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

Charlie19

NukaCola wrote: »

Then he passed it straight to the opposition. Still very inconsistent but should be starting.

No way..Did that not reach Balotelli?

I've a very selective memory.

Harry Palmr

At least BvB are still thrashing CL sides (makes you wonder why such a huge difference if results though)

Hangballlouie

Augeo wrote: »

To be fair he's probably happy with the clean sheet and maybe sees the error on his part of playing Balotelli up front on his own. Balotelli came out publicly and said it wasn't his cup of tea but he was trying.

I was keen to see Lambert playing with Balotelli, I think things can be overthought, what should and shouldn't work, just play them both and see is it an option, the 30 mins today suggests (apparently) it's worth trying.

We weren't excellent or outstanding.

Regarding the clean sheet, yeah I'm happy but just because we got a clean sheet doesn't make the performance either outstanding or excellent.

Regarding the two lads up front, I thought we were much better with them so I'm hoping he plays both against Swansea or one of them with Borini.

Harry Palmr

Augeo wrote: »

To be fair he's probably happy with the clean sheet and maybe sees the error on his part of playing Balotelli up front on his own. Balotelli came out publicly and said it wasn't his cup of tea but he was trying.

I was keen to see Lambert playing with Balotelli, I think things can be overthought, what should and shouldn't work, just play them both and see is it an option, the 30 mins today suggests (apparently) it's worth trying.

I read today (forgotten where though) Rodgers admitted to being up at 4 am pondering how to set Liverpool up without Sturridge. Looks like he is suffering the classic symptoms of being too close to the problem.

El Inho

We're in a better place than we were two or three weeks ago. As in there were reasons to be thankful out there today. I was good if not a little inconsistent in my final product. That touch though lads....

Clean sheet... Let's not get carried away, Hull didn't threaten. But no Johnson... Thats good!

Willingness to change is the best thing from today. Early in the second half, not being triggered by 70mins like usual, we really changed stuff.

On signings, balo is a let down, but the others have little to be ashamed off. Just remember last year's failures were aspas and assaidi, this year's "failures", for me, have shown promise.

NukaCola

Charlie19 wrote: »

No way..Did that not reach Balotelli?

I've a very selective memory.

No, I tried to find a vid but they all cut out just before to make the skill seem better because he lost the ball.

hangballlouie

hangballlouie wrote: »

We weren't excellent or outstanding.
--

Regarding the two lads up front, I thought we were much better with them--.

But he isn't going to say we have been rubbish without Sturridge as I've persevered with Balotelli up front on his own, so he's dressed the last 30 mins improvement up the way he described it.

Harry Palmr wrote: »

I read today (forgotten where though) Rodgers admitted to being up at 4 am pondering how to set Liverpool up without Sturridge. Looks like he is suffering the classic symptoms of being too close to the problem.

Perhaps
Balotelli with support can do damage.

Balotelli with Sturridge I think will be great.

LuckyLloyd

Swansea (h) LC
Newcastle (a) EPL
Real Madrid (a) CL
Chelsea (h) EPL
Crystal Palace (a) EPL
Ludogorets (a) CL
Stoke City (h) EPL
Leicester City (a) EPL
Sunderland (h) EPL
Basel (h) CL
Man Utd (a) EPL
Arsenal (h) EPL

Christmas

Last season we were top of the table while tucking into the Turkey. This year our relevant season could be over and serious questions being asked over Rodger's long term viability at the club.

Make no mistake about it - we're in the ****.

Augeo

Augeo wrote: »

Level with Arsenal, close to Man City after them taking 3 points against us. We are hanging in there

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

...

Make no mistake about it - we're in the ****.

Serious negative outlook imo.
Are Man City & Arsenal in the **** too?

So far it's looking like Chelsea in a league of their own and the rest, compared to the rest we aren't doing too badly points wise.

We might yet get in the **** but I doubt it

noodler

When Mario is still petulant, wasteful, not trying, getting booked, etc even when we have two up front then finally some can stop making excuses for him.

Talisman

Harry Palmr wrote: »

I read today (forgotten where though) Rodgers admitted to being up at 4 am pondering how to set Liverpool up without Sturridge. Looks like he is suffering the classic symptoms of being too close to the problem.

He said he was up at 4am after the Real Madrid to begin the preparations for the Hull game. Maybe its obvious that the little nugget was leaked by Brendan Rodgers because he needs us to know that he works really really hard at his job. Maybe us knowing that he shows such a level of commitment to his job might lead us to believe that his efforts should not be criticised. Maybe, but then again maybe Brendan Rodgers was up that early trying to formulate excuses for the press conference he knew he would face that day and the inevitable questions that he would need to answer. Maybe leaking such a piece of info just before the actual conference began might steer the assembled journalists in a certain direction. Either way he was rather grumpy at the press conference.

Harry Palmr

Manager in mis-direction shocker!

monkey9

Mr Alan wrote: »

Poor result.

Rodgers continues to persist with 1 up front & it costs us. No surprise.

Jaysus Al, you really haven't gotten over the whole Rafa/Kenny heave ho, have you? Not a peep out of you last season apart from the occasional 'well played' after a four or five nil win. This season, you're writing War & Peace.

I agree with your sentiments, but you go about things the wrong way. You're like a puberty hit teenager

Charlie19

He posts when we're shyte..

He posts when we're shyte..

Mr.Alan posts when we are shyte

MD1990

How did Emre Can play today?

Harry Palmr

Jasus you know things are bad when MOTD puts Liverpool at home on last.

Turtyturd

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Jasus you know things are bad when MOTD puts Liverpool at home on last.

Says it all when the likes of Crystal Palace are on ahead of you.

Really looking like Bony wouldn't have been a bad option during the summer.

Also Shelvey hit the bar with a long range shot. Really missed out not sticking a buy back clause in there.

Charlie19

MD1990 wrote: »

How did Emre Can play today?

He was ok, didn't do much wrong but I'd probably want him to do a bit more.

He did get a wee kick early on and I actually thought he might be going off injured so maybe he carried on playing with a slight knock and thats why he had a quiet game.

Turtyturd

Turtyturd wrote: »

....

Also Shelvey hit the bar with a long range shot. Really missed out not sticking a buy back clause in there.

Wouldn't agree, well stocked in that area and he's muck more often than not.

Gbear

MD1990 wrote: »

How did Emre Can play today?

He looked ok. He looks very promising when he's running at their defence. No idea where the idea that he's a DM came from though.
You can see the talent shining through.

I'd say it'll be a while until that translates to anything concrete though. But he's only 20.

Demosthenese

Gbear wrote: »

He looked ok. He looks very promising when he's running at their defence. No idea where the idea that he's a DM came from though.
You can see the talent shining through.

I'd say it'll be a while until that translates to anything concrete though. But he's only 20.

Here's an idea and it might sound "out there" ...but how about we give Coutinho and Emre a 5-10 game run in the side and put our money where our mouths are!!! Let them develop ... try to be what they can be. See what they are made of.

.... or play in 20% of games and sell em on cos they were not "Liverpool Material" ... meh,.

brevity

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/comment-liverpool-striker-mario-balotelli-a-victim-of-the-age-9818272.html

Good article on Balotelli.

Anyone know where Gerrard was playing in 2nd half? Seemed to be in the final third frequently.

cj maxx

Can only 20 ? Didnt know that!
Who did boroni shag ( or not) to be so far out in the cold ?

mada999

Turtyturd wrote: »

Also Shelvey hit the bar with a long range shot. Really missed out not sticking a buy back clause in there.

Agreed why purchase Markovic on potential and not keep Shelvey..

suppose Shelvey wanted to leave if he was not going to get a game

Talisman

mada999 wrote: »

Agreed why purchase Markovic on potential and not keep Shelvey..

suppose Shelvey wanted to leave if he was not going to get a game

Shelvey said that Rodgers talked him into the permanent move, Shelvey had wanted a loan move.

Charlie19

NukaCola wrote: »

No, I tried to find a vid but they all cut out just before to make the skill seem better because he lost the ball.

Well they didn't show that passage of play on motd so that confirms Balotelli didn't receive the ball as they would of shown what Mario does next.

J Mysterio

cjmc wrote: »

Can only 20 ? Didnt know that!
Who did boroni shag ( or not) to be so far out in the cold ?

Rodgers has treated him pretty badly in my opinion. It's true that we don't see what happens on the training ground but he deserves a chance at least.

He didnt score a lot of goals on loan at Sunderland but he scored important goals in big games and made such an impression that they were willing to spend upwards of £10 million sterling to keep him.

He showed commitment to want to stay and fight for his place which is more commitment than Rodgers has shown in a kid which he has known for years and lauded on his arrival.

He particularly deserves a chance at the moment when our only trusted striker is out and when everyone but the manager can see we need to play two up front.

Hollister11

Jens Toornstra

Or

Paco alcacer

J Mysterio

mada999 wrote: »

Agreed why purchase Markovic on potential and not keep Shelvey..

suppose Shelvey wanted to leave if he was not going to get a game

I really liked Shelvey. He had a Gerrard-esque passing game, good long range shooting, decent slide tackling and the right attitude.

Charlie19

J Mysterio wrote: »

I really liked Shelvey. He had a Gerrard-esque passing game, good long range shooting, decent slide tackling and the right attitude.

I'd say he was signed as a potential replacement for Gerrard, by all accounts he's fairly similar but just didn't have the speed or engine Stevie had at that age.
His reaction to Fergie after his red card was great.

ush

Shelvey is a red card waiting to happen.

Charlie19

What a captain.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/liverpool-boss-brendan-rodgers-makes-4509504

~Rebel~

Charlie19 wrote: »

What a captain.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/liverpool-boss-brendan-rodgers-makes-4509504

Absolute rag. Embarrassing how they refer to the girl as his "blonde girlfriend" each time - not just girlfriend, blonde girlfriend. Dick move.

jesus_thats_gre

NukaCola wrote: »

Then he passed it straight to the opposition. Still very inconsistent but should be starting.

There was an awful lot of that.

Oranage2

Could these poor performances be a hang up from how close they got last season?

It looks like a lot of players have lost heart or they don't believe anymore and I wonder how much that is because of emotional drain. Anybody in that position would find it hard to start all over with the same enthusiasm, imo.

Soft Falling Rain

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Swansea (h) LC
Newcastle (a) EPL
Real Madrid (a) CL
Chelsea (h) EPL
Crystal Palace (a) EPL
Ludogorets (a) CL
Stoke City (h) EPL
Leicester City (a) EPL
Sunderland (h) EPL
Basel (h) CL
Man Utd (a) EPL
Arsenal (h) EPL

Christmas

Last season we were top of the table while tucking into the Turkey. This year our relevant season could be over and serious questions being asked over Rodger's long term viability at the club.

Make no mistake about it - we're in the ****.

The squad has gone through massive changes, further complicated by injuries. Things will get better but I think we have to accept that the heights of last season are not going to be matched.

The thing I find most disappointing is that if I'm honest, the money spent on Balotelli and Markovic could have been put to better use. I'm not writing either off, but I'm just scratching my head in regards to how they fit into the system. Neither seem to operate with the fire and movement of Suarez and even though the cliche of "you can't replace Suarez" is true, there are at least players with a similar profile that could have been pursued.

Kerrigooney

Charlie19 wrote: »

What a captain.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/liverpool-boss-brendan-rodgers-makes-4509504

Behind the house there is a playground built complete with pink wendy house, climbing frame, double swing and a rocking horse.

NukaCola

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Last season we were top of the table while tucking into the Turkey. This year our relevant season could be over and serious questions being asked over Rodger's long term viability at the club.

Make no mistake about it - we're in the ****.

Thats a big problem that you and a lot of people have here. Last season was phenomenal. But our level is to challenge for top 4. Too many are expecting too much because of last year.

We're in the ****? Us and a number of top teams I would argue are currently "In the ****" based on current form. I dont think its unrealistic to suggest that we will improve. As long as we are in the mix for top 4 I dont think anyone can complain. But they will. There is always something to moan about.

NukaCola

Soft Falling Rain wrote: »

The squad has gone through massive changes, further complicated by injuries. Things will get better but I think we have to accept that the heights of last season are not going to be matched.

The thing I find most disappointing is that if I'm honest, the money spent on Balotelli and Markovic could have been put to better use. I'm not writing either off, but I'm just scratching my head in regards to how they fit into the system. Neither seem to operate with the fire and movement of Suarez and even though the cliche of "you can't replace Suarez" is true, there are at least players with a similar profile that could have been pursued.

The lack of a "proper" striker is puzzling. You could argue the squad needed bodies and buying potential mixed with experience is our strategy. The one area that was very important was up front. We knew Suarez was leaving. While Balotelli was a decent price, he was also a risk and potential that will never be the main goalscorer in our team. How we couldn't identify a player that is an actual goalscorer is really disappointing, especially with all the time we had to prepare.

LuckyLloyd

NukaCola wrote: »

Thats a big problem that you and a lot of people have here. Last season was phenomenal. But our level is to challenge for top 4. Too many are expecting too much because of last year.

We're in the ****? Us and a number of top teams I would argue are currently "In the ****" based on current form. I dont think its unrealistic to suggest that we will improve. As long as we are in the mix for top 4 I dont think anyone can complain. But they will. There is always something to moan about.

The point I am making is that we could be eliminated from realistic chase for top four by Christmas. We're hanging on at the moment and our form is abysmal. Plenty of dragons on the fixture list between now and then.

djPSB

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Swansea (h) LC
Newcastle (a) EPL
Real Madrid (a) CL
Chelsea (h) EPL
Crystal Palace (a) EPL
Ludogorets (a) CL
Stoke City (h) EPL
Leicester City (a) EPL
Sunderland (h) EPL
Basel (h) CL
Man Utd (a) EPL
Arsenal (h) EPL

Christmas

Last season we were top of the table while tucking into the Turkey. This year our relevant season could be over and serious questions being asked over Rodger's long term viability at the club.

Make no mistake about it - we're in the ****.

Posts like this are making this thread unreadable. It's worrying how some people can be constantly so negative.

Devilman40k

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

The point I am making is that we could be eliminated from realistic chase for top four by Christmas. We're hanging on at the moment and our form is abysmal. Plenty of dragons on the fixture list between now and then.

Yes we "could" be out of the running for a top 4 spot. But just as easily be in the top 4 at Christmas.

Considering Arsenals result v Hull last week we've matched that. Should have bettered it but we didn't we move on. Those around us are just as inconsistent as we are this season and Chelsea are out on their own

We are unbeaten now in 4 in the league despite being terrible we just have to build on that.

LuckyLloyd

djPSB wrote: »

Posts like this are making this thread unreadable. It's worrying how some people can be constantly so negative.

Well read somewhere else so.

kryogen

The thing about going so close and finishing 2nd is that expectations get raised, that is natural in fairness. The expectations were low last year and the year before in all honesty, this year they are higher, you have to deal with that as a manager/players. A big player was lost, of course, but money was spent, a lot of money. Southampton were absolutely gutted of their top names, you can't use it as something to hide behind if you want to be taken seriously as a top competitor which is what Liverpool announced themselves as last season.

NukaCola

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

The point I am making is that we could be eliminated from realistic chase for top four by Christmas. We're hanging on at the moment and our form is abysmal. Plenty of dragons on the fixture list between now and then.

We "could" be. You also said we "are" in the ****.

We "could" realistically also be in the next stages of the CL and in the hunt for top 4.

Nobody is ripping up the league at the moment (apart from Chelsea), and while I'm all for realism, the negativity is a bit much. It seems there is no middle ground anymore. Its either the worst case scenario or the best.

By christmas, if we are 6+ points off top 4 I will start to worry. As of now, we need to improve, no doubt about it. Lets not lose our minds though by trying to predict results of games months away.

NukaCola

kryogen wrote: »

The thing about going so close and finishing 2nd is that expectations get raised, that is natural in fairness. The expectations were low last year and the year before in all honesty, this year they are higher, you have to deal with that as a manager/players. A big player was lost, of course, but money was spent, a lot of money. Southampton were absolutely gutted of their top names, you can't use it as something to hide behind if you want to be taken seriously as a top competitor which is what Liverpool announced themselves as last season.

Liverpool squad is behind ManCity/Chelsea/Arsenal and probably on par with Utd (I'm not going to debate which is better lets just say for the sake of argument they are on par). ManCity/Chelsea/Arsenal also have settled squads at this point. Those are the facts. To expect to out perform them is unfair. We have the 4th/5th best squad in the league. While we should look to finish as high as possible some people need to be realistic. Top four challenge is the most likely outcome this season unless you want to dream.

klose

klose wrote: »

That berahino fella looks decent, can't wait to spend 20 million on him next summer

So it begins
http://dailym.ai/1wxKMkB


**** source i know but obvious player to be linked with is obvious.

kryogen

I get what your saying, simply pointing out that it is a natural thing to happen after a season such as last. Expectations and reality don't always match up. People expect you to keep pushing on, to at least consolidate, and to be perfectly honest finishing in the top four again would achieve that consolidation in my opinion, it will be much tougher this time around.

jesus_thats_gre

djPSB wrote: »

Posts like this are making this thread unreadable. It's worrying how some people can be constantly so negative.

Both extremes have that affect on threads. What I am finding considerably more irksome is an inability to impartially assess the opening quarter of the season.

Alan and Lloyd may have their own unique style but they are largely correct. The signing we have made are not working out and and our performances are extremely poor. In addition, BR seems to sticking relentlessly to tactics that aren't working.

We have taken a huge step back from last season - the team looks lost out there. It is the nature of our performances, not the results, that is driving this negativity.

So give the school yard bullying crap a break.