Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has made some brave choices for today's merseyside derby with Everton, but the biggest change is one that's enforced on him, with Daniel Sturridge on the bench after his midweek exertions with England.
As expected, Jon Flanagan comes back into the starting line-up, but it remains to be seen whether he's playing at left-back or right back.
Joe Allen also comes into the team, which means the Reds will probably play 433.
FULL TEAM: Mignolet, Johnson, Flanagan, Skrtel, Agger, Lucas, Henderson, Gerrard, Coutinho, Allen, Suarez
SUBS: Jones, Toure, Alberto, Moses, Sturridge, Sakho, Sterling
EVERTON: Howard, Baines, Distin, Jagielka, Coleman, Barry, McCarthy, Pienaar, Barkley, Mirallas, Lukaku
Rodgers is taking a huge risk if he plays Flanagan on the left; he has next to no experience there, and with Agger capable of playing there, it seems like a strange decision to me.
Plus, with four central midfielders, it seems clear that Rodgers' line-up is cautious. To me, this line-up screams 'we fear Everton', and I wouldn't be surprised if Sturridge being on the bench is a tactical move, rather than an injury issue.
It looks like Liverpool are going for a draw; Rodgers could've selected an attacking player instead of Allen (Victor Moses, for example) but he went with the safe choice.
Possible formations: No 1
--------------------- Mignolet
Flanagan ------- Skrtel --- Agger ---- Johnson
------------ Lucas ---------- Gerrard
------------------ Allen
-------- Hendo ------------ Coutinho
----------------- Suarez
Possible formations: No 2
--------------------- Mignolet
Johnson ------- Skrtel --- Agger ---- Flanagan
------------ Lucas ---------- Allen
-------------------- Gerrard
---------- Hendo ------------ Coutinho
------------------- Suarez
Kolo Toure will be unhappy not to play, I'm sure. He hasn't kicked a ball for club or country since November 2nd, and he's rarely put a foot wrong since coming into the team. The same goes for Sakho - after his performance for France during the week, I'm sure he expected to play.
Indeed, Sakho posted 'ready for tomorrow' on his twitter feed, which suggests he expected to start the game. Kudos for Rodgers though for sticking to the same defensive partnership. Agger/Skrtel kept a clean-sheet last time out, so you can't really argue with keeping them together.
It's also interesting to note that Aly Cissokho is not even in the squad. The fact the Rodgers prefers Flanagan is (IMO) a vote of no-confidence in the French defender. He was brought in as cover for Enrique, and when the Spaniard is injured, he's dumped from the squad (!) I can't see LFC making the deal permanent.
I have to say, Everton are fielding a very strong team (!) With the lack of pace/mobility in LFC's midfield, it is definitely going to be a tough game. Liverpool legend Dietmar Hamann predicts a draw:
"Games don't come much bigger than the Derby. Big test for the Redmen. Handling Lukaku will be key. I would be happy with a draw".
According to Reds hero Jan Molby the 'key task' for Liverpool is 'finding spaces on the pitch for Daniel Sturridge'. He told the Liverpool Echo:
"Sturridge needs to get in the positions where he can frighten the life out of Phil Jagielka and Sylvain Distin with his pace. I don’t want to be seeing him dropping deep and picking up the ball yards and yards from goal.
"When Suarez was out of the team, Daniel was having to do a lot of it on his own but not any more. He can preserve his energy now and because he is so quick he needs to be playing on the shoulder".
Well, Sturridge 'aint playing, so that's Molby's plan out the window!
Author: Jaimie K
As expected, Jon Flanagan comes back into the starting line-up, but it remains to be seen whether he's playing at left-back or right back.
Joe Allen also comes into the team, which means the Reds will probably play 433.
FULL TEAM: Mignolet, Johnson, Flanagan, Skrtel, Agger, Lucas, Henderson, Gerrard, Coutinho, Allen, Suarez
SUBS: Jones, Toure, Alberto, Moses, Sturridge, Sakho, Sterling
EVERTON: Howard, Baines, Distin, Jagielka, Coleman, Barry, McCarthy, Pienaar, Barkley, Mirallas, Lukaku
Rodgers is taking a huge risk if he plays Flanagan on the left; he has next to no experience there, and with Agger capable of playing there, it seems like a strange decision to me.
Plus, with four central midfielders, it seems clear that Rodgers' line-up is cautious. To me, this line-up screams 'we fear Everton', and I wouldn't be surprised if Sturridge being on the bench is a tactical move, rather than an injury issue.
It looks like Liverpool are going for a draw; Rodgers could've selected an attacking player instead of Allen (Victor Moses, for example) but he went with the safe choice.
Possible formations: No 1
--------------------- Mignolet
Flanagan ------- Skrtel --- Agger ---- Johnson
------------ Lucas ---------- Gerrard
------------------ Allen
-------- Hendo ------------ Coutinho
----------------- Suarez
Possible formations: No 2
--------------------- Mignolet
Johnson ------- Skrtel --- Agger ---- Flanagan
------------ Lucas ---------- Allen
-------------------- Gerrard
---------- Hendo ------------ Coutinho
------------------- Suarez
Kolo Toure will be unhappy not to play, I'm sure. He hasn't kicked a ball for club or country since November 2nd, and he's rarely put a foot wrong since coming into the team. The same goes for Sakho - after his performance for France during the week, I'm sure he expected to play.
Indeed, Sakho posted 'ready for tomorrow' on his twitter feed, which suggests he expected to start the game. Kudos for Rodgers though for sticking to the same defensive partnership. Agger/Skrtel kept a clean-sheet last time out, so you can't really argue with keeping them together.
It's also interesting to note that Aly Cissokho is not even in the squad. The fact the Rodgers prefers Flanagan is (IMO) a vote of no-confidence in the French defender. He was brought in as cover for Enrique, and when the Spaniard is injured, he's dumped from the squad (!) I can't see LFC making the deal permanent.
I have to say, Everton are fielding a very strong team (!) With the lack of pace/mobility in LFC's midfield, it is definitely going to be a tough game. Liverpool legend Dietmar Hamann predicts a draw:
"Games don't come much bigger than the Derby. Big test for the Redmen. Handling Lukaku will be key. I would be happy with a draw".
According to Reds hero Jan Molby the 'key task' for Liverpool is 'finding spaces on the pitch for Daniel Sturridge'. He told the Liverpool Echo:
"Sturridge needs to get in the positions where he can frighten the life out of Phil Jagielka and Sylvain Distin with his pace. I don’t want to be seeing him dropping deep and picking up the ball yards and yards from goal.
"When Suarez was out of the team, Daniel was having to do a lot of it on his own but not any more. He can preserve his energy now and because he is so quick he needs to be playing on the shoulder".
Well, Sturridge 'aint playing, so that's Molby's plan out the window!
Author: Jaimie K
Brendan/LFC going for a draw. Or the surprise attacker would be Gerrard. Would love to see LFC 2-0
ReplyDeleteI knew rodgers will surprise us once again, Allen, really? 4 Cm? Im sorry I think this is a defeat its amazing how rodgers makes these decisions in derbies, first arsenal now this, fantastic, hope Im wrong all the time.
ReplyDeleteIf Johnson is playing at leftback, we really could struggle to find any space in this game - the team would presumably lose most of its natural width with Flanagan at right back, so hopefully he is just at leftback and Johnson remains an outlet on the right. I'm surprised neither Moses nor Sterling were brought in to replace Sturridge up top though.
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed we're just being set out to press aggressively up the pitch and move the ball quickly enough through the middle to dominate the game from the off.
Brendan clearly want's to control the midfield in this game. Happy to see Allen get some game time. Sturridge being injured he could have made a straight swap Sturridge/Moses but I still like this formation
ReplyDeleteAllen doesnt worry me the least bit. im tipping him to shine today. he will chase players, win possession, and dictate the tempo from middle of park. He will do the Hendos and turn his career on upward track this season, im pretty confident with that.
ReplyDeleteWe will lost the first half, we have no wingers nor fast players except coutinho. Rodgers should getmoses and sturridge in if this 4411 didn't work. And I bet it wouldn't. Everton got energy and pace in their midfield and attack, while gerrard, lucas, and allen is to slow. If were going to do some "death by football", Goodinson aint the place. Good luck Redmen!!!
ReplyDeleteTactical decision. BR will try to absorb the pressure in the first half giving pressure to Everton. If we manage to hold them till half time, then we can say it's our game already. 0-0 at half time and we are winning this game.
ReplyDeleteoh dear....
ReplyDeleteThe serious lack of natural width is a concern, Jamie I hope we are looking at what your formation too. I'm sure defensively it will be sounds, I would hate to think that we are fearful of Barkley.. But given last season, it might be more concern around Lakaku
ReplyDeleteWe have to find out about Allen, now is as good a time as any, a real pressure game, BR could have thrown him in against Fulham, and he would have had an easy day, so lets see is his confidence in Allen is justified, hope it is. Its not the team most would have selected, but overall I'm not that unhappy with the lineup.
ReplyDeleteI said previously that if Allen is to indeed to come anywhere close to proving himself as 'worth double the amount we paid for him', it will have to be as a more attacking player than we saw previously.
ReplyDeleteIn today's line-up, I'd hope to see Allen playing further up the pitch than Henderson, with his agility, quickness and technique being used as a second advanced playmaker, while Henderson just continues making with the box-to-box runs from deep, like Ramires.
---------------Mignolet--------------
Johnson-Skrtel-Agger-Flanagan
----------------Lucas-----------------
------Henderson--Gerrard--------
-----Allen--------------Coutinho---
---------------Suarez---------------
Uneasy feeling that BR is being too clever for his own good here.
ReplyDeleteSakho and Agger can both play LB , so why Flanno? Putting Johnson on the left leaves JF exposed to Leighton Baines, their most potent provider of chances.
Worried.....
Agree re Moses/Sterling. There's no pace or width in this team, and I have a feeling that Everton will outmuscle Liverpool, especially in central-midfield. Coutinho will almost certainly be targeted for rough treatment, and he could quickly become anonymous if he's given no space/time on the ball.
ReplyDeleteflanno will probably play LB!
ReplyDeleteAllen is a good player, but he's not really someone who can influence the outcome of a game. I just don't think LFC can get away with having Lucas AND Allen in the same team. Keeping possession is all well and good, but possession doesn't win games, and neither Lucas or Allen are any kind of goal threat.
ReplyDeleteAllen will probably score now ;-)
Agreed. Whether he plays left or right back, it's not the best decision. Surely Agger would be a better option at left back. He's left footed, and massively experienced, especially in merseyside derbies. He may not provide great attacking width, but neither will Flanagan.
ReplyDeleteYes, but his performances in that position have hardly been stellar. And he brings next to no attacking threat. Sakho scored two in midweek from that position- hardly worldies, but he was in the position to score both times. Can anyone see Flanno scoring? Ever?
ReplyDeleteI can't see Allen continuing as a defensive midfielder - looking throughout the top European teams, I'm struggling to see anybody of his ilk playing in such a role. There are many such players featuring to good effect higher up the pitch though.
ReplyDeleteHopefully Allen feels like he has a point to prove and becomes a more aggressive player (with the ball that is, I've no major issue with his off the ball play) with his chance to shine again now...
Yep, would have been much happier with him or Sakho at LB. When did JF last play?
ReplyDeleteAs far as I can see, Flannagan brings no attacking threat in his preferred position of right back, much less at left-back. And that's even when watching him play with the reserves too!
ReplyDeleteFor all the recent criticisms of Cissokho (unduly imho), he consistently offered an outlet to open up the pitch and advance the ball in the final third. Flanagan hasn't done that on his showings so far, so hopefully today will just see a massive step up in his performance just because of that 'passion' to perform in the derby...
Hendo out there to help him,
ReplyDeleteKelly should start on the right with Johnson on the left. Surprised if we come away with anything today. Rodgers is a prat.
ReplyDeleteJust one of those free kick you just knew Suarez would put it in. Wall was a bit dodge but the curl was great
ReplyDeleteThat should have been a red card
ReplyDeleteYeah, it would've been warranted. Studs up. Could'v e been a nasty injury.
ReplyDeleteWonder if Barry should have got a yellow at least for his coming together with the physio
ReplyDeleteexactly i was astounded high challenge no attempt to play the ball what the heck ref whatever since that red card threat everton have dropped or liverpool have turned it up either way hope it stays the same with sturridge (if fit enough) to come on
ReplyDeleteSure was a red, Suarez was bleeding and the contact was high. Watch Mirallas score again or Lucas pick up some dodgy cards now. It's typical of football.
ReplyDeleteHold them? Looks like we've gone one better than that ;)
ReplyDeletewhat a horrible tackle by mirallas. i personally think even without my red tinted liverpool classes that it shouldve been straight red. ive not seen such a tackle in a while. suarez must have ligaments of steel.
ReplyDeletePossession is irrelevant as we aren't really controlling the game so far. Allen has played one or two hospital passes but as an extra body in this game he can be of use to us. Lucas is having a fantastic game covering everyone, in particular when Johnson lost it.
ReplyDeletelets hope so! btw what a nerve on coutinho. "im going to take this ball down just calmly here inside box with thousand defenders around and put it in like this" . wonderfully taken.
ReplyDeleteFlanno is playing very maturely. better than cissokho. and young enough to establish himself on left flank.
ReplyDeleteI agree, he's been beaten once or twice but he has been strong in tackles and his anticipation has been very good. Better to throw in a local boy than some guy on loan :p
ReplyDeleteIt's typical of English football. There is this nonsense of a "physical style" or the "intensity of a derby". It's complete BS, just an throwback excuse to throw most of the rules of the modern game out the window because ... well, why? Why do we allow these games to be played like this and tackles like that to only get a yellow card? It's a big problem in the English game.
ReplyDeleteGiven the way this game is being played I think a conservative rough and ready approach is exactly what is required, and it's looking like it might pay off. Rodgers got it spot on because trying to play fancy one touch football in this kind of atmosphere would be impossible. Sturridge can be kept in reserve as an impact player while Allen will help keep some kind of order in the midfield when it's mostly going to be chaos. This is a horribly intense game, credit to Flanno for holding his own out there.
ReplyDeleteBaines off. Basically a new Everton now, considering his part in their plan A.
ReplyDeleteyou put the kiss on death on it jaimie! blame on you ;-)
ReplyDeletePlease stop faffing around with the ball at the back!
ReplyDeleteConsidering the way the game is panning out, Flanno has done rather well.
Allen a disaster.What a miss.
ReplyDeleteYoikes
ReplyDeleteHow did Joe Allen miss that chance? Absolute joke.
ReplyDeleteabsolutely... i mean how can you ...
ReplyDeleteOh come on, Mirallas should be off by now!
ReplyDeleteFlanagan has proved us all wrong great game so far
ReplyDeletecmon subtitute suarez hes tired - bring on sturridge and moses to add some pace and attacking threat - and FFS give mirallas a f*** red card!
ReplyDeleteflanno is by far our best defender today!
ReplyDeleteWhat are the odds of one of our players end up getting sent off, whilst Everton finish the game with 11?
ReplyDeleteif its agger nobody would care... hes jogging at the back there, while skrtel has to do all the work ...
ReplyDeletedamn lucas with his fouls
ReplyDeleteSaurez should have bitten Allen for that!
ReplyDeleteEVERY year the same BS!
ReplyDeletetime for sturridge
ReplyDeleteYep - he gives away so many stupid frickin' free kicks. Now, it just cost a goal.
ReplyDeleteI'm blaming Allen!
ReplyDeletelucas
ReplyDeletewhat do you guys think? how many goals will lukaku score against us in the next 10 years? over 30?
ReplyDeletei kinda hope dowd would ******* **** *************, MIrallas shouldnt be on. thats the jest. and what a collapse on our part
ReplyDeletesurprsie surpise luka has scored against us..when will we learn
ReplyDeletesturridge should have started allen done nothing
ReplyDeleteif hes fit for the bench sturridge should start.....side note agger lucas and allen have been poor IMO
ReplyDeletei THOUGH WE SIGNED SAKO TO COMBAT PLAYERS LIKE LUKA BIZARRE
ReplyDeleteabsolutely! same guys as always i´d say. these 3 are the reason we´re not winning the game IMO... time to play sakho and alberto more often!
ReplyDeletedont get it too, sakho is probably the best player in our team to handle Lukaku - now were playing agger who failed to defend lukaku so many times last year...
ReplyDeleteenough said IMO sturridge should have started allen was poor
ReplyDeleteARGH ARGH I HATE U HODGSON, DOWD AND BARKLEY, barkley went down under any challenge, hodgson srewed uo sturridge, dowd sould of sent of mirallas and was giving everton all of the calls whatever guys gg sturrigde u are a hater
ReplyDeletelucas saved us so much today so ugh ugh agree on the allen and agger though hence why i prefered sakho but whatever
ReplyDeleteIf I ever see Joe Allen again in a Liverpool shirt it will be too soon!
ReplyDeletebarkley went down soft again for the umpteenth time again blame barlkey and his theatrical self felt i was watching busquets
ReplyDeletehe played very well exept missing that sitter. if i see joe allen in next game itll not be too soon
ReplyDeleteahahhahahahhah so much win comment of the day
ReplyDeletei have to agree. bunch of those fouls lucas gave away were not fouls at all when blueboys committed them
ReplyDeleteur kidding ryt wat game did u watch
ReplyDeletehe missed an open goal hell might be over reacting but don't ever wanna see him again
ReplyDeletehe shouldve scored. if you dont count that. tell me how did he put a foot wrong today. compared to gerrard without his setpiece brilliance today, he was our worst player
ReplyDeleteThank-you, thank-you Daniel Sturridge. That was fantastic!!!! I'm satusfied with the result. Mignolet's play offset the 2 easy missed goals: Suarez' header and...
ReplyDelete- Little Joe you played a good game...but come on man...you'll never get a better chance to score again.
- Mirallas should have been sent off for the Suarez foul.
- I can't for the life of me understand how we can leave Lukaku entirely unmarked in the box. His first goal amounted to a free kick from about 8 yards. SG was the closest man...why?
- On every Everton corner Skrtel should have been stuck to Lukaku like glue.
- Good decision to leave Sakho on the bench. he really needed to SEE a derby before he plays one. Now he understands just how desperate every second can be.
Not the most PC response, but it's something I've said for years. We can't handle big physical players esp the Afro-Carribean ones as they often combine pace with power!
ReplyDeleteMignolet saved us a point btw. i cant recall reina saving as many sitters in last two years that Simon did today, what a brilliant keeper
ReplyDelete100% agree.
ReplyDeletethe same game. tell me how allen was shi* exept missing thjat sitter
ReplyDeleteI totally agree!
ReplyDeletewe had a big physical player on the bench in sako but chose not to use him waste of 17m
ReplyDeletenot just for the suarez foul. it shows what lack of cojones Dowd has when player has been yellow carded instead of red and then elbows a player so hard that it cuts his brow, and still failing to produce a second yellow. chicken for a ref.
ReplyDeletehe doesnt influence the game he just takes part ..at the top level you have to influence the result
ReplyDeleteYeah you're right, I forgot the slash on Hendo.
ReplyDeletekinda even kenwyne jones and he fail self does score on liverpool (from the caribbean here)
ReplyDeletei dont think sakho will be a waste. we will sell injury prone defender with fantastic skill with ball next january. and replace him with fantastic defender with not so much skill with ball. i think sakho will come good for us.
ReplyDeleteexactly when we do it its a foul when they do it its play on don't know what happened to dowd but since the physio came on and said something to him he had it in for us today..... something we should ponder right
ReplyDeleteHe missed an easy goal.. There were other opportunities...Suarez header for one...and don't forget leaving Lukaku unmarked for the second goal. I think we should count our blessings here. With Reina in goal we lose by 3 maybe.
ReplyDeleteWe could and should have won that game. Allen's miss was horrific. Would have been 3-1 and game over. I worried about Lukaku and set pieces, it was Sakho time for me. Agger played well but lost important headers . Johnson was to blame for their 2nd goal, played yet another careless, loose pass to give them the run which led to their free kick. Did it all game.
ReplyDeleteHave to say Flanno was pretty decent, apart from being beaten a few times early on and a weak challenge for their 3rd goal. would have still put Agger there to get Sakho in the back 4.
Hate to say it but I have to agree. SG was out-hustled most of the game.
ReplyDeleteTake the point from a ridiculous game at Goodison. Everton are a good side and the kind of challenges that went uncalled in that match were absurd. I can't understand the mentality that thinks football like that should be considered normal.
ReplyDeletePrecisely, Agger is a big girls blouse at times.
ReplyDeletenow i am going to piss all of you off. Allen was very good. he missed a sitter, doesnt mean he is a horrible player.! god forbids ive missed a sitter or two in my days and im a wonderfull striker, i should actually play in europe (note the self irony / sarcasm depending how you categorise it). i still think he will be a wonderfull player for us. i challenge all you to tell me what he did wrong today, not counting that goal he missed. (even lucas wouldve scored that one)
ReplyDeleteShocking defending for both Lukaku goals. Look how long he is standing free in the box in the build up to that goal and not one player thought I better pick him up, unbelievable. Everybody panicking and just watching the ball instead of picking up, absolutely criminal in my eyes. And then for his second, we have Flanagan marking him from the corner. There was only going to be one outcome. Not impressed with Agger at all today. Would have much preferred to start with Toure. Happy with the point in the end though as it looked like we were in for a defeat. Very exciting match though.
ReplyDeleteExactly. Lucas is in a position where he has to make tackles. I think he's on 6 yellows now, might be 7, but he's forgiven. He has a critical role in the team. Barkley took personal lessons from Ashley Young, and I mentioned it in another post, Mirallas should of been sent off and was involved in about 3 incidents but in the end it's Lucas who gets the card....
ReplyDeleteDrogba, Henry, Benteke, Lakaku come to my mind! It's the truth, Sahko vs Lakaku fair battle. Agger vs Lakaku = toddler vs iron mike tyson!
ReplyDeleteit was obvious to everyone with an ounce of football knowledge that evertons biggest threat was luka yet we did nothing to negate it....sako should have been on from the start with a remit to stick yo luka like glue....if you look at agger and skitals body language its obvious that neither of them wanted the responsibility of marking him ...a shocking state of affairs
ReplyDeletedisagree 100%. you cant be on the pitch without influencing. won the possession a lots of times today. how is that not important? did you count those times he pulled evertonians to himself just to give a nice little pass upwards and give us momentum with 2 blues pressing him. Claude Makelele! best player without making any contribution towards score sheet. try to argue how he never influenced a game.
ReplyDeletehes a waste if hes left on the bench..hes made for a physical game so if hes not picked in one its a waste.
ReplyDeleteMaybe...but it won't be in an Everton shirt. How long do you think it will take "The special one" to bring RL back to Stamford Bridge.
ReplyDeleteoh thats where i compare allen. he can be a similar influence. win possession recycle the ball.
ReplyDeleteme to but every body wanted agger back in the starting 11 sakho was mess before right oh such fickle fans we are
ReplyDeletehe has been with us less than 6 months. if he isnt picked today he is a waste?!? what....?
ReplyDeleteGoing to ground easy aside, he looks quality though. Wouldn't mind him instead of a certain Welsh Xavi... ;)
ReplyDeleteI do't think Sakho would've made any difference against Lukaku. He's played against big strikers already this season and couldn't prevent goals being scored.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read it anywhere yet...but LS goal was absolutely sublime...perfect read, perfect strike, perfect bend into the only available .22 meters of space available...highlight reel for decades to come.
ReplyDeleteThen he should pour hot rum & salt into the wound!
ReplyDeleteYou tell me what was so good about Allen, that any average player wouldnt do, ?
ReplyDeleteAgree with the first part...not the second. I don't Skrtel fears any human alive.
ReplyDeleteExactly. Why the feck was Johnson marking Lukaku. Should've been Skrtel or Agger. Amateur organisation, and lack of onfield leadership. That's why I wanted Toure to play. He's an organiser and a moaner like Carra.
ReplyDeleteYeah...where wasToure? It has totally escaped he wasn't there until just now.
ReplyDeleteTerrible miss by Allen, but his overall performance was Okay. As bad as that miss is, it's not fair to let it define his entire performance.
ReplyDeleteSakho is a better defender than Agger, who was poor AGAIN today, should be dropped, mistake after mistake, GJ not much better, and Flanno not good enough, but we already knew that.
ReplyDeleteFirst goal - Gerrard ball watching like a 10 year old
ReplyDeleteSecond goal - Lukaku free in the box
Third goal - Johnson man marking Lukaku, why?
Joe Allen - Don't start me.
Poor refereeing, Mirallas should of been sent off for the foul on Suarez and on top of that was involved in several other incidents. He drew blood on two players.
I thought Flanno was good today. One or two doubtful moments but overall he was good and deserves to play in the next game for sure. Mignolet was also good, saved us multiple times.
Conceding three goals gives Rodgers every excuse to change the defence around again next week, and I'm sure he will. Just as long as it's Agger who gets the chop, and not Skrtel.
ReplyDeleteHow much more proof do you need to give a red than a bleeding stud mark on the knee??
ReplyDeleteDawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww, ??????????/
ReplyDeletethen why was flanno marking luka
ReplyDeleteAgree but it was clearly in the game plan. Recently, Hendo has man marked Benteke. It's down to Rodgers and his team.
ReplyDeleteThought it was Flanagan but a bit bleary eyed today. Point still stands though that it should have been one of the CBs. Is Agger actually afraid of physical chalenges, needs dropping. Doesn't look up for a fight.
ReplyDeleteWhen? it was GJ for the header...and nobody for the free kick on goal number 2.
ReplyDeleteCorrection: Johnson.
ReplyDeleteHe's probably (subconsciously) afraid of getting injured, which is understandable given his history, but that's bad for the team.
ReplyDeleteyou get my point
ReplyDeletewhat worried me the most was agger. how the hell can this guy be our vice captain? he´s dont absolutely nothing in this match IMO, skrtel had to do all the work again..
ReplyDeleteexactly agger is past it imo come on barca
ReplyDeleteskrtel has had a new lease on life he can stay agger sorry but i think its time he has never been good at stong attackers maybe deploy him as lb that might be good
ReplyDeleteYup. :)
ReplyDeleteDifficult for anyone to pick up Lukaku for the 2nd goal as it came quickly after a free kick and he was the taker. Coutinho was the closest man in the box but he seemed to be ball watching. Flanno did his best to stop the shot from Lukaku but it was definitely not down to Flanno for that goal. When someone drifts in like that as well as the ball being deflected and falling to Lukaku...It's impossible to react quickly enough.
ReplyDelete17m is a lot of money for a physical cb...who is deemed not good enough to mark a physical cf...how long do you need to settle its hogwash
ReplyDeleteCould well be. The guy seems to be regressing instead of progressing which is really surprising to me. Thought when he had a decent injury free run, we might see what a class defender he is but it hasn't been the case unfortunately.
ReplyDeletethe point im trying to make is it should be your cb marking there biggest forward
ReplyDeleteso lets get it right when we fork out big money for a cb..whose job it is to tackle and clear headers he needs time...time for what...the reality is he was a bad buy who isnt good enough
ReplyDeleteLucas played pretty well except for the fouls...and one of those was harsh. I can highlight three things the hurt us...one has been a constant and the other two were aberrations.
ReplyDeleteThe constant is our tendency to one-time volley passes that should be controlled instead. I lost count of how many times a guy pinged a ball into Everton's possession trying to 'make something happen' quickly instead of maintaining possession and then passing. We do that way too much.
The aberrations were not marking the major threat, Lukaku, closely enough and FINISHING...Allen and Suarez in particular
Agree Toure should have played.Mirallas should have been off
ReplyDeleteI meant no improvement since he has been at lfc not just on today's performance.
ReplyDeleteInjury aside, Allen is becoming increasingly disposable by the minute!
Like a duck that's afraid to get wet!
ReplyDeleteMy views
ReplyDelete- Flanagan did well, Cissokho should never play for us again
- Johnson was very poor, caught in possession at least twice
- Allen's miss was unforgivable, 3-1 and the match is over
- Suarez was immense, didn't react to tough tackling
- Everton deserved to win after Allen's miss
- Mignolet made some super saves, kept us in it
- Despite his 2 goals, Lukaku showed his inexperience at times
- Mirallas lucky to avoid a red card, imagine if roles reversed
- Encouraging that we could have won it at end
My point is Lukaku should never, ever be unmarked in your area...ever.
ReplyDeleteGetting a point was huge. A shame Allen missed his opportunity because he otherwise played well I thought. Going to completely overshadow anything he did well today. In my opinion we win if he makes it 3-1.
ReplyDeleteHats off to Mignolet. Played so very well today. We could have easily fallen apart without him. He was the man of the match for me.
Gotta wonder where on earth our heads are at to put our goalkeeper in a position to have to stop a 4 on 2 counter attack multiple times.
Live by the set piece and die by the set piece. The story of the day.
Yes, but it wouldn't have mattered if Lukaku is man-marked in our box and doesn't get the easy shot...see what I mean? The game hardly ever turns on one event unless it is a result-changer at the death.
ReplyDeleteThis match was drawn for only 1 poor selection - Sakho should have started. Watching by this game, if Barca offers good money, we should take it for Agger. He can't handle anyone physical & all the teams know that.
ReplyDelete23 isn't exactly young. I'm not writing him off but I'm trying to be realistic about his chances. Don't think he has what it takes in comparison to someone like Hendo. And he did surprise us all, he missed the goal. The keeper even went the other way. I just can't find any excuses for that miss.
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