QPR 2:3 Liverpool, In game & post match "discussion".

I don't think Balotelli has an attitude problem at all. I think he is totally out of form and tactically thick. Not clever enough and his decision making is God awful.

Lovren is as worrying. Abismal.

Happy with the three points but very worried about the CF position and our defence.

They're what will cost us top 4 ultimately. We need the Gaffer to not only turn it around between now and the New Year but to also have a very astute window that consists of not so much quantity but quality.

Big few months for the manager.

Watched the game in my local ( Millbank ) thought defence poor, Ballotelli usual self. In all honesty could not tell who where the bottom side, QPR with the luck running against them, managed to beat themselves. That is my true opinion of a very poor game. If we are heavily beaten on Wednesday, it maybe the wake up call the side needs, we'll just have to wait and see.

Changing our system to suit Balo would be totally wrong. Our players play with dynamism, creativity and pace, it's what we're renowned for and  best at doing. But with Balo, he just seems to slow everything down. His movement is woeful, he's selfish and doesn't even hold the ball up well enough.

The only option I'd like is for us to drop him and give Borini a chance.

Can't argue with that TBH. Playing Balo is to the detriment of our 'team' ethos and seeing as Brendan kept Borini here, then at least give him a chance, back up his own pre-season comments and play him. He can't be any fu*king worse. I see that he never even made the subs bench today!

Quote from ORCHARD RED on Today at 10:31:07 AM

Preferably, but I'd gladly take an own goal in the 94th minute as long as we get the points mate!

Yeah but i didn't mean it 

Lovren is as worrying. Abismal.

I'm seriously worried about Brendan's thought process when thinking he is worth £20m. He's an average centre back who had one decent season with Southampton and that's somehow worth that much . I've not seen one great performance from him as of yet.

Watched the game in my local ( Millbank ) thought defence poor, Ballotelli usual self. In all honesty could not tell who where the bottom side, QPR with the luck running against them, managed to beat themselves. That is my true opinion of a very poor game. If we are heavily beaten on Wednesday, it maybe the wake up call the side needs, we'll just have to wait and see.

Or if we somehow win it could the be catalyst for a big turnaround in performances.

Moreno will be back (Jose was dreadful), hopefully Lambert starts and Sterling, Coutinho and Lallana in behind. Hendo and Stevie behind those.

Waiting for it all to click. I hope it isn't like 09 where we keep thinking it will all be ok and doesn't end up like that. But plenty of faith in the team to get it done.

Roll on Thursday!

I'm seriously worried about Brendan's thought process when thinking he is worth £20m. He's an average centre back who had one decent season with Southampton and that's somehow worth that much . I've not seen one great performance from him as of yet.

Even he was surprised to be linked with Liverpool.

Thought he did well in his first couple of games but he's going down hill pretty bloody quickly right now. Seems the case with all our CBs though and that is a bigger worry.

We brought in:

Ilori
Coates
Toure
Lovren
Sakho

yet we still defend as bad as we ever have, the constant isn't the players it's the coaching which clearly needs addressing, said as much a long, long time ago. Feels like some kind of sick joke every time a ball gets delivered into our box, we're "the worst team in the league" at defending set-pieces. Those words came from Jamie Carragher and I 100% agree with him.

I'm seriously worried about Brendan's thought process when thinking he is worth £20m. He's an average centre back who had one decent season with Southampton and that's somehow worth that much . I've not seen one great performance from him as of yet.

I don't think Brendan put the price tag in him, I never thought we got a good deal there,  he wasn't even Southampton's best defender last season.

My ratings:

Mignolet: Thought he was excellent and had his best game this season. One or two very good "comes" off his line, a couple of top class saves and no chance with the two goals. The best goalie in the World would get the jitters behind our defence, Mignolet isn't that but he was bloody good today. My MOM in a red shirt 8/10.

Johnson: Very poor. I'm hoping we'll see an upturn in Glens form as his contract begins to wind down, but today won't have increased his options if as seems likely we let him go soon. 5/10.

Skrtel: One excellent goal saving clearance near the end, but otherwise a very poor game. Martin defends best when he doesn't have to think too much, today he and Lovren never got to grips with two up top. Far too passive both of them. 5/10.

Lovren: At times decent and I thought much better than Skrtel, but still not that commanding centre half we hoped we were getting. 6/10.

Enrique: Headless chicken today, often wrong side and is it me but has he lost a yard? 5/10

Henderson: Awful first half when he seemed reluctant to get into Gerrards space, reluctant to tackle and his passing was off. Much better in the second half, but still well below his best. 6/10.

Can: I thought he was very poor. If he's serious about playing the holding role he needs to circulate posession much quicker and much more efficiently than he did. Too often took five touches where one would do, like watching Charlie Adam without the possibility of the occasional hollywood ball or worldy shot. 4/10.

Gerrard: Anonymous first half but much better in the second when switched back. 6/10.

Sterling: Our best player once again was our best player (outfield). Not anywhere near his optimum, but still good enough to outshine all. 7/10.

Lallana: Powder puff perfromance and didn't influence the game at all. 5/10.

Balotelli: Absolutely brutal. His commitment to the cause of the team was perfectly demonstrated by how pleased he was when we scored. 1/10.

Subs:

Coutinho: An excellent goal and made the third as well. Offers nothing defensively but id a magician on the ball. 7/10.

Allen: Looked like what it was, his first game back. Easy to see though why we've missed him and what he offers. 5/10.

Toure: Our best defender judged on his performance here. Didn't touch the ball and didn't make any mistakes in the 90 seconds he was on. 6/10.

Wow after the Villa game I didnt think we would put in another as bad. But eh that first half even passed that abomination of a performance.

Second half was better with the introduction of Coutinho and even Raheem seemed to revel in his introduction.

The back 4 were just a joke completely embarassing. Bobby F***ing Zamora bullying our 2 CB's thats right Bobby F***ing Zamora!!!!!
I thought it would be impossible to make our defence worse than last season but unbelievably thats what Lovren seems to have done. Wonder if we still have his receipt.
The sight of Kolamity running on at the end to steady the ship summed it up.......
Skrtel doing his usual in the space of a couple of minutes from making a goal line clearance to passing the ball straight to one of their players.....
Enrique having his usual brain farts defending.

Balotelli I have been sticking up for but his finishing OMG including the miss at Everton and the two sitters today thats 3 my 10 year old put away every week playing for his team.
I dont care too much for his lack of movement, percieved negativity or lazziness but holy sh*t when you are missing chances like that he is not going to be here long.

Can showing he is not yet ready for the pace of the EPL, not sure why he was thrown in after his long lay off. Another one of Brendans bright ideas back firing, but there again in the first half the whole midfield were dire.

On a positive Coutinho looked positive when he came on and Raheem showing he is class.

We won and grabbed 3 pts and that was the most important objective achieved but I have a feeling we may see some more performances like today before things get better!!

where is the £100mil of talent something is wrong if that's the best we can produce against QPR. Why can't we defend set pieces anymore?.

where is the £100mil of talent something is wrong if that's the best we can produce against QPR. Why can't we defend set pieces anymore?.

We couldn't last season also but we usually scored early on making teams more open, I do think that Gerrard is not playing the holding role anywhere near to the standard of last season, he played a little more forward today but that didn't work either. Again I think Allen coming back will be massive for us.

Even he was surprised to be linked with Liverpool.

Thought he did well in his first couple of games but he's going down hill pretty bloody quickly right now. Seems the case with all our CBs though and that is a bigger worry.

We brought in:

Ilori
Coates
Toure
Lovren
Sakho

yet we still defend as bad as we ever have, the constant isn't the players it's the coaching which clearly needs addressing, said as much a long, long time ago. Feels like some kind of sick joke every time a ball gets delivered into our box, we're "the worst team in the league" at defending set-pieces. Those words came from Jamie Carragher and I 100% agree with him.

We were linked to Lovren before he signed for Southampton weren't we?

The only thing is that I cannot believe we can play that badly again it was truly awful...

Changing the system is not an option, albeit we are not playing the system that got us 2nd last season. He needs a partner up front but even with that, I dont see him being any better than Ngog was.

In giving him a partner up front are you not changing the system?

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In giving him a partner up front are you not changing the system?

When did he ever have a strike partner? he is too thick to work with someone who has a footballing brain

Changing the system is not an option, albeit we are not playing the system that got us 2nd last season. He needs a partner up front but even with that, I dont see him being any better than Ngog was.

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When did he ever have a strike partner? he is too thick to work with someone who has a footballing brain

It was PageKarl that suggested a partner for him Walton not me, all I suggested was to either change the system to accomodate him or persist in playing him until we find somewhere on the pitch that suits him (not the hole where the flagpole fits either!).

Poor defence again. Random and lucky attacking but what an important win.

Wish it was easier for us to win.

Someone earlier in this thread said Mario Balotelli reminded him of Andy Carroll.  I've been watching Mario as well and i'm beginning to think the same.  He seems ponderous at times, slow.  Not at all what I thought we were getting.  He does'nt fit, and I think he knows it.  Still, early days.  If he plays against Real lets see how he goes.

We were bang average today but we've scored 3 goals and claimed 3 points. I'll take it

Excuse Mwa  ?

Excuse Mwa  ?

Own goals are still goals scored technically (I think)

Players and BR summed it up perfectly, sometimes you will play well and get nowt, today we were very poor and got 3 points.

Cheers.

Another win.

It's in the history books as a Liverpool win. One of those games we'll look back on come the end of the season and say "that was the real turning point." We've won a game that we probably shouldn't of. Rather than F***ing bitching about, let's enjoy it, build on it and start stringing these wins together.

Any win is a welcomed one by me.

Thank you Reds.