We Are Slow On The Attack!

Anyone notice that when we switch from defence to attack we are always slow thus allowing the opposition to re-organise and close shop (Very frustrating). Is it because of the poor positioning of our midfield players and strikers or that our players cannot run fast enough (don't think so) or lack of confidence to launch a quick attack, or more of a "safety first approach" tactic intructed by the manager? In Arsenal, we could notice that when on defense, their players are ready to launch an attack, once regain possesion their midfileders and strikers would have have taken - up position to launch an attack. 1-2-3 passes, the players are at the goalmouth trying to score. As for us, 1-2-3 passes and we are still trying to go pass the half-way line. Before we could play like Arsenal, we will need to improve our passing big time. If we play Momo Sisoko we will never be able to see an effective attack initiated by him as his first touch of the ball is of schollboy standard and he can't pass a ball accurately, either overpass or underpass and our strikers don't need these kind of passes.  Very frustrating.

Yeah ive noticed that when we switch from defence to attack we are always slow, i was at the Marselie game midweek, the same applied there, i think playing Momo and Riise in the same team is a big mistake, Riise runs down the flank on the attack then passes it backwards, instead of just taking on the defender, he has a lethal shot on him aswell, what a waste. As for Momo, i dont think he is the same player he was when he first joined us, no confidence, no ball control, waste passes, sits in midfield scratching his head, i hope he gains his confidence soon, as he is world class.

You r absoloutely right, if i'm the opposition manager i'll be smiling away if i see the opposition team sheet with Momo & JAR playing together as Momo can't start an effecttive attack while u just have to pin JAR to L'pool's half and make sure u push him to the by-line and he can't do anything effective as he's through and through a left footed player and he can't turn to his right leg and goes pass defenders. If we care to notice, opposition defenders seldom allows JAR to go passs the half way mark, if he does makes sure he does not go near the 4th quarter, and if he does he can do damages. Besides being too left footed, we have to admit that JAR does not have the speed, so he can't outrun defenders from his own half, when he's at his own half he'll struggle to start an attack as he's got a problem trying to go pass defenders and if he does he can't run the length as he does not have the speed and he'll most probably loose the ball and we've seen that time and again.  What Rafael Benitez (RB) is asking of JAR is something impossible for him to perform due to his natural shortcomings. If RB wants JAR to be effective, make sure someone else starts the attack, get JAR to run and park himself at the last quarter, make sure the pass goes to him to do the damage. Actually, he's got a very good cross and shooting abilities, RB is just not exploiting these strong points and just exposing his weaknesses week in week out (pretty frustrating) and blind to JAR shortcoimings, which JAR can't do much about it. Jermaine Pennant is the same, interms of its weaknesses except that he's on the right and yet RB keeps asking him to start an attack from his own half??? At times i just wonder whether RB notices the 2 players natural shortcomings and camouflage it and work to their strengths???

Our JAR is almost equivalent to Arsenal's Hleb & Aresene Wenger is smart and realises that Hleb does not have the speed so don't try to outrun defenders. When Hleb gets the ball, he passes to someon else and he sprint to the oppositin 3rd or 4th quarter and starts to do the damage due to its trickery moves.

Having said so much, i hope RB realises these weaknesses and starts to work on them, otherwise, our 4 world class strikers will be be reduced to just average strikers.




As for Momo he'll have to really work on this ball control first, otherwise he'll be a liability as the Marseille game has proven so. I'm of the opinion he's only 1/2 a great player at the moment as he can only defend not start an attack where any world class midfielder is expected to be able to do so. It reminds me of the not too distant pass of Patrick Vierra which can break down an opposition attack and start an effecticve attack and we saw opposition palyers grabbing, tripping, pushing, rugby tackled him to break - up an attack.

passing slow from defender to midfielder then midfielders have to find where is the winger!!! too slow!!! i totally agreed liv is slow! 

Who cares if its slow??? football is about patience....holding onto possession of the ball, and working it forward when the opportunity presents...
Whats the rush guys?? We dont have to always attack attack attack just for the sake of it.....
Also, xabi alonso missing from the squad doesnt help with our fluency and cohesion when we knock the ball around and keep posession of it...

Scouser 10, i think that is what we are seeing now from the side. They arent rushed enough. Holding possession is the reason why its hard to score. We have Torres and Voronin up front, lets use their pace to catch teams napping on the counter. Look at the Reading game for example, Torres's one on one. Quick movement on the counter, Stevie see's Torres and plays the through ball. It's all a matter of getting it up as quick as we can and hurting teams on the counter. Just like Arsenal who have been the most exciting team to watch for the past decade.

i remember we used to be a great counter attacking team .....wtf is goin on now...*sigh*

I agree.. and the slowest thinker in midfield right now is our very own, and beloved, Stevie G... really needs to get a grip.

Looks up... stops looks up... stops... when he used to DRIVE and go at the oppos defence with style, speed and cojones... what's happened Stevie?

What ever it is - it's need sorting... and international England duty isn't exactly going to do that is it?

to catch teams on the counter attack, and to catch them unawares, we need to hold onto posession of the ball, let the other team chase it, they will get tirred, whilst in the mean time, our attacking players are creating space for one another....it has to be a tactical thing, Rafa needs to sort it out in my opinion....we have the strike force capable of scoring goals, no doubt....but football isnt always about attacking, i love watching a side hold possesion of the ball, whilst the other team chases, we have to become more confident and comfortable to do that.....
The best teams in the world are those that control the tempo of the game and dictate the terms on game day....they control when they attack and when they score goals, they dont attack just for the sake of it....knock the ball around the back four, switch play to the wings, if nothing presents itself, restart from the back again....its smart play and signs of a quality squad....

we are slow because we sign crap player......we will not win #19 this season and next season and next season.....

we are slow because we sign crap player......we will not win #19 this season and next season and next season.....

Who are you suggesting is a crap signing?

we are slow because we sign crap player......we will not win #19 this season and next season and next season.....

ohh, its you again....the super coach and super football analyst...why dont you play for us then buddy??
As a matter of fact, why dont u cut the crap with you pessemisitc commentary, as all of us REAL liverpool supporters dont appreciate it....

this is something ive got at in other topics. I dont think its that we are slow to attack but its the numbers we do it with. Against Marseille for example leto got the ball carried it lost it but all he had in front of him was Torres with 2 men on him. No full backs tearing up the wings and no centre midfielders bursting there arse to get up and join him. I actually think that we have good attacking players if the mentallity was changed. especially at home I think we should take the reins off a bit and really go at teams from the off batter them early to take away any belief/confidence they have 

The fact is, if u create enough scoring chances u will miss a few here and there but may also score a few here and there to win a game. But if you don't create enough chances u may may easily loose a game. Case in point, watch Arsenal's last few games, they created near a dozen scoring chances, missed a few but scored enough to win a game. So, that tells us one thing, u create enough scoring chances the probability of u winning the game is higher. As for us, at 0-0 we're still stroking the ball around the park, when we're 1-0 down we only pick up momentum, by then the opposition may have 1/2 closed shop. Brian 78, u r absolutely right when we switched fr. defense to attack we just don't have enough numbers to do it effectively because we have not been practising to do so. Need to re-look at our tactics.

As long as we don't go long ball.

I get so pissed with Pepe when he lobs it up front to Torres or Crouch...

He must have done it 30 times this season - and NOTHING has come of it at all...

Steady build-up through the spine will do it... but SG offensive mf role is critical and right now he looks more than lost (in confidence... although had a decent 1st half... the Voro pissing around with the ball instead of shooting - cracked him - which is NOT good he is better player than that and MUST stay positive).

im no coach here but i know liverpool is not capable of producing good attacking football and create dozen of chance and scoring may be out of 3 or 4 of it.and win the game...its the same year in year out...i know how to watch football and what is good football..we got pennant who is no confidence breaking down oppo defender then we got sisoko who cant even pass the ball correctly..then we have no left back to support our attacking...JAR?yes he can sometimes put a good volley but almost all the time cant pass 1 defender...you all can call me what ever you want..but hey this is a free world and im using my right to say whatever i want even sometime i may hurt some people here..sorry bout that..but thats the truth about our beloved liverpool football club.....tired of waiting season by season with no league title...i dont give a damn bout us winning UCL.we want to challenge MANURE and ARSEHOL.getting sick seeing MANURE winning by 3 4 goals margin and seeing how easy the can score bcos their player have this winning mentality....we do have that mentality but we lack quality going forward..do not create chances for strikers...its so frustrating...

(Use Capital letters and the enter key at the end of your sentences you lazy get and I might be arsed to read your post (Admin)

im no coach here but I know liverpool is not capable of producing good attacking football and create dozen of chance and scoring may be out of 3 or 4 of it.and win the game...its the same year in year out...I know how to watch football and what is good football..we got pennant who is no confidence breaking down oppo defender then we got sisoko who cant even pass the ball correctly..then we have no left back to support our attacking...JAR?yes he can sometimes put a good volley but almost all the time cant pass 1 defender...you all can call me what ever you want..but hey this is a free world and im using my right to say whatever I want even sometime I may hurt some people here..sorry bout that..but thats the truth about our beloved liverpool football club.....tired of waiting season by season with no league title...I dont give a damn bout us winning UCL.we want to challenge MANURE and ARSEHOL.getting sick seeing MANURE winning by 3 4 goals margin and seeing how easy the can score bcos their player have this winning mentality....we do have that mentality but we lack quality going forward..do not create chances for strikers...its so frustrating...

Spot on. Someone must send this post to Rafa as an eye opener.

atoyot, i share the same frustration year in year out and i can truly understand your feelings. I'm hoping and praying that one day our football will resemble that of our great 70 and 80s team, hope to see that before i run out of time.

All i see in the Liverpool team so far is obvios weak points, like atoyot said, LB is especially weak (i like aurellio but riise isnt good enough and arbeloa can be dodgy at LB) but the reall problem area is LM, i mean do we have a real LM in the entire team (Kewell yes but he only plays in the finals so does that show you something about teh depth of the team)

We are creating the chances just not finishing them we were unlucky v Spurs we should have won that game the punt 2 long balls up and get 2 goals its just down to luck i think.

May be Rafa is only good in Europe.He i think is not capable of EPL.But we still not won yet in Europe this season... ???I would give him another season ie. this season.The Yank must get someone else to bring us the #19 i guess......

How can you be so pessemistic?? It's nice to see the support you show towards this club and this coach....I've got all the faith that Rafa can bring is number 19, if not this season, definitely next....
We also do need abit of modification to this team as well..... our team is not fully balanced at the moment, and once we get a world class winger like quaresma, and replacement centre back, i think we'll be right up there!!! So give it time, as its a work in progress....

very brave to say that on the boards atoyot but i agree.

yea spot on about being slow on the attack, wot does my head in, is when are defenders knock the ball back to Reina to huffin up the pitch to crouch and fernando, and wait for the opposite team to take the ball of them before they can bring the ball down, which is so frustrating, we should pass the ball around the pitch, tireing opposing teams out and wait for the oppurtinty to come when we see a gap in the defence slide the ball thorught and let the strikers do the rest, and also we only seem to use crouch for in the air, but he has got quick feet and smart tricks, so rafa should give him a chance with out trying to get Reina to smash the ball up to his head, and also if your going to buy a 12 million pound winger (babel) and put him on the bench behind leto and riise, why was he bought. Riise can only get just past the half way line and then turn around and give it back to the defence to give babck to Reina, and then give the ball to sissoko to give away. and for the rotation surley players can play 4 or 5 games in a row this early in the season. and I dont believe we can win the title under benitez. and if we do then ok illl put my hand up and say I was wrong, and also if we are really chanllaging for the title why are putting key players on the bench (in the Portsmouth and birmingham games) and startin them in carling cup games. So come on Rafa look at are weakness and strenghen them.  and maybe next season we can bring in a class CB, LB and winger then I can see us pushing more for the title, but for know ill give it untill January, and then I'll have a re- think. and yes I know were are unbeaten, but were droppong two points weres we should be taking 3 point. and maybe pakos departure has effected the team as of when he left and when problems started accuring the timing is the same.

^^^ very good point, especially about babel i think that he needs more of a chance, he reminds me of c.ronaldo in his 1st season at utd, not everything he done worked, but still was very exiting to watch and see if it does

^^^ very good point, especially about babel i think that he needs more of a chance, he reminds me of c.ronaldo in his 1st season at utd, not everything he done worked, but still was very exiting to watch and see if it does

He's hardly played to be honest.  Fairly sure Ronaldo got a decent run out at United in his first year.

The Gonzalez syndrome was acceptable because we didn't pay much for him.  Babel is a threat and needs to be played much more.  The decision to play Leto against Marseille ahead of Babel still confounds me.

Rafa has too many weak points to guide us home im sorry.
His squad decisions are way to poor. I think his defence in rotation has gotten to his mind. Over rotating players wont help.
Kuyt and Torres are out main strikers, use them! Babel is our best LM, use him! 4-4-2 isnt wokring now so change it. Our youngsters deserve a go now more than ever. could it get worse? doubt it. He hasnt tried fixing things with Pako yet, its no coinciidence why we have dropped. He is way too stubborn. His tactics. The mentallity he instills in the players.

Rafa has too many weak points to guide us home im sorry.
His squad decisions are way to poor. I think his defence in rotation has gotten to his mind. Over rotating players wont help.
Kuyt and Torres are out main strikers, use them! Babel is our best LM, use him! 4-4-2 isnt wokring now so change it. Our youngsters deserve a go now more than ever. could it get worse? doubt it. He hasnt tried fixing things with Pako yet, its no coinciidence why we have dropped. He is way too stubborn. His tactics. The mentallity he instills in the players.

Don't mention Pako... por favor!

Sure he has made a couple of mistakes this season - but hey he is a proven winning leader and will get it right.

I frankly feel our poor start has more do to with SG and JC mis-firing in critical games...

When SG and JC were both out injured - toe and rib injuries respectively - the team went on a decent run...

So, if i were to say, rest SG and JC this week?

^^^ very good point, especially about babel I think that he needs more of a chance, he reminds me of c.ronaldo in his 1st season at utd, not everything he done worked, but still was very exiting to watch and see if it does

You are right, he's exciting to watch but the problem with him is, he over dribbles and goes side ways and ends up going nowhere. he's got a very good first touch and speed, Rafa should exploit that to the fullest and makes him goes pass defenders in the first instance.