now I am

[anny road]

well well well

 

I cant remember feeling as embarrassed coming out of a game

 

The crowd were fantastic........The YNWA and applauding our own playes at the end was suimply magnificent

 

However, I think the manager got it wrong.....it wasnt playing some reserves, it was the defence that baffled me.....we needed to keep it tight, when i saw Peltier, Palletta , Warnock and Hyypia I was fearing the worst...

 

As for the keeper.....wtf was going on t here.....shocking truly shocking

 

Some played need to have a long hard look at themselves, and so does the manager

[lawrie]

I've said it elsewhere. I have no problem with rotation or playing some kids or even playing players out of position. But when you do the lot en masse, you're just asking for trouble.

[Clay Davis]

but arsenal did it too. but obviously their kids are better.

[alias75]

i think the difference was our team was disjointed some first teamers some fringe first teamers some reserves. Im betting most of that Arsenal side tonight play together for the reserve team with toure and Fabregas added in there.

 

Their young players are obviously a lot better than ours but we all knew that anyway.

[Rimbeux]

i think the difference was our team was disjointed some first teamers some fringe first teamers some reserves. Im betting most of that Arsenal side tonight play together for the reserve team with toure and Fabregas added in there.

 

Their young players are obviously a lot better than ours but we all knew that anyway.

 

 

We were arrogant. Our experienced players were trying to treat the oppo with diasdain and pretending they were better than they were. I saw proper defenders sleeping in for off-sides, later trying Cruyff turns in the box, i saw guys in midfield trying to make out hey were Zidane when they struggle with basic week in week out, I saw fowards not able to keep pace of the game, kids on one side looking comfortable in possession and situation, kids on the other s***ting it and having a mare and a hard f***ing rain falling.

[Des]

Rafa doesn't rate the domestic Cups. Simple as.

[beejay]

Wholesale changes in defence always spells trouble but we may have got away with it were it not for the dodgy keeper.

 

Jerzy produced the performance of his lifetime when it mattered most in Istanbul and will always deserve our respect but he should never play for us again.

 

And the ref was one of the worst ever seen at Anfield

[Rimbeux]

Rafa doesn't rate the domestic Cups. Simple as.

 

 

Zero excuse. At the base level many of his players will and the effect on mentality of not having even the games available to use all these players is huge. We are supposed to have a squad that can do justice on four fronts, 60 plus games a season, we aint Sheff utd

[lawrie]

Rafa doesn't rate the domestic Cups. Simple as.

I disagree. This one may be low on his list of priorities (2nd in fact, now that the Premiership and FA Cup are out of the picture)but make no mistake, he wanted to win and truly believed the team he put out was good enough to do it.

[Des]

Zero excuse.

 

Not saying it's an excuse, but judging from that starting 11 in the last REAL chance we had to win a trophy, it seems to be the case.

Edited January 10, 2007 by Des

[Earl Hafler]

but arsenal did it too. but obviously their kids are better.

 

As i've said in another thread - if you trust the youngsters then play them, play them in the league and when senior players are out of form - don't just limit them to cup competitions. If you don't think they're good enough, why play them against Arsenal ?

 

There were pictures tonight of Rafa shaking his head in disbelief. Hopefully at himself. The strategy behind the last two games takes some understanding. Why not bring Bellamy on when losing to Arsenal, only to play him from the start 3 days later ? Was he not going to play tonight but Rafa decided that after Saturday he would select him ?

[Guest Phil C]

Not saying it's an excuse, but judging from that starting 11 in the last REAL chance we had to win a trophy, it seems to be the case.

 

 

On the contrary, I really believe that Rafa wanted to win tonight and certainly didn't for a second believe that we'd lose the way we did.

 

But maybe, just maybe, as part of his investment strategy, he wanted to illustrate the gap in the two teams youth policy - like against like - where Arsenal pay relative fortunes for their youngsters, whilst we still believe in home grown talent.

 

You never know, he may have been knocked back recently by the Board in his attempt to sign a talented youngster which would have cost a few bob - so, he's thought 'feck 'em', I'll play the youngsters and let them see the gap between us.

 

That would mean that Rafa was cunning touched with a little petulance, so I'm probably wrong ....

 

There again, tonight may have persuaded a few people...

[Nebraska Red]

we can second guess this until the end of time. only one man knows the reasoning behind the selections for the last 2 games.

 

i feel sure that he knows he blew it and will take steps to ensure that it will not happen again.

 

some players probably played their last games in a Liverpool shirt and some may find themselves out on loan to gain experience elsewhere.

 

we have a decent squad of proven players, what we have at the next level down is pretty poor on talent and ability.

[Bootle Buck]

As i've said in another thread - if you trust the youngsters then play them, play them in the league and when senior players are out of form - don't just limit them to cup competitions. If you don't think they're good enough, why play them against Arsenal ?

 

There were pictures tonight of Rafa shaking his head in disbelief. Hopefully at himself. The strategy behind the last two games takes some understanding. Why not bring Bellamy on when losing to Arsenal, only to play him from the start 3 days later ? Was he not going to play tonight but Rafa decided that after Saturday he would select him ?

 

 

His post game press conference was awful. When asked why he didn't use Crouch he went on abaout not wanting to use a striker in case someone else got injured. FFS we were 5-1 down, would it really have mattered..

[Shanklyanfield]

On the contrary, I really believe that Rafa wanted to win tonight and certainly didn't for a second believe that we'd lose the way we did.

 

But maybe, just maybe, as part of his investment strategy, he wanted to illustrate the gap in the two teams youth policy - like against like - where Arsenal pay relative fortunes for their youngsters, whilst we still believe in home grown talent.

 

You never know, he may have been knocked back recently by the Board in his attempt to sign a talented youngster which would have cost a few bob - so, he's thought 'feck 'em', I'll play the youngsters and let them see the gap between us.

 

That would mean that Rafa was cunning touched with a little petulance, so I'm probably wrong ....

 

There again, tonight may have persuaded a few people...

 

Well if your far-fetched theory is true (and I don't believe for 1 second it is!) I will lose faith in Rafa. You don't put your point across to the board by harming the club. Harming the club includes going out of two cup competitions within 4 days and when you add in the the factor of the takeover bid it's not great really is it to make a point!!!

[fyds]

Everyone just about got that wrong tonight from an LFC point of view. However, I don't believe for a minute Rafa gave the players the instruction to 'feck it up good style' when they went on to the field - some of the errors made from Dudek, Peltier, Warnock and Paletta in particular were basic schoolboy stuff....as Jocky would have said, 'shocking defending'.

 

And to top it off - two injuries...oh joy.

[Herbie von Smalls]

His post game press conference was awful. When asked why he didn't use Crouch he went on abaout not wanting to use a striker in case someone else got injured. FFS we were 5-1 down, would it really have mattered..

it would have mattered if crouch got injured, when we had little chance of winning the match anyway.

[Nebraska Red]

His post game press conference was awful. When asked why he didn't use Crouch he went on abaout not wanting to use a striker in case someone else got injured. FFS we were 5-1 down, would it really have mattered..

 

yes it would!!

 

if Crouch had gone on and got hurt, we would be down to 2 strikers, Bellamy and Kuyt. we have big games coming up and we will need our best 11 to start all our PL and CL games.

 

as of now, we are down to 1 winger, Pennant, we are without Garcia for a while and Sissoko is still some time way from a return to action.

 

the 11 who start our next game will be in bubble wrap and cotton wool kits.

[Guest Phil C]

Well if your far-fetched theory is true (and I don't believe for 1 second it is!) I will lose faith in Rafa. You don't put your point across to the board by harming the club. Harming the club includes going out of two cup competitions within 4 days and when you add in the the factor of the takeover bid it's not great really is it to make a point!!!

 

 

This is what I said....

 

 

On the contrary, I really believe that Rafa wanted to win tonight and certainly didn't for a second believe that we'd lose the way we did.

 

I also said 'maybe, just maybe...'

 

OK?

[Falconhoof]

some of the errors made from Dudek, Peltier, Warnock and Paletta in particular were basic schoolboy stuff....as Jocky would have said, 'shocking defending'.

 

Who gives a f*** what hansen thinks he's a lazy golf playing BBC lackey. Its the people in the club I worry about.

 

Who in their right mind would have thought that back 4 plus goalkeeper would have been anything other than a gamble ? I can't calm down about this its f***ing s****.

You don't gamble at home with a quarter final.

[hideNseek]

I'd rather 3rd place and possibly second anyways. Rafa should make the whole squad watch the last 2 games everyday to remind them how piss poor they've been. Then tell them to shove all the criticism down people's throats by taking 3rd spot (2nd if poss). But that means winning at home against the mancs, a*** and Chelsea, and to do that we need every player to actually give there all for the full duration, not the odd 10 mins here and there.

[mooks]

His post game press conference was awful. When asked why he didn't use Crouch he went on abaout not wanting to use a striker in case someone else got injured. FFS we were 5-1 down, would it really have mattered..

Awful? Why does he have to justify his team selection to a journo?

 

I thought all true Reds were behind the Rafalution. Who cares what the press thinks?

[difs.oner]

Hah just thinking if we did win the league cup and came like 3rd or something and didnt win the champions league you would all be saying "this just isnt good enough for a club like liverpool only winning the league cup".

 

Who cares it's the bloody league cup and with barcelona coming up plus Arsenal cheated.

[realtarragona]

At least most of the players are well rested so we can continue our assault on 3rd place...

[Bailo]

it would have mattered if crouch got injured, when we had little chance of winning the match anyway.

Sense at last.