Oh No Its the Mersey Derby Game Thread!

Jivin Turkey

RE*AC*TOR wrote:

9 goals from 18 starts is not bad

Owen last year had the exact sane goals to games ratio. Only that he kept that average up over twice as many games. Yet he had a "crap" season.

RE*AC*TOR

Stekelly wrote:

Mellor in the same positions would have scored at least 1.

would he have gotten into those positions - probably not.

Thanx 4 The Fish

Deserved win for the pool, Baros played well until the sending off, alot of good work by him, made some good chances, only four in it for the cl spot, hopefully the harder run in for the blues will swing it for us.

jesus_thats_gre

Leonard wrote:

Someone posted here after the blackburn game that the trend this season was Liverpool would play surberb in one game and dismal in the next. They predicted that after the Blackburn game they would go on and beat Everton. Looking good now. But look whos next for Liverpool. Bolton

This was me

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=235768&

jesus_thats_gre

Regarding the Baros argument... He fluffed the first one as he took too long. He actually done everything right for the second miss and was very unlucky to have it saved.. FFS the keeper was left sitting on his arse and somehow got a toe out to it.. Go easy on him, he should be getting more but it will come in time. If he gets a chance that is...Mind you, he deserves a kicking for that sending off..

About the people arguing about Owen. Half of ye were bitching about him last season..

Regarding the match. It was an impressive game and Liverpool deserved the win. There is no disputing this fact. What worries me is how easily those pool players picked up injuries..

Gerard had a good first half and was decent enough in the second. The praises he has received for his performance from you lot is over the top yet ye all criticise him for "starting to believe the medias hype". Which one is it?

Third_Echelon

I'll be the first to admit that liverpool deserved the win. They were more up for it than we were for some reason. Hounours even this season.

I would have to question moyes' tactics and starting selection as well as his sub options for this game.

He started with

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Martyn

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Hibbert--Stubbs--Weir--Pistone

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Osman--Carsley--Yobo--Kilbane

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Cahill

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Bent

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Firstly, Weir should never have started. He's too slow and every game ive seen him play this season he has shown this by pulling players back by the shirt everytime they get away from him. Every game he has done this, and im sick of it. The 2 centre backs if available should be stubbs and yobo ALWAYS!

When Yobo plays in midfield i dont think it works for everton at all. He a solid player but doesnt offer a lot going forward. He is a superb centre back and thats where he offers everton his best football.. The only reason he was playing there was because of the injury to Arteta who has started to show form in the past few games. He is defintely a good attacking option, and thats where i think it all 'broke-down' for everton... Cahill didnt have his 'wing man' when he was going forward.

The ball wasnt getting to the wings enough and crosses weren't getting into the box. Thats were liverpool are dodgy... crosses into the box. Dudek usually flaps at those balls and is bound to make a mistake at some stage. This wasnt exploited at all during the game, even when ferguson came on.
Hibbert and pistone weren't moving forward at all, which was dissapointing to see.

At half time the sub should have been beattie for weir and drop yobo back into defence and have beattie and bent up front. They work well together when ive seem them play and would have caused some sort of trouble for liverpool.... i dont know what moyes was playing at here...

Ferguson has been a good option this season and has netted a good few important goals coming on this season in the last 25 mins or so...

As far as liverpool were concerned, they played well, but when they sat back in the second half we didnt attack them enough and weir just decided to pump the ball forward at every opportunity to nobody. Our football this season has been good when we have passed it about and built up the play but weir decided to take tactics into this own hands and play long balls up to ferguson which doesnt work. It hasnt been our tactic this season to do so. Balls coming in from the wing, yes. Balls up the centre, no.

Liverpool's form this season seems to be running as expected. They play badly and then play a lot better. Its a bit odd...

As far as the CL spot goes, i defintely think that we can hold onto it. We have to play arsenal and man utd at home, which are our only really tough fixtures left, but if we hit form in these games when can pick up some points. We just have to make sure that we pick up 3 points against the teams lower down the league.

puntosporting

Everton will drop at least 6 more points but liverpool unfortunatly will also probably follow suit starting at bolton.

jesus_thats_gre

I think Everton have only picked up 11 points out of the last 43. This is poor form for a 4th place team but you cant help but wonder who crap the rest of the teams are performing..

I had theories about Everton's form really dropping off a few months ago and it seems I was right. I put Everton's current form down to tiredness and the relatively small size of their squad. Loosing Gravesen was a big loss IMO.

But I sort of expected Liverpool to improve or at least maintain their form. This has not happened and I put this down to inconsistency and injuries really having an effect. The troubles affecting Everton are the same as those affecting Liverpool.

We have quite a large squad when fit but its is massively depleted by injuries and the fit players are starting to suffer a little.. I just hope the injuries suffered against Everton (none of which were Everton players fault really) do not have too big an impact on the rest of our season.

There is a thread on the injured players for each club and I honestly think it is acceptable to put some of the responsibility for this poor season down to those injuries. We have been plagued throughout the whole season really.

Regarding who is going to finish 4th.. I don't know anymore. I think Liverpool should still be able to do it but there is so many what ifs that its impossible to make a genuine prediction that is not based on heart.

The Muppet

jesus_thats_gre wrote:

I think Everton have only picked up 11 points out of the last 43. This is poor form for a 4th place team but you cant help but wonder who crap the rest of the teams are performing..

I had theories about Everton's form really dropping off a few months ago and it seems I was right. I put Everton's current form down to tiredness and the relatively small size of their squad. Loosing Gravesen was a big loss IMO.

But I sort of expected Liverpool to improve or at least maintain their form. This has not happened and I put this down to inconsistency and injuries really having an effect. The troubles affecting Everton are the same as those affecting Liverpool.

We have quite a large squad when fit but its is massively depleted by injuries and the fit players are starting to suffer a little.. I just hope the injuries suffered against Everton (none of which were Everton players fault really) do not have too big an impact on the rest of our season.

Thats interesting and is a poor reflection on the rest of the league if correct. On the subject of Liverpools injuries is it just coincidental bad luck that they are suffering so many muscle pulls/tears or is there something wrong with their training regime. Liverpool certainly seem to be suffering more than other teams from these niggling injuries?

Third_Echelon

jesus_thats_gre wrote:

I think Everton have only picked up 11 points out of the last 43. This is poor form for a 4th place team but you cant help but wonder who crap the rest of the teams are performing..

Nope. 21 points from 43. (last 14 games)
http://www.evertonfc.com/match/fixtures/index.php?page_id=96

jesus_thats_gre wrote:

I had theories about Everton's form really dropping off a few months ago and it seems I was right. I put Everton's current form down to tiredness and the relatively small size of their squad. Loosing Gravesen was a big loss IMO.

Since December we have lost 6 games from 15 in the premier league.. Its not that bad form. We've had a few games were it just hasn't gone our way for one reason or another... The loss against chelsea springs to mind.. This happens to every team.

If we'd really lost our form completly we would have lost 4th place a long time ago. The teams above us, especially man utd have just gone into awesome form and have pulled away. We haven't been below 4th position since september i think it is...

Liverpool hit form in patches and have come a little bit closer, but to be honest I expect them to lost the next game if form is anything to go by.

jesus_thats_gre wrote:

But I sort of expected Liverpool to improve or at least maintain their form. This has not happened and I put this down to inconsistency and injuries really having an effect. The troubles affecting Everton are the same as those affecting Liverpool.

Yup its called football...

ianomccabe

The Muppet wrote:

Thats interesting and is a poor reflection on the rest of the league if correct. On the subject of Liverpools injuries is it just coincidental bad luck that they are suffering so many muscle pulls/tears or is there something wrong with their training regime. Liverpool certainly seem to be suffering more than other teams from these niggling injuries?

just a thought but everton were out warming up at 3.25 yesterday, liverpool came out at 3.35 and they both went in at ten to four. Thats an extra ten minute warm up they had over us. Not saying its to blame for the injuries but its something to think about

eyerer

i expect this to go right to the end of the season
i think everton will continue to be poor but liverpool will likely continue their frustrating form and if lucky will manage to pinch it in the end
alternatively they may just **** it up and bolton will get 4th

The Rooster

jesus_thats_gre wrote:

I think Everton have only picked up 11 points out of the last 43. This is poor form for a 4th place team but you cant help but wonder who crap the rest of the teams are performing.

11 from 33 (rather than 43). Still crap. Liverpool have 13 points from their last 30 available. Middlesbrough seem to lose every week, and still they're in contention. The standard (apart from the top 3) is shocking. If Liverpool hadnt got their injury problems they'd get 4th comfortably enough. But as it is they're as bad as Bolton, Everton etc. so it really is wide open, and anyone's guess as to who'll get 4th.

PHB

Yeah, but if Everton get the 4th spot, they can build up their squad and compete next year, making it more interesting.
So hopefully that'll happen.
I also think it'd be great if Bolton got it, I like Big Sam

The Rooster

But would Everton/Bolton risk spending a heap of money in the summer, knowing that if they lose the prelim round the pot of gold will be a fraction of what it might have been? - thus running the risk of financial hardship. It'd be a very tough decision.

Chucky the tree

RE*AC*TOR wrote:

would he have gotten into those positions - probably not.

Baros only got the first chance through stubbs slipping, so yes mellor would of gotten into that position.

on the injury issue.

warnock injury was caused by a challenge, so warming up for an extra 10 minutes wouldnt make a difference. Garcia landed awkwardly aswell didnt he? so did hamann.

possible case for nandos, but unlikely.

Washout

i dont think everton would be silly enough to start buying before a prelim round.

I would hope that if a team playing won prelim round into CL proper then they could players and the new players would be eligible.

Emmo

Hi all,

I was at the game on Sunday and I would just like to know what people thought of 2 things

1 Hibberts challege on Garcia

I really couldnt see how this wasnt a red card, he went in high and recklessly against Garcia and you can see that he was very close to breaking his leg

2 Stubbs's little out burst on Radio Merseyside after the game

He called Baros's tackle "a ****bag's challenge"

Im not sure but I would have thought the FA would have a bit of a word with him about that kind of comment considering the referee had already dealt with the challege.

Emmo

Chucky the tree

i agree with the stubbs thing, should of kept his mouth shut. Being a defender i am fairly sure he has made some nasty tackles in his time aswell.

Ronan|Raven

Caesar_Bojangle

that looks pretty nasty

Ronan|Raven

It certainly was, while I fully agree that baros deserved to be sent off for his disgrace of a tackle how hibbert managed to get away without a booking for that challenge is beyond me.

Aquos76

A few more pics of that tackle,

http://tinypic.com/2b156c

http://tinypic.com/2b15ch

http://tinypic.com/2b15ed

And one which shows Biscan in a totally different light

http://www.sportbox.tv/images/actionimages/football/2005/03/20/1111345341_SPT_AI22_LiverpoolvEvert.jpg

Ronan|Raven

The Biscan ones were hilarious alright! Carsley nearly got more than a handful of shirt

fade2black

Now that is a nasty tackle. (sorry)

Caesar_Bojangle

Ronan|Raven wrote:

The Biscan ones were hilarious alright! Carsley nearly got more than a handful of shirt

roffle

super_furry

How Everton had the gall to complain to the referee about that freekick is beyond me - it's every bit as bad as Baros' tackle. Even Moyes was whinging about it after the match. Thank god Garcia's shin-guards were up to the job otherwise he would be in a wheelchair now.

galwaydude

what the hell is up at liverpool.We now have 13 players on the injured list. Cant wait for the summer!!!!