Liverpool v. Man City Match Thread

I really do hate to say this but our idiot manager has finally lost my confidence despite trying to defend him for so long.

Why play Lucas at all? they were all bad but this lad looks bad in the reserves.
 
I agree with Aldridge, I would've played Aurellio and maybe put Spearing on later. how did that idiot play the whole match. is Riera even going to get a full match?
why does he always make subs on 60mins? even when we are in need of a change in personel when we have to score. remember him putting Crouch and Bellamy on for 6mins in the Champions League final when 2-0 down!

we have better reserves than squad members, Insua is better than Dossena. spearing is better than Lucas and I can't belive he hasn't given Derby a game.
Ngog £1m? that's not funny.
 
rafa is a fool.
 
it's his fault if they don't believe they can perform without Gerrard and Alonso, he obviously doesn't inspire them with confidence. they are all his players after 5 years and he is the one picking dodgy line ups and making bad substitutions. the only time he gets a sub right is when he puts a player on that he should have started in the first place.
 
the zonal marking fiasco..we let more set piece goals in more than any other team in the premiership (fact). when is it finally going to click with him that it doesn't work? or is he just too stubborn?
 
it his down to him that we haven't been more successful.
 
bad choice of signings. he has had the money he just spends far too much money on lots of average players instead of 1 good one. he has consistantly sold the wrong players because he didn't see fit to play them. Crouch was a good player for us Keane could've been given the chance. yet he plays average players too much ie Lucas, Babel, kewell, josemi.....how come they get a game and the big signings don't?

would you bet against him selling Alonso at the end of the season?

and now they're trying to pursuade him to sign a new contract. unbelievable.

  100% right with everything you have said

IMO El Zhar came on and done well and in the parts of games he has played he has done more than what Babel has done except for the winner against the Mancs obviously. At least El Zhar shows the passion and effort for the shirt.

El Zahr ?! Hmm , missed at the Emirates from 6 yards out in front of goal. Missed mind - didn't hit the target. Passion and effort maybe - but good enough?! Nah.
Babel has the ability. Coach needs to transfer that onto the pitch.

I really do hate to say this but our idiot manager has finally lost my confidence despite trying to defend him for so long.

Why play Lucas at all? they were all bad but this lad looks bad in the reserves.
 
I agree with Aldridge, I would've played Aurellio and maybe put Spearing on later. how did that idiot play the whole match. is Riera even going to get a full match?
why does he always make subs on 60mins? even when we are in need of a change in personel when we have to score. remember him putting Crouch and Bellamy on for 6mins in the Champions League final when 2-0 down!

we have better reserves than squad members, Insua is better than Dossena. spearing is better than Lucas and I can't belive he hasn't given Derby a game.
Ngog £1m? that's not funny.
 
rafa is a fool.
 
it's his fault if they don't believe they can perform without Gerrard and Alonso, he obviously doesn't inspire them with confidence. they are all his players after 5 years and he is the one picking dodgy line ups and making bad substitutions. the only time he gets a sub right is when he puts a player on that he should have started in the first place.
 
the zonal marking fiasco..we let more set piece goals in more than any other team in the premiership (fact). when is it finally going to click with him that it doesn't work? or is he just too stubborn?
 
it his down to him that we haven't been more successful.
 
bad choice of signings. he has had the money he just spends far too much money on lots of average players instead of 1 good one. he has consistantly sold the wrong players because he didn't see fit to play them. Crouch was a good player for us Keane could've been given the chance. yet he plays average players too much ie Lucas, Babel, kewell, josemi.....how come they get a game and the big signings don't?

would you bet against him selling Alonso at the end of the season?

and now they're trying to pursuade him to sign a new contract. unbelievable.

  100% right with everything you have said

Wrong thread Lads, this is a match thread discusion, not a Rafa Bashing one !
and in the case of andy5star why are you having a go at our manager in your first posts  where have you been when we were winning and topping the league, waiting for Rafa (or the lads ) to slip up, call yourself a fan, do one !

Why not throw Sami in up top today try something new? El Zhar for Riera Aurelio for Doss was only like for like. Imagine city seeing big Sami coming on up top! Theyd worry about him and have no answer! Why not think out side the box for change?

El Zahr ?! Hmm , missed at the Emirates from 6 yards out in front of goal. Missed mind - didn't hit the target. Passion and effort maybe - but good enough?! Nah.
Babel has the ability. Coach needs to transfer that onto the pitch.

Have you forgotten the fact that El Zhar has played a part in quite a few of our goals in the games we have won at last minute. For Example, against Boro. Torres has missed good chances in his career so are you going to say he isn't good enough?. You must remember El Zhar is still young and has only just this season been making that step up to the 1st team.

Its not the coach that has to transfer Babel's ability onto the pitch, it's Babel himself because he is the one not performing. There is only so much Rafa can do.

That's what we're doing, if we thought inside the box, our season would be buried already...I know we're just 1 below the standard 6 feet under but still, that's deep!

Have you forgotten the fact that El Zhar has played a part in quite a few of our goals in the games we have won at last minute. For Example, against Boro. Torres has missed good chances in his career so are you going to say he isn't good enough?. You must remember El Zhar is still young and has only just this season been making that step up to the 1st team.

Its not the coach that has to transfer Babel's ability onto the pitch, it's Babel himself because he is the one not performing. There is only so much Rafa can do.

OK - I take your point. He's young. But Owen was young when he scored against the Argies. Rooney was 16 or 17 when he broke through. Even when they were young, these guys were obviously special.  And that is what LFC need, that calibre of player. Our sights are too low.

Re. Babel - so what does a coach do if not get the best out of players, make them better? Babel is quick, strong and can beat a man. Why is he not doing that week in week out? Mystery to me.

OK - I take your point. He's young. But Owen was young when he scored against the Argies. Rooney was 16 or 17 when he broke through. Even when they were young, these guys were obviously special.  And that is what LFC need, that calibre of player. Our sights are too low.

Re. Babel - so what does a coach do if not get the best out of players, make them better? Babel is quick, strong and can beat a man. Why is he not doing that week in week out? Mystery to me.

But Owen, Rooney etc did'nt go from an african country to a premiership team, they came through the academies so had no real adjusting to do.

Because Babel is low on confidence and doesn't seem to want to fight for his place. He could have made a real impact today if he was willing to go out there and prove a point but he just always seems as if he cant be bothered.

Babel is quick, strong and can beat a man.

And then runs into another man!

I feel Rafas ongoing dispute is affecting the teams performances.As Shankly said no one is bigger than the team but our manager is heading down that track.He should just concentrate on the game and sort out personal issues behind closed doors.Remember when all the talk of Gerrard leaving affected our performances well it is now going the same way.Rafa should shut up and do the talking on the pitch and make it impossible for the owners to get rid of him.Come on Rafa Man Ure are about to equal our league record surely that is enough to get you worked up and not transfer fees and running the club.

And then runs into another man!

Babel was pissing poor today... He came on and he didnt know what to do with the ball, he couldnt cross 1st time, he wanted to take few on so he could shoot. Unbeleivable.

He is not a team player.

Flat, uninventive and lost without Stevie and Xabi (although it has to be said Yossi did a decent job in terms of creating things). Don't understand why Aurelio didn't start, we looked that bit better with his presence. I reckon Masch was our best player on the pitch on the day and when he was substituted, Babel was so eager to get out of his slump that he wouldn't pass the ball to anyone else and ran into dead ends. We had so much possesion in the first half and we made nothing from it. In the second half city were a different team and played better than I've seen them play all season ! Lucas didn't do so badly today in my opinion but missing Xabi is an indication that he wasn't good enough. Shay Given made a couple of fantastic saves in the last few minutes to keep City alive. All in all a dissapointing result that showed how much we miss Stevie and leaves us with a bit of a mountain to climb.

Im depressed !

don't think babel is up to much when it comes to tight premiership games.. I reckon babel is more likely to play a part in the european games where he has more time and space on the ball.. hence i can see him moving to spain or the likes in the near future

Maybe next year eh for the PL?

And now concentrate on good form for the CL...The CL title will go someway to not winning the PL this season. And let's face it, it would take an almighty f**k up from Man U to let the title slip now. Even the sort of f**k up that saw us slip from the lead by 8 points to runners-up at best. And as much as I hate the thought of them lifting that title for the 18th time, and equalling us, they have been the team to beat for too long and the mark by which all other teams are measured. bas**rds!

don't think babel is up to much when it comes to tight premiership games.. I reckon babel is more likely to play a part in the european games where he has more time and space on the ball.. hence i can see him moving to spain or the likes in the near future

I don't really think he would be good in a league like Serie A because he seems to lack 'football intelligence', I don't think he would know what to do with himself if given so much time on the ball.

Why play Lucas at all? they were all bad but this lad looks bad in the reserves.

No one played badly in that game (although I have seen better from Riera) It was only a draw because of an unlucky deflection and I don't think I've seen Lucas play in the reserves.

we have better reserves than squad members, Insua is better than Dossena. spearing is better than Lucas and i can't belive he hasn't given Derby a game.

Because Arbeloa is playing well.

it his down to him that we haven't been more successful.

Champions League, FA Cup, and we are still in it for the Premier League this season.

 
bad choice of signings. he has had the money he just spends far too much money on lots of average players instead of 1 good one. he has consistantly sold the wrong players because he didn't see fit to play them. Crouch was a good player for us Keane could've been given the chance. yet he plays average players too much ie Lucas, Babel, kewell, josemi.....how come they get a game and the big signings don't?

Has he, and keane are you serious?

would you bet against him selling Alonso at the end of the season?

Yes

I don't really think he would be good in a league like Serie A because he seems to lack 'football intelligence', I don't think he would know what to do with himself if given so much time on the ball.

you could be right.. should he not be given a chance as a striker though for a few games..before we write him off.. he has pace to burn and wold frighten the sh*t out of defenders

Flat, uninventive and lost without Stevie and Xabi (although it has to be said Yossi did a decent job in terms of creating things). Don't understand why Aurelio didn't start, we looked that bit better with his presence. I reckon Masch was our best player on the pitch on the day and when he was substituted, Babel was so eager to get out of his slump that he wouldn't pass the ball to anyone else and ran into dead ends. We had so much possesion in the first half and we made nothing from it. In the second half city were a different team and played better than I've seen them play all season ! Lucas didn't do so badly today in my opinion but missing Xabi is an indication that he wasn't good enough. Shay Given made a couple of fantastic saves in the last few minutes to keep City alive. All in all a dissapointing result that showed how much we miss Stevie and leaves us with a bit of a mountain to climb.

Im depressed !

Sorry, but I do not believe that Steven Gerrard is the be all and end all of the Liverpool team. Of course he is a great player, without doubt. But the real problem is team mentality. To me, half the time it looks as if some of the players do not show enough committment. That they do not want to win enough. For example, Man U players seem to always give their all. To prove that Gerrard is not essential all of the time, go back earlier in the season to Anfield against Man U. From recollection, neither Gerrard or Torres played that day. And look at the result...

you could be right.. should he not be given a chance as a striker though for a few games..before we write him off.. he has pace to burn and wold frighten the sh*t out of defenders

I agree with you on that, I too would like to see it tried.

And then runs into another man!

Think he's suffering like Robbie Keane was, from a lack of confidence. He hasn't been great recently, have to admit that. But I'd trim a few others before getting to him.
Maybe he'll get that space against Real and show us what he can do !!!

Someone to KILL Dossena?

Someone to KILL Dossena?

Bit harsh that, he wasn't that bad today!

I didn't think he was either.

If anyone has to get killed, it has to be that pr**k of a commentator on five live, couldn't believe the way he spoke about Dossena on the radio, I was appaled.