Same old story

[Jim D]

Look at the games we've drawn at home this season...

 

Sunderland, 14 shots on goal, 3 on target, 1 goal

Man Utd, 15 shots on goal, 5 on target, 1 goal

Norwich, 29 shots on goal, 9 on target, 1 goal

Swansea, 25 shots on goal, 5 on target, 0 goal

Man City, 17 shots on goal, 6 on target, 1 goal

Blackburn, 27 shots on goal, 7 on target, 1 goal

 

Just about beat QPR 1-0 and Wolves 2-1 after dominating both of those games and we've missed four out of five penalties this season.

 

This is getting to the point now where this is no longer teams being inspired, a goalkeeper playing out of his skin when they come to Anfield or bad luck. This is purely down to our inability to take our chances when we create them and its getting f***ing tedious. The same mistakes are being made time and time again and the manager has to take full responsibility on this because it looks like to me we are not learning from those mistakes.

 

I want to see some fundamental changes from Kenny upfront, I don't want to hear "Well the lads played really well, they must keep on believing in what they are doing and eventually the goals will come" malarky. Kenny and Clarke must realise at this moment in time you can't just leave it down to the players, they need to start taking on a more active role and remedy the problem. Whether that is buying a goalscorer or getting the players to do some shooting practice on the training pitch for an entire session.

 

This is a major issue we have on our hands and its killing our season, we should be comfortably top 4 based on our effort and approach play but we are not because of the quality of the final ball or finish.

Carroll, Kuyt, Suarez are woefully short of confidence, each of them guilty of missing a pen this season, why can't they finish?!!

[Nebraska Red]

Look at the games we've drawn at home this season...

 

Sunderland, 14 shots on goal, 3 on target, 1 goal

Man Utd, 15 shots on goal, 5 on target, 1 goal

Norwich, 29 shots on goal, 9 on target, 1 goal

Swansea, 25 shots on goal, 5 on target, 0 goal

Man City, 17 shots on goal, 6 on target, 1 goal

Blackburn, 27 shots on goal, 7 on target, 1 goal

 

Just about beat QPR 1-0 and Wolves 2-1 after dominating both of those games and we've missed four out of five penalties this season.

 

This is getting to the point now where this is no longer teams being inspired, a goalkeeper playing out of his skin when they come to Anfield or bad luck. This is purely down to our inability to take our chances when we create them and its getting f***ing tedious. The same mistakes are being made time and time again and the manager has to take full responsibility on this because it looks like to me we are not learning from those mistakes.

 

I want to see some fundamental changes from Kenny upfront, I don't want to hear "Well the lads played really well, they must keep on believing in what they are doing and eventually the goals will come" malarky. Kenny and Clarke must realise at this moment in time you can't just leave it down to the players, they need to start taking on a more active role and remedy the problem. Whether that is buying a goalscorer or getting the players to do some shooting practice on the training pitch for an entire session.

 

This is a major issue we have on our hands and its killing our season, we should be comfortably top 4 based on our effort and approach play but we are not because of the quality of the final ball or finish.

Carroll, Kuyt, Suarez are woefully short of confidence, each of them guilty of missing a pen this season, why can't they finish?!!

 

 

as a team, we are too slow. we have no real pace in the side. if we get a chance to get forward, the move is slowed down and defenders funnel back taking away any advantage we may have had. we have too many players who seem to struggle with the basics at times, poor first tiouch, lack of movement, lack of pace and inability to shoot the ball.

 

we make other teams look good by allowing them to play to their strengths, because, at the moment, we have no strengths going forward. at the back we look solid, but we have to be more positive going forward and obviously, more lethal in the box.

 

we seem to be s*** scared of losing and not doing enough to secure a win.

[Logic]

as a team, we are too slow. we have no real pace in the side. if we get a chance to get forward, the move is slowed down and defenders funnel back taking away any advantage we may have had. we have too many players who seem to struggle with the basics at times, poor first tiouch, lack of movement, lack of pace and inability to shoot the ball.

 

we make other teams look good by allowing them to play to their strengths, because, at the moment, we have no strengths going forward. at the back we look solid, but we have to be more positive going forward and obviously, more lethal in the box.

 

we seem to be s*** scared of losing and not doing enough to secure a win.

I keep repeating myself in every thread but IMO the biggest issue is playing with inverted wingers. And especially if we are playing Carroll in the team.

 

IF Downing should be in the team he should play on the left as a typical old school winger. He shouldn't play on the right with him wanting to turn to his favoured foot in every attack.

[jimbolala]

The one brightness today was the commentator saying that liverpool play with pace. Did he have ff on,

[Nebraska Red]

I keep repeating myself in every thread but IMO the biggest issue is playing with inverted wingers. And especially if we are playing Carroll in the team.

 

IF Downing should be in the team he should play on the left as a typical old school winger. He shouldn't play on the right with him wanting to turn to his favoured foot in every attack.

 

 

Exactly, it's a waste of tim playing wingers if they cannot get to the by line and put in a decent cross. However, we rarely get many bodies in the box, so why even bother with crosses. This is what really pisses me off watching us play, no pace in the team, no crossing worth a damn and no players in the box.

 

Opposing managers don't have to set up a fancy tactical game plan to play us right now , they can just tell their players to jog back when we have the ball as they'll be getting it back pretty soon.

[Ombudsam]

as a team, we are too slow. we have no real pace in the side. if we get a chance to get forward, the move is slowed down and defenders funnel back taking away any advantage we may have had. we have too many players who seem to struggle with the basics at times, poor first tiouch, lack of movement, lack of pace and inability to shoot the ball.

 

we make other teams look good by allowing them to play to their strengths, because, at the moment, we have no strengths going forward. at the back we look solid, but we have to be more positive going forward and obviously, more lethal in the box.

 

we seem to be s*** scared of losing and not doing enough to secure a win.

 

Nah that aint it fella

[CarraLegend]

 

we seem to be s*** scared of losing and not doing enough to secure a win.

 

Seriously?! We've nearly been done against Blackburn, Wigan, Man Utd and 10 man Man City after going hell for leather in the latter stages. Dont think its anything to do with that at all.

[Ombudsam]

I keep repeating myself in every thread but IMO the biggest issue is playing with inverted wingers. And especially if we are playing Carroll in the team.

 

IF Downing should be in the team he should play on the left as a typical old school winger. He shouldn't play on the right with him wanting to turn to his favoured foot in every attack.

 

He seems more willing to run with it down the right plus the defender is less likely to telegraph his move

[Logic]

Exactly, it's a waste of tim playing wingers if they cannot get to the by line and put in a decent cross. However, we rarely get many bodies in the box, so why even bother with crosses. This is what really pisses me off watching us play, no pace in the team, no crossing worth a damn and no players in the box.

 

Opposing managers don't have to set up a fancy tactical game plan to play us right now , they can just tell their players to jog back when we have the ball as they'll be getting it back pretty soon.

I agree on both points. Playing with inverted wingers is OK if they are a goal threat and Downing isn't. Downing is, IMHO, a good old fashioned winger and should be played as such. The role he currently plays on the right can be solved by at least two players in our squad better than he does it.

 

We have also had a tendency (and this goes back to Rafa's reign at least) to not play with old fashioned wingers when we have an aerial presence in the box and then, often in the same game, play the aerial presence but with no wingers. I.e. Play Downing on the left as a winger but then use Suarez as our main forward, play Pennant but keep Crouch on the bench and then often in the same game sub either the winger or the aerial presence for the other. Drives me mad.

 

Opposing managers have an easy job at the moment, drop deep and play narrow. We don't get crosses into the penalty box unless the cross comes from deep and it is rather easy defending against such crosses. Playing so narrow + us playing with inverted wingers also means Suarez has no space to play in meaning the threat from him is minimized.

 

He seems more willing to run with it down the right plus the defender is less likely to telegraph his move

He makes the run but then cuts back on to his left most of the time. That both slows the attack as well as making us play it too narrow as Johnson isn't staying wide enough offering width. And if he crosses with his left, the crosses aren't as good as they are with his left meaning we are playing him in a position that makes him a less effective player IMO.

[scoose]

downing

suarez

gerrard

enrique

agger

johnson

bellamy

 

These arent slow players

[Zoob]

Not even sure if shooting / finishing practice helps, although of course it can't hurt....our players need more composure in front of goal, which is a mental thing as much as anything. The chances we create and squander aren't half chances, they're very good chances, and it's shocking that we fail to score with so many of them.

[Nebraska Red]

downing

suarez

gerrard

enrique

agger

johnson

bellamy

 

These arent slow players

 

 

you are right, they are all pacy players, but we play as a team in a slow, laborious manner at times. you will see us run at pace for 20-35 yards and then we stop as the player with the ball waits for support or somebody to pass to.

[Dan]

What's the same old story then? It's not playing well and deserving a win at the moment.

 

Fulham, Wigan & Blackburn were varying degrees of poor.

 

We don't look anywhere near capable of going on a winning streak. It's a massive concern.

[Billy Talbot]

The problem isn't pace.

 

We don't play well at home because we don't pass it well and stretch teams. Our pitch is small and teams often come to defend.

 

Makes little difference how fast you are if you're only running into 5 yards of space with 5 defenders in it.

Edited December 26, 2011 by Billy Talbot

[RafaShanks]

Our problem is that we don't have enough intelligent players.

 

Enrique and Johnson can be forgiven because they are full backs.

 

Apart from that all we have are Gerrard, Maxi, Luis and Bellamy.

 

Everyone else just don't know what to do when it matters and choose the wrong option time and time again.

 

That's that difference between a good/great player and an average one.

 

It's that simple.

[doug_mac]

I keep repeating myself in every thread but IMO the biggest issue is playing with inverted wingers. And especially if we are playing Carroll in the team.

 

IF Downing should be in the team he should play on the left as a typical old school winger. He shouldn't play on the right with him wanting to turn to his favoured foot in every attack.

 

i agree with the wingers thing 100%

 

downing is hopeless on the right and should play on the left or stay on the bench. it seems to be the latest trend in football, to play wingers on the opposite side and i dont agree with it unless

 

you have a genuinely two footed player it doesnt work. i think the theory behind it must be that the wingers cut inside and take the opposition full backs with them and then johnson or enrique

 

bombs down the outside and crosses for our forwards to score. it sounds ok in theory but after half the season gone and more than one goal scored at home on one occasion its obvious that

 

its not working and should be abandoned.

 

thankfully gerrard is back from injury and he should improve the team a lot. i would also play kelly ahead of johnson. kelly is the better player in my opinion. suarez looks knackered and

 

could do with a rest as well.

 

we should have won today but we wasted some good chances so we have to improve in front of goal

[Ombudsam]

i agree with the wingers thing 100%

 

downing is hopeless on the right and should play on the left or stay on the bench. it seems to be the latest trend in football, to play wingers on the opposite side and i dont agree with it unless

 

you have a genuinely two footed player it doesnt work. i think the theory behind it must be that the wingers cut inside and take the opposition full backs with them and then johnson or enrique

 

bombs down the outside and crosses for our forwards to score. it sounds ok in theory but after half the season gone and more than one goal scored at home on one occasion its obvious that

 

its not working and should be abandoned.

 

thankfully gerrard is back from injury and he should improve the team a lot. i would also play kelly ahead of johnson. kelly is the better player in my opinion. suarez looks knackered and

 

could do with a rest as well.

 

we should have won today but we wasted some good chances so we have to improve in front of goal

 

That's not playing on the wrong side then

[The_Adder]

Robben and Messi play(ed) as inverted winger and it didn't hurt them, but that's because they are Robben and Messi.

 

We don't have players anywhere near as talent as this playing in these roles, hence the problem.

 

Downing is a traditional winger, he's no 15 goals+ a season player and it doesn't work.

[Logic]

i agree with the wingers thing 100%

 

downing is hopeless on the right and should play on the left or stay on the bench. it seems to be the latest trend in football, to play wingers on the opposite side and i dont agree with it unless

 

you have a genuinely two footed player it doesnt work. i think the theory behind it must be that the wingers cut inside and take the opposition full backs with them and then johnson or enrique

 

bombs down the outside and crosses for our forwards to score. it sounds ok in theory but after half the season gone and more than one goal scored at home on one occasion its obvious that

 

its not working and should be abandoned.

 

thankfully gerrard is back from injury and he should improve the team a lot. i would also play kelly ahead of johnson. kelly is the better player in my opinion. suarez looks knackered and

 

could do with a rest as well.

 

we should have won today but we wasted some good chances so we have to improve in front of goal

1. Your formatting sucks.

2. Agree with most of what you say there and especially on the Kelly vs. Johnson part. Kelly, IMHO, looks like a very good full back when he plays and I want him to play more than he does at the moment.

 

Robben and Messi play(ed) as inverted winger and it didn't hurt them, but that's because they are Robben and Messi.

 

We don't have players anywhere near as talent as this playing in these roles, hence the problem.

 

Downing is a traditional winger, he's no 15 goals+ a season player and it doesn't work.

Yup, you need exceptional talent and/or two-footedness to be able to play this role. The only player I can see play this role for us is actually Suarez. And I'm not sure that would be the best use of his talents.

[floyd the barber]

i actually think Suarez cutting in from the left could well be his best position...kinda like Villa for Barca.

Luis links play well, is quick..great close control, has a fantastic pass on him....seems ideal for an inside left position..

 

Ideally..

[Ethan]

We're basically a more expensive Aston Villa

[Epic Swindle]

We're basically a more expensive Aston Villa

 

Ok.

[RafaShanks]

I think we just to have accept that we currently have one of the most toothless squads ever.

 

Some league stats from Wiki for this season. Guessing these include sub appearances:

 

Lucas 0 from 12

Henderson 1 from 16

Adam 2 from 15

Dirk 0 from 15

Maxi 2 from 6

Downing 0 from 17

Gerrard 1 from 4

Bellamy 2 from 10

Carroll 2 from 15

Suarez 5 from 16

 

In comparison:

Sktel 2 from 15

 

This highlights our problems and are quite frankly fecking attrocious stats.

Edited December 26, 2011 by RafaShanks

[Jim D]

I think we just to have accept that we currently have one of the most toothless squads ever.

 

Some league stats from Wiki for this season. Guessing these include sub appearances:

 

Lucas 0 from 12

Henderson 1 from 16

Adam 2 from 15

Dirk 0 from 15

Maxi 2 from 6

Downing 0 from 17

Gerrard 1 from 4

Bellamy 2 from 10

Carroll 2 from 15

Suarez 5 from 16

 

In comparison:

Sktel 2 from 15

 

This highlights our problems and are quite frankly fecking attrocious stats.

 

15pts, 11 goals scored at Anfield in 9 games.

16pts, 10 goals scored away from home in 9 games.

 

This isn't is home or away problem its both! It looks worse at home because we've played more teams in the bottom half at home. We're firing blanks home or away, definitely one of the most toothless squads we've had in a long time.

[Zoob]

I know it's awfully cliched, and doesn't help when we're missing so many chances, but despite being super pissed off (again) at our wastefulness infront of goal, we are actually creating lots and lots of chances. Been many times over the last 10 years where we play such a tight disciplined game that we never create anything, and never look like creating anything. I just can't believe how wasteful our attacking players have been. Carroll particularly has missed a bag-ful of chances.

 

Average players like Defoe, Bent, even fatty Yakubu would likely have scored a load more if they were playing for us.

Edited December 26, 2011 by Zoob