Anzhi Mackachkala 1-0 Liverpool: In game and Post Match Comments

In fairness to the players and the manager, it was hardly the biggest surprise in the world that we didn't look like scoring. I still think that if you put a couple of potent attackers into our team we'd look like a good side, and the real tester is whether or not we can get them over the next twelve months or so.

As it is, teams are pretty happy for us to have the ball for long periods, as the likelihood is we won't create much anyhow. Once we find ourselves a sniffer and someone who can attack a cross (hopefully that's two players) teams will be far more nervous about us having possession of the football for long periods. At the moment we haven't even got the option of slinging it in, as we've nobody in there.

Tonight we did ok, we had five or six youth team players playing and they all did well. Suso put in his best shift for a month and looked quality, and I remain covinced we are quite a bit closer than we look.

Summed up well Mick

We're five months in. We haven't nailed control, defending or attacking yet.

Don't worry though, we won the passing.

Pity you don't win cups for passing....

Pity you don't win cups for passing....

I know mate, look I like Rodger's but I don't feel wedded to him in the same way I felt about previous managers... at least not yet.

I want him to do well but the more I look at it the more I think he needs to look at getting results with these players then move to implementing a philosophy. Even then the philosophy itself has to be adapted I feel, make it slightly more Gladbach than Barcelona.

It's all about the goals. And we haven't got many people capable of giving us them.

That's it in a nutshell, sadly.  Roll on January, let's hope we can get someone experienced in to help in that department.

Unlucky performance, although the fact we haven't got many striking options was pretty glaring tonight. Agree with what those ar saying about Suso, looked top quality when he came on in the second half. I really am struggling with why Rodgers is persisting with Cole, needs binning as soon as possible. And also thought Morgan put in a good shift in the first half and imo looks a little bit more polished at the moment than Yesil does.

Still in with a chance of qualifying, definitely need to win the next game against Young Boys and then a win/draw against Udinese should see us through.

That's it in a nutshell, sadly.  Roll on January, let's hope we can get someone experienced in to help in that department.

Indeed and let's hope they come in early January rather than towards the end of the month. We'll be going spare in here if it's left late.

I know mate, look I like Rodger's but I don't feel wedded to him in the same way I felt about previous managers... at least not yet.

I want him to do well but the more I look at it the more I think he needs to look at getting results with these players then move to implementing a philosophy. Even then the philosophy itself has to be adapted I feel, make it slightly more Gladbach than Barcelona.

That's half the problem - the fans aren't fully connected to him yet - and won't until things improve. If it was Kenny or Rafa and everything was the same IMO the general feeling would be massively more positive. That's natural though

Unlucky performance, although the fact we haven't got many striking options was pretty glaring tonight. Agree with what those ar saying about Suso, looked top quality when he came on in the second half. I really am struggling with why Rodgers is persisting with Cole, needs binning as soon as possible. And also thought Morgan put in a good shift in the first half and imo looks a little bit more polished at the moment than Yesil does.

Still in with a chance of qualifying, definitely need to win the next game against Young Boys and then a win/draw against Udinese should see us through.

If Anzhi beat or draw against Udinese then a win against Young Boys will see us through - Young Boys beating Udinese helped tonight

Good possession but again toothless in attack story of our season.

Way to bare up front for this level of football.

That's half the problem - the fans aren't fully connected to him yet - and won't until things improve. If it was Kenny or Rafa and everything was the same IMO the general feeling would be massively more positive. That's natural though

Yeah but how do we feel more connected with him? By him winning games of football.

I'm just started to feel a bit patronised by others fans, the club and, to a degree, the media telling me just because we passed it well we're doing okay even if we aren't winning.

I appreciate the technical differences he is trying to implement but we've always been a passing team and we certainly were last season. Passing it well is not quite enough for me to feel stupendously positive overall, we need to win games. A little less ideology a little more goals and winning is enough to buy Rodgers' the time to implement a vision because simply talking a good game about passing without winning is not.

Possession stats on there own are F***ing meaningless.

So F***ing what if we had loads of possession if we created F**k all.

Useless stat on its own.

A great man said recently in interview you can have all the possession you want in the world means nothing its where you have that possession.

All depends on what you expect from a LIVERPOOL team if its mediocrity then we are doing well.
We haven't started playing football this season, we have been playing football for a while now as our history would suggest.
This way of playing football is great until you need to score and we havent exactly been banging in the goals regardless of possesion etc.
I guess its down to if you have expectations of the team or the club.
My expectations for this team is to get somewhere close to last seasons finish whilst the expectations for the club are much much higher.
If the two dont meet each other then we are left with a lot of frustrated supporters.
As a team tonight they knocked the ball around well but the opposition have become used to this and are happy to let us knock it around in our own half.
Last season under Kenny we had massive amounts of possesion loads of chances and had similar results so whatever the problems Kenny had Brendan is experiencing the same.
Can anyone say hand on heart we have made any progression this season.

Good possession but again toothless in attack story of our season.

Way to bare up front for this level of football.

Same as last season then.

Yeah but how do we feel more connected with him? By him winning games of football.

I'm just started to feel a bit patronised by others fans, the club and, to a degree, the media telling me just because we passed it well we're doing okay even if we aren't winning.

I appreciate the technical differences he is trying to implement but we've always been a passing team and we certainly were last season. Passing it well is not quite enough for me to feel stupendously positive overall, we need to win games. A little less ideology a little more goals and winning is enough to buy Rodgers' the time to implement a vision because simply talking a good game about passing without winning is not.

I haven't mentioned anything about passing or possession stats etc.

Yes we will feel more connected to him when he wins more games but IMO he is trying to do it the right way and get us playing the right way. In the prem we are moving forward - we are looking good to qualify for the Europa league knockout.

There are lots of positives within the club at the moment and they will shine through - BR needs to break out from under the shadows of previous managers and build the team his way. Things are disjointed but they will come together and a couple of attackers will help that out.

All depends on what you expect from a LIVERPOOL team if its mediocrity then we are doing well.
We haven't started playing football this season, we have been playing football for a while now as our history would suggest.
This way of playing football is great until you need to score and we havent exactly been banging in the goals regardless of possesion etc.
I guess its down to if you have expectations of the team or the club.
My expectations for this team is to get somewhere close to last seasons finish whilst the expectations for the club are much much higher.
If the two dont meet each other then we are left with a lot of frustrated supporters.
As a team tonight they knocked the ball around well but the opposition have become used to this and are happy to let us knock it around in our own half.
Last season under Kenny we had massive amounts of possesion loads of chances and had similar results so whatever the problems Kenny had Brendan is experiencing the same.
Can anyone say hand on heart we have made any progression this season.

In the league I believe we have made steps forward compared to what I saw from last season.

The only positive fans really care about is 3 points and a good performance, not the restructuring of the balance sheet and the slashing of the wages bill neither of which get you any points.

Looking at our attacking options or lack of them what really did the owners expect from this season.

Were they prepared to write it off because if we are honest is anyone surprised we are struggling

The only positive fans really care about is 3 points and a good performance, not the restructuring of the balance sheet and the slashing of the wages bill neither of which get you any points.

Who has mentioned anything about wage bill !!

There was a good performance tonight yet you just dismissed them !

#blamefsg

What the F**k ! and I was worried I got a bit too negative at times. The team that was put out didn't do bad for me. Cole, Downing and Henderson could argue they might play better with more senior payers around them. For me thats being carried so theie individual performances tonight say they are just not good enough. That only reinforced what most of us already knew. The younger members, who you may recall, have recently been playing for our reserves, or even the U 18s, pretty well showed that we have talent coming through. Against a team of mostly hardened professionals, some internationals, I think they can hold their heads high. Thought we may get a draw when I saw the squad, but didn't think they would perform as well as they did. Proud of them. I think we will see a stronger side for the remaining two games , and that we'll probably qualify for the knockout stages, but hey ! not the end of the world. I hoped we would win like many others, but if you expected to win,  I think you need to get back to reality. Stoill convinced we are heading in the right direction, and all will come good. 

What the F**k ! and I was worried I got a bit too negative at times. The team that was put out didn't do bad for me. Cole, Downing and Henderson could argue they might play better with more senior payers around them. For me thats being carried so theie individual performances tonight say they are just not good enough. That only reinforced what most of us already knew. The younger members, who you may recall, have recently been playing for our reserves, or even the U 18s, pretty well showed that we have talent coming through. Against a team of mostly hardened professionals, some internationals, I think they can hold their heads high. Thought we may get a draw when I saw the squad, but didn't think they would perform as well as they did. Proud of them. I think we will see a stronger side for the remaining two games , and that we'll probably qualify for the knockout stages, but hey ! not the end of the world. I hoped we would win like many others, but if you expected to win,  I think you need to get back to reality. Stoill convinced we are heading in the right direction, and all will come good. 

+1 great post and good to see some positivity

Is not to bad keeping the score down we created absolutely nothing. Thought brad Jones had a good game.

All tonight did was highlight the problems.

Ya we kept good possession across the midfield and at the back but we were not brave in possession. To many to happy to keep possession without being brave enough to try anything. Only player with an ounce of pentration was suso when he came on.

An absolutely nothing performance. Anyone can keep possession at the back and in midfield. Its about what you do in the final third that matters.

what is it in defeat that prompts people to think we are going in the right direction.Has everyone become brainwashed into thinking having the majority of possesion means something.
What does it mean because last time I looked we had 12 points from 10 games just got beaten again and play Chelsea on sunday.
This season unless a miracle happens in january is going to be over by January.

Is not to bad keeping the score down we created absolutely nothing. Thought brad Jones had a good game.

All tonight did was highlight the problems.

Ya we kept good possession across the midfield and at the back but we were not brave in possession. To many to happy to keep possession without being brave enough to try anything. Only player with an ounce of pentration was suso when he came on.

An absolutely nothing performance. Anyone can keep possession at the back and in midfield. Its about what you do in the final third that matters.

If we are giving +1 for being positive then we should also give a+1 for being honest and REALISTIC.