There's really not much reason to come to the post match thread these days if the team has lost. Is there? A lot of doom & gloom among the Liverpool faithful. I don't know a lot of you anyway, so I'm not gonna get myself aggravated.
I think a lot more sense was apparent towards the end as people are being less reactionary. I think YANK makes a lot of sense, especially the first reply about leadership (or the lack thereof).
And, besides, how many times do you need to read that it was a match of two halves? They came flying out of the blocks, though, didn't they?! I was convinced it was going to be a high scoring game. Gerrard & Nando had a little linkup and I thought to myself "God, I've missed these two being together. Are they really on the same page already?!" Unfortunately, it wasn't the case. It felt good to see, though. Carra & Agger were dominating, as were Masch & Lucas. Confidence seemed really high. Even Kuyt was having good first touches.
What happened at the half? I think RK is right. They were lifeless and somewhat timid for good stretches of the second half. Maybe it's not what Rafa didn't do, but what Wenger is reported to have done. Fair play to him for rousing his team effectively. They were definitely underperforming in the first half. The OG was a silly mistake. I wasn't angry about it, though. Maybe I was still riding the high of the first half and expected them to bang in a bunch of goals. And, yes, it was Pepe who tried to pick the team back up. Everyone else seemed resigned to a poor result. All in all, the result was harsh and a draw was deserved.
I was completely thrown off by Rafa's substitutions, but I was happy to see he actually used them all for once, and
not in the 90th minute. I liked the Degen<>Johnson substitution. Johnson was down after the OG and completely dejected after Arshavin's goal (and I don't care wht anyone says..I'd love him at Anfield). The other point I liked about that substitution was the message that if you're not playing well, you're out.
N'gog for Benny wasn't what I was expecting. As has been stated elsewhere, I would have liked to see Dossena come in. He's hungry and wants to be in the Italy squad next summer. I thought he looked good against Fiorentina and his efforts should've been rewarded with at least 20 minutes on the pitch.
Mascherano needed taking off so there's not much to say about that. Aquilani didn't add much to the game it has to be said.
This has been a disappointing campaign. Luck has not been on our side in the least. I have to believe it will turn around, though. I don't think it's Rafa's fault either. If anything I place more of the blame at the players' feet (though not all).
And, where was the 12th man on Sunday? Weak. Where is the 12th man on this forum? Thankfully some still fly the flag with their head held high. I'd say that includes the majority of regulars here. There's really not much point my saying any of this about the moaners anyway seeing as how they've scurried back into the sewers and dark recesses they inhabit waiting for our next mishap (not that I'm expecting one
). Look I'm not saying you can't or shouldn't ask questions of Rafa's tactics & decisions. Nor am I saying that anyone who wears the red shirt is infallible. Hardly! Pages and pages of player critiques on this forum are testament to that. What I'm saying is that you shouldn't be coming here and spouting of that Rafa needs to go, blah, blah, w*nk...and not offering a reasonable argument. You'll get debate here from waaaaaay more savvy people than myself. That's the idea of a forum.
And, finally, I've changed my avatar to remind us that our role as supporters is to
support.
YNWA
IR
WT
Ho Ho Ho