Liverpool 0-0 FC Utrecht: In-game and post match boredom

Title of the thread says it all. F***ing boring. Got up at 7am to watch that sh*t. Can't believe it didn't put me back to sleep.

MOM the F***ing away supporters followed closely by Martin Kelly and a special mention for Jonjo.

As for Babel, I keep giving him the benefit of the doubt, hoping, praying he'll light our team up with something spectacular. What I saw yesterday was a fella who doesn't belong at this club. F***ing terrible.

Poulsen is awful. No offence to Utrecht but Poulsen is worse than a team supposedly inferior to us.

And, Fabio Aurelio just shows why the LB spot is his. How on earth he is 2nd to Konchesky is beyond me.

completely agree, he can defend better and he can cross much much better than konchesky.

ps: pacheco looked sharp, he should be given more chances.

only two positives out of an awfully dire and dull game

Don't know if it's been mentioned previously, but why was Torres on the bench?

Roy obviously had no intention to play him, so why wasn't he allowed the night off with his family? Roy is a fool.

Agree mate.

It's about 3 a.m. in Thailand, I decided to go to bed just at half time after wait almost whole night to watch our team play. The result 0-0 is not surprise me at the morning.

I recorded the game, and watched it late last night.  I thought it might be a chance to put in a very attacking performance but I was surprised how much possession we conceded by sitting so deep when they had the ball.  Do we really need 8/9 defending on the 18 yard line (or near it) against a side like that?

Then again, sitting deep has been a consistent feature of our play this year both home and away to varying degrees. 

Not a lot of width, not a lot of pressing either.  In sum, a defensive display when it didn't need to be.  Am I surprised? No, because we seem to be a 'sit and park the bus' team now.

Mediocre, uninspiring tactics I'm afraid.

All I can say, after doing a 300mile round trip to watch that drivel, is that Woy overpaid for Jovanovich and Cole.

Shelvey looked good first half, and good to see Pacheco get on the pitch as well.

Rip roaring success is pretty F***ing optimistic, regarldess of how you spin it. We have looked dire in most of our matches, and its only the equal averageness of our opposition that has seen us finish top.

I had me a good chuckle at that too.

Our form in EL was alarmingly similar to our Premier League form; no wins away and two out of every three points at home. No matter how big or small a sample is used the end product, statistically, is consistent. Tried and tested you see.

You'll hear sh*te from time to time that win percentages, for example, don't matter; that as long as you're getting more points than the others you'll win leagues.

The thing is tho', if you ignore winning or the need to win, you are left needing others around you to perform worse. That theory will work, from time to time, in small leagues (as was proven last night) but sadly, when bigger numbers are added to the equation - you're then left hoping that more teams perform badly over a longer time. ...and that just ain't going to happen.

Hodgson plays the percentages but the penny still hasn't dropped that his percentages are average at best. If he wants to win big leagues (or even just perform better) he has to, quite simply, win more games.

Its a sad day when I have to say I hope that Fulham do us on Saturday that way it will put more pressure on Hodgson to get the boot & he can take that Poulson with him.

Mate that is so wrong.

I never ever want LFC to be beat.

Hodgson will be gone anyway it must be clear to the owners he is out of his depth.

One of, if not the most boring games this eason. Pacheco lightened things up to an extent when he came on. Even if the game meant nothing, It was a shame for the young kids who went to the game and witnessed that. At least some of the younger players got some experience, Wilson, Pacheco, and Shelvey my personal favourites aloong with Martin Kelly, Thought he done an excellent job last night.

did Poulsen manage to play a pass, further the 10 yards, that wasn't overhit?   

I think I can remember one pass mate. Sadly he underhit that one and it was intercepted.

To look the worst player when the team performs so poorly takes a special kind of talent...... Poulsen has it in spades

Jaysus, that was dull. First game for my two boys and they were more entertained by the bouncing Utrecht fans.

Tell me about it.  One of the poorest experiences I've had at Anfield.  I felt sorry for all the dads and mums taking their kids for their first game tonight.  Terrific turnout but the fans have already lost patience with the manager.  No atmosphere, nothing from disheartened down-trodden Liverpool fans anyway.  Utrecht fans were indeed comedy.

As a PR exercise, it massively backfired.  All last night probably did was teach thousands of kids that they're better off staying in and playing FIFA on the PlayStation.

Anyway, back to the sh*te football.

Dani Pacheco when he came on looked lively, his first touch was one of the best passes of the game.  He won a free kick, grabbed the ball to take it and Joe Cole snatched it off him before kicking it in to the wall.

Joe Cole was sh*te.  As was Jovanovic.  Neither of them are wingers, although to be fair both were played on the wrong side to usual.  With each time I see him I can see why Chelsea didn't extend his contract.  Jovanovic, if anything, is a striker not a winger - a target man.  He certainly would have done better than Ryan Babel.  Who again was awful.  Up front.  With a no-pressure opportunity to shine against a Dutch club.  Zilch he offered.  

I don't think you need to guess my opinions on Christian Poulsen.

And I might see if I can get a refund about being lied to that Torres was going to play.

Ah well, we've qualified so it's all okay.  Fulham, Blackpool, Wolves and Bolton up next.  Pick the banana skins.

Don't know if it's been mentioned previously, but why was Torres on the bench?

Roy obviously had no intention to play him, so why wasn't he allowed the night off with his family? Roy is a fool.

Well it seems Mr Hodgson has admitted to something only a devious mind like his could think of.

He has come out and denied "selling the game".

No one has even challenged him that was the case.  So it appears Mr H that your denial ... ridden with guilt ... is actually the truth.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/9292199.stm

Have a read of this .... from the Beeb.

Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson said he did not mean to mislead fans after leaving out Fernando Torres in the Europa League group game against FC Utrecht.

Hodgson had suggested he would play striker Torres, despite the Reds having already reached the last 32, but the Spaniard stayed on the bench.

"There was no question of needing a name to sell the game," said Hodgson after the goalless draw at Anfield.

Hodgson also indicated he wanted to add to his squad in the new year.

The 63-year-old has spent almost £20m by signing Raul Meireles, Christian Poulsen, Brad Jones and Danny Wilson since taking over at Anfield, but the club have struggled with inconsistent form and results in the Premier League.

However, Hodgson must first meet with the club's owner, New England Sports Ventures (NESV), who bought the club in October, before implementing his new-year plans.  ( Ed: Thats promising. Could be sacked me hopes!)

"If there is any possibility of transfers in the January window that will make us a better team, I will be given the opportunity to take those players," he said. (Ed: Messi?)

"I can't add to that other than my ambition to improve the squad is shared by the owners. But we have to wait and see what possibilities are there, if any, and what they want to do."

Liverpool decided to let children accompanied by adults attend the game for free and, after Hodgson's indications in his pre-match news conference, it appeared they would be able to watch a strong starting line-up.

However, most of the fringe players and youngsters who have been used in the club's Europa League campaign were again deployed, while first-team regulars Torres, Glen Johnson and Meireles were unused substitutes.

Dirk Kuyt did come on late in the game against his former club in a stale affair with Liverpool through to the knockout stages as Group K winners, while Utrecht had been knocked out of the competition in the previous round.

"With discussions with the conditioning people in particular, they persuaded me to see the error of my ways ( Ed: Yeh Yeh  You mean you dont talk with them?) even though I had this vision of Fernando going out there and having a great 45 minutes and maybe scoring a goal and giving him a lift," added Hodgson.

"He was quite looking forward to playing but when I got back to the club in the afternoon [after my news conference] and started to talk about it again it seemed to me the potential disadvantages far outweighed the potential advantages."
   
"I think we are all a bit disappointed by the game, it wasn't for want of trying," said Hodgson.

"The problem is we lacked the technical quality in the final third.
  (Ed:  Now thats a new one. Lacking techincal quality in the final third? Should have played Torres.)

"We got the ball into areas where we should have been capable of doing something and we didn't produce the pass.

"I was hoping, with so many people in (ED: ?) - and some for the first time - we would produce a sparkling performance but unfortunately we couldn't."

You couldn't make up the bullshit and excuses if you tried.

the kids deserve a lot of praise, playing with the other sh*te !

Well done shelvey, Kelly, wilson, eccleston & pacheco when he came on.

Jones was ok, looked solid enough, if not bored.

Skirtel & soto had ok games.

Fabio looks like he getting fit.

Cole is lost on the right, needs to come in centre more.

and ffs. lets just give up on poulsen !  & babel was back to his medicore best.

How many out there deserve to push the 1st team, id say, kelly, shelvey & wilson !  & fabio, cos he is just better than konkey !

Dani Pacheco looked good when he came on and injected a bit of pace and direct passing to feet.  I am getting fed up of the hoof ball we have descended into playing its embarrasing......
looking at JD's comments on banana skins with regards to the next four games, unfortunately they probably all are
Is it just me but i have almost got to the point where i hope the team will lose and then somebody may take action to change things.  I have no doubt that the manager will be moved on but just think sooner would be better.  The whole team needs a big shake up

"The problem is we lacked the technical quality in the final third.

Everone can see that f**king problem. Roy, Fix it and don't sit on his fat bump, rubbing his face and keeps moaning about it. What he does at training is anybody's guess, most probably back and side passes and casual jogging, that's all. sh*t put in some real tough traning, starting with some rough and tough tackles and fast attacking moves.

Either 90% of posters on here are complete idiots and cant see Roy's master plan or he is a c**t.=

Sorry Walton
Im a complete idiot .

Is it .....who can achieve the least points for a Liverpool team in the Premiership?

Its that one isn't it?






No?

OK. I agree. He's a c**t.

About the game last night...thank god ''the Apprentice'' was on at 9 o clock. Entertainment at least   .How the Fcuk can Woy
justify that performance? The man hasn't a clue. Good show from the young lad's all the same pity they weren't given any sort
of game plan from ''the manager''

Just wondering what people thought of Eccleston last night.  Movement, touch etc?

redkop63 "What he [ROY] does at training is anybody's guess, most probably back and side passes and casual jogging, that's all."
 
 You'd be suprised at the sophisticated routines now adopted in training.  The morning session normally involves a game of 'Blind Mans bluff football' -basically you pass to where you think another player is , hopefully one on your side and shoot at where you think the goal is.  The remainder of the morning session is taken up by something called 'Looking Good' , which helps players adopt stances and facial expressions that give the impression that they know what there doing during a match. 

        There are of course teething problems with any new methods and sometimes a shot / pass ends up where it should and some players still look pretty clueless nearly all the time.   

                           However I think last night the hard work seemed to be paying off.

Just wondering what people thought of Eccleston last night.  Movement, touch etc?

Bright I'd say. Wasn't given much service but was willing to run the channels unlike Fernando. Used his pace a couple of times to beat people but showed his inexperience with the final ball.

Should have been Babel replaced and not him though.

redkop63 "What he [ROY] does at training is anybody's guess, most probably back and side passes and casual jogging, that's all."
 
 You'd be suprised at the sophisticated routines now adopted in training.  The morning session normally involves a game of 'Blind Mans bluff football' -basically you pass to where you think another player is , hopefully one on your side and shoot at where you think the goal is.  The remainder of the morning session is taken up by something called 'Looking Good' , which helps players adopt stances and facial expressions that give the impression that they know what there doing during a match.

        There are of course teething problems with any new methods and sometimes a shot / pass ends up where it should and some players still look pretty clueless nearly all the time.   

                           However I think last night the hard work seemed to be paying off.

 

Just wondering what people thought of Eccleston last night.  Movement, touch etc?

The only source of optimism besides the Utrecht ensemble all night, the lad looked hungry for it and screams potential-put the rest to shame. 

"It wasn't a classic but Utrecht play really well away from home, keep the ball and cause problems."

Post Match.

Big Em Up again Roy.......big em up.

It seems every team is better than ours.




Hate the snivelling little excuse for a man.