The OFFICIAL Liverpool Supporters thread

[quit yo jibbajabba]

lads, asa fellow red, i think we have problems;

very little genuine pace in our team, finnan,carra,riise are ok, but no flyers, i'l not mention sami, (and it wasnt his fault for the goal);
likewise up front;
for the ones slaggin babel, at least he showed, and tried to take his man on; i think there is ability there;
think the vorinator is more a super sub type of player who is being found out; losing patience with kuyt too; for all his huffing and puffing; there has been very little goal threat recently;
and stevieg tries the holywood pass too much, doesnt overly seem to want to get overly involved in paly unless its him on the end of the goal chance....

so there ye go; i think we have problems!!

i know we are missing alonso,agger and torres, 3 big players, but i thought we were meant to have this brilliant squad that could cover for all eventualities....
having said all that, we'll beat the arse 3 zip on sunday.......

[Goats Do Shave]

These wankers are banging on about why Crouch didnt start and that little Stevie was out of this world tonight, i dont know what match they were watching.

I agree that they are going OTT about Gerrard but i think Crouch should have started too..Voronin and Kuyt are too alike too play together in my opinion

They said that about Tevez & Rooney....

Crouch should never start for Liverpool, but he should have been on a lot earlier, esp. as they are throwing long balls into the box!

I actually rate Kuyt (Even though you lot don't!), he should have a fruitful partnership with Torres.

Babel looks very un fit. He could hardly move at the end! Benayoun should start!

What's all the fuss about Mascherano?? Terrible player!

Might put a couple of pound on Liverpool winning the UEFA cup this year! 

[AZOffaly]

What's all the fuss about Mascherano?? Terrible player!

Can't agree there GDS, I know you're a United fan on wind up duty today , but MAscherano is the new, fitter Did Hamann. Our problem in Midfield is Stephen Gerrard cannot play as a traditional central midfielder. I know he runs around and makes tackles, but he is just not your prototype central midfielder, despite what Sky Spurts say about him. He is a fine player, and would be a great player if you absolved him of any positional responsibility, but he seems to think he is a midfield general, and he isn't. No fault or harm to that, but if you try to accomodate him there, the midfield gets unbalanced. There is no linking up at all. The little passes keeping possession that Liverpool were so good at 20 years ago, and that practically every European team can do with ease.

I think this would be my Liverpool team to play in games where the Opposition pose a threat.

Reina

Finnan Carragher Agger Arbeloa

Pennant Alonso Gerrard Mascherano Riise
         
            Torres


And my team for home games against Birmingham, Portsmouth, Sunderland, Wigan etc etc would be

Reina

Finnan Carragher Agger Riise

Pennant Gerrard Alonso Babbel

   Torres   Kuyt.


in the first formation, I wouldn't play Gerrard 'in the hole' I would just make him an auxiallary centre fielder with a a licence to pop up wherever he wants, and go forward. Masch and Alonso would be the more disciplined midfield men. Obviously there will be injuries, suspensions etc, but in those two formations, Sissoko could replace Mascherano, Benayoun could replace Babbel or Pennant, Gerrard could move out right, and obvoiusly Voronin and Crouch could replace Torres or Kuyt. I also think Crouch will be on his way in January.

[DirtyDozen12]

I see the blinkers re the great 'Stevie G' are starting to slip....

Stevie G coming for a lot of 'unjust' stick in my opinion.  If the team itself isn't clicking ifs very hard for one player to lift the whole team when they are all obviously playing with zero confidence.  As Eamon Dunphy said last, Gerrard can do the spectacular in the final third of the pitch, its beyond this point where he has no influence in the game.

I would like to see him play in behind the strikers, closer to the goals where he is more dangerous and when he is driving at defences because when he goes froward he is mighty hard to stop.  Strikers really pissed me off last night, every ball that went up to them didn't stick and when your forwards cant keep the ball it puts pressure back on the midfield and defence straight away.  

[AZOffaly]

Agree Dirty Dozen, I have great time for Stevie G, I just do not think he is a 'proper' central midfielder. Gerrard doesn't control games the way Jan Molby, Graeme Souness, Gelnn Hoddle, even John Barnes later on, used to do. He is more effective, as you say, popping up in strange positions and influencing the game from there. Sometimes though, you just need to pass the ball from A-B-C and back to A.

[Armagh Cúchulainns]

As an onlooker with Chelsea Backgorund, if one was to look at the table
         Played  Points
Marseille 3          7
Porto    3          5
Besiktas 3          3
Liverpool 3         1

Now assuming Liverpool win all three matches and get to ten points in theory they may not be assured qulaification:
If Porto beat Marseille in the next round of games they would move to 8 points with Marseille on 7.
If Porto and Marseille both take full points from Besiktas and liverpool beat both teams, rather likely, then would it come down to goal differences and from looking at an indepth table Liverpool have scored 2 and conceded 4, not good.

The problem now facing Rafa is that in his next three CL games he has to start his best XI to get the full nine points and a few goals to boost teh difference. The problem arises that due to the loss of his asst mangers and the fact he rotates more that fairground attraction i personally dont think he knows who his best XI are:

My team would be

               Reina

     Finnan Carra Agger Risse

   Gerrard Alonso Mascherano
Benayoun                     Babel
               Torres

Or something similar to this, the well reknown Mourinho 4-3-3.

His team

               Reina

     Finnan Carra Agger Arbeloa

Gerrard Alonso Mascherano Risse
                     
             Kuyt Torres

It doesnt look good for Liverpool.

[corn02]

A blessing in disguise perhaprs but it is not possible to overlook such a bad performance. The turth in the matter is were still not up to standard. When I heard Torres was out I wondered where the goals would come from. There is no creative spark except when Torres is there.

Reina is as solid as they come, a new decent sub keeper may be a good purchase but he is one of the best in the World in my opinion.

Defence: Our solid base for years now seems to be coming in for some unjust flak. The mistakes have been more frequent his year bu the likes of Ferdinand makes plenty too but he is still a class act. Hyypia has been playing excellent despite the two ogs'. His spped is suspect but his positioning and reading is as good as Carraghers. Regarding Jamie a big mistake last night. Just because he has not been making spectacular challenges i.e Champions League campaign 05, he has still done his job brilliantly bar Spurs. Finnan has me worried. In the Premierhip he has been fine but in Europe he has lost like a lost puppy especially last night and Porto away.

Riise will always be an enigma with me, a great orward player but not the best defender. His decision making is not good enough. I never thought I would say that we missed Arbeloa but we certainly did last night. Himself and Aurelio have come through after shaky st\rts are are deemed good enough squad players in my book.

Agger is a class act and is learning all the time, enough said.

Overall defence verdict: Two signings needed before start of next season (Will not say January because that is wishful thinking). Celchini (sp?) The Juve defender has been touted. I always maintained letting Milito slip was a mistake and alas Barca pounced.

Midfield: The song says we have the best midfield in the World, sadly we have one of the worst  midfielders out of the 'big four', stand up Sissoko. He punched above his weight for a couple of years and his now showing his true quality, poor. Gerrard is another one to sort out. He whinged for playing on the right but he has no real defensive qualities. However Alonso and Mascherano can do that for him and he will come good.

People were saying Alonso has had a few bad years. Ok he did not score from his own half but people need to look at what he does do. He does what Hamann done superbly for years the 'dirty work'. A class act who has been missied significantly. Mascherano is pure class. He has the touch of a baby  elephant but his tidying up excuse this unlike Sissoko.

Bable for me has looked terrible. A risky gamble that will not pay off. Yossi has started brightly and merits his place on the squad. I am Pennants biggest fan but he needs to kick start it soon. On form he is deadly and his assists stats the last few years have been excellent. Kewell is a lost cuse.

Midfield evaluation: A quality winger needed in summer: Mancini or Quaresma please. Either one will be enough to turn this team around.

Forwards:
Crouch is getting a hard deal but at the same time when he has played he has been awful, a player low on confidence. He just needs that one goal like when he first joined. The chances are few and far between though.

Kuyt: Great worker but the jury is still out. His goals against Evertonwere his first in the Premiership this year, a damning statistic as he has got plenty of playing time.

Vornin: He is exceeding all expectation, not surprising as he was a free. An average player doing well. The fact he is having success should not cloud the fact he is not good enough.

Torres: A star for years to come.

Forward evaluation:
We need a first rate stiker to play with Torres. Villa would be ideal but I think he signed a new contract. When E'to returns from injury it will be interesting to see who gets dropped. I think it will be him which may open the door for Rafa.

Overall: we are still two starters and a couple more squad players away from challenging United.

[Over the Bar]

Istillthink Liverpool will go thru but if they fail to qualify from what is arguably the easiest Champions League group ever, I think Benitez will have to go if he doesnt finish at least 3rd & win the FA Cup.

[corn02]

Excuse my language but who gives a f**k about the FA Cup.

[Armagh Cúchulainns]

Liverpool might the way they're goin.

[Farrandeelin]

Liverpool might the way they're goin.

[AZOffaly]

To be honest, going out of the Champions League wouldn't upset me greatly this season if it meant Rafa would stop the crazy revolving doors policy with the first team.

[Over the Bar]

Excuse my language but who gives a f**k about the FA Cup.

Every manager under pressure does.  It has meant the difference between the sack and glory.  It has saved Ferguson's, Mourino's and Wenger's ass at times.

[SammyG]

Excuse my language but who gives a f**k about the FA Cup.

I'm going to take a guess that you're under 30 and have been brought up in the 'football began with the Premiership era', otherwise you wouldn't be making that statement.

As far as football in Engerlund the order of importance is
League
FA Cup
Europe
League Cup

Always has been and always will be.

[his holiness nb]

It once was Sammy, but can you honestly say the big teams see the FA Cup as more important than the champions league??

No chance.