Same sh*t. Different season. Once again, all the misguided optimism, gross overpraise, and ridiculously premature backslapping has come home to roost for Liverpool FC. Today's unacceptable 3-1 defeat to Hull City - who, incidentally came into today's game with FOUR defeats in their last FIVE league games - is arguably the Reds' worst performance of the season, and with Chelsea and Man City capitalising, LFC's Champions League ambitions just took a massive, confidence-sapping hit.
Most ex-Reds are clearly too shell-shocked to post their reactions to the utter shambles they witnessed (!), but here is some reaction from a couple of LFC legends:
Dietmar Hamann
"Bad day in the office for LFC. Was Agger not 100% or purely tactical decision to not start him? Credit to Hull and Bruce, who's doing a fantastic job"
Jamie Carragher
"It's a big blow. Terrible performance and terrible result. They'll want to put it right for the home game on Wednesday"
Brendan Rodgers added:
"It was very disappointing. We made too many mistakes, with and without the ball. We lacked quality. With the ball we just didn't create enough and there were just too many individual mistakes".
A few observations:
* Absolutely nothing wrong with the starting line-up. The XI selected is more than good enough to put struggling teams like Hull City to the sword, but for some reason, many key players just never turned up. Daniel Agger played poorly against Everton, so he deserved to be dropped, and I doubt the Dane would've made much impact.
* As we've seen so many times this season, Gerrard and Lucas were overrun in central midfield. Those two should be dominating teams like Hull, but you could drive a truck through the gaps they left in the middle of the pitch. As I've argued before, Lucas's snail-pace recovery time after being bypassed by opposition players is a major problem. Once you're past the Brazilian, he's out of the game. Same goes for Gerrard. He doesn't have the legs to control midfield anymore, and he definitely doesn't have the mobility to cover Lucas (when he's out of position/too slow to get back), and vice-versa.
* Rodgers' initial 'pass and move' philosophy appears to be almost totally abandoned at this stage. Gerrard, Lucas, Hendo et al struggled for consistent ball retention, and sloppy passing led to the ball being given away countless times. Embarrassingly, in the final third of the game, Hull out-passed LFC, and retained possession far better. It should be the other way round.
* After a 2-game sabbatical, LFC's second-half malaise returned with a vengeance. About 10 minutes into the second half, it became clear that LFC was losing its grip on the game. The players failed to match Hull's intensity, desire and desperation to get a result, and the players were increasingly second-best at everything. You could literally see Hull City's confidence rising with each passing minute: they knew the game was there for the taking; they sensed LFC's weakness, and they went for the kill.
* FOUR shots on target all game. FOUR! That's one every 22 minutes or so. The creativity gap in the squad is a real problem at the moment, as evidenced by the failure to score any goals from open play for 180 minutes now. All three Everton goals came from set-pieces, as did today's solitary goal.
* Martin Skrtel was (IMO) immense. LFC man of the match. So many blocks/interceptions/clearances etc, and his positional play - something that historically is not really a strength - was top-notch. Granted, two deflections off him led to goals, but you can't legislate for that. They weren't defensive mistakes per se, and if the other defenders/midfielders were doing their jobs properly, he wouldn't have been in those desperate positions anyway.
* Victor Moses = totally ineffective. A couple of mazy runs but non-existent end-product. His decision-making in the final third leaves a lot to be desired, and with 1 goal and NO ASSISTS in ten games, his contribution to the cause is, so far, negligible. He needed to step-up today, and he failed.
* Jordan Henderson is one of LFC's most-improved players over the last year, but today's game showed why Liverpool desperately need to sign at least one top-class creative midfielder during the January transfer window. Hendo is full of heart, enthusiasm and stamina, but he simply lacks the guile, creativity and goal-creating X-factor required of an attacking midfielder. ONE assist in 15 games is just not good enough. Sorry, it's not! His position needs to be under threat, and that will only happen when there are top-quality replacements available.
* Atrocious performance from Glen Johnson. Contributed nothing to the game in an attacking sense; gave the ball away cheaply several times, and his poor-positioning caused problems in defence.
* Sterling didn't really have much of an impact, but I didn't expect him to. As John Barnes suggested last month, he hasn't improved from the time he made his debut last year. Part of that is his fault, but Rodgers and the coaching staff also have to take some responsibility. It's their job to develop the young players, and Sterling hasn't really developed.
* IMO, players like Henderson, Lucas, Moses et al should be the squad players. Liverpool are never going to reach the very highest levels with these players in the first-team week-in, week out. They need to be replaced as first-teamers with the very highest quality. That may sound harsh, but just look at the evidence, not only from today, but from the whole season (and last season).
Overall, a horrible result, and as Carra says, a 'terrible' performance. And yet, there's still room for optimism. The Premier League is throwing up lots of surprises this season. Who could've foreseen Man City losing to Sunderland; Chelsea losing to Newcastle, or Man Utd losing to West Brom? Shock results are a feature of this season, and I'm sure there are more to come.
Additionally, only five points separate 8th place from 2nd in the table right now. It's incredibly tight, and drastic positional changes are happening on a game-by-game basis. If LFC's main goal this season is to finish in the top four, then irrespective of today's result, the Reds are bang on track, and that has to be a good thing.
If, before the season, someone had offered LFC 4th place in the table, only 3 points behind 2nd place by the 1st December, I'm sure most LFC fans would've snapped that up. So, taking the long-view, and putting things into perspective, Liverpool are doing comparatively well this season, and two wins in the next two home games could see the club right back up there.
Yes, losing against relegation fodder is frustrating, but don't lose sight of the club's main goal. What's most important over the next month is to stay in touch with the top four, and I'm sure the club will do that.
LFC lost the battle today, but the war is still there to be won.
Author: Jaimie K
Most ex-Reds are clearly too shell-shocked to post their reactions to the utter shambles they witnessed (!), but here is some reaction from a couple of LFC legends:
Dietmar Hamann
"Bad day in the office for LFC. Was Agger not 100% or purely tactical decision to not start him? Credit to Hull and Bruce, who's doing a fantastic job"
Jamie Carragher
"It's a big blow. Terrible performance and terrible result. They'll want to put it right for the home game on Wednesday"
Brendan Rodgers added:
"It was very disappointing. We made too many mistakes, with and without the ball. We lacked quality. With the ball we just didn't create enough and there were just too many individual mistakes".
A few observations:
* Absolutely nothing wrong with the starting line-up. The XI selected is more than good enough to put struggling teams like Hull City to the sword, but for some reason, many key players just never turned up. Daniel Agger played poorly against Everton, so he deserved to be dropped, and I doubt the Dane would've made much impact.
* As we've seen so many times this season, Gerrard and Lucas were overrun in central midfield. Those two should be dominating teams like Hull, but you could drive a truck through the gaps they left in the middle of the pitch. As I've argued before, Lucas's snail-pace recovery time after being bypassed by opposition players is a major problem. Once you're past the Brazilian, he's out of the game. Same goes for Gerrard. He doesn't have the legs to control midfield anymore, and he definitely doesn't have the mobility to cover Lucas (when he's out of position/too slow to get back), and vice-versa.
* Rodgers' initial 'pass and move' philosophy appears to be almost totally abandoned at this stage. Gerrard, Lucas, Hendo et al struggled for consistent ball retention, and sloppy passing led to the ball being given away countless times. Embarrassingly, in the final third of the game, Hull out-passed LFC, and retained possession far better. It should be the other way round.
* After a 2-game sabbatical, LFC's second-half malaise returned with a vengeance. About 10 minutes into the second half, it became clear that LFC was losing its grip on the game. The players failed to match Hull's intensity, desire and desperation to get a result, and the players were increasingly second-best at everything. You could literally see Hull City's confidence rising with each passing minute: they knew the game was there for the taking; they sensed LFC's weakness, and they went for the kill.
* FOUR shots on target all game. FOUR! That's one every 22 minutes or so. The creativity gap in the squad is a real problem at the moment, as evidenced by the failure to score any goals from open play for 180 minutes now. All three Everton goals came from set-pieces, as did today's solitary goal.
* Martin Skrtel was (IMO) immense. LFC man of the match. So many blocks/interceptions/clearances etc, and his positional play - something that historically is not really a strength - was top-notch. Granted, two deflections off him led to goals, but you can't legislate for that. They weren't defensive mistakes per se, and if the other defenders/midfielders were doing their jobs properly, he wouldn't have been in those desperate positions anyway.
* Victor Moses = totally ineffective. A couple of mazy runs but non-existent end-product. His decision-making in the final third leaves a lot to be desired, and with 1 goal and NO ASSISTS in ten games, his contribution to the cause is, so far, negligible. He needed to step-up today, and he failed.
* Jordan Henderson is one of LFC's most-improved players over the last year, but today's game showed why Liverpool desperately need to sign at least one top-class creative midfielder during the January transfer window. Hendo is full of heart, enthusiasm and stamina, but he simply lacks the guile, creativity and goal-creating X-factor required of an attacking midfielder. ONE assist in 15 games is just not good enough. Sorry, it's not! His position needs to be under threat, and that will only happen when there are top-quality replacements available.
* Atrocious performance from Glen Johnson. Contributed nothing to the game in an attacking sense; gave the ball away cheaply several times, and his poor-positioning caused problems in defence.
* Sterling didn't really have much of an impact, but I didn't expect him to. As John Barnes suggested last month, he hasn't improved from the time he made his debut last year. Part of that is his fault, but Rodgers and the coaching staff also have to take some responsibility. It's their job to develop the young players, and Sterling hasn't really developed.
* IMO, players like Henderson, Lucas, Moses et al should be the squad players. Liverpool are never going to reach the very highest levels with these players in the first-team week-in, week out. They need to be replaced as first-teamers with the very highest quality. That may sound harsh, but just look at the evidence, not only from today, but from the whole season (and last season).
Overall, a horrible result, and as Carra says, a 'terrible' performance. And yet, there's still room for optimism. The Premier League is throwing up lots of surprises this season. Who could've foreseen Man City losing to Sunderland; Chelsea losing to Newcastle, or Man Utd losing to West Brom? Shock results are a feature of this season, and I'm sure there are more to come.
Additionally, only five points separate 8th place from 2nd in the table right now. It's incredibly tight, and drastic positional changes are happening on a game-by-game basis. If LFC's main goal this season is to finish in the top four, then irrespective of today's result, the Reds are bang on track, and that has to be a good thing.
If, before the season, someone had offered LFC 4th place in the table, only 3 points behind 2nd place by the 1st December, I'm sure most LFC fans would've snapped that up. So, taking the long-view, and putting things into perspective, Liverpool are doing comparatively well this season, and two wins in the next two home games could see the club right back up there.
Yes, losing against relegation fodder is frustrating, but don't lose sight of the club's main goal. What's most important over the next month is to stay in touch with the top four, and I'm sure the club will do that.
LFC lost the battle today, but the war is still there to be won.
Author: Jaimie K
How long will be asking for a box to box midfielder? I would really love Momo Sissoko or even Mulumbu, there is no pace or power or protection!
ReplyDeleteYep, agree. So many problems in the current team, all of which have been highlighted countless time by many different people.
ReplyDeleteNo top 4 squad am afraid. Maybe couple of years more of rebuilding before which we can realistically aim for top 4
ReplyDeleteI think going into this game we were expecting some domination. but I dont think many were expecting us not to have Sturridge and Coutinho and without them we looked like we did at the start of last season. We lacked width, threat and creativity. And I immediately felt more confident once Coutinho was on the field. but that doesnt excuse that I thought the majority of the team had pretty terrible games.
ReplyDeleteSkrtel was fantastic and I generally didnt have much of a problem with the defence. but everything in front of them was pretty woeful. I'm hoping that the rumours of us making the Moses move permanent are false because I dont really want him in the team. I'd like to see Aspas and Coutinho replace him and Sterling for Norwich too. And maybe try Alberto in midfield over Lucas and use henderson in the deeper role.
I told a friend I have lost faith in BR. I have been behind since he was appointed as the manager. Today was his accurately to manage the boys. First off LFC players have a tendency of underestimating smaller teams. He should have told them to finish the game off in the first half. From the whistle LFC was playing like they did not need to win the game. Glen was extremely USELESS, he had no passion in playing. The ball goes out for a throw and he is taking his time to go get the ball whiles the game was at 1-1. BR why did he make so much changes?? DS is the only player hurt from last game why bring in RS and VM knowing they have not done anything. Why is Coutinoh is starting from the bench???? If we don't make it to the top 4 then today's game is the reason why. Managers fault.
ReplyDeleteCoutinho wasn't fit. Hadn't trained all week and needed injections to get on the bench.
ReplyDeleteI never want to see Lucas on the field again...he is worthless. He needs to be replaced straight away...even an orange traffic cone would be better. Gerrard I will cut some slack as his free/corner kicks are gold and every team needs somebody who can do that consistently. However, I am so sick of seeing our central mid-fielders walking when every opposition MF is constantly not walking. You can slate all the individuals you want, but I see no PLAN on the field. There is no structure...just 10 guys (at least Mignolet knows what he's supposed to be doing) scurrying around in circles...when they manage to scurry at all. Matches like this are MUST wins. We have gone from being on top, to being top four to now staying in touch with the top four by January. This is what is known as a death spiral. C'mon men. If you want a new version of the keystone cops watch the tape of that silliness. I don't credit Hull at all. We made a crap team look good and a crap team made us look like crap.
ReplyDeleteI've been slamming Henderson and Leiva for years now - absolutely no creativity, no skill, no goals, nothing. Taking the field with those two is like playing with nine men. Add Moses and Sterling and you're playing with seven. Sturridge will be sorely missed - could be as low as seventh by the time he gets back.
ReplyDeleteAn orange traffic cone better than Lucas? I agree one hundred per cent. He is the living proof that not all Brazilians are footballers. That's why nobody ever tries to buy him, of course.
ReplyDeleteWhat went wrong?
ReplyDelete1. Transfer policy. BR continues to reiterate that our squad is too small and does not have enough quality. it's extremely worrying that losing Sturridge and Coutinho alone means we can't beat a team of Hull's standing. Why did we prioritise acquiring squad players that BR is afraid to play, over players that can go straight into the starting line-up?
2. Attitude. Rather than making a statement of intent, it was obvious from the off, that the aim was to have as much possession as possible. It does not work! Hull were shockingly poor, the only reason they won is that we played much worse than them. The players weren't prepared properly.
3. The midfield. Our midfield remains an enigma. None of them individually are consistently great, but from week to week we're left wondering which midfield trio is going to turn up - the good or the bad. Conspicuous by their absence.
Should we be worried? Not so much by the result, but the performance and the reasons for the performance. The only thing we can rectify immediately is the attitude and preparation of the players.
Agree and drop Henderson at some point on principal alone - his performances leave much to desire, I'm sure Allen can perform just as well, if not better. Everyone has missed sitters, so that shouldn't be enough to not justify another start.
ReplyDeleteJamie how many times over years have i been saying lucas is not good enough to hold that position in midfield to get us in the top 4. How many times have i been saying johnson is more of a winger than a defender.
ReplyDeleteYear after year we keep relying on a few individuals and when injuries kick in and our lucky finally runs out....it exposes our lack of quality in depth.
Sterling is lacking confidence and needs more game time. Moses is just a lazy git who plays for himself and is one who should have stayed at chelsea with the rest.
Anyway.....me and some mates are going to anfield next saturday, sitting in the hospitality box for my 40th birthday. Hopefully i will not be asking for a refund especially as I'm based in london.
I also felt better with Coutinho in the game. He certainly didn't look like he had a bad ankle. What was up with that? Lucas is suppoed to link the ball forward...but that is hard to do with you're facing your own goal most of the time. Earth to Lucas: you're linking forward in the wrong direction dude...you're supposed to turn the ball and pass toward the other team's goal.
ReplyDeleteMoses and Sterling were terrible. what on earth was Moses doing when Hull scored that first goal. as soon as he lost the ball I knew they would score, as what he tried to do was stupid they just went for it, and it paid off. BR is a good manager but he really gambled by playing sterling today. he needs to be shipped out on loan, hes not good enough to play for a team aspiring for top 4. Suarez was poor today, no worries, he'll be back firing but he was poor today IMO. Hendo was poor, work-rate always there but he wasn't good enough. The choice to not start Coutinho was a poor 1 and there was no service at all to suarez. when he came on, we looked much better, but he should have started. Skrtel was top class and got unlucky but his heart, work rate and desire was there and was the only player, along with Flannagan who turned up today. Stevie wernt bad, scored a decent free kick as well but we should be battering Hull. and I think Toure was very poor today. his quality is there, but he is very lazy in his decisions. he never had a good game and I think we need sakho and skrtel as the Centre Back pairing. Glen Johnson was absolutely poor and should be dropped for the game he had. we should give a chance Tiago Ilori and RB. hes pacey and we payed 8M, he must be used. if not Henderson should play RB to free up midfield positions.
ReplyDeleteWere gonna need a big overhaul in January as thing do not look good if were losing to Hull City, and not just 1-0, 3-1. Stefan El-Shaarawy (ST), Nemanja Matic(DM/CM), Alexandre Maxin(AM) Andriy Yarmolenko (RW) Martin Montoya(RB) £65M in total.
Until then for next game ill line up like this
--------------------mignolet
---Hendo-----Skrtel--------Sakho--------Flanagan
--------------Lucas-----------Gerrard
---Aspas--------Coutinho--------------Ibe
-------------------Suarez
Moses, Johnson, Toure, Sterling were all poor and should all be dropped. if we were to sign El-Shaarawy, Matic, Montoya and Yarmolenko in January then LFC can look like this
--------------------------Mignolet
---Montoya-----Skrtel---------Sakho--------Enrique
---------------Matic-----------------Gerrard
---Yarmolenko----El-Sharaawy--------Coutinho
----------------------------Suarez
The real issue is our midfield, the reality is that Lucas lacks the physical prowess to dominate the centre. Then add Steve G losing his legs plus a lack of creativity it becomes apparent why we gets turned over so easily. I hope and pray we get Mulumbu. He's 26, tactically improved immensely can dominate the centre as he did last week against Arsenal. Not only can he stifle danger he has the necessary aggression to want to get forward and score goals. Although his primary role will be as a defensive midfielder. Turan would be a nice buy for creativity! I've said this many a time, BR's failure to address this issue will be his downfall.
ReplyDeleteVM needs a run of games as he is generally more effective. The most worrying sign is BR choosing Sterling over Alberto. Surely this is a vote of no confidence and therefore suggests questionable to transfer activities!
pro players should be able to play in a number of positions dion Dublin eg I would like to see agger in midfield hes good on the ball and gets hisI head down and will take people on everything lucas does"nt and would add a bit of fight to the midfield think we should have sold allen to Swansea instead of jonjo aleast he got a pair of bollocks and is a scrapper in mf another great decision by rogers to sell him
ReplyDeletePerfectly agreed!
ReplyDeleteRegarding our transfer policy, if we are to move forward, we need players who can come into our team and make a difference. When buying players, BR & Co. should ask the simple question: Will this player improve our team considerably? I feel we have spent too much money on players who are not yet ready for a 1st team role (eg. Alberto, Allen) or who are just squad players (Moses, Cissoko etc.(
With regards to attitude, I cannot agree more. What we lack in talent, we must make up for it by attitude. We could learn a lot from Everton here! It feels bad to say so but sometimes I just can't stand our snobbish attitude of keeping possession without getting our hands dirty and taking the game by the scruff of it's neck.
Our midfield lacks a genuine goal scoring threat. Arsenal have added this to their midfield (Ramsey and Cazorla) and they are picking up much more points than before. We could also do with some muscle in these kind of games. Perhaps Rodgers should try playing Sakho here for a while until January and see how it goes, because we really need a player of his profile to play as a box to box midfielder.
Perhaps a big attacker (like Giroud rather than Carroll) to hold up the ball up the field and give our midfielders a chance to go up and take a goal scoring position could also help.
That would make it some 4 players which we are lacking to be genuine top 4 contenders, let alone champions material.
Fantasy football! Those players will never come to LFC, not sure abt the figures either! Overall I agree with areas you've chosen to strengthen!
ReplyDeleteI know but something must be done. i'd splash £20m each to get Matic, El-Shaarawy and Yarmolenko into Liverpool. to get some creativity in the team.
ReplyDeleteWe can only hope!
ReplyDeleteShame is, Ro, you've probably been making these points for a while now, as have I. My biggest fear re LFC is that this time next year, we'll still be saying the same thing. If we can see it, surely the management can also.
ReplyDeleteI think 4 players is a good shout, providing they are of the requisite quality. So let's hope the upcoming transfer window is better than our last.
dream on don't think there will be any poke to spend in jan would u if u where fsg trust Rodgers with his track record in the transfare market run LFC I wouldn't let him run a bath
ReplyDeleteYou really don't like Agger do you!! if you looked at the stats then you would have seen that Agger was better then Skrtel in the Everton game so didn't really deserved to be dropped.
ReplyDeleteGerrard should start from the bench or play every other game
ReplyDeletelol
ReplyDeleteNow paying the price for a wrong transfer strategy. Why sign Alberto+Aspas+Sakho for £30m? Save Sakho, I think the money on Alberto and Aspas should have gone towards a player that can potentially challenge the first 11. Guess this result will help to water-down expectations
ReplyDeleteDo not cut any slack to Gerrard. He is also as bad as Lucas. We need replacements for Lucas, Johnson, and Gerrard plus a LB and creative midfielder in January
ReplyDeleteGood assessment and a positive spin on a horrible footballing day!
ReplyDeleteI fail to see how BR can opt for Moses when he has proven ineffective on so many occasions.
i wonder sometimes if managers just choose teams based on who's liked and disliked?!?
I'm bringing in a exciting player fan's will love borini lmfao that still makes me chuckle
ReplyDeleterafa will buy him in jan
ReplyDeleteWith respect, that's not true. According to OPTA stats:
ReplyDeleteAGGER
Tackles won: 50% success rate.
Headed duels: Won 5/8
Clearances: 10
Interceptions: 2
Pass completion: 70%
SKRTEL
Tackles won: 100% success rate.
Headed duels: Won 2/4
Interceptions: 2
Clearances: 10
Pass completion: 85%
Move Agger to the DM role and play one of Lucas/Gerrard until January
ReplyDeleteEverytime, just when we are starting believing, a small team is coming out of nowhere and kill us... I'm tired... Year, after year, after year, after year... What is wrong? Owners that don't spend when the others are spending (I don't like the idea of splashing money on footballers, when millions of people are really poor, but this is the fuckin' football way of our times), an unexperienced manager, limited squad (for me we have only 13 - 14 really warlike players), hostile referees and of course, lack of luck (two own goals and the miss of the match just before Hull's second goal!!! Mercy me). If there is a chance to do something we need more players (better from the players we have now). Simple and true. YNWA
ReplyDeleteAllow me to add something. We have many injuries this year (last year Rodgers was very lucky on this section), but I'm thinking that Arsenal are having similar problems with injuries. Why are handling the situation much better than us?
ReplyDeleteJust six words - Borini, Assaidi, Allen, Alberto, Sakho, Aspas. Why is the squad thin? Ask the manager why he spent something like £55.5m onplayers who are either out on loan or never seeing a first tem start
ReplyDeleteWow. It was a bad result and a bad performance but these happen occasionally. There is a lot of nitpicking going on just because we lost one game.
ReplyDelete- Hull played 3-5-2 and we only had one striker on the pitch in a 4-3-3. So we had all the ball but there was no space to effectively create chances, especially with only one striker out there, we needed two strikers. Hull hit us on the counter attack and were effective doing so. Hull's solid defensive unit as well as Moses and Sterling's lack of quality meant we could not turn possession into chances and goals.
- Hendo and Lucas are instantly branded squad players because of one game. If Sturridge and Coutinho are fit and we use a 4-3-3, the team picks itself. No one on the bench is of sufficient quality to effectively replace anyone in the 11. Who is actually better than Henderson and Lucas in our current squad?
- I hope Moses gets absolutely slammed by Rodgers for that stupid error which gave Hull their first goal. Who knows what he was thinking...He is a loan signing with no agreed price or option to buy so Alberto should have priority over him, especially if he offers nothing.
- Watch Manchester United. They play with a lot of intent and purpose. Always passing and instantly moving, always creating space and getting people forward, especially in the box. We need to be more ruthless in our play and without Sturridge and Coutinho that seems impossible.
After that pathetic performance do you really blame Suarez wanting a transfer out of LFC as quick as he can get it? Toure panics in defence and gets in the way of others when trying to clear the ball.Same old story with Henderson,Lucas,and throw in Moses as well,not good enough.And Mr Rodgers Hmmmmm,??????? all over you.
ReplyDeleteYup, honestly this is to be expected. Much as nobody here likes him, Ferguson was right when he said in his book that we need 7-9 new (real quality) players to even be a threat in the title race. That said, with 3-4 teams every season now good enough to win the title, imo, it also means that to finish amongst the top 4 you also need near title winning quality. We're signing players, but just about every signing is just squad quality.
ReplyDeleteto be fair - the team we sent out was enough to beat hull - but in effect there was no desire whatsoever. Hull were poor in the first 20 minutes and had we shown the desire we have done against others we could have been 2 or 3 up. There was nothing - i dont think we even attempted a shot apart from Gerrards free kick.
ReplyDeleteIts games like these that show the summer's transfer's were largely missed opportunities. Almost 30 million on defenders, and 15 million on players like aspas, alberto and moses who arent really upto scratch. On this performance moses doesnt deserve to make the first 11 - i dont see his move becoming permanent.
For all the technical team looking into transfers - its still not up to scratch.
It baffles how you can focus on Moses & Sterling as the reason for lack of quality , when in reality they are fringe players! Mean while Lucas & Hendo are consistently picked & churn out average performances! Hendo has improved from rubbish to ok, has he justified his price tag. NO! He's certainly works hard but rarely offers any attack. I credit that to KK!
ReplyDeleteAs for Lucas, this man shld never be our 1st choice DM. Against top teams or poor quality teams with physicality he is a passenger.
Moses in his career has shown more quality than Hendo has and they're the same age! Sterling has been mismanaged by BR, he shld be on loan somewhere learning his trade. Again I can't excuse his performance but I reckon you have the wrong scapegoats!
very frustrating to see that in the last two games we have been on the brink of winning games only to pick up 1 point out of 6. We need the squad players to step up over these next few weeks and Rodger to grow a pair of balls and stick with a center back paring as the chopping and changing is harming the team.
ReplyDeleteArsenal rumoured to be in for Mulumbu! We let good players pass us by as we continue to buy ourselves into mediocrity! We accuse the likes of Chelsea or Manchester city for buying success, LFC's transfer activity has been poor overall. We seem to buy multiple duds at once!
ReplyDeleteJK can you remind us with stats how badly we've spent compared to the top 4 teams!
My assessment of the game was that Hull made it very difficult for us to play how we wanted to, there wasn't much space at all. Moses and Sterling were poor and they did not have the quality to create space or chances.
ReplyDeleteMoses stupidly gave the ball away for their first goal. Overall I thought he was selfish and offered nothing. Every time he got the ball he thought he could dribble past 10 players and score, he was also slipping all over the place. His worst performance by far for us, and he has missed 3 or 4 good chances to score goals when he has played. He's not worth having in the team. Give Alberto a shot because Moses is just a loan signing.
Lucas is first choice DM because who else is going to play that role? That's the point I'm trying to make.
If you chose to ignore the fact that Henderson was pushing up to support Suarez then that is your decision. Overall Hendo was average, as was Lucas and Gerrard, but it's not Hendo's fault that Moses and Sterling were incompetent wingers during the match.
Like everyone else here, this game was totally frustrating and indicative that we are a long way for where we need to be,
ReplyDelete1. Sterling was abysmal; he was a human turnover machine. Can't pass, can't catch a pass, flopped everywhere and lost possession EVERY TIME!
1. Agree with JK that midfield was blown by with ease.
2. We didn't press at the outset thereby creating nearly ZERO chances and causing nearly zero significant forced errors.
3. Very disappointed in Moses but the strategy of not pressing was horrible.
4. I don't blame Skrtel; he was trying to do too much.
5. Flanagan was decent; glen Johnson was nearly invisible; lack of pressing strategy.
6. If IBE can't get a shot to start over Sterling now, then when the f@ck will he?
7. We need big boy midfielders with PACE and two way skills.
Time to drink heavily and deaden the memory..............
The only two player that i saw playing well was Flanagan and Coutinho in the second half, the rest were dreaming. I didn't see a wining chemistry among the players. Hull deserved the winning.
ReplyDeleteBR still whining about squad strength, Borini (£10.5m), Allen (£15m), Aspas (£7.7m), Sakho (£15m), llori (£7m), Cissokho (Loan), Moses (Loan), Alberto (£6.8m)........etc. only one of them started at Hull City.....why????
ReplyDeleteYet again BR deflects the blame, when he makes mistakes in team selection!!.
I'm not buying that $h!+ any more than you do.....
ReplyDeleteThe squad is strong enough if BR picks the right team?, yet again he didn't
ReplyDeleteyet we still have'haven't got one
ReplyDeletehe hasn't even pick a stable central defense ,which has been tinkered tooo many time this season....
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely right mate it's all garbage from BR, his poor selections will cost us 4th place, look at Ibe, Teixeira, Dunn, Sinclair, McLoughlin in the U21's......all better than Sterling by miles!!!!
ReplyDeleteBe ready few more disappointing result coming in this month ! Even look promising 3 point on cardiff yet give me confident..WE WILL START DRIFTING AWAY !!!!
ReplyDeleteLucas and S Gerrard are not mobile, Even watching the Highlights again . How the Hell did Huddlestone arrive in our box without Gerrard, Henderson or Lucas anywhere near him?
ReplyDeleteG Johnson was shocking again, two games on trot he has been woeful. He offered nothing going forward and was terrible defending. Flanagan is abyzmal. Yeah he has heart and passion, yeah he gets stuck in, but he has poor touch offers nothing going forward and 1 vs 1 with a attacker he always gets beaten with ease.
We just lost to Hull city? And i am absolutely fuming, Skrtel was immense again just unlucky. The other 3 defenders in backline were pathetic, How does Toure get ahead of Sakho and Agger? Both of them are much better than him. Sakho should have started against the powerful Sagbo.
And the positions i have said we desperated need strengthening in January were where we were badly exposed?
Lucas(26) and Gerrard(33) have not got the legs for it, They made Huddlestone and Livermore look like Cazorla and Ozil. Henderson has the legs but is a headless chicken, Moses and Sterling have pace and speed but their final ball is comical, they are rarely created or stretched hull citys back line and they do not score enough goals.
Suarez had scraps all game, best player in premier league away from home had no support, no good service. He can’t do everything on his own.
In January: These 5 players are desperately needed: Rodgers no more dead wood players, no more excuses:
Y Cabaye(27) CM for 14-18M to compete and Cover Henderson
Y M’Vila(23) DM for 10-14M to compete and Cover Lucas
M Salah(21) RW / RWF for 12-16M to bring pace, speed, regular creativity, service to side from the right wing/ right hand side.
D Capel(25) LW /LWF for 4-6M to bring pace, speed, regular creativity, service to side from the left wing/left hand side.
FD: K Mitroglu(25) Of Olympiacos for 4-7M to compete and Cover Sturridge
Those 5 players will bring the class quality we are lacking and change squad and first team DRAMATICALLY
The two elephants in the room are not that difficult to miss. Lucas and Gerrard...
ReplyDeleteI fear for us with those two in the starting eleven when we play City in their backyard. We are going to be demolished.
I telling you Rodgers is over his neck. Please get a new manager. If we can rescue ourselves from FSG hat will be blessed as well.
ReplyDeleteBR should be embarrassed for years that he didn't quit LFC already. Anyone can see he is not good enough for this level.
ReplyDeleteTo each his own. Moses who produced nothing but rubbish in the last match is more of a problem for me than Lucas and Gerrard. If Moses starts next week......
ReplyDeleteLiverpool dominated the match in terms of possession but our sloppy play meant we could not create chances and score goals.
If both teams are set, there would be absolutely no chance that Hull could pass through our team and score goals. They played 3-5-2 counter attack and left no space for us and it was too difficult to create things with one striker and a pair of useless wingers.
Lucas and Gerrard aren't the most physical but what more do you want from them? Lucas-Gerrard-Hendo is quite a balanced midfield 3. Be realistic because Gerrard and Lucas are seemingly untouchable and if you swap Henderson for Allen you lose even more attacking threat.
Moses was rubbish, Sterling didn't care, Johnson was poor and Flanagan lacks an attacking mindset. You can see how the team is so worse off without Jose and Sturridge. All of these problems contribute to poor performances and results and by only highlighting Lucas and Gerrard as the elephants in the room despite them individually not doing anything wrong during the match it suggests that you are just trying to paper over the cracks.
Come on now...
ReplyDeleteWe are on course for top 4, a hiccup simply.
Exactly. If we drop points in the next few games then we start to have problems.
ReplyDeleteA few people were out and we were sloppy, these results happen. So far until the Hull match we have been immune to the unpredictability of the Premier League this season. Unfortunately it got us in the last game.
Brendan trying to be father figure to Sterling but it's hurting LFC. Alberto / Aspas should have started and Moses performance was shockingly poor. And Lucas needs rest time along with Gerrard. Ibe should have been given some game time and I wish all substitutes were used in the games. Sometimes I feel the game is rigged. Now we have no Sturridge for 2 months.....who ya gonna call...? A truly wretched performance, I had nightmare and couldn't sleep with the result.
ReplyDeleteI love the phrase 'shockingly poor'. It's so emotive. Cracks me up :-) Agree re Aspas/Alberto, though the former has shown nothing yet to suggest that he is any kind of solution. Rodgers performance in the transfer market over the summer was, again, questionable.
ReplyDeleteLucas, Gerrard and Hendo balanced? What freaking match were you watching yesterday?
ReplyDeleteWould Lucas, Gerrard and Henderson as a trio get into the Chelsea, City or Arsenal starting eleven?
I did not even bother reading past your claim of Lucas, Gerrard and Hendo being balanced by the way.
I think once again the midfield let us down. Lucas, Gerrard and Henderson on the same team brings make us unbalanced. Gerrard needs to be dropped simply because he does not need to play every game, we need to give others a chance to cement a stake in the 1st team. Bar his set pieces Gerrard is becoming less influential in matches and being overrun easily.
ReplyDeleteA midfield is a priority in this window.
Hendo is a tidy player but what does he bring us apart from having a good engine? He offers us no attacking threat whatsoever. He has improved yes but not to a top 4 standard.
Lucas has terrible recovery timing. A weak link in the team, the sooner we get another DM the better
Gerrard should not be playing every game, his influence is deminishing and is being overrun like Lucas so easily. His set pieces are great but apart from that hes been average. He needs some serious competition, something he has not had in nearly 10 years.
Sterling was over hyped so much and I never really understood why. He has pace, that's it. He needs a good loan to kick start his form, send him to Derby or Blackpool.
Glen Johnson..Oh my gosh Glen! He needs a kick up his backside, bring back Kelly.
Victor Moses claimed if he plays he could score 20 goals. Really? Really? Not based on your past 10 performances mate. Average at best so far.
Also, as we can see Sturridge is very injury prone, so we cannot expect him to complete a full a season so we need a new striker IMO. At least bring back Borini or something.
What IMO we need to address in the transfer window:
1- Defensive Mid (i.e.Mulumbu, Rode, Rincon etc...)
2- Attacking Mid (i.e. Pastore etc...)
3- Full back (i.e. Montoya etc...)
Sterling needs to go on loan.
I still think we are on course. Trust me if we can get 2 wins in a row then we are back on it! We still are!
ReplyDeleteSterling was is so overrated. He needs to go on loan to be honest.
ReplyDeleteIbe is a much better footballer.
Showoff! :oP
ReplyDeleteThis result has been a long time coming. The cracks have been showing for a while, we've just been lucky enough to have suarez and sturridge to hide them
ReplyDeleteAs soon as I saw that Utd and Spurs drew, I knew we were going to lose the game and didn't bother going to watch it. There is one fact about our team and that is they cannot take advantage when other teams around us drop points. If you went back over the past 12/18 months and checked the stats regarding that, I bet it is absolutely shocking. I would say off the top of my head that we fail to take advantage at least 90% of the time so I wasn't too surprised by the result but hugely disappointed. Wonder if you have looked at that in the past Jaimie (might be a bit too tedious). As we have all been saying for some time now, the midfield is nowhere good enough and needs some drastic improvement in the window. Lets hope we get back on track on Wednesday as we seem to have forgotten how to defend. Nowhere near good enough. And to think Huddlestone was available for 5 million. Wouldn't have been a bad signing, would he. But hey, what team needs a central midfielder who actually has composure, mobility and can control a game.
ReplyDeleteAgree. The league is topsy-turvy this year. This is just a blip. Admittedly, a terrible, soul-destroying blip, but it's not the end of the world.
ReplyDeleteThe only goal is to finish in the top four. How that is achieved is arguably irrelevant. If LFC lose to Sunderland and Crystal Palace before the season ends but still finish 4th, those defeats won't matter, and neither will the Hull result.
Indeed! The cracks have been showing but sometimes this the kick we need.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think it's our best eleven, specially since DS is out for 2months (Agger MK2)?
This!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI so agree with this!
ReplyDeleteBest XI (minus injuries: Toure, Enrique, Sturridge etc):
ReplyDelete------------------ Mignolet
Johnson -- Skrtel ----- Sakho ---- Agger
-------------- Lucas -- Gerrard
-------- Hendo
------------------- Coutinho
------------- Suarez ------- Aspas
Aspas is most effective as a central striker, so play him alongside Suarez. It's tough to pick the team as the squad is still so average overall (!)
Be fair, my friend. You probably can't get a better owner than FSG that is not named Mansour or Abramovich. The amount of money FSG pumped into the club since their tookover is enormous. It's just that non of the managers knew how to spend them wisely. KD spent more than 100 mil pounds and BR spend something close to 60 mil pounds. Yet when Coutinho and DS are not playing, we instantly play like a relegation-threatened team against a to-be-relegation-threatened team.
ReplyDeletePlease read more about the financies of LFC against the rest of EPL. That should be enough to give you a shock how much resources LFC has on hand compared to the other teams in EPL. The latest article came from agent fees paid by EPL clubs. Check them out if you have time.
Anyway, any sacking of a manager will set the club back by a huge amount of money as it requires huge compensation for a complete overhaul of the backroom staff. Money aside, so who is going to be the replacement? More importantly, how much money is the new manager going to spend by making LFC a definite top 4 club again?
saddest thing is coz we were missing 2 players, that's a reason to lose badly to a mediocre Hull side. We had 10 out of 11 players who are full internationals. For that 90 minutes against Hull , squad depth had nothing to do with that abysmal show, so I am puzzled by BR and his comments.
ReplyDeleteLoganFC- spot on, we have an ageing/soft midfield which has been ignored for years!
ReplyDeleteI had a back & forth with another blogger abt this very issue, that person tried to justify not needing a box to box player by pointing to Arsenal! Ironically they resigned Flamini who has given them some steel & now they're rumoured to be after mulumbu. When will we learn!
If you choose not to read the entirety of my post then don't bother replying to it mate. Instantly stop reading because there is a different opinion to that of your own? Okay....
ReplyDeleteYour question of would the trio get into another team is stupid. It's your trademark to ask questions and make claims without any basis. I'm still waiting for you to tell my when/why/how Allen is going to make me eat humble pie.
In comparison to one another, Lucas, Gerrard and Henderson are quite balanced and it's the best midfield we can possibly line up with. Lucas is the defensive man, Gerrard is able in transition and a box to box role while Henderson is the man in front. To me, that's balanced.
Stop being so imperious to the discussion and drop the ignorance.
You have to earn the right to play football at places like Hull City. They wanted it more than us and even when we got it back to 1-1 we never really looked like threatening their goal. Studge is a big miss, his directness, willing to take people on and get a shot away was missing big time. Suarez looked lost yesterday. Not sure what Llori has to do to get a game at Left Back? Maybe switch the ever improving Flanagan to Right back and push Johnson further up the pitch similarly to what Bale has become.
ReplyDelete....."Lucas & Gerrard aren't the most physical but what more do you want from them...." Mate I couldn't believe my ears, physical aggression is the very least you expect from your midfield. Imagine Skrtel saying I don't go for headers for fear of a head injury!
ReplyDeleteNow that you accept that our midfield lack aggression sure you must consider it negligence that we've failed to address this!
Same ol' sorry saga. The fans have a right to be annoyed at the result. Past December's have been Liverpool's 'archilles heel' in terms of mounting a challenge for a CL qualifying spot. BR needs to take the blame for this defeat. You simply cannot concede 6 goals in two away games and think it just another bad day at the office. We are woeful in midfield (even in the games that we've won). Coutinho apart, Lucas, Hendo and Stevie G have been dismal to say the least. Recent results promised much but in the final analysis it seems to be the same ol' December slump.
ReplyDeleteGerrard and Lucas should be replaced, plain and simple. Gerrard is no longer what he used to be and there is a reason why Lucas only gets 20 minute sub appearances for Brazil.
ReplyDeleteBoth are passengers in our team and I am not the only one who sees this.
A midfield three of Allen, Alberto and Henderson would provide pressing, movement and more creativity than what we are getting now. Obviously you are going to disagree. Shock horror...
Henderson provides that. Throughout the game he broke his balls to press the opposition.
ReplyDeleteLucas is aggressive in winning tackles, possibly why he commits so many fouls and picks up cards.
Gerrard in his position is quite restricted but by nature he is quite an aggressive player.
Physicality and aggression are different things. There is a player for my local team nicknamed 'The Burglar' because he is an aggressive DM that wins the ball, but he is very small in physical presence. I understand what you are trying to say but I'm failing to see your overall point. Aggression isn't the midfields biggest problem.
Please dont forget Cissokho, Moses and Sahin ---- big loan fees for utter dross
ReplyDeleteI don't entirely disagree, I'd like to think I'm reasonable, but thanks for finally providing some basis for your arguments instead of stopping your comments short. It's not that hard is it ;)
ReplyDeleteYou argued balance, in your midfield it would seem that Allen would have to do all the defensive work, a lot of people claim that's not his position and that's the excuse they use for the times he has under performed. Defensive capability is the only reason Lucas gets picked. Your midfield is a little refreshing however in comparison to the players who have untouchable status at the club.
Allen sat in for Lucas at the start of his Anfield career and did a commendable job. Those performances earned him MOM awards so Allen is more than capable of playing the DM role.
ReplyDeleteRodgers is between a rock and a hard place, damned if he does, damned if he doesn't. If he drops both Stevie and Lucas and loses a match then he will get nailed. If he keeps things as they are and loses a match then he still gets nailed.
Decisions, decisions. Happy that I am not the one making them.
Logan, i do not know what game you watched. But Skrtel was the only defender who stood up and was counted. He was trying to block and throw his body at everything. He had 3 clowns at back, Brady stopped G Johnson from attacking full stop. Johnson defending was non existant, Toure was comical to say least, old, experienced but clumsy and makes too many mistakes in key areas. Flannagan has heart, passion but no class, no quality and offers nothing going forward. And every time he isolated 1 vs 1 with attacker they skip past him with ease. Skrtel has been the clubs best defender easily for last 6 weeks. Game in game out he has been awesome and immense, he may of scored some own goals but he was launching himself at everything not to help Mignolet.
ReplyDeleteShame the 3 centre midfielders who are supposed to be a shield in front of back 4 are never there to help him, as they are sluggish, immobile and shocking to be honest. Gerrard, Lucas and Henderson made Huddlestone, Livermore and Meyler, look like Cazorla, Ozil and Ramsey.
lol sry added the points wrong there i only saw red at that point so was a little dellusional
ReplyDeleteWe're still above them for fk sake,what is your problem?!?
ReplyDeleteCoffee smells like we will finish above manu this season..
ReplyDeleteStill smelling the coffee...
ReplyDeleteare you obsessed with man utd solely? If we finish above them in eighth for instance, is it ok that we gain nothing except bragging rights.BTW I was at Anfield on saturday and whilst it was an ok result some players were only fair and now SG injury is a problem.
ReplyDeleteStevie G injurie is not thatmuch of a problem. and I told you that we will finish in the top 4 and them below us. and if someone steals our 4th place but we are still above them- I will be much more content than last year.
ReplyDelete