Liverpool 2:1 Southampton. In game and post match relief.

Hello friends. New member to the boards! First ever Post!

Bottom line - pleased to get the opening day win.

Far from a vintage performance, but a little rustiness has to be expected. None of the big teams have impressed yet, but early days. 

Thought Lucas and Johnson had poor games. But Lovren and Skrtel looked good together. Some nice flashes from Sterling.

Thought Allen added some much needed energy when he came on.

Poor performance,but just happy with the win at this stage of the season.
Could also be a blessing playing the top half teams this early on while everybody is still settling in.

Special mentions to Mignolet, Manquillo, Lovren, Skrtel and Sterling for good performances today. I wont read too much into the performance yet, however i am worried that we may fall short unless we get another quality striker, who can create and finish. Last season, the movement of our front 3 created alot of space and chances...we need another player who can create goals if we dont manage to find a top striker. Right now, it looks like we depend on Cou and Sterking to create most of our goalscoring chances.

3 Points in the bag though, all that matters!

It's not often we win a game and then I want to avoid watching it again on MOTD but I think this one nearly fits that category!

We were crap. Awful going forward and jittery at the back but got the points and that's all what matters really.

Thought Lovren had a steady debut. Was impressed with him overall.

I was critical of Sterling on here last week stating he won't score enough goals for us and that his final pass can be poor sometimes but he was the only spark in our side today. Voted for him for motm.

Big fan of Lucas, think he will be very useful for us in the CL games, but he shouldn't have started today. Would have liked to have seen the boss be a bit more adventurous.

However, I hope for the opposite against Man City. 5 Man defence bringing sakho in, diamond midfield with sturridge up top please gaffer. Based on today, I'd be made up with a draw at their place.

I think with Stevie and Lucas we play wit a big gap between the  midfield and the front 3..
The first gameis always tricky so the result is far more important than the performance

Mignolet save

https://vine.co/v/M35TpwLgitz

I think with Stevie and Lucas we play wit a big gap between the  midfield and the front 3..
The first gameis always tricky so the result is far more important than the performance

Yeah, I noticed that. A big vacuum there that Southampton exploited well. At least one of them has to have the legs to cover that area - neither Gerrard or Lucas did. Once Allen came on, he drove forward and exploited that space well in that good spell we had which led to the goal. I thought Gerrard's distribution and passing was fine, but once Southampton got a hold on the game, he was absent, and I'm not trying to deflect blame from Gerrard, but Lucas didn't do his job. Too often he mistouched the ball or misplaced it and Southampton got it and we were right on the defensive. Ideally have someone of Allen's energy there in the next game or Can.

But Allen was really encouraging to show we've got the options to rectify such problems.

All first games have been scrappy affairs, and there's no one team which performed really well. But I think it's only us and Arsenal who got home wins this weekend?

Southampton equalised Clyne 56′
Allen came on at 63'
Lambert came on at 76'
Sturridge scored the WINNER at 79′

Allen and Lambert came on and they made an impact. We won.

What I find "worrying" is the fact that even though we did win, there are still negative posts here.

If you want to worry something, then start supporting Man Utd.

No need for bullshit remarks like that. If you cannot respect someone's post, then don't even bother responding to them.

Even when they were on the pitch, Southampton still looked like scoring. Our 2nd goal came from a Sterling assist and a Sturridge goal.

People are entitled to be worried and they are entitled to express their concerns on a football forum without the abuse. Stop trying to dictate everyone's mindset.

Not surprised that Can didn't start - it's usually mandatory to not put new signings in at the deep end from the off. Manquillo and Lovren had to start because, well, it couldn't get worse in defence at times last year.

Rodgers played it safe with putting a tried and tested player in Lucas there, but that will change undoubtedly as we go into the next few weeks.

Allen played extremely well when he came on. Our back line had a very good game, although I didn't think Johnson looked all that bothered, he knows the writings on the wall with Moreno coming in. I would have Johnson partly at fault for that Southampton goal as he was dilly dallying at the corner of the box when he could have come in and crowded out the chance a lot quicker than he tried to. Very impressed with both Lovren and Manquillo.

Lucas and Gerrard doesn't seem to work as others have already stated.

Sterling and Henderson played blinders today, that ball from Hendo... 

Ugly win, but a win nonetheless. On to City next week, hoping Can is back for that one and can see Coutinho being much more effective too.

Not surprised that Can didn't start - it's usually mandatory to not put new signings in at the deep end from the off. Manquillo and Lovren had to start because, well, it couldn't get worse in defence at times last year.

I too thought this but then I was thinking, when does Can start? Against City away, Spurs away? Surely if he can't start at home to a Soton side that's had its first team decimated, then when can Can (there it is ) start?

Allen played extremely well when he came on. Our back line had a very good game, although I didn't think Johnson looked all that bothered, he knows the writings on the wall with Moreno coming in. I would have Johnson partly at fault for that Southampton goal as he was dilly dallying at the corner of the box when he could have come in and crowded out the chance a lot quicker than he tried to. Very impressed with both Lovren and Manquillo.

Lucas and Gerrard doesn't seem to work as others have already stated.

Sterling and Henderson played blinders today, that ball from Hendo... 

Ugly win, but a win nonetheless. On to City next week, hoping Can is back for that one and can see Coutinho being much more effective too.

Allen should have started that game in my opinion.

I was watching highlights from that game where we beat the mancs 2-0 with a late nog goal and Lucas played like a completely different player. It's disappointing to see just how debilitating those injures he suffered were.

Allen should have started that game in my opinion.

I was watching highlights from that game where we beat the mancs 2-0 with a late nog goal and Lucas played like a completely different player. It's disappointing to see just how debilitating those injures he suffered were.

I'll agree with you there. Might have offered something different and maybe allowed Coutinho to also have a better game but we won anyways so no point talking about it further.

Agree on Lucas too, isn't the Lucas of old unfortunately. He would work very well in a side that plays a system with two holding midfielders though, just not in our current systems.

No need for bullshit remarks like that. If you cannot respect someone's post, then don't even bother responding to them.

Even when they were on the pitch, Southampton still looked like scoring. Our 2nd goal came from a Sterling assist and a Sturridge goal.

People are entitled to be worried and they are entitled to express their concerns on a football forum without the abuse. Stop trying to dictate everyone's mindset.

I think your diatribe a couple of weeks back complaining about selling Suarez and that the likes of Sterling would be worse off without him was made to look a bit pathetic considering the young man's performance today.

No need for bullshit remarks like that. If you cannot respect someone's post, then don't even bother responding to them.

Even when they were on the pitch, Southampton still looked like scoring. Our 2nd goal came from a Sterling assist and a Sturridge goal.

People are entitled to be worried and they are entitled to express their concerns on a football forum without the abuse. Stop trying to dictate everyone's mindset.

Where is the abuse numb nuts?

You criticise me for stating that the substitutions of Allen & Lambert did in fact make an impact, when you implied that it was worrying that they were all we could muster and did not make an impact.

Did I say Southampton were never in the game after they came on, did I? I don't think I did.

I never said you could not have an opinion, did I?
I was disagreeing with you, as you rightly said "People are entitled .....to express their concerns on a football forum", as I did.

But you then fall foul of your own high moral standards of free speech, and criticise me, by trying to dictate my mindset.

People in glass houses should not throw stones.

Great 3 points simple as that. Anyone who thought 4 nil today was result that was going to happen needs to stick to there computer games.

We weren't great nor were we this time last year when we beat Stoke. Only gripe I have today is how Lucas lost his man for the goal. Shouldn't be happening from a man of his experience and again we waited for them to score before upping our level

All in all 3 points in the bag 37 games to go good start

Hello friends. New member to the boards! First ever Post!

Bottom line - pleased to get the opening day win.

Far from a vintage performance, but a little rustiness has to be expected. None of the big teams have impressed yet, but early days. 

Thought Lucas and Johnson had poor games. But Lovren and Skrtel looked good together. Some nice flashes from Sterling.

Thought Allen added some much needed energy when he came on.

Welcome mate! 

Pretty much agree with what you have written - hopefully our performances will improve as they did last year!

What I find "worrying" is the fact that even though we did win, there are still negative posts here.

Sometimes we lose a game and there are lots of positive opinions and sometimes we can win and it's the opposite. Such a fine line between winning and losing so winning the game doesn't mean you simply brush any deficiencies under the carpet and pretend they weren't there. Same as when we play well and lose but are unlucky it is important to take the positives from the game if they are there.

Bottom line today was to get the three points but on the flip side, there were some worries.

- Sturridge and Coutinho were marginalised for the majority of the game
- in the first half we had a lot of possession without looking like threatening their goal
- they were probably the better team from the moment we scored the first goal
- they really should have taken a couple of simple chances that came their way

Positives for me were

- The result
- An excellent debut from Dejan Lovren
- A solid debut from young Manquillo
- Another tireless performance from Henderson
- Some important touches from Raheem
- The result

Mignolet was my MOTM.

Thought Lovren, Skrtel and Manquillo played well.  Johnson was awful.

Lucas was our worst player today IMO. He just looked uninterested and gave them several chances. Gerrard was alright.

Hendo and Sterling were great as well as Sturridge. Allen was excellent when he came on and Lambert added pressure to the Southampton back 4.

We gave the ball away a staggering amount of times today and Sturridge looked isolated up top. There was virtually no link up play from the midfielders to Sterling and Sturridge. Think we might see Lambert start next game so Sturridge has another man up top and will not have to drop as deep to get the ball.

Not the best performance ever, but very pleased with the opening 3 points
 was difficult , esp. in the 2nd half,
 credit to southampton too, good team effort from them following all the players they lost from last year

As said above ,very important 3 points, in view of next away city and spurs games

apart from the great save from Mignolet , Lovren-skrtel-hendo-sterling  were very good
  decent debut for marquillo too
 johnson not good enough again IMO, hope Moreno will get in the team to replace him, and not shift glen to the right instead of marquillo


 all in all very happy for a good start

YNWA
 

Mignolet save

https://vine.co/v/M35TpwLgitz

Wow, just wow!

Wow, just wow!

Could have well been in the brown stuff today only for Migs.

Just re-watched the game, Coutinho, Johnson and Gerrard our worst three, Skrtel, Manquillo & Sterling our best.  Southampton were well drilled, Koeman deserves credit for that.  3 pts on the board, which was the goal.