Thailand vs Liverpool Match Report

Bannor

Just watched it on the official site.

First Half:

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Kirkland
Carragher--Henchoz--Traore--Vignal
Diouf--Hamann--Cheyrou--LeTallec

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Heskey--Owen

Positives were Kirkland, Vignal, Diouf, Cheyrou and Le Tallec. Heskey was his out of sorts self until he scored a good goal which settled him.

Le Tallec was amazing for the first 20 minutes, then he didn't get a look in as Cheyrou came into the game. He forced the keeper into a spectacular save after about 20 minutes.

Vignal, Cheyrou and Le Tallec combined well down the left.

The first half defense were pretty poor, with little communication between them, Traore kept falling over and looked slugish. Thailand scored an equaliser because Vignal & Traore had pushed up while Henchoz & Carragher held the olde defensive line.

The referee forgot how long a half was so the first half team played for 56 minutes! :eek:

Second Half:

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Luzi
Babbel--Hyypia--Biscan--Riise
Sinama--Gerrard--Murphy--Smicer

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Mellor--Baros

Zak Whitbread replaced Mellor

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Luzi
Babbel--Hyypia--Biscan--Whitbread
Smicer--Gerrard--Murphy--Riise

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Sinama--Baros

The second half started brightly with Smicer scoring after 28 seconds. Mellor had a penalty appeal turned down because of a late off-side flag. Mellor should have scored 5/6 goals before he was substituted, Baros was also wasteful in front of goal. Liverpool carved out chance after chance during a sustained 15 minute period of pressure. The third goal came from a Gerrard cross which Smicer pulled out of the air and hammered home. :eek: Sinama is a little terrier and he was unlucky not to score.

Positives in the second half were that the defense looked more settled. Babbel looks like he's getting back to his old self, he combined well with Smicer on the right. Zak Whitbread looked solid at left back when he came on. Gerrard ran the show in midfield and looks like he's well ready for the new season. Murphy was very poor - could have been the heat and humidity affecting him but he wasn't anywhere near good enough.

Final score : 3-1
Heskey 31, Smicer 46, 71

Overall things seem to be progressing nicely. Both Liverpool teams were very positive and had good passing (apart from Murphy) and movement.

If you've got Windows Media Player and a reasonably fast internet connection you might want to check this out:
Le Tallec - highlight's against Crewe (8.5MB)

Space Coyote

Thanks a mil for the report Bannor. Another 'easy' victory.
I'm getting a bit worried though, GH is using 2 teams for each half in both games so far in pre-season. There's no consistency, hence the continued mix-ups in defence. He should be using his strongest side, with 2 or 3 changes max per half imo.

I'm downloading the le Tallec clip at the mo...come on ye stoopid isdn slow piece of feck.

zAbbo

Le Tallec looks a skilful lad, some woeful misses on goal from heskey etc.

Bannor

I think he's using the two different teams because he doesn't want to risk injuries to the players so soon in the pre-season schedule it's also good to have the whole squad feel involved.

Kewell, Diao and Traore have already been out with knocks - it's not worth the risk to stress the players physically at the moment. It was quite noticeable today when the team played an extra 11 minutes at the end of the first half that there was a gap in fitness levels between the teams. It was no coincidence that Thailand scored during that time and they also won 4/5 successive corners during that period.

The Amsterdam tournament will see a more settled team in place.

kdevitt

I think its a very worthwhile exercise to have Hyypia and Henchoz get used to playing with different central defensive partners at this stage - last season when Henchoz got injured I don't think Houllier knew who to put in the centre with Hyypia - I reckon H&H will be played together in the Amsterdam tournament...

There are a few other players who were fairly poor last season, but who are getting a good chance to prove themselves - Cheyrou will hopefully find his feet this season.

Good to see Babbel getting a run in the team as well - if he regained his fitness he'd be fantastic to have back in the team, unfortunately for him though, he's banned for the first four games of the enw season!

Bannor

Based on what I've seen so far this pre-season, if Babbel has forced himself back into Houllier's plans then he could easily make the right back position his own after he serves his suspension. That would leave Carragher, Finan, Riise, and Vignal to fight it out for the left back position. Of these I chose Vignal/Finnan (even though he hasn't played yet).

The fact that Houllier introduced Whitbread at left back in the second half suggests to me that he hasn't settled on who to play there yet. Nothing like a healthy bit of competition.

Bannor

Liverpool outlast Thailand in 105-minute marathon The Guardian

Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier said he had told the referee he wanted to make wholesale substitutions after 60 minutes. But the referee thought the Frenchman wanted the first half to last an hour rather than the usual 45 minutes.

"That was the longest half of football I've ever experienced in my life," Houllier told reporters after the game. "But you can't blame him, his intentions were good."

Sajan

I just saw trhe highlights on skysports news. Heskey looks slimmer and fitter which is good. Smicer since Kewell has taken 7 has shown why Houllier has such faith. Cheyrou did OK. Things are looking up. Babbel and Houllier dont get along at all. I think if he plays him and Babbel does well he might attract some attention and a bid might be made for him to see him on his was. I cant see him pushing Finnan and Carragher for the right-back position.

Roll on Chelsae... Thats a question. I'm looking to make the trip to Anfield for the game. I'm finding it hard with tickets. Any suggestions or advice would be great.

KdjaCL

Do they get a cup for that superb pre-season win?
They should win the league based on that performance.



kdjac

PiE

Nice move clip.. rofl at Heskey's miss near the end though

Ronan|Raven

Originally posted by KdjaC
Do they get a cup for that superb pre-season win?
They should win the league based on that performance.



kdjac

Inverted rectum syndrome it is an ugly sight when it takes hold.... Kdjac as a person once said if one has nothing good to say then say nothing at all. Unless im mistaken people are just discussing the game and some of the pluses and points of the match. No one has said liverpool are going to win the league although a trophy would be nice but a shrubbery would be even better....

Sajan yer best bet would be to either:

A) Buy a ticket outsidethe ground from a tout. (will be costly) or
B)Try get one of the package deals which are also bloody expensive although come to think about it ya could be as cheap to get a cheap travel fare to Liverpool and sort yer own accom and get a ticket from a tout.. The prices quoted on some of the travel packages arent cheap to say the least.

KdjaCL

Originally posted by Ronan|Raven
Inverted rectum syndrome it is an ugly sight when it takes hold.... Kdjac as a person once said if one has nothing good to say then say nothing at all. Unless im mistaken people are just discussing the game and some of the pluses and points of the match. No one has said liverpool are going to win the league although a trophy would be nice but a shrubbery would be even better....

Its pre season football ,the worst kind of football. And to actually take anything from it other than players fitness is pointless.
That and it was funny

kdjac

Ronan|Raven

KDJAC we can only settle this one way, Streetfighter 2 and kailliera and your not allowed to be Dhalsim..