Let's try boring football

Another topic started in the hope of defending Brendan and our current clueless gameplan.

George, this topic is all about 'how' we approach games and other teams. Substitute the name Rodgers for Klopp, or Ancelotti, or De Boer, anyone, and just breathe deeper

Just to clarify, I'm not saying we should always play cagey defensive football, only when we need to and in order to remove the bus some teams bring on the pitch.

Ironic that patient cagey football can be used to take the handbreak of the bus but there you go

Exactly Rush. Mourinho is a master at it. It's like coaxing a rabbit out of the hole.

Isn't playing slow, boring football also playing into the hands of the team that sits in?

All that time you aren't "playing into their hands" you are in fact drawing and getting closer to full time.

I didn't see anyone praising Chelsea's slow and boring football when they lost at Villa and Palace and at home to Sunderland last season. Or when they lost to Atletico last season after that embarrassing first leg performance.

Being successful is about having as many ways to score and win games as possible. Last season our score lines and style was informed by our personnel.

Chelsea won the league because they spread the goals out over their games, by being consistent and having good players. I'm not sure us copying their ability to play it cagey now and then, without the experience or players to do so helps us.

Correct. But ultimately, Chelsea won the league because Mourhino knows how to stifle teams. That's death by football. Sure they have the kwality to hurt teams, but that kwality has to fit a certain style of football that Mourhino espouses.

As I said, I'm not saying we turn into a cagey defensive hit n' run outfit, I'm saying we turn into a cagey defensive hit n' run outfit when we have to .

As Hardcoresoldier put it, it's about coaxing the rabbit out of the hole.

It's my opinion that when you have a team going "gung ho" at you for 90 minutes, you have made  the opposition's choices easier:

(1) Play open and get creamed (possibly)
(2) Play it cagey/defensive and come away with not losing

For some games we need to be sly old dogs and poke the animal instead of smashing it over the head with a sledge. We need to be patient and look for openings due to mistakes and stop trying to force the issue with relentless pressure.

George, this topic is all about 'how' we approach games and other teams. Substitute the name Rodgers for Klopp, or Ancelotti, or De Boer, anyone, and just breathe deeper

You could also win the league playing entertaining football, see how City's won it and even Chelsea in the past years. It's not impossible to play nice football and win trophies also, boring football can be used in certain games but not as a constant thing in our playing style.

You could also win the league playing entertaining football, see how City's won it and even Chelsea in the past years. It's not impossible to play nice football and win trophies also, boring football can be used in certain games but not as a constant thing in our playing style.

And if you read all my posts above George, you'll see that's EXACTLY what I have been saying.

That we need to adopt a more cage cautious style of play now and again against certain teams. Because up to now, all I've seen under the Gaffer is us forcing the issue and trying to batter teams into submission.

EDIT: Perhaps because of how we tend to play, that is why other managers have sussed us out (as the media like to say). Perhaps it's not so much us playing a diamond, or a 3 at the back formation. Perhaps it's easy to nullify us because we always go at them with the same attack minded philosophy. Perhaps not, but either way I think the Gaffer needs to consider adding another string to his bow.

And if you read all my posts above George, you'll see that's EXACTLY what I have been saying.

That we need to adopt a more cage cautious style of play now and again against certain teams. Because up to now, all I've seen under the Gaffer is us forcing the issue and trying to batter teams into submission.

You're right, my mistake because i didn't read all what you've said and jumped quickly to a wrong conclusion.

You're right, my mistake because i didn't read all what you've said and jumped quickly to a wrong conclusion.

No harm no foul

No harm no foul

Not true as we found out earlier this season when Markovic got sent off against Basel.   

Does anyone seriously believe that, at the time we were ripping teams to shreds, we should have just sat back against Chelsea and played for the draw?

Oh yes, it is easy in hindsight, but I can guarantee the shitstorm it would have created on this site if Liverpool lost and Rodgers had deviated from the tried and tested formula of previously and reverted to defensive mindset.

I find it laughable how some people on here say that Rodgers 'lost us' the title by playing the same style which, erm, got us in that exact position to fight for it.

Goals against column for last season tells you all you need to know.

Does anyone seriously believe that, at the time we were ripping teams to shreds, we should have just sat back against Chelsea and played for the draw?

Oh yes, it is easy in hindsight, but I can guarantee the shitstorm it would have created on this site if Liverpool lost and Rodgers had deviated from the tried and tested formula of previously and reverted to defensive mindset.

I find it laughable how some people on here say that Rodgers 'lost us' the title by playing the same style which, erm, got us in that exact position to fight for it.

Good point, and the pre-match thread from last year makes for some interesting reading: http://www.lfcreds.com/reds/index.php/topic,46055.0.html

Basically, everyone acknowledges Chelsea was going to come in and sit deep. But, and I just browsed it over quickly, it doesn't look like anyone suggested we do the same. Most were confident our attack was simply too good to not score.

You forgot to mention about Mourinho in the transfer market. Last season they had an amazing defence but crap strikers. Still they almost won the league (like we almost did).

He rectified the issue by buying Costa and Fabregas, exactly what they needed to go that extra step. And they have been top of the table since the start of the season. The best teams are built from the back, and Chelsea have always had a very good defence. And our manager needs to realise that first

You forgot to mention about Mourinho in the transfer market. Last season they had an amazing defence but crap strikers. Still they almost won the league (like we almost did).

He rectified the issue by buying Costa and Fabregas, exactly what they needed to go that extra step. And they have been top of the table since the start of the season. The best teams are built from the back, and Chelsea have always had a very good defence. And our manager needs to realise that first

Don’t forget Nemanja Matić, he was bought only 6 months before... 3 world class players in 3 positions where they lacked.

RESULT: Premier League Champions.

Never before has the phrase "Quality over Quantity" been so right

It seems these days boring football brings results

Brings victories
Brings points
Brings championships
Brings recognision
Brings top talent
Brings Sponsership

BRINGS MONEY

Sad truth is attacking football is dangerous.

Give me 70 games of boring tripe for 5 trophies a season and I'll bite your F***ing hand off.

We've been boring for the majority of this season and it hasn't worked out too well.

Back then we were ripping teams apart by playing attacking football, if we had of sat back hoping for a draw, Chelsea would have come at us, and could have won anyway with our defence.

Or we could have scored about 5 on the counter?

Winning football will do for now .

We've been boring for the majority of this season and it hasn't worked out too well.

Things is, we weren't so much boring as we were just poor.

Whilst the plastics are boring (aside from the first half of the season) they very efficient. I think that's the way to win league titles in the long run. George Graham did it too. Boring boring Arsenal but a few titles to show for it. For all Utd's titles over the last 25 years, they were ruthlessly efficient too, and ground out results as much as they were hammering Spurs 3-5 away after being 3-0 down half time. As we know, they also had some of the best youths in the country coming through at the right time too. 

We are in stark contrast to that. We had one of the best strike-forces in Europe last season, but still lost out in defence as we shipped 51 goals - in the league alone.

For me (and again I hate saying this), ferguson was right when he said "Strikers win you matches but defences win you titles."

I'm all for free scoring exciting football, but we simply have to sort out our defence first. Else we're just another Newcastle Utd from the 90s. Pretty to watch, entertaining, but ultimately not good enough to win the title.

Can you imagine if we'd had a half tidy defence? But the perhaps our attacking policy might have changed as a result. Who knows.

I'm all for free scoring exciting football, but we simply have to sort out our defence first. Else we're just another Newcastle Utd from the 90s. Pretty to watch, entertaining, but ultimately not good enough to win the title anything

Fixed that for you

It seems these days boring football brings results

Brings victories
Brings points
Brings championships
Brings recognision
Brings top talent
Brings Sponsership

BRINGS MONEY

Sad truth is attacking football is dangerous.

Give me 70 games of boring tripe for 5 trophies a season and I'll bite your f**king hand off.

Yeah, just look at Barcelona, Real or Bayern, truly boring football.

Things is, we weren't so much boring as we were just poor.

Nah mate. I agree with JD.

We've been boring as hell for the most part this season and you could probably count on one hand the amount of game where we were good to watch this season.

Last season was almost the exact opposite.

Nah mate. I agree with JD.

We've been boring as hell for the most part this season and you could probably count on one hand the amount of game where we were good to watch this season.

Last season was almost the exact opposite.

I'd say we've been boring and dire. Difficult to tell the difference because both make me feel like screaming in frustration.

How about, let's try fast paced and exciting football?

For me (and again I hate saying this), ferguson was right when he said "Strikers win you matches but defences win you titles."

I'm all for free scoring exciting football, but we simply have to sort out our defence first.

Can you imagine if we'd had a half tidy defence? But the perhaps our attacking policy might have changed as a result. Who knows.

Taking advice from that OAP these days, are we? I remember how his replacement got on with trying it. I remember how it worked for Chelsea last year too.

We've conceded 5 goals away from home since Christmas, so the defence has tightened up without changing our approach. We conceded 5 goals in the last 2 away games last season alone.

Brendan said on last year's DVD that his philosophy is "Start Fast, Finish Strong". He won't change, so you just have to like it or live with it.

Alternatively, we can go back to the boring days of controlling the game. But what it won't bring us is League Championships.

Nah mate. I agree with JD.

We've been boring as hell for the most part this season and you could probably count on one hand the amount of game where we were good to watch this season.

Last season was almost the exact opposite.

Agree completely.

It's a myth we play attractive football at the moment due to the fact that we did while we had Suarez. Our tempo is slow and if either of Balotelli or Lambert are playing it's even slower.

We have a one trick pony in Raheem who currently is lucky to beat his man 1 in 5, Lallana who does more turns than a spinning top but essentially stays in the same place. Behind them the great technicians of Allen and Henderson are sure as hell running their arses off but attractive football is not their forte.

The one player who is conducive to playing attractive high tempo football is Coutinho and that lad must be frustrated as hell out there. When we bring in Ings and Benteke though that's really quench his thirst for playing some of the good stuff, unfortunately that'll be because he'll be playing it somewhere abroad.

The style of football has to suit the players you have at your disposal whether that's to play attractively or to win. We have been putting square pegs in round holes all season, forget attractive football I'd just love to see us select an XI where all the players are in their natural positions.