Liverpool V Aston Villa Match Thread

I agree with sticking babel up front...the lad packs a powerful shot and he's scored some good goals. Seeing that we are big on taking chances...why can't we take a chance with pairing Nando and Babel. Kuyt and Voronin have not been convincing. Happy that Crouch got the equaliser but he's not gonna solve our scoring problems, is he?

Damn! Looks like we're on our way to another Champs league Final.

Fowler_ynwa, why wouldn't RVN score in our team? We are creating plenty of chances, probably more than anyone else in the league for the most part, our problem has been converting them. I think your assessment is all wrong, as I said before wingers would be nice but there are opportunities being created already. If we could add just one thing to our current squad it has to be a goalscorer.

What was wrong with the starting lineup Venom-C? Come to think of it, what was really wrong with the overall performance apart from in front of goal?
 
I said in the summer we would regret not buying an out & out goalscorer, it's the same story as last season, dominating games without winning them. We need a clinical finisher, wingers would be nice but we're already creating enough chances to win so I don't think they're a priority. All we need is someone to contest those chances.

Bah! I just wanted Crouch or babel to start.....and Pennant.

I was typing fast and with frustation......you know

Kuyt could be that man though. Although he isnt played like one. 2 changes to rafa's squad I would personally make without dipping into the market is this:

Kuyt stuck up front and not allowed to leave the box, and..

Pennant getting a regular spot. Kuyt and JP could bring something special as Dirk is good with his head and as shown in the Dutch league, great goal poacher plus JP provides plenty of quality crosses. The new Beckham and RVN i see it as

I disagree, we always seem to control the game without creating clear cut opportunites, the Man U game being a being a prime example.  As far last night (I missed the first 10 minutes of the 2nd half) I don't recall any goalscoring opportunities that we're created by our midfield.  I don't think  RVN would score because he would rely on supply such as crossing, and killer through balls which I think we lack. I would prefer a goalscorer who can make it happen for himself like Torres has done.

What was wrong with the starting lineup Venom-C? Come to think of it, what was really wrong with the overall performance apart from in front of goal?
 
I said in the summer we would regret not buying an out & out goalscorer, it's the same story as last season, dominating games without winning them. We need a clinical finisher, wingers would be nice but we're already creating enough chances to win so I don't think they're a priority. All we need is someone to contest those chances.

Last night was yet another game where we dominated the play but failed to make and take enough chances.  After four draws in the league we needed to put out a side which has the best chance of taking the chances we have been creating.  This is where I have a problem with the team that was selected for last nights game.  Why wasn't Babel started instead of Kewell?  Why was Kuyt selected ahead of Crouch.  In other words why wasn't the team selection that suggested by EddieC in the pre game thread?  In games like this it is the details that mean the difference between triumph and defeat.  Make no mistake, in the premier league title chase, a draw at home is a defeat.

I don't know why Rafa is making the selections that he is but they are clearly not working against 'inferior' opposition.  Five consecutive draws in the league bear testament to this.  I can't accept that it could be down to the 'so called' rotation policy.  There is no point in having a fresh team in the latter part of the season if you have nothing left to play for.

On a positive note, great performance from the crowd last night.  The two clowns who are ruining this club should be in no doubt as to the contempt in which they are held.  Not a great way to manage a franchise.

If we managed to keep a clean sheet and won 2-0, no one would be complaining about how we won. The team scored 2 goals, an improvement from previous weeks but we had a bad spell of 10 or so minutes in which they scored 2. Rejoice in the air if it didnt happen and no one questioning the team or anything. If he sent out Torres as CB and put Finnan in goal then yes complain but the team we sent out should have won. We are in a rut and things like this happen. Hang in red men and women, the signs are pointing in the right direction.

Obviously I think we should have gone with the team I originally suggested, but bringing in Kewell & Kuyt for Babel & Crouch shouldn't have weakened us to a point where we couldn't win.
 
We had 17 shots last night, only 7 of them on target. Quite simply this is not good enough, and we need someone who is gonna convert more of these chances into goals.

I wish we could fast forward 5 years and get Nemeth.

Obviously I think we should have gone with the team I originally suggested, but bringing in Kewell & Kuyt for Babel & Crouch shouldn't have weakened us to a point where we couldn't win.
 
We had 17 shots last night, only 7 of them on target. Quite simply this is not good enough, and we need someone who is gonna convert more of these chances into goals.

It's in the detail Eddie.  Rafa often says this, it's the detail that can make the difference.

Another diaspointing result i thought we had control of the game the 2 Villa goals came from nowhere,i dont know why Rafa waited until the last 10 mins before bringing Crouch on Kuyt was diaspointing again he needs to get himself sorted out.

Not much else to say really. Just not good enough. Too many passengers in the squad. All that pre-season optimism well and truly banished now for me

We can't look for excuses anymore such as bad luck, poor refeering, fixture timings, lack of funds. We've had money to spend. look at the facts, over the last ten years, we have spent as much a Man Utd and much more than Arsenal (doubt as much as Chelsea though). Rafa spent 7 million on Pennant. Man Utd spent 7 million on Vidic and Arsenal the same on Adebayour. Work that out. Now either their scouts are superior or are manager just doesn't know what he's doing in the tranfer market.

Hopefully we can mount a challenge in the FA Cup and give us all something to smile about come May

Its not so much squad is weak by any means, we need a solid starting 11 every game only change by injuries or lack of fitness, we are out of league cup, have time until the champions league picks up again, we should be picking up 3 points a game in this break and we aren't..Im sorry but it does come back to the infamous "R" word.

We only have 1/2 the squad that can make us champion in Gerrard, Carragher, Torres, Masc., Babel  & Reina. Rafa can officilly wave bye-bye to our championship aspiration and start working on getting the balance of the players in for next season. We just simply have too many fringe players or perhaps, as what some of you have mentioned, change our scouts. They keeps on recommending players that do not live up to expectations.

My Rule From Here On In

BABEL AND CROUCH MUST START.

I've sat back and read all previous 175 posts in this thread. What I wanted to say and how I am feeling at the moment has already been summed up to this point.

3 things I want to add.


1) I feel really sorry for Kuyt...he's having shocker after shocker. i just want him to score that goal and hopefully give him some confidence. He's lacking it terribly at the moment and once (if) that 1st one goes in, hopefully the flood gates open. Saying that though, I still wish Rafa would stop being so stubborn and give the parternship of Torres and Babel a go. If not Crouchie up front with Torres. Dirk just needs to go back to the reserves and most importantly get his first touch back. Once that happens, we might be able to see the real Dirk Kurt, the one we forked out 10 million pounds for.

2) Some people keep knocking Harry Jewell on here. I can't remember how many games he's played this season, and all of them have not been full games, but at least in every one of them, he's had a shot at goal thats either been miraculously saved or just flown over or wide of the bar. One of these are going to go in and hopefully we can start singing that Harry, Harry Cool song again just to give him that confidence he needs.

3) What is it, 5 league games drawn in a row.....I'm well and truly pissed off, finishing teams off, has been our downfall, all season, especially at Fortress Anfield . I feel luck has a lot to do with it, c'mon how arsey was that second goal...why can't those other 3 "big" clubs have our luck and we'll take there's for a change...how lucky were Chel$ki to get their win over Birmingham?  The only positive if there is one is that we haven't lost any of the last 5 when we so easily could have.

What really is upsetting, is that down here, all the games are in the morning for us and it just fcuks up your whole day, thinking about the "WHAT IF'S". We don't like it but what else can we do, just got to support the boys like we did last night (well done to the crowd by the way) and just hope that the team starts getting back to winning ways ASAP. No only to go further up the table but just to lift the spirits of us the supporters, who have to deal with the sh*t and stick we have to put up with, just because we support the most famous football club in the world. It just feels like everyone is gunning for us to fail. I just wanna stick it up there fcukin arses and hopefully, Rafa, if you are listening, you could help us out by at least trying Ryan and Fernando up front together...PLEAAAASEEE!!!!

Why didnt we start alonso??? He is a great passer of the ball, we needed him.. come on reds!!

Mascherano played well. Xabi's presence wouldn't have changed the result. it wasn't a case of a bad mid-field but the inability to score more goals.

My Rule From Here On In
BABEL AND CROUCH MUST START.

What about Torres? I guess the fans would kill Rafa Benitez if he started with Babel and Crouch and we still ended with a 2 - 2 draw. It must be hard being Rafa Benitez.

Rather later than usual due to travelling.

My personal rankings for our game vs Villa - bit harsh maybe...but here they go:

Reina - 6 - Need more world class saves (IMHO Villa's first was saveable).

Arbeloa - 5 - Poor game (apart from one or two moves) - and what the F**k was going on with his substitution - clear he couldn't go on - but was kept in there and ultimately to blame for poor/slow marking for their first
Carra - 6 - Looks VERY tired towards ends of game these days
Hyypia - 8 - Very steady/classy at the back, almost MoM
Aurelio - 4 - Piss poor game, defensively and offensively

Kewell - 5 - Very average game, for me it is clear that Harry must move on now
Masch - 9 - MoM, didn't put a foot wrong, looks like he "wants" it so much - top class
Gerrard - 5 - Very Poor game for his standards, visilbly affected by off-field fiasco
Yossi - 6 - OK scored, but did little else

Kuyt - 6 - Ran his heart out, again, but no end-product, again.
Torres - 4 - Worst game in a LFC shirt to date. Nothing of note.

Subs:
Crouch - 7 - Decent goal, should be starting instead of Dirk (why isn't he? ...only Rafa knows! offers maybe?)
Babel - 7 - Looked a threat, should be starting instead of Harry (why isn't he? ...only Rafa knows! confidence crisis?)
Skrtel - 7 - Looked mean and steady - good feeling about this lad (but will collect a few yellows/reds I fear)

Don i completely agree with your ratings, especially Torres im sorry despite hes classy performances this season he was piss poor the other day. Reina i thought was a bit too slow in reacting to the goal. I would have to give the MoM to Hypiia and a 9 and Masch an 8.

Rather later than usual due to travelling.

My personal rankings for our game vs Villa - bit harsh maybe...but here they go:

Arbeloa - 5 - Poor game (apart from one or two moves) - and what the F**k was going on with his substitution - clear he couldn't go on - but was kept in there and ultimately to blame for poor/slow marking for their first
Carra - 6 - Looks VERY tired towards ends of game these days
Hyypia - 8 - Very steady/classy at the back, almost MoM
Aurelio - 4 - Piss poor game, defensively and offensively
Skrtel - 7 - Looked mean and steady - good feeling about this lad (but will collect a few yellows/reds I fear)

I think this even shows now that the weakest department of our team is our defense. Honestly the reason why we don't concede too many is because they play very deep, and so do our midfielders. I think if we were to have a better defense with more pace than I can't see why that wouldn't help our midfield & attack.

I'm really on the idea of Skrtel & Agger pairing next season, yes I like Carragher but he always looks puffed out towards the end of the game and this is a sign of him losing his fitness due to age. I really think we should sign that Garay from Racing, saw him against Barca the other day and he plays good composed football.

Our biggest problem are our fullbacks. They need to be young and very quick, they need to be good in attack and defense and thats what we are lacking right now. Aurelio & Arbeloa are our best fullbacks at the club but I don't feel like they threaten the opposistion enough when attacking.. also they can be sloppy in defense.

Finnan & Riise have passed their sell by dates, good servents but we only look to the future now!