I have calmed down slightly, but i still feel heart broken, disappointed and angry at some of our players.
The first 25 minutes, we dominated them excessively. We passed like they weren't there, we were pressuring them on the edge of their box, forcing them into mistakes, we outran them and we created two massive chances. I love Suarez, he is a fantastic player, undoubtably, but he really should have scored from that chance where he was 1 V 1 against the keeper, and many other chances this season. Downing had another chance soon after which he should have done a lot better with.
We just simply have to be scoring when we're in such control in the match. Because that sort of domination won't last 90 minutes. If were clinical, we would have been 1 up and that would have gave us the momentum to push on and really dominate this match, hopefully.
Unfortunately, after that, the game sort of evened out, with QPR having the better of the latter stages of the first half. After half time we started to play better, gaining possession and trying to crave some chances.
After about our 15th corner, Coates finally gets on the end of one and unlashes a goal of the season finish. A scissor overhead kick with some much top spin it dips into the net. Amazing finish and should definitely be a major contender for goal of the season. Shame that it won't get the praise that it deserves.
Then after Coates' wonder strike we started to control the game, and we managed to crave open a second goal. After brilliant dribbling from Suarez, and unfortunately, his shot smacks the post, only for Downing to get on the end, dummy past two players then shoot, but for Paddy Kenny to save and the ball to land to Kuyt for him to nod in our second.
We had a couple more half chances after that which we could have put away, to put QPR fully to the sword.
After that we got complacent, we let QPR have possession and we defended way too deep. We let them have possession, and they sent in two crosses, and created two key chances from crosses and they took them all away. Our entire defence was poor for that last 15 minutes, no one looked secure, no one looked in control and a couple of horrendous defensive mistakes cost us, dearly.
For the third goal, Jose Enrique, who has been brilliant this season, made a vital mistake which let the sub score.
Awful defending, and an awful attitude from the players in the latter stages of the match. Everyone thought we were guaranteed the win, and everyone relaxed, and they punished us.
I don't think we can blame this defeat on one particular aspect, the whole team contributed to the loss:
I thought Pepe was very poor. He didn't even make much of an effort to stop the cross, or try to make an attempt to save the header. For the third, his legs was open way to much, and it really invited the attacker to shoot in the space he left open.
The defence was abysmal for the last 15 minutes of the match, where we needed our defence to remain resolute. Skrtel, who is our best defender this season, far and away, lost a couple of key header which cost us. I can't blame him because he has been immense for us this season.
Carragher at right back was a poor decision in my opinion. He has not got the legs to be a proper right back and i felt it disrupted the balance of our defence when we had to put a new centre back in, who can sometimes take a few minutes to adjust to games.
Hindsight is a brilliant thing, but at the time, i felt that bringing on Flanagan should have been the wise choice. Because it would have kept the Carragher & Skrtel. But who knows, Coates came on and scored a beautiful goal.
Our midfield was decent. Spearing and Gerrard were brilliant. Gerrard and Suarez are on a completely different wavelength to anyone else and some of their play was majestic. Spearing just sat back, and won everything in midfield, then played a simple pass to spring an attack.
Although i love Spearing's attitude, and this is a very harsh criticism, to say the least, but i sometimes feel he can keep the ball for too long. I notice him, and he takes 2-3 touches with the ball, then delivers the pass which can give opponents that little extra time to get back into position. Most times he could and perhaps should pass with his first touch, or take one touch and pass it on again on quickly. Apart from that, Spearing is quality. Defensively he is one of the best, and works his arse off every single match; which should be the minimum expected from a Liverpool player. He is a very tidy passer too, hardly ever see him make a poor pass.
Adam was fairly poor, once again. He made one or two decent passes, but he made many fouls, gave the ball away regularly and i struggle to see why he was brought into this team after we beat Stoke in the FA cup.
Henderson was missing for me. I never saw him do anything of any real effectiveness. He should have done better for one of the goals too. Should have been stronger and headed the ball.
Offensively we were great creativity, and poor clinically. Yes, we scored 2 goals, but it should have been 4 at least. Missing big, and important chances are becoming way too regular to just be suggested as a blip and i don't think that many Liverpool fans would disagree with me there. I believe a goal scoring forward is needed. Not just wanted, but needed, badly.
I thought Downing did well for once, he grabbed a couple of assists, he looked dangerous and that was one of his better games i thought. But Downing is so lazy at the other end. The minimum i expect from Liverpool players is graft, and commitment. Downing shows neither. Disagree if you want, but i like seeing players run 20 yards just to make a tackle. That is what fans love. We can take the mistakes, the poor form, but we cannot see players not trying.
Suarez was great once again. I still don't believe he should be a lone striker, he always seems to play his best when in behind the striker, and that also reduces the pressure and expectation of needing to score.
He missed a very important chance early on, through his amazing dedication and skill which sees him dribble past players and create good goal scoring chances. But he really should be putting more goals away though.
I also feel when played behind the striker, which i feel is his best position, gives him room and time to dribble and link up play.
I also feel King Kenny has to take some blame too. I don't understand why we changed the team from Stoke. I felt we played great against Stoke, and i don't see any purpose in his decision. Especially to bring in Adam, who i like, but shouldn't have played, in my opinion. Gerrard & Spearing were forming an awesome partnership together, and i felt Adam's inclusion, didn't help their flow.
I believe that taking Suarez off was a poor decision too. If Suarez had played for the entire game, i felt that we probably would have got a draw, minimum. Simply because Andy was very poor when it came on, and i feel he can be slow at adapting to the pace of the match when coming on as a sub sometimes.
I also don't like how Dalglish consistently blames "luck" for the defeat. He said something along the lines that QPR got the luck from their earlier match against Bolton.
Luck is definitely a huge factor in many of our poor results, but it simply isn't always due to luck. For us to be dropping so many points, in many games where we've been by far the better side, means that their has to be a fundamental problem within our team. Mainly, our goal scoring.
Overall I'm very disappointed, because we're 7th in the league. That isn't acceptable. Even if we won both domestic cups. I've been thrilled by the cups campaigns so far, but we shouldn't accept having a shockingly poor premier league season, just to be competitive in the cups.
Anyway, lets just assume top 4 is gone, play without any pressure, give 100% out in the next match and take it one game at a time and see where we end up at the end of the season.
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