new liverpool thread - everyone loves them (1 Viewer)

[Wheels]

Touch and go for a while once Young Boys went ahead but in the end we deserved to win a very bizarre game.

Minuses first - the defending was god awful at times, and it mostly stemmed from the left back. Just what the fuck has happened to Enrique? He looked solid and astute in his first 12 months but has been an absolute liability since January. You can't be putting him in a back line with Jamie Carragher, it's just a disaster waiting to happen. Coates looked composed and tidy, except for the second equalizer and yer man Wisdom looked like a decent prospect. But overall, we looked as vulnerable as ever at the back. And Downing. Jesus Christ, I'm running out of expletives for the bastard. Such a bad bad footballer.

Lucky we scored some goals for a change! The big positives were more evidence of the clever, intricate passing in midfield that led to the 4th goal in particular. Shelvey took the game by the scruff of teh neck in very encouraging style. He's not quite in the Gerrard mold yet but he's coming on heaps and bounds. Suso had a very effective performance, I like the look of him as did Assaini. Borini will come good, he's a clever footballer and just needs the rub of the green. Less impressed with Sahin and the again underwhelming Pacheco. Overall, it's a nice boost to go into the weekend with, hopefully the players will go into it with a bit more confidence than they would have otherwise.

 

[maims bond]

Seeing Henderson and Downing, worth a combined 40 mil, on the pitch with all those reserves/youngsters, says a lot about the craziness of giving Dalglish all that money to spend. Downing was abject, it really is amazing to see how he can't pick a pass to a red shirt. Why hasn't Rodgers carried out his threat to play him at the back? I'm a little puzzled by Sahin as well, he was kind of quiet but not sure if he is being deployed in the right position. I thought he was an attacking/creative midfielder but he seems to be filling in the Lucas role without the tackling. Having said that, whenever he got the ball he did the right thing.

Enrique...puzzling. Dodgy at the back overall but I wouldn't get overly worried about that seeing as all five of them are back up.

 

[Hector Grey]

downing:disgrace.

enrique is a disaster, an utter fucking disaster.

Henderson was pretty good.

The kids were alright, all of them. Pacheco was isolated, wouldn't be fair to judge him on that, but Suso and Wisdom and Assaidi were pretty good. Coates looks like a player. Carra looks like a corpse. Sahin has lovely ability, he'll come good. Over all, best crack watching liverpool in fucking ages.

 

[oh shit]

Sahin was playing as the midfield recycler. he was always there to receive the ball from henderson (in the lucas role, the guy who the defence were first looking to pass to) as we transitioned from defence to attack, and then he was constantly finding space to pick it up from the wingers as attacks broke down, looking to find the pass into the final third and start off another attack.

the thing that the kids seemed to understand better than the seniors have done is that BR wants the team always to prioritise possession. so if Suarez gets the ball and finds himself boxed out by two defenders, instead of trying to trick and dive his way through them, he should turn around and look for joe allen, who will 90% of the time be sitting in space somewhere behind him, if not him then someone else must make themselves available. then you cycle the ball around and start again until the opposition cracks. there were some passages last night when it looked good and YB didn't get a touch, but usually it would eventually go to downing to fuck it up.

personally i thought sahin did it really well and looked like our most comfortable player in the first half. normally you'd expect him to start further forward where Suso started when he gains more fitness.

but you could really see the level the game was at when shelvey and borini came on. young boys couldn't handle the movement and pace and it was great to see shelvey scoring like a younger steven gerrard.

not sure if i feel more confident or more nervous ahead of sunday now.

 

[dunderhead]

downing not even on bench today. yes!

(he's not injured is he?)

 

[oh shit]

Think young Suso has taken his spot, deservedly so. Gutted about the result. Referee was a disgrace. Not saying Shelvey didn't deserve red but he did no worse than Evans was attempting to do. Suarez denied a clear penalty, but then again what goes around comes around and he has ruined his own credibility long ago.

On the other hand, we were fucking bossing them even at 10 men and we will start climbing the table next week, no doubt

 

[Hector Grey]

It's a cruel bleeding game, but there's the difference between the two sides, taking your chances and having a hotline to the ref's union. However, we were good, and you can see it beginning to come together, and there's young talent coming through for the first time in years and we can say "we were robbed" and it's kinda true. Downer, sure, but for the first time in years, we're improving.

 

[Jerry Twig]

we will start climbing the table next week, no doubt

You should frame that

 

[Hector Grey]

Martin Kelly out for 6 months. Bummer. Time for Enrique to cop the fuck on, or Jack Robinson to step up.

 

[maims bond]

Martin Kelly out for 6 months. Bummer. Time for Enrique to cop the fuck on, or Jack Robinson to step up.

Or Downing!!!

 

[Hector Grey]

Or Downing!!!

how come he never gets fucking injured?

 

[Hector Grey]

One other point, Shelvey giving Fergie stick as he stomped off was hilarious. I love that guy.

 

[Unicron]

how come he never gets fucking injured?

Generally you need to play to get injured.

 

[Hector Grey]

Generally you need to play to get injured.

Souness would have diddled him in training. I miss Souness.

 

[oh shit]

Shelvey is a bit of a looper really. Remember gerrard used to get sent off like that?

Wonder if downing can cut it at all. Rumour was that he and BR had a bust up in training last week. Suso still far more effective when he came on though.

I guess Enrique will get another chance to cop on. He actually looks like he's getting stupider an stupider though. Like his skull is thickening and his head is getting too heavy for his neck

 

[Hector Grey]

Downing has always been average. Everything about him is average. Stewart is an average name.

 

[dunderhead]

that second goal was a fuckin peach tonight

nice one. good win

 

[Wheels]

Absolutely amazing response on Liverpool forums about that performance. The youngest ever team fielded by a Liverpool manager and they were superb by all accounts. From the highlights the big plusses are - Sahin is coming into the level that he is known for (the second goal was pure quality from start to finish) Assaidi looks like a really dinky and delivering winger (hold your breath on him though) Suso is making really eye catching cameos and Wisdom could turn out to be more than adequate cover for right back. Coates is also jumping up the pecking order and should start against Norwich if Agger's not fit.

Fair fucks to Rodgers, he's a brave mo'fo for sticking to his guns and I hope the senior players will match that kind of enthusiasm and quality over the next few league games. I like what I'm seeing coming slowly through...

 

[nutmeg81]

can anyone throw up a link to the highlights of the game, was on at crazy o clock here in Oz!

read on the kop forum how utterly usless Downing was in comparrison to Assaidi. Glad to see Yesil and Sahin also starting and that Suso and young boy Sinclair finished up front. Heard Robinson and Wisdom did well at fullback too. Great to see these young lads getting game time and really shows how skewed a view Kk had about out younger players.

I wonder if Coates has now outjumped Wilson (formwe scots pl young player of the season) on a permanent basis. Wonder where Flanagan has gone too.

Hoping we can beat Swansea at Anfield in the 5th round and glad that the scum are playin chelski then too!

 

[maims bond]

It seems fairly obvious that Rodgers could continue the poor run of form in the league and still have the backing of the fans. By all accounts his name is being sung frequently at games, means a lot if the fans buy into the philosophy and thereby give the project time even when the results are bad.

As for highlights, I always use footytube.com. You won't get the highlights straight away but they usually appear 3-4 hours after.