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

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

El Inho wrote: »

Would anyone fancy a two up top partnership of lambert and borini?

Traditional target man and fast partner. The classic football manager combo!

Madrid, probably.

Talisman

Kerrigooney wrote: »

On a positive note - I heard Harry Redknapp's defence is naive, he might be interested in taking an experienced England international who can do goal line clearances.

Agent Coulson

El Inho wrote: »

Would anyone fancy a two up top partnership of lambert and borini?

Traditional target man and fast partner. The classic football manager combo!

I'd just want to see 2 up front.

Playing Balotelli or Lambert up front on their own is not how either wants to play and they are on a hiding to nothing!



On another note Johnson has been the best defender we have had since he came back after his injury.

S. Goodspeed

OwaynOTT wrote: »

In defence of Mario Balotelli, both own goals were down to his presence in the box. Both defenders took a swing at the ball, as it was going through to Mario if they didn't.

Criticised for not being in the box and yesterday there was a marked improvement there.

Obviously he missed a good chance and could have done a bit better on one or two more but he definitely helped towards the win.

People are criticising him for not closing down and making an effort, that's not fair. The top half of the pitch are not closing down like they were last year and a lot of those players were there last year and doing it.
Pressing high was one of the teams strongest assets last year. This year the team aren't doing it, apart from the Spurs game which was our best performance.

Every single player has to look at themselves over the performances and Rodgers needs to get the finger out soon.
Defence needs better protection and this cant be laid solely at Gerrard's feet. Can was in the holding role in the first half and we still were soft through the middle.
All our centre backs need to be stronger - constantly bullied.
Deeper players need to be braver with the ball and more proactive. Can't be passing it back to Mignolet four or five times in the space of a minute and putting him under pressure.
Pressing from the top needs to start again.
Balotelli on his own up front is not helping anyone. Borini needs to be playing up front with Mario, heck even Lambert.

Allen and Can back will hopefully help the midfield out a bit.

Coutinho looked very lively when he came on, hopefully he can kick on now.



Balotelli will score against Madrid this week and we will get a shock win. Everything will be hunky dory until we lose to Hull.

I just watched the replay of the winning goal a few times this morning. It's hard to tell but looks like Mario would have been offside if the ball did come through to him. Shockingly sloppy stuff if that was the case.

I agree though, I think (or hope) he's good for a goal against Madrid!

djPSB

El Inho wrote: »

Would anyone fancy a two up top partnership of lambert and borini?

Traditional target man and fast partner. The classic football manager combo!

No, we'd better to go with Henderson, Coutinho, Sterling and Lallana counter attacking the sh1t out of it.

Luckycharms_74

Augeo wrote: »

13 points after 8 games (having played well for perhaps two games) and Hull at Anfield on Saturday, from a glass half full perspective it ain't too bad.

We need to get goals early though, tempo needs to be high from the off.

Ardent wrote: »

Hull will batter us.

Nah they wont. I'm going to the game. The last 2 games I was at we won
5-1 vs Arsenal
5-0 vs Norwich
I got this lads :P

x43r0

Luckycharms_74 wrote: »

Nah they wont. I'm going to the game. The last 2 games I was at we won
5-1 vs Arsenal
5-0 vs Norwich
I got this lads :P

Wow..

He ain't called LuckyCharms for nothing!!

Luckycharms_74

Trilla wrote: »

Best place to see the highlghts of todays game lads?

Can't embed links

MOTD: QPR v Liverpool | 19.10.2014

Rodgers’ post-QPR presser | 19.10.2014

Analysis | QPR v Liverpool | Sky | 19.10.2014

SlickRic

Mario was bad, but the work rate thing is a lazy stick to beat him with.

The whole team has stopped pressing. There's little point in him pressing on his own if nobody else is doing it.

It's like the team are hoping for things to happen rather than making things happen.

tok9

Harry Palmr wrote: »

LOAN WATCH!

Coates - no game for Sunderland (again)

He's still out injured and not due back until November apparently.

flanzer

Skrtel made it into Garth Crooks team of the week :eek::eek::eek::eek:

Cartman78

Luckycharms_74 wrote: »

Nah they wont. I'm going to the game. The last 2 games I was at we won
5-1 vs Arsenal
5-0 vs Norwich
I got this lads :P

Nice one...if the trend continues we should bang in another 5 goals with Hull somehow contriving to score minus 1.

5live

SlickRic wrote: »

Mario was bad, but the work rate thing is a lazy stick to beat him with.

The whole team has stopped pressing. There's little point in him pressing on his own if nobody else is doing it.

It's like the team are hoping for things to happen rather than making things happen.

No, it isn't.

When you play sh!te, the least you can do is help out the rest of the team by working hard. You cannot press the ball properly if only 9 players are doing it. I would love to see how much ground Balotelli covers because it looks like he hasn't even broke a sweat by full time.

Also, this thing about adapting the style of play to suit Balotelli is right up to a point but Balotelli also has to adapt his style to suit us. I don't imagine many defenders losing much sleep to see Balotelli drop off to 40 yards out to receive the ball and shoot from 30 yards out. The defenders are laughing because they can stay in place and within contact with each other because nobody drags defenders out of position with movement or turns to run in behind defenses and turn the whole back line.

He looks a one-trick-pony and that trick isn't even good anymore.:mad:

5live

flanzer wrote: »

Skrtel made it into Garth Crooks team of the week :eek::eek::eek::eek:

LCB:eek::eek::eek::eek:

He's havin' a laugh.

Dickerty

All I could think about having seen this yesterday -





THIS IS DEFENDING!!!!!

klose

Surprising to see skrtel in there, usually need to score a goal or get an assist to get into Gareth's xi

rob316

I had a look at the highlights earlier to see the errors for the goals, its just farcical. Blame the back 4, but the midfielders were in no mans land for the set pieces. Skrtel wasn't that bad bar been mugged by Austin in the opening minutes, Lovren on the other hand was terrible, Enrique was awful too.

Wtf was Lovren doing heading that ball back to goal for the first one, it was a lazy glance of the ball off his head, ffs jump man and head it clear.

Heading a ball clear is the easiest thing a footballer has to do, and they cant even do that. For all of Sakho faults he can atleast head a ball.

Balotelli can not lead the line, Rodgers keep persisting with it and all its doing is effecting the team and Balotelli confidence. A confident Mario wouldn't have missed that open goal yesterday.

kfallon

rob316 wrote: »

I had a look at the highlights earlier to see the errors for the goals, its just farcical. Blame the back 4, but the midfielders were in no mans land for the set pieces. Skrtel wasn't that bad bar been mugged by Austin in the opening minutes, Lovren on the other hand was terrible, Enrique was awful too.

Wtf was Lovren doing heading that ball back to goal for the first one, it was a lazy glance of the ball off his head, ffs jump man and head it clear.

Heading a ball clear is the easiest thing a footballer has to do, and they cant even do that. For all of Sakho faults he can atleast head a ball.

Balotelli can not lead the line, Rodgers keep persisting with it and all its doing is effecting the team and Balotelli confidence. A confident Mario wouldn't have missed that open goal yesterday.

3rd goal v West Ham.....

Iang87

Its Garth Crooks to be fair, making it into that team is worrying



On the Lambert Borini partnership, please happen just so I can see the headlines the following day.

"Liverpool speed to victory with a lamborini" - Sky sports 2 days from now

Super-Rush

rob316 wrote: »

I had a look at the highlights earlier to see the errors for the goals, its just farcical. Blame the back 4, but the midfielders were in no mans land for the set pieces. Skrtel wasn't that bad bar been mugged by Austin in the opening minutes, Lovren on the other hand was terrible, Enrique was awful too.

Wtf was Lovren doing heading that ball back to goal for the first one, it was a lazy glance of the ball off his head, ffs jump man and head it clear.

Heading a ball clear is the easiest thing a footballer has to do, and they cant even do that. For all of Sakho faults he can atleast head a ball.

Balotelli can not lead the line, Rodgers keep persisting with it and all its doing is effecting the team and Balotelli confidence. A confident Mario wouldn't have missed that open goal yesterday.

Lovern has been awful in every game he's played for us so far.

I don't know why Brendog insists on playing him.

noodler

Mr Alan wrote: »

This is absolute lunacy.

Markovich will still be worth £20m if his first season at Liverpool pans out in the way it's started? No chance. He looks like an absolute turkey to date.

All our signings this summer were excellent in your view?! Yet have all been poor season to date except for maybe Lallana who has done probably the bare minimum you'd expect from a £25m signing!

This is just crazy delusion.

If we go from 2nd to well outside the top 4 (which I suspect is how this season will pan out if we don't make some serious investment is actual top players in Jan), will you even then admit these signing have not been 'excellent'? Or is it still excellent business & the best we could have done?

Good points.

You can't hep but feel we will be getting fractions of the original transfer value when or if we have to offload Markovich and Mario (possibly Lovren, although jumping the gun).

noodler

SlickRic wrote: »

Mario was bad, but the work rate thing is a lazy stick to beat him with.

.

No it isn't.

Dickerty

noodler wrote: »

No it isn't.

It is, but it's still true.

But my main problem with him is a complete lack of attempt to link up with his team-mates on the pitch. The number of times he ran with the ball only to lose it, and ignored a colleague in a better position, was criminal.

If you are staying outside the box, you need to link better.
If you are staying in the box, you need to finish when under no pressure for 8 yards.

At this stage, I would seriously consider trying to get Origi in Jan, cause I don't see the point in signing another striker when he is arriving anyway.
Although as things stand, Sturridge is the only certain striker we have next season. Balo, Lambert and Borini are all on very uncertain ground..

Dickerty

klose wrote: »

Surprising to see skrtel in there, usually need to score a goal or get an assist to get into Gareth's xi

It's almost all he cares about. It's like a Fantasy Football TOTW
He's the anti-Hansen.

noodler

Dickerty wrote: »

It is, but it's still true.

But my main problem with him is a complete lack of attempt to link up with his team-mates on the pitch. The number of times he ran with the ball only to lose it, and ignored a colleague in a better position, was criminal.

If you are staying outside the box, you need to link better.
If you are staying in the box, you need to finish when under no pressure for 8 yards.

At this stage, I would seriously consider trying to get Origi in Jan, cause I don't see the point in signing another striker when he is arriving anyway.
Although as things stand, Sturridge is the only certain striker we have next season. Balo, Lambert and Borini are all on very uncertain ground..

Being lazy consistently is a fundamental problem. It certainly isn't a "lazy stick to beat him with".

rob316

I keep looking at the table, only for a perfect swing of a leg from Jagielka we would be sitting 4th by a couple of points.

After how we have played that's miraculous. Hull at home next and then Newcastle away - as bad as Newcastle has been I expect them to beat us.

If we could some how grind out wins from those games, and get a point against Chelsea then, we would be doing incredibly well.

We need to surrender a bit of possession I think and play on the counter attack, Sterling breaking is a surreal sight, teams cant cope with it.

tok9

Surprisingly, I didn't think Johnson was too bad yesterday. Other than 1 terrible attempt of a tackle he did okay.

Couldn't really say the same for Enrique though. He played some nice passes every so often but in general he did the usual hold on to the ball for far too long. On top of doing absolutely god awful for the 1st QPR goal. Hopefully Moreno is good to come straight back in for the madrid match.

Hidalgo

5live wrote: »

No, it isn't.

When you play sh!te, the least you can do is help out the rest of the team by working hard. You cannot press the ball properly if only 9 players are doing it. I would love to see how much ground Balotelli covers because it looks like he hasn't even broke a sweat by full time.

Agree with you that pressing needs to be done in unison.
But nobody is pressing. Its not as if the rest are pressing and are let down bt Balotelli.

Lallana is about the only one. Thought he chased and harried very well v West Brom in the manner that was consistent last year.

Connavar

tok9 wrote: »

Surprisingly, I didn't think Johnson was too bad yesterday. Other than 1 terrible attempt of a tackle he did okay.

Couldn't really say the same for Enrique though. He played some nice passes every so often but in general he did the usual hold on to the ball for far too long. On top of doing absolutely god awful for the 1st QPR goal. Hopefully Moreno is good to come straight back in for the madrid match.

I think I remember tony barrett tweeting that Moreno was being rested so that he could start in the Madrid game

Hidalgo

rob316 wrote: »

I keep looking at the table, only for a perfect swing of a leg from Jagielka we would be sitting 4th by a couple of points.

t.

Alternatively there could and should be 3 less pts on the board after yesterday. Lucky to concede only 2 and a big dollop of luck in all 3 scored.

MD1990

Brad Smith has been recalled from Swindon. Moreno wasn't starting for Spain u21's during the break & wasn't on the bench either. Could be injured maybe.

5live

Connavar wrote: »

I think I remember tony barrett tweeting that Moreno was being rested so that he could start in the Madrid game

Maybe we should rest Balotelli so he can start somewhere else in January.

Talisman

Hidalgo wrote: »

Agree with you that pressing needs to be done in unison.
But nobody is pressing. Its not as if the rest are pressing and are let down bt Balotelli.

Lallana is about the only one. Thought he chased and harried very well v West Brom in the manner that was consistent last year.

The pressing has been very disjointed this season so far. Against Basel, Balotelli was pressing but nobody behind him followed up. It's as if going into games only certain players are being told to press the opposition and that's why the group aren't doing it as a unit.

tok9

Bale has been ruled out for the match anyway.

Don't like seeing players injured but I'm not complaining!

Dickerty

rob316 wrote: »

I keep looking at the table, only for a perfect swing of a leg from Jagielka we would be sitting 4th by a couple of points.

Only 4 points behind City, so when you discount their home game against us, there is only a point in it. A long way to go.

I don't think anyone will complete with Chelsea and City, but United are a worry - so many goals in that team, they are likely to win 2/3 comfortably for every foot-shooting defeat they have. So we need to hope that Arsenal keep messing up, at least more than we do!

bluefinger

between now and the end of November we've five pl games, three at home. Only Chelsea would be better than us from those. Critical/exciting times coming up. If we can put a few more points between ourselves and Spurs, United, Arsenal it will go a long way towards CL for next season. The CL games this year are the icing on the cake.

Iang87

If we can get any bit of breathing room between us united and arsenal it woul be great now. i feel united will click at some point and they'll stop dropping stupid points. We should be getting 6 from our next 2 league games. I think after tonight united have city and chelsea coming in their next 3. We could really be 5 or 6 up on them if us city and chelsea all do what they should. I think if we finish ahead of either united or arsenal we'll be top 4 this year

kop77

Tuesday, March 10, 2009, and Marca’s editors are sure they are onto a winner.

‘This is Anfield, but so what?’ says that morning’s front cover of the of Real Madrid-backed sports paper, riffing on the famous players’ tunnel sign at Liverpool’s stadium, and claiming that Madrid’s players would not be intimidated in the slightest in that evening’s game

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/soccer/real-seek-anfield-revenge-292110.html

and we all know how that turned out,

I'm bricking it already though.... I'd be telling Joe Allen to do nothing else other than literally stick to Ronaldo for the full 90 minutes!!!

Dickerty

kop77 wrote: »

I'm bricking it already though.... I'd be telling Joe Allen to do nothing else other than literally stick to Ronaldo for the full 90 minutes!!!

And no better fella to do it. Neither Can nor Gerrard would be able to do that.
Hendo is too stand-offish, likes to stay up tall, we need something more terrier-like.

chicorytip

What ever happened to the old Liverpool tradition of defending as a team ? By this I mean strikers pressurising opposing defenders into making mistakes (a la Ian Rush), maintaining a high defensive line up the pitch and proper use of the offside tactic. This does not require great players to implement just good coaching. If I were Brendan Rogers I'd give George Graham a call.

Agent Coulson

It's time the defenders were coached on how to park the...

Agent Coulson

Looks like Bale is out of the game.

Wonder what this means?

https://twitter.com/Official_STFC/status/524138034816483329

Dickerty

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Looks like Bale is out of the game.

Wonder what this means?

https://twitter.com/Official_STFC/status/524138034816483329

Means someone else gets to beat up on us instead?

Harry Palmr

MD1990 wrote: »

Brad Smith has been recalled from Swindon. Moreno wasn't starting for Spain u21's during the break & wasn't on the bench either. Could be injured maybe.

Re Brad Smith, I thought he had a knock, just checking the Swindon Town forum there is some annoyance and confusion as to why he has been recalled.

kfallon

Teams should play to their strengths and our strength certainly isn't defending so I think we should adopt a 0-9-1 formation on Wednesday.... we'll shít them

Agent Coulson

Dickerty wrote: »

Means someone else gets to beat up on us instead?

I meant Brad Smith being recalled!

The the defence is in crisis and recalling a 20 year old LB before the Real Madrid game seems very strange.

Agent Coulson

https://twitter.com/TonyBarretTimes/status/524098203114024960

Dickerty

Agent Coulson wrote: »

I meant Brad Smith being recalled!

The the defence is in crisis and recalling a 20 year old LB before the Real Madrid game seems very strange.

Sorry, couldn't see the tweet (blocked).

If Moreno is injured, Enrique is first choice and Johnson is probably second. So maybe it is just CYA tactics.

But he has been injured a bit at Swindon, maybe there is a concern about how he is being handled there?

MD1990

Interesting than Manquillo & Moreno both didn't play yesterday. Johnson could well be ahead of Manquillo now though.
Maybe we might go for a 3-5-2 against Real.

---

Mignolet

---

Lovren

---

Skrtel

---

Sakho
Manquillo

---

Moreno

---

Henderson----Gerrard

---

---

Coutinho

---

Balotelli

---

Sterling

tok9

I assume Sahko is still injured.

Also it wouldn't surprise me if Johnson was now ahead of Manquillo although I'm sure both will get enough game time this season.