Liverpool Football Club Thread

[JohnnyNolan]

So because one of our defenders has been getting away with something that pretty much every club has been doing, Bournemouth should be allowed a goal created from a foul? I'm not defending Skrtel and I wished he'd stop doing it, but the point is, Bournemouths goal was a foul and was rightfully disallowed.

He wasn't climbing at all. If anything Lovren trued to back into him because he was under the ball. Their goal should have stood.

Also the keeper shouldn't have been in no mans land for the corner, something he nearly got caught out with again in the second half when coming for a ball that he was never going to get near.

[SMD]

If the lead up to the disallowed Bouremouth goal was a foul, then Liverpool would have finished bottom of the league last season thanks to the 14 penalties that Martin Skrtel would have given away in every match.

Skrtel is a fucking travesty.

On another topic, how about Ibe? I remember you were concerned that he'd leave Derby to just fill out our squad but he's really starting to come on, huh

[Sng]

What the refs have done is all gotten together and said Skrtel is the only one they'll let do it but everyone else they'll punish. That's exactly what has happened.

[Stig]

He wasn't climbing at all. If anything Lovren trued to back into him because he was under the ball. Their goal should have stood.

Also the keeper shouldn't have been in no mans land for the corner, something he nearly got caught out with again in the second half when coming for a ball that he was never going to get near.

To me it looked like he was pushing down on Lovrens shoulders.

[Timmo]

What the refs have done is all gotten together and said Skrtel is the only one they'll let do it but everyone else they'll punish. That's exactly what has happened.

That's definitely the argument I'm making.

[Timmo]

On another topic, how about Ibe? I remember you were concerned that he'd leave Derby to just fill out our squad but he's really starting to come on, huh

Yet to score or assist for you. He has potential but when I look at him I just see Aaron Lennon with worse crossing and better finishing. Hopefully he'll kick on and can take the pressure Rodgers has put on him.

[angel]

Yes?

just even with all this cash and talent, this is the underperforming that still occurs. better manager required.

How was their goal legit? He was literally climbing up Lovren and pushing down on his shoulders. For me, neither goal should have stood, but it is what it is. Every club gets bad decision against them and had this been the other way round no one would care, everyone would just be calling us sore loses.

wasnt a foul, basically.

[SMD]

Yet to score or assist for you. He has potential but when I look at him I just see Aaron Lennon with worse crossing and better finishing. Hopefully he'll kick on and can take the pressure Rodgers has put on him.

He's only 19 and is doing pretty well, his decision making needs loads of work. Getting minutes though.

[Timmo]

Ibe has the raw potential to be England's best winger by a huge distance (I picture Sterling as a CAM in the long term), but there's a lot of ifs.

[SMD]

just even with all this cash and talent, this is the underperforming that still occurs. better manager required.

It's the second game of the season with a new lead striker and everyone else looks pretty rusty too. I'll take 6 points and 2 clean sheets thanks.

[SMD]

I reckon he just needs time to build understandings and work on his decision making.

[angel]

It's the second game of the season with a new lead striker and everyone else looks pretty rusty too. I'll take 6 points and 2 clean sheets thanks.

man city look like killers already

[bradigor]

man city look like killers already

So do last season's defending champions....oh.

[Stig]

wasnt a foul, basically.

Watching a repeat of it, they both jump but it Elphick has his hands on Lovrens shoulders and it looks like he pushes Lovren down. That's a foul and clearly how the referees saw it. He's not climbing him as much as I thought but it looks like a foul to me.

[Stig]

man city look like killers already

To be fair Man City were already very good and have only 1 new starter on their starting eleven. Don't think they've changed as much as we have. But like SMD said, two wins and clean sheets will do nicely.

[PopeSmokesDope]

Brendon out by Crimbo i reckon... last night was appalling....

[angel]

Watching a repeat of it, they both jump but it Elphnick has his hands on Lovrens shoulder and it looks like he pushes Lovren down. That's a foul and clearly how the referees saw it.

we'll have to agree to disagree, lovren bought the foul by pretending to crumple over. i know you lot need time to bed in, i just think you've had 2 lucky results which paper over the cracks a bit, not that anyone in here is proclaiming them world beaters, i know everyones being realistic.

[SMD]

man city look like killers already

So do Leicester...and no one else. We finishing third then?

we'll have to agree to disagree, lovren bought the foul by pretending to crumple over. i know you lot need time to bed in, i just think you've had 2 lucky results which paper over the cracks a bit, not that anyone in here is proclaiming them world beaters, i know everyones being realistic.

Yes, we had two lucky results. No one is arguing otherwise.

[angel]

i know, im not arguing that youre arguing.

[rjpageuk]

Why is it lucky to win 1-0 away to Stoke when you win from a great long shot and your opposition create no decent chances?

At the moment we should be comparing ourselves against Man U, Arsenal and Tottenham as they are the teams we are most likely to get ahead of if we manage to get top 4 not Chelsea or Man City.

I think you can argue that Liverpool have started at least as well as any of those teams. Obviously things are going to get difficult from here with our run of away fixtures.

[angel]

true it was a good result at stoke, but people judge liverpool as a team who've spent big and (rightly so) have high expectations, so they should be beating stoke. problem is it took an 85th minute worldy, and you cant rely on that every week.

[Timmo]

Why is it lucky to win 1-0 away to Stoke when you win from a great long shot and your opposition create no decent chances?

There's a clue in your post...

[Oh Danny Boy]

true it was a good result at stoke, but people judge liverpool as a team who've spent big and (rightly so) have high expectations, so they should be beating stoke. problem is it took an 85th minute worldy, and you cant rely on that every week.

Top teams with top players win games through a worldy. That's what makes a good team and how the likes of City and Chelsea take three points against a stubborn opponent. I'm not sure how that can be used as a stick to beat us with.

Regarding yesterday's game it could have easily have been points dropped. Still need to be clinical in front of goal as it should have been a comfortable win if we were. Not a vintage performance and Lallana disappointed again , I'd give his spot to Firmino for Arsenal. Bournemouth can count themselves unlucky to see their goal chalked off as I've seen those given but on the other hand if you use another body for leverage when you jump then you're always at risk of giving away a foul.

I'll take two wins from two. We have been no more lucky than what United have been so far. Need a much better performance next week though.

Oh and Gomez and Clyne. Both have been solid so far, what a revelation Gomez has been.

[angel]

im not beating you with a stick, i just think for all the money spent you'd be after more than an 85th winner at a mid table side. its not just liverpool, man U are absolutely atrocious to watch considering the supposed flair they are buying. if leicester can have a right go at everyone (and have topped the form table for a long time), then surely its not too unfair to expect the top teams to come up with a bit more than scraped wins against average opponents.

i get there are different pressures, money, politics and so on, but at the end of the day (brian) its 11 against 11, with liverpools 11 costing a significant amount more in fees and wages. i think its fair to expect a little more flair. early days i know, but rodgers always has a reason.

[glb]

Maybe in future we can add caveats to each result to satisfy the history books:

1-0 (but was a jammy bastard goal so, y'know)

3-0 (legit win, but second goal was somewhat iffy)

1-1 (hard-fought point, Clyne looked at the ref funny though)

1-2 (hahahaha, what a waste of money)

[angel]

so you dont care a single jot about the performance as long as its the right result? even if that performance shows plenty of warning signs of potential frailties and problem areas

[glb]

Oh I do, just prefer to be facetious than agonise over if, whats and maybes for too long.

We've not played well, but we've won two on the bounce. Took the team until October to do that last season, so that's an improvement. Clyne looks great, Beneteke decent and the early part of the season results matter more than performances. Heck, maybe results are all that matter. Give me turgid wins over glorious defeats any given week, anything more is a bonus.

[JohnnyNolan]

It's also worth remembering that while we have spent big money over the last two seasons, we've also lost key players with Suarez, Gerrard and Sterling leaving.

From the nearly title side that pretty much leaves Sturridge (who's almost been constantly injured since) and arguably Coutinho and Henderson as the mainstays of that team. The last two years have been rebuilding as much as strengthening.

[angel]

I think it's just a sign that quite often the disparity between two football teams (within the same league anyway) is much less significant than the money might lead you to believe. As poor as Liverpool's performances have been, I think it's as much to do with Stoke and Bournemouth being decent sides that, when set up correctly, are hard for anyone to beat. A few years ago I think the gulf was larger but now everyone's running on megabucks, comparatively, and that's why most sides can afford decent players with the few genuine difference makers going for astronomical sums.

i agree, and stoke arent a bad side at all football wise, if not morally. that makes you wonder what the mega millions are actually paying for though. when they barely do anything better than a team like leicester (or similar) - full of attacking flair who just go for it, because why the hell not. weight of expectation = massive burden = fear to make a single mistake = paralysis.

[Azrael]