Wolves 0-0 Liverpool: Post Match

Bloody frustrating, Rafa wants to win as much as we all do, he's falling down though with the team selection, he'll be picking Lucas till the cows come home, and we'll keep getting results like tonight v wolves.

What's wrong with Aquilani and Riera out wide, Mascha def/mid, Stevie G att/mid, and start Kuyt and either Ngog or Babel up front?

*cocks shotgun*

Aquilani should of started blah blah F***ing blah.

With the greatest of respect to our number 4 he's hardly been some sensational genius in the games he's played thus far. I'm not having a go at the lad because he's obviously still finding his feet in England as well as on a football field again after such a lay off. He's made a couple of decent touches since he arrived but he's hardly blown me away. He doesn't play tonight and instead the skipper does.

Now if Aquilani had started, I'd bet quite safely the game would of been just as drab, just as dull and still 0-0. Then the entire "Why didn't Aquilani start" nonsense would be "why did he play Aquilani when he clearly wasn't fit after playing around 80 minutes less than a week go. Gerrard should of played"

Tonight Rafa played the best eleven he had available to him.

Aquilani should of started blah blah f**king blah.

With the greatest of respect to our number 4 he's hardly been some sensational genius in the games he's played thus far. I'm not having a go at the lad because he's obviously still finding his feet in England as well as on a football field again after such a lay off. He's made a couple of decent touches since he arrived but he's hardly blown me away. He doesn't play tonight and instead the skipper does.

Now if Aquilani had started, I'd bet quite safely the game would of been just as drab, just as dull and still 0-0. Then the entire "Why didn't Aquilani start" nonsense would be "why did he play Aquilani when he clearly wasn't fit after playing around 80 minutes less than a week go. Gerrard should of played"

Tonight Rafa played the best eleven he had available to him.

sorry, i have the balls to not agree

i think Rafa should have played the same team he did against Spurs, I mean those players proved they could get the job done, they deserve a reward in the form of a vote of confidence. Stevie hasn't been himself all season, at this point, who cares if he's on the pitch or not because he's barely playing better than Lucas. I dunno, I would have liked to see Aquilani, but especially Degen, because the lad deserved a start tonight

Aquilani should of started blah blah f**king blah.

With the greatest of respect to our number 4 he's hardly been some sensational genius in the games he's played thus far. I'm not having a go at the lad because he's obviously still finding his feet in England as well as on a football field again after such a lay off. He's made a couple of decent touches since he arrived but he's hardly blown me away. He doesn't play tonight and instead the skipper does.

Now if Aquilani had started, I'd bet quite safely the game would of been just as drab, just as dull and still 0-0. Then the entire "Why didn't Aquilani start" nonsense would be "why did he play Aquilani when he clearly wasn't fit after playing around 80 minutes less than a week go. Gerrard should of played"

Tonight Rafa played the best eleven he had available to him.

And well said Billy.

"The team was doing well. Today the decision was to play Gerrard or him. Gerrard has the power and can go forward and change games. He can support the striker in a different way.

There you go £20M on a player to rotate with Gerrard.

Meanwhile we have a right winger playing up front and a free signing on the right wing.

I haven't posted in ages (computer problems again!) but watching us tonight was like a lot of games I've seen this season in that our players look like they don't train together all week. I can't understand how a group of players with the level of abillity they have can pass the ball so badly.

Another thing that pisses me of and I have commented on this a few times before is the sheer lack of desire sometimes from our players. Someone said it earlier that it was like both teams were trying to run the clock down for 90 minutes.

I was upbeat after the Spurs games and the fact that we were back within touching distance of the top four but now it feels like taking a step backwards.

Aquilani should of started blah blah f**king blah.

With the greatest of respect to our number 4 he's hardly been some sensational genius in the games he's played thus far. I'm not having a go at the lad because he's obviously still finding his feet in England as well as on a football field again after such a lay off. He's made a couple of decent touches since he arrived but he's hardly blown me away. He doesn't play tonight and instead the skipper does.

Now if Aquilani had started, I'd bet quite safely the game would of been just as drab, just as dull and still 0-0. Then the entire "Why didn't Aquilani start" nonsense would be "why did he play Aquilani when he clearly wasn't fit after playing around 80 minutes less than a week go. Gerrard should of played"

Tonight Rafa played the best eleven he had available to him.

Sorry mate, just cannot agree.

No reason to have two holding middys against a team we should be attacking at all game long. Our skipper could drop back next to Mascherano and still find his game against Wolves. Aquilani warranted another start after he played so well against Spurs. You say you haven't been too impressed thus far, but how can you be when he can't even get his game consistently?

Combine that, and the fact we decided to wait all game to make an impact sub. Rafa was poor tonight. Not the reason we lost, but he was poor.

The players must preform though, the 11 we had on the pitch were more than enough to win tonight.

He did not play the best 11 available to him, and I don't think the game would have been as drab had Aquilani started because instead of having midfielders passing the ball sideways at least we would have had someone being positive and passing it forwards.

 It shouldn't be between Gerrard and Aquilani to start anyway he was bought to replace Alonso not Gerrard. As long as we keep playing 2 defensive midfielders we should get used to watching drab uncreative football. As I said already will someone name another team in European football that plays with 2 defensive midfielders and people wonder why we create no chances.

A draw? Really? FFS that was painful to watch.

Skipping such a talented midfield with mindless hoofs and not even playing my man of the match against Spurs. David Ngog what a poor match. Why the hell did we see Lucas and Insua starting again, while Fabio and Aquilani sitting on the bench? We need creativity, skills and pace very soon, 'coz we're in 2010 not in 1959. I really dnt know wat tactics rafa using anymore.liverpool deserved to be 20th coz they can only beat teams on top of them. Rafa pls resign now before u make many2 more damage to liverpool history!!!!!!

Sorry mate, just cannot agree.

No reason to have two holding middys against a team we should be attacking at all game long. Our skipper could drop back next to Mascherano and still find his game against Wolves. Aquilani warranted another start after he played so well against Spurs. You say you haven't been too impressed thus far, but how can you be when he can't even get his game consistently?

Combine that, and the fact we decided to wait all game to make an impact sub. Rafa was poor tonight. Not the reason we lost, but he was poor.

The players must preform though, the 11 we had on the pitch were more than enough to win tonight.

We probably don't need two holding midfielders mate, I'm not denying that but it is the system we play with. And I'm well aware that Stevie can drop back to sit along side either Lucas or Mascherano. But maybe Rafa doesn't feel Aquilani is yet ready to play away from home against a side like Wolves, a side who will battle and won't allow a lot of time and space.

Spurs like to play their football, so it gave Aquilani time to pick his passes. Wolves won't, they'll be on you like a shot. Maybe Rafa isn't convinced that Aquilani is yet ready for that kind of challenge especially with Kuyt up front who for all the will in the world won't be catching too many balls played down the channels because he hasn't the pace.

I personally saw nothing wrong in the team that lined up tonight.

I agree changes could of been made but as I stated earlier, even if Aquilani had started I don't see how the game would of been any different.

A draw? Really? FFS that was painful to watch.

For millions.

Guess Who?


"We were more in control in the second half, they were pushing (for a goal). It was a tough game for both (sides) and maybe the result is fair.
"I think it (the draw) is positive - we kept a clean sheet and you can see the team was working very hard and everybody is working for everyone."


 

I could see problems with that team as I said in the pre match thread we would struggle to break down Wolves if he played two defensive midfielders and I think we will struggle away from home in all matches from now till the end of the season they start against the weaker sides in the league.

I've being saying this since August, Gerrard should have been moved back there till Aquilani was fit. They should never start together other than in matches against the bigger sides like last week or if someone is injured.

But then maybe that is Rafa biggest failing he is to negative and is to worried about the other side. Also I've a big problem with Insua starting every week aureilo is a better left back.

I guess the thing that resounds in my head is the fact that we were playing Wolves really another Championship team and we literally had no composure. It was rushed and full of panic, Riera was doing well, why in the world was he taken off?

Ok so teams have blips and we are becoming defensively sound...uhmmm that's horse raddish to me as one Wolves should never be pushing us back if we are being creative. We can see what has happened for Arsenal since they put caution to the wind.

We needed Aquilani and I don't care what anyone has to say! Some one who is willing to drive the play forward! Gerrard...sigh!
 
Rafa I am not sure what is going through his head. We needed more from him some semblance of sanity. The dumbest of dumb people could see there were things lacking on the pitch. I think Rafa needs re-evaluate the mentality of playing Lucas and Mascherano against the lesser teams. It simply way too negative.

Just got home from Spain. Haven't seen the match so can't comment - although what I've heard is not encouraging.

What I will wonder about though is why a team that quite clearly stood up, showed a big pair of balls and beat Spurs with some honest fight, was changed. Doesn't make sense.

Rafa does make some odd choices which I don't understand such as the choice of Gerrard or Acquilani...find another way of playing them both.  But turning on Rafa in a kneejerk reaction is daft too.  The players didn't play well collectively not just one or two.  Where Rafa falls down is not making the subs that will change the game!!!

Come on now . . . these aren't knee jerk reactions are they? Last weeks praising of Rafa though were exactly that. Everyone was saying that was the win that kick starts the season and that Rafa was this and that, but that game means nothing now does it. Does he not know that we are in a mess and we need to keep a winning side. Ok Gerrard was back but Aquilani was our best player by a mile and needed the game tonight to build up some steam.
We are back where we started before the spurs game pretty much.

You have no one to blame but yourself, Rafael Benitez. As usual, your man management is a disaster. The squad you played today was a joke. Your mismanagement has ruined our season and it's time for you to take the blame. Step down and go to Juventus now. You are no longer wanted here

Gerard obviously not fit
Kuyt is still sh*t, Ngog was better when he came one
an away draw isnt too bad the way we are playing latley
insua shouldnt have been on fabio is far better
In short we are blunt up front, a bit clueless in midfield, crap at defending set pieces ...good job there was only one or two,
we couldnt do a decent corner for toffee, and we are skint
oh our final third play was pathetic, final ball is a disgrace.
I dont blame rafa really, its the men on the pitch that failed, although his continued playing of kuyt is baffling me.
 on a little positive, maxi looked good, and riera is getting back to his best.
roll on 2020.

Positives. The defence does appear to be improving - even though Carra was shockingly bad yet again at right back.

Biggest mistake is that Gerrard clearly thinks he deserves to walk straight back in to the team.  I'm convinced that Aquilani would have done a far better job tonight.

A big part of what I was going to say in my discussion.

When it came to these two Rafa F***ing bottled it, he bottled it into throwing Gerrard straight into the mix and Carragher should have not been nowhere near that right back spot or the park for that matter. For how long are we going to watch his calamities, his F***ing brainless long balls up the field to nobody. Degen should have got the nod against a side like Wolves we needed to be as offensive as possible and their lad on the left had pace to burn Carragher every single time. Degen would have been able to overlap Maxi and put their left side players on the back foot.

Throwing an unfit Gerrard was clearly a decision Rafa made whilst crumbling under pressure that was a Gerrard playing at 50% of his ability I think the other lads around him tried desperately to push the ball to him which resulted in a disjointed and scrappy collection of long balls and headed passes all over the pitch.

I think that was the ugliest game we played in a few seasons, there was nothing there that encouraged any positivity. It really is a sad state of affairs when we go down to a 16th placed relegation battling side and our stand our performer is the goal keeper. I dint recall us stringing more than 4 passes the whole game, it seemed we forgot to do the basics of the game pass and F***ing move. We were so predictable that everytime Lucas or Mascherano had the ball you could allready picture the next sequence of play the ball will be passed back and them either Skrtel, Sotis or Carragher will belt it up it wouldn't be controlled by either side and headered around another 7 or 8 times, and on and on it went for 90 minutes. Painful and ugly to watch. our one player capable of putting his foot on the ball and keeping it on the deck was an unused substitute ffs! Rafa has to take responsibility for his decisions here and admit that he got them wrong.

Another baffling thing that strikes me about that performance with so many South American and Spanish playing players who are renowned for their technique and passing ability why where we playing then like a F***ing Blue Square side hoofing the ball and aimlessly chasing it. We had 5 Spanish/South Americans in the starting line up not including Pepe not one good pass, dribble shot between them!

It really is hard to be positive after such a disgraceful and dismal performance, we had the chance to put our foot in the top 4 with a win last night and then two home games but yet again we have made it hard on ourselves.

how can these guys sleep at night even rafa is just hopeless. there are only 2 or three players playing with passion. the stats tell it all 1 save made by the wolves goalkeeper

A big part of what I was going to say in my discussion.

When it came to these two Rafa f**king bottled it, he bottled it into throwing Gerrard straight into the mix and Carragher should have not been nowhere near that right back spot or the park for that matter.

I have been concerned about this for most of the season. I am of the opinion that no player is undropable no matter who they are, how long they have been at the club and where they are from but it does seem that Rafa is afraid to not play either Stevie or Carra.

I'm not saying that they are the only poor performers this season but there are times when if their performances were from any other player then they would be out of the team for a few games.