Despite a penalty scare in the last few minutes of the game, Liverpool made the perfect start to the new Premier League campaign with a richly-deserved 1-0 victory over Stoke City 1-0.
After last season's 3-0 opening day drubbing against West Brom, it's refreshing to start the year with a win, and with three points in the bag, a clean sheet, and excellent attacking play throughout, there are clearly many positives to take from the game. A few points:
* Jordan Henderson ahead of Joe Allen. I'm sure many fans were surprised by this, but it was undoubtedly the right decision. Hendo arguably offers more going forward than Allen, and a midfield of Lucas/Allen/Gerrard is clearly too immobile to be consistently effective.
* In his post-match interview, Simon Mignolet admitted that he felt 'nervous' in the first 15 minutes, but he grew into the game, and made a stunning double save right at the death to ensure the Reds took home three points.
* Iago Aspas had a good game, and didn't - as many predicted - get 'bullied' out of it by Stoke. The Spaniard's movement is superb, and he works well with Coutinho and Sturridge.
* Defensively, Liverpool looked quite solid, but there are far sterner tests (attacking-wise) than Stoke City to come over the next couple of months.
* Can't quite work out what Daniel Agger was doing for the handball. Why lead with your hand if the plan is to head the ball away? Could've been a costly error by the Dane, but thankfully, Mignolet saved the day.
* Jose Enrique and Glen Johnson were very comfortable in possession, especially in tight areas at the back, but Enrique's crossing and final ball is still not good enough.
* The 1-0 scoreline flatters Stoke a little. Liverpool had plenty of chances to score more (including hitting the crossbar/post), and it's clear that finishing needs to improve (same old story there)
Overall, a more emphatic scoreline would've been preferable, and there will be the inevitably naysayers arguing that a 1-0 home win over Stoker City is not that impressive. There may be a grain of truth to that, but who cares - three points is all that matters, so onwards and upwards.
Jaimie Kanwar
NOTE: Please stick to the Comment Policy (Click to read)
After last season's 3-0 opening day drubbing against West Brom, it's refreshing to start the year with a win, and with three points in the bag, a clean sheet, and excellent attacking play throughout, there are clearly many positives to take from the game. A few points:
* Jordan Henderson ahead of Joe Allen. I'm sure many fans were surprised by this, but it was undoubtedly the right decision. Hendo arguably offers more going forward than Allen, and a midfield of Lucas/Allen/Gerrard is clearly too immobile to be consistently effective.
* In his post-match interview, Simon Mignolet admitted that he felt 'nervous' in the first 15 minutes, but he grew into the game, and made a stunning double save right at the death to ensure the Reds took home three points.
* Iago Aspas had a good game, and didn't - as many predicted - get 'bullied' out of it by Stoke. The Spaniard's movement is superb, and he works well with Coutinho and Sturridge.
* Defensively, Liverpool looked quite solid, but there are far sterner tests (attacking-wise) than Stoke City to come over the next couple of months.
* Can't quite work out what Daniel Agger was doing for the handball. Why lead with your hand if the plan is to head the ball away? Could've been a costly error by the Dane, but thankfully, Mignolet saved the day.
* Jose Enrique and Glen Johnson were very comfortable in possession, especially in tight areas at the back, but Enrique's crossing and final ball is still not good enough.
* The 1-0 scoreline flatters Stoke a little. Liverpool had plenty of chances to score more (including hitting the crossbar/post), and it's clear that finishing needs to improve (same old story there)
Overall, a more emphatic scoreline would've been preferable, and there will be the inevitably naysayers arguing that a 1-0 home win over Stoker City is not that impressive. There may be a grain of truth to that, but who cares - three points is all that matters, so onwards and upwards.
Daniel Sturridge offside goal
Sturridge: 1-0
Mignolet double save
First half highlights
Jaimie Kanwar
NOTE: Please stick to the Comment Policy (Click to read)
Pretty entertaining game, was impressed by aspas he touches look good and he can turn quickly :-), good three points
ReplyDeleteAllright lads! on previous topic someone mentioned Prem victory! lets not get carried away, plenty of teams are gonna take points in this first weekend. But im so glad we have a keeper that actually saves points to us. Mignolet +2 points today.... thank you simon lad
ReplyDeleteOne down and 37 more to go. But I'm extremely happy today! :)
ReplyDeleteAlso I'm positive that our summer signings will come good.
A good win and decent performance against STOKE a big strong physical side.ASMIR BEGOVIC made some fantastic saves.Another keeper leaves ANFIELD with a man of the match display.I hope that doesn't continue.
ReplyDeleteNow lets snap up WILLIAN then go to war with ARSENAL and SPURS for 4th spot!
I agree, 3 points is 3 points and hopefully it'll build confidence and momentum going further into the season. I'm particularly happy that the summer signings seemed to play well too.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think he has the ability to become even better after a couple more games in the league. Got the scare of my life at the end of the game, but we won ultimately. That's the most important thing!
ReplyDeletestill first game for them. but looking good. Aspas is definetly upgrade on downing. now if we somehow managa to reel in Willian. i only can see our attacking play improve, and depth on advanced positions will be far greater than in recent years
ReplyDeleteIs been a long time I saw a LFC keeper save a penalty. o.o
ReplyDeletejohnson and enrique are our weak links attacking both dont attack with a plan in mind and all their passes and crosses never seem to reach anyone........henderson absolute physical beast takes on two and still manages to pass .....and what a joy it was to see lucas get angry at someone XD
ReplyDeleteO.o i think reina saved one last year
ReplyDeleteagree with all your points jamie...agger had a good game but his positioning is still suspect from dead balls
ReplyDeleteyou forget to mention jamie for a long time we now do appear to have some presence wrt corners .....almost got 2 goals from corners :O
ReplyDeletei thought johnson had a great game...jose did as well its his final ball which he rushes which lets him down
ReplyDeleteThat's all down to Toure, he has the mentality to get in there and win it, he's not scared
ReplyDeleteIt's Benteke that leveled the score for Aston Villa. Nearly forget the man over the summer...
ReplyDeletesturridge looked dangerous too
ReplyDeleteAgree, and mignolet looks a great shot stopper, he save from Walters first half was good too!
ReplyDeleteTomorrow is supposed to be the D-Day for willian according to Ben smith of BBC :)
ReplyDeletejohnson on many occasions shot when all that was needed was a pass and also did excessive dribblking only to find himself isolated and gave the ball away would prefer martin kelly at RB tbh ......uses his brains at times :P
ReplyDeleteCan't remember last time we got 3points of stoke but its a good start 2 extra points in bag that we dropped last season onwards and upwards YNWA
ReplyDeleteKolo Toure was a beast today. He sabotaged plenty of Stoke counters today. His passion was visible every time he or his teammates slipped up. If Andre Wisdom develops into a similar player we'll be golden.
ReplyDeletei hope ur right for once :P im still dissapointed from mhiktaryan :P
ReplyDeleteLuis Suarez's debut game.
ReplyDeleteSolid, entertaining stuff. Comfortable in possession and quite inventive. All the players are now getting to grips with the system, so we can plug people in and out of it at will, an important win against a bogey side .
ReplyDeleteAdd Suarez to that and we can put sides away earlier.
Add Willian and we can challenge the top sides on equal terms.
Add Papa and we will be sorted at the back- Toure was extremely competitive.
Enrique raised his game, but final ball/cross will never be good enough. Let's see what Cissokho can do
Owen : 1-0 is never enough
why just andre wisdom let him give that passion to other players too :P [ exempt agger and gerrard from this and mega include our number 9 ]
ReplyDeletejamie.. seriously we need someone who finds it veeeeery easy to put the ball in the net...i was so scared that after the penalty (that's if they had scored)we were not going to be back in the game.
ReplyDeleteGreat game of football, thought we were good for the 3 points, nearly threw my laptop at the wall with frustration when Agger gave away that pen.....shades of last season's defensive "errors" that cost us so many points......Grrrrrrr...
ReplyDeleteBut up step's Mingo and saves the day :-), thank Fowler we shpped Riena out.....is all i can say.
Hope we get another CB in before the window closes we need compo for Agger.....a quality forward player wouldn't go amiss either....apart from that i think BR is beginning to stamp his mark on our style of play now, you can see how attacking we are, good passing good movement just need to be more clinical in front of goal.....
Willian could be the key to unlocking that particular problem, another LB & hopefully a CB and a forward would deffo see us competitive this season for sure.
Gutted for all those Suarez sympathizers/apologists.....im sure 1 or 2 of them would have been hoping that that pen had gone in.... lol.
Oh well....never mind, eh?
Im off to enjoy :-)
YNWA.
we really should get shane long
ReplyDeleteArh that's only because we didnt have CL with Mkhitaryan :), was unlucky, but everything happens for a reason :(
ReplyDeleteD-DAY works on both ways=) weve had too many failed D-days this transfer window already. i seriously hope that we get W but i doubt it
ReplyDeletei have a feeling willian deal will boil down to money
ReplyDeletegut tells me willian deal will boil down to money
ReplyDeleteIF we fail with Willian. that will be no marquee signings for us this summer. then again no real money spend and squad still improved IMO
ReplyDeletei really dont want a marquee signing id rather have a striker who can find the back of the net like shane long
ReplyDeleteim not entirely sure. i think there is some pressure to have a marquee signing, and we got some lose in wage budget with downing gone, carroll gone and jamie retired. if Willian is willing to come on similar terms as he was in Anzhi. i think we will match it, since fans are desperate for big signing.
ReplyDeletei think its down to player atm
I think we will be fine, willian is now following coutinho and Lucas on twitter done that last night so I think we can wrap it up. If no one else comes In:)
ReplyDeleteWe didn't fail to sign Mkhitaryan because we had no CL football on offer.
ReplyDeleteWe missed out because a better team stepped in and showed that they wanted him.
We are supposedly happy to pay his 100k a week so hopefully it everything goes to plan we have him signed soon :-)
ReplyDeletejamie i can ex0plain the handbvall agger was trying to emulate superman XD wit nhis new hair style he thinks he is clark kent XD
ReplyDeletewages aside the 30m fee reported to him ....... i dunno if fdg will give that much we didnt want to spend that much on taryan
ReplyDeletei agree toward some point, i rather have a signing like Aspas who can surprise us and rise to heights with low expectations ( thats what i hope will happen).
ReplyDeletewith marquee signings you usually know what you get. i think willian just might be worth 30 +100k a week. but i dont buy this story untill lfc confirms we have signed him
Today was not the day to be picking Johnson's performance apart.
ReplyDeleteJohnson is quite simply a better fullback than Kelly.
If we had CL that we could got him, CL or a none CL team you pick? Of course the CL team....
ReplyDeleteGive me a break. Willing runner yes, but out and out finisher? no way, not at the top level
ReplyDeleteyeah facebook/twitter thats it, willian is 100% liverpool then mate =P
ReplyDeletewell im worried that if he cant dismantle a stoke defence thats being changed in its usual rugby approach what will he do against that manchesters and the chelskikis and the spurs and the gunners
ReplyDeleteThey are supposedly happy to fund that, according to reports. They trust BR with his transfers now, lets be honest we all do aha :)
ReplyDeletehge has a high finish rate and i suggested him based on his price wont find a better striker now for 10-8 million
ReplyDeletei trust him lol just not getting my hopes up tilll i see someone new actually holding a reds shirt ;)
ReplyDeleteWas surprise Henderson played but not ahead of Allen , should be somebody else instead of these 2..... Great Goal/Save.....good play, good start but need balance at the back...Stoke did a few scare too.... WELL DONE GUYS YNWA
ReplyDeleteScored 8 goals a season for 2 seasons now.
ReplyDeleteMU vs Liverpool. Its only van persie who the same level with suarez. The others position its seems liverpool was better than MU i guess. MU just got lucky that they had Sir Alex as their coach this bfore. In David Moyes, i think MU is the same par with Everton.
ReplyDeleteJohnson and Enrique have to provide the team with width and they can only do so much. Johnson was actually pretty good today and all Enrique needs to do is be more composed, place the ball into the box rather than hit it with the laces, it makes no sense.
ReplyDeleteI know Johnson always tends to cut inside and he often gets tackled or stops the fluidity of play but honestly we can only expect so much from him. Kelly is far less skilful and no where near 100% ready to play for us.
Defence is what matters most for those two players and they performed well today.
dude he scored 13 goals last season ....i think you got the wrong shane long
ReplyDeleteWell summed up. 3 points most important stat.
ReplyDeletecalm down .....thought their manager is a muppet he still inherited whisky nose's squad they will remeber what to do ......lets hope we have learnt from our previous mistakes
ReplyDeleteits easy to say another full back would do better in that position in attack...but you have to get into that position in the first place.....i dont think kellys body can handle motoring up and down the pitch...better to let him fil out and play him in the middle
ReplyDeleteHaha I'm going on from last time when we was after little coutinho, then he followed Lucas then he signed ;) fingers crossed haha :)
ReplyDeletelooks like lucas has better player pull than ian ayre XD
ReplyDeleteEven if we had scraped 4th place and had CL football on offer, Dortmund would still have a better team and greater trophy prospects on offer.
ReplyDeleteAnd if Dortmund or someone of that ilk didn't step in, then Mkhitaryan would no doubt have been happy to join LFC.
Hardly surprised by the Lucas/Gerrard/Hendo combination. I'd been going on about how it was our best midfield lineup last season. It has a very good balance to it. Lucas and Hendo are very fast and can run all game, affording Gerrard the space to ping the ball about.
ReplyDeleteMignolet did magnificently, but I'd have to say Begovic is simply not human. I'd rate Begovic alongside Neuer. If Huth was not megged for the goal, he might actually have saved it.
Suarez hit the woodwork at least a dozen times his first season. We easily could have won this game 4-1 (Huth was unlucky too). I was impressed with the shooting really. Last year we took 25 shots a game with 3-4 on net. We had 11 on net today...big improvement. I was unhappy in the 2nd half when we fell back on loose marking and no hustle on free balls. That HAS to stop.
ReplyDeletei just hope lucas doesnt run himself to injury ..... we should have kept coady and made him play the last 15 min of every game replacing lucas/gerrard now i guess alberto / allen should do it
ReplyDeleteid sooner have shane ritchie
ReplyDeletehe scored 13 goals last season and just 1 was a penalty ._.
ReplyDeletei disagree if your not fit enough to do 90mins your not fit enough to play
ReplyDeleteAgree. Pre injuries Kelly liked to get up there but his future is probably in the middle. I'd also take your approach for new signings in these positions, no guarantee Aly Cissokho is better than Enrique in all aspects.
ReplyDeleteAgree...he isn't being paid for 75 minutes.
ReplyDeletebetter safe than sorry .......also look at it this way we save him for the future games while blood the other players
ReplyDeletethats impressive when you consider his eastender commitments
ReplyDeleteAlso impressed by Aspas. He appears to have none of Borini's nervousness on the ball.
ReplyDeleteAgree even if 3 of our 4 woodwork strikes went in, Bego still saved two other sure goals.
ReplyDeleteJose need to thunder the ball in less and look for the guys who can keep their shots on net more.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Johnson might have faired okay today but far too often he has let us down with very little end product & for a player on 100k a week....he's simply not consistent enough, im with you on Kelly 100%, would much rather see him take that RB role off Glen and keep it, got loads of potential & will only get better with time.
ReplyDeleteI think a 1-0 win over Stoke is a good thing as Stoke have caused quite a few problems for us and we always struggle to score against them so a 1-0 victory is fine by me. With the Daniel Agger handball he didn't lead with his head he went to kick it away so naturally his arm comes up however that's one of the first things you taught as a kid is not to move your arms towards the ball.
ReplyDeleteOur finishing however was same sh** different day but don't take that away from Begovic who had ANOTHER fantastic game and for me was robbed of being the PFA goalkeeper of the year last season from of course United De Gea. Don't get me wrong De Gea is a good keeper but he's just not the same standard as Begovic. Also is it me or do other teams goalkeepers have their best games against us? On to our goalkeeper. Mignolet was obviously nervous at the beginning of the game which showed with a few mistakes however as the game got going you could tell he was getting more and more confident and which eventually led to him saving the penalty and the Iker Casillas esc save on the rebound. (ball just kind of hitting him after spreading himself)
There are positives overall from the movement on and off the ball and creating chances. We were also strong and reliable at the back. I know it's only Stoke but don't forget they put three past us last season.
The negatives are we still can't kill the game off and our finishing still needs to improve. Jose Enrique really needs to work on his crosses/shots, I mean he does everything right then but his end product just isn't good enough. Another thing i'd like to see improve is Glen Johnsons first touch. Most of the time it's too heavy and has been the difference between a counter attack and another build up play in the past however every now and then it has worked out for us as it can completely change the direction of play.
Sorry, mate. 8 league goals, 1 FA cup goal. Tried 3 different sources. 13 includes his Rep of Ireland goals! 2012/13 source Prem league stats
ReplyDeleteOutstanding win for Liverpool! What really impressed me was when Sturridge scored, the entire team went over to congratulate him! That shows real team spirit! When Mignolet saved the crucial penalty in the dying minutes, Gerard's raucous celebration was soul inspiring!
ReplyDeleteI think you are being a little harsh on Enrique Jamie! He showed great defensive positional play and strength. For me that is sufficient!
http://www.sportsinjuriesspecialist.co.uk
Good win. Some might be worried about our set piece defending but with guys like Huth, Shawcross and Crouch taking up air space in the box it was always going to be a challenge. Stoke ultimately didn't score and that says a lot for a defence that occasionally looked shaky.
ReplyDeleteI'm very much with JK on Enrique, I think competition at left back is essential. It's an issue if the guy playing behind your most potent play-maker doesn't have the best passing game. Enrique isn't bad and he shows toughness and pace that you like to see, but the way we play football we need full backs who can play on the wing the way Johnson does. Having that kind of on-the-ball skill on both sides will really help us.
Begovic was the difference between 1-0 and 4-0. We had enough chances and Hendo should have had a couple. Could have been another one of those hugely frustrating games but to be playing like that at the start of the season with a striker sitting on the sideline and a couple of potential playing signings on the way - very positive start.
We still need to give Allen a chance but i agree it was the right decision to start Henderson. They both still need to make major improvements to their games if they want to be here in the long run. Well done Henderson he had a good game especially in the second half. Lucas was the main man in midfield today, he was absolutely awesome! Gerrard frustrated me at times with his long spectacular passes but i think we have found a brilliant position for him, he reminded me of Alonso. Defense was solid and the front three combined very well together. That is probably our best team without Suarez. After today's game i will be happy with a LB and a DM or CM (someone PHYSICAL tho).
ReplyDeleteGood to see arsenal spanked 3-1 ;-D
ReplyDeleteSuarez... Do you still want to sign for them? hahaha
ReplyDeleteLike Ashley Cole Enrique cannot cross the ball. Like Cole he's more suited to playing one twos in around the box to get him in on goal for himself OR to lay of an easy pass. Saying that he did play well defensively and his combination play was impressive.
ReplyDeleteBTW.......................COME ON SWANSEA!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeletethe kind of fullbacks you want m8 are few and far..and cost 20 to 30m
ReplyDeleteReally positive start, thought the peno at the end was the story of LFC life for last 3 seasons (dominate games and get teabagged at the end!!). There is so much space about 35-40 yard from goal, with opposition sitting with two banks of 4 so close to there own goal.. If we had a holding mid with a cannon of a shot on him, teams wud have to increase the space between the two banks of 4. A Xabi type player would probably reach just shy of 10 goals and even if shooting boots ain't on, this type of player would open that space more, so theres more space to pass between the lines(Wish Lucas cud hit a ball like Riise). Even buy a oldish player for the bench like Thomas Hitzlberger.
ReplyDeletemost of the problems stoke caused our defence where high balls it wasn't through overrunning the midfield which happened last year
ReplyDeletecould have been huddleston for £4m. A little immobile but what a whack he's got on him.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty blown away by Studges long range shooting. Had no idea he had that quality of strike where the ball consistently travels 20-30 yards or so a meter of the ground. A great hidden weapon there.
we have to be wary of them and prepare well ,they have a very good team can't afford to take them lightly.
ReplyDeletehaha JK stole my line from the previous thread " three points is all that matters", not that it matters anyway .Its a good beginning ,villa is next though they looked brilliant against Wenger's team
ReplyDeleteYes, definitely. Arsenal and Spurs are our main rivals for top 4. We certainly did the right thing by not selling LS to them. But Arsenal will more likely jump straight into the transfer market and get some good players in. They have the pull of Champions League and financial capacity to do so. Spurs have supposedly made some good signings so we shall see how they perform against Crystal Palace. I don't think we have an inferior team compared to theirs but I'm curious to see if we can get any new signings that can contribute to the team instantly.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it was results of 2 penalties, Benteke looks impressive in his second season in the league. We may want to keep a lookout for him as LS's replacement.
Apart from Stevie, Glen and Sturridge no really hits the ball from distance.. Dont know if Willan has a shot on him, but Henry Mkicky-yada yada cud hit a ball. O yeah and Agger
ReplyDeleteWell at least cissokho has height and strength, as apposed to the other LB's we were linked with. Wud love to get Papa in.. he so square and broad he's like a angry Sponge Bob.
ReplyDeletehmmmm im out of ideas ._.
ReplyDeletecome on bony bury them :D
ReplyDeleteI watched all the preseason games, and the whole time I was thinking, "Finally, we are starting to appreciate the need of skillful players, and not just physical players." Out with the Carrolls and Downings, and in with Aspas's and Albertos. Rodgers philosophy is the right one. Today the players that impressed me the most was Lucas and Toure. Toure looks solid, and Lucas has finally returned to the time before he hurt his knee in that challenge with Mata vs Chelsea. Funnily enough I watched the Arsenal game too, and everything that went right for Liverpool, went wrong with Arsenal.
ReplyDeletearsenal always mess up first half then salvage second ......if we can maitain consitency we can get one over arsenal for sure
ReplyDeleteyeah but Liverpool usually have a good end to the season aswell. Arsenal are up there now with United as one of the teams I hate the most. I hope they flop and end up out of Championsleague. serves them right for trying to unsettle our player and pull an RVP on us. Why couldn't they go after Rooney? Cuz Liverpool are the real threat to them. Thats what I believe anyways.
ReplyDeleteAshley Williams has just demonstrated why I'm so glad he wasn't signed.
ReplyDeleteGood post & i wholeheartedly agree with you re our full backs.....they have been letting us down for too long now, we need to bring in compo ASAP.....
ReplyDeleteAs for Agger......i think you summed it up really, schoolboy error....could have cost us a lot more than 2 points in terms of confidence & feel good factor etc.....watched this happening last season re our GK & defence....., its simply not good enough, esp when its not exactly a one off......shame on you Agger, don't want to see anymore shit like that from him this season....
Mignolet & Toure showed up well today, lets hope we can secure a 1 or 2 more players to strengthen our "weak" links...
RVP is just to good.
ReplyDeleteVery well said. Some managers want to control the game without the ball i.r Hodgson, Benitez and Houllier. Having BR gives us the opportuniy to bring in class and control games with the ball.
ReplyDeleteRVP is good. But Williams should have snuffed out both chances. He reacted instead of reading. You can't do that against top class.
ReplyDeleteThat is why Williams is playing for Swansea ;-)
ReplyDeleteGood post.
ReplyDeleteAll the build up plays started by Johnson were great. It is good to have that kind of security when he has the ball in our third. We have enough counter attacks when Coutinho recovers the ball, or Sterling, or Stevie with that 40 yard ball.. by the way I can see us scoring 2 or 3 next week with half the chances.
I believe Arsenals problems lie in playing a 4-3-3. They haven't been the same since they abondened 4-4-1-1 in favour of Barcelonas system and type of player. Wenger doesn't seem tactically astute enough to pull off this system in a way that it will bring him titles. BR Spent time in Spain and Holland sitting with coaches who have mastered the infrastructure of Barca and Ajax's complete defensive and attacking philsophy of 4-3-3. Wenger switched to 4-3-3 mid season and thought everything was going to be ok. The system is complex and requires more than just an abilty to pass the ball.
ReplyDeleteWenger should go back to the style of play that saw Pires and ljungberg getting 20 goals a season. Saw them bossing the midfield with power and techinque ala Buyern and had flair and pace up front. This is HIS style, he owns it. Teams would find it hard to cope with it if he ever reverted back.
I've always thought this......it isn't because we beat Stoke :)
I'll take Toure all year long!!
ReplyDeleteToure has got a killer shot too.
ReplyDeleteI am glad we have found good competition for Enrique maybe he will try and start to improve that part of the game but another concern of mine is why aren't we looking for solid competition for Johnson? Ok, we have Wisdom and Kelly. One of them doesn't add anything going forward despite being reasonably solid (suspect at times) at the back and the other one he gets in to a spell of paying brilliantly then gets injured again. I'd like to suggest Nathaniel Clyne. He's young, he's IMO a good full back and can only get better, it's just a shame he's overlooked as the other younger right back is Tottenhams Kyle Walker.
ReplyDeletePersonally I'd like to see 2 or 3 more signings. A new right back, a strong, young and dependable centre back and one more attacking player. (Willian) A lot of people thing we need a strong defensive midfielder. Even though I can see the positives of having a strong defensive midfielder I disagree as we may have less fluidity in the team i.e look at Barcelona.
The reason we didn't get Mkhitaryan had nothing to do with money, CL, other clubs out bidding us.
ReplyDeleteWe put a bid in, it was accepted but we didn't even get the chance to talk to him.
Mkhitaryan went where his owners wanted him to go, not where he wanted to go.
Again.. the reason Mkhitaryan went to Dortmund was because his owners wanted to him to go there.
ReplyDeleteIts pretty hard to sign a player when you can't even talk to him
I do agree with the scoring but I am more worried about our defence on how they will cope as Aston Villa will be on a high next week.
ReplyDeleteYeah, Man Utd are so terrible that they won the PL with room to spare..
ReplyDeleteI wish we were that crap
I wasn't saying our midfield was overrun. It truly was a team effort that won us the game today. I just think like many fans we need a bit more muscle in midfield. It would add something different than we already have.
ReplyDeleteDid you notice Kolo Toure push Gerrard like "Get your head back in the game, we still have a corner to defend?" That's how I interpreted it :P No disrespect to Gerrard though, anyone would celebrate a last minute penalty save like he did.
ReplyDeleteThings to learn from game 1.
ReplyDeleteGreat movement up front.
Johnson and Enrique did well at back, although Enrique did having trouble passing beyond twenty feet
Agger play at end is proof we need more physicality without having to resort to lazy and needlessly cheating tactics. Dumb, Dumb,Dumb.
Sturbridge a good shooter and nose for the ball but weak getting ball out of his feet. Better off passing rather than forcing a shot!
Mignonet after shaky start was great!
3 pts despite an end of game choke by Agger!
Left out Toure who was great at back and rock solid scary up front on set pieces.
ReplyDeleteWe can't just put the game to bed, can we? I am not so jumpy as everyone (yet). We need at least couple of strikers....Sturridge can get injured any time and Suarez can be sold/suspended/banned or whatever. One more CD...Skrtel is not 100% fit and Agger is fragile too, Toure a bit old......One more winger....Aspas is still gelling in...Sterling/Alberto/Ibe are prospects....DM as cover for Lucas and possibly an upgrade on Hendo or Allen....PLEASE GET SOME PLAYERS BR!!!
ReplyDeleteif i were the owner i would make you the coach of lfc :P
ReplyDeleteI really doubt we'd get that many players now, might happen in Jan window. I am hopeful we can get Willian, hope we can get a CB or a DM this window and the other one next. A striker is not needed just yet, might want to wait till Jan window as I said earlier.
ReplyDeleteI am the owner of LFC :)
ReplyDeleteyours
jonny henry
Hav'nt heard of Nathaniel Clyne tbh, i certainly agree with your points re the players needed, it will be fundamentally important to our season to strengthen those area's you have highlighted.
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed.
I
LIKE IVE POSTED MANY TIMES WE NEED A GOALKEEPER THAT MAKES SAVES .THANK GOD WE HAVE GOT ONE NOW . AFTER SUFFERING REINA AND HIS PISS POOR DISPLAYS FOR THE LAST 3 SEASONS. I DOUBT VERY MUCH WE WOULD HAVE 3 PTS IN THE BAG IF REINA WAS IN GOAL .RELIEF AT LAST. I NOW REST MY CASE
ReplyDeleteMUST HAVE BEEN THE ONLY F"CKIN THING HE SAVED LAST YEAR
ReplyDeletegod dammit henry why u no attend epl matches :O
ReplyDeleteI think a DM and ST is a must for now. If cissoko is not in, then LB as well.
ReplyDeleteNathaniel Clyne is the right back for Southampton :)
ReplyDeleteHere's to hope. (raises glass in the air)
I don't pretend to be an ITK with knowledge of behind closed doors conversations, but whatever the assumptions, it still supports my initial argument that the lack of CL football alone was not a deciding factor in us missing out on Mkhi...
ReplyDeleteThere's no chance that we're getting a DM in (even though today made it even more clear how much we need another one).
ReplyDeleteWillian and Sakho, along with Cissokho and our earlier additions, would be as good as we can hope for this window.
Williams was supposed to anticipate his teammates just making such silly mistakes??
ReplyDeleteCoutinho has proven the ability and confidence to be a regular threat from distance also...
ReplyDeleteDiame was so good again today. For 3mn, peanuts really.
ReplyDeleteHodgson doesn't have any game plan for controlling games - his team is always the underdog as far as he's concerned
ReplyDeleteAfter the last few years of opening day setbacks killing any momentum and optimism, followed by transfer deadline days further quashing any remaining dreams of a successful season, hopefully this is the start of a turnaround and we can use this victory (and a couple of imminent signings) to build momentum towards glory this year!
ReplyDeleteWe played great and I am very happy with the performance, and as well as Mignolet played, I still cant help wishing we had signed Begovic
ReplyDeleteHenderson played for Allen for his physicality, badly needed against teams like Stoke.
ReplyDeleteMore like Sterlings stupid high foot, that gave the free kick away, with 2 mins to go, juvenile.
ReplyDeleteLet's have Clyne; and Shaw, too. And while we're about it, Will Hughes and Nathaniel Chalobah. And that Neymar. And that French defender at Madrid. And Juan Mata. And Hummels. And that little Messi character I've heard isn't a bad player. Then, and only then, we might have a decent chance at a top four finish.
ReplyDeleteWell, as long as Suarez is fit.
I was impressed with mid-field play in the first half...not as much as in the 2nd though. In the first we seemed to get the ball back quickly after losing it. I always marvel at how quickly Barca regains possession after they lose it. We need to do that better.
ReplyDeleteBest moment: Coutinho (3'6") starting on Nzonzi (12'9").
ReplyDeleteThat had me laughing out loud...and cheering...because that's the kind of passion we need.
ReplyDeletedo you need to shout?
ReplyDeletenot this window, maybe next or next year now, that said i would rather us go for Sissoko from Newcastle next year if it came to it!
ReplyDeleteToure looks great, Agger and Mignolet hopefully spent their share of mistakes, two on the flanks look confident... Another clean sheet.
ReplyDeleteLOL. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnother 20 wins and we're in with a shout....... ;)
ReplyDeleteWell he is far away so let it slid
ReplyDeleteI don't think we could accommodate one more striker just yet without offloading any. Who would you sell? As I said let us give them time till Jan window and then we can have a clear picture about it.
ReplyDeleteIn other words you want a whole new 11. I think our squad is okay considering we are not in Europe this season, it's mostly 1 game a week. Maybe one more signing (realistically) would do it.
ReplyDeleteyeah your totally right, I like how Liverpool have conducted themselves in the transfer market, its a science really. You can use the same formation as Dortmund or Barcelona to try and win games but if you don't have the right type of player that plays with their own unique brand to fit the needs of that system then it will never work.
ReplyDeleteWe have Aspas who can thread in balls, turn when receiving a ball, switch up play from right to left and play off the CF. We have Henderson who can do powering runs and get on the end of things. We have Sturridge whose movement and pace can get past the back line in quick breaks. We have Lucas to act as a Juggernaut infront of the back line. We have Coutinho for dropping in deep and playing the delicate pass outside the box. Gerrard to pass the ball around and sustain pressure and wack a few from distance if have to. Then we have Suarez with his magic tricks. If we tighten our defence we will be a force. My only concern is Allen. I'm not sure how he fits into the system, havn't seen any strengths that give him an edge over the other players. Same with Borini. But it is still early days, trying to keep the hopes grounded and keep calm, fingers crossed. #YNWA.
Loved Coutihno channeling his inner Bellamy! He is magic with great field of vision and instant sense of where to pass. That said, he,Aspas and Henderson have to prove to the league they can finish as does the team in general. I did think today was much better in that regard but Begovic was unreal.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone else think Aspas looks just like Sheldon on the TV show Big Bang Theory?
He doesn't have to be a superstar, just a bit better on the ball in close space than Enrique. I think you'll find that Cissoskho doesn't get caught in possession even half as much as Enrique and has a slightly better final ball. That's all the team needs.
ReplyDelete@Jaimie, I agree with you that a win is a win but at the same time these are the same problems we had last year. Great possession, attacking play, hitting the post or crossbar a few times. Teams like Stoke WILL be beaten 3-0, 4-0 by the likes of chelsea, mu and city while we can only say we COULD have beaten them by 3 or 4 goals. Still a work in progress but Suarez returning and maybe a big attacking player coming in will definitely have an impact. Praying for a top four finish!
ReplyDeleteWithout a doubt.......Coutinho showed me something beyond skill. Hope it is contagious.......
ReplyDeleteYou seem to forget how wasteful Suarez is in front of goal. The team plays much better football without him and I cannot see him just walking back into the squad if and when other players have earned their places. He does not deserve to play for us anyway.
ReplyDeleteIt was a day for the Goalkeepers yesterday.
So much for the Aspas 'is to lightweight' comments. We have signed a footballer that shows intelligence, can pass, will be a headache for defenders, can create and will most probably score quite a few too for only £7 million.
ReplyDeleteI am struggling to see why people want to complain about how LFC are going about their transfer business?.
totally agree, he pissed me off at times, he doesn´t know what to do with that bloody ball , just put the head down and go straight forward :\
ReplyDeleteLiverpool v Stoke - great to get 3 points against a team that usually frustrate Liverpool playing and love to get a draw.
ReplyDeleteI think Mignolet has pent his share of mistakes but Agger not so much. He showed time and time again last season he was prone to mistakes.
ReplyDeletedid say hopefully.. I see his faults, but just love the guy. Hope that what he brings to the team in terms of leadership and dedication as well as his skill will overwrite his errors.
ReplyDeleteI must have scanned over that word sorry :) I do admit I do like how he is comfortable on the ball and that when Carragher came into the team he made less mistakes so hopefully Toure will do the same
ReplyDeletePerfect start JK? I'll be the first to admit I didn't think we would get three points from this game but it took a pee poor penalty to make sure that we did. Sure we could have scored more but we didn't. Which was exactly our problem last year. Aside from the fact that we actually managed to beat Stoke for once I saw no progress from last year what so ever. The bubble will burst against Villa or Man U the week after. Ah no, we'll have Willian then......
ReplyDeleteOur finishing was really poor. We had something like 26 shots at goal, only 11 of them on target and only one of them actually being a goal. Better opposition won't let us get away with this.
ReplyDeleteIt has to be said that was the softest penalty you'll see given this year. Not in a month of sundays would that have happened against manu at the toilet. Mignolet looks like a kid on a school trip in goal.
ReplyDeleteNo, its illogical and illegal to praise rival players so highly, away with you! ;)
ReplyDeleteWho is his partner makes a lot of difference..
ReplyDeleteCus american Dollars coverted into pounds gives me NOTHING. I'm rich in America and Broke here :)
ReplyDeleteyours
Jonny