The OFFICIAL Liverpool FC thread - #DankeJürgen

[Minus15]

BC fair play to you for acknowledging Ngog's performance. I am just on for the first time today and the first post I read was how you thought Jova was being harshly treated and I was about to comment on that assessment but I will let that one go.

The 3-0 capped a good end to a horrible day for me. Was to go to the match today but didn't get over due to the snow and took almost 4 hours to get home from the airport. Second time flights have fucked it up for me this season. I will get to a game yet.

Good team performance against a poor Villa side on the night but once again there is more evidence of Roy Hodgson's influence on the team. What is particularly refreshing is that the players seem to be buying into that philosophy -  the results of which are becoming more and more telling with every passing game.

This may sound like a mad comparison but Ngog's style of running, his touch and his emerging strength remind me of Stan Collymore in his first year at Liverpool. Good to see Babel tonight. Showed a great attitude and building on his performance in Bucharest took his chance well in the position he favours.

Finally, impressed with Meireles who is learning very quickly indeed and Lucas for me has emerged as a leader in the middle of the park. Gets his tackles in well, distribution is good and manages to win frees when under pressure in the way that Didi Hamann used to do so well. Gutted I missed the match but onwards and upwards. Here's hoping for a few more positive results from now to the new year and we could manage to turn this season around yet.

[GalwayBayBoy]

Good win tonight especially without the big 3. Babel had one of his best games for Liverpool. Maybe the fact that it was so cold made him run around more than usual. Lucas and Meireles completely controlled the midfield and kept possession well. Defence wasn't tested all that much to be honest. Villa were very poor. Johnson looked more like his old self as the game went on.

Congrats to Pepe on his clean sheets and Torres and wife for producing another nipper. Hope it doesn't keep him up at night.

[Minder]

Decent performance against a piss poor Villa team. They really should be beating Villa at home, no good winning games at home against poor opposition and then going and stinking the place out away from home in the next game. If Hodgson doesn't improve the away form he will get the hook I would say.

[supersarsfields]

Have to agree with the comments on Merieles. Been very good any time I've seen him. Him and Lucas make a good centre pairing. Just a pity money was wasted on that Poulsen clown.
I've always said N'Gog had the potential to do well for Liverpool and I reckon he'll get better and better. But as Minder says we'll need to string a run of games together before we start getting ahead of ourselves.

[brokencrossbar1]

Great win with a lot of positives.  Clean sheet for Pepe, faster than any other Liverpool keepers to 100.  Johnson played well going forward and got a few telling tackles in the other way.  Konchesky tackled well but is still limited and should simply be back up to Aurelio once fully fit. Lucas and Merieles were excellent, Lucas really has matured and Merieles is really settling in well.  Maxi and Kuyt were quiet enough but Kuyt allows Johnson to get forward and is very hard working, Maxi has the touch of class about him when he has to.  Really pleased for the 2 front lads with their goals and general play.  I know what you mean about N'Gog looking like Stan Minus, same build and style of play and if he keeps getting game time will develop well.  £1.5m bargain, 9 goals already this season.  He is only 21 and has nicked 20 odd goals for Liverpool, on his current form he should add at least 10 more to that before the end of the season.  Babel has 20 odd goals as well but has played 70 odd games more.   I know not all of that is his fault but N'Gog is definitely much better value.

What is important now is to get the away form better.  16 games played so far this season, 8 home 8 away.  Home W 5 D 2 L 1, Away W 1 D 2 L 5.  Tells the whole stroy really. Only Chelski and Manure have a better home record.  Only Villa and the bottom 3 have worse away records.  Newcastle are in disarray so it might be a good time to pick up points there and this would hopefully keep the momentum going. With Europa qualification guaranteed then players can be rested in the wednesday game.  Keep them fresher for the game against Fulham the next weekend.

[Geoff Tipps]

What happens when Gerrard comes back?? There's no way the Lucas-Raul partnership should be broken up. Similarly I think N'gog deserves his place up front and should be given an extended run there. Kuyt seems to be out of form so perhaps Gerrard will come in on the right.
Overall a good performance against a Villa team that are very poor. Konchesky is still not good enough and Aurelio has to come back in there. Soto offers a great outlet from set pieces but will always get found out if a nippy forward gets a run at him. Johnson and Skrtel pick themselves.
Maxi was quiet tonight but his finish was outstanding. He's been one of their better players in the last 2 months. Babel was lively but will yield to Torres when he's back.
The next 5 or 6 games are eminently winnable. Lets hope by the time we meet United in the cup we'll have continued to climb up the table.

[Doogie Browser]

Villa were shocking last night, a lot of Villa fans slag off Petrov but his presence is sorely missed in the middle of the park.
A Liverpool team without Torres, Gerrard & Carragher should be there for the taking and we did not even test them and that is depressing.
Lucas and Meireles bossed the middle all night.
Nearly better for Liverpool that Torres didn't play last night as he has been poor all season and N'gog & Babel had a point to prove and did so convincingly.
Stephen Ireland can fcuk off to his granny's funeral and never come back as far as I am concerned.

[Joxer]

Stephen Ireland can fcuk off to his granny's funeral and never come back as far as I am concerned.

I was just wondering when someone was going to comment on this.  The worst player on the pich last night by a country mile. Did not give one F**k and by god it showed. 

Granted that Villa were horrible but that has to be one of Liverpools best performances all year with the team they had out.  Babel really impressed me again last night and maybe,  just maybe is starting to show something that he has all the capabilities to show.  Merieles and Lucas had the freedom of Anfield last night but were very effective in everything they done.  Is it just me or does Glenn Johnson annoy anybody else.  He done alot of work getting forward and supporting last night but he was very very wasteful.  Everytime he gets into an attacking position I think he feels he has to shoot.  I like the look of Kelly at right back but Johnson will always be number one.

Joe Cole only one for 10 minutes but still looks sluggish.  Needs game time but needs to step it up to IMO. 

Team for Toon:

Reina

Johnson  Kyrgiakos  Skrtel Konchesky

Kuyt  Meireles  Lucas Maxi

Babel  Torres

[Bingo]

Can be happy with the test but have to win on Saturday, no too ways about it. We have the 3rd best home record after Utd and Chelsea and the third worse away record. We need wins on the road and newcastle are their for the taking if we get about them early and put doubts in their mind.

Lucas and Meirles impressed, albeit against a very poor Villa midfield, Steven Ireland WTF??? While Babel put in a very good display by his standards, I was more impressed with Ngog. Looked very bright, looked to take on Villa defenders early on and put doubts in there heads with what he was going to do, set the tone for his display. Took his goal well but I thought his part in the second was very understated by Sky, his pace and little flick with outside of his foot was sublime. Great finish by Maxi as well.

Good to see these comfortable wins over poor opposition.

But it sickens to watch sky and the slack they continue to give Roy. Gray said that he inherited a far weaker squad than Rafa inherited from Ged, WTF? He said it was a certainity. Keys then piped up that Liverpool are now closer to the top team at this stage of the season than they where last year, it would have fair to say that they are also closer to the bottom team than they where this time last season.

[Geoff Tipps]

Agree re N'gog. Thought he was more impressive than Babel and he would me choice up front to partner Torres.
Was thinking the exact same thing about Keys and Gray. They've given Woy a free ride for the whole of the season. They've never mentioned his shocking away record or the fact that he stumbled upon the CM partnership of Lucas and Meireles. I almost got sick when they said the sqaud Rafa inherited was weaker than the one Woy inherited! We know he's your mate but FFS 

[ross4life]

I almost got sick when they said the sqaud Rafa inherited was weaker than the one Woy inherited!

Gray said that he inherited a far weaker squad than Rafa inherited from Ged, WTF?

Who inherited the weaker squad? anyways having a resemblance to last season now! 7th place 24 points back then..

[Bingo]

I almost got sick when they said the sqaud Rafa inherited was weaker than the one Woy inherited!

Gray said that he inherited a far weaker squad than Rafa inherited from Ged, WTF?

Who inherited the weaker squad? anyways having a resemblance to last season now! 7th place 24 points back then..

You serious?

[gawa316]

I almost got sick when they said the sqaud Rafa inherited was weaker than the one Woy inherited!

Gray said that he inherited a far weaker squad than Rafa inherited from Ged, WTF?

Who inherited the weaker squad? anyways having a resemblance to last season now! 7th place 24 points back then..

You serious?

Ah jaysus don't get him started...

[ross4life]

I almost got sick when they said the sqaud Rafa inherited was weaker than the one Woy inherited!

Gray said that he inherited a far weaker squad than Rafa inherited from Ged, WTF?

Who inherited the weaker squad? anyways having a resemblance to last season now! 7th place 24 points back then..

You serious?

I didn't see the Andy gray piece last night!  question was  for the above quotes!

Don't forget when Rafa took over he had Carragher,Gerrard at their peak.. now Roy has out of form/Ageing Jamie & Steven.

[Geoff Tipps]

I almost got sick when they said the sqaud Rafa inherited was weaker than the one Woy inherited!

Gray said that he inherited a far weaker squad than Rafa inherited from Ged, WTF?

Who inherited the weaker squad? anyways having a resemblance to last season now! 7th place 24 points back then..

You serious?

I didn't see the Andy gray piece last night!  question was  for the above quotes!

Don't forget when Rafa took over he had Carragher,Gerrard at their peak.. now Roy has out of form/Ageing Jamie & Steven.

When Rafa took over Carra was playing full back. He turned him into a top class centre back.