Espanyol 3-0 Liverpool: Post Match Annoyance

... Wow so we don't have a backup defense then

Spot on mate, Insua was a revelation again tonight. The left back birth is his  as far as I'm concerned.The overall team performance does not indicate a possible title challenge, I think Rafa has to get busy in the transfer market quickly and bin Alonso even quicker.

Yeah, Insua is looking the business. I must admit though, we play Spurs in 13 days time and my expectation levels are dropping after every game i watch. Alonso has thrown a major spanner in the works this close to the Premier League season starting. Unless Rafa has the replacement lined up ready to go then make him F***ing stay. We looked lost without him tonight.

And please can people stop saying it's ONLY pre-season! The pre-season is one of the most crucial parts of the season. If we're slow out of the blocks at the start of the Prem then i'd love to hear the comments then. Cos they certainly won't be saying ' it was ONLY pre-season' then, that's for sure. We must stop making excuses and hiding from the facts. The serious football is just around the corner and we are looking far from serious.

Our poor pre-season, coupled with the unsettling of our star players, needs sorting out by the end of next week, at the absolute latest. We should be settling in to our rhythm now, but we don't even know who our squad is going to consist of for the coming assault.

And for me, that is frightening!

I would rather lose in pre-season than win

funny statement you might say, and why, simple,
you see the faults and iron them out before the main matches.
obviously some negatives tonight, deggen,
but some positives too, thought Spearing played well, and lucas was decent too, some vital experience for san jose.

I would rather lose in pre-season than win

funny statement you might say, and why, simple,
you see the faults and iron them out before the main matches.
obviously some negatives tonight, deggen,
but some positives too, thought Spearing played well, and lucas was decent too, some vital experience for san jose.

Lucas was decent we must have been watching different games. He was awful never give's a positive ball, watching the display tonight shows how much we will miss Alonso

Looking at the midfield we were very poor if we play Lucas there in the premiership we wont win the league. And what the f**k was Degan doing boy is he poor

Have to say I thought Lucas stepped up to the plate tonight and played with a lot of confidence.Easily our best player out there.

Degen #Unbelievably poor and has been in all his opportunities so far.

Vronin # Blimey, how are we ever going to sell him now?

Kuyt # Mystified!!Was he wearing a loaned pair of boots??

San Jose # Not good (needs time I think )Awareness was poor and lacked confidence.

Albert #Did'nt do himself any favours with that perfomance.

IRWT to sort it all out PHEW!!

With the exeption of Gerrard we created nothing up front. Where was Nemeth poor show that

Nemeth was sent back to reserves, why? Who the heck knows, we all know he's good. We all know he's class. We all know ex liverpool players see him alongside fowler and the likes yet somehow from somewhere someone thinks he's not good enough please. He scored 2 goals in the last game. The lad deserves his chance, in that team surely he can get a go. I mean why are we keeping and playing the likes of Voronin? I mean what an embarassment. Sure he came in on a free but every week he's here it costs us more money than the vast majority of the people on this forum earn in a year. Arguably I recogn the vast majority of us could put in a better game if given the chance to wear the shirt as well and we'd do it for free. Also don't get me started on Ngog.

Lucas was decent we must have been watching different games. He was awful never give's a positive ball, watching the display tonight shows how much we will miss Alonso

Please come back when you watched the match

I would rather lose in pre-season than win

funny statement you might say, and why, simple,
you see the faults and iron them out before the main matches.
obviously some negatives tonight, deggen,
but some positives too, thought Spearing played well, and lucas was decent too, some vital experience for san jose.

Think the faults have been clear to see for the last 3 weeks robbyr. Outside of our starting XI we have virtually nothing to offer. Yes, Spearing, Lucas, Pacheco, Nemeth and Darby have done well, and no, I don't think the statement is funny. Obviously it is good to see the faults, but the object is to reduce the amount of faults occuring as the team progresses, a process of elimination so to speak. My problem is that that the problems don't seem to be being resolved at all. Alonsos departure could have catastrophic consequences I fear.

N'Gog, Voronin, Plessis, Degen, Jose etc. haven't produced the performances deserving of first team recognition, and that is what worries me. Like I said in the Premier League title thread, we have the players to win the Prem, what we don't have is the squad. I pray the lads can stay injury free this season.

Lucas was decent we must have been watching different games. He was awful never give's a positive ball, watching the display tonight shows how much we will miss Alonso

Mate are you a complete idiot ! Lucas by far was our best player he was moving the ball about won some good challenges and his passing was the most accurate passing in the whole team. You must of been not concentrating while the game was on.

Dont push the panic button over a friendly... if players perform badly its better to find out now than at the start of the season.. lets end the Xabi situation strengthen and move on!

Second half we were dreadful, concidering they were in the bottom half of there leauge and two weeks behind our preperations and also played there reserves it don't look to convincing 

Wait tezmac what about Lucas aren't you going to defend yourself ? And tell us how and why you thought Lucas was awful ?

Lucas played well IMO. And he looks a lot stronger after his weight gaining training. Fair play to the lad, he recognised he wasn't strong enough for the Prem, and instead of sitting on his arse he did something about it. Got a gut feeling he's going to progress rapidly over the coming season. Well done Lucas, keep up the good work and the plaudits and rewards will come to those who work hard for it.

I did not see the match so I cant really comment. However a 3-0 is never a good result whether it be a friendly or any sort of game. Alonso and San Jose outside that is our strongest line up and one that is likely to face the Spurs in 2 weeks time. To be honest I was a bit shocked and surprised when I read the team were given 3 days off in the middle of pre season. I thought pre season was about gruelsome physical fitness work, I think this was what Torres lacked last year in pre season and hence was injured half the season.

I think we will need to pull our socks up and wake up to ourselves the next two weeks.

Lucas never ever plays a positive ball, that the big difference between him and Alonso, he always plays a ball that will create something, that's what Lucas lacks, and Lucas always commits unnecessary fouls time and time again.

I hope i am wrong and would like to see Lucas prove me wrong but i can't see it

Have to say I thought Lucas stepped up to the plate tonight and played with a lot of confidence.Easily our best player out there.

Agreed he put in a very solid performance.  

I did not see the match so I cant really comment. However a 3-0 is never a good result whether it be a friendly or any sort of game. Alonso and San Jose outside that is our strongest line up and one that is likely to face the Spurs in 2 weeks time. To be honest I was a bit shocked and surprised when I read the team were given 3 days off in the middle of pre season. I thought pre season was about gruelsome physical fitness work, I think this was what Torres lacked last year in pre season and hence was injured half the season.

I think we will need to pull our socks up and wake up to ourselves the next two weeks.

Dadorious the game was woeful yes but Lucas and spearing possible replacements for Alonso put in a mighty shift both played extremely well Lucas was running for everything made a couple of crunching tackles and his passing was good always was composed on the ball and he always knew were the pace was and were he wanted the ball to go and as for Spearing he only had an odd 30 minutes but he played just as good as anyone Spearing was intercepting the ball with speed and strength and one of the reason's we lot was lack of vision but this boy has plenty of hit hitting cross field balls perfectly over and over again. Out faults were our center backs as San jose was always out of position and causing Carragher to run around trying to cover his mistakes which was the reason for the first goal and when Kelly came on it didn't get any better I think in 2 weeks against spurs with our 2 normal center back's in place we can win as Lucas his ready to start alongside Masch I believe.

Well in my opinion if were stuck with Lucas in midfield we won't win the league

Your entitled to your opinion.

Dadorious the game woeful yes but Lucas and spearing possible replacements for Alonso put in a mighty shift both played extremely well Lucas was running for everything made a couple of crunching tackles and his passing was good always was composed on the ball and he always knew were the pace was and were he wanted the ball to go and as for Spearing he only had an odd 30 minutes but he played just as good as anyone Spearing was intercepting the ball with speed and strength and one of the reason's we lot was lack of vision but this boy has plenty of hit hitting cross field balls perfectly over and over again. Out faults were our center backs as San jose was always out of position and causing Carragher to run around trying to cover his mistakes which was the reason for the first goal and when Kelly came on it didn't get any better I think in 2 weeks against spurs with our 2 normal center back's in place we can win as Lucas his ready to start alongside Masch I believe.

I will wait and see. agree about the defensive frailty,s but the was no overall cohesion tonight we looked like a team who had just met each other

Well in my opinion if were stuck with Lucas in midfield we won't win the league

Yes i dont think that Lucas could run our midfield all season but you have to give credit when credits due.

You must really hate Lucas and you have made up your mind about him, so from now on Lucas can do nothing right for you.

Just thinking back to the likes of the Wigan game last season when we were well in control, when Lucas gave away a totally unnecessary penalty and we fell to pieces for a few games