The OFFICIAL Liverpool FC thread - RIP Diogo

[EC Unique]

Never before has the importance of confidence, or the lack of it, been demonstrated so well. Liverpool had pretty much their best 11 out today and as soon as Arsenal scored they fell apart and did not believe they could score. They are a much better team than 3/15 would suggest but it is hard to see a 6 or 7 winning run in the near future. For the first time I actually think it is a strong possibility they could fall out of the top 4. Time will tell.

Immense pressure in every Premier League match now starting with Wednesday night. They should forget about the Europa League but knowing Rafa he will not..

[J70]

Never before has the importance of confidence, or the lack of it, been demonstrated so well. Liverpool had pretty much their best 11 out today and as soon as Arsenal scored they fell apart and did not believe they could score. They are a much better team than 3/15 would suggest but it is hard to see a 6 or 7 winning run in the near future. For the first time I actually think it is a strong possibility they could fall out of the top 4. Time will tell.

Immense pressure in every Premier League match now starting with Wednesday night. They should forget about the Europa League but knowing Rafa he will not..

Can't argue with that. Its all very well talking about potential and proven ability, but sooner or later they have to show they can still do it. And I wouldn't have cared too much about losing to someone like Arsenal IF they had laid siege to the Arsenal goal and Arsenal escaped with a win. But there was no leadership, no guts, no guile on show at all. How many times did Aurelio drop free-kicks in on the penalty spot? Yes, it worked for the goal, but christ you have to vary it!

Next four - Wigan (h), Portsmouth (a), Wolves (h), Villa (a)

If they don't finish the year with at least another ten points from those fixtures...

[Silky]

Hard Web was a disgrace yesterday but our biggest problems are luck and lack of team spirit. We aren't getting any luck at all and when the chips are down our lads crumble!

Yesterday was a real opportunity to get back into the title race and we blew it.  We should have been 3 up at half time but as soon as Arsenal equalised there was only going to be one winner. Everton, Villa, Fulham, Stoke, Bolton all have more fighting spirit than we do.

Rafa needs to sort it out quick because Im beginning to believe that Graeme Souness was right when he said we're heading for meltdown. Im having nightmares about Leeds every night.

[brokencrossbar1]

It is time to really get the players together and ask them what they want out of the season.  4th place is very achieveable, 3rd place a potential as I still reckon that Arsenal will drop unexpected points.  There are 22 games left and if 15 points were dropped over those games Liverpool would still have a higher total than Arsenal did at the end of last season.  Spurs are too brittle, Man City I am still not convinced about but Villa are a danger.  The one blessing from a Liverpool point of view is that they do not have a big squad so O'Neill is limited if he gets injuries. 

The next 4 games are vital, and a good thing is that they are against 3 of the weakest teams.  It will give Liverpool the opportunity to get a few wins, Torres,Gerard and Aqualani the chance to get match fit and sharp, and hopefully bang in a few goals.  I think that 10 points is a minimum, but if they got all 12 then things would look much different.

The Yanks need to put their hands in their now filled pockets in the New Year and do something as well>

[Billys Boots]

From the little I saw of Aquilani yesterday he looks a bit out of his depth in the helter-skelter - that said, he needs to play him regularly.  The middle-two of Lucas and Mascherano doesn't distribute quickly enough (or long enough, or wide enough) to allow the chances to be created against a quick back-four (like Arsenal).  Though Lucas had a decent enough first-half. 

There's something not quite hanging-together with Liverpool at the moment - they don't look like a team, and that (to me) makes Benitez's position very, very fragile.  I think he'll get the chop shortly, or will get a (manufactured) resignation.  He doesn't sound like he wants to stay either. 

[EC Unique]

It is time to really get the players together and ask them what they want out of the season.  4th place is very achieveable, 3rd place a potential as I still reckon that Arsenal will drop unexpected points.  There are 22 games left and if 15 points were dropped over those games Liverpool would still have a higher total than Arsenal did at the end of last season.  Spurs are too brittle, Man City I am still not convinced about but Villa are a danger.  The one blessing from a Liverpool point of view is that they do not have a big squad so O'Neill is limited if he gets injuries. 

The next 4 games are vital, and a good thing is that they are against 3 of the weakest teams.  It will give Liverpool the opportunity to get a few wins, Torres,Gerard and Aqualani the chance to get match fit and sharp, and hopefully bang in a few goals.  I think that 10 points is a minimum, but if they got all 12 then things would look much different.

The Yanks need to put their hands in their now filled pockets in the New Year and do something as well>

All that could be said about Liverpool...

[bingobus]

What another disaster on Sunday. Positive first half but on the evidence of the second half did we look good because Arsenal where so bad. When they stepped it up we had no response and never looked like scoring. Masch was obviously a miss when he went off. His energy was plugging holes all over the field. Two bad goals to lose and the ref was a joke. Very little positives to take from it.

The team totally lost the crowd in the second half. Even Gerrard was getting loads of stick and two fella's kicked off with each other up behind me in the main stand. Very bad times.

Only thing is too win the next three. Its essential, hopefullt Torres will kick on and get a couple. He was dead on his feet for last 20. Also, should start Aquaman and get him into game early on. No use him playing when everyone else is standing round like Sunday. When Liverpool won the ball on Sunday for last 20  mins there was zero movement up front, everyone was waiting on someone else to do something.

Bad times.

[new devil]

What another disaster on Sunday. Positive first half but on the evidence of the second half did we look good because Arsenal where so bad. When they stepped it up we had no response and never looked like scoring. Masch was obviously a miss when he went off. His energy was plugging holes all over the field. Two bad goals to lose and the ref was a joke. Very little positives to take from it.

The team totally lost the crowd in the second half. Even Gerrard was getting loads of stick and two fella's kicked off with each other up behind me in the main stand. Very bad times.

Only thing is too win the next three. Its essential, hopefullt Torres will kick on and get a couple. He was dead on his feet for last 20. Also, should start Aquaman and get him into game early on. No use him playing when everyone else is standing round like Sunday. When Liverpool won the ball on Sunday for last 20  mins there was zero movement up front, everyone was waiting on someone else to do something.

Bad times.

Great isn't it

Did i mention before that yous are shit??

[bingobus]

What another disaster on Sunday. Positive first half but on the evidence of the second half did we look good because Arsenal where so bad. When they stepped it up we had no response and never looked like scoring. Masch was obviously a miss when he went off. His energy was plugging holes all over the field. Two bad goals to lose and the ref was a joke. Very little positives to take from it.

The team totally lost the crowd in the second half. Even Gerrard was getting loads of stick and two fella's kicked off with each other up behind me in the main stand. Very bad times.

Only thing is too win the next three. Its essential, hopefullt Torres will kick on and get a couple. He was dead on his feet for last 20. Also, should start Aquaman and get him into game early on. No use him playing when everyone else is standing round like Sunday. When Liverpool won the ball on Sunday for last 20  mins there was zero movement up front, everyone was waiting on someone else to do something.

Bad times.

Great isn't it

Did i mention before that yous are shit??

Great post, always as insightful as ever.

Did I mention that I couldn't give a f**k what you think?

[Denn Forever]

Is Hiddink being mentioned to manage Liverpool?

Will it happen?

[bingobus]

Is Hiddink being mentioned to manage Liverpool?

Will it happen?

Why? Liverpool have a manager. Hiddink is practically owned by Roman at this stage plus he failed to take a very talented Russian team to the world cup.

[Silky]

Rafa's going nowhere. It would cost far too much to pay him off plus all his back room team.

Remember we had a bad spell last year after he had a go a Ferguson but he sorted it out. He'll have to do the same again.

[Lady GAA GAA]

i really hope gerrard is in cm and not aurelio here. if aurelio is then i f**king give up on aquilani.

[new devil]

Why is torres not playing..need yous f**kers to win 

[Abble]

i really hope gerrard is in cm and not aurelio here. if aurelio is then i f**king give up on aquilani.

doesnt take much for you to give up on someone