Stoke City Vs Liverpool

Glico Man

Daysha wrote: »

Rafa: "The fans are amazing. If I decide to stay here it will be because of the fans. I will keep going. Sometimes you have bad moments and now is the time when we have to show character."

Obviously he's not going to resign, but I thought the "if" was a bit strange. Maybe just lost in translation or something.

Sounds to me like he's seriously considering his options

Reports in the Daily Mail saw Juventus are keeping an eye on the situation and Guus is linked to us again

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1243441/Rafa-Benitez-Juventus-radar-Guus-Hiddink-puts-frame-Liverpool-job.html

citytillidie

fullstop wrote: »

Sometimes you get the luck, sometimes you don't. Remember the goal that never was against Chelsea in 05? Just an example. Gerrard has 'won' plenty of penalties when he shouldn't have with the old starfish jump. Today they didn't get one, althought why Lucas was already going down before the contact is beyond me....and probably the reason he didn't get it.

Holy crap back to 2005, if you want to go there then the ref said after the game if he did not award Garcia's goal he had to send Cech off and award a pen to Liverpool for his foul on Baros.

citytillidie

Sage Plain Stubbornness wrote: »

Maybe I'm making a mistake about it being stopped in general so, but when one of the sky commentators said the " controversial use of the towel" I though there must be some reason for the comment.

Anyway just a thing I have been thinking for a while does anyone think its time to get fabio aurelio back in at left back. He deserves his place on the field imo and I think he would be better used at left back with a left midfielder in front of him. He played a few great balls again today.

On towel use - the ref can stop the use of towels if the ball boys do not allow both teams to use the towel.

There was a case of this in another Liverpool game a couple of seasons ago away to Millwall in the Carling cup. Millwall ball boys had towels and only gave them to the Millwall players, when a Liverpool player asked for the towel the ball boy did not give it to him. The ref then took all the towels off the ball boys so no one could use it.

Spiritoftheseventies

flahavaj wrote: »

Admit it bayviewclose you're hopelessly hooked.:)

Would Hiddink be allowed to go to pool by his sugar daddy?

it would be a curious situation. What i heard Roman isnt paying Gus as Russian coach any more so that says he will be making a return fairly soon.

Kess73

Actually one positive from today's game was it was the first time since Sami left that we had a centre back able to win most of the balls he went for in the air.

Carragher and Skrtel are generally woeful in the air, so Kyrgiakos today was a pleasant change.

noodler

bayviewclose wrote: »

pay attention LB . Said the soccer thread. discuss this in off topic thread or via pm. anyway back to game how did maxi do for us?

He didn't have time to do much with the way the game was flowing when he came on.

Tried to take on a Stoke defender late on in a good position but was shepherded off the ball with alarming ease. In fairness we have been warned his game isn't about pace.

Kess73

bayviewclose wrote: »

it would be a curious situation. What i heard Roman isnt paying Gus as Russian coach any more so that says he will be making a return fairly soon.

Yeah Roman is no longer paying his wages to be the national coach, and Gus gave an interview during the week saying he would be speaking to Roman, as a courtesy due to their friendship, about Hiddink looking to return to manage a club in England sooner rather than later.

That might suggest that Hiddink hopes to return this summer.

Glico Man

Kess73 wrote: »

Actually one positive from today's game was it was the first time since Sami left that we had a centre back able to win most of the balls he went for in the air.

Carragher and Skrtel are generally woeful in the air, so Kyrgiakos today was a pleasant change.

He was quite simply brilliant today. Surely our MOTM

And I never thought i would say any of the above about Greek

Iago

If people keep up the off-topic posting there'll be more than one enforced break from the forum

noodler

I always said some of the stuff said about Kyrgiakos was a bit silly given how little we have seen him play.

noodler

Oh no, another horrible Rafa interview.

flahavaj

noodler wrote: »

I always said some of the stuff said about Kyrgiakos was a bit silly given how little we have seen him play.

It was the ideal game for him today, his one strength is in the air.

ziggy

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Kess73

aaronh007 wrote: »

He was quite simply brilliant today. Surely our MOTM

And I never thought i would say any of the above about Greek

Yeah he was easily our MOTM.

Got our goal, defending with a body on the line type attitude, and tried to organise those around him. If you watch the highlights later on tonight, he can be seen shouting and pointing at Carra to stay on Huth before their goal too, but Carra skips away to follow Fuller intead.

There were shades of the much missed Finn in Kyrgiakos today.

super_furry

Exactly. When he has to stand on the six yard line and head stuff away he's fine. Move him up the pitch and put him up against anyone with pace and he's done for.

~Rebel~

noodler wrote: »

I always said some of the stuff said about Kyrgiakos was a bit silly given how little we have seen him play.

flahavaj wrote: »

It was the ideal game for him today, his one strength is in the air.

Exactly. He cant really be part of a standard two man defence as he's just not good enough at tracking runs back into our box. But he's a demon in the air. The perfect lynchpin in a back 3, or, like today where carra would tuck in to become the 3rd CB. Very much a horses for courses kind of guy.

Kess73

ziggy wrote: »

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Well he was far from poor today. Today he did his job, and he did it well.

ziggy

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Kess73

super_furry wrote: »

Exactly. When he has to stand on the six yard line and head stuff away he's fine. Move him up the pitch and put him up against anyone with pace and he's done for.

So basically he is like the current Carra, except he can head a ball well.

noodler

~Rebel~ wrote: »

Exactly. He cant really be part of a standard two man defence as he's just not good enough at tracking runs back into our box. But he's a demon in the air. The perfect lynchpin in a back 3, or, like today where carra would tuck in to become the 3rd CB. Very much a horses for courses kind of guy.

Again, I just think it is a very difficult conclusion to come to on a handful of Liverpool games where we have generally been playing crap.

I just haven't seen enough of him outside of Anfield.

Kess73

ziggy wrote: »

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Nah, this season has seen a new addition to our marking system. The rest of the team follows the zonal marking system, whilst Carra runs about and does his own thing.

ziggy

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noodler

ziggy wrote: »

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Forgot about Rangers, even then the only time I would see them is the odd old firm or CL game in general.

flahavaj

noodler wrote: »

Again, I just think it is a very difficult conclusion to come to on a handful of Liverpool games where we have generally been playing crap.

I just haven't seen enough of him outside of Anfield.

He was abysmal for most of his time at Rangers as well. Couldn't believe it was the same guy when ye signed him.

Kess73

ziggy wrote: »

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Could not give a fiddlers how he was with Rangers though. When he has played for us, he has looked alright and that is all I care about. He can have been as crap as he liked elsewhere.

flahavaj

Kess73 wrote: »

Could not give a fiddlers how he was with Rangers though. When he has played for us, he has looked alright and that is all I care about. He can have been as crap as he liked elsewhere.

You must be joking.

ziggy

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noodler

flahavaj wrote: »

You must be joking.

When specifically, in a season of serious under-performers, did you feel he completely let the side down?

noodler

ziggy wrote: »

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He made a dodgy backpass in that game - its all people remember because of the draw.

Srktel and Carra have played alot more and therefore have made alot more mistakes this season.

Kess73

flahavaj wrote: »

You must be joking.

ziggy wrote: »

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Given how little he has played for us, he has not let us down in any big way, especially when compared to Carragher and Skrtel who generally have looked awful for most of the season, and who have looked far more like cheap stop gap buys than Kyrgiakos has this season.

flahavaj

noodler wrote: »

When specifically, in a season of serious under-performers, did you feel he completely let the side down?

His ridiculous defending for the goal vs Lyon was particularly laughable.

noodler

flahavaj wrote: »

His ridiculous defending for the goal vs Lyon was particularly laughable.

Jesus man, take your pick for that goal.

ziggy

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Kess73

flahavaj wrote: »

His ridiculous defending for the goal vs Lyon was particularly laughable.

Carragher has more examples of horrific errors to his name this season than Kyrgiakos has had games for Liverpool. Very harsh, in my opinion, to be slagging Kyrgiakos off on a day when he was our best player on the pitch.

Fair enough if the guy had been poor today, or even played as Carragher or Skrtel did today, which was average at best for a pair that are meant to be rated.

Kess73

ziggy wrote: »

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That is a stupid arguement. He did well today and deserves the praise for playing well, the same way he would deserve stick if he had played badly.

flahavaj

Kess73 wrote: »

Carragher has more examples of horrific errors to his name this season than Kyrgiakos has had games for Liverpool. Very harsh, in my opinion, to be slagging Kyrgiakos off on a day when he was our best player on the pitch.

Fair enough if the guy had been poor today, or even played as Carragher or Skrtel did today, which was average at best for a pair that are meant to be rated.

I've said he was great today.

But in general I think hes a sub-standard player, no one would have brought up the Lyon match if someone hadn't asked for an specific example, which was provided. When his rubbish form at Rangers is used as an example of his poverty as a player, its dismissed as irrelevant, despite it being a very good indicator of the type of stuff you can expect from him.

Fair enough he played well today, but he's far from above reproach based on previous performances.

ziggy

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noodler

I did ask for an example. What I saw was a comedy of errors leading to Lyon's equaliser.

Bit harsh to pick him out as the weaklink in that context.

Anyway, thats one example. Only serves to highlight the fact he hasn't played enough for Liverpool top be judged exceptionally worse than our current crop of central defenders who are under performing.

starbelgrade

I think Rafa broke the Guinness Record today, for the most uses of the word "dissapointed", in post match interviews.

noodler

starbelgrade wrote: »

I think Rafa broke the Guinness Record today, for the most uses of the word "dissapointed", in post match interviews.

I actually agree with him for once on the decisions, he must see videos of himself on TV though and know how silly these types of interviews make him look.

Kess73

Yeah but the wider context is a bit of a cop out at times.

It gets used to defend the senior players at the club a lot this season. Lots of "well they were class last year" or "he has been great in the past", and this is meant to excuse half a football year of poor form this season.


The same seems to work in reverse with Kyrgiakos. He was poor at Rangers so he must be poor here too.

How about the guy gets judged on how he has been this season instead?

He has only played four games for Liverpool, one of those games he is being slated for here and that is the Lyon game.

Against Bolton he played well and received a lot of praise, and today he was MOTM.

I just think that it is unfair to be overly critical of a player, who was bought to be a fourth choice centreback, that has not played poorly for Liverpool in the few games he has gotten.

Fair enough if he was meant to be a top class defender, and he was making error after error, but he is not and he has not.

He is what he is. Basically a journeyman player who has not let this club or supporters down in terms of effort or application when he got game time.

Kess73

flahavaj wrote: »

I've said he was great today.

But in general I think hes a sub-standard player, no one would have brought up the Lyon match if someone hadn't asked for an specific example, which was provided. When his rubbish form at Rangers is used as an example of his poverty as a player, its dismissed as irrelevant, despite it being a very good indicator of the type of stuff you can expect from him.

Fair enough he played well today, but he's far from above reproach based on previous performances.

Well based on his performances with Liverpool, the only performances of his that I have any interest in, he has had two decent games, one MOTM game, and one game where he made a costly mistake.

So basically one game where he can be faulted as having a negative impact on the result.

Damn you are right he really has been terrible in a Liverpool shirt. :rolleyes:

noodler

Only 4 games?

Jesus thats harsh.

flahavaj

Kess73 wrote: »

Well based on his performances with Liverpool, the only performances of his that I have any interest in, he has had two decent games, one MOTM game, and one game where he made a costly mistake.

So basically one game where he can be faulted as having a negative impact on the result.

Damn you are right he really has been terrible in a Liverpool shirt. :rolleyes:

Ridiculous statement tbf.

You're saying that his poor performances in the SPL a mickey mouse league have ni bearing on his ability to perform in an elite league like the Prem? Just bacsue you "don't care" doesn't mean it isn't relevant.

I never said hes been terrible, but nor has he done anything that great and has looked shaky for ye anytime I've seen him.

noodler

flahavaj wrote: »

Ridiculous statement tbf.

You're saying that his poor performances in the SPL a mickey mouse league have ni bearing on his ability to perform in an elite league like the Prem? Just bacsue you "don't care" doesn't mean it isn't relevant.

I never said hes been terrible, but nor has he done anything that great and has looked shaky for ye anytime I've seen him.

???

How long did he play for Rangers for? I assume he was plating well enough for them to play a large number of games. He also plays for a Worlc Cup bound Greek team internationally.

He may even have played a fair bit of CL football with Rangers and AEK (I'd havbe to wiki it to be sure).

You a Celtic fan by any chance?

flahavaj

noodler wrote: »

???

How long did he play for Rangers for? I assume he was plating well enough for them to play a large number of games. He also plays for a Worlc Cup bound Greek team internationally.

He may even have played a fair bit of CL football with Rangers and AEK (I'd havbe to wiki it to be sure).

You a Celtic fan by any chance?

A season and a half if I recall. He wasn't very good.

I'm not a Celtic fan at all, Scottish football in general is a joke, but I did live with Celtic fan for a while so ended up watching a lot if Scottish football. So while I have a solid basis for my argument you have to resort to look up wiki for games he "may have" played. Cool.

Whats supporting Celtic that got to do with it anyway? You think just becasue I criticise a former Rangers player I must support Celtic? LOL.

Kess73

noodler wrote: »

Only 4 games?

Jesus thats harsh.

That's all he has played in, so as a Liverpool supporter those are the games that I will judge him on. Would be stupid of me to call him a poor or substandard player based on how he was in Scotland years ago.

Now fair enough if a Ranger's fan came out and said that he was crap for Rangers based on the games he played for Rangers. That's fine as it is judging a player on what he did at that club, but judging him as a Liverpool player based on what he did in Scotland is a bit silly, especially as it totally ignores the fact that he was well regarded for how he did at Frankfurt and at AEK Athens, which was after his time in Scotland.

The way I see it people can regard him as they like based on how he was four clubs ago. It is up to them if that is how they judge the player whilst disregarding how he was rated at his two clubs after Rangers.

As for me, well I will continue judging a Liverpool player based on how he performs in his games for Liverpool, and nowhere else.

noodler

flahavaj wrote: »

A season and a half if I recall. He wasn't very good.

I'm not a Celtic fan at all, Scottish football in general is a joke, but I did live with Celtic fan for a while so ended up watching a lot if Scottish football. So while I have a solid basis for my rgument you have to resort to look up wiki for games he "may have" played. Cool.

Whats that got to do with it anyway? You think just becasue I criticise a former Rangers player I must support Celtic? LOL.

You just seem to be reaching for alot of your arguments VS Kyriakos.

Oh...LOL (if you like).

flahavaj

Kess73 wrote: »

Yeah but the wider context is a bit of a cop out at times.

It gets used to defend the senior players at the club a lot this season. Lots of "well they were class last year" or "he has been great in the past", and this is meant to excuse half a football year of poor form this season.


The same seems to work in reverse with Kyrgiakos. He was poor at Rangers so he must be poor here too.

How about the guy gets judged on how he has been this season instead?

He has only played four games for Liverpool, one of those games he is being slated for here and that is the Lyon game.

Against Bolton he played well and received a lot of praise, and today he was MOTM.

I just think that it is unfair to be overly critical of a player, who was bought to be a fourth choice centreback, that has not played poorly for Liverpool in the few games he has gotten.

Fair enough if he was meant to be a top class defender, and he was making error after error, but he is not and he has not.

He is what he is. Basically a journeyman player who has not let this club or supporters down in terms of effort or application when he got game time.

And hes already dropped a monumental clanger in one of those, one that effectively put ye out of Europe. Ya, hes been savage.:rolleyes:

flahavaj

noodler wrote: »

You just seem to be reaching for alot of your arguments VS Kyriakos.

Oh...LOL (if you like).

Not really, just going on what I've seen, as oppposed to trawling wiki and trying to bring Celtic into it for some bizarre reason.