POST MATCH Thread: Liverpool 1-2 Man Utd

[LFC-Orlando]

rab, we are being treated by everyone as a weak club that's there for the taking.

Brendan needs help. I'll leave this discussion for the other thread.

As far as the set up today, yes, we got it all wrong. We should have not played 4-3-3. It's so predictable and we havent' even started the season.

You play derby games by backing the midfield, unless you have a Lucas or two, in which case you may play with 2 forwards instead of 1.

Remember, success is what breeds additional success. Losing will cement us a low-tier team, and refs will be psychologically influenced, and opponents will take advantage of us by not fearing us.

 

[fivetimesredmen]

The team played well today and were given nothing by the ref which is nothing new - the FA have had it in for us for years and we all know why but rest assured they will get theirs in the coming months.

If we continue to play and progress in the way we are doing then the end goal will be good. We dominated them today up to the sending off with something like 65% possession. We really do need to take our chances better but thats nothing new and something BR and his team are well aware of. Even down to 10 men we were still totally in the game in the second half so we must carry this performance into the coming games and we will start to climb the table.

Keep the faith YNWA

 

[redneck]

Ref was bad ok that is not going to change anything the scum came to anfield and won again We outplayed them again and still got nothing i was happy with the spirit and effort shown but we are just not good enough. All this talk of wait till jan for that super striker to be bought aint going to happen im more worried about suarz, agger, skertel asking for transfers come jan because there will be a long wait for champs league football.

 

[AussieLad]

[background=rgb(238, 238, 238)][indent=1.475]@shelveyJ I apologise to the fans for getting sent off but no way was I pulling out of that tackle in a game of that importance. Im sorry[/background][/indent]

[background=rgb(238, 238, 238)][indent=1.475]Jonjo apologised on twitter, and think he got it pretty much spot on[/background][/indent]

 

[5euros]

Halsey beat us. Simple as that. We were outstanding and United were laughably bad. Even with ten men we were the better team. We must be the most unfortunate team on the planet but there were plenty of positives to be had today. As long as the players keep their head up and keep working hard we'll be fine. A shame a wonderful tribute to the 96 had to be spoiled by the United fans chanting about Hillsborough at the end but we all suspected they wouldn't be able to conduct themselves properly.

 

[Red Armada]

he was poor on the day, overawed for me but we did struggle when it came to getting in to shooting positions, there just wasnt anyone there

it is definitely true for me that when teams are on an extended poor run, things all round tend to start to go wrong, including things that may be beyond our control i.e. with refereeing calls and so on, and injuries as well come to that

its easy to be angry with the referees but unfortunately we cant turn the clock back and we are going to have to find some way to win a game soon, longer we go without, the more difficult it may start to get and already fragile confidence levels fall further

there is just nothing up front right now, Suarez was having to try and beat players on his own, or we were hitting balls in to the box with no one to put them in the back of the net

That's all true and i agree with them, but that doesn't make it all right for Halsey to award the match to the mancs.

 

[5euros]

Ref was bad ok that is not going to change anything the scum came to anfield and won again We outplayed them again and still got nothing i was happy with the spirit and effort shown but we are just not good enough. All this talk of wait till jan for that super striker to be bought aint going to happen im more worried about suarz, agger, skertel asking for transfers come jan because there will be a long wait for champs league football.

They came to Anfield and won again? They haven't beat us on our own patch in nearly six years. They were due one. That's football.

 

[Maria]

After watching this match, it was a dynamic and tense affair and the pace of the game was high tempo and Liverpool controlled most of the game with their ball possession and their midfield was quite fluid. From my perspective, the referee ruined the atmosphere game on the two key decisions which changed the dynamics of the game with Shelvey’s sending off which come to look at it again could have been a red (but Evans should have been sent off as well which was very unfair as he did the same) and the Van Persie penalty. I thought that touch on Valencia was a soft penalty and the refereeing was quite poor. Once Man Utd were ahead, they slowed the pace of the game. I thought most of our players played well especially Kelly, Suarez, Gerrard and even Borini. Liverpool were the dominant team, considering they were down to 10 men. If it wasn’t for that unfortunate penalty, we would have got away with a draw perhaps and, if we were abit sharper and we could have perhaps got another goal.

Also, Man U didn’t play particularly well, but they have strikers like Van Persie who score at crucial times when they are behind so in that respect, they are always going to be far sighted and have a plan B when things go wrong and that was notable in 2[sup]nd[/sup] half. Unless we don’t sort out our striker problem and not keep relying on Suarez, then our team is going to be in trouble. Overall, Liverpool were hard done by tbh but I really was proud of our boys considering the circumstances they played in. I didn't think we deserved to lose like this. Brendan needs to re-think his tactical strategy but how long will fans be patient though.

Overall, It was nice to see Bobby Charlton with Ian Rush, very nice gesture, the tributes from both sides for Hillsborough was very respectful poignant and beautifully done, it was lovely to see the mosaic of the 96 and the truth and both teams wearing the no 96 on their jackets.

 

[Hope in your heart]

Halsey beat us. Simple as that. We were outstanding and United were laughably bad. Even with ten men we were the better team. We must be the most unfortunate team on the planet but there were plenty of positives to be had today. As long as the players keep their head up and keep working hard we'll be fine. A shame a wonderful tribute to the 96 had to be spoiled by the United fans chanting about Hillsborough at the end but we all suspected they wouldn't be able to conduct themselves properly.

Did they, mate? Really? :shock:

 

[AnfieldCat]

Did they, mate? Really? :shock:

Yes, Sam Matterface tweeted about it!

 

[5euros]

Did they, mate? Really? :shock:

The talkSPORT journalists at the game reported them after full time. Can't see any reason why they would make such information up.

 

[WrinkledMind]

@philmcnulty
Could be a major problem for Liverpool. Manager Brendan Rodgers fears Daniel Agger may have medial knee ligament damage.

WTF.

 

[LFC7NH]

Did they, mate? Really? :shock:

That's piss poor pathetic if true...guess you can't expect those cnuts to be civil for 90 minutes. So sad...

 

[red to the bone]

Todays refereeing performance was the sort of thing that tends to happen to teams who are struggling. Halsey isnt usually that bad but seemed a bit overawed by the occasion

the real blame lies with those who lumbered the manager with a squad which is starting to look like a cobbled together reserve team, albeit one who do at any rate seem to be trying

have to win next week. if we dont...and with increasing injuries thinning things out further, we could end up in a really difficult position. No easy games in the prem this season and we havent always responded well to adversity

trouble is with FSG, they may not be G and H but it took relegation for Mike Ashley to learn how to be a half decent club owner, for me the way we set up this season is playing with fire somewhat

I agree wholeheartedly with the bolded part. Not so much the one about the ref. But I'm of the opinion that if we don't climb up to a midtable position over the next 3 or 4 games this season may well turn out to be a struggle for survival.

 

[Colin]

i really think we'll get on a really good run of games and a sprinkle of luck this season, to balance all this shit out.

performances like that and the results will come. BR just needs to keep the team motivated. And he will.

Pity about the poor Suso pass which caused the penalty. He was otherwise very good/ Much better than Borini who im a little concerned about tbh - and it's not for a lack of effort on Bronini's part!

 

[boogieonalice]

a few more thoughts...

- the way shoulder to shoulder challenges were being called, we should have been awarded a free-kick at midfield just before valencia made his run to win the PK

- as much as i hate them, credit due to manu for giving captaincy to giggs over evra, with the pre-match ceremony. Evra releasing balloons would have soured the gesture.

 

[AnfieldCat]

a few more thoughts...

- the way shoulder to shoulder challenges were being called, we should have been awarded a free-kick at midfield just before valencia made his run to win the PK

- as much as i hate them, credit due to manu for giving captaincy to giggs over evra, with the pre-match ceremony. Evra releasing balloons would have soured the gesture.

Yeah, he'd have probably accused the balloon of calling him black!

 

[Bleech]

After matches like this I can only think what a shit sport football is. A pointless game where the team that plays worst is awarded the win based on the opinion of some idiot in a black shirt who has a rule book full of grey areas and holes. Why they don't have another ref watching a TV fuck knows. Oh yeah, some twat thinks it would break up the flow too much. And the argument that it breaks up the flow isn't even water tight. Bullshit.

 

[boogieonalice]

The talkSPORT journalists at the game reported them after full time. Can't see any reason why they would make such information up.

if ANYTHING was to be made-up to get publicity for a media-outlet, that would be the most attention-grabbing...

gonna wait for a confirmation on that one from a reliable source

 

[rab]

rab, we are being treated by everyone as a weak club that's there for the taking.

Brendan needs help. I'll leave this discussion for the other thread.

As far as the set up today, yes, we got it all wrong. We should have not played 4-3-3. It's so predictable and we havent' even started the season.

You play derby games by backing the midfield, unless you have a Lucas or two, in which case you may play with 2 forwards instead of 1.

Remember, success is what breeds additional success. Losing will cement us a low-tier team, and refs will be psychologically influenced, and opponents will take advantage of us by not fearing us.

With all due respect I couldn't agree less. We completely controlled the centre of midfield before Shelvey went. Nani, Valencia and Kagawa barely got a kick in that first half and RVP was a spectator. The set up was fine and our possession, control shows this. Combine that with United showing nothing when 11 v 11 and I can't see how or why we should have set up any different. Even when it was 10 v 11 we controlled a decent amount of that second half and created chances, probably more than they did with the extra man.

It took a dive and a penalty in the last 10 minutes for them to beat us today having played half the game a man down.

The team set up was perfectly fine, we didn't get the breaks on the day and it cost us. I just can't see what your complaints with that set up is and why that makes you think the management need help. What kind of help are you even suggesting, more coaches, a director of football? Do you think Rodgers is going to allow that.

Seriously don't know what game you watched today if you think the set up was wrong and we should have adopted a defensive approach inviting RVP, Nani, Kagawa and Valencia to come at us.

 

[boogieonalice]

Yeah, he'd have probably accused the balloon of calling him black!

"why aren't there any black balloons?? you've made me feel a minority!" :lol:

 

[stepea]

With injuries and suspensions, maybe someone wants to explain to Fenway Sports that to be competitive we need a squad of players.

 

[redneck]

They came to Anfield and won again? They haven't beat us on our own patch in nearly six years. They were due one. That's football.

Sorry my mistake cant think straight still pissed off

 

[LFC7NH]

With injuries and suspensions, maybe someone wants to explain to Fenway Sports that to be competitive we need a squad of players.

Can we save the owner bashing for a different thread?

 

[1dragon]

rab, we are being treated by everyone as a weak club that's there for the taking.

Brendan needs help. I'll leave this discussion for the other thread.

As far as the set up today, yes, we got it all wrong. We should have not played 4-3-3. It's so predictable and we havent' even started the season.

You play derby games by backing the midfield, unless you have a Lucas or two, in which case you may play with 2 forwards instead of 1.

Remember, success is what breeds additional success. Losing will cement us a low-tier team, and refs will be psychologically influenced, and opponents will take advantage of us by not fearing us.

I have to agree with rab's point of view here. There was no need to change tactics, especially when we were dominating right from the off and United had no response to it. While I understand where you are coming from, the problem with your suggestion is this; we already have problems scoring goals, so our best chance is through the flanks where Evra and Rafael are susceptible to attack and allow us our break through. So long we maintain possession (which we did brilliantly I might add), there was no imminent danger of us conceding to their superior strike force.

Discounting the sending off,I actually felt the problem started when Sterling was withdrew in favour of Henderson. Before that, Evra and Rafael were still pretty much pinned in their own half because of the fear of Sterling's pace on the break. We were at 1-1 at the point of time and were still controlling the game. Henderson came on and the team dynamics changed dramatically. Rather than controlling the game, we lost it as United knew they could commit more bodies forward. Evra was liberated on his flank and rather than go mark or stop him, Henderson was apparently tasked to anchor in the middle. This often left Kelly isolated 2-1 against Kagawa and Evra, while Suarez could only go back to help close down one flank at a time. Suarez is no Torres in terms of pace so it will not intimidate Ferdinand and Evans to venture further upfield, thereby nullifying our threat completely.

Actually, I rather like it if some of the lower teams actually give a go at us rather than parking the bus. This gives us opportunities to break and could help us create chances, rather than lament a boring 0-0 draw against them like last time. Whether our defence is adept enough to deal with the threat is another question though.

 

[LFC-Orlando]

@rab, I won't discuss the manager here anymore, except for the set up of our team today.

There's a BR thread out there.

As far as how much you are defending the set up and the performance of the midfield, before I remind you of the final score, I'll refer you the moments that Suso and Hendo were introduced. The red card forced us to eliminate our forwards from 3 to 1. We could have conceded 3 more had we not done that.

So you'll say how did not playing a 5 person midfield contribute to their 2 goals? I'll make the case that both goals were indirectly allowed by not having a packed MF.

The first was our inability to block their movement forward.

The second was because we didn't have many choices in the midfield that led to Agger and Suso's errors.

 

[mr mustard]

Well there's only 33 left.

Norwich, Stoke and Reading our next 3 games.

We should be winning all 3 really, 2 and a draw at the least. Anything less than that and I'll start worrying massively.

Agger out, Kelly out, Borini might be out, Shelvey suspended... Can't demand too much at the moment.

 

[AnfieldCat]

Yeah I'm not going to slag off the players or manager, how can you after watching that clownish performance from the ref! My main concern with the team is the inability to score when we have a lot of possession, we should have had a few in the first half outplaying them that much.

 

[howhardgerrard]

was a gutsy team performance,just still shit outta luck.i thought gary neville was spot on with his after game comments.i think suarez gets that peno if if doesn't throw his head back,exaggerate the contact.ref inconsistant but not corrupt.the injuries are really gonna hurt with the piss weak squad we have.
i'm frustrated,disappointed but proud of the lads today.

spot on fella.

I just hope the ref enjoys his week in the Championship.

 

[AussieLad]

Has anyone found out what Shelvey said to the pisshead as he went down the tunnel?