Getting Back to Basics?

(banging my head against a brick wall would give me more logic back)!

No one is stopping you.

No one is stopping you.

I see that you have banned people for "poor" posting  

Sorry, I found that quite ironic.  

Going off topic slightly here, but Rafa has built a very strong 11 at Liverpool, something you STILL haven't replied either agreeing or disagreeing. Hes slowly getting the side back on form, picking wins up here and there bit by bit and he will eventually shut the likes of you up.

I hope he does 'shut the likes of me up' faz.

I don't even know what our best first team eleven is and I'm not sure Rafa doesn't so how you expect me to answer that I do not know.

Lucky I started this "Pointless and Aimless Bickering thread", that way everyone is staying well on topic.

Well whatever you believe our first/strongest 11 is.

Is it not capable of challenging for the league?

I doubt your first 11 will be much different compared to mine or many other reds fans, so if we had that 11 on the pitch week in week out, would we not challenge for the league then no?

I see that you have banned people for "poor" posting 

Sorry, I found that quite ironic. 

Called a joke, sir. We all make jokes on this forum. Don't ban anyone for it (unless it's content breaches rules).

Well whatever you believe our first/strongest 11 is.

Is it not capable of challenging for the league?

I doubt your first 11 will be much different compared to mine or many other reds fans, so if we had that 11 on the pitch week in week out, would we not challenge for the league then no?

Look this thread has gone off topic as somebody mentioned. I felt that injuries didn't hamper us to the point of languishing in seventh, being dumped out the FA cup and some really poor form to boot. I pointed this out because posters like your good self carried on and on about any excuse they could grasp at. I just offered my opinion that you were wrong.

Infact I recall not only injuries and money being prime factors towards our poor form, but refereing decisons also became a way of deflecting any critisism towards our manager. Again we had some very poor decisons given against us against Everton, how Pienaer stayed on the pitch for 91mins only God knows. The ref was dreadful and lost control of that game from the very begining. But still, with poor reffing, no money and injuries we still managed to beat Everton with 10 men!

Now all the excuses are there and valid to a point, yet we won. And we've put a run together without playing magnificent football, still we're scrapping games and getting results FINALLY. But we still have injuries, no money and poor refereeing decisions.

What I'm trying to say is, that there were an abundance of posters on here who over used to the point of utter bias to excuse our form and their (your) views were totally polarized and skewed to the point of folly.

Again, you still haven't answered me. Its because for weeks now you've criticised Rafa so you won't or can't admit that his first 11 is as good as anybodys in the league. However, fair enough Lfc-red, couple of points in that post.

Theres a balance to it though and i think you quickly forget that. Whenever we lose a game or perform badly people want to no why. Sometimes its simply we werent good enough on the day and the other team outplayed us, sometimes its the managers fault, sometimes its certain individuals/players aren't performing, the list is endless.

I personally think that if the owners had reached into their pockets and gave benitez abit more support then we wouldn't be in the mess we currently find ourselves in. That doesn't mean im blaming the owners for some of the performances this season though, I'm just stating that if we had a better bench or a better second string team, we would have coped alot better in certain games and won more games.

I've remained pretty balanced throughout the season though so to suggest i blame the owners for everything on the field simply isn't true mate. I know what you mean though, there have been posts on here which blame the owners etc for everything, but im not one to post them. I am a Rafa fan, i love him to bits, but i will still criticise him when i believe hes made a wrong decision. I bang on about how i cant believe he signed aquilani more or less every day on this forum.

However, i can say the same for you but vice versa. You seem to blame Rafa for pretty much everything and you call for his head pretty much every day too. Is that fair? I dont think so. So its why i respond to some of your comments because theres always two sides to the argument.

But we'll leave it there, it is going off topic. 1-0 tomorrow please reds men. Agger screamer.

Lucky I started this "Pointless and Aimless Bickering thread", that way everyone is staying well on topic.

Ridiculous, that's what it is.  Good topic Ayrton, sorry it's been ruined by patronising smart arse.

Anyway,  if I can requote part of your opening post.

We've been lucky enough to have more or less a settled defence for a good few weeks now, and despite the handicap of Glen Johnson and Fabio Aurelio being out, Carra has been relatively efficient, Kyrgiakos has been a rock, Agger and Skrtel have been solid, and Insua particularly has turned around a poor start to the season with some of his best form both at the back and coming forward.

THIS.

Our defence over the past half a dozen games or so has been unrecognisable from what it was like for the start of the season.  Solidity at the back has enabled Liverpool to be more confident in going forward.  The passing has improved immeasurably because instead of panicing and kicking it anywhere, the players have their belief back that they really are top class players.

I don't know why the defence had a dodgy spell at the start of the season (some may point to Carragher at centre-back, some may suggest that without Carragher on the right our wing back went wandering too far forward). Either way we've pulled ourselves back up thanks to the grit and determination of improved defending.

I don't know why the defence had a dodgy spell at the start of the season (some may point to Carragher at centre-back, some may suggest that without Carragher on the right our wing back went wandering too far forward). Either way we've pulled ourselves back up thanks to the grit and determination of improved defending.

Silly as it may sound, I think Johnson's absence has helped steady the boat somewhat.

A roving fullback who goes charging forward, with bags of pace and step-overs aplenty is all well and good, but when confidence is low it may not have been helping leaving so much space for Carra to cover.

I think that, despite my callings for Carra to be kept out of the RB position, he rarely forges forward and so the rest of the defence and midfield know he can be counted on. The defensive unit was remaining more of a unit and less stretched. Less pressure on the midfield to plug the holes.

The football remains not particularly beautiful, the hoofing problem is perhaps less evident but still an issue, but we gain in solidity.

Let's hope with an increasing confidence, the team can find a little of the flair and quality passing we know it has.

Ridiculous, that's what it is.  Good topic Ayrton, sorry it's been ruined by patronising smart arse.

Anyway,  if I can requote part of your opening post.

THIS.

Our defence over the past half a dozen games or so has been unrecognisable from what it was like for the start of the season.  Solidity at the back has enabled Liverpool to be more confident in going forward.  The passing has improved immeasurably because instead of panicing and kicking it anywhere, the players have their belief back that they really are top class players.

I don't know why the defence had a dodgy spell at the start of the season (some may point to Carragher at centre-back, some may suggest that without Carragher on the right our wing back went wandering too far forward). Either way we've pulled ourselves back up thanks to the grit and determination of improved defending.

I think what we have had at the back lately is men who do the basics well. Kyrgiakos attacks the ball in the air Carra will give 100% to chase back and clear the lines. Vitally both are excellent at communicating with those around them to insure they do their job. Agger coming back has allowed us to play the ball out of defence without the need to lob it forward and Insua can get forward and put quality balls into the box without us getting overexposed at the back in the process. Having Kyrgiakos and Agger also gives us a larger aerial threat on set pieces but this will obviously be disrupted for the next three games. Lucas and Mascherano should close the opposition down for fun all day. That leaves us four attacking players to counter teams and with Gerrard back to near best and Kuyt on a good run all we need are Maxi and Reira to get some match sharpness and we'll push on. That is of course ignoring the quality players we are due back from injury.

Also agree that Johnson as an attacking wingback might be better received to a team who has finally found its composure

I think the defence hadn't trained enough together pre-season to anticipate each others moves (of course injuries didn't help) and we started to concede silly goals. I'm hoping Glen's return will keep the potential for creating space and thus goals whilst we keep tight at the back, but they need to work on it.  Glen also needs to judge when to make a run better than he has done todate so that he doesn't expose the back 3.  

BigYNWA, of course I give Rafa credit for the turn around in our recent form. As Ayrton stated it seems as though the side has 'gone back to basics' and Rafa will of had a massive hand in that. Whether he's formed the siege mentality or the players have its done them the world of good and credit allround. Him and the lads deserve it, I hope they get a result now in London tomorrow night.

Good work then, i was just making sure. Really hope we get that result in London too.

Going back to the original post, i must say spot on with the defense. In any sport, defense is where your team must be built from. Watching Ice Hockey, NFL etc here in the States, or AFL back home, all teams who do well are ones who have solid defense. I have seen teams who can score well in Ice Hockey, but then have a sh*te defense, and often lose games 4-3, 5-4 etc etc. You NEED to build up from the back. And thats what i would say Rafa and the team said right, lets get that right and work from there. And you san see it in our performances now. Everyone is working hard to make sure we are safe at the back, and then looking to take chances when we can. It finally looks like everyone on the field has been reading from the same notebook, rather than at the start of the season and such where it looked like we had no clue what a football was!

Ridiculous, that's what it is.  Good topic Ayrton, sorry it's been ruined by patronising smart arse.

EDIT

Flame it up knobjockey.

You wanna be banned again don't you?

EDIT: Nice edit up there LFC-Red, but the evidence is still in my post 

This thread was back on track and stayed that way, in comes a mod or whatever who decided to stir it back up again with insults. There was no need for it.

This thread was back on track and stayed that way, in comes a mod or whatever who decided to stir it back up again with insults. There was no need for it.

It was off track actually, and then it was on track again until you put that one in. No need for it! So just leave it, and don't be so quick to put out those insults. You have been banned once for the exact same thing.

The thread got back on track until someone had to come in and flame it up again. If I get banned "again" I won't loose any sleep because of it.

If I get banned "again" I won't loose any sleep because of it.

Coincidence, neither would I.

Let's get back on track anyways. What do people think happened to suddenly make the players start playing to the potential we know, and get back to basics? I have been racking my brain for a week now, just trying to think of why they finally decided to start playing. Answer i come up with most of the time was they maybe finally realized the top four may not be so easy and they need to fight, but i dunno. 

Coincidence, neither would I.

Let's get back on track anyways. What do people think happened to suddenly make the players start playing to the potential we know, and get back to basics? I have been racking my brain for a week now, just trying to think of why they finally decided to start playing. Answer I come up with most of the time was they maybe finally realized the top four may not be so easy and they need to fight, but I dunno.  

Brilliant post.

Coincidence, neither would I.

Let's get back on track anyways. What do people think happened to suddenly make the players start playing to the potential we know, and get back to basics? I have been racking my brain for a week now, just trying to think of why they finally decided to start playing. Answer i come up with most of the time was they maybe finally realized the top four may not be so easy and they need to fight, but i dunno. 

Just an idea that nobody has hit on yet. Most of our first 11 are back. Where earlier in the season a lot were missing. This put too much pressure on the senior players compensating. Nobody ever really recovered properly from these injuries as a result too. I think now we are seeing the first 11 reaching match fitness. Oh and carra moved to right back and masch pulling his finger out has helped.

Let's hope that we can keep up the same defiance against the arse tonight without Soto - Agger and Skrtel in the middle for me tonight, and Carra @ right back

I'd definately take a bore draw against Arsenal tonight. It sounds negative i know, but a point is a point. Our record isn't good enough to suggest we can get anything else.

A big improvement recently, but the passing and ball retention needs to improve. I remember when if you lost the ball against Liverpool, you would find it hard to get back. The players need to learn to keep possession for longer.