Man City 3-0 Liverpool: In game and Post Match Disappointment

About a month ago, when Suarez was on his own, we were saying it's service.

With Carroll, it's finishing and service.

I guess it's service

Not really mate, even with Suarez, people were saying "we're creating a hell lot of chances, we just need to put the ball in the net" or "be positive, the balls will start going in someday, we're already creating the chances". It was all about finishing cause the stats said so. Now we've seen Gerrard put two good balls for Carroll (as if he's gonna do that every game) and suddenly the problem has become the quality of service.

I think people jump into the bandwagon too easily, what makes sense for the last 90 mins all of sudden explains everything... it simply doesn't work like that.

Both finishing and service are not at the expected level at the moment, some games one of them is the main problem, sometimes the other, sometimes even both...

64 percent possession is worth F**k all if you do nothing with it.

About a month ago, when Suarez was on his own, we were saying it's service.

With Carroll, it's finishing and service.

I guess it's service

Excellent post.  Sums it up perfectly.

If it was service then why were people giving out we were missing to many chances and needed a goalscorer

Can't really explain how I think we're going wrong. It's just really stale.

If it was service then why were people giving out we were missing to many chances and needed a goalscorer

I see where you are going so..

Did we lose today because Carroll missed some easy chances?

Dalglish told his post-match press conference: "I'm not so sure the scoreline reflects the way the game went. I'm not saying we deserved to win, but I think the lesson we've learnt from tonight is that if we're not clinical we're going to suffer.

"There are a lot of things that happened tonight that we can correct ourselves, so we need to go and do that.

"We had a good opportunity to open the scoring, but then we lost the first goal when we'd had possession with a throw in.

"The second goal was from a corner and we had a warning just seconds before it (when Reina saved Vincent Kompany's header).

"The third was when they were down to 10 men, Toure ran the length of the pitch and we gave away a penalty kick.

"It's a harsh lesson, but it'll be even harsher if we don't learn from it."

City's opening goal found the back of the net after Aguero's shot from the edge of the area bounced under the body of Reina.

Journalists quizzed Dalglish on whether he felt his goalkeeper was at fault.

He replied: "I noticed they changed the ball just after it, so maybe that was something to do with it?

"We're not going to sit and isolate individuals. We're never going to win anything with individuals - we'll win things with the squad.

"Every single member of the squad that played made a mistake in some way, shape or form. It's how they react to them that's going to be important."

I see where you are going so..

Did we lose today because Carroll missed some easy chances?

No but his movement didnt help, he was easy to mark. To say it is just a service problem is missing the importance of movement. Good Movement creates chances

I see where you are going so..

Did we lose today because Carroll missed some easy chances?

No but you could say that Downing, Kuyt and Maxi all had chances that could have changed the complexion of the game.

Out of the three you could probably Argue Downings chance was a clear cut chance.

But at 0-0 had he tucked that away anything could have happened.

If it was service then why were people giving out we were missing to many chances and needed a goalscorer

If you take a look at how Suarez plays, he makes about 90% of his own goals. I really think it's that high. Also, he can make them in the box, and outside the box. Rarely will you see him being a fox in the box, or latching onto a cross. He'll nutmeg, swivel, drop the shoulder, turn on a sixpence, shoot from insanely tight angles. But one thing remains, he is the orchestra of most of his goals.

Service was still as poor as it's ever been, only with Luis it wasn't noticed.

Andy Carroll on the other hand, does not create, he pounces. Sure he'll let fly with a thunderbolt now and again, but Carroll thrives on service.

Like I said, our problem has always been service. Masked by Suarez, exposed agonisingly by Carroll.

No but his movement didnt help, he was easy to mark. To say it is just a service problem is missing the importance of movement. Good Movement creates chances

I think tonight it was all about the service and also support for Andy. Far too isolated at times.

Other times this season it has been the finishing as there are games where we created countless chances and didn't put them away.

I think tonight it was all about the service and also support for Andy. Far too isolated at times.

Other times this season it has been the finishing as there are games where we created countless chances and didn't put them away.

Dont agree if you dont move it is impossible for people to create chances for you, movement is absolutely essential, Suarez movement is brilliant and why it appears we create more chances when he is playing

Can't really explain how I think we're going wrong. It's just really stale.

Christ if were really stale at the minute then what the hell were we this time last year under Roy!? Everybodies emotions are so up and down at the min and many seem to demand instant success. I'm sure this is a four / five year plan to have us securely back at top Rome was not built in a day. Give it time we still need to make signings in some areas but Christ just be thankful we weren't relegated last season under Roy, I saw his last game in charge at ewood park now that was f*cking stale

Perspective time.

If you have to lose a game, there is little shame in losing away to the best team in the country at present.  And on balance, over the two games against them I think we've been the better side.

Most level headed reds will know full well tonight wasn't a 3-0er to them.  Flattered them big time.

We can all see the problems - some of us may suggest it is supply, some of us think the supply is good and it's the finishing.  Either way, the problem is in the attacking third.  A fully fit Gerrard and when Suarez gets back will be mouthwatering.  I'd personally like a striker and a winger to come in for us at some point.  We actually need a third striker anyway as cover - should have sorted that in the summer.

Onwards and upwards.  4th place is still in our hands as we are 3 points behind and Chelsea have to come to Anfield.

A different perspective then.

I missed the first quarter hour, so whatever happened then, happened. After that, we were awful, and the scoreline couldn't really be argued with. But we don't help ourselves, by putting out irresponsible club statements about key players 90 minutes before ko. The players clearly had it on their minds throughout.

After half time, we huffed and puffed around midfield, but didn't look like scoring. The last goal summed up the performance. Chaotic, error strewn, collapse.

We have taken 5 points from the 12 available in and around Christmas, and our title bid is now officially over, so we have to get behind City now in their quest to stop their neighbours adding another number to the record. On the basis of tonight, we're a long way short of what's required to compete at that level, which is a crying shame considering how much money has been spent on the squad in the past 12 months.

Suarez movement is brilliant and why it appears we create more chances when he is playing

Very true but then he goes and F***ing misses the target!

We need better service but another top striker is vital.

Thought the ref bottled it for the pen, after Barry got sent off the crowd really went after him. Low and behold the next 50/50 call and penalty, typical home decision.

Honestly think Kenny has signed a striker already to say we're not appealing the Suarez case. Just got to love how crafty he is and like trying to  second guess what he's going to do next.

and our title bid is now officially over, so we have to get behind City now in their quest to stop their neighbours adding another number to the record.

You can get behind City all you want mate. I'd rather focus on ourselves.

Interesting post Rush, if Carroll had buried the chances he has had from quality service you might have a point but he's even been missing those. People call for perspective, but it works in both directions, if you believe Carroll has been anywhere near good enough in his time with us you're deluding yourselves. He needs to improve every single part of his game to be anywhere near good enough, could still do that but I'm not going to watch with rose tinted glasses and blame everyone from Reina to Gerrard for his poor displays.

Lads honestly we cant be too down heartened by tonight. City are a great side. We are a work in progress. Look at the money they've spent and how many years its taken them to challenge since they became mega rich. We are a decent side and can knock the ball about well which makes us look and think we are better than what we are. We become clueless at time in the final third and if we dont score early we panic i feel. At the end of the day take lucas gerrard and suarez out of any team and they struggle.

Got to watch this one on ESPN so that was a bonus...don't get to see too many on tv over here in the states. We just seemed to lack punch. Carroll seemed too isolated, Kuyt was near invisible and seems like Gerrard and Bellers should have started. We didn't play horrible, but didn't play great either which is a necessity to take points away from City at their place. Seemed odd to me that when they went a man down we still seemed to have trouble pushing forward and making anything happen in the box. Kompany was a freaking clearance machine. Should have taken out one of his knees early and maybe we'd have had a better chance

Suarez movement is brilliant and why it appears we create more chances when he is playing

As Rush said above, Suarez creates the vast majority of his own goals.

I really am going to disagree with you.  I thought the service was poor.  Downing goes backwards 10 times as many times as he goes forwards.  Adam couldn't trap a bag of cement.  Kuyt's legs have gone which makes his lack of first touch even worse.  The only inventiveness in the side came from Johnson and Enrique tonight. 

Not good enough to be relying on a left and right back.  Downing missed a glorious chance tonight - but apart from that there wasn't a chance missed that had me tearing my hair out.

If Carroll is going to play then we need to play to his strengths which we are not doing. How is it that Newcastle could get the best out of him and we cant? Very frustrating.

Games turn on goals and chances missed. From when Downing missed such a good chance and then Pepe missed the ball, we were always on a hiding to nothing.