This Weekend Premiership Fixtures and Fitings

Necronomicon

Could've put away so many more chances, but overall some great football played, long may it continue. Best would've been proud of that football.

applehunter

Well done on beating West Ham 2-1. What an amazing achievement. Best would be proud!:rolleyes:

yop

Excellent win, Rooney was unreal. Defense was a bit dodge but performance was good.
Best would have been proud to see Rooney today.
Great response to the minutes clap, good to see some fans can have respect

missingtime

yop wrote:

Great response to the minutes clap, good to see some fans can have respect

Apologies for the liverpool "fans" at the Man City game. I did read that one of George Best friends suggested that a minutes applause would have been better but the organisers didn't seen to think so.

yop

Not all fans Missingtime, 99% of the fans have the cop on as can be seen by the posts here and the momentos left at Old Trafford. But with them now considering a minutes clap rather than a silence this will stop this carry on

therecklessone

missingtime wrote:

Apologies for the liverpool "fans" at the Man City game. I did read that one of George Best friends suggested that a minutes applause would have been better but the organisers didn't seen to think so.

I read somewhere that Man City requested permission to have a minutes applause, but teh Premier League said it had to be a minutes silence.

Lesson learned by Sunday it seems.

mchurl

bad form then by the premier league

redspider

Not a pretty game, but if the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Man U at times have scrappy wins, and the age old saying trots out, a sign of a good team if they play bad and still win, then this was a classic example.

The first bit of controversy was before the kick-off. Ray Houghton and other media were reporting that it was booing etc and really bad for Liverpool fans to break the silence. I'm hearing mixed reports though, and there is no animosity against George Best from Liverpool fans. Some are saying that the 1 min applause, as had happened at other grouns, was the cause, as there was confusion as to what it would be. Others are saying it was fans who werent in their seats who caused the noise and were unaware of it. Some said that some booing started to boo those that were making noise, etc. It was a shambles of organisation rather than anything, and the ref blew up after 20 secs, with most people let scratching their heads saying "that wasnt a minute, was it?".

Back to the football, but there wasnt much of it really. Man C put in a weak challenge. Liverpool changed personnel in this match, kept their now succesful 4-4-2, so lets hope Benitez has put the 4-2-3-1 formation in the bin for now:

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Reina

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Finnan - Carra - Hyypia - Warnock
Gerrard - Sissoko - Hamann - Riise
---- Cisse -- Crouch ----


After the onslaught of chances in Europe in mid-week, Liverpool had their expected hangover and created much less. Crouch did get Cisse through on one occasion, but Cisse who is all right foot (Georgie Best he isnt !) failed miserably to finish it. It was left to Gerrard and Riise to create most of the chances. Gerrard drifting inside and found on the right but also centrally and on the left. It was from an inside left position that he played an intelligent short past to Riise who scored from outside the box on 61 mins. Liverpool defended against City in numbers, with even Crouch coming back.

Perhaps one main talking point of the match was the early substitution of Cisse on 50 mins. He hardly had a run in the 2nd half and he came off for Kewell. Kewell then seemed to play a central midfield role, and not very good at it either. Sort of in the hole where Garcia would play. Then Garcia came on on 76 mins and Kewell went out to the left. Garcia more central in the hole and Gerrard out right. It was as if Liverpool didnt want to score. Man C looked likewise created very few chances against a very good Liverpool defence. Good performances from Finnan, Carra and Hyypia, and Warnock, who prostrated himself on one occasion to block well. Hamman and Sissoko played ok to, again mainly in defensive actions, not creatively.

So, Liverpool win in a facile manner, Steve Pearce heaped priase on Liverpool but he should have really been looking at the lack-lustre performance of his own players. A poor game all round. Crouch, surprise surprise (not!) still didnt get on the scoresheet, and in this match had even fewer chances given to him gift-wrapped.

Xmas is coming, and the question remains, will Benitez stuff Crouch who is looking like a turkey purchase!

redspider

missingtime

I think if Crouch gets a goal against Chelsea or ManU all will be forgiven.
Come on Crouchy you can do it!!!!

mike65

redspider wrote:

Perhaps one main talking point of the match was the early substitution of Cisse on 50 mins. He hardly had a run in the 2nd half and he came off for Kewell. Kewell then seemed to play a central midfield role, and not very good at it either.

Cisse wasnt at the races by a country mile the only surprise for me was that he came back out after the break. The moment Kewell came on he changed the game as he took ball to feet and ran with it. Nothing mindblowing but it upped the tempo and encouraged others round him.

Mike.

Necronomicon

Cisse looked like he had just witnessed a murder when his number went up!

redspider

Cisse:
Its one thing getting subbed, but it was clearly a shock to him, which is a sign of bad man-management. If Benitez wanted to have the option of changing things around in the 2nd half, by bringing on Kewell, as bad and all as that may likely be, then Cisse should have been informed of that at half-time and given an expectation as to when it would happen, eg: 60 mins, 75 mins, or whatever. Putting on a player for just 5 mins of the 2nd half is a waste of time for everyone. And bringing on Kewell as well who has not been doing well is also a kick in the teeth for Cisse. If it was Morientes coming on at half-time, then he would have had no gripes.

Mike, I would argue that Kewell's addition to the fray did nothing in terms of changing the match in relation to his contribution. Gerrard upped his game and it was his combinations with Riise that led to chances and the goal. Kewell wasnt woeful or a waste of space but was a bit lost in "the hole" position and his contribution was negligible. The "hole" position is the easiest on the pitch as you have no responsibilities at all, apart from creation and shooting/scoring, which he didnt do! Garcia then came on to fill that role, better it has to be said.


Crouch:
One thing about football, and that is, whoever scores a goal is not the be-all and end-all. Sure, its a certain kind of measure, scoring goals, especially individual goals where a player makes it and finishes it. But football is a team game, and its the combination of skills, etc, that should get rewarded according to effort given, rather than the last body that touches the ball before it crosses the line.

So, for Crouch as a player and forward, its not goals alone that I will measure him by, but his overall contribution, etc. And that to me so far is not good enough for the level Liverpool should be reaching nor is it likely to get much better. Neither is Morientes or Cisse much better by the way.

Crouch is lacking in finishing skills around the box, and that is needed in a striker no matter how good he is in the build-up play. Crouch, so far, and for years before he joined Liverpool, has not shown finishing skills. I cant see him changing his spots, and it would take hat-tricks on his part before I would be convinced and goals that he makes and finishes himself, and on a regular basis. Can anyone seriouly tell me that this is gonna happen? I cant see it happening, thats for sure.


Btw, Liverpool sorely missed Alonso on Sat. He is a crucial player to Liverpool's success.

redspider