Lille 1-0 Liverpool: Post Match sandblast your own face off

As for the actual game, 1st ten mins of 2nd half was actually good, the rest was long ball sh*te that Blackburn would have been proud of.

Still think we will go through though.

Been sitting here thinking about this game for a bit now. Just trying to understand where Rafa was coming from in his post match comments. The best I can come up with is that he's trying to get the focus on the Pompey game as this particular tie against Lille has not come to a conclusion yet.

None of us were there in the dressing room after the defeat to Wigan so it's impossible to gage how downbeat, distressed and depressed the players really were - I know I'd be mortified with myself if I came off a pitch after having played like that on Monday. So inside the camp could have quite possibly been far worse than we could have imagined and that's where Rafa has based his opinion of this particular game against Lille. Because if you think of how we started off and how Lille started off, then maybe that was us coming out of the depths of depression and anxiety.

But that doesn't make things alright.

I think most reds can take getting beat on the chin when the Liverpool players have given an honest performance. But there's too many Liverpool players going through the motions. Then there's others who are trying to compensate for this and try too hard - in turn, the ball ends up like a hot brick to them or they get frustrated. Place them two factors together and you get low confidence and no endeavour in an already unproductive formation.

Yet Rafa continues with the unproductive formation.

I made a mistake after last nights game thinking we had potentially 11 games left this season. It's potentially 10 games left.

118 years ago, John Houlding made a big decision. The irony. I think Rafa should make some big decisions regarding the team. And I think some of the players need to make the decision of whether they want to turn up for a game and play football to win. Or turn up to play football because it's their job.

I'm gonna expect a reaction against Pompey now. But please let's not accept bad results (defeats AND draws) and performances when there isn't much graft from our side. I think some people lose focus of what we stand for here in Liverpool sometimes. Honest hard work, the ability to pass & run and the desire to shoot & score. Does not matter who we play, what pitch it is, how many games the opposition have been unbeaten for etc etc. Footballers have enough to cloud their minds with already these days.

This team is imploding at an exponential rate.  I think its safe to say at this rate a 10-12th place finish in the table is not out of the realm of possibility.

We have a captain who just does not seem to care about it.  If he does he sure as sh*t doesn't show it.  When is the last time you saw any emotion from this guy. Anger,Happy,Frustration,sadness etc.. I dont see anything on his face. We score a goal he walks to the center for the kickoff.  We lose he walks off the pitch, wont acknowledge anyone and goes into the tunnel. Its easy to Captain a winning team and soak up all the glory, but its an entirely different thing when your Captain of a team thats just going down hill.

I think his role as Captain should end TODAY.  He has done nothing to command "his" team on the pitch during play.  As yet, again the only player showing emotion and an inkling of field command is Reina.  I think he should be Captain effective Immediately.  Something has happened to Gerrard. Emotionally,psychologically, physically..whatever. But he is not the Gerrard we know and certainly not deserved of the Captains band.

Although we are playing more and more like a championship side as the season goes on the performance was not as bad as the Wigan display, that's our positive.

As usual our team keep highlighting the reasons for our s.hite season, we cannot defend aerial balls, Torres is starved of service and we rely to heavily on him getting goals. Plus players like Kuyt, Lucas, Insua and Babel are fecking useless when it comes to anything but hardwork, well not in Babels case, he simply can't dribble. How these players Kuyt and Lucas are on the team sheet week in week out when our side is starved of creation and purpose is quite simply beyond me. No wonder players like Carra and Gerrard have 'given up'. Gerrard has carried the team for too long, the manager should of aided his captain more in the last six years. Instead we've seen an ever revolving door of players coming and going.

Torres is way to good to be feeding off the scraps Carra lumps to him, out wide we don't have the players to provide the service. In the center we have Mash and Lucas. Mash IMO did a decent job last night doing his usual stuff. I cannot for the life of me believe why Rafa doesn't give Aquilani a game when our midfield are crying out for a change. As it stands, its another load of cash wasted buy Benitez.

We're seriously in a f.ucking rut and if the manager isn't going to do anything about it, what hope have we that the players will?

This is turning out to be a depressing season. A loss after a loss. Why spend 20mil for some to warm the bench. Rafa, sometimes I just don't understand you. Where are we heading to? What are the opponent teams doing better than us?..Rafa wont do what we want... he is too stubborn, Rafa's rules his way or no way... why the hell wont he play Aquilani and drop Lucas and Kuyt..... Please Rafa every liverpool fan in the world is begging you to make the change or leave! Only babel was worth anything in this match, Rafa said we will see the real LFC today.. and guess what we did! man of the match was Eden Hazard! He was way better than our whole team put together. I repeat once again...Rafa why didn't you give Aqua some match fitness. And why give us an empty promise that he will be given a chance. Your a liar!!!!

I reckon Aquilani will be heading back to Italy in the summer.

This is turning out to be a depressing season. A loss after a loss. Why spend 20mil for some to warm the bench. Rafa, sometimes I just don't understand you. Where are we heading to? What are the opponent teams doing better than us?..Rafa wont do what we want... he is too stubborn, Rafa's rules his way or no way... why the hell wont he play Aquilani and drop Lucas and Kuyt..... Please Rafa every liverpool fan in the world is begging you to make the change or leave! Only babel was worth anything in this match, Rafa said we will see the real LFC today.. and guess what we did! man of the match was Eden Hazard! He was way better than our whole team put together. I repeat once again...Rafa why didn't you give Aqua some match fitness. And why give us an empty promise that he will be given a chance. Your a liar!!!!

I reckon Aquilani will be heading back to Italy in the summer.

I reckon your both talking out your arses.

I'm just very disapointed at the result.

I'm just very disapointed at the result.

  Likewise I am very disappointed in the result but I am more disappointed in players who are just going through the motions and do not look like they even want to win.After seeing so many excellent L.F,C. teams over the years I have come to the conclusion that this team have no heart.The standard of football against Wigan and Lille was atrocious and certainly  not worthy of this great club.Even if we had got a draw I would still feel the same.

THIS COULD BE PUT IN ANY THREAD.

Rory Smith Telegraph.co.uk.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/liverpool/7423348/Lille-1-Liverpool-0-match-report.html




Contrary to general perception, Liverpool’s players are not, for the most part, suddenly lacking in talent. They have not, overnight, simply become a bad team. This is a side, after all, that swept most of Europe aside this time last year. Benitez’s constant evoking of the recent past may seem, at times, irrelevant, or desperate, or both, but his bafflement at his side’s demise is understandable.

It just shows what confidence - or rather, a complete lack of it - can do. Faith and hope have disappeared from Anfield. In their absence, there is only doubt.

Liverpool’s players do not trust each other. They do not trust themselves. They do not trust the ball, or the pitch - though, in the latter case, they at least had good reason here - and they do not trust their tactics, their system, or their fate.

It is evident in almost every passage of their play. Passes are uncertain, timid and ordinarily backwards. Shots are snatched at, clearances agricultural, and movement limited, as players prioritise their defensive duties over the chance of attack. It is an intractable problem, and one that can only by solved by winning games. Games can only be won, though, once it is overcome. Quite the Catch 22.

That does not mean, though, that when they forget their troubles and strife, Liverpool are not capable of moments of quality, flashes of divine recollection.

Contrary to general perception, Liverpool’s players are not, for the most part, suddenly lacking in talent. They have not, overnight, simply become a bad team. This is a side, after all, that swept most of Europe aside this time last year. Benitez’s constant evoking of the recent past may seem, at times, irrelevant, or desperate, or both, but his bafflement at his side’s demise is understandable.

It just shows what confidence - or rather, a complete lack of it - can do. Faith and hope have disappeared from Anfield. In their absence, there is only doubt.

Liverpool’s players do not trust each other. They do not trust themselves. They do not trust the ball, or the pitch - though, in the latter case, they at least had good reason here - and they do not trust their tactics, their system, or their fate.

It is evident in almost every passage of their play. Passes are uncertain, timid and ordinarily backwards. Shots are snatched at, clearances agricultural, and movement limited, as players prioritise their defensive duties over the chance of attack. It is an intractable problem, and one that can only by solved by winning games. Games can only be won, though, once it is overcome. Quite the Catch 22.

That does not mean, though, that when they forget their troubles and strife, Liverpool are not capable of moments of quality, flashes of divine recollection.

That's pretty much spot on.

Something has got to change for us to get out of this rut.

Where the F**k are you Gerrard? Where are you? Lets be having you! FFS sh*te bunch of cu*ts

And so the year of hell continues, however I have to say that was a much better performance than Monday night far better in fact. To be honest we didnt deserve to lose the game and the pitch was quite awful. The ones in stanley park look better than that one to be honest. I have to make one comment about Torres behavior, HE NEEDS TO CALM THE F**k DOWN, because his temperment at the moment is not helping things, irrespective of what is happening off the pitch. But having said all that their keeper had a blinder of a game and made some great saves sometimes you have to accept things and roll ya sleeves up and keep trying, I have to say though another dire performance from our Captain, it seems his heart is just not in it at the moment.

I personally think gerrards leaving in the summer and he knows it now. He just doesn't seem intrested I do love rafa but our club needs to be freshend up because at the moment we our so easy and predictable to play against,it's utter sh*t what would shankly think of this?

I think Gerrard is trying to protect himself for the world cup. He's thinking 'now JT is gone, and rio is injury prone, i could captain us to world cup glory'

Well - thats great, but right now, I want all the LIVERPOOL players to be thinking about LIVERPOOL not England, Spain, Argentina or Holland.

i am about to start watching the Lille match this morning having not seen it last night. in the cold light of day i dont think this is going to be a happy experience but im doing it anyway.

THIS COULD BE PUT IN ANY THREAD.

Rory Smith Telegraph.co.uk.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/liverpool/7423348/Lille-1-Liverpool-0-match-report.html




Contrary to general perception, Liverpool’s players are not, for the most part, suddenly lacking in talent. They have not, overnight, simply become a bad team. This is a side, after all, that swept most of Europe aside this time last year. Benitez’s constant evoking of the recent past may seem, at times, irrelevant, or desperate, or both, but his bafflement at his side’s demise is understandable.

It just shows what confidence - or rather, a complete lack of it - can do. Faith and hope have disappeared from Anfield. In their absence, there is only doubt.

Liverpool’s players do not trust each other. They do not trust themselves. They do not trust the ball, or the pitch - though, in the latter case, they at least had good reason here - and they do not trust their tactics, their system, or their fate.

It is evident in almost every passage of their play. Passes are uncertain, timid and ordinarily backwards. Shots are snatched at, clearances agricultural, and movement limited, as players prioritise their defensive duties over the chance of attack. It is an intractable problem, and one that can only by solved by winning games. Games can only be won, though, once it is overcome. Quite the Catch 22.

That does not mean, though, that when they forget their troubles and strife, Liverpool are not capable of moments of quality, flashes of divine recollection.

Don't need to air my own views now As Rory Smiths article is a blinder.
Would just like to add that I find it hard to believe after Mondays performance Dirk Kuyt would be considered for this game let alone START!!!!

Question - Why take Babel off and leave Kuyt on when Babel and Torres were the only ones who looked remotely like scoring or creating.

We set up for a draw and got beat.

Tactics once again were wrong.

Rafa I still support you but patience is wearing thin, changes must be made starting with a different formation and different players being given a run.

No point in me going into the match in detail as everything has already been said.

Rafa took us to France last night looking to come away with a clean sheet and if we scored then that would have been a bonus and i suppose i would have accepted that.

What i dont accept is when we have two offensive players that are looking the most likley to either create something or score what does Rafa do? Take one of them off.

Babel can be frustrating but last night he was at least trying to go past a man and he came close a couple of times to scoring. There will be occasions when he will give the ball away trying this but thats what wingers do.
But Rafa would clearly rather have someone who doesnt try to go past a man and therfor wont give the ball away as much and wont be caught up the field and offers more protection to the inept Insua.

We are so negative and as the game wore on you could see Rafa was tightening things up to get away with the draw. We were playing LILLE FFS!!!!!!!!
Yes they are decent but come on at least have the balls to try and win.

I thought there were 3 or 4 Lille players who would easily do a better job than some of ours, thats how bad we are at the moment.

I hate to say this but the players are a disgrace and Rafa your not that much better at the moment.

What I dont accept is when we have two offensive players that are looking the most likley to either create something or score what does Rafa do? Take one of them off.

Babel can be frustrating but last night he was at least trying to go past a man and he came close a couple of times to scoring. There will be occasions when he will give the ball away trying this but thats what wingers do.
But Rafa would clearly rather have someone who doesnt try to go past a man and therefore wont give the ball away as much and wont be caught up the field and offers more protection to the inept Insua.

We are so negative and as the game wore on you could see Rafa was tightening things up to get away with the draw. We were playing LILLE FFS!!!!!!!!
Yes they are decent but come on at least have the balls to try and win.

Precisely.

I reckon your both talking out your arses.

We'll see.

Well i didnt realy think it could get any worse after mondays shambles,but it did.How the F**k can rafa say he was PLEASED with that .

Bloody shocking performance from are captain again,kuyt realy needs to be dropped he,s playing dog sh*t and ive supported dirk a lot but enough is enough,carra doesnt look arsed and as for insua well he just looks shot of any confidence.

Rafas tactics again are just negative and predictable lucas and masch in the middle dont push up and leave torres and "captain fantastic "marrooned,torres then ends up on the F***ing wing then gets frustrated then gets booked....its sh*t.

We'll see.

I agree about Aquilani, don’t see him staying personally