Liverpool FC Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2014 - Mod Note in OP, 1/09

Agent Coulson

I said it before Gerrard needs to be on the bench for the first 70 minutes and then brought on in that role after Lallana, Allen and Henderson have ran the other teams legs off

tok9

Extremely anxious towards the end.

I wouldn't say I'd feel comfortable in future but delighted we got the 3 points and we didn't concede a late goal.

5starpool

If Arsenal/Villa don't pull off shock wins, we'll only somehow be a point off 4th going into the international break. With Sturridge hopefully raring to go after that hopefully we'll see a proper improvement in performances. Balotelli not being in the Italy squad as well (I think) should help us.

Agent Coulson

Agent Coulson wrote: »

I said it before Gerrard needs to be on the bench for the first 70 minutes and then brought on in that role after Lallana, Allen and Henderson have ran the other leg lees.

It won't happen, he's gonna play every match. Be prepared to be disapointed.

Funny enough, I thought Gerrard wasn't bad today.

NukaCola

Balotelli is so much better than Lambert in every single department. I dont want to run Lambert down, but he offered nothing up top on his own.

5starpool

5starpool wrote: »

If Arsenal/Villa don't pull off shock wins, we'll only somehow be a point off 4th going into the international break. With Sturridge hopefully raring to go after that hopefully we'll see a proper improvement in performances. Balotelli not being in the Italy squad as well (I think) should help us.

When you say it like that it's not too bad tbf

tok9

Also this is one of those odd times when a break is welcome.

Gives a rest to Gerrard. Allen and Sturridge coming back and hopefully the same for Can.

Agent Coulson

Don't mention the International break we still have 4 players in Hogdsons hands over the next week and half

NukaCola

Gerrard played well today, thought he would fade badly but didnt, thankfully.

Agent Coulson

rarnes1 wrote: »

It won't happen, he's gonna play every match. Be prepared to be disapointed.

Funny enough, I thought Gerrard wasn't bad today.

I'm not going to be disappointed as I know that won't happen this season anyway.

donfers

That three challenge rule really should come into force in football; variations of it have helped sports like american football, tennis and cricket to stamp out injustices. Do we want sport decided by the players on the field or some ridiculous refereeing intervention?

Anyway very important three points especially considering we travelled to Switzerland in midweek and WBA were in decent form. However we are still finding our game to an extent; hopefully when Allen and Sturridge get back in after the international break we'll up things another notch or two.

Gbear

Another decent performance by the players in a system that doesn't really suit them.

If you've better players than your opposition you're going to win games every now and again.

It was at least good to see that if Lucas and Gerrard were going to play together that it wasn't side by side. Stevie looked an awful lot more useful in the advanced role.

Desperately needed some points. At least we looked fairly comfortable but you'd hope for a lot more than that at home against a team as mediocre as WBA.

Sideshow Mark

We needed a win before the break, we should be seeing a different team when the League returns. We looked pretty good in the last half hour, maybe saw some signs that things are improving. I still have no clue why Lambert started.

Augmerson

How long before Allen and Can come back?

rob316

Henderson taking the game by the scruff like any senior player should. Just brilliant he was.

NukaCola

NukaCola wrote: »

Balotelli is so much better than Lambert in every single department. I dont want to run Lambert down, but he offered nothing up top on his own.

Surely he'd want to be?

Lambert in the twilight years of his career and Ballotelli mid 20's having played for some of the best teams in Europe.

So far it doesn't look like the huge gulf in class is there.

Recent season goals per game aren't a whole lot apart afaik

klose

Augmerson wrote: »

How long before Allen and Can come back?

Both were photod doing light training in melwood last week so hopefully they will be there or there abouts when the international break finishes.

NukaCola

rarnes1 wrote: »

Surely he'd want to be?

Lambert in the twilight years of his career and Ballotelli mid 20's having played for some of the best teams in Europe.

So far it doesn't look like the huge gulf in class is there.

Recent season goals per game aren't a whole lot apart afaik

I dont get what your saying? You agree with me that Balotelli is better in every department than Lambert? If so why quote me?

NukaCola

NukaCola wrote: »

Gerrard played well today, thought he would fade badly but didnt, thankfully.

Yeah, was wondering why he was being singled out.

Sterling and Coutinho I thought weren't really at the races.

Would love to see Sterling pull out of Englands games with some mysterious injury

Gbear

rarnes1 wrote: »

Surely he'd want to be?

Lambert in the twilight years of his career and Ballotelli mid 20's having played for some of the best teams in Europe.

So far it doesn't look like the huge gulf in class is there.

Recent season goals per game aren't a whole lot apart afaik

I think the problem is that Balotelli isn't really much of a CF.

He looks far more comfortable outside the box and playing others into the game than running off the shoulder of players or getting on the end of things.

He might be able to develop his game further and add it to his game but he doesn't look like the kind of player that scores 20+ league goals.

He could, however, work brilliantly to bring other attacking players into the game. Even today, he had some great interplay with Gerrard at the edge of the box and put that little ball over the top that Sterling just couldn't get control of.

donfers

Let's not do the kneejerk extrapolation things that Stevie should be played further forward because in the last 15 minutes of a home game against WBA (when they had to actually go for it) he looked to be making an impact and thus should be played there from now on. He also looked good in the previous 75 minutes in the deeper postion where we are accustomed to seeing him play lately.

If we go 4-3-3 with gerrard - henderson -allen in the middle three then there are plenty of legs there to cover for Gerrard's so-called lack of mobility.

The front three should be Lallana - Sturridge - Sterling which looks quite dangerous and well-suited to our style of play.

It's just our "same-old same-old" lack of presence and composure at the back that may well be our undoing over the long term and remains an ongoing concern - hopefully Valdes will be signed to provide some genuine competition for Mignolet. However it was revealing today that Lovren and Skrtel were run ragged by Berahino on his own today; no matter what centre-halves we purchase or play they seem to share common failings - poor positioning, liable to be bullied or out-muscled and prone to panicking or losing their cool when seeing a game out. Now whether that is down to our coaching, style of play or just the players themselves is one that can be debated but the pattern is certainly there for all to see.

NukaCola

Would Sturridge and Balotelli up front work? Not sure it would being honest. There is a good dynamic between Sturridge and Sterling, would love to see it tried.

SlickRic

Henderson is phenomenal.

that is all.

ThunbergsAreGo

Seemed alot better after the double substitution

Balotelli made some good runs but just wasnt picked out. Johnson gave us better protection at right back.

Moreno tendancy to bomb on at all times will cost us a few times

Roll on Sturridge coming back

Gbear

Gbear wrote: »

I think the problem is that Balotelli isn't really much of a CF.

He looks far more comfortable outside the box and playing others into the game than running off the shoulder of players or getting on the end of things.

He might be able to develop his game further and add it to his game but he doesn't look like the kind of player that scores 20+ league goals.

He could, however, work brilliantly to bring other attacking players into the game. Even today, he had some great interplay with Gerrard at the edge of the box and put that little ball over the top that Sterling just couldn't get control of.

Sturridge coming back should certainly help whoever BR picks up top alongside him.

It was also help Sterling

Lord Trollington

NukaCola wrote: »

Would Sturridge and Balotelli up front work? Not sure it would being honest. There is a good dynamic between Sturridge and Sterling, would love to see it tried.

Unless sterling pulls the finger out he should be benched. He's been awful for 3/4 games now.

Rodgers looks like he's only playing him so that he can get some sort of form going. A stint on the bench might do no harm for both him and his agent.

NukaCola

naughtb4 wrote: »

Moreno tendancy to bomb on at all times will cost us a few times

Was that Moreno chasing down the GK around the 92 min?
That was stupid stuff.

Gbear

NukaCola wrote: »

Would Sturridge and Balotelli up front work? Not sure it would being honest. There is a good dynamic between Sturridge and Sterling, would love to see it tried.

Given how bad we've looked with one up front I can't see it radically changing just by Sturridge being on the field.

It was a problem against Southampton as well where Sturridge looked more and more frustrated and really wasn't in the game enough. Of course we also started with Lucas and Gerrard that day.

And it's not like the players stopping us from playing 2 up top have performed to a stellar level. Coutinho has yet to have a good performance.

Lord Trollington

Oh and at this stage Borini is surely a better option than Lambert.

NukaCola

NukaCola wrote: »

Was that Moreno chasing down the GK around the 92 min?
That was stupid stuff.

There was one attack when both Johnson and Moreno were in the final 3rd when we were 2-1 up

No wonder we concede so many.

Can't blame them, they are obviously told to do it

Fowler87

NukaCola wrote: »

Was that Moreno chasing down the GK around the 92 min?
That was stupid stuff.

If it wasn't for that mentality we wouldn't have won today. More the same the next day. Great to hit the break with a win:)

NukaCola

Lord Trollington wrote: »

Oh and at this stage Borini is surely a better option than Lambert.

Both aren't up to it. With Sturridge coming back it'll be cup games only hopefully.

NukaCola

Fowler87 wrote: »

If it wasn't for that mentality we wouldn't have won today. More the same the next day. Great to hit the break with a win:)

Not our LB in injury time surely?

whatawaster

Lord Trollington wrote: »

Unless sterling pulls the finger out he should be benched. He's been awful for 3/4 games now.

Rodgers looks like he's only playing him so that he can get some sort of form going. A stint on the bench might do no harm for both him and his agent.

3 goals and 2 assists in 6 starts.

Needs a rest maybe. Does not need to be benched

Lord Trollington

NukaCola wrote: »

Both aren't up to it. With Sturridge coming back it'll be cup games only hopefully.

Agree. But Lambert looked so slow and laboured that at least Borini would half fit into our style of play.

Our Year

whatawaster

rarnes1 wrote: »

Our Year

Nah, that's clearly the rusty cup. Would recognise it anywhere

Agent Coulson

The thing with Lambert is I don't think anyone here minded him being signed to be our 3/4th striker behind Sturridge and someone else that is the role we all saw for him not as a starting striker when we can't score goals.

Fescue

Anyone think Gerrard looked better playing as a 10 than as a deep lying playmaker?

Kerrigooney

Given the money paid and considering his age and experience I think Lovren has been the most disappointing signing of the summer. He makes a couple of ridiculous decisions in every game. He'll cost us big time yet.

Gbear

whatawaster wrote: »

3 goals and 2 assists in 6 starts.

Needs a rest maybe. Does not need to be benched

He was the only direct threat we had on the pitch and, along with Lallana, the only player who attacked with any quality for the first 60 minutes.
Sharing responsibility with Sturridge and Balotelli will hopefully help a lot.

He's still only a support player for the other more experienced players. It's daft to be putting so much responsibility on him to provide the end product.

darced

This post has been deleted.

Pilsbury Doughboy

darced wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Yep and it was justified too.

Harry Palmr

Fescue wrote: »

Anyone think Gerrard looked better playing as a 10 than as a deep lying playmaker?

I wouldn't read much into it - Gerrard knew that he was about to get a two week rest so put everything into it when WBA were busy pushing on so leaving a fair bit of space for him.

He was actually improved in his current day job, mopping up well in defence and out wide left a few times.

Agent Coulson

Getting Sturridge and Allen back to fitness and keeping both league fit will be the most important thing this season player wise.

Getting Johnson, Sakho, Enrique and Flanagan fit again will improve the squad as long as they stay fit.

Then the likes of Markovic, Can, Manquillo can ( no pun meant) eased into the team.

Amazing what a win does for the weekend




Also, Gafferino on match threads here on in! A great debut!

Kerrigooney

Like Flanno last year it seems Lallana was quite "excited" to score his first goal...

Augmerson

fred funk }{

Great, we won. I can watch Match Of The Day now.

Fescue

Harry Palmr wrote: »

I wouldn't read much into it - Gerrard knew that he was about to get a two week rest so put everything into it when WBA were busy pushing on so leaving a fair bit of space for him.

He was actually improved in his current day job, mopping up well in defence and out wide left a few times.

I feel he influences the game more positively when he doesn't have defensive responsibilities.

Coutinho conversely influences the game more playing in midfield than as a number 10.