Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool: In-game & post-match wake-up call

ha ha least we not as bad as arsenal

Really? I seem to remember them playing us off the park this season aswell. But that has no relevance.

We missed a big chance today, the mancs were there to be had and we blew it.

Suarez was isolated, the wide players even though they were given no ball did very little to come and find it and even drop in and help the midfield, they seem to be told tactically to stay high and wait for the ball.

Is that why there mid field 4 passed around our 2 in the first half ? No wonder Lucas was left chasing shadows.

I said at the beginning of the season that the table didn't matter to me. With a new manager, new system, thin squad I've judged things by performances not points.

So I can't say I'm all that upset about the loss today.

The first half was awful. And had it remained that way I would have been very disappointed. I was fine with not starting Sturridge, as having him at the end was more important than having him at the start. I thought the big mistake was starting Allen over Henderson. Allen had a shocker. We could have used Henderson's legs and stability early on. Lucky for us, Danny Welbeck is awful and didn't put away the chances we gifted him.

Fact is, Rodgers made the right moves in the second half and the team responded almost immediately. Sturridge, Suarez and Borini look like a very promising front three. And what a difference it made having three attack-minded players who want to get in front of goal. In the first half, we'd get the ball to the wing and no one would be in the box. In the second half, the box was flooded with black shirts. Sturridge's goal was exactly the kind of goal that has been there all season, we've just lacked the player who makes that run and poaches. More importantly, he and Suarez combined well in limited minutes. It was also great to see Borini ahead of schedule in terms of fitness.

The defense does need to shape up, especially on set pieces. Embarrassing to give up that second goal like that. Evra and Vidic were both left completely open.

Thankfully Howard Webb didn't make any big, game altering decisions, but letting play go on while Reina was injured was pretty bad.

All in all, we should have done better in the first half, but the second half, with the introduction of subs who should be starting going forward, looked promising. So that's how I'm looking at it: a first half that shows there's a lot of work to do and a second half to build on.

I think our slow build up play contributes to Sterling looking ineffective as he is a player that enjoys space to run into on the counter.

Him and Downing were much the same for me today as neither offered much.

Not sure if thats directed at me Scott, but did you see any passion, commitment or desire from our players in that first half?

They played us off the pitch in that first half because they wanted it more. We were second to everything and came off lucky to be only 1-0 down. It was one of the most irresolute performances I've seen in a while, against the Mancs as well. This club deserves better than that.

Not aimed at any one individual fella. It just seems the laziest thing that gets trotted out by fans. Take the 1st half today, sometimes you don't win the 2nd balls because you haven't had much of the ball and consequently you end up playing very deep. Sometimes you're not in a position to go steaming into bone-crunching 50/50s because again, you haven't seen much of the ball, your playing a bit too deep and consequently it's all about shape and shuffle and keeping the opposition in front of you.

The lack of effort complaint gets bandied about too much for me. They played better than us in that first half. They passed it better, the played at a much higher tempo with the ball, their movement was better and more clever and they had more ability in their front 3 than we had in ours. It's easy to say that they wanted it more but I didn't see that. I didn't see our lads bottling 50/50s or failing to track runners, did anyone else?

Not aimed at any one individual fella. It just seems the laziest thing that gets trotted out by fans. Take the 1st half today, sometimes you don't win the 2nd balls because you haven't had much of the ball and consequently you end up playing very deep. Sometimes you're not in a position to go steaming into bone-crunching 50/50s because again, you haven't seen much of the ball, your playing a bit too deep and consequently it's all about shape and shuffle and keeping the opposition behind you.

The lack of effort complaint gets bandied about too much for me. They played better than us in that first half. They passed it better, the played at a much higher tempo with the ball, their movement was better and more clever and they had more ability in their front 3 than we had in ours. It's easy to say that they wanted it more but I didn't see that. I didn't see our lads bottling 50/50s or failing to track runners, did anyone else?

Fair enough Scott but what do you think went wrong first half?

Second half we were better than them with almost the same team so do you put it down to the manager not picking the right side as I do, the players not playing well enough or something else?

I think our slow build up play contributes to Sterling looking ineffective as he is a player that enjoys space to run into on the counter.

Him and Downing were much the same for me today as neither offered much.

we never do well if the pace of the game is too slow.the best parts of this match occured when the ball was passed quickly but with some purpose.

To be honest, the entire games was painfully slow in the first 15 minutes. The goal was the only good bit of play in like the first 25 minutes from either side.

Is that why there mid field 4 passed around our 2 in the first half ? No wonder Lucas was left chasing shadows.

Spot on mate, Rodgers comes out and says we play with wide forwards not wingers and then Downing persists on scraping paint yet retains his position in the team. Sterling carries less blame simply because of age and experience, also he does attempt to come inside much more. The workload being placed on our midfield two is too much to ask. Once Sturridge came on and then Borini after you could see the space in the centre of the field was condensed and we had much more of the game and much more opportunity to win it back quickly.

Anyway, 'the next big test' over now. With everything taken into consideration, we could have been 4 down at half time but weren't. Could have nicked a draw second half but didn't. No real progress, but evident that we need decent quality players in fast.  18 days left to make the changes and ship out the rubbish, or wait another season for improvement. Sturridge is looking like a plus but we won't get the best out of him without a decent midfield to feed him. Need to keep beating the teams around and below us to mabey make 6th.
 Think we need to lower our expectations while we have to continue with this squad.

Fair enough Scott but what do you think went wrong first half?

Second half we were better than them with almost the same team so do you put it down to the manager not picking the right side as I do, the players not playing well enough or something else?

Pretty much all the things i've mentioned in my post. We played too deep, I think you need to engage them higher up the pitch otherwise you end up parked on the edge of your own box and they are happy to pass you to death until they find an opening which, with players like RVP doesn't even need to be a clear cut chance as we saw today. I thought we moved the ball too slowly at the back and our midfield 3 did not do enough to show for it when Agger or Skrtel were on the ball. So it was easy for them to press high up the pitch and win it back easlity which they did time and time again. Having said that, it's not like the mance had a bundle of chances themselves in that first half. yes they bossed it and had a couple of other opportunities BUT we've had far more uncomfortable halves of football at thei place over the years so I don't quite get the uproar in here, i really don't.

Don't see how anyone can say we deserved more, did we force De Gea into any saves?

Don't see how anyone can say we deserved more, did we force De Gea into any saves?

we kept shooting wide....

First half not good enough, second half vastly improved but in the end still not good enough.

Reina - did what he had to reasonably well. Couldn't do much about either of the goals.
Wisdom - man of the match, good defensively and offered a real threat going forward.
Skrtel - reasonable performance, apart from the mistake that led to the free kick for the second goal.
Agger - again quite reasonable, apart from getting lost for the first goal.
Johnson - shocking performance.
Lucas - poor, too many cheap fouls and no threat going forward.
Allen - waste of space and shouldn't be playing for Liverpool ever again.
Gerrard - quiet first half but improved in the second and showed a bit more determination.
Sterling - ineffective.
Downing - too quiet.
Suarez - quiet first half due to lack of service but looked to link up well with Sturride.
Sturridge - well taken goal, generally looked lively but missed a good chance on his right that could of earned us a draw.
Borini - got involved and offered some threat at least.
Henderson - plenty of energy but did nothing of any note.

Just too many average players today, nobody really stepping up to the mark in the first half.

But certainly there's some positives to take from the game and hopefully against Norwich we will see Suarez and Sturridge start up top together as they certainly look like they could provide a threat.

This game summed up the whole season to me.
Very poor for half the game and then when we were behind by two goals decided to attack and were a completely different team.
Therefore when we attack with confidence we can match anybody. When we sit and bugger about teams pick us off.
We simply don't look like a side that can sit and pass and score.
We look like a side that can attack and scare the shits out of the opposition so there endeth the lesson.

When the players actually got stuck in and showed some balls and guts we pinned back UTD and they could not cope with our intensity but how come we need to go down by 2 goals before we start playing like that.Forget tactics and choices if players dont give 100% for 90 mins we will always be having these results and conversations.
I am still confused by Brendan but I am more confused by players looking like they are scared to be out there in a Red shirt.
Do your job or F**k off.

Maybe our players go to places like this and play like this because they have been told virtually all season that we are not at the level of the likes of them and it's a long term project.

Tell them thier good enough and they might just have the confidence to go out and prove it.

I didn't understand the rave reviews Joe Allen was getting earlier on in the season, and am not sure why he's getting such a pasting now.
He was poor first half but so was everybody else.
I would have taken him off instead of Lucas, but he actually played alright once Lucas went off.

Downing was poor today, but he had played well the last few weeks. I think it was fair enough starting him, but with Sturridge and Borini available he is gonna drop down the order now.

What exactly is the story with Assaidi btw  - is he off at the Africa cup of nations yet?

Maybe our players go to places like this and play like this because they have been told virtually all season that we are not at the level of the likes of them and it's a long term project.

Tell them thier good enough and they might just have the confidence to go out and prove it.

They dont seem ready yet to run through brick walls for the club or the manager do they.

They dont seem ready yet to run through brick walls for the club or the manager do they.

Maybe because they feel the manager doesn't think they are good enough and doesn't instill enough belief in them.

He's talked often enough about our squad not being good enough and it being a long term project.

Tell a squad of players often enough they aren't good enough to compete and it won't take long for them to believe it and oblige.

Maybe because they feel the manager doesn't think they are good enough and doesn't instill enough belief in them.

He's talked often enough about our squad not being good enough and it being a long term project.

Tell a squad of players often enough they aren't good enough to compete and it won't take long for them to believe it and oblige.

I think confidence is one thing this club has lacked since 2008 and we will need some very big players not young players to get it back on track.

I think confidence is one thing this club has lacked since 2008 and we will need some very big players not young players to get it back on track.

Agree 100% mate but don't see it happening.

It's a sad day when even Gerrard can't raise his game against United. I've never seen a more desperate sight than Suarez's isolation in the first half. Waiting to the 2nd half to bring on Sturridge cost us the game. After the first twenty minutes it was apparent Allen was useless in his role and should have been replaced. How in the world FSG can be content with Allen and not even make an attempt for Alonso is beyond me.