Liverpool FC News/Gossip/Rumours Summer '15

I think you can read plenty into one match , the formation created zero chances until we pulled an attacker off and played 3 in midfield.
On paper it looked like we would struggle with only 2 in midfield , on the pitch we struggled with two in midfield ,do we really need to repeat last year and play 10 matches with a failed system before we make changes ?

Bandana boy wrote: »

I think you can read plenty into one match , the formation created zero chances until we pulled an attacker off and played 3 in midfield.
On paper it looked like we would struggle with only 2 in midfield , on the pitch we struggled with two in midfield ,do we really need to repeat last year and play 10 matches with a failed system before we make changes ?

It was the first competitive match Henderson and Milner have played together. We played very conservatively for the first 45 minutes with those two rarely getting forward.

Coutinho played very poorly in front of those two (our main creative outlet)

Lallana did nothing on the left and Ibe did very little on the right.

We don't need to give them 10 matches, but they certainly deserve another shot.

We created so few chances primarily because Coutinho, Lallana and Ibe played poorly, but also because we were rusty and away from home against a good team. You don't expect a raft of chances.

I thought everyone was done with underrating Busquets about four years ago?

Anyone who doesn't rate Busquets as THE best defensive midfielder in world football doesn't know football. Yeah, that sounds extremely harsh and opinionated, but it's true. Busquets does everything you want a holding midfielder to do and so much more, and he makes it look effortless.

weldoninhio wrote: »

Ah yeah, let's just discount 37 games of last season. In the other, Sturridge and Balotelli played and it worked.

Ah that famous Spurs game that will be etched into the annals of Liverpool history!

I'm not sure what point you're trying to make, yes, Benteke looked isolated against Stoke, no big deal though, it was a tough away game with the team still looking to gel and get fully fit. Talking about last season is pointless, it's a new season, new squad, new striker, hopefully it won't pan out like last season and Benteke can play the lone role better than Balotelli (shouldn't be hard) did until Sturridge gets back

Lets wait a few games before rushing in to say it's the same as last year.

Lucas was getting into box more than any other midfielder at the end of last season.


Granted his shooting was as bad as any of our strikers but he is more than a DM if needed.

What's going in here did we sign Busquets or something.

marklazarcovic wrote: »

we have played one game ,won it,against a team that beat us by 5 clear goals last time out..and its mostly moans in here about tactics or personnel,coz ye all know better ways to do things right ?!

brendan is the boss now for sure,this season will make or break his time here..he either proves his doubters wrong or its adios ,we all know it. suck it up and let the season pan out coz the same ****e talk over n over is beyond tedious

wow impressed with Markovic's attitude. Thought he would be more annoyed at not making the squad.

Mr.H wrote: »

To play at Barcelona..........................

Busquets is an average defensive mid at best. He is a GREAT midfielder but saying he is the best def mid in the last 15 years is just wrong.

Your telling me that Busquets is better than
Viera
DeRossi
Makélélé
Gennaro Gattuso
Essien

Come off it mate. Busquets isnt even the best def mid right now let alone the last 15 years

Vidal
Gundogan
Gustavo
Javi Martinez (even if he is played out of position)

They are all better than him at the defensive side of the game.


Thats beside the point. The point is that Barca did not rely on "Defensive" defensive midfielders when they where at their best under Pep

Oh ****

Bandana boy wrote: »

I think you can read plenty into one match , the formation created zero chances until we pulled an attacker off and played 3 in midfield.
On paper it looked like we would struggle with only 2 in midfield , on the pitch we struggled with two in midfield ,do we really need to repeat last year and play 10 matches with a failed system before we make changes ?

I think one of the biggest flaws with the tactics on Sunday was putting Joe Gomez at left full to be honest. Really stifled any attacking opportunities down the left. I remember a couple of times when there was a counter on and the ball sprayed out to him on the left and nothing was going to come of it. He's not an attacking fullback so he wasn't exploiting the space ahead of him and there was no Ibe equivalent on that side to pass to so there was just no option than to pass back inside or go long.

Was very frustrating and disappointing. Defensively he looks very good but attacking wise I'd still go for Moreno based on what I saw on Sunday when the ball was going out left. Not sure if people watching it on Sky felt the same but there was a very marked difference between Gomez and Clyne that really caused a huge imbalance on our attacks.

2nd biggest flaw was the Mignolet long balls. Muniesa admittedly wasn't going to win much in the air but the kicks weren't accurate enough with the wind to find Benteke each time so he had a lot to do to chase the location of the ball before even jumping to compete.

Would swap Gomez for Moreno against Bournemouth

Harry Palmr wrote: »

I swear some people don't seem to have understood what the plan was on Sunday, to not lose. Gomez was always going to be the stay at home full back.

There's a reason Lovren looked much improved.