1 Dec 2013

Confirmed LFC XI vs. Hull

Philippe Coutinho is out of this afternoon's game with Hull after apparently struggling with injury throughout the week, and with Daniel Sturridge also out, the Reds' attacking potency is significantly weakened.

FULL TEAM: Mignolet, Flanagan, Toure, Skrtel, Johnson, Lucas, Gerrard, Henderson, Moses, Sterling, Suarez.

SUBS: Jones, Agger, Sakho, Allen, Alberto, Aspas, Coutinho

HULL: McGregor, Elmohamady, Figueroa, Davies, Bruce, Meyler, Huddlestone, Livermore, Brady, Koren, Sagbo.

According to LFC's twitter feed:

"Philippe Coutinho has been named on the bench today for after not training at all throughout the week due to a high ankle injury"

Thankfully, Luis Suarez is okay to start the game, which compensates somewhat for the loss of Coutinho and Sturridge.

Bad news for Joe Allen, though. Despite the injuries, the midfielder is dropped to the bench, which won't do his flagging confidence much good.

Daniel Agger is also (deservedly) relegated back to the bench, so expect to hear him not complaining to media over the next week about how he deserves to be playing.

For me, a big surprise is the omission of Mamadou Sakho. This will be the third game in a row that the France international starts on the bench, and he will not be happy about that. If Rodgers doesn't trust Sakho, then why the hell did he splurge €19m in the summer?! You don't spend that kind of money for a bench-warmer, and he looks increasingly like yet another big-money misfire from the manager in the transfer market.

It's good to see Toure back in the fold, though. After conceding three goals last week, the defence will benefit from his vocality and leadership. Good opportunity for Sterling, too. Let's hope he grabs it with both hands and makes a difference.

Probable formation.

---------------- Mignolet

Johnson ---- Toure -- Sakho ----- Flanagan

---------------- Lucas

---------- Gerrard -- Hendo

--- Sterling -------------- Moses

--------------- Suarez

Iago Aspas is on the bench, which is a timely boost, and overall, the bench is pretty strong.

Author:


105 comments:

  1. Why no Ibe for fvuk sake?!? Bloody Sterling-if he doesn't deliver today he should be sent back to the reserves for at least half a year..

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  2. Let's hope Lucas and Gerrard can control the game which they have been struggling with in almost all of our matches. Hull are no push overs in their own backyard.

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  3. Sterling?...... I really dont thik he's good enough. But then Coutinho out wide isn't great either (he's a number 10). I would have gone with IBE.

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  4. With regards to Sakho and Allen, Jordan Henderson is an example to both that training with Rodgers and focusing on where he thinks you are weak can improve you if your attitude is right. Lets see if Allen and Sakho have the right attitude because at the moment neither, for different reason, deserve to be in the side.

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  5. Sterling is a real weak link. He gives it away so cheaply out wide. We should have stuck with the diamond midfield and maybe played sterling up front alongside Suarez with MOses in the hole.

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  6. Why are we so deep?

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  7. what happened to pressing high and 'dominating the ball' I dont get it. Ok enough moaning....... :D

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  8. this is the line up I saw happening when I first heard of sturridge injury. really hoping ibe/sterling/aspas grab there chance. was hoping to see a midfield 3 of coutinho, hendo, gerrard. really take it to hull and give lucas a breather. oh well still a strong team that can get the points.

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  9. ok im prediciting we're going to lose today. somethings not right.

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  10. ooops theres 0-1

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  11. If that person moses is the best in africa ,lets look elsewhere.

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  12. get innnnnnnnnnnn

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  13. Ok. Hopefully half time will spell the end of Skrtel who is scaring the life out of everyone with his jitters, Sterling who is just poor in everything he does out wide and Moses who I've never rated.

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  14. I really an truly do not see the point of having Lucas on the pitch either. Our midfield is like stale bread.

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  15. Giving the ball away too cheaply...AND WHERE ARE THE MID-FIELDERS? I've never seen so much standing around in mid-field...ever!

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  16. I actually think, as Kenny found out, that Lucas has been crucial in covering up for Gerrard and Hendersons lack of tactical discipline. But we'd be better off with a change of formation pronto!!!! 4-1-2-1-2 quick time!!!

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  17. Hence the reason why he is only on loan.

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  18. Gerrard will not be around forever so I think Lucas's days in the starting eleven should be brought to an end and be replaced with a more imaginative central midfielder.

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  19. Ok ok ok, enough moaning. Sterling? I agree. Moses can be better though. As regards what you say about Skrtel, asking for him to be subbed at halftime?? Jesus. Gerrard's freekick wouldnt have gone in only for Skrtel. Also, are you only focusing on the negatives?

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  20. The key to the seconfd half? Glen johnson. Let him go forward!!

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  21. there are positives? We've been lacklustre from the start. A set piece in which Skrtel creates space surely doesnt paper over the cracks of his twitchiness at the back.

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  22. our worst performance this year moses sterling very poor need coutinho

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  23. We need to take off Lucas and replace him with an attacker!!!

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  24. our midfield cant create nothing so frustrating to watch!!!

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  25. How deep? But it was inevitable...... I could see it after 10 mins

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  26. Absolute rubbish from LFC (bar Skrtel, who is playing brilliantly). Moses and Sterling pi$$ poor overall. Midfield non-existent. No excuse for losing this game.

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  27. pathetic really how can we lose this game no excuses

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  28. Some managers when they are in a position of strength set their teams up to go for the throat. the higher up the table we go the deeper and longer we play... weird

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  29. time for a midfield overhaul

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  30. Diabolical decision making.

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  31. what was Rodgers thinking

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  32. JK can u let us know how many shots we had today feels like we got out played by hull I cant believe it!!!!

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  33. hull have put 1 player in front of Suarez so he cant get it into feet. result? neutralised! Come on Brendan. 4-1-2-1-2 sighs

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  34. Lucas cannot tackle, and AGAIN tried to play a pass and gave the ball which did not help our cause. Beyond believe why a brazilian cannot pass with more accurancy. Moses, johnson, sterling and henderson very poor.

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  35. Dire performance.

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  36. good old martin

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  37. Should have been game over, big chance for Hull. Lets make them pay......oh rubbish

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  38. I've seen enough....joke.

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  39. A bad day at the office?

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  40. stop making excuses that was our worst performance of the year ok

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  41. Should have scored 5 goals, the Tigers

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  42. I dont fully disagree with you. I just find it difficult to understand how so many players collectively can have such a BAD game at the same time. It was rubbish, I dont argue that but I am trying to understand why it was so bad. If your summary is simply 'worst performance of the year', fair enough.

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  43. i'm speechless...............

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  44. Central midfielders poor today. Weakest link in this team. Johnson,Lucas worst on pitch. Defence also looked shaken today, Suarez cut off from rest of team. Terrible performance.

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  45. well how can u say it wasn't our worst performance our midfield was outplayed by hull..think about it no flow nothing not even chances created

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  46. Yes & easily, if their striker Yannick Sagbo is replaced by say...Loic Remy.

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  47. I could see it when they put the players bar up. With very personal influence of the atmosphere that i knew from our good old losing days.

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  48. Horrendous performance. We will start to fall down the table like a lead balloon.

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  49. That is it for Skrtel. If Sakho is not in the next match and Rodgers cannot also see that Lucas and Gerrard are both passengers then please let someone else select the team.


    Rant over.

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  50. Henderson doesn't have any independent thinking. He should never be something more than a CM, DM, meaning instead of Lucas or Gerrard if. BR 75-80 points by end of season or walk home. JUST NOT GOOD --- ENOUGH.

    The bar was never lower with this 'modern' nonsense.

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  51. 4 shots against hull!!! no wonder I feel depressed

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  52. Ya, After a short aberration we are doing what we are known for, for years,and we will soon find ourselves where we truly belong. Congradulation LFC ... YNWA

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  53. Get off your high horse mate. I never said it wasnt our worst performance of the year.. My point was that I am not as brutally critical as you are. We are obviously not a shite team considering our position in the league. I know that we are not at the standard of Chelsea, Arsenal or Utd(yet). Liverpool had a REALLY bad game today and I am trying to analyze why, instead of loosely condemning them. Take it how you will!!!

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  54. Everything that Rodgers is sums up to the way he talks. He might have a good vision but he's not the real deal with all of the deal put together. There's a dimension neglected in his life that preforms the picture were seeing now.

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  55. I am off my high horse mate ok but stop making excuses and get to the reality this was a bad performance by us ok if u cant see that and want to mask it by crap then its ur call but for me theres no excuses for not beating hull tday

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  56. Being a LFC is sooooo frustrating at times. How do we lose to a team who has lost 4 of their last 5? Crystal Palace beat Hull for Christ's sake! But we, a team who are supposedly in the title chase, get beaten 3-1 by them. Unfreakinbelievable!!!!! Every time we have an opportunity to go on a run we drop points. Every single time

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  57. Open your head it's not the numbers that count.

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  58. Read my comments again and please tell me WHERE I didnt agree with you regarding today's performance!!! Like I said, GET OFF!!!!!

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  59. ok we r both passionate lfc supporters I apoligise if I came on strong just pissed off with our performance with a game we should have won

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  60. and Suarez Please go and find a good club that suits your ambition and quality. We don't deserve you and you don't deserve a place in a club with Henderson,Moses,Sterling,Lucas. We are and will be perennial mid table kings.So don't loose your best years playing for us that will count for nothing for you.

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  61. AndWithSuchSimplicity4:19 pm, December 01, 2013

    AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH.


    ffs. I hate Moses.

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  62. I feel bad for norwich next week they already hate saurez, now they're paying a lfc team with a point to prove.

    p.s. for all the pessimist out there arsenal lost to villa, mistakes happen, it's how the players respond.

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  63. u just dnt lose these games if u want CL football

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  64. Correct me if I am wrong, in your opinion, Skrtel scores an OG and its curtains on his LFC career? WOW. Apart from the OG Skrtel was probably our best player(in top 2 anyway IMO).

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  65. There was no best player today. Not one of our players should even go near a MOM award after a display like that.

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  66. Astounding match, we were completely outclassed and thoroughly screwed tonight...by Hull City!!!

    The depth of the squad is incredibly thin. Without Coutinho in the middle, we are playing like a Championship team (I watched the match between Huddersfield Town and Burnley yesterday). Also after these many years, we could not even find ourselves any decent wide players. This is the result of the hundreds of mil of pounds spent by our ex and present managers. Looking at the battle of midfield/flanks in the Spurs match against Man Utd, I could not help but think of the amount of goals we will concede if our opponent tonight is either one of them. It's certainly worrisome because we have our tough Christmas schedule coming up. What a bad time to have DS and Coutinho injured. We have absolutely no one else to turn to right now, again despite the fact that we have spent ridiculous amount of money on players.

    Absolutely devastated right now. I guess all I can say is YNWA!

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  67. MO(T)M does not equal 'Our best player'. Please read the comment and have the common courtesy of replying accordingly. By the way, "there was no best player today" makes no sense.

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  68. Agreed. Skrtel was immense. LFC's best player for IMO. So many vital blocks/interceptions/clearances.

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  69. AndWithSuchSimplicity4:33 pm, December 01, 2013

    They lost to Villa, yes. But they learned from it and other than the blip at Old Trafford, haven't looked like losing again.
    We need to be winning away games.

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  70. Been a liv supporter for 13 years nowhere. But I was happy to see hull win today as any team which shows absolutle no urgency about their play in attack or defense needs to lose. Like we did today. We showed no respect for our opponents and got nothing more than what we deserve d. I would be ok with hendo not offering us anything going forward but he is so bad that he is an actual impediment for us when attacking. And Moses after running his mouth last week showed us he is nothing more than that. A big mouth
    It not about the three points or losing to bottom half teams but its this kind of hubris that they show against smaller teams which is unbelievable.

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  71. Look it only took one minute.

     

    Arsenal were beaten by the same score line by Aston Villa, on opening day at HOME, we then went to villa and won. They also tied west brom and should have lost if not for there goalie. We then thrashed West Brom. We also beat manu, who they also lost to. My point is Arsenal have made mistakes, but how the reacted after each one has put them 7 points clear now. How often hasLiverpool lost 2 in row with Rodgers in charge? Every team has slipped and will continue to slip.Chelsea and City have had setbacks also. Stop being such a Debbie downer, it was an awful day. Lets move on and hope the react with an blowout win next week. Saurez has to be licking his chops seeing his hat trick heaven just on the horizion.    

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  72. If you're going to pick on one defender today it has to be Glen. He provided nothing today. Was very poor.


    Skrtel, Toure, and Flanagan played ok overall. Nothing they could really do about the first goal. The second goal was from Glen's side after Toure and Skrtel were blocking shots. The third was mostly luck for Hull.


    Hull City deserved the victory. And we deserved to lose.

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  73. In order to accommodate Henderson, Gerrard plays deep along with Lucas. Henderson is our supposedly Attacking Midfielder with 0 goals and assists. I see the hype around Henderson because he has improved and he is English but I don't see any quality, creativity and intelligence in his play as an Attacking Midfielder and his passes aren't that great enough to let him play as a deep lying playmaker like Gerrard. I think we must play Coutinho in place of Henderson in the middle, he is good in flanks too but would be better utilized in middle. Then, we must by players who can play in flanks, quality players and a backup striker as Sturridge's feet is made up of glass.

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  74. i feel as if our team feels that when they play teams like hull they can just walk into their stadium and just pickk up the three points..this has been going on for years with our club and it needs to change...we need a CDM like Diame and atleast another winger and forward as well as another playmaker...four players are needed this january easily..

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  75. they looked losing at west brom. so why do arsenal get the benefit of learning but lfc don't? have Liverpool ever lost 2 in row since Rodgers came? again relax and wait to see how they respond against Norwich. if they lose to Norwich I'll agree we need to worry. but until than be positive about where were at. I think this lose came at an ideal time. we have two games we can easily win and gain a little moment going into three huge games.

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  76. I tried to talk sense to you the other day about utd. etc. Now have you smelled the coffee.

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  77. Its a funny season to say the least. 4 months of hard work and 1 bad month will see us fall off the table very quickly. I predicted that we will finish 6th or 7th at the start of the season and I think if we fall to 6th or 7th after December, we will stay there. Other big teams like Chelsea, Man City, Man Utd and Spurs will only improve from now. They all went through transition and struggled at the start of the season and we made most of it, well, not most of it but we did play well. I feel these teams are gelling well slowly and will now play better. Liverpool played like a solid unit in lot of our games and earned the vital points but the team is still pretty mediocre and thin when compared to other 5 teams. We didn't make most of the summer transfer window too, should have bought at least 2 quality players along with Mignolet. Other players like Llori, Sakho, Cissoko, Aspas, Alberto, Moses are useless right now, these type of business could have been postponed and we could have bought some addition to first team rather than for future or reserves.


    The only thing that can save us is January, like last season when we started badly but this time we have a good start to make the most of January window. We need to buy proven midfielders and wingers who can get the job done. I wish we do that but I doubt.

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  78. Was disappointed with Suarez's actions today.


    1st was when he won the free kick after pretending he took a hit on the head which looked harmless.


    2nd was later in the game when he won the free kick and grabbed his leg, when it was obvious there was no contact with the his leg.


    I thought he's done a pretty good job to clean up his act, but today was a revert to previous form for him. Very disappointed.

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  79. Whenever we are not playing well or losing, he does that. I have seen him struggling to accept the defeat or the manner in which team is playing. I think it comes naturally to him. win at any cost. He will probably behave differently if he will be at a team like Real Madrid because he will be surrounded with top class players who will give him little or no reason to show panic.


    I agree that its unwarranted and unacceptable but I think its in his blood to behave like this when team ain't winning. Now, whether I would like that player in my team? No, absolutely not. But what if he is world class and decisive? Yes, absolutely yes.

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  80. and with chelsea and man city winning today liverpool is in 5th place sigh thank God power went out for me when this game was going on come on liverpool not good enough and i am sure the culprit is moses not good enough at all all that talk about 20 goals where were the goals today huh come on BR get it together

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  81. Liverpool were garbage, got no luck, Hull battled well but are garbage - but were dead mocked.

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  82. We are actually 4th.

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  83. The analysis is buck rodgers

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  84. We weren't capable of even trying to get a goal back. Arsenal are always a threat with the ball. No comparison between us and Arsenal please. They are a much better TEAM than us with a much better manager, sorry to have to say that but it's annoying to see fans sliding everything for years and letting our team drawn into 7th.

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  85. AndWithSuchSimplicity7:08 pm, December 01, 2013

    I agree with you, and I know it's wrong to have a knee-jerk reaction, but we really needed 12 points from Hull, Norwich, West Ham and Cardiff because the Spurs, City and Chelsea games will be tough. We needed a cushion just in case we do fnck up. The performance today suggested the players have given up on chasing Arsenal and will settle for top 4.
    Before last weeks game I asked my mates if we really were any good or had the fixture list been kind to us. They all said we were 2nd on merit. I agree to some extent, but we have to start controlling away games, and FAST. Since winning at Sunderland, 2 points from 12 away from Home is a bit of a worry.


    Until we play a settled back four, we're going to keep shipping goals. Get a few clean sheets, and we have the quality to pinch games.


    Feel better than I did 3 hours ago, anyway ......!!

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  86. AndWithSuchSimplicity7:09 pm, December 01, 2013

    Which we'd all settle for in 5 months............

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  87. I agree we need to have a constant back four. that is a unit that needs to be familiar week in week out. that is where everything starts and ends. 12 points would have been fantastic, but I think a lose like this makes or breaks teams. and like I said I think it was ideal timing with the next three. if we can pick up 9 I think the we pick up 6 or 7 in the next three. I'm only scarred of city.

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  88. I think a lot of today was all the injury scares. Sturridge injury probably gutted them. it was a rough week. I wasn't surprised today, I guess after Friday headlines I just expected to be missing everybody. and that's what it sounds like, that nobody was there. can't wait to get home and watch the game regardless. losing can be a great learning experience. far more to break down in a lose and see where you can improve than in win. you tend to look over cracks in wins

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  89. Send Moses back in January

    We play with complete lack of urgency, and keep trying to play impossible triangles around the edge of box

    Sterling had a great chance to square to Suarez early on. He couldn't do it. Top players don't let those chances pass, and we don't have enough top players.

    Need to regroup and go on a bit of a run or our season will peter out soon.

    I still don't know what Luis Alberto's strengths are. When will he get a look in?

    We were slightly "unlucky" with deflections today, but we need to play with more purpose and solidify our defence

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  90. we were very poor today. Moses, Sterling,Henderson all had really bad days at the office. This was a team ripe for the taking - and in the first half hour you could see how nervous they were - however we were even worse. BR waited too long to change things after the first 20 minutes he should have realised that the team needed changing. He made a mistake by waiting till the 70th minute to change things - too little too late.

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  91. are fsg going to trust rogers with more money in jan after the crap he has signed apas borini allen / cissoko moses are on big wages even if they are loan deals sterling not good enough, lucas will never be the player he was after the injury ,think we are in deep shit will Rodgers as manager Watford and reading his level

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  92. Skrtel was our best player, but I think whilst the first deflected goal was unlucky on his part, the second one was poor judgement. It was hit so tamely and might even have been off target.

    Sterling at least ran around a bit and gave Hull something to think about now and again. He was not good, but he wasn't Moses. Christ almighty, he offers nothing.

    Rodgers should be banned from loaning players in. Sahin, Cissokho and Moses all seem pointless signings. They're all reasonably big names, so you'd have to think that between the 3 of them, we could have gotten one decent player permanently.

    The squad is thin, but look how much money we've lost on players who, thus far at least, have had zero impact. £15mil for Allen, £8mil for Aspas, £10mil for Borini, between the wages and loan fees for the three aforementioned, you could imagine another £5mil being pissed away there (some reports said we paid £4mil to loan Sahin, which I find unlikely but I certainly think between the 3 of those players we'd make up that kind of figure), £17mil for Sakho, on the bench, seemingly 4th choice centre-half, £6mil for Alberto. That is about £60 mil and all of those players are offering nothing. It is not good enough.

    Not every transfer is going to work, and some take time, but we should be able to buy 3 players who can have a major impact on the first team for that money. You look at the impact Deulofeu is having for Everton. Great impact sub. We can't even seem to get effective squad players.

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  93. Let's just roll the whole club up. It's fucked and it's NEVER going to be unfucked!!!!!
    Wah.

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  94. The other losses and draws were excusable, but this one was truly bad.


    Again the midfield to blame, Skrtel played well, had a bit of bad luck - perhaps playing on the left affected his game a bit - maybe that whole discussion of having a left footer on the left comes into play on the first deflection.


    All of the side and back passes, no vertical movement. No invention, no quick thinking, no vision. Gerrard, Suarez, Coutinho have this, and can make killer passes, and get something started. Alberto seems to have this quality too, and Aspas showed a bit of this as well when he did play, but the rest, no.



    I think a shake up is definitely needed. The guaranteed starters need to know there is no guarantee, Hendo, Lucas, Johnson, and to a certain extent Gerrard (needs to get subbed out when he runs out of steam) need to get dropped. Defense is fine, I think any pairing of LCB and RCB should work - but not play one out of position (Skrtel) to accomodate another (Kolo).


    I hope we see some changes for wednesday, and of course another Suarez Hat Trick.


    Hopefully this serves as a wake up call for the Manager and the players that they need to do better.

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  95. I 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.

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  96. In some ways it was precisely that, but we can't chalk i down to bad luck, you make your own luck and today all three goals could have, and I'd like to think, on another day, would have been avoided. This was the sort of game where everything could go wrong did go wrong, and it highlighted the absence of a plan b, something I, and many others have been praying for; it doesn't have to be multimillion signings, just players who can do the club and fans proud, and nobody seemd able to do that today. Come Wednesday Vs. Norwich it'll be a different story, it has to be!

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