Liverpool v Hull City - Match Thread

I think Stevie should partner Robbie up front after all, he'd be our goal scoring player in a striker's position.

dropping more points would be the end of our chances. United are already catching up

another 2 points dropped at home. 2 points clear at the top is a nonsense statement when chavski will probably go top tomorrow. we've dropped points at home because we've got players in the side that can't cope with the pressure of being at the top. 3 or 4 players on that pitch today for us that just don't have the required mentality. I mean it was absolutely unbelievable that kuyt stayed on that pitch for 90 minutes today. so disappointed

OK let's stay optimistic. We aren't playing our best football and we are still top of the league. Tomorrow may be we will not be top, but as I said we can win the league with good run in the last 4 matches we don't need to be top , we need to be close to the top.

I think Keane really should player. He's quite creative in the attacking third. He may not score but he'd work hard and make runs for the team.

It's almost as though Rafa's mindset at home is to 'not lose' only.

Why not give Babel a try up top?

Either he's on a wing or comes on in the 80th minute.  I'd rather see Kuyt on the right than up front on his own and if Keane is going to be played then he needs someone up there with him.

I'm fed up of this 4-5-1 malarky, especially at home!!

And I doubt Rafa will even bring anybody in in January.  Maybe a replacement centre back for Agger 

Rafa is a ........................ ..?

4-5-1 is a good formation even at home but we need a world class striker for it - Torres

I have never doubted Rafa's commitment to this great club however I think he needs his brainbox rewired!

At 2-0. I would have taken a point, but because we were level going into half time, I fully expected 3 points.

A lot of our players were off form. Kuyt, Riera, Benayoun and Dossena. The delivery into the box could have been better.

We went 4-5-1 which I think was a mistake. I hate to say it but maybe Rafa needs to look at how Ferguson puts his team out for home games. They get the job done more often than not.

I believe that up to (and including) the Chelsea match, we have to win every single game to stay in with a shout.


I hate to say it though, I don't think we will be celebrating with the Premier League trophy next May.

RAFA dropped 2 more points,I repeat RAFA dropped them.Why?He made 2 crucial mistakes:
1-He put a joke of a player on the left,Dossena of course,Mendy made a full of that moron,I want him out of my club in January.
  I've lost my patience with him,get rid of him before he ruins our title hopes
2-He put Kuyt as alone striker,he looked lost and useless there as many times before.Kuyt has been great for us this season,both as a scorer and assistent, but on the right wing Rafa,on the right F***ing wing.
This is the team that would win todays game,I'sure abot that:
                                                         REINA

ARBELOA                    CARRA                                 AGGER                    INSUA


                                 ALONSO                       MASCERANO


KUYT                                                                                         RIERA



                               GERRARD      

                                                              KEANE(BABEL)

If I can see it Rafa,why cant you?Or your too stuborn to admit your mistakes,that will make me shake every time we play at Anfield?



                                      

Also it's not been lost on me that of our 4 shitty home draws Torres only played in one of them.

Agree with Babel being given a go up front as part of a 4-4-2.  For a kick off, as he showed on Tuesday night, he isn't prepared to have a dig.

We had 27 shots today.  I'm sure with Babel on it would have been more like 40 and the law of averages usually states one of them is going to go in.

Also it's not been lost on me that of our 4 shitty home draws Torres only played in one of them.

Torres has played in two of them (Stoke and Fulham) 

Why does Rafa always puts forward a 4-5-1 or 4-2-3-1 formation when we are playing at home. Rafa is a good manager but the problem is when he gets his tactics wrong, there is no backup or plan B. It was obvious that we needed a second striker on the pitch, but the coach is too stubborn i guess.

ImHO  , Keane should have been given a go in the second half ,, putting el zahr helped Hull defending in the middle
 Kuyt was to alone up there

There's something I'm starting to worry about here.

We go two goals down and all of a sudden we're like a dog with a bone, hungry for goals. If we're level, or if we get level, it doesn't seem as though we're hungry enough. Whether that be down to something Rafa tells them or if it's just a natural reaction from the players to be on the safe side and not take too many risks - or think too much.

The first half was a belter of a half to watch - even better for the neutral. Second half I feel we lost a bit of drive and composure when we were near the box.

One thing is for sure, it wasn't going to be Kuyts day. So why carry on playing up on his own? You could tell just before Hull scored that Kuyt wasn't really going to be on the ball. He had a great chance to score the first goal but instead of putting his head where it hurts, he bottled it. After that he was slipping about, controlling the ball like he had a pair of high heels on or getting smothered by their centre halves. So why continue with him up on his own?

It just didn't make sense to me. We had Babel who can come on and have an effect in and around the box. We also had a recognised striker sitting on his arse. No matter how many people think he isn't good enough for our club, he's got more chance of having an effect than sitting on the bench all game. And it certainly would have taken a bit of pressure off Kuyt.

No matter how this game is dressed up and how good our play was at times. We lacked the cutting edge in attack and it should have been addressed. It's the worst two points dropped of the season for me so far. We have to be a bit more bold at home. Like Mario1 rightly says, 4-5-1 can be good at home, but you need a striker like Torres on the end of it. Kuyt on his own today wasn't working, yet we persisted with it.

Heaven knows what would have happened if Gerrard's knock early in the first half would have meant him subbed.

I'll watch it again and be more reflective no doubt. I'm sure we're all at different levels of frustration right now.

But we can not keep dropping points at home if we want the title. You can't look to the future and think these points getting dropped wont really matter. Because they will.

What happened today confirms beyond doubt that winning the Premiership title will be a battle.

How Carragher manage to put the ball in his own net still beats me.

Why every other attacker (save Riera) tried to pass every ball to Gerrard for him to convert every goal scoring opportunity still beats me. I'm sure he (Gerrard) would have welcomed a win more that the hat-trick they sought to give him.

Babel came on too late.

Kuyt's first touches were horrible

What was Keane doing on the bench?! Why pay 20million if your confidence in him was gonna wane before the January window? PISSED! 

Our attackers need to shoot with confidence.

Captain Fantastic again came to the rescue.

We need West Ham to try to hold Chelsea.

We need West Ham to try to hold Chelsea.

Fat chance of that.
Although we may not be top tomorrow, or next week, I'm confident we can get it back in the second half of the season.

Why werent Keane playing, 20 million for a striker to sit on the bench the whole game. Kuyt running up the pitch lonely for 90 minutes with no support. But we needed our Stevie G to save us once again.

I hate to say it though, I don't think we will be celebrating with the Premier League trophy next May.

Jesus Christ

If Chelsea win tomorrow we go 2nd. I admit I'm sh*t sick and tired of settling for second best all the time when we could have taken advantage, gone top,  and didn't. - But seriously, It could be worse! Again I know, those points dropped are fu**ing sickening, but lets hope and pray that the second half of the season will see us take advantage!..Like I'm not disagreeing with you, I do think that us winning the title means means winning these games, but at the same time we are still in with a fair good chance!!...

Another disappointing result at home... Seriously sometimes Rafa should gamble a bit by switching to 4-4-2 formation when we clearly need a goal, or at least bring in Keane to replace Kuyt. Kuyt had a bad game today, isolated and poor first touch.
Back to basic time, Rafa!...

Just arrived home ,where to start miserable trip up got stuck on the m5 well over an hour ,got up ther later than planned ,only to find we are at home and yet again Rafa plays a 4 5 1 ,sorry but when you are at home and supposedly going for the league for fck sake you got to play two strikers,first bollock dropped ,then to top it all he goes and gives Babel ten mins and Benny well he should have gone at half time,lastly we are chasing the win and Keane remains on the bench for the whole game  ,who do we fetch on to win it for us Lucas ,someone explain because its got me beaten all ends up.

I don't understand Rafa's thinking in playing 1 striker at home.  Why didn't he play Keane??  It's the same shyte he did with Crouch, just wouldn't play the guy.  Games = confidence= chances of scoring goals!!

AGAIN what a frustrating result.  Teams come to Anfield now and don't fear us at all. They think 'we'll pick up a point..or three here'.  We need to make it a fortress.  We've dropped, too many points at home...HOME !! We can't rely on Stevie and Nando each game.  Midfielders need to chip in with a few goals too.

Once again we had the opposition on the ropes in the first 15 minutes and once again we let them back into the game.This result was very disappointing and it was 2 points lost.I feel RAFA put the wrong 11 out to start with,also why was Agger on the bench is this a sign of what to come in January.I agree with other posters Keane should of at least been brought on.Some players were totally ineffective today and need to take a good look at themselves.All in all a sad finish to what had been a good week for our club.