new liverpool thread - everyone loves them (2 Viewers)

[actwithoutwords]

Riise has been irredeemable bollocks for about 2 years now, as opposed to his utter mediocrity before. Arbeloa has been shite in these two games. Very disappointed in him, he was looking very good back at the start of the season, has lost confidence.
I was being relatively facetious with the Benny remark, I was howling for him to be brought off at half time, but in a tight game creating a goal like that is a huge contribution.
Kuyt was bollocks last night as well, the conditions completely exposed his technical deficiencies.
Can't be too gutted about the result, we went out with a fight at least. Had the match finished at half time, it would have been embarrassing.

Torres did his hamstring towards the end of the ninety minutes apparently, Rafa gave him a few minutes to see if it would get any better but he had to take him off, you can't fuck around with hamstrings. Babel instead of Crouch was a good call I thought, had Crouch came on they would just be lumping shite balls in the air up to him for the last 20 minutes, the temptation is just too much. Whereas with Babel he was at least trying to encourage better play. And Babel did cause hassle when he came on. I must watch the replay of that penno claim again, it's very difficult to tell who got the touch. Hyppia's was a definitely a penno, but Brady was right last night, had he not thrown himself on the ground he probably would have got it. The ref had his whistle in his mouth walking towards the penalty spot even as it was. Anyone remember Roma at Anfield UEFA Cup 2000/01? We got a taste of that medicine with that one.

 

[Hector Grey]

strange season. looks worse than last year, but we've cut the lead at tech top down, and held both arsenal and chelsea at their place. beat everton twice. had a striker knock in 30+ goals. skrtl. masch. babel. i mean, it's better, right?

 

[maims bond]

strange season. looks worse than last year, but we've cut the lead at tech top down, and held both arsenal and chelsea at their place. beat everton twice. had a striker knock in 30+ goals. skrtl. masch. babel. i mean, it's better, right?

it's definitely better but i think this season has also exposed the fact that you are in need of 3-4 more quality squad players in order to challenge for the title. given the current political situation at the club it may be difficult to secure funding to get the players needed.

 

[Franco]

You'll be hard pressed to hold on to Torres if you don't win some tin. He came for medals.

A big club could come in for him after next season, if there's no improvement.

 

[Wheels]

strange season. looks worse than last year, but we've cut the lead at tech top down, and held both arsenal and chelsea at their place. beat everton twice. had a striker knock in 30+ goals. skrtl. masch. babel. i mean, it's better, right?

Despite some dodgy footballing displays, it is definitely getting better. With some key ins and outs this Summer (and some sort of kop on for the board situation) I would be quite optimistic for next season.

 

[Franco]

Joking aside, I think it's been a improved season for Pool. Yiz have a decent spine now, some alright squad personel, and Benitez seems to have the makings of decent formation finally. A couple more marquee signings in key areas and you should narrow the gap next season.

The only problem is the fact that you're playing catch up. As Pool improve so do Manu and Chelsea. Can't see yiz squeezing between or above those two next season. But getting into the end of season mix-up at least would be an improvement. Wonder how the squad would fare if it was pushing on both the league and champs legue fronts till the end of the season?

 

[oh shit]

The only problem is the fact that you're playing catch up. As Pool improve so do Manu and Chelsea. Can't see yiz squeezing between or above those two next season. But getting into the end of season mix-up at least would be an improvement. Wonder how the squad would fare if it was pushing on both the league and champs legue fronts till the end of the season?

it's true that the league is increasingly stratified, and it's very hard to see how that structural imbalance can be addressed through a few good players and tactical acumen

 

[avernus]

liverpool should buy this guy:

sober him up, slap him in the face and watch him kick ass. inter want him dead, so he's for the taking. probably pick him up for about 10euro. swap him for crouch maybe.

 

[Hector Grey]

fuck chelsea. it's over for them. they might win the eurovision this year, but after that? over.

 

[Franco]

it's true that the league is increasingly stratified, and it's very hard to see how that structural imbalance can be addressed through a few good players and tactical acumen

Tactics have gone to pot in the Premiership because of the grossly uneven spread of wealth and talent at the top.

Ferguson has so much talent at his disposal that he can pick any eleven out of 18-22 lads and still turn over the bottom 16 in the premier league.

Grant can play his best midfielder at right back, hammer two square pegs like ballack and lampard into the same hole and still handily be in with a good chance of a double.

The tacticians like Benitez and Wenger are the ones getting stung. While they are busy putting faith in their tactical nous, their main opposition is taking the short hand route of just buying up a rakes of quality players.

All the good players are gravitating to the same small handfull of elite clubs. With sides full of stars, who needs tactics? I blame real madrid.

 

[ratmonkey]

Tactics = you put your best players on the pitch in their best positions. So says John Giles.

 

[Hector Grey]

gareth barry, with his experience of mid table mediocrity and fa cup sixth round defeats, will be the man to take liverpool to the next level. you be forgiven for assuming the next level is lower down then the one we're at.

 

[ratmonkey]

Is another central midfielder really what ye need?

 

[oh shit]

flogging xabi, innit

 

[Hector Grey]

i hope not

 

[Wheels]

John Arne Riise, Jermaine Pennant, Harry Kewell and Peter Crouch did not join their teammates on the lap of honour and may bid personal farewells as Liverpool look to sign players such as Gareth Barry, the Aston Villa captain, and Philipp Degen, the Borussia Dortmund full back.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/ ... 872848.ece

 

[trev]

Liverpool Reserves have been crowned National Champions after powering to a resounding victory over Aston Villa in an entertaining play-off final at Anfield. Gary Ablett's men produced the type of performance typical of their all-conquering campaign, combining attractive, flowing football with some gutsy, determined defending to clinch a 3-0 win courtesy of goals from Krisztian Nemeth, Jordy Brouwer and Lucas Leiva.

It caps a remarkable season for the Reds' second string, who can now add the national title to both the Dallas Cup and the Northern Division championship, to complete what is a superb cup treble.

On a rare sun-drenched evening at Anfield, it was Villa who settled the quicker of the two sides, but for all their good approach play Liverpool manufactured the game's first real moment of note when Krisztian Nemeth's cute back heel was deflected away by the last-ditch boot of Isaiah Osbourne, to deny Lucas a clear run at goal.

The Brazilian was in the side in place of the injured Jay Spearing and provided some South American rhythm at the centre of the park against Kevin McDonald's experienced Villa outfit that included first-teamers such as Stuart Taylor, Wayne Routledge, Shaun Maloney and Marlon Harewood.

In truth, the visitors enjoyed the majority of the possession throughout an entertaining first-half and went close through Chris Herd's 20-yard snap shot before the hosts took the lead courtesy of a familiar marksmen.

The lively Nabil El Zhar ran at the heart of the Villa defence and fed a neat ball through to Jordy Brouwer who in turn laid an instant flick to Nemeth on the right, with the Hungarian showing great composure to flash a shot from just inside the penalty area into the far corner to give Liverpool the perfect start.

It was a magnificent team goal and all the more fitting that the yellow-booted forward was the man on target, having been irrepressible in front of goal throughout a superb season with the reserves.

It gave the Reds the lift they needed and El Zhar drilled a long range strike over the cross bar before Jordy Brouwer wasted a great chance to double the home side's advantage on 24 minutes.

Ryan Flynn showed great determination to outpace his marker and fire in a dangerous cross from the left and although no one was on hand to finish off his superb wing play, El Zhar took up the baton on the far right and surged beyond Nathan Baker before cutting the ball back to Brouwer who side-footed a weak effort straight at Taylor from eight yards out.

However, it was as good as it got for the Reds in the first period and Villa began to dominate the proceedings as they pushed forward in search of the equaliser.

The first opportunity for the visitors to level fell to Marlon Harwood, who had already scored at Anfield during a 2-2 draw against Rafael Benitez's senior side earlier in the season, and he will feel he should have repeated that feat on 26 minutes, after lashing a fierce 25-yard strike just over Peter Gulacsi's crossbar.

The pace of Routledge was a cause for concern for Gary Ablett's men throughout the match and just seconds later Villa had carved Liverpool open down the right once again, but this time Herd somehow contrived to hit the post from 10 yards out after Harwood and Moloney combined to put him clear.

The Reds continued to look a threat on the counter-attack but it was the away side who again went closest to scoring prior to the interval when Mikel San Jose reacted brilliantly to clear Maloney's stabbed effort off the line after Gulacsi had dropped Routledge's right-wing cross.

It was a similar story after the break too, but Villa's fortune in front of goal continued to desert them as proved on 57 minutes when Moustapha Salifou saw his long range volley crash back off the crossbar with Gulacsi well beaten.

El Zhar and Nemeth offered some brief respite for the Reds rearguard with the former seeing his run and shot well blocked before the latter stung the fingertips of Taylor with a rasping 25-yard drive.

With both sides creating a series of good openings, something had to give, and after Maloney wasted a glorious chance to pull the Villains level, Liverpool struck the killer blow on 66 minutes.

Emiliano Insua won the ball deep in Villa territory allowing Nemeth to seize on the loose ball and play in Brouwer, who raced into the penalty area before hammering the ball, low into the bottom left-hand corner to send the Kop into raptures.

It was a strike that seemed to deflate the away side and on 76 minutes the Reds wrapped up victory when substitute Daniel Pacheco's delightfully disguised pass sent Lucas clear and the Brazilian made no mistake to ensure the 7,580 supporters packed into Anfield went home happy.

Liverpool Reserves: Gulacsi, Darby, Insua, San Jose, Huth, Plessis, El Zhar (Simon 86), Lucas, Brouwer (Pacheco 73), Nemeth (Lindfield 80), Flynn. Unused subs: Bouzanis, Kelly, Simon.

Aston Villa Reserves: Taylor, Lund (Bannan 74), Baker (Delfouneso 46), Osbourne, Clark, Lowry, Salifou, Routledge, Harewood, Herd, Maloney (Albrighton 77). Unused subs: Bevan, Collins.

Liverpoolfc.tv man of the match: Krisztian Nemeth. A classy forward who once again showed his promise with a superb goal and a clever assist.

 

[Hector Grey]

that nemeth looks like he might be okay. insua too. last time the reserves won the league the only player to make the grade was djimi traore.

 

[trev]

that nemeth looks like he might be okay. insua too. last time the reserves won the league the only player to make the grade was djimi traore.

yep nemeth should get a go in the first team.

 

[Vinnie]

yep nemeth should get a go in the first team.

They've been waxing lyrical about him since he arrived. If he keeps this up he could be the next Richie Patridge