14 Feb 2015

Carra: £49m LFC duo were 'outstanding' against Palace; Balotelli is the 'new Fairclough'.

After the superb midweek victory over Spurs, Liverpool delivered another resilient performance this evening against Crystal Palace, and with only one defeat in sixteen games, the Reds are well and truly on the march.

Reacting to Liverpool's 2-1 FA Cup victory, Anfield legend Jamie Carragher raved:

"Great result for Liverpool being [after] being one-down away at Palace.

"Ten assists now for Henderson* and 38 goals in 57 games for [£29m-rated] Sturridge. Outstanding from both"


Hendo put in a sublime cross for Sturridge's goal, and ten assists (at this stage of the season) is creditable; however, LFC's vice-captain really needs to improve his goals-scored ratio if he's to become a truly top-class midfielder.

Carra also reserved praise for Mario Balotelli:

"Goal and assist for Mario in two substitute appearances. The new Fairclough?!!"

Brendan Rodgers also praised Balotelli's contribution, and suggested that he's finally getting to grips with being a Liverpool player. He told reporters:

"He's been working really hard and I think the penny's dropped. It's been difficult for him as he's come into a style maybe he's never been in before, but the last couple of games he's come off the bench and been effective for us"

Two games away from the FA Cup Final; four points off fourth place, and the team is winning games without Gerrard and Sterling.

Things are looking good...

* Cost Liverpool £20m.

Author:


54 comments:

  1. As long as we keep our young talents fit and firing, we can do it! YNWA

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  2. balo should of been utilized off the bench from the git go especially early season when his confidence was shor ....once again the genius of rodgers shines through months after others are suggesting it

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  3. that must also be the hendo who cant pass...because i had forgot that only gerrard can pass the ball at liverpool ?

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  4. Great to see Mario kicking on from Tuesday and Sturridge is just the main man and frighting thing is that is not 100% yet.

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  5. whats really frustrating for me is that if rodgers had shaped up tactically and used the squad better from the off we really could be challenging

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  6. Jk usually finishes his articles like that its a trait i've noticed .....he will praise and slander the same player in the same sentence its quite a feat and usually only gets noticed by a few .......I think the phrase is sitting on the fence

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  7. Keep him just behind Sturridge




    Balotelli and Sturridge


    new Bergkamp and Henry


    Bargkamps career been simmialr to Balotellis, he also struggled first 4 months

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  8. Balotelli is the new Bergkamp
    Can is the new Viera
    Moreno is the new Ashley Cole
    Sterling new Ljunberg
    Coutinho new Pires
    Sturridge new Henry
    Lucas new Gilberto Silva
    Sakho new Sol Campbell

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  9. balo was being written off and now he is the super sub ...and they say a weeks a long time in politics

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  10. No it can't be can it?

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  11. You better believe it
    we are new invincibles

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  12. According to Brendan the penny has now dropped ...... whatever it takes !

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  13. theres two sides to that coin

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  14. most fans ive spoken to have said that was always the way to bed him in including a lot on this forum ..its a no brainer using him off the bench until he either gets use or his team mates do

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  15. Allens a good kid who tries.....but rodgers did him no favours by building him up to be something he or no body else is,when you make crazy statements to the press about how a player is going to show all the other players what football is about .You better make sure that player is that good

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  16. Yeah totally agree. I associate Allen with coherent midfield performances, controlled possession, and teamwork. I like those things a lot. I like Allen.

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  17. Agree let's hope BR's now got the message

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  18. allen only works in midfield if he has a player like hendo next to him running ...playing him with lucas or gerrad doesn't work for me ....now think of this how many times has he started the pair together

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  19. I'm just so glad he has finally seen sense and listened to you;-)

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  20. I can think of a number of very good performances in the last couple of years with Allen in various midfield roles. He's just a good player of his type. He doesn't need any special criticism.

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  21. Smiles all around including Mario and BR

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  22. The Brendan rest strikes again with Balo

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  23. Jaimie! Your most uplifting article since last season! You even ended the article on a high!

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  24. Watching Balo skulking around the pitch and generally failing to impose himself in those first months of the season was a pretty excruciating experience, but just lately he *does* look more relaxed doesn't he? Dare I say, happy even. And a happy man works well. He positively beamed after Lallana stuck in the rebound from his free kick. Whatever they've been doing with him at the training ground and off it, so far it seems to be having the desired effect. Very early days of course, but the signs are that he might be starting to buy into the movement, the hard work and the selflessness that Rodger's demands of his forward players.

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  25. This is why I always said, 'DON'T SELL BALOTELLI'. While those first few months were excruciating for me too, I always knew that it was only a matter of time before he finally got used to the system at Liverpool. Unlike individual talent, it is something relatively easy to fix. Balotelli is one of the most naturally talented strikers in Europe, therefore, we need to be patient with him, because we can't afford just giving him the flick so we can go and find a top quality replacement, as we're seemingly not able to attract top class strikers at our own will like other big clubs can.

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  26. I also think that Mignolet had a very good game. I have never seen him come off his line to contest the ball so much. He probably did it more times last night than he did the whole of last season. It doesn't change the fact that we do need to buy another goal keeper, however, the severity of the situation may have to be downgraded to 'challenging' Mignloet, rather than 'replacing Mignolet'. I think someone like Mat Ryan is a great choice to challenge him.

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  27. Cara didn't call Sturridge "£20m rated".

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  28. This comment makes me think that Orme can still have a good day.

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  29. He's probably in love.

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  30. So he is dropped and comes back not only with better movement but gets a goal and assist in his two sub appearances and that is what you are using to criticise Rodgers? Sorry fella that dog won't hunt.

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  31. It's an unusual shape you have to admit.

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  32. Upvoted for the Mario shout and taken away for the Hendo one.

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  33. We need a dm and a box to box midfoelder as well as another striker.

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  34. Yep you cracked the code.

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  35. Yes a penny has two sides ;p

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  36. I would like to see Allen and Can play together.

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  37. Would that be the biggest-nosed midfield combination in LFC's illustrious history?

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  38. I'm praying you are right and Balo proves me wrong.

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  39. Agreed. I think what was done to and for him earlier in the season helped him. I am not saying Rodgers is good at man management but people saying he was poor without waiting for the results were a touch silly if you ask me.

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  40. Pity I can only upvote once.

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  41. You're encouraging it.

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  42. To be a Liverpool captain you need certain qualities. When Liverpool are down, I can't see Henderson picking us up or leading by example. In them situations I've seen Henderson crumble. Henderson is just an okay player that runs his socks off. Can would pick the ball up in midfield and dive forward.

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  43. Finally having confidence in Liverpool & B.R again,they just need to get the killer instinct back,and not slacken off when they go a goal up.

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  44. Crumble? When? Not since being made vice captain. As for leading by example he never stops working. That is a great example. He is always there to congratulate, tells anyone off for making stupid passes. Backs his colleagues up, gets in the refs ear is yhe tactical conduit between manager and team. I think why we have different ideas is because what you describe Cam doing is what Gerrard uses to do. But being great at dragging the team is not necessarily what makes a good captain. Gerrard has never vocal enough for me. Henderson is. Je has a lot of the attributes that make a good captain but he is never going to like Gerrard but Gerrard is not the only example of a captain.

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  45. Still I dont trust BR. Never have, never will. Even when we almost clinched the title I said BR = BS!!! This team is just Suarez + 10. Saurez gone; suspicion confirmed!! Now get a couple good results due to Sturidge back in line up, THATS IT dont fool yourselves. Never forget his transfers failures....

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  46. Yeah, and if it was Sakho that made the error for the goal would it have been ignored?

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  47. Every time Rodgers succeeds somewhere it is due to luck and nothing else, you should know that by now!

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  48. Balo returns lallana favor in the mid week, good job lads .................YNWA

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  49. I would much rather keep Balotelli than give up on him and go for Danny Ings.

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  50. Here's a question for you.....which team's spirit and style of play is reminds you more of a Ferguson united team (post 92) A: Van Gaal united team or B; Rodgers Liverpool team ?

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  51. New faces, new cup competition and still short of a squad that could sustain the sort of run we had last year meant-possibly-we needed a more patient approach at the start of the season f ex 4231. Without knowing the full reasons behind the poor start its very easy to have a pop from the sidelines. Its defined as the 'fickle fan'. Missing Sturridge has been pivotal. Again its easy saying we should have bought cover and I agree but, its not as simple as that. His strike rates phenomenal. Just enjoy it for what it is. He endured a tough start to the season and has juggled the squad to suit. I think for a young manager at a pressure club he's doing a good job. Mistakes will be made along the way. No ones perfect. Its how he learns from them that counts.

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  52. Add to squad Milner and Ings.

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