Liverpool Football Club Thread

[Commander Jameson]

They get one free kick in a decent position and get it bang on target. We've had loads in similar positions and skied them all.

I'm not even surprised any more by results like this.

[dizogg]

I know he's not entirely at fault but I can't believe Mignolet still gets games for any team. He's so unbelievably shit.

I think that's going a bit far, he's a great shot stopper on his day. Possibly not good enough for us though. But how out of this fucking 11 is when they're playing like this?!

[ryodi]

Selling Suarez was understandable but letting Reina go and having Mignolet as the only decent keeper at the club was another mistake from Rodgers.

[hmm]

Nearly didn't bother watching, in favour of doing something more productive with maybe the radio on. Wish I'd gone with my gut instinct on how this game was going to pan out.

I think this game has been a perfect illustration of the difference between this season and last: same shaky defence and 3 goals conceded but very little sign of being capable of scoring 3 ourselves. I watched every game last season and even in most of our draws and losses we were great to watch. This time round even our few wins have been largely painful, apart from Spurs away. I still believe Rodgers is the person to take us forwards but if this season doesn't pick up pretty substantially then there are going to be serious questions in the summer.

[JamesTW]

Terrible again, I still think last season gives Rodgers till the end of this season at least, and even then apart from getting relegated Id let him start anoth season although if we lose to Ludogorets and/or Bournemouth I might change my mind, doing worse than Hodgson in the league, needs to do well in the cups

Edit: oh and can we burn that yellow kit please?

[Stig]

It's meant more for of the keeper has good reactions. Some keepers are better at reacting to close shots which he is. It's just the rest of his game like positioning and decision making that let's him down.

[larrydavidsanger]

Once again, the team has showed absolute no fight, no desire, no fire. Absolutely nobody steps up and grabs the game by the scruff of the neck, everyone just plays on autopilot. Johnston is a liability, Gerrard again just seems tired and to be honest, done, even with the rest from international week, Sterling and Coutinho look miles below last season, partly their fault, partly the fault of having no options available, we're all too happy to just knock it round the back, no impetus, no drive, no spark. Skrtel and Lovren just do not work together, get one or other out of the team. We need to get a keeper who wants to come out and own the game, not one who is content to hide away with no confidence to own his box. We just disintegrate like wet tissue paper when anyone starts applying the slightest pressure against us. Absolutely pathetic. I've given Rodgers a lot of credit but my patience is beginning to wear thin, the problems are glaringly obvious to anyone who watches a game, so why can't he fix them?

[Oh Danny Boy]

Anyone but Skrtel and Lovren Skrtel shouldn't still be a Liverpool player and Lovren has been awful. Ditto with Gerrard. I wonder if Rodgers has the balls to drop him.

[larrydavidsanger]

Anyone but Skrtel and Lovren Skrtel shouldn't still be a Liverpool player and Lovren has been awful. Ditto with Gerrard. I wonder if Rodgers has the balls to drop him.

Clearly not, the writings been on the wall all season, if he had the balls to drop him it would have happened by now.

[gospvg]

100 million spent on buying some players & truthfully not a single player has improved the team. BR still insisting to go with the lone striker even though we play better with two (Suarez/Sturridge last season).

BR is under pressure he needs to get results. If we are still in the bottom half at the end of the year I expect he may be sacked. The board would have only sanctioned a 100 mil spend with the target of getting a top 4 finish. At this rate top 8 is looking difficult.

[davidcotton]

100 million spent on buying some players & truthfully not a single player has improved the team. BR still insisting to go with the lone striker even though we play better with two (Suarez/Sturridge last season).

BR is under pressure he needs to get results. If we are still in the bottom half at the end of the year I expect he may be sacked. The board would have only sanctioned a 100 mil spend with the target of getting a top 4 finish. At this rate top 8 is looking difficult.

Terrible again, I still think last season gives Rodgers till the end of this season at least, and even then apart from getting relegated Id let him start anoth season although if we lose to Ludogorets and/or Bournemouth I might change my mind, doing worse than Hodgson in the league, needs to do well in the cups

Edit: oh and can we burn that yellow kit please?

Such is the short termism in football these days. What exactly would changing a new manager bring to the club at this stage exactly? No one gets time to build anything anymore such is the pressure at the top.

Gerrard again just seems tired and to be honest, done,

Wonder if the club know this and is one of the reasons the contract situation has dragged on as it has.

[gospvg]

Build what? We only had one player leave last season, there was nothing to build you just improve in positions that are weak with quality players not young players with potential. BR needed to sign an experienced striker & defender.

The signings he has made none of them have stepped up to the mark. If the results do not come he will be in the spotlight. The target would have been top 4 by the board. If they feel he can't get that they will get rid, that maybe mid season or the end of the season.

[hmm]

It's meant more for of the keeper has good reactions. Some keepers are better at reacting to close shots which he is. It's just the rest of his game like positioning and decision making that let's him down.

I don't think that's what you need in a keeper at a club at the top end though. (Obviously I am not talking about the top end of this season's table...) The number of shots you face should be relatively low; you deal with other situations involving good positioning and dealing with crosses far more often.

I don't think he's actually that great in terms of shot stopping anyway...

[Gabe]

Well Palace were worthy winners and were the best team for 88 and a half minutes. Great free-kick and we just couldn't handle Bolasie at all today, he was terrorising the defence.

Without jumping to knee-jerk reactions (though I've said this already this season) this is one of the poorest teams defensively I've seen us have in 15+ years. We never look remotely close to keeping a clean sheet to any team that shows some attacking intent, we are far too easy to play through and the mentality that won us a lot of points last season seems to have evaporated. None of the transfer dealings look worth the money we paid so far and I don't think anybody can look at their performances so far and be happy.

Sterling's form has dropped off a cliff again, like it did post-Christmas 18 months ago. Gerrard - and it physically hurts me to say this - just doesn't have the legs to offer enough going forward any more and he doesn't have the protection around him to play so deep and affect games. Lallana has been ok, but not delivered on the reputation (or fee) from last year, though given that Rodgers keeps shuffling the front 4/5 (in both personnel and position) it's perhaps not too surprising that none of them are really sparking. Borini I've never thought has been good enough and nothing has changed my mind, Balotelli is never going to succeed as a lone striker in this team and Lambert was only ever meant to be an option from the bench or occasional starter.

As for Lovren, I really don't rate him, Manquillo is young and not too strong defensively (Moreno likewise) and I've long wondered how Skrtel still gets games. Again, I've said for a long time that I don't think Mignolet is good enough, but then again maybe he's about right for the level of this team now.

...

And breathe.

What disappoints me the most is that when we go behind, who is demanding the ball? Who is trying to impart some energy? Who is looking gee the others up? We just seem to carry on playing the ball backwards and sideways, there's no movement, no ideas, no sense that players realise the gravity of the situation.

It's all a bit of a mess at the moment, and I don't expect it to get any better in midweek. My optimism is shot.

[hmm]

Anyone but Skrtel and Lovren Skrtel shouldn't still be a Liverpool player and Lovren has been awful. Ditto with Gerrard. I wonder if Rodgers has the balls to drop him.

I really doubt Gerrard will stay beyond this season. He'll either retire or go take it easy hitting 60 yd passes into touch in the US for a couple of years. I wonder if BR expects/knows the same and is then less keen on the difficult task of turning him into a bit part player.

[JamesTW]

Such is the short termism in football these days. What exactly would changing a new manager bring to the club at this stage exactly? No one gets time to build anything anymore such is the pressure at the top.

.

i didn't say change the manager at this stage, I said keep him until next season whatever happens in the league but getting knocked out of the European cup to Ludogorets and league cup to a championship team combined with the league position would be too much

[JamesTW]

We've actually been lucky this season, If that QPR game had gone the other way we would be level on points with them and the Southampton match had even been a draw we'd be 20th, then there's the Ludogorets goalkeeper howler in the last minute, winning on Penalties against Middlesbrough and late goals v Swansea

The fucks going on???

[Gabe]

We've played very poorly all season, is the flippant answer. Outside of that, it's a case of picking whichever reasons Rodgers is going with this week. Today it's (worryingly) that the players lack togetherness and aren't playing as a team - suggesting some background issues perhaps? - and that old favourite, 'transition'.

I don't think Rodgers know his best team or positions with this group of players now, hence the constant shuffling around, and that doesn't help.

Whilst you can look at the table and say we're only 5 points off 4th, we don't look at all likely to actually put a run of games together to do anything to close that gap. Our next 3 league games should not be ones viewed with a great deal of trepidation - and yet Stoke, Leicester and Sunderland all look like the types of games where we will struggle to break down organised defences - and we all know how precarious our own backline is.

[V3zna]

Rodgers failure to once again address the issues regarding Gerrard, Johnson and Lovren / Skrtel suggests to me he deserves no sympathy. He hasn't had the balls to drop three of that lot and he's going to pay with his job. It's glaringly obvious what he needs to do. How can he be so stupid?

[Azrael]

Happy Lambert scored, end result was sadly expected.

Lovren is crap, Skrtel a liability, Johnson hopeless, Mignolet generally not good enough and Gerrard disinterested.

Can't see us getting anything from the game on Wednesday.

While I'm not yet for it I can see Rodgers going soon. We should get Carragher in as an assistant manager/defensive coach to help.

[lolly]

I could bang on about the defence but think most of the points have been well made already- why Liverpool paid 20 million for a defender who slips in a crucial challenges while the wrong side of his mark isn't apparently obvious. Weather, pitches etc are no excuse , 20 million should buy you a player who's positioning and intelligence means he's in the right place at the right time given the opponent and the conditions.

Another point - that's been made previously- the distance between the midfield and forward line is too large- Lambert was isolated and ineffective as there wasn't anyone around, he could be seen to be calling the mids to push up- last season the forward line had enough pace that they could sit deep and still cause issues but obviously with different types of players this season it's not working.

[Gabe]

It's been a pretty dreadful few weeks for the club, that's for sure. No matter what team gets put out, there's no punch up front and no solidity at the back. Apparently we've only had 8 shots on target in our last 3 league games. That's absolutely rubbish. I don't think the board are even contemplating sacking Rodgers - I think they probably do believe in the vision of the club he sold - but they can't be happy with what they are seeing and a draw or defeat on Wednesday might see them ask some questions.

The only positive I can draw from today is that I thought Allen had a good game - and as you all know, I've never been a fan of his. But everything else was painful to watch. Looking at the bench today and it was the same old story of the last few years - there was nobody on there you'd look at and think 'Yeah, they could change the game.' Given the £100m spent, that's pretty bad.

[Oh Danny Boy]

I was a bit worried that we over bought in the summer. Should have looked for 3 to 4 top signings and stopped there.

Lovren, he was awesome last year. What has happened?

[V3zna]

I was a bit worried that we over bought in the summer. Should have looked for 3 to 4 top signings and stopped there.

Lovren, he was awesome last year. What has happened?

Lovren had a severe form dip at Lyon. This is why he ended up at Southampton for a fairly low fee. I'd stick with him but partner him with Toure.

[gospvg]

We need to win our next five matches to turn our season around.

Ludo Razgd on Wednesday in the CL & then at home to Basel on the 9th December are both must win games to get us through to the next round.

The next 3 PL games are Stoke (H), Leicester (A) & Sunderland (H) - again all three we should be able to win & walk away with 9 points.

Thoughts on this 11

Mignolet, Moreno, Manquillo, Toure, Lovren, Can, Henderson, Lallana, Sterling, Borini & either Balotelli/Lambert up front.

[V3zna]

We need to win our next five matches to turn our season around.

Ludo Razgd on Wednesday in the CL & then at home to Basel on the 9th December are both must win games to get us through to the next round.

The next 3 PL games are Stoke (H), Leicester (A) & Sunderland (H) - again all three we should be able to win & walk away with 9 points.

Thoughts on this 11

Mignolet, Moreno, Manquillo, Toure, Lovren, Can, Henderson, Lallana, Sterling, Borini & either Balotelli/Lambert up front.

I'd have Allen in there, probably ahead of Sterling. Getting Gerrard, Johnson and Skrtel out of the first 11 is absolutely necessary right now.

[gospvg]

I went with Sterling over Allen because of his pace & he does tend to go more forward than Allen so can provide another option for the two upfront. BR really needs to go back to playing with two up front, I think that will help the recent lack of scoring goals.

[V3zna]

Getting Lucas in there somewhere might be a better option. Sort of in a 4132. Shore up the back line and grind out a result or two. If that pays off then gradually reintroduce a more expansive style of play.

[gospvg]

Getting Lucas in there somewhere might be a better option. Sort of in a 4132. Shore up the back line and grind out a result or two. If that pays off then gradually reintroduce a more expansive style of play.

Good point maybe swap Can out for Lucas to provide a backup for the defence.

It's easy being Forum Manager but I really do hope BR takes a step back & takes a fresh look at the team. He needs to make some changes to turn this season around & if that means leaving Gerrard out or making Lovren sit on the bench for a while so be it.

[Azrael]

Shame we don't have another GK that can properly challenge Mignolet. Is it worth playing Jones for a few of the games?

Other than the keeper I'd go with Manquillo, Lovren, Toure and Moreno in defence - when's Flannagan expected back mind? Sakho too, not sure who out of Lovren, Skrtel or Sakho is least bad.

Lucas sitting just in front of the defense. Midfield three of Can, Henderson and Lallana (Allen in for Hendo if he's not fit). With Lambert and Borini in attack - give Sterling bit of a break as he's looking tired.

Or a 4-3-3 with Markovic in attack replacing Can/Lucas.

This Managing malarky is right easy.