OK, although not quite at the Apple/Tesco stage…
Can you show me just one example of when I abused someone without first being abused.
Just one example will do. You’ll obviously have loads and loads.
“Can you show me just one example of when I abused someone without first being abused?”
Perhaps I can help with that.
A little while back you posted “In any case I don’t think there was too much outcry in the media over Gerrard being rested and the only fans who disagreed were morons still living in 2007.”
My point is that you’ve labled anyone who disagrees with your view a moron – many of those people haven’t abused you first.
“I want to talk about Liverpool in a way that encourages debate. I want to do it as intelligently as possible. I despise reductive comments like we see on here on a regular basis.”
You throw terms like moron or hypocritical sycophants around and you think you post in a way that encourages debate? You despise reductive comments and yet are happy to use them?
Paddy, while it is cute you proving to be the biggest sycophant on here, TAW can speak for themselves. They don’t need a knight in shining armour like you fighting battles for them. It smacks of desperation, from both you and TAW. I asked TAW a question, not you. And as usual they couldn’t back up what they’ve said.
In any case, i’ll deal with you. And with no shock, your example is bullshit. I asked when have I abused “someone” without first being abused.
In that comment, I didnt abuse anyone, I didnt abuse the person I was conversing with. I stated a fact. If you couldnt see Gerrard’s legs had gone last season then you were a literal definition of the word moron. Time has proven me right. If you have an issue with this take it up with the dictionary.
Now would you like me to give countless examples of me being abused simply for stating my opinion? No, you don’t. Because my examples would far outweight yours and prove those on your side of the argument everything Ive said about them.
By the way, calling someone hypocritical or sycophantic, then providing proof of why this is the case, is not abuse, nor is it the same as calling someone a twat, a cunt, not a true fan, fuck off etc. I do the former (provide evidence for my views) whereas your mates do the latter. Well done.
Hi Padraig
Thanks for your reply.
I think you misunderstood the point of my post. It wasn’t to help TAW – it was aimed at you.
Firstly, let me reply to some of the specific points you make in your post.
1) You saying that Gerrards legs had gone isn’t a “fact”, it’s an opinion. Him leaving the club doesn’t “prove” you right.
2) I did take it up with the dictionary.
“sycophant”
a person who acts obsequiously towards someone important in order to gain advantage.
Before we even get into the fact that you have labeled me the “biggest” sycophant (again, an opinion of yours not backed up with fact) – kindly tell me what advantage I am seeking by the posts I have made? Do you think that TAW are going to give me extra free content for being “a knight in shining armour”?
Also does me agreeing with the majority of your points on the Stoke match make me a sycophant towards you?
3)”I do the former (provide evidence for my views) whereas your mates do the latter.”
Please provide evidence for your view that I am the “biggest” sycophant on here?
I don’t know anyone who posts here – they are not my mates. Why do you think they are?
4) Just because you don’t name someone it doesn’t mean you aren’t abusing them. For example, I could make a sweeping statement that anyone who thinks that BR isn’t right for the Liverpool job is a moron. I might not be calling you a moron by name but I would still be calling you one. I could go on to say that “time has proven me right” but Liverpool continuing to employ BR wouldn’t prove me right or wrong – it would still be just my opinion. Are you seeing how this works yet?
5) “It smacks of desperation, from both you and TAW. I asked TAW a question, not you.”
Why does it smack of desperation? It’s an open forum – why is it not ok for me to reply to a post regardless of whether it was directed specifically at me?
—
Secondly, and more importantly …
You’ve mentioned in the past that you post logical points backed up with evidence. For example, your main post on this topic was full of good points – many of which I agreed with. So why do you think that so many people reply negatively to your logic? I know you’ve posted that it’s because people are sycophantic or idiotic but you must be cleverer than that. In your example of running a business, if lots of people keep reacting badly to things that you do would you keep doing them and assume that everyone else is wrong/idiotic or would you look toward yourself?
“I want to talk about Liverpool in a way that encourages debate. I want to do it as intelligently as possible. I despise reductive comments like we see on here on a regular basis.”
Given the above, my suggestion would be that you have a look at your past posts. Do you think that they might be unnecessarily aggressive or critical? Do you suppose that that might be the reason why you don’t get the response that you say you want?
Look – it’s up to you. You can keep doing the same things in the same way and wonder why you don’t get the response you want or you can look to change and engage people with the points (critical or not) that you want to make. Try it – it might just work eh? The alternative is to keep doing the same thing and expect different results – a great man once characterised that behaviour.
TAW I’m sure that is why forums exist, if you are over sensitive about comments then errr why have a comments section? As for negativity well 3 years of non achievement is only going to attract criticism surely? Liverpool exists to win trophies.
‘The aim is to bring all the cups to Liverpool’ – Bill Shankly
I can never see anything wrong with a win. It’s a win for fucks sake
Padraig, this is an intervention, you display a bitterness usually associated with Evertonians.
Let go. Enjoy life.
This match smacked very much of January. We were poor but got away with it thanks to a wonderstrike.
Yes 13/14 started out with shit 1-0 wins but last season started with a shit 2-1 win. Its too early to say we will remain this bad or we will get so much better as it was the first match of the season, so any criticism should be tempered, but at the same time there were worrying signs.
Mignolet time wasting and going long every single time? Thats clearly an order from the manager. If so, he’s lost his balls again. What happened to playing out from the back? Death by football? “We play with 11 players, other teams play with 10 and a keeper.” Remember who said that?
Everything was safety first. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind that. But its what it symbolises (Rodgers chopping and changing his philosophy) that is concerning. If Rodgers is to be a success we can’t do what we did yesterday. He seemed more than happy with a dour 0-0 draw. I mean we were atrocious going forward. Absolutely abysmal. Will it improve as we go on? Not sure. People said it would improve with Balotelli & it never did.
Speaking of Balotelli – if he put in that same performance Benteke did yesterday there would have been blue murder from a lot of our fans. They’d be going apeshit. He looked very Mario-esqu, especially when it came to his complete lack of pressing & his runs when we had possession. Is 4-2-3-1 going to make him look as shocking as it did Balotelli? Because just like Mario last season, Benteke was isolated, posed no threat and was totally ineffective. He won a few headers that resulted in nothing, just as Balotelli did plenty of times. And just as I said it wasn’t Mario’s fault, he needed more support, I’ll say the same thing for Benteke. Im logical and consistent like that.
Heres a crazy thought but one Ive said for a year – maybe the strikers are good enough but the formation chosen by the boss won’t get anywhere near enough out of them?
I’ll tell you who isnt good enough – Lallana. £25m. We were playing with 10 men with him on the park. He’s just not very good, its that simple. He had no excuses – he had a full preseason, was fully fit, no injury concerns, he has been playing regularly….and he still produced nothing. But he’ll get more game time than he is deserving of as he is Rodgers’ man. Imagine if Markovic performed like that. Half time sub anyone?
Ibe was in and out. Inconsistent. That’ll improve.
Coutinho was brutal. Looked a long way short of fitness but Benteke didn’t offer him much – looked to me he was too concerned with not being offside, especially when Phil tried to put him through in the second half. Coutinho’s goal will mask his own and our poor performance. Was rightly about to be subbed. Hindsight is wonderful with the goal, but 99 times out of 100 that game ends 0-0 and it would legitimately be argued that he shoukd have been taken off sooner.
Milner was good. He kept trying to make something happen in a shit game, always looking the ball. He pressed on his own too much, meaning we lost shape and as others werent doing it, he wasnt following instruction. We didnt even go to a three quarter press yesterday or anything, showing just how defensive we were. Playing Coutinho, Milner and Hendo does not mean we are attacking and the manager is backing himself.
Henderson was below average but he was stifled by playing very withdrawn. He almost looked like a DM. Which would be an appalling waste of his ability to get around the pitch and lead from the front. He could have done twice as much running at full time and would have had more of an impact. He lost the ball a few times & lost a couple of one on one battles right in front of our CBs. He also looked long far too often. Three times in 10 first half minutes he tried to play a 40 yarder to Bentekes head. We lost possession twice.
Clyne. Solid. Stifled. Rodgers has been a success when he’s told his full backs to bomb on, create overlaps and provide the width his teams need. It was clear, apart from once with Clyne, that both remained much more disciplined. They remained tucked in the whole game. Disappointing on one level, especially with an eye on how we will play in the coming months, but on another we got a clean sheet.
Gomez. He’s a kid. A big one but still inexperienced. He was poor. Again, just like with Balotelli & Benteke, if Moreno played like that yesterday & offered so little going forward he’d be getting pelters. That one moment where he tried to stop a corner and hooked it straight towards our penalty spot was mental. In the first half he gave Mignolet a horrific pass when a stoke player was closing Simon down, when Joe could easily have turned out on his left foot and put the ball down the line to Lallana.
Finally the CBs. Skrtel was Skrtel. Lovren was not Lovren. He only made one mistake the entire match and as his biggest critic I thought he was very good. I thought it was clear he was under strict instruction from the manager to not do anything stupid & that he was barred from passing longer than 10 yards. Unlike last season, every time he got the ball he rolled it to another player in black a few yards away. Risk free. Apart from the mistake when Gomez list his man & Lovren decided to cover then stopped, leaving himself in no mans land between the man with the ball and a runner in behind. Lucky John Glenson ended up chipping over. At the same time he did have that elbow and could have been sent off. Those of us with a brain and an ability to be objective couldnt have complained if that was the case.
A lots been made of Can changing the game. His presence allowed Hendo to push further forward but it was hardly decisive. Emre is not a DM. He loves a run with the ball at his feet and his role will be at home against the lesser sides.
Firmino was only on a few minutes and he has a touch of the clumsysuarez’s about him when he beats a player. Looking forward to seeing him acclimatize and get fit. The sooner he replaces Lallana the better.
Look its 3 points, lets be happy with that. We can look at where we need to improve and still be happy with a win. Its called critical thinking. Those moaning about others moaning should try it sometime. So lets open our eyes and see the things that will be problematic in the near future as well as celebrate a good result.
The season starts again every weekend. With 37 games left we’re already two points clear of Chelsea and three ahead of Arsenal. No team has clicked yet, and to expect that of any team at this stage is ridiculous. Which just adds to the sweetness of already having an advantage.
Glass half-empty thinking.
What is? That Benteke wasnt that good? That Gomez wasnt that good? That Lovren could have been sent off? That it was going to be a dour 0-0 til a great strike? That Mignolet went long lot? That Lallana was crap? That it may or may not get better? Is this glass half full or the reality?
Does anyone want to talk about the actualy fucking football?
I didn’t realise beating Stoke was such a big deal for our club. Its fucking Stoke, not Real Madrid. Then again there has been an expert hodgsonesque managing of expectations going on recently.
Padraigs taking the fucking piss, he’s having one hell of a laugh at our expense surely. I have to confess I couldnt stomach his full post or the wife would need to be taking my belt and shoe laces. Come on man who are you what are you?? FFS. That’s why people slaughter you, you do yourself no favours. You’re not one of these religious sadists who sit in a darkened room whipping yourself!!
Yes, I do myself no favours trying to talk about liverpool with an element of logic and objectivity, and refuse to reductively think a win means everything is great and a loss means everything is a disaster.
Unfortunately its impossible to do that on here because as soon as you point something out about lfc that is less than perfect you get morons like yourself attacking me and not my arguments.
Seemingly its hard for people to read an opinion they don’t like, regardless of how much evidence that backs it up, and reply with other evidence or facts to show why the said opinion is wrong. People on here would just sooner resort to insults. Shows them up for their lack of intellect but their number far outweigh smart liverpool fans, especially on here. As you proved with this comment Im replying to. C’est la vie.
And I quote:
“…you get morons like yourself…”
“People on here would just sooner resort to insults. Shows them up for their lack of intellect…”
Ha! Ey Padraig: “unluckeeee!”
In fairness he was responding to the post above which presumably you also read and might have noted was completely pointless and unnecessarily derogatory. And yet you decide to pull up Padraig for calling the guy a moron in response and questioning the intellect of people who resort to insults. There are legitimate criticisms to be made but this wasn’t one of them. Daft response.
Bravo padriag, bravo. You’ve definitely won the award for most negative fan ever.
The thrust of your arguments that amuse me the most is how outraged you become when other posters don’t share your negativity and when pulled on it you resort to insults while, ironically, demanding debate! Self awareness, I’m guessing, isn’t your strong point.
You’re a bright guy, articulate no doubt and if you reply, I’m sure you’ll pull me up on my grammar and punctuation and probably call me a moron- I hope you do actually as, and I’m being very presumptuous now, you’ll probably just confirm to everyone that you’ve got anger issues and a big ego. In fact, I can picture you sitting by your PC reading articles and comments and secretly seething inside “argh someone I don’t know on the internet doesn’t agree with me, argh im so angry, why are they so stupid, argh I’ve got to reply and tell them they’re moron’s arghhhhh” but then you’ll have to temper your reply so as not to confirm how angry you get at someone you don’t know and, in all honesty, don’t care about! Cracking stuff really and you amuse me if no one else.
In terms of the match, no we weren’t great but 3 points at Stoke away in the 1st game I’ll take everyday of the week.
I get you hate Rodgers, that’s fine. I quite like him and think he deserves the chance this season, that’s fine too.
Your criticism of Rodgers and your evidence to support your argument is no more valid than the positive aspects of his time here- he’s done some good and some bad, let’s see how it plays out, eh?
In relation to this website, I don’t recall ever seeing a warning/guidance on the site saying “positive comments/articles only please.
In all fairness to the writers, they have been critical of Rodgers at times, especially at the end of last season so it definitely hasn’t been all positive. But isn’t having a positive outlook better anyway as long as it’s not blind faith?
Anyway, if you reply I look forward to being torn to pieces and called a moron.
The three points gained were the least important result of his game. If it was possible to have a choice beween three points and the resoration of some pride, I know which I would have picked. Ask me the same question at the end of the season and the choice picked would be different. For Liverpool as soon as the fixtures were announced it beame a season of 1 + 37 games.
I happy enough with that, 0-0 might have been a fair result, but for me we looked like the team with the better footballers, albeit better footballers for whom a lot of things weren’t quite coming off.
The worry before the game was that we would be out fought and not show the bottle needed to dog out a result at Stoke. That worry proved unfounded; plenty of bottle on display. As well as fronting up for the physical battles, I thought we just looked much more aggressive than at many times last season, and in particular weren’t letting anyone just waltz through midfield to take on our CBs.
As games go by and they get used to playing with each other, I think we will see more things working for these better footballers. I certainly felt I saw enough evidence of them at least trying to do good things. Chances and goals will come as more of these come off.
I don’t understand how anyone couldn’t see that getting beat 6-1 there would leave a deep, lasting wound on the team’s psyche.
Yes we played to not lose at times, rather than to win, but as the 2nd half progressed our link up play began to put Stoke on the back foot a little. It’s what opened up the space for Coutinho’s goal.
And once he’d scored the previous 85 mins no longer mattered. The monkey of 6-1 was off our back and more importantly Rodgers – he loses that game and it’s pressure, pressure, pressure … least he gets with that smash and grab is a week off concentrating on his team and helping them gel instead of worrying about the media’s unhealthy obsession with us when things go wrong.
Thanks Neil. Great article again. Can’t get to more than 6 games/season and love reading your descriptions of how it feels.
As you imply – great result, stuttering performance.
I’m hoping that this formation and team are for the first 7 aways and that we see a different formation/personnel for the homes.
We’re going to win the league.
After a miserable summer of arguing for balance and reason, fighting historical revision and really f’ing lame jokes at the expense of the manager, I’ve decided to use the start of the season to disconnect from Twitter and Disqus. I’ve no appetite for bile.
Instead, I’ve decided to embrace joy and hope and madness. We don’t have to be the best team, not yet, we just have to be the most consistent against the lower 15 (plus derbies). Yesterday was the first step towards that goal.
If we can keep our heads above water until we confront Man City in November, we will be facing 12 out of 14 games against bottom 15 clubs before we face them again in March. I’d be content to see plenty of 1-0 victories before we hit that run of games. It seems like a perfect time for the squad to click and really take flight.
YNWA with a vengeance!
I have to agreed Jay, and not many have picked up on this, this wasn’t a routine Premier League match, this wasn’t even a ‘first game of the new season’ type match.
This game had special psychological importance, to half the team, to the club and fans as a whole and Rodgers in particular.
No one puts 6 past Liverpool, it’s completely outside reality, even Real Madrid stopped at 3!
This was a game that could not have been lost, drawn maybe, but definitely not lost, it would have created a press feeding frenzy, a bottomless pit of doubt, imagine the concerns in the build up to the Bournemouth game?
Imagine the questioning, “so Brendan, you’ve spent £70m and you STILL can’t beat Stoke, who’ve spent £9m”
I wouldn’t judge anyone on this performance, just cherish the goal, the 3 points and we don’t need to think about a league game against Stoke this season.
And Padraig, just enjoy the match, stop picking holes, we’ve just lost one of our best ever youngest players and one of our best ever oldest players, it’s highly improbable we’ll win the league, so unwind and enjoy, just think, in 30 years time, most of us will all be dead… or as good as.
The first lines captures how I’ve felt all day perfectly. Add in a pinch of self-loathing and you’re there. A first day away win at Stoke, good to hear everyone is happy.
That’s what I hate about modern football. All the over-analysis and drawing conclusions based on very limited evidence. In the old days a season developed and winners emerged over time. Now, one game in, in fact 45 mins in, people are drawing very stark conclusions. Take this game. Anyone not taking a solid performance defensively and a late cracker to win the game beforehand? Thought not. Let’s just enjoy the result and see how the new players/system/coaches develop. We’ll be ok don’t worry about that.
I remember the opening weekend of the season City won the title against United. Everyone was laboured as fuck over the weekend then City played the Monday night and battered Rodgers’ Swansea funnily enough (Aguero’s first game, I think). They immediately became the favourites – letting it go a *lot* closer by the end aside.
If they don’t do the same tonight, who’s impressed? Everyone looks a bit shit. Apparently the only teams who knocked it round competently were the two promoted teams who ended up losing at home. If we get through that run of aways against the other top teams not too far off the pace, anything could happen. It could work in our favour when you look at December’s games against solely fodder.
If Benteke is only half as good a no. 9 as 07-09 Torres an Firmino’s does a half decent Suarez impression with work rate off an unpredictability on the ball, then Sturridge comes back and is anywhere near his pre-injuries form… I mean, maybe we don’t end up being good enough to go all the way but… What if we are?
Ah, shite. So Yaya has got the fountain of youth on his side it seems. But still: what if we are?
Listen, I didn’t realise how good we might be in August ’08 or August ’13. Keep the faith, lads. Ask yourself this: what are you in this for?
Just watched the first half and and City look pretty convincing.
Their No 7 needs to work on his finishing though.
Yeah they weren’t fucking around, were they? If I was a club with effectively infinite cash now that FFP has been exposed as a load of hot air, I’d spend £49m on that particular 20yo as well. My strong suspicion is… We get the footy we deserve. ;p
Phew. That was lucky.
A decent result and a touch of redemption after the 6-1 fiasco, but bigger tests to come…
Second article is absolute class. goosebumps. up the fucking Reds!!!
*paragraph
Nice balanced piece Neil. The Pink is for uncritical celebration/kneejerking, it’s all about the moment. The Monday and Tuesday shows are were the more reasoned analysis begins. That’s how it should be.
We were poor but we found a way to win. That’ll do for now. As the late, great and much lamented Bob might have said ‘we can talk about philosophy once we’ve won the game.’
Don’t always agree with you Neil but I Love the passion you put into your articles. You capture the essence of what a “supporter” should be feeling and concentrating on. This win was big ! We capitulated there 70 odd days ago if we didn’t get a result yesterday it would have been open season on BR and the team. We ground it out and what a sublime piece of skill to win, 5,000 miles away in a New Jersey bar one Scouser and three locals were shouting their heads off and jumping round like looneys. That’s what this game does to you and how lucky are we to follow LFC! Here’s to the next 37 games roll feckin on!
Just a slight error in the title of this piece… Or is the score inverted deliberately as a play on how some are treating the actual result? ;-)
Love that. Didn’t even notice!
Oops! :-)
I’m sorry to do this but I have to say that Pagraig is a tit. Take the site for what it is, it generally gives an upbeat fan perspective on things, so what’s the point being overly critical? I don’t get why someone would spend their time on something only to be overly critical. The writers are doing a good job – it’s generally funny and thoughtful, so if you don’t enjoy the site, go elsewhere, there’s plenty of others to read.
Keep winding up the sheeple, Padraig.Espesh the ‘Excellent article,mate’ slobbering brown nosers