Portsmouth 2-0 Liverpool: Post Match Depression

[JD]

Pacheco in. Skrtel in. Kelly (when fit) in, Aurelio in, Benayoun starts.

[Ross]

better put the reserves team out for the next match.. surely they can't do worse than this.

These kind of comments are bit silly really aren't they.

What kind of sane person would want to put out the full reserve team in a PL match?

[Brooklyn Red]

FUUUUUCK!!!

Open message to all the assholes who inevitably will be posting here:

Not Rafa's fault.

What I saw was a team that, as HR put perfectly, is playing like a bunch of strangers. When the screws turn they can't seem to gel. Frustration leads to conceding defeat it seems.

Bullshit red card. yellow yes, red no f**king way.

I don't know what I'm seeing anymore. I'm not gonna pick out anybody out. I've got this team's back.

Let's not firget Shank's first match in charge...0-4 to Cardiff at home in the second division.

Real supporters it's time to rally. Stick together and keep believing.

One more thing. If I ever see Tommy Smyth, an ESPN commentator, in the street, I'm gonna punch his teeth in.

[corballyred]

He hasn't he has been mediocre at best played a lot more bad games than good ones. If he has been one of our better performers this season we shouldn't be suprised really why we are in such a mess. What does he actually give the team.

[aksh_jaj245]

I'm not patient with Lucas.  I'm just highlighting that over the course of the season he has probably been one of our better players.

That is all.

he looks the only decent player on the pitch at times..

[JD]

He hasn't he has been mediocre at best played a lot more bad games than good ones. If he has been one of our better performers this season we shouldn't be suprised really why we are in such a mess. What does he actually give the team.

I've just witnessed a game where a £17M defender set them up for the first game.  A game in which 'world class' Steven Gerrard again disappointed.  A game that Carragher's inability to defend properly led to their second goal. A game that Mascherano got himself sent off in. A game where Dirk Kuyt, Andrea Dossena both failed to create anything from the wings.

But yeah.

Lucas is ruining our season.

God give me strength.

[RedLFCBlood]

I'd say It was Johnson's individual error that cost us the first goal, all he had to do was put it behind for a corner.

I'd say Yossi was at fault for the second, as it was him who was robbed of the ball on the half way line that ultimately led to the second goal.

[Brooklyn Red]

All credit to Portsmouth, too. They played very well. Actually, they played like a team, which is more than I can say for our lot. On any other occasion I'd be happy enough for them. Today, though... Not a chance.

Can't fault Pepe for those goals either. They were quality.

[Reepicheep]

Once and for all:  this run of bad form is not down to Lucas, to Kuyt, to Gerrard, to Torres, to the lack of Aquilani or to any other individual player. There is something deeper than this that is causing the problems and it may lay at the feet of Rafa. The formation and motivation is the responsibility of the backroom staff. A good team do not suddenly lose confidence in their ability for no good reason. I'm really pissed off like everyone else on here and I'm trying my best not to indiscriminately pick on players who aren't playing well. I think Rafa isn't managing well right now and the whole lot of them need to buck up.

[posouth]

The problem for me is the formation. We played better IMO against Wigan : with 4-4-2 We have no width at all with this 4-2-3-1

4-4-2 good enough for Shankly, Paisley, and the King too.

But remember we did have only 10 men for most of the game, and the Ref was a homer.

No doubt  , it was the best 60 min or so football in recent games! Balls were crossed in, and there are actually more than one head to meet them. And it showed you don't need to crowd the center area to dominate the midfield, nor to use an extra midfield for defensive work. Offense is the best defense.

Alas, Rafa then made a sub and pushed Gerrard, reverted back to 4231. We then had less width, less possession, and lost a goal.


4231 worked great for us last season. But it's also a formation heavily depending on the individual form of the attackers of the formation, ie. Torres+Gerrard+Kuyt+Benayoun. This season, I feel Gerrard and Kuyt have in particular struggled in performance. I really hope Rafa can give more chance to 442, as 4231 doesn't work for now. And it doesn't work against every opponent. There is no BEST formation, just the best formation for the set of players for that moment. I say stop the obsession.

[Shabs]

Johson has to play rm and get kelly behind him in rb,kuyt needs a run on the bench gerrad needs to go back to cm and let aquilani play in his position behind torres, beny on lm and fabio lb,we need to get a grip and play like our future depends on it which it does.

[JD]

All credit to Portsmouth, too. They played very well. Actually, they played like a team, which is more than I can say for our lot. On any other occasion I'd be happy enough for them. Today, though... Not a chance.

Can't fault Pepe for those goals either. They were quality.

Credit were credit is due.

Portsmouth, despite not having much possession did a number on us. Some lethal counter attacking.

[BigRed1978]

I think all that court case business has scrambled Gerrard's brains.

He's clearly not the player he was before it.

[stuey]

he looks the only decent player on the pitch at times..

That's more a reflection of how bad the rest are

[BigRed1978]

Credit were credit is due.

Portsmouth, despite not having much possession did a number on us. Some lethal counter attacking.

That Piquionne(?) fella is proving a bit of a steal too.

[samylfc]

Gerrard and Carragher need to take a good long look at themselves in the mirror, they're supposed to be the leaders, yet they have been two of our worse players.

Although I would agree that Gerrard is our leader, the responsabilities for the poor performances we are used to this season can't be only blame on these two players.

Rafa seemed to loosing the dressing room in my opinion, how can we have so little fire in the belly!? It's shocking! What has been said at half time? I dare to think that rafa will come out by blaming the red card (which is discutable to say the least) but surely we should destroy portsmouth any day.

The lack of creativity in the last 30 yards is just shocking, Torres can do all he can, if he dosen't get good services, won't happen.

What could be done.?...Sacking Rafa? Stupid decision, what good would come out of it? Not to mention that financially it's suicidal, if he goes, how many players would follow..

We should start by playing the SAME squad for a while, I realise we had lot's of injuries, but Rafa decision of who is playing for the team has to be challenged..Dossena left middlefield? WTF! Subs done with apparent no clues of what it's going on, no system changed when we can clearly see that it's not working.

I wish Rafa had more often (and especially this year) the BALLS in his belief with a real attacking, stable squad all these changes can't be good no?

[Fourbrick]

he looks the only decent player on the pitch at times..

You have got to be joking. The lad is useless. He thinks he is faster than he is that's why he keeps giving free kicks away. If he's made one telling pass this season, I would be surprised.

[Brooklyn Red]

Saw dossena on the team sheet and no aquilani..."Are we trying to lose?"
Predicted right from the start.

Unfair.

Dossena was hardly the problem and he at the very least deserved a run out after his performance against Fiorentina.

I agree, though, that I'd rather have seen Aquilani on the bench than (dare I say) Spearing. Nothing against the boy, or Lucas, but that's who I'd have rather seen strat this match. Momentum was started with the win against Wigan and I feel it should have been built upon. The time for blooding the young ones is not now.

[Brian78]

I've just witnessed a game where a £17M defender set them up for the first game.  A game in which 'world class' Steven Gerrard again disappointed.  A game that Carragher's inability to defend properly led to their second goal. A game that Mascherano got himself sent off in. A game where Dirk Kuyt, Andrea Dossena both failed to create anything from the wings.

But yeah.

Lucas is ruining our season.

God give me strength.

Youre worse answering !! Lucas is being blamed for the fact our back 4 are a joke and that we cant force a save out of a 2nd choice keeper from the bottom side in the league! Lucas is not at fault every man who pulls on that shirt and the management team to a man are at fault

[BigRed1978]

Rafa u need 2 resign. Pls leave if u have still 1% dignity in you. Rafa u think u r a gud manager, butwhy not take a model like SAF. He has had success for 20 years now, so there must be something in his tactics that works!

I m a liverpool fan but what is wrong to copy SAF system at Manure. For e.g, play 4-4-2, flat defence n man-marking, attack all set-pieces including corners, play with 2 wide men and 1 target striker n a central forward. Transform ourselves a deadly team on counter-attacks.

My team:
                           Reina
Kelly     Carragher       Agger          Aurelio
Amoo   Gerrard  Mascherano        Pacheco
               Torres
                     N'Gog(best player on headers n setpieces)

Ok, we will concead a few goals along the way, but this team will score loads.
Then, of course, buy a proper left winger in the transfer market.

Marouan Chamakh available for sale at 10 million euros! Superb player, a monster on set-pieces and quick as lightning in the box. (I have watched all Bordeaux games along the way)

Then, put all our money on Angela Di Maria before Chelsea...

You also need to stop talking in f**king text speak, there's a full keyboard an front of you. USE IT PROPERLY!!

[redkop63]

Another sh*t performance.

Ref was nitpicking over certain decisions, but we are playing like a bunch of strangers at the moment!

Strangers, yes I like the word, once pass the halfway line we are strangers. Wonder what they do on the training pitch. I'd say sack the trainers before sacking Rafa. The players' weaknesses and mistakes are still there week in week out, no improvement at all. Don't the coaches do post-mortem of matches or study into the weaknesses of the opposition team and players??? Do they only do warm-ups during training. Then, we must go back to the old Shankly's way of running non-stop for 90 minutes, not walking or strolling.

[Brooklyn Red]

My dad said he won't be surprised to see him gone this weekend. Then again people have been saying that for a while now.

If people there are the same as people here, then your da's right. People are reactionary assholes. Continue reading this thread for further proof!

[samylfc]

The ref was poor, but we should be over this, refs are rubbish, all are..Nothing new there..

[corballyred]

I didn't blame Lucas for all our season failing but what I do think is he is not good enough to be starting with us week in week out, he gives f**k all to the team, absolutely zero in the way of creativity and all he seems to do is replicate a job Mascherano is already doing for us. Please Rafa stop playing 2 defensive midfielders against teams in the bottom half of the table.

 But then I also think Insua is sh*te and Kuyt is an awful option at right midfield.

[GERNS]

Not going to single out individuals. F***ing hard actually, as every one was sh*te. I think most of the senior players have little or no confidence in the players around them, or the positions/systems they are required to play in. Total discontent in the dressing room and on the field. Loads of dosh is not the answer if sub standard players are continually recriuted. I seriously believe the behaviour of Gillet and Hicks, along with some of Rafa's buys, player selections, tactics, substitutions and down right stubborness with favourite players totaly off form, still being selected. All these things have recently contributed to the slow and painfull disection of the heart of our mighty club. It's time we  prayed for D.I.C. to step in and clear the lot out. We need a fresh start and fast. We now look closer to being a relegation side than at any time I can remember in 53 years of watching The Reds. Sad Times.

[Gow]

I didn't blame Lucas for all our season failing but what I do think is he is not good enough to be starting with us week in week out, he gives f**k all to the team, absolutely zero in the way of creativity and all he seems to do is replicate a job Mascherano is already doing for us. Please Rafa stop playing 2 defensive midfielders against teams in the bottom half of the table.

 But then I also think Insua is sh*te and Kuyt is an awful option at right midfield.

Have Christmas off lad. Don't watch our next four games, because Lucas will play every single one of them. He could score a hattrick and us get beat 4-3 the way we're defending, and you'd still blame him.

[HUYTON RED]

It's time we prayed for D.I.C. to step in and clear the lot out.

Isn't going to happen.

[solodee]

Carragher was being exposed a little to much. He was out there doing what johnson should have been doing. Now johnson wouldn't be doing all that he was doing if Kuyt manned the wings effectively.

Bench Kuyt and put a creative player there.

Torres is good; but at times, like Ngog, one too many dribbles.

Gerrard use to lead by example.

Still dont understand what Dosenna was doing there. He was so porous

AND the pitch; why would the FA even allow a pitch like that to exist?

[stuey]

You also need to stop talking in f**king text speak, there's a full keyboard an front of you. USE IT PROPERLY!!

Looks like manc speak that's how they carry on with their sh*te site.

[JD]

I will donate £100 to charity if corballyred can go another 500 posts without mentioning Lucas in a thread.